Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on September 02-03/2023
Lebanon Judicial Escalation Threatens New Disruptions
Beirut: Youssef Diab/Asharq Al Awsat/September 02/2023
More than 100 Lebanese judges have recently announced an immediate work stoppage, a protest that stems from dire living conditions and their deprivation of even the most basic allowances, particularly healthcare and education for their children.
This move coincides with the start of the new judicial year midway through September, potentially opening the door to a new disruption in the performance of the judiciary, which has been operating at a minimum capacity or what could be described as “caretaker mode” since the beginning of 2023. In response to this development, the Justice Minister in the caretaker government hastened to emphasize that he places the demands of the judges as a top priority and will work diligently to address them promptly. The minister reassured that there is no cause for concern regarding the judicial year and that there will be no return to a state of judicial strike or paralysis in the justice system. Without warning, 111 judges from the judicial, administrative, and financial branches in Lebanon announced the strike as of Friday. Protesting judges blamed the state’s inability to cover healthcare, medicine, and education for them and their families, the deplorable working conditions in the halls of justice that fail to uphold human dignity, and the deteriorating situation of the judiciary. They said that those factors had compelled them to “cease work from the start of September until the conditions for living and working with dignity are met.”
A protesting judge, who requested anonymity, emphasized that the decision to suspend work “serves as a cry for help and a warning to officials that the judicial reality cannot remain as it is.”Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, the judge said: “The decision of these judges could snowball and threaten to disrupt the upcoming judicial year, especially since the work stoppage was the result of negotiations and discussions we conducted with the Judicial Council and our diligent attempts to secure the minimum rights of judges, but unfortunately, we have not achieved any results.”The judicial landscape represents the most vivid manifestation of the collapse that has plagued Lebanese state institutions since the onset of the financial and economic crisis in late 2019. Judges have lost over 90% of their salaries due to the collapse of the national currency, in addition to the loss of basic benefits such as healthcare, education, and other incentives that they enjoyed before the crisis.

Lebanese Opposition Not Keen to Back Berri's Initiative
Beirut: Paula Astih/Asharq Al Awsat/September 02/2023
Lebanon’s main opposition parties, led by the Lebanese Forces (LF) and the Kataeb, have criticized a proposal by Speaker Nabih Berri to hold a seven-day dialogue at the parliament ahead of open-ended sessions to elect a president. Kataeb chief MP Sami Gemayel told Berri that the proposal to hold successive sessions to elect a president on the condition that the parties participate in dialogue is an acknowledgment that he was deliberately violating the Constitution. “The implementation of the Constitution is not a political blackmail. Parliament is not your property; it belongs to the Lebanese people," Gemayel added. MP Sethrida Geagea of the LF bloc criticized Berri for "insisting that he will not call for a presidential election session unless there is a prior agreement." "This stance in itself is a major constitutional violation," Geagea said. "This is a new chapter in the attempt of a group of Lebanese to impose their will on others, once through force and another through the abuse of authority," the MP added. Berri's sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that the initiative combines the parties' demands, given that one group calls for dialogue and another for open sessions to elect a president.
The sources also said that the initiative is within the context of the efforts of the French envoy to Lebanon, Jean-Yves Le Drian, who is supposed to visit Beirut this month. However, Berri's proposal was not coordinated with Le Drian. As expected, Hezbollah and the Progressive Socialist Party will respond positively to Berri's call. Similarly, the head of the Free Patriotic Movement, MP Gebran Bassil, welcomed the initiative, saying it was good and positive." "Our condition ... to participate in the dialogue was that, once this dialogue is over and whatever the result, there must either be a consensus enshrined in an electoral session in Parliament, or we will accept the game of democratic competition in successive electoral sessions," Bassil said on Thursday. Meanwhile, MP Ghassan Hasbani stressed it was futile to hold dialogue with Hezbollah and its allies, which are working to abolish institutions.
He told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Speaker must implement the Constitution, which is not subject to conditions. Forces of Change MP Ibrahim Mneimneh told Asharq Al-Awsat that he welcomes the idea of dialogue in principle, but asked for more details before he takes a stance from Berri’s initiative. He noted that all parties recognize that there must be a political settlement and understanding concerning the next president's work agenda, with guarantees for its implementation. Member of the Development and Liberation bloc Kassem Hashem stressed that the dialogue proposed by Berri aims to facilitate the process of electing a president. The MP explained that after seven days of dialogue, the president will be elected through ballots. After meeting Berri on Friday, Deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saab described his initiative as "positive," considering that it may be the last opportunity for the Parliament to elect a president in 2023. Bou Saab warned that no one can predict how long the vacuum will extend if the parties do not reach an understanding. He called upon the parties rejecting Berri’s initiative to present an alternative to elect a president.

Nasrallah meets senior leaders of Hamas and Islamic Jihad
Naharnet/September 2, 2023
Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has met with Islamic Jihad leader Ziad Nakhalah and Hamas deputy politburo head Sheikh Saleh al-Arouri, Hezbollah said on Saturday. The talks tackled “the latest events and political developments, especially in Palestine, and a common evaluation took place of the situation in the West Bank and the surge of the resistance activity in it, in addition to the latest Israeli threats,” Hezbollah said in a statement. The three leaders also “underscored the firm stance of all the forces of the Axis of Resistance in the face of the Zionist enemy and its occupation and arrogance, and the importance of daily and constant coordination and communication among the resistance movements, especially in Palestine and Lebanon." The statement said the coordination would be aimed at "following up on all the political, security and military developments and taking the appropriate decision." The meeting comes hours after Nasrallah, Nakhalah and Arouri held separate talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, who has visited Syria and Lebanon on Thursday and Friday.

Progress in Hezbollah-FPM talks as 30-district decentralization proposed
Naharnet/September 2, 2023
The ongoing dialogue between Hezbollah and the Free Patriotic Movement has made progress and the FPM has proposed an administrative decentralization plan based on dividing Lebanon into 30 administrative districts, a media report said on Saturday. An informed parliamentary source meanwhile told ad-Diyar newspaper that Speaker Nabih Berri has informed Hezbollah’s leadership that “despite his rift with the FPM, he would support any agreement that Hezbollah might reach with the Movement, whether over broad administrative decentralization or any other topic, on the condition that the Shiite Duo keep working for securing the election of (Suleiman) Franjieh as president.”As for FPM chief Jebran Bassil, ad-Diyar said that he stressed in his dialogue with Hezbollah that he categorically rejects the election of the army chief as president. “He is still opposed to backing Franjieh, but not with the same fierceness of his rejection of (Army) Commander Joseph Aoun,” the daily added. “Accordingly, Bassil has proposed to Hezbollah that negotiations be held to reach an agreement over a third presidential candidate who would not be provocative to neither the Shiite Duo nor the FPM, but the Duo does not intend to accept such a proposal,” the newspaper said.

Iran FM tells Macron to focus on France after Lebanon remarks
Agence France Presse/September 2, 2023
Iran's foreign minister has rejected accusations from France over Tehran's interference in Lebanon, urging President Emmanuel Macron to focus instead on his own country. Macron had told a conference of French ambassadors earlier this week that a "key element" to resolve Lebanon's political crisis was "the clarification of regional interference, including that of Iran." "I advise Mr. Macron to focus on the situation inside France instead of paying attention to questions of interference in other countries," Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said during a visit to Beirut. Mired in a gruelling economic crisis since 2019, Lebanon has been governed by a caretaker cabinet for more than a year and without a president since late October. Lebanese lawmakers failed 12 times to elect a successor to former president Michel Aoun amid bitter disputes between the powerful Iran-backed Hezbollah and its opponents.
"Iran has always played the most constructive role in helping Lebanon," Amir-Abdollahian told a press conference at the Iranian embassy. French special envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian -- who has been tasked with helping resolve divisions among Lebanon's sectarian politicians -- is expected in Beirut later this month. Amir-Abdollahian's visit is his second since April, when he called on Lebanon to overcome its political deadlock and elect a president, urging foreign governments not to interfere in the choice. Tehran is the key backer of Lebanon's powerful Hezbollah, the only faction that kept its heavy weapons after the end of the 1975-1990 civil war. Amir-Abdollahian also met Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah during the visit, as well as senior officials from Palestinian factions close to Tehran, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Israel and Hezbollah fought a 34-day war in 2006. Amir-Abdollahian arrived in Beirut Thursday after a trip to Damascus, where he held talks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Iran has long been one of Assad's main supporters, helping him claw back territory lost to rebels during Syria's 12-year war.

Saudi Arabia extends hand of financial diplomacy to Lebanon: Mansouri's visit
LBCI/September 2, 2023
The prominent factor alongside this political stagnation is the rapid developments in the financial and monetary spheres under the new leadership of Banque du Liban (BDL).  Wassim Mansouri, who serves as the acting governor, is pursuing a stringent policy to maintain financial stability, prevent deterioration, preserve reserves, and maintain transparency in managing this sector. This article was initially published in, translated from, the Lebanese newspaper Al Joumhouria. Mansouri will visit the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on Sunday in response to an invitation extended to him by the Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon, Walid Al-Bukhari, a few days ago. According to Al Joumhouria's sources, Mansouri will spend several days in the kingdom, during which extensive meetings with senior Saudi officials, especially in the financial sector, have been prepared. Banking sources told Al Joumhouria that Mansouri's visit is of utmost importance regarding timing, content, and undoubtedly its positive repercussions on Lebanon.  It is beyond doubt that Saudi Arabia, contrary to all the rumors, has not removed Lebanon from its priorities and concerns. It implies that Saudi Arabia would like to see Lebanon emerge from its political crisis and achieve genuine progress in its financial and economic crisis.

Early morning explosions in Ain al-Hilweh camp: No injuries reported
LBCI/September 2, 2023
Early on Saturday morning, the sound of two explosions rang out in the Ain al-Hilweh camp, reported the National News Agency. These explosions were determined to have resulted from the hurling of two hand grenades in the vicinity of Al-Samu' and Bisan Schools, located in the Taware'e neighborhood. No injuries were reported.

