Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on September 09-10/2023
Renewed clashes hit Lebanon Palestinian camp
Najia Houssari/Arab News/September 09, 2023
BEIRUT: Two fighters and a civilian were killed on Saturday in clashes at a Palestinian refugee camp in southern Lebanon, official media reported, as Prime Minister Najib Mikati called Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to discuss the spiraling violence.
On the third day of clashes between members of Fatah and various extremist groups in the Ain Al-Hilweh camp, numerous homes, shops, and institutions in the camp and the city of Sidon were destroyed. Seven civilians and one extremist fighter were also injured in the clashes, which extended to the Hattin neighborhood and Jabal Al-Halib axis west of the camp, the areas of Al-Tiri and Ras Al-Ahmar, and the traditional conflict zones in Al-Safsaf, Al-Barakasat, Al-Tawarek, and Al-Bustan Al-Yahoudi. Machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades and sniper weapons were used targeting locations far from the primary battlefronts. A special Fatah unit launched an assault on a residence where leaders of extremist groups Al-Shabab Al-Muslim and Jund Al-Sham were holed-up in the camp. Sidon Governmental Hospital, near the entrance of the camp, evacuated its patients and staff to ensure their safety as clashes intensified.
A senior Palestinian source involved in the ongoing cease-fire negotiations told Arab News: “Extremist group militants, including members of Jund Al-Sham and Al-Shabab Al-Muslim, launched a surprise attack on Saturday morning against Fatah movement and Palestinian security forces positions, specifically in the Hattin and Al-Taameer areas within the camp.”He denied that Fatah had initiated the cease-fire violation that went into effect on Friday night. “Fatah members have resorted to self defense. The reported advancement of approximately 20 meters by a (Fatah) team is of minimal significance as it does not constitute meaningful progress. The conflict zone comprises adjacent houses and narrow alleys. True progress would entail capturing a specific axis, which did not occur today.”
Mikati called Abbas and emphasized the importance of “prioritizing the cessation of military actions and cooperating with Lebanese security services to address the ongoing tensions.”“The current situation does not serve the Palestinian cause and represents a grave insult to the Lebanese state and the city of Sidon, which welcomes the Palestinian brothers,” Mikati said. “In return, it is essential for them to interact with the Lebanese state in accordance with its laws and regulations while safeguarding the safety of its citizens.”Lebanese Army Command stressed its commitment to “take appropriate measures and engage in necessary communication to halt the clashes, which endanger the lives of innocent citizens.” In a statement it urged all involved parties within the camp to cease fire in order to protect the interests of their children and their cause, as well as the lives of residents in neighboring areas, and called upon citizens in those areas surrounding the camp to “exercise caution and refrain from approaching the conflict zones, while adhering to the safety measures implemented by military units deployed in the region.”
The senior Palestinian source revealed that the recent negotiations have led to “significant decisions taken jointly with the Palestinian Embassy and leader Azzam Al-Ahmad to reinforce the cease-fire by strengthening the joint security force, including representatives from all national and Islamist factions within the camp.”He added: “Coordination with extremist groups is managed by Asbat Al-Ansar, Hamas, and Islamic Jihad. “Hamas had previously withdrawn from the security force approximately a year ago due to a minor disagreement, but today, it has decided to rejoin the committee to participate in the cease-fire process.” Clashes have intensified amid reports of the necessity for the joint security force to enter Ain Al-Hilweh to implement the cease-fire. The Palestinian source emphasized that “if the agreed upon terms are not implemented, the situation will persist, and clashes will continue.”
Julien Raickman, head of Medecins Sans Frontieres in Lebanon, called on “all humanitarian agencies and organizations in Lebanon to urgently step up their efforts to provide secure shelters for those in need and to expand their response to address the escalating humanitarian and medical requirements,” saying that a significant number of camp inhabitants had been displaced “with many still residing in unsafe areas close to the ongoing clashes.”Former Prime Minister Fouad Siniora described the clashes as “senseless and self-destructive,” adding: “They are causing destruction to the homes of both Palestinians and Lebanese. Sidon, which has warmly welcomed Palestinian brothers, is paying the price with its security and stability, and this cannot be tolerated.”

Ain el-Helweh camp: Island of misery in south Lebanon
Agence France Presse/September 09, 2023
A new outbreak of violence is rocking the densely populated, walled-off Palestinian refugee camp of Ain el-Helweh on the outskirts of the southern Lebanese city of Sidon. Over the years, Islamist militants have established a presence in the impoverished camp, home to tens of thousands of people, and its isolation has also made Ain el-Helweh a haven for those seeking to evade the Lebanese authorities. The latest clashes which erupted late Thursday once again pitted Islamists against members of Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas' Fatah movement, and left nearly two dozen wounded.
Largest camp
Ain el-Helweh is the largest of Lebanon's 12 Palestinian refugee camps, now bustling urban districts. Its estimated 54,000 residents have been joined in recent years by some 6,000 Palestinians who sought refuge from Syria's civil war, all crammed in an area covering no more than two square kilometers (0.8 square miles). The camp, with its narrow alleyways, is surrounded by a wall erected by the Lebanese Army, whose forces control all four entrances. A 1969 agreement between Lebanon and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) stipulated that security in Ain el-Helweh and the other refugee camps was to be handled by Palestinian factions rather than Lebanese forces. The Lebanese government annulled the deal in 1987, but the army still does not enter Palestinian camps by long-standing convention.
Factions
Fatah, which controls the PLO and the Palestinian Authority, remains the most influential actor in Ain el-Helweh, though rival factions like Hamas and Islamic Jihad threaten its hegemony. Parts of the camp have also become bastions of Islamist cells of Lebanese and Syrian nationals, which include some fugitives. One of the better known of them is Lebanese-Palestinian singer Fadel Shaker, who had been sentenced to 15 years in prison for supporting local Sunni extremist groups.
Poverty
According to UNRWA, the United Nations' agency for Palestinian refugees, more than 80 percent of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon live in poverty. The U.N. agency operates eight schools and two clinics in Ain el-Helweh. Over 480,000 Palestinians are registered with UNRWA in Lebanon, but the number of those still in the country is currently estimated at 250,000. Many have emigrated since Lebanon's crippling economic crisis that began in 2019 and has had a devastating impact on Palestinians, who face a variety of legal restrictions including on employment. Lebanese authorities bar Palestinians from dozens of professions.
'Capital of the diaspora'
Ain el-Helweh and other refugee camps were created for Palestinians who were driven out or fled during the 1948 war that coincided with Israel's creation. Some areas of the camp carry the names of the towns and villages its residents had left behind, and Palestinians dub Ain el-Helweh "the capital of the diaspora". Refugees initially lived in tents in dire conditions, but gradually began building permanent houses -- despite a ban from Lebanese authorities, according to Palestinian analyst Souheil Natour. When Israel invaded Lebanon in 1982, Ain el-Helweh was "practically razed by Israeli troops and hundreds of its men were arrested," Natour said. Residents later reconstructed their homes, and the Israeli army withdrew from the Sidon area in 1985.

Palestinian Joint Action Committee ends its meeting with a “decisive ceasefire agreement”
NNA/September 09, 2023
Sidon - The Joint Palestinian Action Committee in Lebanon ended its meeting this afternoon with a "decisive agreement on a cease-fire in the Ain al-Hilweh camp."It announced that two delegations entered the camp, one heading to the barracks area to hold a meeting with the Fatah movement and the National Security leadership, and another to the headquarters of the Islamic League of Ansar to meet with the Islamic forces. Contacts took place between the two parties and with the remaining forces to establish the cease-fire and prevent any violation of it.

Lebanese Army Takes Action to Halt Renewed Clashes in Ain al-Helweh Refugee Camp
LBCI/September 09, 2023
In response to the renewed armed clashes inside the Ain al-Helweh refugee camp in Sidon, the Lebanese Army Command has indicated that it is taking appropriate measures and engaging in necessary communications to halt these clashes, which endanger the lives of innocent civilians. The Army Command has called on all relevant parties within the camp to cease fire, in the interest of their own sons and their cause, and to protect the lives of residents in adjacent areas. Furthermore, the Army Command has urged all citizens to exercise caution and vigilance in the areas surrounding the camp, to avoid approaching conflict zones, and to adhere to the measures taken by the military units deployed in the area to ensure their safety.

