Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on September 12-13/2023
A Personal Fight for Justice: Remembering Amer Fakhoury
Zoya Fakhoury/Amer Fakhoury Foundation/September 12/2023
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/122200/122200/
Today, September 12, 2023, marks the fourth anniversary of the day Amer Fakhoury, was unjustly taken from us; the day his rights were violated, and our lives changed forever. As his daughter, Zoya Fakhoury, I write this with a heavy heart, reflecting on the journey we've been through since that fateful day in 2019. We arrived in Lebanon on September 5th to kickstart our very first family vacation. Prior to that, my parents were working pretty much every day to make ends meet and get my three sisters and I through college. When we arrived in Lebanon, they took my dad’s passport under the guise of a “routine background check” and told him to come back the following week to pick it up.
On September 12, 2019, he visited the Lebanese General Security to pick up his passport, but he never came back home. Instead, he was detained, tortured, and forced to sign false documents. He became a pawn in a political game controlled by the terrorist regime, Hezbollah. The injustice that befell my father was not something that my family could stand by and accept. We opened up this foundation in honor of him to advocate for others being illegally detained. I recently made the decision to leave my full-time engineering job to devote my time to the foundation.
My family founded the Amer Foundation in Amer Fakhoury’s honor to draw attention to the issue of illegal detentions and to fight for the rights of hostages worldwide. This foundation is not just an organization, each day at the Amer Foundation, we strive to give a voice to those who have been silenced by the injustice of illegal detention. We work tirelessly to ensure that the atrocities my father had to endure are not repeated. We advocate, we inform, we support, and, most importantly, we fight for justice. In memory of Amer Fakhoury, and in honor of all those who have been unjustly detained, we continue to press forward. This fight is personal for us. It's for my father, for the countless others who have experienced similar injustices, and for those who are yet to be heard.  Today, as we remember Amer Fakhoury, I implore you to join us in this fight. Stand with the Amer Foundation as we strive to shed light on the hidden world of illegal detention, to ensure that no one else has to suffer as my father did. As we mark this solemn anniversary, I choose to remember my father not just as a victim, but as a beacon of resilience that has sparked a global call to action. Through the Amer Foundation, his spirit and dedication to justice continue to inspire and drive our mission. The pain of losing my father in such a cruel manner will never fade, but his memory fuels our determination to fight. On behalf of Amer Fakhoury, I ask you to stand with us, to raise your voice against illegal detention and to demand justice for all. Together, we can ensure that my father's ordeal was not in vain, and that his legacy will forever be a symbol of resistance against injustice.

US unveils sanctions on Hezbollah operatives in South America, Lebanon
Elizabeth Hagedorn/Al-Monitor/September 12, 2023
WASHINGTON — The US Treasury Department on Tuesday imposed new sanctions on Hezbollah operatives based in South America and Lebanon, including one linked to the 1994 Jewish community center bombing in Argentina.  Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control designated Amer Mohamed Akil Rada, describing him as one of the operational members behind the attack on the Argentine Israeli Mutual Association building, where 85 people were killed in 1994. Argentina has blamed Hezbollah and its backer Iran for the suicide bombing, both of which deny responsibility. US officials say Rada, who currently lives in Lebanon after running Hezbollah operations in South America for more than a decade, has coordinated the activities of various commercial enterprises for the Shiite militant group, including the exportation of charcoal from Colombia to Lebanon. Treasury also alleged Rada worked in close coordination with US-designated Hezbollah operative Salman Raouf Salman to case targets around South America. Amer was also linked to the 1992 Israeli Embassy bombing in Buenos Aires that killed 29 people.  The newly announced sanctions, coordinated with the US Drug Enforcement Administration, targeted a total of seven individuals and entities involved in what Treasury said was a network generating revenue for Hezbollah’s terrorist activities.  “Today’s action underscores the US government’s commitment to pursuing Hezbollah operatives and financiers no matter their location,” Brian Nelson, the Treasury's under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said in a statement.  “We will continue to root out those who seek to abuse the US and international financial system to fund and engage in terrorism,” Nelson said. The targets include Rada’s brother Samer Akil Rada, a Hezbollah member that Treasury said had direct links to drug trafficking and money laundering in various Latin American countries. He was also implicated in the shipment of $15 million worth of cocaine uncovered in fruit shipments that were ultimately seized in El Salvador. Also sanctioned was Amer Mohamed Akil Rada’s son Mahdy Akil Helbawi, who Treasury said conducts business activities in Colombia, “almost certainly in an effort to evade detection and circumvent sanctions.”Last month, the Treasury Department blacklisted Green Without Borders, a Lebanese environmental group it said acted as a front for Hezbollah in southern Lebanon “under the guise of environmental activism.” Some members of Congress have recently called for sanctions on parliament speaker Nabih Berri, an ally of Hezbollah.

Scope of heavy clashes expands at Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp
NNA/September 12/2023
Clashes have expanded in Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp, with heavy usage of shells and bombs, our reporter said on Tuesday, adding that a shell landed near McDonald's - Sidon, on the southern edge of the city. Bullets also fell heavily within the Lebanese University neighborhood in Sidon.