Coordinated Calls for Border Stability: Reading Between the Lines of US and Iranian Visits
LBCI/September 2, 2023
The simultaneous timing of the visits by Iranian Foreign Minister Hussein Amir-Abdollahian and US Presidential Advisor Amos Hochstein was notable. Although observers insisted that the concurrent visits were mere coincidence, there could be more to it than what is immediately apparent. If the timing was coincidental, is the alignment of the officials' stances on calling for border stability also concurrent? It is evident that the goal of the stability calls issued by both officials in Beirut differs, yet it converges in the realm of border de-escalation. Hochstein's call for stability is directly linked to Israel's security concerns. Achieving stability there necessitates stability along the Lebanese border. Recent Israeli statements even hinted at the possibility of conflicts along these borders. Israel's UN representative, Gilad Erdan, did not hesitate to declare that Israel is closer than ever to launching a military campaign in Lebanon since 2006.
This helps clarify why the US envoy is insistent on pursuing border stability, presumably through land demarcation. As for Amir-Abdollahian, who arrived in Lebanon from Saudi Arabia, his call for border calm echoes Saudi Arabia's desire to stabilize the region and avoid potential conflicts. The discussions between Amir-Abdollahian and Hezbollah's leadership encompassed various topics, including the phases of negotiations with the Saudi side and the Iraq and Yemen files. However, the primary focus remained on developments at the Syrian-Iraqi border. Could the simultaneous US and Iranian calls for border stability in Lebanon be anticipatory measures for potential regional developments?

France vs. Iran: The unspoken battle over Lebanon's future
LBCI/September 2, 2023
Speaker Nabih Berri's recent initiative has stirred internal debate that is expected to intensify in the coming days. The "new aspect" of this initiative is reflected in the integration of dialogue with the open sessions for the election of the President.  This article was originally published in and translated from Lebanese newspaper Nidaa al-Watan. However, the reactions to it have resurrected the political division as it was before between the Shiite duo and its allies, the opposition, and the intersection it reached on June 14th. So, instead of "resolving" the results of the parliamentary session on that date, the initiative seems to "blur" those results, which led to the victory of the opposition candidate Jihad Azour over the candidate of the Shiite duo, Sleiman Frangieh.  The reason for this conclusion, as stated in the responses rejecting the initiative, is that Berri is still far from the constitution under the guise of dialogue.
Returning to Berri's speech on the 45th anniversary of the disappearance of Imam Sayyid Musa al-Sadr and his companions, it was noteworthy that the Speaker of Parliament did not mention the French initiative led by French Presidential Envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian.  It is important to note that the essence of the speech is to present an alternative to this initiative, which revolves around the presidential deadline. Berri chose September for his initiative, the month Le Drian will return to Lebanon to explore the possibility of holding presidential elections. Is there an explanation for Le Drian's absence from Berri's speech?
Prominent sources in the opposition told Nidaa al-Watan that Berri's initiative coincided with the visit of Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian to Beirut.  Berri seemed to send a "message" to French President Emmanuel Macron at the moment of Abdollahian's visit, saying, "If you hold Iran responsible for obstructing the presidential elections, there is no need to send your presidential envoy to Lebanon because I will take his place."It is known that on August 28th, Macron, in front of a gathering of French ambassadors at the Elysée Palace, mentioned the "destabilizing activities of Iran in the region in recent years." Macron considered that "one of the essential elements" for a "political solution in Lebanon will involve clarifying regional interventions, including Iranian interference." He praised the work of his special envoy to Lebanon, Le Drian. These sources add, "Berri appeared to take a stance blocking Le Drian's way. If we say that the French initiative is bad, Berri's position came to convey an Iranian message to the French state that Macron's position is rejected at the Iranian level." The same sources pointed out that the opposition, which signed the statement of 31 deputies, included a call to Berri and the political forces to apply the constitution. If the dialogue happens, it will be after the election of the President.  This President will lead the dialogue with one item: Hezbollah's weapons and the implementation of the Taif Agreement in its sovereignty section, and the opposition is unified on this level. They also noted that Speaker Berri wanted to divert international pressure from him, which had demanded he hold presidential elections and "assign responsibility for hindering the invitation to open electoral sessions to the obstructing team." Therefore, at this time, he wanted to tell the international community, "Do not impose sanctions on me because I will facilitate it, while the obstructer is someone else." These sources conclude that "in short, there is an international will that appeared in the Quintet Committee hinting at sanctions. Berri wanted to "wash his hands," but he cannot do it because he is the one who does not apply the constitution. This exchange he proposes is rejected because he cannot bribe the opposition with sessions to give him a dialogue when he should apply the constitution." From Berri to Abdollahian, who, during a press conference at the end of his visit, advised French President Macron to focus on France's internal problems instead of criticizing Iran. He said, "I advise Mr. Macron to focus on the situation inside France instead of interfering in matters in other countries."During his visit to Lebanon, the Iranian Minister had a busy schedule, starting with Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, then Speaker Berri, followed by the Caretaker Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdallah Bou Habib.  Finally, he had a closed meeting with the leaders of the Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) movement, represented by Hamas deputy leader Saleh al-Arouri and Secretary-General of the PIJ, Ziyad al-Nakhalah. The Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported that Abdollahian confirmed "Tehran's commitment to the strategy of supporting the Palestinian people, their resistance, and the issue of liberating the land." Regarding his meeting with Nasrallah, Abdollahian said he heard that "if the Zionist entity commits any foolishness, the resistance can turn the page in a way that will be painful for this enemy."Abdollahian repeatedly emphasized that "the Islamic Republic does not interfere in Lebanese internal affairs."

From divine gift to thriving industry: The story of Lebanon's sunset tourism
LBCI/September 2, 2023
From sea level to 1600 meters and more, beauty and nature as far as the eyes can see. It is a sunset, a decorated scene that Lebanon's sky paints with colors, transforming it from a divine gift into many tourism projects. From the coast to the mountains, golden paintings, and breathtaking views - the Lebanese people learned how to use them, creating a new kind of tourism: Sunset tourism. During this time of day, between 6 and 8 o'clock, you won't find an empty sunset bar anywhere; they are all fully booked. It is a time for couples to have a romantic moment, for friends to gather for a great time and a drink, and for the ladies to capture the most beautiful pictures. This concept emerged a few years ago and has become an essential stop in many tourists' schedules. Restaurants, for sure, are benefiting greatly from this sunset. Today, in Lebanon, we have more than 350 tourist establishments by the sea and in the mountains, where we can enjoy the sunset. During this period of the day, it provides between 15 and 20 percent of the restaurants' income in the summer season, in addition to creating additional job opportunities for the youth. This incredible scene, painted by Lebanon's sky and sea, has taught the Lebanese people how to appreciate its beauty and turn this natural gift into an invaluable tourist treasure.

Jnoud El-Fayhaa: A new extremist group emerges in Tripoli, Lebanon
LBCI/September 2, 2023
After Jnoud El-Rab, Jnoud El-Fayhaa (جنود الفيحاء), a new extremist group attempting to establish itself, this time in the "city of moderation and openness," Tripoli. However, a tour through the city's streets reveals that a significant number of its residents know nothing about this group. Jnoud El-Fayhaa emerged suddenly through a few videos posted on social media. At times, they "fight" colors on school walls, and at other times, they threaten direct harm to those they label "enemies of Islam."This small group, whose number of its members does not reach ten people, is led by an activist who ran in the last parliamentary elections for Tripoli last year, earning 160 votes. These votes emboldened him to claim that his group represents the people of the northern capital. Amidst this unprecedented wave of hostility against freedoms in Lebanon, groups with religious motives at their core have sprung up, carrying out their activities on the ground under the guise of protecting the areas in which they operate. Will the state take action to curb these "security fiefdoms" that have become a serious concern?

Empowering Municipalities: A Crucial Step Towards Effective Crisis Management in Lebanon
LBCI/September 2, 2023
Municipalities have consistently demonstrated that they are the primary players in finding and executing solutions in every crisis. From COVID-19 to earthquakes, waste crises, electricity and water shortages, and even the repercussions of extreme weather like fires and snowstorms, municipalities have played a pivotal role. To make their role more effective, a proposed law is being presented to all parliamentary blocs to activate municipal work in Lebanon. Since the Taif Agreement up to the present day, the term "administrative decentralization" has dominated political discourse and demands. However, it still needs to be implemented. To activate municipal work, the most crucial role remains in implementing administrative decentralization. First, the quality of government services improves when local authorities are empowered to execute them, thus reducing the burden on central authorities. Local authorities are better equipped to serve their communities and meet their needs, which may vary from one region to another. By delegating these tasks to municipalities, ministries, and central authorities, they can focus on improving public policies that enhance administrative performance at the national level.