PM Mikati's urgent talks with President Abbas: Current Ain Al-Hilweh developments harm Palestinian cause
NNA/September 09, 2023
Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati contacted Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and consulted with him on the Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp developments. During the call, the Prime Minister emphasized the priority of ceasing military activities and cooperating with the Lebanese security forces to address the ongoing tensions. PM Mikati stated, "What is happening does not serve the Palestinian cause and constitutes grave harm to the Lebanese state in general, especially to the city of Sidon, which hosts our Palestinian brothers."He added: "What is required, in return, is for them to deal with the Lebanese state in accordance with its laws and regulations and to preserve the safety of its citizens."

Berri meets with ambassadors of Cyprus & Colombia, cables condolences to his Moroccan counterpart in wake of tragic earthquake victims
NNA /September 09, 2023
House Speaker Nabih Berri received today at Ain El-Tineh Palace, the newly accredited Ambassador of Cyprus, Maria Hadjitheodosiou, on a protocol visit as she assumes her diplomatic duties in Lebanon. The visit was an occasion to review bilateral relations between the two countries. Berri later received Colombia's Ambassador to Lebanon, Edwin Ostos Alfonso, on a protocol visit in the presence of Consul Lina Verala. On the other hand, the House Speaker cabled his Moroccan counterpart, Rachid Talbi Alami, expressing his sincere condolences for the victims of the earthquake.
The cable expressed the strong solidarity of the Lebanese people with their Moroccan brethrens during this painful time, sharing sentiments of sympathy and support for Morocco, its monarch, government, parliament, and people, in the face of the repercussions resulting from the tragic earthquake that struck several cities in the Moroccan Kingdom. "We ask God Almighty for mercy for the fallen victims, a quick recovery for the wounded, and for the Kingdom of Morocco permanent security, safety and stability," Berri concluded in his cable.

Geagea Optimistic About Positive Developments Amidst Presidential Election Uncertainties in Lebanon
LBCI/September 09, 2023
The leader of the Lebanese Forces party, Samir Geagea, expressed on Saturday his optimism in light of recent positive developments in Lebanon's horizon, despite the clouds of unconstitutional proposals surrounding the presidential elections, which are fading away.
Geagea reiterated, during his meeting with the Special Coordinator of the United Nations in Lebanon, Ambassador Joanna Wronecka that the solution lies in the return of constitutional life to its regular course and the opening of the Parliament to ensure the accomplishment of this event. He expressed his satisfaction with the conviction of others regarding the necessity of opening the Parliament for successive electoral sessions.

Jumblatt Urges International Support for Lebanese Elections and Hopes for Successful Dialogue
LBCI/September 09, 2023
Former Minister and MP Walid Jumblatt commented on Saturday on the political developments, referring to his messages to both US mediator Amos Hochstein and Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian during his meeting with Patriarch Bechara al-Rahi. "Abroad, there are those who do not help with the presidential elections, and internally there are voices that say yes to a void. So I called on Hochstein, since he succeeded in demarcating the borders between Lebanon and Israel in accordance with Lebanese demands, with some disputed points remaining and Abdollahian, who said they are in favor of presidential elections, he should translate that into action," he noted. Regarding Speaker Nabih Berri's call for dialogue, Jumblatt expressed his hope in an interview with "Al-Anbaa" online newspaper that "the initiative succeeds in getting Lebanon out of the deadlock." Regarding the events in Sweida, Jumblatt said that he haven't heard of a plan related to Syria and Iraq, and “the demands of the people of Sweida are the demands of the entire Syrian people, the same demands that began in 2011, and nothing has changed."He concluded by emphasizing that he does not believe in conspiracy theories.

US ambassador, Lebanese Army celebrate a mine-free Arsal and Ras Baalbek
Naharnet/September 09, 2023
U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Dorothy Shea joined Lebanese Army Commander General Joseph Aoun in Ras Baalbek on September 8 to celebrate the completion of explosives clearance in the area of Arsal and Ras Baalbek. Shea reviewed progress made since the 2017 defeat of jihadist groups in the area. The United States has provided more than $5.9 million in assistance to the Mines Advisory Group (MAG) to clear improvised explosive devices and mines left behind when the Lebanese Army ousted the terrorist groups out of Arsal in the "Dawn of the Hills" operation. After removal of 219 explosive devices and clearance of 2.9 million square meters of land, the Lebanese Army's Mine Action Center formally declared the region free of explosive remnants of war. “Whether in Mount Lebanon, Akkar, the Bekaa, the Chouf, or in Arsal and Ras Baalbek, we are committed to keeping civilians safe and returning formerly mined land to productive use,” said Ambassador Shea during the ceremony.

Report: 5 nations to nominate army chief, Doha to convince Iran
Naharnet/September 09, 2023
The five-nation committee on Lebanon is inclined to endorse the presidential nomination of Army chief General Joseph Aoun and Qatar will seek to convince Iran of him due to the good relations between the two countries, a media report said on Saturday.
The report comes two days before the arrival in Beirut of French Special Presidential Envoy for Lebanon Jean-Yves Le Drian. Sources with close ties to the five-nation committee told the Nidaa al-Watan newspaper that all efforts will now be focused on Aoun's nomination and that the five countries will "exert all the needed pressure in this regard." "This pressure might lead to positive results or it might not should domestic obstacles emerge," the sources added.

Report: Army chief tells Raad he's ready to be president if there's consensus
Naharnet/September 09, 2023
The undeclared meeting between Army chief General Joseph Aoun and Hezbollah’s top lawmaker Mohammed Raad tackled the security situations, the Kahale incident and the UNIFIL resolution as well as the presidential file, media reports said.
According to ad-Diyar newspaper, Aoun told Raad that he is not currently engaged in the presidential battle, but is willing to assume the post if there is “national consensus” over his nomination. Raad for his part reiterated to Aoun that Hezbollah is clinging to Marada Movement chief Suleiman Franjieh’s nomination at the moment, the daily added. Al-Akhbar newspaper meanwhile quoted Raad as telling Aoun that Hezbollah is “linking the future of the presidency to inter-Lebanese dialogue.”

Your Civil Status Abstract - Ekhraj Eid - is now 'electronic;' here is what you need to know
LBCI/September 09, 2023
Good news that will make your life easier, especially for those who do not reside in their place of registration. Starting Monday, you can apply for individual or family Civil Status Abstract (Ekhraj Eid) and obtain them from the Civil Registry Office located in your place of residence without the need to visit the registration location. Why? From now on, individual and family Civil Status Abstracts are "electronic," whereas previously, this only applied to individual Civil Status Abstracts. How does the process work? You can fill out the form for an individual or family Civil Status Abstract from your local Mukhtar, and you can also submit it electronically through the Directorate General of Civil Status website at www.dgcs.gov.lb. You can then print the form and have it stamped by the Mukhtar.  When you obtain the form, you can submit it to the Civil Registry Office in your registration area and collect it from the same place for the first time exceptionally.  Then, in subsequent times, you can obtain the Mukhtar application from the area you want, and you can apply to obtain the Civil Status Abstract and obtain it in the area you wish to. The format of the Civil Status Abstracts has also changed. Now, they are provided in printed form, avoiding handwritten entries to prevent errors that used to occur. A uniform format for individual and family Civil Status Abstracts has been adopted, with a standardized A4 size, reducing printing costs for the government. A security feature, a QR code, has been added to the Civil Status Abstracts. When you receive the document, you can scan the QR code to ensure it directs you to the official website of the Directorate General of Civil Status and verify the authenticity of the document. Furthermore, the ID number is now included in the Civil Status Abstract to ensure data accuracy. For family Civil Status Abstracts, crossed-out entries indicating married or deceased family members are displayed in a slanted font with a darker background. While Civil Status Abstracts are now electronic, they are still issued in printed form. We hope to eventually transition to a fully electronic system, available on our phones, eliminating the need for paper copies.

Lebanese Embassy in Morocco Plans Blood Donation Campaign in Collaboration with Moroccan Health Ministry
LBCI/September 09, 2023
Sources told LBCI that the Lebanese Embassy in Morocco plans to organize a blood donation campaign involving members of the Lebanese community there, in support of the Moroccan Blood Clotting Center in collaboration with the Moroccan Ministry of Health.
It is also known that Lebanese officials, including the caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, have made all available resources at the disposal of the Moroccan state following the severe earthquake that struck the country. Sources also told LBCI that Lebanon's Ambassador to Morocco, Ziad Attallah, had communicated with all Lebanese individuals in the areas between Marrakech and Agadir, numbering approximately 200 people, and all of them are safe.

Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on September 09-10/2023
Morocco government: Earthquake death toll now more than 1,000
AFP/September 09, 2023
MARRAKESH: The Moroccan government said that death toll in the late-Friday earthquake near Marrakech has reached 1,037, with more than 1,200 injured. The 6.8-magnitude quake struck 72 kilometers (45 miles) southwest of tourist hotspot Marrakesh at 11:11 p.m. (2211 GMT), the US Geological Survey reported. Strong tremors were also felt in the coastal cities of Rabat, Casablanca and Essaouira. “We felt a very violent tremor, and I realized it was an earthquake,” Abdelhak El Amrani, a 33-year-old in Marrakesh, said by telephone. “I could see buildings moving. We don’t necessarily have the reflexes for this type of situation. Then I went outside and there were a lot of people there. People were all in shock and panic. The children were crying and the parents were distraught.”“The power went out for 10 minutes, and so did the (telephone) network, but then it came back on,” he added. “Everyone decided to stay outside.”The quake “killed 296 people in the provinces and municipalities of Al-Haouz, Marrakesh, Ouarzazate, Azilal, Chichaoua and Taroudant,” Morocco’s interior ministry said in a statement, citing a provisional report. Faisal Baddour, an engineer, said he felt the earthquake three times in his building. “People went out into the street just after this total panic, and there are families who are still sleeping outside because we were so scared of the force of this earthquake,” he said. “It was as if a train was passing close to our houses.”
Frenchman Michael Bizet, 43, who owns three traditional riad houses in Marrakesh’s old town, said that he had been in bed at the time of the quake. “I thought my bed was going to fly away. I went out into the street half-naked and immediately went to see my riads. It was total chaos, a real catastrophe, madness,” he said. The 43-year-old shared video of piles of rubble from collapsed walls in the streets. Footage on social media also showed part of a minaret collapsed on Jemaa el-Fna square in the historic city. An AFP correspondent saw hundreds of people flocking to the square to spend the night for fear of aftershocks, some with blankets while others slept on the ground. Houda Outassaf, a local resident, said he was walking around the square when the ground began to shake. “It was a truly staggering sensation. We’re safe and sound, but I’m still in shock,” he said. “I have at least 10 members of my family who died... I can hardly believe it, as I was with them no more than two days ago.” Fayssal Badour, another Marrakesh resident, said he was driving when the earthquake hit.
“I stopped and realized what a disaster it was... The screaming and crying was unbearable,” he said. The interior ministry said authorities have “mobilized all the necessary resources to intervene and help the affected areas.”The regional blood transfusion center in Marrakesh has called on residents to donate blood for those injured. In the town of Al-Haouz, near the epicenter of the quake, a family was trapped in the rubble after their house collapsed, local media reported. “We heard screams at the time of the tremor,” a resident of Essaouira, 200 kilometers west of Marrakesh, said. People are in the squares, in the cafes, preferring to sleep outside. Pieces of facades have fallen.”The USGS PAGER system, which provides preliminary assessments on the impact of earthquakes, issued a red alert for economic losses, saying extensive damage is probable and the disaster is likely widespread. Past events with this alert level have required a national or international level response, according to the US government agency. Internet connectivity was disrupted in Marrakesh due to power cuts, according to global Internet monitor NetBlocks. Moroccan media reported it was the most powerful earthquake to hit the country to date. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz offered condolences, while Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was “pained” by news of the quake. The earthquake was also felt in neighboring Algeria, where the Algerian Civil Defense said it had not caused any damage or casualties.In 2004, at least 628 people were killed and 926 injured when a quake hit Al Hoceima in northeastern Morocco, and in 1960 a magnitude 6.7 quake in Agadir killed more than 12,000. The 7.3-magnitude El-Asnam earthquake in neighboring Algeria in 1980 was regionally one of the most destructive earthquakes in recent history.
It killed 2,500 people and left at least 300,000 homeless.

Iran arrests six for planning ‘riots’ on Mahsa Amini death’s anniversary
AFP/September 09, 2023
TEHRAN: Authorities in Iran’s southwest have arrested six people accused of “organizing riots” on the first anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s death in custody which triggered nationwide protests, state media reported Saturday. Amini, an Iranian Kurd, died on September 16, 2022, after her arrest in Tehran for alleged breach of the Islamic republic’s strict dress rules for women. The intelligence organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Kohgiluyeh and Boyerahmad province suspended five social media pages and arrested the six individuals behind them, it said according to official news agency IRNA. IRGC accused them of “organizing riots and driving insecurity on the Internet,” the statement said without identifying the suspects. “The individuals were active during last year’s riots and have criminal records,” it added. “Concurrent with attempts of the enemies to create chaos on the anniversary of last year’s riots, the administrators of these five social media pages were planning gatherings to create disturbances in the coming days.” Demonstrations across Iran in the months that followed Amini’s death saw hundreds of people killed, including dozens of security personnel, and thousands arrested in connection with what officials labeled as foreign-instigated “riots.”The latest arrests came days after the IRGC’s intelligence body and Tehran’s intelligence ministry announced they had “identified and dealt a blow” to a “riot-organizing network that was being financially supported by the US State Department.” Members of the alleged network were accused of attempts “to prepare and present an agenda for rioters to revive the atmosphere of tension and disturbance,” according to a joint statement issued on Wednesday.

G20 leaders adopt declaration on first day of summit
Reuters/September 09, 2023
NEW DELHI: The Group of 20 nations adopted a consensus declaration on the opening day of a summit on Saturday that avoided condemnation of Russia for the war in Ukraine but called on all states to refrain from the use of force to seize territory. Prime Minister Narendra Modi of host India announced that the declaration had been adopted on the first day of the weekend summit. The consensus came as a surprise as the group is deeply divided over the war in Ukraine, with Western nations earlier pushing for strong condemnation of Russia in the Leaders’ Declaration, while other countries demanded a focus on broader economic issues. “We call on all states to uphold the principles of international law including territorial integrity and sovereignty, international humanitarian law, and the multilateral system that safeguards peace and stability,” the declaration said.
“We ... welcome all relevant and constructive initiatives that support a comprehensive, just, and durable peace in Ukraine. “The use or threat of use of nuclear weapons is inadmissible,” the statement added. The declaration also called for the implementation of the Black Sea initiative for the safe flow of grain, food and fertilizer from Ukraine and Russia. Moscow pulled out of the agreement in July over what it called a failure to meet its demands to implement a parallel agreement easing rules for its own food and fertilizer exports. “On the back of the hard work of all the teams, we have received consensus on the G20 Leaders Summit Declaration. I announce the adoption of this declaration,” Modi told the leaders in New Delhi, including US President Joe Biden and heads of government and state from across the world. The differing views on the war had prevented agreement on even a single communique at ministerial meetings during India’s G20 presidency so far this year. The declaration said the group agreed to address debt vulnerabilities in low and middle-income countries “in an effective, comprehensive and systematic manner,” but did not make any fresh action plan. It said countries pledged to strengthen and reform multilateral development banks, while it accepted the proposal for tighter regulations of cryptocurrencies. It also agreed that the world needs a total of $4 trillion of low-cost financing annually for the energy transition, with a high share of renewable energy in the primary energy mix. The statement called for accelerating efforts toward a phasedown of unabated coal power, but said this had to be done “in line with national circumstances and recognizing the need for support toward just transitions.”
DESERTED STREETS
At the start of the day, Biden and other leaders were driven through deserted streets to a new, $300 million conch-shaped convention center called Bharat Mandapam, opposite a 16th-century stone fort, for the summit. Many businesses, offices and schools have been closed in the city and traffic restricted as part of security measures to ensure the smooth running of the most high-powered meeting to be hosted by the country. Slums have been demolished and monkeys and stray dogs removed from the streets. Earlier in the day, Modi inaugurated the meeting by calling on members to end a “global trust deficit” and announced that the bloc was granting permanent membership to the African Union in an effort to make it more representative. “Today, as the president of G20, India calls upon the entire world to first convert this global trust deficit into one trust and one confidence,” he said. “It is time for all of us to move together.” Despite the compromise over the Leaders’ Declaration, the summit had been expected to be dominated by the West and its allies. Chinese President Xi Jinping is skipping the meeting and has sent Premier Li Qiang instead, while Russia’s Vladimir Putin will also be absent. Biden, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed Bin Salman and Japan’s Fumio Kishida, among others, are attending. “It’s incumbent upon the Chinese government to explain” why its leader would or would not participate, Jon Finer, the US deputy national security adviser, told reporters in Delhi. He said there was speculation that China is “giving up on G20” in favor of groupings like BRICS, where it is dominant. BRICS includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, and has agreed to add another six new members — Saudi Arabia, Iran, Ethiopia, Egypt, Argentina and the United Arab Emirates — accelerating its push to reshuffle a world order it sees as outdated. Russia is being represented by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who had said he would block the final declaration unless it reflected Moscow’s position on Ukraine and other crises. Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine has left tens of thousands of dead, displaced millions and sown economic turmoil across the world. Moscow denies committing atrocities during its conflict with Ukraine, which it terms a “special operation” to “demilitarize” its neighbor. In the absence of an agreement on the declaration, India would have had to issue a chair statement, which would mean that G20 for the first time in 20 years of summits would not have had a declaration.