Cease-fire declared after days of intense fighting in Ain el-Hilweh
Associated Press and Agence France Presse
An "immediate and lasting cease-fire" was declared Monday after a top Lebanese general met with officials from rival Palestinian factions, following days of fighting in Lebanon's largest Palestinian refugee camp, which left several people dead and dozens wounded.
The new ceasefire failed to halt the fighting, however, residents and officials in the camp said in the hours after the agreement was announced. It was the latest in a series of cease-fires that only lasted for hours before fighting erupted again.
The announcement was made in Beirut by the General Security Directorate. Gunfire and explosions were heard throughout the day inside the Ain el-Hilweh refugee camp, claiming the life of at least one person. Stray bullets and shells hit residential areas in the country's third-largest city. The fighting that broke out Thursday night after nearly a month of calm in Ain el-Hilweh refugee camp near the port city of Sidon between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah group and militant Islamist groups has left six people dead. The toll has risen to at least "six dead, one of them killed on Monday, and more than 70 wounded", said Imad Hallak from the Palestinian Red Crescent's Lebanon branch, revising an earlier figure of 60 wounded. The casualties include both fighters and civilians, he added. Hezbollah urged a halt to the fighting. "We call for an immediate ceasefire," Hezbollah said in a statement on Monday, adding that the group expressed "deep regret" at the violence.Clashes erupted as Fatah and other allied militant factions in the camp had intended to crack down on suspects accused of killing Fatah military general, Abu Ashraf al Armoushi, in the camp in late July. One of the men suspected of being involved in Armoushi's killing, Izzedine Abu Dawoud, was critically wounded Monday inside the camp and rushed to hospital where doctors announced him as "clinically dead," Lebanese security officials said. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.
Lebanese security officials and members of Fatah said they do not expect a permanent halt to the clashes in the immediate future, despite the new ceasefire.
Elias Farhat, a retired Lebanese army general who is now a researcher of military affairs, said no ceasefire will hold unless the suspects in Armoushi's killing are handed over to Lebanese authorities for prosecution as demanded by a committee of Palestinian factions in the camp. While some have called for the Lebanese army to intervene, Lebanese security forces generally do not enter the Palestinian camps, and Farhat said there has been "no political decision" to do so now. Stray bullets hit the municipality building in Sidon damaging windows without hurting anyone, the state-run National News Agency said.
The public Lebanese University was closed and the Lebanese Army closed off the main highway that links Beirut with southern Lebanon near the camp and traffic was directed toward a coastal road due to the fighting. "The city is suffering. The civilians in the camp are suffering," Lebanese legislator who represents Sidon Abdul-Rahman Bizri said in an interview with The Associated Press. He added that the fighting may continue for the coming days with "no clear winner or loser ... because the balance of power in the camp is very difficult and delicate."
The Lebanese military said Sunday night that five soldiers were wounded after three shells hit an army checkpoint surrounding the camp, with one in a critical condition.
"We will not stand idle with what is happening in Ain el-Hilweh," warned Maj. Gen. Elias al-Baysari head of the General Security Directorate in an interview with a local newspaper published Monday. "The situation in the camp is unbearable," he said. Al-Baysari later Monday hosted a meeting at his office in Beirut that included officials from several Palestinian factions to discuss the possibility of a new truce. After the meeting ended, the cease-fire was declared as well as a call to hand over the suspects in Armoushi's killing to Lebanese authorities. The statement by General Security Directorate gave no further details. Two of the combatting groups Sunday said they would abide by a cease-fire, though Fatah did not officially respond to those claims. It was unclear if a decision was reached during the meeting. Ain el-Hilweh — home to some 55,000 people according to the United Nations — is notorious for its lawlessness, and violence is not uncommon in the camp. It was established in 1948 to house Palestinians who were displaced when Israel was established. UNRWA said hundreds of families displaced from the camp have taken shelter in nearby mosques, schools and the Sidon municipality building.
Earlier this summer, street battles in the Ain el-Hilweh between Fatah and members of the extremist Jund al-Sham group and Shabab al-Muslim lasted for several days, leaving 13 people dead and dozens wounded, and ended after an uneasy truce was put in place on Aug. 3. The fighting also forced hundreds to flee their homes. Lebanon is home to tens of thousands of Palestinian refugees and their descendants. Many live in the 12 refugee camps that are scattered around the small Mediterranean country.

Hamas deputy overseas leader arrives in Lebanon
LBCI/September 12/2023
Hamas deputy overseas leader, Moussa Abou Marzouk, has arrived in Lebanon for a multi-day visit to discuss developments in Palestinian refugee camps, particularly in the Ain al-Helweh camp. It is planned that the member of Hamas' political bureau will meet with Lebanese officials and representatives of Palestinian factions to try to contain the situation in the Ain al-Helweh camp and emphasize the necessity of a ceasefire and ending the violent clashes that have claimed the lives of many people.