Lebanon beat Iran to close with back-to-back wins
NNA /September 2, 2023
Lebanon led from start to finish as they defeated Iran, 81-73, in their final Classification Round matchup at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023. This was the first time for Lebanon to win consecutive games in the World Cup. Together with their previous win over Cote d'Ivoire, Lebanon ensured they would end their World Cup campaign on a very bright note. The turning point​: Veteran big man Ali Haidar spearheaded Lebanon's strong start in this game as they led, 12-4, early in the first quarter. They would never relinquish the lead and just stave off any Iranian efforts to overhaul the deficit. The Cedars responded well, though, eventually restoring their 19-point advantage by the middle of the fourth period. The Iranians mounted one final push to make it a two-possession game in the final minute, but Lebanon's cushion was just too much. TCL Player of the Game​: Star point guard Wael Arakji was superb for Lebanon. He had 21 points on 6-of-9 field goal shooting and 8-of-9 free throw shooting. He also added 7 assists and 3 rebounds in a sterling effort. Haidar and Wael Arakji combined to score 41 points to lead the Cedars. Omari Spellman also did well with 9 points, 11 rebounds and 2 blocks. Mohammad Mamini led Iran with 22 points. Stats don't lie​: Lebanon's outside shooting helped them get to a fast start. They finished the game hitting nine three-pointers to Iran's 4. Lebanon also moved the ball really well, tallying 22 assists on their 25 field goals.
Bottom Line​: Lebanon's second win put them in second place in Group P right behind France. The Cedars will finish in the 21st to 24th place tier. Iran, meanwhile, finished the tournament winless after five games. This is the first time ever that Iran have failed to win at a FIBA World Cup. They said: "Congratulations to Lebanon. They played better than us very second of the game. I don't really know what to say. We have competed with them for many times. I have had a long career with the national team since the 2000s. I know I put everything for my national team even with injuries. I try to play when I can even if I'm out of shape. I feel good, but I feel upset too because I leave my team. I want to give a special thank you to my doctor here who has been with me for more than 10 years. Thank you for pushing me even if I already want to quit. I wish the best for the natioal team. We have talent but we also have to be patient if they need anything. I am here to help." - Hamed Haddadi, Iran center. "My team fought to the last second of the game. Everyone has to adapt. Maybe we didn't get some good results in the World Cup, but all the team fought and stayed together until the last second. Also I want to commend Hamed. Even with injury, he played and even put up 14 points and 8 rebounds. He is a great example for every sports man and even dedicated himself to this game of basketball." - Hakan Demir, Iran coach
"I feel tired. Finally, it's over. Thank God. Tonight the win was for Lebanon. We had to win for the country, for us, for our coaches, for the federation. We played and ended it the right way. Now I have five days in Bali with my wife. I will enjoy it. I don't want to think about basketball first for now." - Ali Haidar, Lebanon forward "Respect to Ali Haidar, our real beast. He is the only five man who really fought against all the big men at the World Cup. Respect also to all the other players who helped us get to here, helping us in many windows. I also want to talk about our fans. They are our number one player. They helped us to be here. I also thank our federation. Thank you for trusting us, for appointing us to work for Lebanon. It's an honor for us, also for our management. We enjoyed our experience here and learned a lot here." - Jad El Hajj, Lebanon coach. --- FIBA

Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on September 02-03/2023
Pope praises Mongolia’s tradition of religious freedom from times of Genghis Khan at start of visit
AP/September 02, 2023
ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia: Pope Francis on Saturday praised Mongolia’s tradition of religious freedom dating to the times of its founder, Genghis Khan, as he opened the first-ever papal visit to the Asian nation with a plea for peace and an end to the “insidious threat of corruption.”Francis met with President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh inside a traditional Mongolian ger, or round yurt, set up inside the state palace, and wrote a message in the guest book that he was visiting Mongolia, “a country young and ancient, modern and rich of tradition,” as a pilgrim of peace. “May the great clear sky, which embraces the Mongolian land, illuminate new paths of fraternity,” he wrote.
Francis is visiting Mongolia to minister to its young Catholic community of 1,450 and make a diplomatic foray into a region where the Holy See has long had troubled relations, with Russia to the north and China to the south. While Christianity has been present in the region for hundreds of years, the Catholic Church has only had a sanctioned presence in Mongolia since 1992, after the country abandoned its Soviet-allied communist government and enshrined religious freedom in its constitution. In his remarks, Francis praised Mongolia’s tradition of religious liberty, noting that such tolerance existed even during the period of the Mongol Empire’s vast expansion over much of the world. At its height, the empire stretched as far west as Hungary and remains the largest contiguous land empire in world history. “The fact that the empire could embrace such distant and varied lands over the centuries bears witness to the remarkable ability of your ancestors to acknowledge the outstanding qualities of the peoples present in its immense territory and to put those qualities at the service of a common development,” Francis said. “This model should be valued and re-proposed in our own day.”
Francis, however, noted the need to combat corruption, an apparent reference to a scandal over Mongolia’s trade with China over the alleged theft of 385,000 tons of coal. In December, hundreds of people braved freezing cold temperatures in the capital to protest the scandal. Francis warned about the threat represented by today’s consumerist spirit and said religions can help guard against an “individualistic mindset that cares little for others and for sound, established traditions.” “At the same time, they also represent a safeguard against the insidious threat of corruption, which effectively represents a serious menace to the development of any human community; corruption is the fruit of a utilitarian and unscrupulous mentality that has impoverished whole countries,” he said. “It is a sign of a vision that fails to look up to the sky and flees the vast horizons of fraternity, becoming instead self-enclosed and concerned with its own interests alone.”The Mongolian government has declared 2023 to be an “anti-corruption year” and says it is carrying out a five-part plan based on Transparency International, the global anti-graft watchdog that ranked Mongolia 116th last year in its corruption perceptions index.
Later Saturday, Francis was to meet with the priests and missionaries who tend to the country’s tiny Catholic community at the capital’s St. Peter and Paul Cathedral.

US-backed fighters push ahead in their offensive in east Syria against tribespeople
QAMISHLI, Syria (AP) /Sat, September 2, 2023
U.S.-backed fighters brought in reinforcements into eastern Syria and pushed ahead in their offensive Saturday against local tribespeople, saying that hundreds of pro-government gunmen have joined the worst battles in the region in years. The clashes that broke out Monday after the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces detained a former ally who headed an Arab-led faction in the region have left more than 50 people dead and dozens wounded. The clashes are the most intense in areas where hundreds of U.S. troops have been deployed since 2015 to help in the fight against the Islamic State group. The extremists once controlled large parts of Syria and Iraq until their defeat in March 2019. The U.S. military on Thursday called for an end to days of fighting warning it may help the resurgence of the Islamic State group. On Saturday, the SDF and local tribesman clashed in an area between the village of Dhiban and al-Omar oil field, Syria’s largest oil facility and home to one of the largest U.S. bases in the war-torn country, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human rights, an opposition war monitor. Khaled Zeino, an SDF commander, told The Associated Press that his forces were moving ahead to reach the villages of Shheil and Baseera to cut the flow of supplies from the west bank of the Euphrates River, where government forces and Iran-backed militias are based. Zeino added that some 400 fully equipped fighters had crossed from the government side. He said small boats were being used to take wounded gunmen for treatment on the west bank, where government troops are deployed. On Friday evening, the SDF declared a 48-hour curfew on the east bank of the Euphrates. The Observatory said six days of fighting have left at least 54 people dead and dozens others wounded. On any day, there are at least 900 U.S. forces in eastern Syria, along with an undisclosed number of contractors. They partner with the SDF to work to prevent an IS comeback.

Clashes hit Kurdish-held east Syria after curfew
AFP/September 02, 2023
BEIRUT: Sporadic clashes took place on Saturday in a Kurdish-held area of eastern Syria, a monitor said, after a curfew was imposed following the arrest of an Arab armed group’s leader. Fighting erupted in the Kurdish-controlled areas of Deir Ezzor province on Monday after the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) detained Ahmad Al-Khabil, the head of the Deir Ezzor Military Council. The violence has so far killed 54 people, including six children, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor. “Calm has been relatively restored, as the intensity of fighting has decreased due to the 48-hour curfew” that took effect on Saturday, the Observatory’s Rami Abdel Rahman said, adding that clashes were continuing “intermittently in three villages.” The largely Arab-majority province to the east of the Euphrates is controlled by the SDF, while forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad and Iran-affiliated fighters are stationed on the west bank. Kurdish authorities manage areas under their control through local civilian and military councils, to avoid upsetting local Arab tribes. In a statement on Saturday, the SDF criticized “propaganda whose sole aim is to sow discord and break the unity of the SDF and the local Arab population.” “Contrary to what is being said, there is no dispute between the SDF and the tribes in the region. We are in constant contact with them,” it said. SDF spokesman Farhad Shami said the clashes were mostly “against elements of the regime and some beneficiaries” of Khabil. The SDF says Khabil was arrested for communicating with Assad’s government, alleged drug trafficking and mismanagement leading to an uptick in activities by cells of Daesh militant group, among other things. Tensions rose when pro-regime fighters, backed by Iran, took advantage of the clashes to move into two Kurdish-controlled villages, the Observatory said. The US-backed SDF, which controls vast territories in northeastern Syria, spearheaded the offensive that defeated Daesh in Syria in 2019.

Karroubi Expresses Pessimism About Iran’s Legislative Elections
London: Adil Al-Salmi//Asharq Al Awsat/September 02/2023
Reformist leader Mehdi Karroubi stated that Iranian authorities are attempting to replicate the current parliament, despite claims of inviting political parties to participate in the elections. Karroubi, who has been under house arrest for 13 years, gave his remarks before the reformist “Etemad Melli” party conference.“All avenues are closed for participation in the elections, despite the rulers’ claims of inviting participation in the parliamentary elections,” said Karroubi. “They are attempting to replicate the current parliament,” he added, according to the Etemad newspaper. Karroubi believes that “the rulers, in the absence of opposition party presence in parliament, legitimize every unlawful act,” and he called for “exposing and thwarting the conspiracy.” The reformist leader also criticized the “supervisory role” of the Guardian Council, which grants extensive powers to disqualify candidates during the eligibility review process. Karroubi also referred to his role in founding the Etemad Melli party. “Holding the annual conference in the worst political and social conditions of the country confirms the determination of comrades and friends,” he said, adding that he does not “regret the political formation, as it is a step towards political development in the country.” “The foundation of the revolution has no meaning without democracy in Iran, and democracy means nothing without political parties,” explained Karroubi. “In the absence of political parties, a group of individuals controls the country,” he added.
Karroubi ran for the presidential elections in 2009 and, at that time, alongside another candidate, former Prime Minister Mir Hossein Mousavi, led the protests against the re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, citing widespread fraud. In his statements to the Etemad Melli party conference attendees, Karroubi defended his slogan from 2009, and said: “My slogan was change, and there is no other path.” He stressed the need to restore trust to the people and urged recognizing the popular demands to prevent the “destruction of Iran.”