G20 leaders reach consensus statement, softening stance on Ukraine
NEW DELHI /The Canadian Press/September 9, 2023
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi says global economic leaders have reached a consensus on a final communique, but the language surrounding Russia's invasion of Ukraine -- which is leading to geopolitical tensions -- has softened since the leaders last met. The consensus statement from this year's G20 summit in India was posted by India's Ministry of Foreign Affairs Saturday, a day before the summit ends. It calls for the cessation of military destruction or other attacks on relevant infrastructure. Senior government officials in Canada said it took months to get the wording where it is, but they wouldn't say what other countries had also pushed for stronger language. During last year's G20 summit in Bali, the leaders were more direct by calling out Russia's aggression in Ukraine, while demanding they withdraw from the territory.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who is attending the two-day summit, has promised to keep Ukraine's plight on the agenda.

India Hosts G20 Summit: African Union Joins, Infrastructure and Climate Take Center Stage
LBCI/September 9, 2023
The world's attention has turned to India with the convening of the G20 summit in New Delhi. The summit's outset appeared auspicious, formally including the African Union into the group, expanding beyond South Africa as Africa's sole representative.  The African Union's accession, with its 55 member states and a combined three trillion-dollar GDPs, adds significant value to the group. Addressing the global crisis of trust, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened the group's meeting, which encompasses the largest Western and emerging economies. However, the G20 summit's scope extends beyond its expanded membership. The participants are expected to introduce a substantial infrastructure project in the Middle East. What are the details of this project? The United States is spearheading an initiative that would connect India and Europe through rail and maritime transport routes across the Middle East. This project is seen as a potential response to China's new "Silk Roads." An initial agreement will be signed in India involving the United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the European Union, and other G20 partners. This maritime and rail transport project will facilitate trade, energy, and data flow from India across the Middle East to the European continent. However, infrastructure is not only the participants' priority but also the climate. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva shed light on the climate issue, acknowledging that environmental disregard has led to an unprecedented climate emergency marked by increased droughts, floods, storms, and wildfires. Yet, the prospects of reaching an agreement during this summit to combat the climate crisis seem dim due to ongoing divisions among member states.

Israel Says It Will Reopen the Main Cargo Crossing to Gaza on Sunday, a Relief for Gazan Producers A view of Palestinian goods trucks in front of...
Asharq- Al-Awsat/September 9, 2023
Israel announced plans to reopen the Gaza Strip’s main cargo crossing on Sunday after closing it earlier this week, claiming authorities had found explosives headed out of the embattled territory. The closure was a severe economic blow to producers across the coastal strip. The Kerem Shalom crossing was closed on Monday after authorities said they found the explosives hidden in a clothing shipment bound for the occupied West Bank — one of the main markets for Gaza's tiny export sector, The Associated Press said. Officials feared the explosives were intended for militants in the West Bank. After an investigation and “necessary adjustments,” the crossing was deemed safe to reopen, said COGAT, the Israeli defense body responsible for Palestinian civilian affairs. Palestinian fishermen, businessmen and rights advocates said the closure marked a form of collective punishment against Gaza’s 2 million people, including tens of thousands of laborers who heavily depend on exports to Israel and the West Bank to stay afloat. Nearly all the goods that enter and exit Gaza pass through Kerem Shalom. Challenges faced by Gaza’s fisherman during the closure were particularly acute. Their surplus stock perished before it could reach markets in Israel. Gaza’s main fishermen’s union reported $300,000 in losses due to the closure, a significant blow. Fish accounted for 6% of all Gazan exports in July. The reopening promises a reprieve for fishermen like Khalid al-Laham, a 35-year old father of five who lives in the southern city of Khan Younis. Al-Laham was forced to borrow food from shops to feed his family during the closure. “The financial and living conditions will certainly improve,” al-Laham said. "I will be able to feed my family and live a decent life.”While the reopening promises to relieve producers across the territory, Gaza’s economy remains hamstrung by a dual Egyptian-Israeli blockade in place since the militant group Hamas seized control of the territory in 2007. The blockade, which Israel says is needed to keep Hamas from building up its military arsenal, has pummeled the local economy by choking off access to external markets and limiting movement from the territory.

US Says It Disrupts Illicit Oil Shipment by Iran's IRGC, Seizes Contraband Crude
Asharq Al-Awsat/September 9, 2023
The US on Friday confirmed it disrupted in April a multi-million-dollar shipment of crude oil by Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, seizing more than 980,000 barrels of contraband crude oil that violated US sanctions. In a sanctions enforcement operation, the US confiscated cargo onboard the Suez Rajan, a Marshall Islands tanker, which was carrying Iranian oil at sea. The vessel was unloaded last month after waiting 2-1/2 months off the coast of Texas to discharge. The "illicit sale and transport of Iranian oil" violated sanctions targeting Iran, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) said in a statement that for the first time acknowledged its role. The Suez Rajan Ltd company pleaded guilty in April and was sentenced by to three years of corporate probation and a fine of almost $2.5 million, according to legal documents. Empire Navigation, the operating company of the vessel carrying the contraband cargo, agreed to cooperate and transport the Iranian oil to the United States, the DOJ added, calling it the first criminal resolution to such a sanctions-violating sale. Greece-based Empire Navigation did not immediately respond to a request for comment. "It's a message to every Iranian smuggler that there is an off ramp from the mob," said Mark Wallace, chief executive of US advocacy group United Against Nuclear Iran, which uses satellite images to track tanker movement and first noted that the Suez Rajan had taken on the oil from another tanker. --- Asharq Al-Awsat

China Threatens ‘Consequences’ Over Canada Public Inquiry Into Alleged Meddling
Bloomberg/September 9, 2023
China is warning of “consequences” for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government unless it stops spreading “lies and false information” about alleged interference in Canadian affairs. The Chinese embassy in Ottawa issued a stern statement on Friday, a day after Canada announced a public inquiry into meddling by China, Russia and other state and non-state actors in Canadian national elections in 2019 and 2021.

US, Canadian warships transit Taiwan Strait in latest joint mission
TAIPEI (Reuters)/September 9, 2023
A U.S. and a Canadian warship sailed through the Taiwan Strait on Saturday, the U.S. Navy said, marking the second such joint mission since June and coinciding with the leaders of both countries attending the G20 summit in India. The U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet said the guided-missile destroyer USS Ralph Johnson and Canada's HMCS Ottawa conducted a "routine" transit "through waters where high-seas freedoms of navigation and overflight apply in accordance with international law"."Ralph Johnson and Ottawa's bilateral transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the commitment of the United States and our allies and partners to a free and open Indo-Pacific," the U.S. Navy added in a statement. China's military condemned the transit as is usual with such missions, accusing the ships of carrying out "public hyping" in the strait, which separates Chinese-claimed Taiwan from China. Taiwan's government strongly rejects China's sovereignty claims, saying only the island's people can decide their future. The Eastern Theatre Command of China's People's Liberation Army said its forces monitored the ships and "handled" the situation in accordance with the law and regulations. Taiwan's defence ministry said the ships sailed in a southerly direction and that it had observed nothing unusual. The mission was announced by the U.S. Navy as the G20 summit in New Delhi was wrapping up, skipped by Chinese President Xi Jinping but attended by both U.S. President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. After the June joint sailing, the U.S. Navy released a video of what it called an "unsafe interaction" in the Taiwan Strait, in which a Chinese warship crossed in front of a U.S. destroyer. While U.S. warships transit the strait around once a month, it is unusual for them to do so with those of other allies. China has been increasing its military operations around Taiwan over the past few years in response to what it calls "collusion" between Taiwan independence forces and the U.S.