Le Drian from Al-Saraya hopes that Berri's initiative will be the beginning of the solution
NNA/September 12/2023
Prime Minister Najib Mikati received the envoy of French President Emmanuel Macron and former Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian before noon today at the Serail. The French Ambassador to Lebanon, Hervé Magro, and President Mikati’s advisors, former Minister Nicolas Nahhas, and Ambassador Boutros Asaker participated in the meeting. During the meeting, President Mikati reiterated that “the beginning of the solution to the current crisis in Lebanon requires the election of a new president for Lebanon and the completion of economic reforms, especially the existing projects.” In the House of Representatives, to put the country on the path to recovery. In turn, the French envoy confirmed that he "came to Lebanon to complete his mission" and would not express his opinion before completing the contacts and meetings that he will hold. He hoped that the initiative announced by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri would be the beginning of the path to a solution.

Le Drian pins hope on Berri's dialogue as he 'resumes mission' in Beirut
Naharnet/September 12/2023
French Special Presidential Envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian has arrived in Beirut "to resume his mission" as France seeks a new push to end a political crisis that has left the country without a president for over a year. Le Drian started Tuesday his talks in Lebanon by meeting with caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati at the Grand Serail. He later arrived in Ain el-Tineh to meet with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. "Le Drian and I have agreed that there is no other way but dialogue to end the presidential crisis," Berri stressed after the meeting. "This is the only option now for those who want Lebanon's interest."In remarks published Monday, Berri had said that he's waiting for Le Drian's visit. "My initiative is ongoing, continuous and in harmony with the French initiative. The two initiatives complement each other and their essence is the same: dialogue and consensus for the election of a president,” Berri said. Berri and Le Drian had both called for a dialogue in September. On August 31, Berri called on the Lebanese parties to engage in seven days of dialogue in parliament prior to going to open-ended electoral sessions to choose a new president. His initiative was rejected by most of the opposition MPs and was eventually criticized by Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil. "I expect that my initiative will be merged with Le Drian’s initiative to reach the aspired positive result through dialogue and consensus,” Berri said, ahead of Le Drian's arrival to Beirut. Le Drian had proposed on his last visit to Lebanon to invite all those taking part in the process of electing a president to a meeting in September to achieve a consensus on the challenges and on the priority projects the future president will have to carry out, and consequently the qualities necessary for tackling them. "I hope that Berri's initiative will pave the way for a solution," Le Drian said after meeting Mikati. Le Drian will later on Tuesday meet with Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea and Kataeb leader Sami Gemayel and will meet Maronite Patriarch beshara al-Rahi on Thursday.

Gebran Bassil met Le Drian in Chalouhi
News Agencies/September 12, 2023
In the context of his tour of officials and politicians, he met today with the French Special Presidential Envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian, accompanied by the new French Ambassador, Hervé Magro, and MP Gebran Bassil, where the presidential file, the French initiative, and the call for dialogue were discussed. No details were issued about what was discussed between the two sides.

Army Commander briefed Le Drian on the challenges facing the military institution regarding the Syrian displacement and the Palestinian situation
NNA/September 12/2023
The Army Commander, General Joseph Aoun, received in his office in Yarzeh the special envoy of French President Emmanuel Macron and former minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, who was briefed on the security situation and the challenges the army faces, especially the Syrian displacement and the Palestinian situation. Le Drian affirmed his country's continued support of the army to enhance its capabilities to carry out various missions.

French Embassy: Le Drian will stress during his meetings with actors the necessity of getting out of the dead-end political horizon
NNA/September 12/2023
The French Embassy in Lebanon distributed a statement about the visit of the Personal Representative of the President of the French Republic, Mr. Jean-Yves Le Drian, to Lebanon, and indicated in it that “Mr. Le Drian is visiting Lebanon for the third time and will continue until the 15th of this month, within the framework of his mission of good offices that began in the month of July.” past, in coordination with the United States of America, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Egypt. He will hold new talks that fall within the context of the discussions he conducted during his previous two missions, with all political actors represented in Parliament and elected by the Lebanese and who bear responsibility for electing the President of the Republic. He will stress the necessity of getting out of the deadlocked political horizon. Currently, he will discuss with all actors the priority projects that the new President of the Republic should address in order to facilitate the development of a consensual solution in Parliament and fill the institutional vacuum. France intends, as the President of the French Republic and the Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs stated during the Ambassadors’ Conference, to work for the sovereignty of Lebanon and its stability, “and this country itself, France did not abandon. The election of a President of the Republic today represents an urgent necessity and a first step toward reactivating political institutions.” The current situation continues to deteriorate and state institutions are weakening in a disturbing manner, also in the context of the absence of a current governor of the Bank of Lebanon, security tensions, and a parliament that no longer meets in order to vote on necessary laws to Revitalizing the country and the prosperity of the Lebanese, hyperinflation and a liquidity-dependent economy undermine Lebanon’s sovereignty and push the vibrant forces to leave it.”