Iran Guards seize ship smuggling fuel in Gulf
AFP/September 02, 2023
TEHRAN: Naval forces of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have seized a ship “carrying smuggled fuel” in the Gulf and arrested four crew members, local media reportedon Saturday. “More than 50,000 liters of smuggled fuel were discovered” on board on the ship, Fars news agency quoted the chief justice of the coastal Hormozgan province, Mojtaba Ghahramani, as saying. He said the Revolutionary Guards Corps navy had “confiscated” the ship and “arrested four people” during the operation. Neither the origin of the ship nor the date of the operation were immediately disclosed.
Ghahramani said the fuel would be redirected to the country’s “legal distribution network.” The US military has in recent weeks beefed up its presence in the Gulf after accusing Iran of seizing or attempting to take ships in the vital waterway. On July 6, the US Navy said the Guards seized a commercial vessel in the Gulf, a day after it accused Iranian forces of two similar attempts off the coast of Oman. Iran later said the vessel seized in the Gulf was carrying “more than 1 million liters of smuggled fuel.”

Work begins on Iraq-Iran rail link
AFP/September 02, 2023
BAGHDAD: Iraq’s prime minister on Saturday inaugurated construction work on what is slated to become the first railway line connecting the country to neighboring Iran, a major political and economic partner. The “Basra-Chalamja connection project” will link the major port city of Basra in southern Iraq to Iran’s vast railway network through the Chalamja border crossing, said a Transport Ministry official. It is estimated that the project will take “between 18 and 24 months.” The goal is to be able to transport “travelers from Iran and Central Asian countries” to holy cities, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani said in a speech. He noted that the project had been under discussion for years before an agreement was reached in 2021.
FASTFACT
The prime minister thanked Iran for planned demining operations at the border to clear the way for the train line and for a railway bridge over the Shatt Al-Arab waterway.
During Saturday’s ceremony, Al-Sudani laid a symbolic foundation stone alongside Iran’s first vice president, Mohammed Mokhber. Al-Sudani thanked Tehran for planned demining operations at the border to clear the way for the train line and for a railway bridge over the Shatt Al-Arab waterway, where the Tigris and Euphrates rivers converge before spilling into the Gulf. Iraq and Iran fought an eight-year war in the 1980s after Saddam Hussein invaded his neighbor in the wake of Iran’s 1979 revolution.
Mokhber hailed the “strategic” project that he said would be completed “over the next two years,” Iranian state media reported him as saying.
Half the 32 km of rail track planned will be on the Iran side of the border, its IRNA news
agency said. War-ravaged and beset by rampant corruption, Iraq suffers from dilapidated infrastructure, including outdated highways and railways.
Al-Sudani’s government has been working on forging a growing number of regional partnerships. In May, Baghdad unveiled a $17-billion project known as the “Route of Development” for a road and railway stretching 1,200 km from Iraq’s northern border with Turkiye to the Gulf in the south.

Libya’s chief prosecutor is seeking more details on minister's meeting with Israel’s chief diplomat
CAIRO (AP)/September 2, 2023
Libya’s chief prosecutor said Saturday he would establish a fact-finding mission to investigate a meeting last month between the foreign minister of one of the country’s rival governments and Israel’s chief diplomat. The Aug. 22 meeting caused an uproar across the North African nation. Najla Mangoush, the foreign minister of the Tripoli-based government, and Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen met in Rome in the first-ever between top diplomats of Libya and Israel. Libya criminalizes establishing ties with Israel under a 1957 law. The oil-rich country has long been hostile toward Israel and supportive of the Palestinians. In a terse statement Saturday, General Prosecutor Al-Sediq al-Sour said the fact-finding mission would probe violations of Libya’s rules of boycotting Israel and “investigate the extent of damage to Libya’s interests” because of the Mangoush-Cohen meeting. Libya slid into chaos after a NATO-backed uprising toppled longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi in 2011. For years, the country has split between the Western-backed government in Tripoli and a rival administration in the country’s east. Each side has been backed by armed groups and foreign governments.

The Biden administration wants to know if Saudi Arabia used American weapons to kill 'hundreds' of migrants
Charles R. Davis/Business Insider/September 2, 2023
The United States is investigating a report that Saudi Arabia killed "hundreds" of migrants.
Human Rights Watch said border guards in Saudi Arabia killed scores of migrants in Yemen. The Biden administration is investigating whether US weapons were used in the reported attacks. The Biden administration is demanding answers following a report that Saudi authorities may have killed hundreds of migrants in Yemen, possibly with arms provided by the United States, according to The Washington Post. Last month, Human Rights Watch issued a report alleging that, between March 2022 and June 2023, Saudi border guards killed "at least hundreds" of Ethiopian migrants who were trying to cross into the country from neighboring Yemen. The attacks included the use of explosive weapons and execution-style killings of people who had just been released from detention in Saudi Arabia itself, the group charged. Bill Frelick, director of HRW's refugee and migrant rights division, said he was "shocked and horrified" by the allegations, which he described as among the worst he's seen in more than 30 years. "For months, if not longer, Saudi border guards have been systematically shooting and shelling Ethiopian migrants and asylum seekers trying to cross from Yemen along the remote, inaccessible border that divides the two countries," Frelick wrote in a piece published Friday by The Hill. "These migrants include large numbers of women and children. They are unarmed. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, have been killed." In the report, HRW cited eyewitnesses who reported migrants being struck by mortar fire as they approached the Saudi border. One person said that an attack on a group of 170 migrants left more than half of them dead, according to HRW, appearing to reflect a conscious decision to discourage migration through targeted killings — and raising the prospect that there is a "state policy of deliberate murder of a civilian population." Saudi Arabia has denied the allegation. But according to The Washington Post, rumors of the killings had been circulating among diplomats "for more than a year" prior to the HRW report. Michal Ratney, US ambassador to Saudi Arabia, discussed the allegations last month — ahead of the report's release — and US officials are now trying to determine whether the units accused received training or weapons from Washington.
Ethiopia has also said it is investigating the allegations, "in tandem with the Saudi authorities," per the Associated Press.

More than 100 injured in Eritrean clashes in Tel Aviv
Rami Amichai/JERUSALEM (Reuters)/September 2, 2023
More than 100 people were injured in violent clashes in Tel Aviv between Eritrean government supporters celebrating an Eritrea Day event and opponents of President Isaias Afwerki. Israeli police fired stun grenades to break up the clashes, while some protesters hurled stones at police and set fire to trash bins, Reuters journalists at the scene said. Footage on social media showed Eritrean government supporters beating anti-government protesters with clubs. Israeli medical officials said more than 114 people had been treated for injuries, including about 30 police officers. The violence broke out around an event organised by the Eritrean embassy to mark Revolution Day on Sept. 1, which commemorates the start of the Eritrean War of Independence against Ethiopia in 1961. I Isaias has ruled since Eritrea gained independence in 1993. Human rights groups have condemned his government as being highly repressive and the country is under U.S. and EU sanctions for alleged abuses. "Why did we run from our country?," one protester in Tel Aviv, Hagos Gavriot, told Reuters. "Why the Israeli police gave them a permit to celebrate...for this dictator? We are against this. Why am I here seeking a shelter?"Reuters journalists saw men with head wounds and bloodied arms, some lying on the ground of a children's playground. Police marched through the streets firing stun grenades at protesters. "At this time, large police and Border Police forces continue to operate against lawbreakers in the Tel Aviv area," an Israeli police statement said. About 25,500 Eritrean asylum seekers currently live in Israel, according to Assaf, an organization that aids refugees. Eritreans who fled to Israel over its border with Egypt say they will face persecution if they are repatriated. Eritrea requires exit permits for its citizens and has a mandatory military draft.

Russia deploys ICBM that Putin says will make enemies 'think twice'
Associated Press/September 2, 2023
The head of Russia's Roscosmos space agency has said that the country has deployed an advanced intercontinental ballistic missile that President Vladimir Putin once said will make Russia's enemies "think twice." Agency head Yuri Borisov said Sarmat missiles have been placed on combat duty, according to Russian news agencies. Further details were not reported. The Sarmat is one of several advanced weapons whose development Putin announced in 2018. The silo-based missile, capable of carrying multiple nuclear warheads, is intended to replace the R-36 ICBMs that are known by the NATO reporting name of Satan. The Sarmat reportedly has a short initial launch phase, allowing little time for surveillance systems to track it. In 2022, about two months after sending troops into Ukraine, Putin said the Sarmat would "reliably ensure the security of Russia from external threats and make those who, in the heat of aggressive rhetoric, try to threaten our country, think twice,."

Russia destroys three Ukrainian drones targeting Crimea bridge
Agence France Presse/September 2, 2023
Russia destroyed three Ukrainian naval drones that targeted the Crimea bridge, Moscow said early Saturday. "On September 2, at about 02.20 am Moscow time (2320 GMT Friday), the third Ukrainian semi-submersible unmanned boat, sent by the Kyiv regime to carry out a terrorist attack on the Crimean bridge, was destroyed in the Black Sea," Russia's Ministry of Defence said on Telegram. One drone was destroyed Friday and two others early Saturday, it said. Kyiv, which says it plans to take Crimea back, has repeatedly targeted the strategic bridge that connects the peninsula to the Russian mainland. Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014, has been targeted by Kyiv throughout Moscow's Ukraine offensive but has recently come under more intense, increased attacks. Last month, the peninsula's Russian-installed governor said Russian air defense forces had shot down three Ukrainian missiles over the bridge, one of Russian President Vladimir Putin's pet projects. The 18-kilometer concrete bridge consists of two parallel structures, one reserved for road traffic and the other for rail traffic. An attack in July caused major damage to the road section of the bridge, which is also used to transport military equipment.