Armenia denies Azerbaijan’s charge its troops opened fire as tensions flare
Reuters/September 09, 2023
TBILISI: Azerbaijan said on Saturday that Armenian forces had fired on its troops overnight, and that Azerbaijan army units took “retaliatory measures,” in an incident denied by Armenia. The claim and counter-claim came against the background of rising tensions between the two countries, which have fought two wars over the Armenian-populated enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh in the past three decades, and a flurry of calls to foreign leaders by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. Azerbaijan’s defense ministry said Armenian units opened small arms fire on Azerbaijani soldiers in Sadarak in the north of Nakhchivan, an exclave of Azerbaijan that borders Armenia, Turkiye and Iran. The ministry’s statement did not say if there had been any casualties. Armenia’s defense ministry denied that its forces had opened fire on Azerbaijani positions. The Armenian government and state media said Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan held phone conversations on Saturday with the leaders of France, Germany, neighboring Iran and Georgia, and with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Azerbaijan said its foreign minister discussed the situation with a senior US State Department official, Yuri Kim. The Armenian government said Pashinyan told Blinken and President Ebrahim Raisi of Iran, Armenia’s traditional ally, that tensions were rising on the border and Azerbaijan was concentrating troops around Karabakh. Baku has denied this. The government said Pashinyan told Blinken and Raisi he was ready to hold an urgent meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to defuse tensions. State news agency Armenpress said Pashinyan had similar conversations with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Hikmet Hajjiyev, foreign policy adviser to Aliyev, told Reuters that Baku had received no such offer. Azerbaijan meanwhile denounced the holding on Saturday of a presidential election in Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory that is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan but is populated by about 120,000 ethnic Armenians. Nagorno-Karabakh established de facto independence in a war in the early 1990s after the collapse of the Soviet Union, but Azerbaijan recaptured significant amounts of territory in its most recent war with Armenia, in 2020.
The territory has been largely cut off from the outside world since December, when Azerbaijani civilians blockaded the only road linking it to Armenia. Baku’s troops later installed a checkpoint on the road, in what Yerevan has called a violation of the Russian-brokered cease-fire that ended the 2020 war.
On Saturday, Karabakh’s separatist parliament elected Samvel Shahramanyan, a military officer and former head of the territory’s security service, as its new president, after the previous incumbent resigned earlier this month, saying his presence was an obstacle to talks with Azerbaijan. In a speech to parliament, Shahramanyan called for direct negotiations with Azerbaijan, and for transport links to Armenia to be restored. In a statement, Azerbaijan’s foreign ministry called the ethnic Armenian leadership of Karabakh a “puppet separatist regime” and said the vote was illegal. “The Republic of Azerbaijan will resolutely counter threats to its sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders,” the statement said. “The only way to achieve peace and stability in the region is the unconditional and complete withdrawal of the Armenian armed forces from the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan and the disbandment of the puppet regime.” Russia has had peacekeepers in the region since 2020 but Armenia has voiced increasing frustration with what it sees as their ineffectiveness. On Friday Russia summoned Yerevan’s ambassador in Moscow to protest against what it called a series of “unfriendly actions.”Relations between Russia and Armenia have sharply deteriorated in recent weeks, as Yerevan has courted Western countries while accusing Russia of “absolute indifference” toward Armenia, with which it is formally allied.

Biden, Modi, EU to announce shipping project linking India to Mideast, Europe
Associated Press/September 09, 2023
U.S. President Joe Biden and his allies on Saturday were to outline plans for a rail and shipping corridor that would connect India with the Middle East and ultimately Europe — a possible game changer for global trade to be announced at the Group of 20 summit. The project would include the United States, India, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the European Union and other countries in the G20, said Jon Finer, Biden's principal deputy national security adviser. Biden, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen plan to announce the project as part of the Partnership for Global Infrastructure Investment. The rail and shipping corridor would enable greater trade among the countries, including energy products. It could also be one of the more ambitious counters to China's massive infrastructure program, through which it has sought to connect more of the world to that country's economy. Finer laid out three big rationales for the project. He said first that the corridor would increase prosperity among the countries involved by increasing the flow of energy and digital communications. Second, the project would help address the lack of infrastructure needed for growth in lower- and middle-income nations. And third, Finer said it could help "turn the temperature down" on "turbulence and insecurity" coming out of the Middle East. "We see this as having a high appeal to the countries involved, and also globally, because it is transparent, because it is a high standard, because it is not coercive," Finer said. Von der Leyen was expected to describe the project as "nothing less than historic" and as an "India - Middle East - Europe economic corridor" that will make trade between India and Europe 40% faster, according to a draft of her prepared remarks.
The project will include a rail link as well as an electricity cable, a hydrogen pipeline and a high-speed data cable, according von der Leyen's prepared text, which also describes the project as "a green and digital bridge across continents and civilizations."
She is also expected to announce a "Trans-African Corridor" that will connect the Angolan port of Lobito with Kananga province in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the copper-mining regions of Zambia. Biden participated in the summit's first session, which focused on the theme of "One Earth." The U.S. president plans to draw on the theme to push for more investments to address climate change, such as his own domestic incentives to encourage the use of renewable energy, Finer said. Biden also wants to make the case that Russia's war in Ukraine is hurting many other nations, which have had to cope with greater food and energy costs as well as higher interest rate costs on their debt. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who has been a regular presence at international summits, including last year's G20 in Indonesia, since Russia invaded his country more than 18 months ago, was not invited by Modi's government to this year's gathering. Zelensky has the used the high-profile gatherings to argue for continued economic and military support for his country. India is one of the most prominent U.S. allies that has largely stayed on the sidelines of the war, and has even dramatically increased its purchases of Russian oil. Finer said White House officials pushed for Zelensky's inclusion at the summit. "Ultimately, it is not our decision," Finer said. "But you can expect that the United States and our other partners who are working with Ukraine so closely ... We'll make that case quite forcefully in the context of these conversations." The summit's second session is about "One Family." Biden plans to use this portion to discuss his request to Congress for additional funding for the World Bank that could generate more than $25 billion in new lending for economic development, Finer said. The White House more broadly is trying to strengthen the G20 as an international forum, while Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin decided not to attend. Still, China and Russia are represented at the summit and that could make it difficult for the G20 to produce a joint statement on the war in Ukraine. "Really it's incumbent upon the Chinese government to explain why a leader would or would not participate," Finer said.

The United Nations and Iran Call for Enhanced Cooperation to Combat Sandstorms
AFP/September 09, 2023
During the opening of an international conference in Tehran to discuss ways to combat sand and dust storms, the United Nations and Iran called for the need to strengthen cooperation among Middle Eastern and African countries to address these phenomena, which are intensifying due to climate change. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, in a video address to representatives from approximately fifty countries and fifteen participating organizations at the conference, emphasized that "cooperation is the key. I invite you to build partnerships and commit to tangible actions."

Former British Soldier Who Escaped London Prison Arrested After Nationwide Manhunt
LBCI/September 09, 2023
On Saturday, British police apprehended a former soldier who had escaped from a London prison earlier in the week, leading to a nationwide manhunt. The police tweeted that "officers from the Metropolitan Police arrested Daniel Khalifa. He was detained earlier today in the Chiswick area and is currently in police custody." British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who is currently in India to attend the G20 summit, expressed his satisfaction with the news to British media, stating that he was "extremely pleased with the news.”