Berri meets Le Drian at Ain el-Tineh, receives Beirut Southern Suburb Municipalities Union delegation
NNA/September 12/2023
House Speaker Nabih Berri, on Tuesday welcomed at the Second Presidency in Ain el-Tineh, French presidential envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian, in the presence of French Ambassador to Lebanon Hervé Magro. Discussions reportedly touched on the current general situation and the latest political developments, especially the presidential entitlement. After the meeting, Speaker Berri confirmed, “The views are identical with the French presidential envoy, Jean-Yves Le Drian, that there is no way except dialogue, then dialogue, then dialogue, to get out of the current crisis and achieve the presidential entitlement. This is what is currently available to those who want the best interest of Lebanon.”On the other hand, Speaker received at Ain el-Tineh, a delegation of the Beirut Southern Suburb Municipalities Union, who discussed with the Speaker developmental issues related to the municipal councils,in Lebanon, in general,and the Union of Beirut Southern Suburb Municipalities Union, in particular.

Suleiman Franjieh received Le Drian and emphasized the importance of dialogue as an essential input for achieving the presidential election
NNA/September 12/2023
The head of the Marada Movement, Suleiman Franjieh, received at the home of his son, MP Tony Franjieh, in Beirut, the special French presidential envoy, Jean-Yves Le Drian, accompanied by the new French ambassador, Hervé Magro. A statement by "Marada" indicated that "the meeting was held in the presence of MP Tony Franjieh and former Minister Ronnie Araiji. During the meeting, the current political situation and ways to complete the presidential elections were discussed, in light of all the pressing and urgent crises. The importance of dialogue as a basic and necessary input to achieving Presidential entitlement as soon as possible.

Gebran Bassil met Le Drian in Chalouhi
News Agencies/September 12, 2023
In the context of his tour of officials and politicians, he met today with the French Special Presidential Envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian, accompanied by the new French Ambassador, Hervé Magro, and MP Gebran Bassil, where the presidential file, the French initiative, and the call for dialogue were discussed. No details were issued about what was discussed between the two sides.

Israel accuses Iran of building airport in Lebanon to act against Israelis
Associated Press/September 12/2023
Israel has accused Iran of building an airport in southern Lebanon to be used as a launchpad for attacks against Israelis across the border, signaling a possible escalation in tensions between the regional foes. Speaking at a high-profile security conference hosted by Reichman University near Tel Aviv, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant claimed Iran has been building a runway that slices through forested mountains just 20 kilometers from Israel's northern border. Gallant displayed satellite photographs that he said showed the site, where the Iranian national flag and the flag of Hezbollah could be seen.
Gallant alleged that Iran "is planning to act against the citizens of Israel," using the runway as a base. Iran's mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A spokesperson for Hezbollah declined to comment on Israeli accusations. The defense minister did not specify when the satellite photos were taken. The location he gave was near the hilly Lebanese city of Jezzin, across the border from the Israeli town of Metulla. Hezbollah earlier this year invited journalists to watch a military exercise in a nearby town in southern Lebanon. Satellite images from Planet Labs PBC obtained by The Associated Press from July 28 showed work on a 1.2 kilometer (3,937-foot) runway with hangars constructed on a tarmac just east of the runway. Satellite images from January showed the runway largely unpaved. Israel has said in recent years that it shot down Hezbollah or Iranian-linked drones launched from Lebanon and Syria. Israel and Hezbollah fought a war in 2006. The border has remained tense but largely quiet since then, with both sides wary of another major confrontation. But tensions have mounted. Hezbollah is committed, like its patron Iran, to Israel's destruction and its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, regularly threatens Israel. In an unusually bold attack earlier this year, a man who Israeli officials said was likely linked to Hezbollah infiltrated into Israel from Lebanon and detonated a bomb that severely wounded an Israeli citizen. The group also allowed Palestinian militant factions to operate in its strongholds and fire rocket barrages toward Israel this past spring. Israel has complained about further provocations by Hezbollah, including over tents it says the group pitched on the Israeli side of the Blue Line — a demarcation set by the United Nations for the purpose of confirming the Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon when it ended an occupation in 2000. In his speech, Gallant did not describe exactly how Hezbollah would launch attacks from the runway or use the airport for "terrorist purposes." He said that, in the event of a conflict, Israel would be prepared to strike Hezbollah with "deadly force" to ensure "Hezbollah and Lebanon pay a heavy price." Israel considers Iran to be its greatest enemy, and Gallant outlined what he said were a list of Iranian activities along Israel's various fronts, including support for militant groups in the Gaza Strip and occupied West Bank.
At the same conference, the head of Israel's Mossad spy agency on Sunday accused Iran of plotting deadly attacks against Israeli and Jewish targets around the world. David Barnea said Israel is prepared to strike perpetrators in "the heart of Tehran."