Nobel Foundation cancels Russian ambassador invite to prize ceremony
AFP/September 02, 2023
STOCKHOLM: The Nobel Foundation said Saturday it was reversing its decision to invite ambassadors from Russia and Belarus to this year’s Nobel award ceremony in Stockholm, after the move sparked a backlash. In 2022, the Nobel Foundation, which organizes the annual Nobel prize ceremony and banquet in Stockholm, decided not to invite the Russian and Belarusian ambassadors to the Stockholm award event because of the war in Ukraine. They made the same decision regarding the Iranian envoy over the country’s crackdown on a wave of protests. The Swedish foundation however said Thursday it was returning to its previous practice of inviting ambassadors from all countries represented in Sweden, sparking a wave of angry reactions. The foundation said Saturday that the decision was based on its belief “that it is important and right to reach out as widely as possible with the values and messages that the Nobel Prize stands for.” It noted however that the strong reactions “completely overshadowed this message.” “We, therefore, choose to repeat last year’s exception to regular practice — that is, to not invite the ambassadors of Russia, Belarus and Iran to the Nobel Prize award ceremony in Stockholm,” the foundation said in a statement.Last year, the Norwegian Nobel Institute still invited all ambassadors to the Peace Prize ceremony it organizes in Oslo, and the foundation said this would be the case again. “As before, all ambassadors will be invited to the ceremony in Oslo,” it noted.
The decision to once again invite the Russian and Belarusian representatives sparked ire in Sweden and abroad. Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko wrote on Facebook that the foundation should support efforts to isolate Russia and Belarus as “millions of Ukrainians suffer from an unprovoked war and the Russian regime is not punished for its crimes.” On Saturday, Nikolenko called the reversal a “victory for humanism.” “We thank everyone who demanded the restoration of justice. We are convinced that a similar decision should be made regarding the Russian and Belarusian ambassadors to Oslo,” he said in another post to Facebook. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson also said Friday he disagreed with the Foundation’s decision. “I would not have done it if I were handling invites to an award ceremony and I understand that it upsets many people in both Sweden and Ukraine,” he said in a written statement to AFP. Writing on X, formerly known as Twitter, Kristersson on Saturday welcomed the new decision. “The many and strong reactions show that the whole of Sweden unambiguously stand on Ukraine’s side against Russia’s appalling war of aggression,” Kristersson said. Several prominent Swedish politicians, including the leaders of the Center, Green, Left and Liberal parties, had said they would boycott the event over the Russian ambassador’s presence. The glitzy event is held each year in Stockholm on December 10 when laureates in the fields of medicine, physics, chemistry, literature and economics receive their awards from King Carl XVI Gustaf. A separate ceremony is held in Oslo on the same day for the Peace Prize laureate.

US to Send Controversial Depleted-uranium Munitions to Ukraine
Washington: Asharq Al Awsat/September 0/2023
The Biden administration will for the first time send controversial armor-piercing munitions containing depleted uranium to Ukraine, according to a document seen by Reuters and separately confirmed by two US officials. The rounds, which could help destroy Russian tanks, are part of a new military aid package for Ukraine set to be unveiled in the next week. The munitions can be fired from US Abrams tanks that, according to a person familiar with the matter, are expected be delivered to Ukraine in the coming weeks. One of the officials said that the coming aid package will be worth between $240 million and $375 million depending on what is included.The value and contents of the package were still being finalized, the officials said. The White House did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Although Britain sent depleted uranium munitions to Ukraine earlier this year, this would be the first US shipment of the ammunition and will likely stir controversy. It follows an earlier decision by the Biden administration to provide cluster munitions to Ukraine, despite concerns over the dangers such weapons pose to civilians. The use of depleted uranium munitions has been fiercely debated, with opponents like the International Coalition to Ban Uranium Weapons saying there are dangerous health risks from ingesting or inhaling depleted uranium dust, including cancers and birth defects. A by-product of uranium enrichment, depleted uranium is used for ammunition because its extreme density gives rounds the ability to easily penetrate armor plating and self-ignite in a searing cloud of dust and metal. While depleted uranium is radioactive, it is considerably less so than naturally occurring uranium, although particles can linger for a considerable time.

Russia says it thwarted attacks on Crimea bridge, shelling and strikes leave at least 2 dead
AP/September 02, 2023
KYIV: Russia said Saturday its forces destroyed three Ukrainian naval drones being used in an attempt to attack a key bridge linking Russia to Moscow-annexed Crimea, forcing its temporary closure for a third time in less than a year. One naval drone was destroyed late Friday and two others early Saturday morning, according to Russia’s Defense Ministry. There was no immediate comment from Ukrainian officials. A key supply route for Kremlin forces in the war with Ukraine, the Kerch bridge has come under repeated attack since Russia launched its full-scale invasion. An explosion in October, which Russian authorities said was caused by a truck bomb, left three people dead. A further attack on the bridge in July, killing a couple and seriously wounding their daughter, left a span of the roadway hanging perilously. The bridge connecting Crimea and Russia carries heavy significance for Moscow, both logistically and psychologically, as a key artery for military and civilian supplies and as an assertion of Kremlin control of the peninsula it annexed in 2014. On Saturday afternoon, one civilian was killed and two wounded during shelling of Russia’s Belgorod region bordering Ukraine, Belgorod Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov said. Two Ukrainian drones attacked the region's Valuysky district, causing minor damage to a private home and car, while another drone was intercepted by Russian air defense in the Grayvoronsky district. A woman was also wounded Saturday during shelling of a village in the neighboring Kursk region, also bordering Ukraine, regional Gov. Roman Starovoit said. He blamed Ukraine for the shelling. Ukrainian authorities, which generally avoid commenting on attacks on Russian soil, didn’t say whether they launched the attacks. Drone strikes and shelling on the Russian border regions are a regular occurrence.
Meanwhile, four people were wounded in the Ukrainian shelling of the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk, Moscow-installed mayor Aleksei Kulemzin said Saturday. Donetsk is the regional capital of the eastern Ukrainian province of the same name, which was among the four Ukrainian provinces illegally annexed by Russia in September. The city came under the control of Russia-backed separatists in 2014. The Ukrainian military said in a regular update Saturday that over the previous 24 hours Russia had launched four missile strikes and 39 airstrikes, in addition to 42 attacks from multiple rocket launchers. One person was killed and two were wounded during shelling of Ukraine’s southern Kherson region on Saturday, according to Gov. Oleh Prokudin. Farther north, Kryvyi Rih Mayor Oleksandr Vilkul said the anti-aircraft defense in the central Ukrainian city, which is President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's hometown, had successfully thwarted a strike, without specifying the nature of the attack. U.K. military officials said Saturday that Russia risks splitting its forces in an attempt to prevent a Ukrainian breakthrough in Ukraine’s south. According to British intelligence, Ukrainian forces continued to take offensive action on the Orikhiv axis in southern Ukraine, with units reaching the first Russian main defensive line. Ukraine’s Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said Friday that Kyiv’s troops were advancing in the Zaporizhzhia region. Russian President Vladimir Putin will host Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan for talks next week, the Kremlin announced Friday, just over six weeks after Moscow broke off a deal brokered by Ankara and the U.N. that allowed Ukrainian grain to reach world markets safely despite the 18-month war.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin and Erdogan would meet Monday in Russia’s Black Sea resort of Sochi.

Top Ukrainian commander, famed for fighting alongside his troops, killed in action near Bakhmut
Rebecca Rommen/ Business Insider/September 2, 2023
Colnel Serhii Ilnytskyi, a commander who fought alongside his soldiers, has died in battle. He was described as an "outstanding" leader. Crowds of Ukrainian soliders and citizens attended his funeral in Kyiv. Ukrainian soldiers and civilians mourned an "outstanding"" commander killed in Russia's war against Ukraine at a funeral in Kyiv, the Kyiv Independent reports. Colonel Serhii Ilnytskyi was killed in combat for Kurdiumivka, a Donetsk town seven miles south of Bakhmut. The town is currently contested territory where Ukraine has been slowly advancing in recent weeks. The 53-year-old, whose call sign was "Sokil" ("falcon" in English), was the deputy commander of the Ukrainian Volunteer Army and oversaw its operations in the Bakhmut area. Despite his high rank, Ilnytskyi was esteemed for fighting alongside his troops in the heat of battle, to give them courage and belief.
"He didn't send people off into battle. He took them with him. He would do everything so that his guys would not be afraid, Serhii Bratchuk, the volunteer army's Southern Division spokesperson, told the Kyiv Independent. "There was one story where new recruits were in a very difficult situation, under fire. I don't want to say they were afraid, but anyway, he found the right words, the guys didn't retreat, and even went forward and took new positions back from the enemy," Ilnytskyi was "a big reason why this volunteer spirit remained in Ukraine. The volunteer movement of those days hasn't died, it just operates under the Ukrainian armed forces," said Bratchuk. The Ukrainian Volunteer Army wrote on X (formerly Twitter): "RIP to our beloved Serhii Ilnytskyi "Sokil" that was such an outstanding commander of the South Detachment." Before the full-scale invasion, Ilyntskyi served as a member of the Kyiv City Council in the European Solidarity party. A member of the honor guard carries a portrait of Colonel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Serhii Ilnytskyi, during his funeral on August 28, 2023 in Kyiv, Ukraine. A member of the honor guard carries a portrait of Colonel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Serhii Ilnytskyi, during his funeral on August 28, 2023 in Kyiv, Ukraine.Oleksii Samsonov/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images Ilyntskyi was a career soldier from before Ukraine achieved independence until 2014, when he left due to health issues. He joined the volunteer army when Russia launched its full-scale invasion. "In the army they say that 'colonels don't run around;' they sit in the rear and do other jobs, which I guess is a good thing," said Bratchuk, "but he was not like that." On top of his military and political careers, Ilyntskyi was a decorated athlete. He represented Ukraine at the 2018 Invictus Games for wounded veterans in Sydney, Australia, where he won gold in indoor rowing. Large crowds gathered in Kyiv on August 28 to commemorate Ilnytskyi on the day of his funeral. The ceremony took place at St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery, after which the procession walked to the city's Independence Square—Maidan Nezalezhnosti. Ilnytskyi's Invictus medal was on display, alongside several other honours for outstanding military service. The exact circumstances of his death have not been publicized.