Latest English LCCC  analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on September 09-10/2023
Biden Administration Bypassing Americans, Violating US Law, to Appease Regime of Iran
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone Institute/September 09/2023
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/122103/122103/
The Biden administration has been accused of secretly bypassing US laws to reach a deal with Iran's Islamist regime.
On August 10, the Biden administration apparently cut a "deal" excluding Congress and keeping the American people and U.S. regional allies in the dark -- even though they are the ones who would be the most directly affected by a "deal."
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. The sum comes to more than a billion dollars per head -- possibly largest hostage ransom payment in America's history -- and that makes every American on foreign soil a juicy mark.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik and House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul accused President Joe Biden on August 21 of breaking a 2015 law, the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act (INARA) by secretly negotiating and reaching a nuclear "understanding" with the Iranian regime alongside a hostage release deal.
"I urge the Administration to remember that U.S. law requires that any agreement, arrangement, or understanding with Iran needs to be submitted to Congress pursuant to INARA." — US Rep. Michael McCaul, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, in a letter to President Joe Biden, August 15, 2023.
"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.
How could the Biden administration keep the American people and allies such as Israel in the dark when the Iran's ruling mullahs have made it clear that a top priority is to attack the US, eradicate the Jewish state and "wipe Israel off the map"?
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi... has openly called for the destruction of Israel: "This great movement that we are witnessing today in the form of protests is a symbol of the solidarity of the Muslim people that will lead to the destruction of the Zionist regime."
The Biden administration's endless preference for the openly-expansionist, terrorist-supporting, citizen-murdering regime of Iran directly puts US national security, the lives of our allies worldwide, and the lives of American people at risk.
The Biden administration has been accused of secretly bypassing US laws to reach a deal with Iran's Islamist regime.
On August 10, the Biden administration apparently cut a "deal" excluding Congress and keeping the American people and U.S. regional allies in the dark -- even though they are the ones who would be the most directly affected by a "deal."
The Biden administration, determined, it seems, to continue appeasing the Iranian regime -- called by the US State Department the leading state sponsor of terrorism -- keeps indefatigably trying to revive then President Barack Obama's 2015 "nuclear deal," enabling Iran's mullahs legitimately to have as many nuclear weapons as they like.
Evading Congressional oversight, the Biden administration reached a deal 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. The sum comes to more than a billion dollars per head -- possibly largest hostage ransom payment in America's history -- and that makes every American on foreign soil a juicy mark.
The Biden administration's "deal," cut behind closed doors, not only excluded Congress; it also seems to have "zero benefit" for the United States and keeps the American people and U.S. regional allies in the dark -- even though they would be the most directly affected by a "deal."
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik and House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul accused President Joe Biden on August 21 of breaking a 2015 law, the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act (INARA) by secretly negotiating and reaching a nuclear "understanding" with the Iranian regime alongside a hostage release deal.
"Taken together," they wrote, "this strongly suggests your Administration has contemporaneously brokered a $6 billion prisoner deal and a nuclear understanding with the regime that are inextricably linked."
On August 15, US Rep. Michael McCaul, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, also wrote Biden a letter warning him about the congressional review required of any nuclear deal with the regime of Iran:
"I urge the Administration to remember that U.S. law requires that any agreement, arrangement, or understanding with Iran needs to be submitted to Congress pursuant to INARA."
McCaul, in addition, posted a tweet, stating:
"If President Biden finalized a nuclear understanding w/ Iran simultaneously with a $6B hostage deal, continuing to keep Congress in the dark violates US law. @SteveScalise, @RepStefanik, and I will use all tools at our disposal to bring transparency & accountability to Americans."
INARA directs the White House to inform the Congress of any negotiations that are linked to Iran's nuclear program, and any agreement must be approved by Congress. The president is required:
"... within five days after reaching an agreement with Iran regarding Iran's nuclear program, to transmit to Congress: the text of the agreement and all related materials and annexes; a related verification assessment report of the Secretary of State; a certification that the agreement includes the appropriate terms, conditions, and duration of the agreement's requirements concerning Iran's nuclear activities, and provisions describing any sanctions to be waived, suspended, or otherwise reduced by the United States and any other nation or entity, including the United Nations".
"That the White House announced this deal during the August congressional recess was no coincidence," wrote former White House Security official Richard Goldberg on August 15.
"Emergency hearings cannot be held. Resolutions of disapproval cannot be fast-tracked. President Biden has successfully evaded the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act, which requires him to notify Congress of any agreement with Iran related to its nuclear program before lifting sanctions."
More alarmingly, more billions apparently await the mullahs. According to 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...."
How could the Biden administration keep the American people and allies such as Israel in the dark when the Iran's ruling mullahs have made it clear that a top priority is to attack the US, eradicate the Jewish state and "wipe Israel off the map"?
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, known as the "butcher of Tehran" after being involved in the 1988 massacre of nearly 30,000 political prisoners, has openly called for the destruction of Israel:
"This great movement that we are witnessing today in the form of protests is a symbol of the solidarity of the Muslim people that will lead to the destruction of the Zionist regime."
When it comes to the U.S., the Iranian regime has plenty of blood on its hands. The regime was involved in 9/11, for which a U.S. federal court ordered Iran to pay $7.5 billion to the victims' families; the 1983 bombing in Lebanon of the U.S. Marines barracks, in which 241 Marines were killed; the 1984 United States Embassy Annex bombing in Beirut, and the bombing of the USS Cole.
The Biden administration's endless preference for the openly-expansionist, terrorist-supporting, citizen-murdering regime of Iran directly puts US national security, the lives of our allies worldwide, and the lives of American people at risk.
*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
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https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/19959/biden-bypassing-americans-appeasing-iran

Europe’s dilemma over climate action and energy security
Andrew Hammond/Arab News/September 09/2023
One of the EU’s longstanding global goals has been climate action, yet since the Ukraine war began there also has been a huge new political emphasis on delivering energy security.
Energy security is defined by the International Energy Agency as the uninterrupted availability of energy sources at an affordable price. Energy security has multiple aspects. Long-term energy security mainly deals with timely investments to supply energy in line with economic developments and environmental needs, while short-term energy security focuses on the ability of the energy system to react promptly to sudden changes in the supply-demand balance.
For Europe, embracing this agenda has required a huge pivot away from Russian energy. Russia is no longer the main gas supplier to the EU, with its exports via pipeline to EU customers falling off a cliff from almost 146 billion cubic meters (bcm) in 2021 to around 61 bcm in 2022. Moreover, in the first five months of 2023, Russian gas exports fell further to only 10 bcm.
Correspondingly, the EU 27 have embarked on a challenging pathway to diversify toward new energy sources. As set out in the RePowerEU strategy released last year, this has been achieved, in part, by rapidly scaling up use of clean energy.
However much the EU has an appetite for clean energy, this cannot get close to meeting the continent’s needs — yet. So, there has also been a large amount of effort put into agreeing deals with a wide array of nations, as detailed in the European Council on Foreign Relations Energy Deals Tracker, which was most recently updated last month.
The EU has an appetite for clean energy, but this cannot get close to meeting its needs — yet. The tracker shows that the EU 27 have, in the first 18 months, been focused mainly on securing new gas supplies as a transitional energy source in the long-term movement toward clean energies. A substantial chunk of the agreements that have been struck since 2022 relate to gas or liquefied natural gas.
The latest ECFR tracker also shows the geographical spread of countries with which European nations have signed new deals. Of around 120 new agreements between March 2022 and August 2023, the leading counterparties are the US (21) and the UAE (21), followed by Azerbaijan (10), Norway (nine), Algeria (nine), Qatar (eight), Serbia (five), Egypt (five), Saudi Arabia (four), and Japan, Israel, Namibia, Georgia, Angola, Namibia and Libya (all with two). A much wider collection of nations signed a single deal with the EU 27.
Breaking this long list down into regions, it is noteworthy that the Middle East is by far the region that has signed the largest number of deals since March 2022. More than one-third of such agreements were inked with Middle Eastern nations, with the UAE leading the way.
Flipping this analysis, the EU powers that have signed these agreements are also interesting to focus on. By far the largest is Germany (27), which is perhaps unsurprising given that it is the bloc’s largest economy, and imported the most Russian gas before the outbreak of the war, but is not now receiving any Russian gas via pipeline. Following on the heels of Germany are Italy (18), Hungary (14), Brussels negotiating EU-wide deals (11), Greece (eight), France (six), Poland (six), Romania (four), Latvia (four), Austria (four), Bulgaria (four), Slovakia (three), Belgium (two), Czech Republic (two), Netherlands (two) and Estonia (two). Five nations have signed one deal: Spain, Slovenia, Portugal, Lithuania and Finland.
EU nations will need to invest more in clean energy infrastructure if they are to decarbonize their economies
This frenetic European energy diplomacy over the past 18 months has gone a long way to help deliver energy security for the bloc. However, the tracker indicates that this success will complicate the EU 27’s energy transition pathway in the years to come.
In part, this is because the new gas infrastructure that has been invested in will require a medium to longer-term horizon to secure value for money. Correspondingly, EU nations will need to do much more to invest in clean energy infrastructure if they are to decarbonize their economies, sustainably, in the next decade. Amid concern over this dilemma, the EU is seeking to enhance its climate commitments ahead of COP28. There is even a possibility that the bloc could raise its 2030 greenhouse gas reduction target from 55 percent below 1990 levels, playing catch-up with the UK, which has pledged to reduce its emissions 68 percent below 1990 levels by 2030.
In part, this would be done by the EU to ratchet up pressure on other big emitters, including the US and China, to set stronger targets ahead of COP28. The US currently plans to slash emissions around 50 percent below 2005 levels this decade, while China has said its emissions will peak before 2030.
One driver of the EU’s enhanced climate ambition is the RePowerEU plan, which will likely push the bloc past the 55 percent level. Moreover, the European Commission last year also said that new rules for expanding the capacity of the bloc’s natural carbon sinks in particular would allow the bloc to reduce emissions by 57 percent by 2030 compared with 1990.
Taken together, the EU is trying to ensure that its huge new political emphasis on energy security does not significantly undercut its climate commitments. The key leading indicator of whether it will be successful on this agenda will be doubling down on investments in new clean energy infrastructure to sustainably decarbonize the bloc’s economy.
• Andrew Hammond is an Associate at LSE IDEAS at the London School of Economics.