British, Lebanese armies conduct joint military exercise on Lebanese soil
Naharnet/September 12/2023
More than 65 military personnel from the British Army’s Second Battalion The Parachute Regiment (2 PARA) will conduct Tuesday a fully integrated combined military exercise ‘Pegasus Cedar’ with their Lebanese counterparts, the Air Assault Regiment, and supported by the Lebanese Air Force.  The exercise will run for ten days, the British embassy in Beirut said in a statement. "Exercise Pegasus-Cedar will be the first of its kind and the largest example of UK–Lebanese military cooperation in living memory," the statement said. British and Lebanese troops will practice tactical skills including Weapons Handling, Range Shoots, Reconnaissance and Close Quarters Battle. Troops will also train with the Lebanese Air Force conducting air support serials and helicopter insertion and extraction techniques. The exercise will culminate in two Field Training Exercises. The exercise will test and enhance the capability of both countries’ troops in a challenging environment.  “Exercise Pegasus Cedar is a landmark moment in our strong and enduring partnership with the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF). It is the first time in recent memory that British troops will be exercising jointly with their Lebanese counterparts on Lebanese soil," British Ambassador to Lebanon Hamish Cowell said. "British military training teams continue to work alongside all branches of the Lebanese military – Army, Navy, Air Force and Special Forces – to support them in their essential roles and the UK is proud to be a principal partner of the LAF, providing equipment, training and infrastructure," Cowell added. "The LAF has been and remains at the forefront of safeguarding Lebanon’s security and stability throughout many challenging times including the current economic crisis. We stand shoulder to shoulder with our Lebanese friends as they perform these vital tasks. Exercise Pegasus Cedar will further cement this strong partnership and reinforce the deep ties between our two countries."For his part, the British Defence Attaché, Lt. Col Lee Saunders, said he's proud to see troops from UK’s 2nd Battalion of the Parachute Regiment sharing skills and experiences with LAF’s Air Assault Regiment and Air Force for the first joint military exercise. "The title of the exercise pays homage to Lebanon's eternal cedar tree, whilst Pegasus is the emblem of the British Army’s Air Assault Brigade, which depicts a white winged stallion from Greek mythology," he added. Commander 16 Air Assault Brigade considered the exercise "a fantastic opportunity for our soldiers to train with and learn from our Lebanese Air Assault Regiment (LAAR) counterparts." "Although it is not our first time in Lebanon, it is the first time we have trained at this scale alongside the LAAR. Our two Regiments have a close relationship, and this exercise is the product of several years of partnership. A partnership that is now delivering fantastic training opportunities for us both,” he said.

Hezbollah denies smuggling arms via Beirut airport
Naharnet/September 12/2023
Hezbollah on Tuesday denied as “false accusations” a media report alleging that party officials are smuggling arms through Beirut’s Rafik Hariri International Airport. “We strongly condemn these cheap fabrications and false accusations and we also deplore the collusion of domestic Lebanese sides who worked on promoting these lies and turning them into judicial complaints against Hezbollah,” the party said in a statement, referring to a report aired by the Saudi-owned al-Hadath TV. “These allegations and moves represent a major insult to the Lebanese state and all the Lebanese security agencies whose units are present inside the airport’s premises,” Hezbollah added, saying such claims are aimed at “holding Hezbollah responsible for any actions that might target the airport in the future and to tarnish the image of Lebanese security agencies.”“This fabricated uproar about the airport resembles the Israeli enemy and its constant talk about the airport’s use for military purposes,” Hezbollah said, warning that such accusations “represent a cover for any Israeli aggression that might target the airport and its facilities.” The party added that “all the attempts to distort Hezbollah’ image and its honorable resistance will not affect the morale of our people and their free will to resistance and confronting the occupation.”

Mikati hails 'achievement' as govt. approves 2024 budget
Naharnet/September 12/2023
The caretaker Cabinet on Tuesday approved the 2024 state budget and submitted it to parliament, with caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati calling the move an “achievement.”“This is the first state budget to be approved within the constitutional timeframe since 2002 and this is a major achievement and heroism,” Mikati said at a press conference. “The budget is acceptable and there was full unanimity in Cabinet over endorsing it,” Mikati added. Moreover, the premier said that there are reformist laws that should be passed and that committees led by caretaker Deputy Prime Minister Saade al-Shami will be formed for this purpose. “The laws are the unifiex income tax law; the public accounting law; the restructuring of the public sector and public administrations; establishing a commission for specifying, coordinating and devising the standards for the state’s IT systems; and reforming the Customs administration,” Mikati said. He added: “What happened today is a positive step, but it is not sufficient, and we must follow up with parliament to approve all the present laws, topped by the banks restructuring plan.”Mikati also pointed out that “the deficit in this state budget is lower than in any other years,” but that “in fact the monetary surplus is bigger than the cash deficit.”