Russia's new 'sea of fire' tactic makes it even more treacherous for Ukraine to clear minefields, report says
George Glover/ Business Insider/September 2, 2023
It's becoming even more dangerous to clear minefields in Ukraine, according to the New York Times. Russians are dropping grenades from drones to create a "sea of fire and explosions," per the outlet. Russia's prolific usage of landmines has hampered Kyiv's counteroffensive. Russia has developed a new tactic that's making it even more treacherous for Ukrainian soldiers to clear out minefields, according to the New York Times. In the southern theater of the ongoing war between the two countries, Russians lace the soil with flammable agents and then use drones to drop grenades and ignite "a sea of fire and explosions," marines told the outlet. Ukraine launched a long-anticipated counteroffensive on June 4 — but has made less progress than expected. Dense minefields and fortifications have slowed down its troops and have resorted to a "village by village, house by house" approach to retaking the south, the NYT reported.
Ukrainian officials estimated last month that Russia has planted up to five mines per square meter in the south — and it could take years to clear all of them away. "On average, there are three to four to five mines per square meter," Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, said in televised remarks on August 2. "Imagine how difficult the work is to remove them to allow our military to move afterward." Western tanks have struggled to break through the minefields, and Ukraine's generals have switched to using Ukrainian infantry units to push back the well-dug-in Russian occupiers methodically. While the White House believes that Ukraine has made "notable progress" against Russia's second line of defense in the south over the past 72 hours, its soldiers are now set to encounter more minefields, according to one think tank. Troops will likely encounter "anti-tank ditches; dragon's teeth anti-tank obstacles; and additional minefields" as they push forward against Russian defenses, the Institute for the Study of War said last week.

Latest English LCCC  analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on September 01-02/2023
Iranian Regime's Mullahs Pocketing Billions Thanks to the Biden Administration
Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone Institute/September 02/2023
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/121897/121897/
The Biden administration continues to ratchet up its appeasement policies with the ruling mullahs probably to revive the disastrous nuclear deal which would pave the way for the Islamist regime of Iran legally to have as many nuclear weapons as it likes; lift sanctions against the theocratic regime; strengthen the ruling mullahs with additional billions of dollars -- for terrorism, nuclear weapons, the missiles to deliver them, "exporting the Revolution", and suppressing their own people -- and allow them to rejoin the global financial system and enhance their legitimacy on the global stage.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced last month that America "will continue to enforce all of our sanctions" and "will continue to push back on Iran's destabilizing activities in the region and beyond."
That just is not accurate. Sanctions are not being enforced: Iran's oil export is booming and has surged above two million barrels a day. The ruling mullahs are now producing ever more oil and selling it at levels close to the pre-sanctions era to countries such as China, which desperately needs it, while the Biden administration has effectively cut off US oil exploration.
"Although we have some other incomes," former President Hassan Rouhani previously acknowledged, "the only revenue that can keep the country going is the oil money." – en.radiofarda.com, November 19, 2019.
Instead of enforcing sanctions, the Biden administration has been issuing waivers, making the sanctions appear to be simply cosmetic.
"At least $16 billion has now been made available to Iran without any congressional input—and more might be on the way. Another $6.7 billion is reportedly moving to Iran via the International Monetary Fund Special Drawing Rights... and reportedly ... another $3 billion of regime assets frozen in Tokyo. India and China...." – Richard Goldberg, former White House security official, thedispatch.com, August 15, 2023.
The regime will most likely use the funds to further arm and assist Russia in its invasion of Ukraine; brutalize its own citizens; undermine US national security interests; fund its terrorist and militia groups across the Middle East and expand more deeply into Latin America.
"Of course the Biden administration lied that they wouldn't waive sanctions on Iran just days before they did so. They know that by allowing money to pour into Iran, they are not only endangering the safety and security of Americans but also undermining everything they claim to believe about defeating Putin. They say that Iran is a terror sponsor and Russia's top military backer, but appeasing Iran and getting back into a nuclear deal with the Ayatollah is more important to them. They are funding both sides of the Ukraine war." – US Senator Ted Cruz, freebeacon.com, March 24, 2023.
By appeasing and giving billions of dollars to the ruling mullahs of Iran, and by turning a blind eye to enforcing sanctions against their expansionist regime, the Biden administration is directly contributing to Iran's brutal crackdown on its population, its sponsorship of terrorism worldwide, its delivery of weapons to Russia to use against Ukraine, and its escalating threat not only to Europe and the Middle East, but urgently, in Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua, to America and America's national interests.
The Biden administration continues to ratchet up its appeasement policies with the ruling mullahs probably to revive the disastrous nuclear deal which would pave the way for the Islamist regime of Iran legally to have as many nuclear weapons as it likes; lift sanctions against the theocratic regime; strengthen the ruling mullahs with additional billions of dollars -- for terrorism, nuclear weapons, the missiles to deliver them, "exporting the Revolution, and suppressing their own people -- and allow them to rejoin the global financial system and enhance their legitimacy on the global stage.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced last month that America "will continue to enforce all of our sanctions" and "will continue to push back on Iran's destabilizing activities in the region and beyond."
That just is not accurate. Sanctions are not being enforced: Iran's oil export is booming and has surged above two million barrels a day. The ruling mullahs are now producing ever more oil and selling it at levels close to the pre-sanctions era to countries such as China, which desperately needs it, while the Biden administration has effectively cut off US oil exploration. Iran has also been shipping vast amounts of oil to Venezuela without either country fearing repercussions from the Biden administration.
Ever since the Biden administration assumed office, Iran's oil exports have been on the rise. During the Trump administration and the "maximum pressure policy", Iran's oil exports were significantly reduced to 100,000 to 200,000 barrels a day. "Oil sales have doubled," Iran's hardline President Ebrahim Raisi recently boasted. "We are not worried about oil sales."
Tehran's major revenues, frankly, come from exporting oil. The Iranian regime, according to reports, possesses the world's second-largest natural gas reserves and the fourth-largest proven crude oil reserves. The sale of oil accounts for nearly 60% of the Iranian government's total revenues and more than 80% of its export revenues. Several Iranian leaders have hinted at Iran's major dependence on oil exports. "Although we have some other incomes," former President Hassan Rouhani previously acknowledged, "the only revenue that can keep the country going is the oil money."
Instead of enforcing sanctions, the Biden Administration has been issuing waivers, making the sanctions appear to be simply cosmetic. On June 10, 2023, for instance, the Biden Administration gave Iraq a sanctions-waiver along with a green light to make a payment of $2.76 billion to the Iranian regime.
The Biden Administration also reached a deal with the Iranian regime behind closed doors on August 10, in which the United States agreed to pay $6 billion dollars and release a handful of Iranian nationals who are serving prison sentences in the US, in exchange for the release of five Iranian-Americans imprisoned in Iran – more than a billion dollars per head.
Worse, more billions, apparently, are waiting in the wings. According to former White House Security Official Richard Goldberg:
"At least $16 billion has now been made available to Iran without any congressional input—and more might be on the way. Another $6.7 billion is reportedly moving to Iran via the International Monetary Fund Special Drawing Rights... and reportedly ... another $3 billion of regime assets frozen in Tokyo. India and China...."The regime will most likely use the funds to further arm and assist Russia in its invasion of Ukraine; brutalize its own citizens; undermine US national security interests; to fund its terrorist and militia groups across the Middle East and expand more deeply into Latin America. As Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) pointed out:
"Of course the Biden administration lied that they wouldn't waive sanctions on Iran just days before they did so. They know that by allowing money to pour into Iran, they are not only endangering the safety and security of Americans but also undermining everything they claim to believe about defeating Putin. They say that Iran is a terror sponsor and Russia's top military backer, but appeasing Iran and getting back into a nuclear deal with the Ayatollah is more important to them. They are funding both sides of the Ukraine war."
By appeasing and giving billions of dollars to the ruling mullahs of Iran, and by turning a blind eye to enforcing sanctions against their expansionist regime, the Biden administration is directly contributing to Iran's brutal crackdown on its population, its sponsorship of terrorism worldwide, its delivery of weapons to Russia to use against Ukraine, and its escalating threat not only to Europe and the Middle East, but urgently, in Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua, to America and America's national interests.
*Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a business strategist and advisor, Harvard-educated scholar, political scientist, board member of Harvard International Review, and president of the International American Council on the Middle East. He has authored several books on Islam and US foreign policy. He can be reached at Dr.Rafizadeh@Post.Harvard.Edu
*© 2023 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.