Libya-Israel fiasco highlights Washington’s misguided approach
Hafed Al-Ghwell/Arab News/September 09/2023
A clandestine meeting between the foreign ministers of Libya and Israel, Najla Al-Mangoush and Eli Cohen, respectively, opened a Pandora’s box, revealing yet again the convoluted maze that is Washington’s Middle East policy. The covert encounter, held in Rome, was intended to quietly keep things moving in the still turbulent waters of Arab-Israeli normalization. What was intended as a signal of a formal Libya-Israel engagement, dispensing with historic antagonism, has since emerged as an embarrassing diplomatic misstep of epic proportions, fueling protests within Libya and unsettling its precarious balance of power.
The weakening of Libyan interim Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah and the emboldening of militias, particularly those from the city of Zawiya, have intensified the country’s domestic tensions. It could potentially ignite a political firestorm in the North African country, while casting an even harsher spotlight on Israel, and dealing a severe blow to US strategic ambitions for the region.
The debacle underscores the inherent risks and complexities associated with Washington’s grand vision of anchoring Israel as the linchpin of a revised approach to the Middle East and North Africa that, for all the bluster and pomp, remains a work in progress. It also exposes the flawed assumptions underpinning this strategy, particularly in a country as politically fragmented and volatile as Libya.
The fallout from the leaked meeting has not just rattled the already unstable power dynamics of Libya. The unforced error and the inevitable crisis that came afterward occurred amid a cauldron of rival militias, shifting alliances, and an uneasy balance of power. As a result, it will likely worsen a longstanding quagmire that the global community has failed to deal with for more than a decade.
This debacle serves as a stark reminder that the art of diplomacy demands more than just diplomats
It has also compromised Washington’s role in addressing the myriad intractable challenges that plague the North African country. These range from feuding political camps, governance issues, and security threats to broader regional and geopolitical dynamics. Besides, persistent instability in Libya is also impeding progress on Maghreb integration, cross-border cooperation, and collaboration on critical issues such as climate change, migration, security and trade.
Adding an extra layer of complexity is the unwelcome presence of the Wagner mercenary group, foreign fighters sustaining the dizzying array of external interests that have also sponsored the emergence of sophisticated hybrid actors committed to disrupting Libya’s democratization, stability and unification.
Clearly, the reverberations of this diplomatic blunder extend far beyond the borders of Libya, threatening to undermine Washington’s priorities in the region, while simultaneously exposing how misguided its approach is to the broader Arab region. As the dust settles on this farrago, it demands an urgent introspection on the larger implications of this episode, even as its strange cast of characters are still workshopping how to deal with the consequences of a secretive meeting gone public.
The botched meeting, which reportedly discussed preserving the heritage of Libya’s former Jewish community and potential Israeli assistance for humanitarian issues, was an embarrassing unraveling of what should have been a confidential diplomatic process. This debacle serves as a stark reminder that the art of diplomacy demands more than just diplomats — it requires a nuanced understanding of regional complexities, sensitivity to public sentiment, and a commitment to prioritizing the welfare of the nation involved over self-centered foreign policy objectives.
The US, a major actor in the Libyan affair, finds itself in the hot seat, having displayed limited engagement and intermittent concern for Libya’s near-term stability. This blinkered approach, however, is reflective of a larger global trend where nations exploit Libya’s predicament to advance their short-term interests. As the US seeks to further its diplomatic reach across the Arab world, the wind blowing from Libya presents a chilling defiance and a stark wake-up call.
Ultimately, the US must demonstrate that its commitment to Libya extends beyond strategic interests
This development undermines America’s Libya policy, dramatically revealing the disconnect between diplomacy enacted in palatial conference rooms and the deep-seated sentiments of the populace. Washington’s role faces the specter of an unassailable gap in trust and confidence, raising questions about the viability of its influence in Libya — whatever is left of it. Yet, contrary to fatalist narratives, this setback could catalyze a much-needed recalibration of US engagement with Libya. To win back the confidence of the Libyan populace, a paradigm shift is needed — one that sees the US and other global stakeholders subvert this injurious dynamic and prioritize collaborative endeavors aimed at restoring stability, rebuilding trust, and fostering grassroots empowerment in Libya. The Libya-Israel diplomatic misstep serves as a timely cautionary tale, reminding us that effective diplomacy requires more than just “good” intentions — it demands a commitment to genuine engagement and a focus on the long-term stability of the nations involved. It also underlines that past Israeli normalization agreements with other Arab countries are still simply agreements with governments not the people of these counties.
To bridge the trust deficit, prioritizing direct dialogue with the Libyan populace, deepening understanding of their historical perspectives and present-day complexities, may foster mutual understanding. Moreover, revisiting the parameters of the Abraham Accords, with a humane recognition of the Palestinian cause, would signal an earnest attempt to address at least a part of the root of the dissent. Furthermore, expanding the spectrum of engagement beyond geopolitics to areas such as cultural diplomacy, education, trade, and infrastructural investment could also reignite the US-Libya relationship.
Ultimately, the US must demonstrate that its commitment to Libya extends beyond strategic interests, if it wishes to regain trust and energize its role in Libya, as well as within the pivotal Maghreb sub-region. This also applies to the other major actors who must embody commitment toward collective efforts, with the objective of restoring stability, reinstating trust, and promoting local empowerment — not just in Libya. Other vulnerable Arab states with equally out-of-touch political elites might cling to normalization or other similar ambitious endeavors to cultivate diplomatic capital as long as they toe the lines drawn either in Washington or Brussels.
The Libya-Israel diplomatic fumble, therefore, also provides the global community with a warning writ large. It is time to cease exploiting fragile states and focus on an honest assessment of the state of affairs — an introspection devoid of hidden agendas. Such a task demands nothing less than altering the current trajectory and charting a new path; one that promises hope over despair and long-term stability over fleeting alliances.
• 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