Lebanese Cabinet approves 2024 state Budget
LBCI/September 12/2023
Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati held on Tuesday a cabinet session at the Grand Serail, during which the General Budget Law for the year 2024 was approved. In attendance at the session were Deputy Prime Minister Saadeh El Shami and the following ministers: Education and Higher Education Minister Abbas El-Halabi, Information Minister Ziad El-Makari, Youth and Sports Minister George Kalass, Finance Minister Youssef El-Khalil, Minister of State for Administrative Development Affairs Najla Riachi, Industry Minister George Boushikian, Telecommunications Minister Johnny Al-Qurm, Interior and Municipalities Minister Judge Bassam Mawlawi, Health Minister Firas Al-Abyad, Culture Minister Judge Mohammed Wissam Al-Mourtada, Labor Minister Mustafa Beyram, Public Works and Transportation Minister Ali Hamieh, Economy Minister Amin Salam, Displaced Persons Minister Issam Sharafeddine, and Environment Minister Nasser Yassin. Also present were the Director-General of the Presidency of the Republic Antoine Choucair, the Secretary-General of the Council of Ministers, Judge Mahmoud Makieh, and the Director-General of the Ministry of Finance, George Maarawi.
At the end of the session, Mikati said in a live press conference that the cabinet approved the budget for the year 2024. "I would like to say that this is the first budget to be approved on time since 2002, before the start of the second session of the Parliament, which is a significant achievement. This would not have been possible without the employees' efforts in the Ministry of Finance and its working team. I consider it an achievement and a heroic effort because we are aware of the resources and capabilities available today in public administration. It was very challenging to accomplish this budget at this particular time," he noted. "I can say that the budget is acceptable and has received complete consensus from the Cabinet for adoption, and at the end of the week, it will be referred to the honorable Parliament."Mikati stressed that, in a parallel manner, there are committees that will be formed headed by the Deputy Prime Minister to develop a draft unified income tax law, a draft amendment to the public accounting law, and restructuring the public sector and public institutions, a body to investigate, coordinate and set standards for information systems in the Lebanese state, reform customs and control evasion of registration in the value-added tax and the tax on luxury goods, all of which will be issued as soon as possible. "The decisions that require the issuance of decrees will be issued by decrees because there are laws," he explained. "It allows us to issue these decisions by decrees in the Council of Ministers. We will send draft laws to the Parliament for approval to complete the necessary reform topics," Mikati continued.

Ministry of Economy Refutes Bread Shortage Rumors, Calls for Media Accuracy
LBCI/September 12/2023
The Ministry of Economy categorically denied on Tuesday the claims reported in some newspapers regarding a shortage of bread and a decision to halt subsidies, affirming that this vital and strategic commodity is available. The Ministry of Economy urges the media to exercise accuracy and not fall into traps set by some mischief-makers and those affected by the regulatory mechanisms established by the ministry, which have stabilized the market and prevented the exploitation of the Lebanese people's basic needs.
Caretaker Minister of Economy Amin Salam will hold a press conference at 3:00 PM tomorrow in his office at the ministry to clarify the situation.

Cracking Down on Clandestine Syrian Entry into Lebanon: Challenges and Solutions
LBCI/September 12/2023
Smuggling gangs employ various methods to clandestinely transport individuals into Lebanon, including hiding them beneath concealed compartments in vehicles, trucks loaded with goods or containers, and even rocks. Other methods involve smuggling Syrians into Lebanon through rugged and remote passages amid mountains and winding valleys, making it challenging for the army to reach and close these routes. All these examples, along with the alarming numbers of Syrians who have entered Lebanon clandestinely, some of whom have been apprehended by the army while others remain at large, have been presented by the Army Commander to the caretaker government for necessary action. With ongoing communication between the Lebanese and Syrian sides, military coordination along the border between the two countries is expected to be requested to enhance border control. This is considered essential by the army as long as it remains unable to increase its current strength of around 8,000 personnel deployed in various battalions and regiments on the border to at least five times that number. Will concrete and field actions be taken based on the decisions made by the Cabinet?
With ongoing communication between the Lebanese and Syrian sides, military coordination along the border between the two countries is expected to be requested to enhance border control. This is considered essential by the army as long as it remains unable to increase its current strength of around 8,000 personnel deployed in various battalions and regiments on the border to at least five times that number. Additionally, instructions will be given to the judiciary to adopt a stricter approach towards apprehended smuggling gang members instead of releasing them and expedite the trial of detained Syrians for deportation instead of exacerbating prison overcrowding. At the local level, it is understood that Caretaker Minister of Interior will instruct municipalities to conduct a census of Syrians within their municipal jurisdiction and identify those who entered clandestinely, taking necessary measures.
There will also be a stricter approach towards non-governmental organizations, obliging them to coordinate with the army rather than work against it and withhold information about Syrians who have infiltrated Lebanon, as some are currently doing.
This is a piece of the puzzle. Can it be said that the translation of the Cabinet's measures has begun to take effect on the ground?

Lebanese Exchange Syndicate's Quest for Transparency in Bloomberg Adoption
LBCI/September 12/2023
The Exchange Syndicate has heard about the adoption of the Bloomberg platform through the media and is interested in knowing the details of the agreement and its implications.  The Syndicate's council has requested a meeting with Acting Central Bank Governor Wissam Mansouri. It is awaiting the scheduling of this meeting to understand the specifics of this platform and other shared issues. The initial agreement with Bloomberg requires exchange dealers to have a dedicated department responsible for verifying the sources of funds as part of the efforts to combat money laundering and avoid suspicious funds.
In principle, there are 304 legitimate exchange dealers in Lebanon, with only 200 of them being members of the Syndicate. Out of these 200, 44 are exchange dealers in the first category, meaning they are large offices that engage in foreign exchange and transfers between Lebanon and abroad. These are legally required to have anti-money laundering offices. Exchange dealers in the second category, which are smaller offices numbering 260, cannot use the platform unless they form groups and collaborate with an anti-money laundering office approved by the Banking Control Commission. The Syndicate's president, Majd Al-Masri, emphasized to LBCI the strong commitment of licensed exchange dealers to cooperate with the memos of the Central Bank of Lebanon and weaken the role of illegal exchange dealers, as they have tarnished the reputation of the profession and contributed to the economic collapse. He expressed readiness to work with the Bloomberg platform once they understand the nature of the cooperation, as the situation still needs to be clarified for them. Al-Masri also revealed that the Syndicate is in contact with relevant Lebanese authorities, including administrative, financial, and security bodies, to regulate the exchange market and pursue illegal actors, as legitimate exchange dealers and citizens are affected.