Investor trust will pay dividends in stronger Turkish-Saudi relations
Sinem Cengiz/Arab News/September 02, 2023
It is not surprising that economic considerations are among the major factors in shaping a new era in the Turkish-Saudi relationship, which is, by its very nature, multifaceted. From high-level reciprocal meetings to signed agreements, it has become evident that Ankara and Riyadh are engaging in solid efforts to bolster their economic ties, while placing their recent rapprochement on a more sustainable track. However, in order to understand the importance of these deals and commitments from the two sides, it is crucial to look at the challenges and opportunities for Turkiye and the Kingdom in their path to enhanced economic relations. When states aim to rebuild relations after years of tension, heads of state pay reciprocal visits to each other, with large business delegations accompanying them. Although much of the focus is on what the leaderships say during those visits, the most important task falls to the business people behind the scenes who drive the newly restored relations. A few days after a meeting between Turkish and Saudi trade ministers on the sidelines of the G20 ministerial summit, Ankara and Riyadh agreed to implement a “robust plan” to increase bilateral trade, especially mutual investments in diverse sectors. A memorandum of understanding is expected to be signed in this regard in coming days to advance cooperation in export strategies and sectoral partnerships.
If mutual trust is built and these MoUs turn into concrete project-based agreements and partnership deals, we are likely to see a flourishing economic relationship between Turkiye and Saudi Arabia. The two countries also signed a deal on advancing cooperation in mining of critical minerals, a follow-up to a series of deals reached on energy and oil cooperation during Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to the Kingdom.
One task, and perhaps the most important, for the two sides is to restore and maintain trust among investors who enjoyed stable economic cooperation during the 2000s.
One task, and perhaps the most important, for the two sides is to restore and maintain trust among investors who enjoyed stable economic cooperation during the 2000s. Both Saudi and Turkish investors, business people and companies faced tough times when the countries’ relations were strained in recent years. From the Turkish side, the unofficial embargo implemented by the Kingdom on Turkish exports and companies from 2018 until the normalization of relations adversely affected trade volume. This not only prevented Turkish companies from bidding for significant Saudi state tenders, but also caused concerns over the uncertainty of investing in the country in the long term.
From the Saudi side, the Kingdom’s business people and companies lost trust in their Turkish counterparts, who failed to go ahead with planned projects due to pressure the government faced from the opposition, which was highly critical of Gulf investments in Turkiye, ahead of the elections. The government has secured another five years in power. However, this is a short period for major projects that aim to stay in Turkiye for the long term. Predictability, both political and economic, is the most important concern for investors on both sides because negative past experience has an imprint in relations. So, long-term confidence building is the most important task for now.
Now that the elections are over in favor of the Turkish government, and the Saudi side has lifted its unofficial embargo, both sides can focus on strategies that will build and maintain investor trust. In today’s uncertain economic environment, reestablishing trust among both Turkish and Saudi investors is crucial for long-term success. Investor trust requires consistency, credibility and transparency. But, most importantly, it also requires economic and political stability. Trust is strengthened when two countries fully embrace each other’s policies, both political and economic. In this regard, it is important to understand the expectations and requirements from both sides for mutual benefit and a clear path to growth. Here, the most important point is that the confidence-building process between investors of both sides should be supported by the leaderships in Turkiye and Saudi Arabia.Trust is strengthened when two countries fully embrace each other’s policies, both political and economic.
There are definitely advantages to a strong Turkish-Saudi economic relationship. As part of its Vision 2030, Riyadh is seeking socioeconomic cooperation, and Turkiye appears to be a significant market. Turkiye and Saudi Arabia are two emerging powers with great competitive advantages, as well as complementary economic systems that provide a solid foundation for expanding investment and commercial ties. While Ankara is concerned with finding new export markets and increasing foreign investment into the Turkish economy, the Kingdom wants to reduce its dependence on hydrocarbons, and diversify its economy through investments at home and abroad.
In this regard, Saudi Arabia’s reserves offer solid ground for a synergistic investment partnership across multiple sectors to establish and transfer industrial knowledge and expertise. Industrial development is essential for the Kingdom’s economic diversification, as it has launched multiple projects in an effort to meet current and the future demands. This offers numerous investment opportunities for Turks.
Ankara and Riyadh are now preparing for a GCC-Turkiye Economic Forum to be held in November in Istanbul, which will be the first of its kind focusing on investment opportunities in trade, energy, food security and infrastructure. Improved economic cooperation is crucial to strengthening bilateral ties. But for that to happen, focus must be paid more on confidence-building strategies and expectations among investors, the key drivers for strengthening economic relations as part of long-term goals.
Sinem Cengiz is a Turkish political analyst who specializes in Turkiye’s relations with the Middle East. Twitter: @SinemCngz

Europe feels a sense of ‘deja-coup’ as its Africa policy unravels
Andrew Hammond/Arab News/September 02, 2023
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen previously declared Africa to be a “super priority” for Brussels. However, the EU’s policy on the region potentially lies in tatters after the coup this week in Gabon, which was the eighth in West and Central Africa since 2020.
Much of Africa is rich in natural resources and so the continent has been widely viewed by many European nations as key to their goal of decoupling from Russia, and derisking from China, in the wake of the war in Ukraine. And in the past decade, prior to the pandemic, the region had made a number of democratic gains as it tried to shed a reputation for political putsches.
But now the EU’s vision for Africa is threatened by the recent wave of coups, which Gerard Araud, a French former ambassador, blamed in large part on “European failure,” including by France but also others including Germany and Italy. In particular, he cites the lack of any clear European unity over a shared strategy on Africa. Even the EU’s chief diplomat, Josep Borrell, has acknowledged that the recent coups are a “big issue for Europe that is opening up a new era of instability in a region which is already very fragile … It’s clear that things haven’t gone well given the proliferation of coups and the presence of (Russian) Wagner gangs.”Borrell is referring to the fact that persistent insecurity and corruption is increasingly giving rise to what Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has described as a “contagion of autocracy.” Against this backdrop, coups have gained legitimacy while the credibility of democracy has been eroded, with military leaders sometimes proclaiming their rule as a second era of independence.
The scale of the challenge for Europe is so great in part because of changing demographics. In the 1960s, the EU’s collective population was about twice that of Africa. Now Africa’s population is almost double that of the EU, and by 2050 it could quadruple.
The EU launched what it styled as a bold new Africa plan in 2021 but it has been undercut for the reasons Araud highlighted and more besides. Certainly, some in the West foresaw the political risks arising in the desertifying Sahel region and West Africa, and launched multiple interventions.
But this has not been enough and the problems have been exacerbated by wider developmental failures. To meet the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, markets and governments need to generate more than $270 billion a year in loans or aid for Africa as a whole and this is not happening.
These European and wider Western policy failures have been intensified by competitive rivalries as a range of world powers challenge Europe’s former political power in Africa. From Middle Eastern and Indian initiatives in the region to the great power game between the US and China, geopolitical interest in the continent is growing fast.
For much of the Trump presidency, American policy on Africa lacked coherence, clarity and urgency.
Within the EU, France is the member for whom Africa has longest been a foreign policy priority. For almost a century and a half, the nation maintained a substantial empire in the continent. Building from this legacy, President Emmanuel Macron has sought to renew the historical relationship, with only mixed success. He is well aware that his goal of boosting his nation’s influence across Africa is challenged by the competing attention other nations are paying to the continent. This includes not only great powers such as the US and China but other states such as India, Russia, Turkiye, the UK and some Gulf states.
Africa has assumed new importance to the British in the aftermath of Brexit as London seeks to consolidate ties with key non-EU nations. Given the long-standing historical ties the UK has on the continent, especially with Commonwealth countries, the government wants to combine Britain’s heritage as a great global trading nation with a prosperous, growing Africa.
Russia, under President Vladimir Putin, is also keen to strengthen its foothold in the continent, and trade with Africa has risen about fourfold from the $5.7 billion it was worth in 2009. As Moscow seeks to expand its international influence, the continent is a key target for Putin.
But it is the great powers that are having the most impact on the continent and China is showing the greatest interest of all. Beijing aims to better connect its Belt and Road Initiative with Africa’s development, and about 40 African countries have signed up to the huge infrastructure project.
Under President Joe Biden, the US has also stepped up its interest in the continent by turbocharging its “Prosper Africa” initiative to help boost trade and investment. For much of the Trump presidency, American policy on Africa lacked coherence, clarity and urgency, despite key administration figures, including former National Security Adviser John Bolton, acknowledging that China and Russia were “interfering with US military operations and posed a significant threat to US national security interests” on the continent.
Take Kenya, for example. It is a key partner of the US in the region amid the insecurity and displacement in neighboring countries. Yet, about 70 percent of Kenya’s external debt is now owed to Beijing, and many large infrastructure projects are being carried out by Chinese firms.
This exemplifies the fact that while the upsurge of attention being paid to Africa by Western powers and China is in part a reflection of geopolitical considerations, broader economic calculations are also in play.
From European initiatives to the great power game between the US and China, interest in the continent is only likely to grow during the rest of this decade, especially if its emerging markets come close to fulfilling their significant economic potential in the years to come.
• Andrew Hammond is an associate at LSE IDEAS at the London School of Economics.