With G20 at a crossroads, a new vision can reshape the world order
Talmiz Ahmad/Arab News/September 09/2023
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s hosting of the G20 summit at the newly constructed Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on Sept. 9-10 will mark the culmination of a year-long effort involving more than 200 meetings and several thousand delegates in different parts of the country. Official engagements have been supplemented with conclaves involving businesspeople, universities and think tanks that have thrown up new and exciting ideas on boosting global cooperation.
The G20 is a product of a globalized world and is now the “premier forum” to address pressing international economic challenges. This makes sense since the G20 includes 65 percent of the world’s population, 85 percent of global economic output and 75 percent of global trade.
The Indian presidency is taking place at a time when the world is facing serious challenges. Even before the global economy recovered from the ravages of the pandemic, the Ukraine war had a devastating effect on developing countries. The New Delhi summit should have been an opportunity for the G20 to address this shared catastrophe.
Unfortunately, the principal efforts of advanced countries have been directed at ensuring Russia is punished for starting the conflict. This has affected the G20 as well. Despite numerous meetings of G20 ministers and officials in India, not a single consensual document has been approved. The US-led Western alliance has insisted that any joint statements include specific criticisms of Russia, along with veiled negative references to China.
India has consistently worked toward highlighting the positive agenda that serves the emerging economies and the developing world in general. In its capacity as president of the G20, India convened a hybrid summit of 120 developing countries in January this year, titled “The Voice of the Global South.”
Indian officials said the conference would deliberate “on those concerns, interests and priorities that affect the developing countries, and unite in voice and purpose in addressing these elements.” A later report quoted Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, the external affairs minister, as saying that, as the forum’s president, “India would represent countries that are not at the G20 table.”
In the past year, countries in the Global South have been struggling with the high costs of imported food and energy, the negative impact of climate change and the start of the El Nino weather pattern — the combined effects of which have saddled them with burdens amounting to trillions of dollars. The transition away from fossil fuels, for instance, means that emerging economies, excluding China, will require $1 trillion per year until 2025 and twice that until 2030 to meet their development needs.
National leaders have insisted on the need for the reform of global institutions. Their principal targets are the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, which were set up by advanced countries even before most African states had thrown off the yoke of colonialism. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has described these institutions as “a morally bankrupt global financial system that perpetuates poverty and inequalities.”
Saudi Arabia’s 2020 presidency of the G20 played a major role regarding digital health focusing on IT infrastructure, equity of access, policy and regulatory environment, and upgrading of workforce and institutional capacity.
The Indian presidency’s focus has been directed at the interests of the Global South, mainly inclusive and resilient growth, green development and climate finance, women-centric development, and technology-led transformation. The last has been particularly novel and exciting. Technology-related conclaves in India have prioritized the harnessing of diverse applications of technology in the areas of health, biotechnology, pandemic preparedness, digital currencies and cross-border payments, as well as the use of data in general.
Saudi Arabia’s 2020 presidency of the G20 played a major role regarding digital health focusing on IT infrastructure, equity of access, policy and regulatory environment, and upgrading of workforce and institutional capacity.
In the wake of the Ukraine war, the US has attempted to mobilize support for sanctions against Russia. However, hardly any nation in Asia, Africa and Latin America has imposed sanctions or accepted the US pursuit of a global polarization that would revive the prospect of a new Cold War. Most nations dislike the idea of confrontation and conflict, and, instead, prioritize development in a multipolar order.
In an effort to win friends and influence developing nations ahead of the G20 summit, US President Joe Biden announced a commitment to the development of the Global South through major American and World Bank funding for infrastructure and climate. But this seems a politically charged agenda, focusing more on competing with China than serving the genuine needs of developing countries.
The gradual distancing of the G7 nations from the interests of the developing world offers opportunities for the major emerging economies to work more closely with each other, coming up with a new vision for global transformation that prioritizes the interests of the Global South and shapes practical time-bound initiatives to realize it. This challenge can be effectively met by Saudi Arabia and India working together with like-minded countries — a subject that should be high on the agenda when Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman meets Modi in New Delhi after the summit. Together, the two leaders can shape a new global economic order.
• Talmiz Ahmad is a former Indian diplomat.

How Can Sudan Reach the Light at the End of the Tunnel?
Osman Mirghani/Asharq Al-Awsat/September 09/2023
In a few days, the Sudanese war will have begun five months, and we are still busy quarreling, which is what led us to the wretched situation we now find ourselves in. Each party claims that the other is to blame, and all factions remain embroiled in debates over who fired the first shot. Divisions and the discourse of exclusion are intensifying as the suffering of the Sudanese worsens by the day. None of the belligerents want to acknowledge that everyone bears responsibility for sparking this war or the circumstances that led to it.
At this crossroads, Sudan does not need more Byzantine debates. To move forward and reach the light at the end of this dark tunnel, we must move beyond these debates and search for solutions that will end the war first. In these dark circumstances, efforts should be focused on facilitating a return to normality, after which work on building a national consensus through an inclusive conference should begin - a conference that sets a road map for the democratic transition, the future of governance in Sudan, and solving its chronic problems.
There can be no avoiding recognition that the previous transitional period failed because of its contradictions, and failed to resolve the disputes that had plagued it. Thus, talk of resuming it as though nothing had happened seems like a fantasy. Indeed, the war changed everything and deepened the disagreements. Sudan needs a new path that averts the pitfalls of the previous stage if the country is to avoid repeating its failures.
To this end, the conflicting parties must abandon their ambitions for shares of power in any new transitional period. indeed, neither can the military monopolize power or garner sufficient support to ensure stability, nor will the civilians manage to persuade the Sudanese people that they can lead a second transitional period amid the persistence of their disputes, contradictions, and conflicts, especially since they have lost much of the legitimacy they had once enjoyed because of the war and the polarized opinions and positions it has given rise to.
No one can claim the legitimacy or a popular mandate needed to rule and lead the country in a new transition. The December 2018 revolution toppled the regime of Omar al-Bashir and the National Congress Party, but it did not grant any party a mandate to rule the country. There were hopes that a civilian government composed of independents would be formed to lead the country during a brief transitional period in preparation for a democratic transition and elections, through which a government with a popular mandate and electoral legitimacy would emerge.
Without going into the details that the people are well acquainted with, the disputes of politicians and the disagreements between the civilians and the military killed the revolution, its dreams, and slogans, leading the country to its ongoing catastrophic crisis.
Thus, we must initiate the process differently, we need a new path that re-arranges priorities and roles. Transitioning to a democratic system is important, but it is not necessarily the priority of these people, given the current circumstances. People want the war to end and security to be restored, allowing them to return to their homes, go back to their normal lives, and begin rebuilding after the war, which has been extremely by all standards.
Any new transitional period must start off from this premise. Consensus between the various parties involved is thus a necessary prerequisite. This consensus can only be built by the Sudanese themselves, and they can only succeed if they put the interest of the country above any partisan or personal considerations.
A broad segment of the population believes that the transitional period should not last more than two to three years. Based on past experience, a civilian would be best, one that is composed of independent and experienced technocrats. Such a government, led by a consensus figure and with the economy and reconstruction as its priority, would be best placed to manage the country’s affairs.
During this period, the army assumes responsibility for security and defense through the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, and one of its tasks is also to implement the issue of integrating the forces of the armed movements in accordance with controls and procedures and within a period of time not exceeding the period of the transitional period.
During this period, the army should be tasked with safeguarding security and national defense through the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces. Added to regular duty, it would be required to integrate the fighters of the armed factions before the transitional period ends.
After developments rendered it obsolete, the Transitional Sovereignty Council, with its contradictory positions on the war of its members, must be dissolved before the transition begins.
A committee of five or seven advisors, including both civilian and retired military personnel, could be formed to replace it. This new committee would be tasked with advising the transitional government on political, economic, security, and foreign relations questions.
Its formation would resolve the issue of the army calling the shots on its own in these critical circumstances, and it would help broaden participation and visions for the future.
A transitional period amid this state of affairs also requires the formation of commissions delegated to undertake precise tasks and responsibilities under government supervision, including, but not limited to:
A Humanitarian Relief Commission that oversees and coordinates the distribution of relief work, such as the distribution of food, and medicine, and is responsible for ensuring that relief is given to those who need it.
A Reconstruction Commission tasked with rehabilitating the infrastructure that had been damaged, restoring the provision of basic services, and forming a roadmap for the compensation of victims.
A Health and Rehabilitation of the Health Sector Commission.
An Education Commission tasked with coordinating the restoration and rehabilitation of damaged educational institutions and expediting the resumption of education at all levels.
A Peace Commission tasked with reassessing the Juba Peace Agreement and making recommendations on how to develop it for the transitional government and the committee of advisors.
A Constitutional Commission composed of legal experts tasked with drafting a constitution to be presented to the elected parliament and ratified through a referendum.
An Electoral Commission tasked with drafting the elector law, reviewing voter lists, and soliciting the assistance of international bodies to ensure fair and transparent democratic elections by the end of the transitional period.
The transitional period also requires civic and political forces to engage in a comprehensive national dialogue that builds the consensus needed to launch discussions on the establishment of a system of governance that heralds a new Sudan. They must create a roadmap for how we are to avoid all the disappointments, pitfalls, injustices, and conflicts that led to this darkness.
Several proposals and papers on these matters have already been published. They can be built upon to crystallize the vision of the transitional government and build a national consensus that puts the country on the path of stability. However, the cessation of hostels should not be tied to the revitalization of the Sudanese state, the resumption of public utilities and services, and the formation of a government that runs the country's affairs appropriately. Indeed, the losses and repercussions resulting from the deterioration of living conditions and state services are no less devastating than those of the war itself.