Abiad discusses health situation in Lebanon with Order of Malta delegation
NNA/September 12/2023
Caretaker Minister of Public Health, Dr. Firas Al-Abiad, on Tuesday met with a delegation representing the Order of Malta, headed by the Minister of International Cooperation and Humanitarian Action of the Sovereign Order of Malta, Alessandro De Francis. The visit was an opportunity to discuss the health situation in Lebanon and to present a number of projects undertaken by the Ministry of Public Health. The delegation presented a shield of appreciation to Al-Abiad, who in turn thanked the the Order of Malta for its permanent cooperation with the Ministry, expressing his appreciation for this support.

Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on September 12-13/2023
Libya Floods Wipe Out Quarter of City, 10,000 Missing
Asharq Al Awsat/12 September 2023
More than 1,000 people were killed and at least 10,000 were missing in Libya in floods caused by a huge Mediterranean storm that burst dams, swept away buildings and wiped out as much as a quarter of the eastern coastal city of Derna.
Officials expected the death toll to rise much higher after Storm Daniel barreled across the Mediterranean into a country divided and crumbling after more than a decade of conflict.
In Derna, a city of around 125,000 inhabitants, Reuters journalists saw wrecked neighborhoods, their buildings washed out and cars flipped on their roofs in streets covered in mud and rubble left by a wide torrent after dams burst.
More than 1,000 bodies have already been recovered in Derna alone. Bodies were lined up on the street outside a crowded hospital, with residents looking under the shrouds covering them in search of loved ones. Similar devastation reigned on the way into Derna, with vehicles overturned on the edges of roads, trees knocked down and houses inundated and abandoned. "Bodies are lying everywhere - in the sea, in the valleys, under the buildings," Hichem Abu Chkiouat, minister of civil aviation in the administration that controls the east, told Reuters by phone shortly after visiting Derna.
"The number of bodies recovered in Derna is more than 1,000," he said. "I am not exaggerating when I say that 25% of the city has disappeared. Many, many buildings have collapsed."Abu Chkiouat later told Al Jazeera that he expected the total number of dead across the country to reach more than 2,500, as the number of missing people was rising. Other eastern cities including Libya's second biggest city Benghazi, were also hit by the storm, and Tamer Ramadan, head of a delegation of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, said the death toll would be "huge". "We can confirm from our independent sources of information that the number of missing people is hitting 10,000 so far," he told reporters via video link. United Nations aid chief Martin Griffiths said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, that emergency teams were now being mobilized to help on the ground. As Turkey and other countries rushed aid to Libya, including search and rescue vehicles, rescue boats, generators and food, distraught Derna citizens rushed home in search of loved ones.
'Never felt as frightened'
In Derna, Mostafa Salem, 39, said he had lost 30 of his relatives. "Most people were sleeping. Nobody was ready," Salem told Reuters. As the storm had intensified into the evening, he said, people started getting alerts saying that the water level at one of the dams was rising and noises were emanating from it. At Tripoli airport in northwest Libya, a woman started to wail loudly as she received a call saying most of her family were dead or missing. Her brother-in-law, Walid Abdulati, said "we are not speaking about one or two people dead, but up to 10 members of each family dead". Karim al-Obaidi, a passenger on a plane from Tripoli to the east, said: "I have never felt as frightened as I do now ... I lost contact with all my family, friends and neighbors." An interior ministry spokesperson told Al Jazeera that naval teams were searching for the "many families that were swept into the sea in the city of Derna". Footage broadcast by Libyan TV station al-Masar showed people searching for bodies and men in a rubber boat retrieving one from the sea. "We have nothing to save people ... no machines...we are asking for urgent help," said ambulance worker Khalifah Touil.
Flood warning
Derna is bisected by a seasonal river that flows from highlands to the south, and normally protected from flooding by dams. A video posted on social media showed remnants of a collapsed dam 11.5 km (7 miles) upstream of the city where two river valleys converged, now surrounded by huge pools of mud-colored water. "There used to be a dam," a voice can be heard saying in the video. Reuters confirmed the location based on the images. In a research paper published last year, hydrologist Abdelwanees A. R. Ashoor of Libya's Omar Al-Mukhtar University said repeated flooding of the seasonal riverbed, or wadi, was a threat to Derna. He cited five floods since 1942, and called for immediate steps to ensure regular maintenance of the dams. "If a huge flood happens the result will be catastrophic for the people of the wadi and the city," the paper said. Pope Francis was among world leaders who said they were deeply saddened by the deaths and destruction in Libya. Libya is politically split between east and west and public services have fallen apart since a 2011 NATO-backed popular uprising that prompted years of factional conflict. The interim Government of National Unity in Tripoli does not control eastern areas but has dispatched aid to Derna, with at least one relief flight leaving from the western city of Misrata on Tuesday, a Reuters journalist on the plane said. Norway's Refugee Council said tens of thousands of people were displaced with no prospect of going back home.