Navigating the Nile — a win-win for Egypt and Ethiopia
Hafed Al-Ghwell/Arab News/September 02, 2023
Amid the tumultuous landscape of African geopolitics, Egypt and Ethiopia find themselves submerged in a high-stakes struggle as the enduring consternation over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, the largest hydropower project on the continent, continues.
The ripples from the dispute extend beyond only water rights; they threaten regional stability and raise questions not only about the Nile’s waters but even the future prospects for the integration of both countries within the BRICS — Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — grouping of emerging economies. Egypt and Ethiopia were last month invited to join as the organization announced its expansion plans.
Understanding the complexities of this dispute might seem challenging in the face of lopsided transboundary water politics. Given what is at stake, however, and the shifting tenor of recent developments, are Egypt and Ethiopia potentially close to a win-win situation after all? Despite seemingly endless negotiations between Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan over the contentious dam in various forums and formats at multiple levels, a breakthrough has so far remained as elusive as ever. Even during the most recent talks, hosted by Cairo last week, the Egyptian Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation reported no notable change in the Ethiopian position. It was the first formal negotiations in more than a year, following stalled efforts led by the African Union.
Both Egypt and Sudan continue to express concern about the potential adverse effects of the dam, given their dependence on water from the Nile, while Ethiopia highlights its development goals and downplays their concerns.
For Ethiopia, a country with plentiful water resources but deficiencies in electricity supplies, the dam offers a historic opportunity to bolster its energy capabilities, reducing poverty and fostering developmental achievements. The dam is emblematic of its national pride and socioeconomic progress — but that is not all.Ethiopia’s stance in the myriad negotiations suggests that its ultimate objective is not the efficient, sustainable generation of hydropower to advance its development goals. It also appears to be leveraging the dam as a tool for a pseudo “hydro-hegemony,” or domination of the waters of the Blue Nile.
This strategy presents Egypt and Sudan with a challenging predicament: Either they acquiesce as Ethiopia angles for greater control over the Blue Nile, or consent to an agreement that not only acknowledges but institutionalizes Ethiopia’s unrestricted rights to this precious riparian resource.
Both of these alternatives are simply not feasible, however, especially for Egypt, given its dependence on the Nile for water security. Therefore, Cairo naturally perceives the dam and Ethiopia’s unilateral decision to begin filling it as an existential threat.
Nile waters remain the desert country’s main water resource. It quenches the thirst of its population of more than 100 million people, and is the lifeblood of its agriculture industry. Therefore, the continuing tensions surrounding the operation of the dam and the lack of a binding resolution — or even a tenable compromise — only serve to heighten the perceived threat should the filling and operation of the dam not be judiciously managed.
There is also the wider threat to Arab water security, which is a ticking time bomb made all the more volatile by Ethiopia’s unilateral decisions about the dam. It sits on the Blue Nile, a tributary that provides about 86 percent of the Nile’s water, and any disruption it causes could reduce the flow of water to Egypt by a staggering 25 percent at a time when the country is already grappling with critical water deficits as a result of climate change, wasteful consumption, and exponential population growth.
Furthermore, Ethiopia’s unilateral actions could be seen by other nations as providing a green light to engage in similar maneuvering to seize control of precious shared water resources.
Cairo perceives the dam and Ethiopia’s unilateral decision to begin filling it as an existential threat. In the absence of a mutually beneficial deal, the prospect of one state being allowed to control water flows to others would leave millions at risk. Moreover, power asymmetries among nations and the vulnerability of Arab countries to climate change, for example as a result of anticipated reductions in precipitation levels in coming decades, will turn inevitable disputes among riparian states into yet another threat multiplier in an already unstable part of the world.
The problems are well known, the risks are clear and all three countries involved in this particular dispute have demonstrated willingness to negotiate a solution. So, what stands in the way?
The main issue lies in the difficulty in reaching a comprehensive agreement on the operation of the dam that secures Ethiopia’s energy objectives while allaying Egypt’s water security fears. To impatient observers, the dam is effectively a fait accompli. The discourse therefore needs to shift from arguments about its existence and the timeline of its construction to discussions of its operation.
This creates an opportunity for multilateral diplomacy, and especially for BRICS to demonstrate its capability as an effective mediator and facilitator of critical dialogue. The group could moderate the negotiations, given its members’ relationships with, and ambitions for, both African countries.
However, the focus must be different than it was during previous interventions or mediation attempts that involved the US, Russia, Algeria, South Africa and the UAE.
Despite the so far intractable deadlock over the dam, history teaches us that from impasse, opportunities often arise. The leaders of Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan could perhaps reorient their approaches to this perennially thorny issue by focusing on common interests and shared benefits. The harnessing of Ethiopia’s energy potential without compromising Egypt’s water security will demand a nuanced, sustainable solution.
One promising proposition is that Ethiopia could sell the surplus electricity it generates to Egypt. This would partially offset the water flow impact of the dam and establish an integrated energy market. This is an appealing, win-win situation that resonates with the ethos of regional integration and mutual dependency, which are ideals endorsed by both Egypt and Ethiopia as BRICS invitees.
Another feasible compromise could entail Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan agreeing a data sharing arrangement to help manage water flows from the dam. Such a mechanism could incorporate stipulations about the guaranteed release of water during times of drought, thereby indirectly addressing Egypt’s desire for assurances about its water security.
The path forward seems straightforward enough. Curtail the unilateralism, foster a culture of shared responsibility, underpin the approach through science and mutual benefits, and what seemed like failures might swiftly begin to resemble stepping stones toward a lasting solution.
Moreover, the discussions must transcend simply the dam itself. There is an urgent need to talk about cooperative and sustainable management of the Nile Basin, incorporating issues such as climate change, population growth and water-intensive developments.
A comprehensive Nile Basin agreement should be seen as an invaluable opportunity rather than a challenge. The resolution of this dispute will undoubtedly set a significant precedent for similar conflicts related to transboundary water resources.
Experts posit that the best way to minimize the dam’s potential negative effects on Egypt and Sudan is through negotiation and agreement, which might be moving closer to happening given the agreement in July by Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to work toward finding a resolution within four months. During talks due to take place in Addis Ababa in September, both nations could strive for a win-win situation that addresses the thorny water-security implications and the regional complexities that surround the dam.
Therefore, there is yet hope that the leaders of both countries might pioneer a transformative water-cooperation model within the agreed four-month target, if they can turn the tide of negotiations in this direction. Ultimately, there are plentiful opportunities for Egypt and Ethiopia to reach a cooperative understanding over the operation of the dam that safeguards their respective national interests.
Once upon a time, Egypt was considered the “Gift of the Nile.” In the 21st century, we must amend this idea to reflect the fact that the Nile might be the gift that offers the resurgence of cooperation and integration, not only to Egypt and Ethiopia but potentially to all of the countries that share its precious, irreplaceable waters.
• Hafed Al-Ghwell is a senior fellow and executive director of the North Africa Initiative at the Foreign Policy Institute of the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, DC, and the former adviser to the dean of the board of executive directors of the World Bank Group.
Twitter: @HafedAlGhwell

How Arab tycoon Mohamed Al-Fayed built a business empire from scratch, challenged the British establishment
Abdellatif El- Menawy/Arab News/September 02, 2023
CAIRO: The death of Egyptian-born businessman Mohamed Al-Fayed at the age of 94 has brought to a close a remarkable saga of success, setbacks, tragedy and recovery.
To people of a certain generation, looking back on the events of the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s, his death in the UK on Wednesday truly marked the end of an era.
In an interview with The New York Times in 1995, Al-Fayed expressed his astonishment with how people in Britain perceived him.
“They tend to view anyone from a former colony like Egypt as insignificant,” he said. “But when you prove your capabilities and achieve great things, you become the talk of the town. They wonder how someone like me, simply an Egyptian, could accomplish this.”
This statement encapsulated much of Al-Fayed’s life, which included amassing a fortune and eventually clashing with Britain’s royal family.
Al-Fayed’s business feats were certainly no easy achievement. He forged this empire through sheer determination, helped by his complex personality.
He began his life as a porter — carrying bags and selling soft drinks and, later, sewing machines — in Egypt’s bustling Alexandria and rose to become one of the world’s most recognizable billionaires by the 1990s.
After those humble beginnings, he never turned down any opportunity provided it led to success and greater financial independence.
His ambitious personality allowed him to forge a connection with, and eventual marriage to, the writer Samira Khashoggi, sister of the billionaire Adnan Khashoggi. His marriage opened doors for him in the Gulf states and British high society.
Al-Fayed continued his independent accumulation of wealth, starting with small businesses that paved the way for lucrative deals with numerous wealthy individuals.
He became a millionaire in the 1960s following meetings with Haitian ruler Doc Duvalier and became a financial adviser to the Sultan of Brunei, becoming one of the world’s most renowned businessmen.
BIO
Name: Mohamed Al-Fayed
Date of birth: Jan. 27, 1929
Place of birth: Alexandria, Egypt
Home: Britain, since the 1970s.
Spouses: Samira Khashoggi, Heini Wathen
Major acquisitions: Hotel Ritz Paris; House of Fraser, including Harrods department store; Fulham F.C. (1997)
The late ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Rashid Al-Maktoum, authorized Al-Fayed to help develop the emirate. The businessman responded by hiring British companies to launch construction projects that presaged the modernization of Dubai.
Al-Fayed’s wealth and status allowed him to take full residency in Britain in 1974. He added “Al” to his name, becoming “Mohamed Al-Fayed” instead of merely Mohamed Fayed. The satirical magazine Private Eye consequently dubbed him “The Fake Pharaoh.”
In doing so, it signaled the beginning of his tense relationship with Britain, which may have been predestined.
Al-Fayed and his brother acquired the Ritz hotel in Paris in 1979. In 1985, they bought the upmarket Harrods department store in London for £615 million ($669 million at the time), following a protracted legal battle with the British businessman Roland Rowland. He went on to open additional stores under the proprietary Harrods brand.
These landmark acquisitions were met with obstacles and pushback. A subsequent government investigation into the House of Fraser takeover, including Harrods, officially published in 1990, found that Al-Fayed and his brother had been dishonest about their wealth and origins. The two described the claims as unfair, but five years later Al-Fayed’s first application for British citizenship was rejected.
“Why won’t they grant me a British passport? I own Harrods and employ thousands of people in this country,” he protested.
Undeterred, Al-Fayed decided to escalate his battle for citizenship by accusing two Conservative ministers, Neil Hamilton and Tim Smith, of accepting money from him in exchange for serving his interests in the House of Commons.
As a result, the two were forced to resign from their government positions, a fate that also awaited Jonathan Aitken, then minister of state for defense procurement, after Al-Fayed disclosed that he had stayed at the Paris Ritz Hotel for free at the same time as a group of arms dealers. Aitken’s downfall was significant since he was imprisoned for perjury.
In 1997, Al-Fayed acquired the English football club Fulham. During his ownership, Fulham climbed to the English Premier League and reached the final of the European League. He sold the club in 2013 to another businessman, Shahid Khan, for an estimated $300 million.
Around this time, Al-Fayed’s battles were primarily with Britain’s ruling political party rather than the royal family. His relations with the latter were primarily based on mutual interests, such as the sponsoring of horse-racing events.
That would drastically change due to the relationship his son Imad, better known as “Dodi,” had with Princess Diana, wife of Prince Charles, the current king. That connection would alter the course of Al-Fayed’s life and the life of his family.
In 1997, Diana and Dodi were killed when their car struck a concrete column in the Alma Tunnel in Paris. Criminal reports confirmed that their driver was intoxicated at the time of the crash. Adding to his growing rift with the royal family, Al-Fayed traveled around Europe insisting that Britain’s ruling elite were responsible for his son and Diana’s death. Although he did not directly accuse any individual, the accusations came at a high cost.
Harrods lost its royal privilege from Prince Philip, and Buckingham Palace’s business relationship with the prince and the famous department store declined. In response, Al-Fayed revoked all remaining privileges for the royal family.
After resettling in Switzerland in 2002, Al-Fayed became more vocal in his accusations against Britain’s ruling establishment. In February 2008, he accused Philip, husband of Queen Elizabeth II, of ordering the deaths of his son and Diana. He also alleged that Britain’s intelligence service was involved.
The Flame of Liberty monument in Paris has become an unofficial memorial for Diana, Princess of Wales who died in a car crash in a nearby tunnel in the early hours of August 31, 1997, along with her boyfriend Dodi Fayed and driver Henri Paul. (AFP/File)
The following year, he financed the production of a documentary film titled “Unlawful Killing,” in which he again accused Philip of responsibility for his son and Diana’s deaths. The film was shown at the Cannes Film Festival, but had no public release owing to legal issues. Al-Fayed’s antagonism toward the British monarchy led him to support Scottish secession from the UK. He told the BBC in 2012 that he would move to Scotland if it achieved independence, and envisioned obtaining Scottish residency and running for its presidency. He even claimed Scotland had Egyptian origins on the basis of a pharaonic princess who is believed to have traveled there in the past.
Throughout his life, Al-Fayed built an empire spanning various sectors, including shipping, real estate, banking, retail and contracting, but remained committed to philanthropy. With a fortune estimated at $2 billion, he died a wealthy man and was the 12th on the Forbes list of richest Arabs for this year.