Race against time to find survivors 4 days after Morocco quake
Agence France Presse/September 12, 2023
Hopes dimmed on Tuesday in Morocco's search for survivors, four days after a powerful earthquake killed more than 2,800 people, most of them in remote villages of the High Atlas Mountains. Search-and-rescue teams from the kingdom and from abroad kept digging through the rubble of broken mud-brick homes, hoping for signs of life in a race against time following the 6.8-magnitude quake late Friday. The Red Cross appealed for more than $100 million in aid to meet the "most pressing needs", including water, shelter, health and sanitation services. "We need to make sure we avoid a second wave of disaster," said Caroline Holt, global director of operations at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. In the tourist hub of Marrakesh, whose UNESCO-listed historic center suffered cracks and other major damage, many families still slept out in the open, huddled in blankets on public squares for fear of aftershocks. But the need was most desperate in remote and poor mountain villages, many only reachable via winding dirt roads, where traditional adobe homes crumbled to rubble and dust and inhabitants have searched by hand for missing relatives. Dozens of quake survivors crowded around the open back doors of a truck in Amizmiz waiting for the packages of food aid being handed out by volunteers on Tuesday. "We have nothing. We lost everything. We're here just to get some food to eat," said 39-year-old Fatima Benhamoud, who received a box with beans, canned food and crackers. Her home in Azmizmiz collapsed in the quake and her children barely managed to escape with their lives."But what are we going to do when people stop helping us?" she asked.
Remote villages destroyed
Rescuers, aid trucks and private volunteers kept travelling to stricken villages in the barren foothills of the High Atlas, many accessible only via dusty dirt roads affected by rockfalls. In the village of Asni, in the worst-hit province of Al-Haouz, the army set up a field hospital with medical tents where more than 300 patients had been treated by Monday, Colonel Youssef Qamouss told AFP. "The hospital was deployed 48 hours ago," he said, adding that it has an X-ray unit, pharmacy and other facilities. "It started operating this morning and we're already at more or less 300 patients." Many Moroccan citizens have rushed to help quake victims with food, water, blankets and other aid or by donating blood to help treat the injured, an effort joined by the national football team. The quake was Morocco's strongest on record and the deadliest to hit the North African country since a 1960 earthquake destroyed Agadir on the Atlantic coast, killing between 12,000 and 15,000 people. Overall, at least 2,862 people have died and more than 2,500 been injured in the latest tragedy, according to an official toll issued late Monday. Morocco has allowed rescue teams to come to its aid from Spain, Britain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates but so far declined offers from several other nations, including the United States and Israel.
- 100,000 children affected -
Albert Vasquez, the Spanish unit's communications officer, warned on Monday that "it's very difficult to find people alive after three days" but stressed that "hope is still there". The United Nations estimated that more than 300,000 people have been affected, one third of them children, by the powerful seismic event that hit just after 11:00 pm (2200 GMT) when most families were asleep. "Thousands of homes have been destroyed, displacing families and exposing them to the elements at a time of year when temperatures drop down during the nighttime," the UN children's agency said. "Schools, hospitals and other medical and educational facilities have been damaged or destroyed by the quakes, further impacting children." The rebuilding effort is expected to be enormous for the country which is already suffering economic woes and years of drought and now fears a downturn in the crucial tourism sector. Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch chaired a Monday meeting on housing and reconstruction and then pledged that "citizens who have lost their homes will receive compensation," adding that the details would be announced later.

Israel's Mossad chief sets new red lines for Iranian leadership, Russia
Ben Caspit/Al-Monitor/September 12, 2023
TEL AVIV — Mossad chief David Barnea threatened Iran on Sunday, stating that the leadership in Tehran could find itself in the crosshairs. His words reflected Israel's growing concerns about Tehran's potential acts of terror in the region and especially in the West Bank. Barnea's speech at the annual conference of Reichman University's International Institute for Counter-Terrorism in Herzliya was unusual, to say the least. He threatened the Iranian government personally, and also made veiled threats against the Russians and harshly criticized the Biden administration. "Terror has become a cheap and common weapon in the hands of the Terroristic Republic of Iran," Barnea said, using a title he has been invoking lately. Barnea revealed that 27 terror plots across the globe were foiled over the past year by Israel and its allies, saying, "Fortunately for Iran, their terror efforts have been thwarted. Why fortunately for them? Because thus far we have only gotten to the operatives and those who dispatched them.” Barnea noted that despite the Mossad's past policy of targeting attackers themselves, now, any attempt by Iran to harm Jews or Israelis "will lead to activity against the Iranians who sent the terrorists and also against the decision-makers, from the ground operators to the commanders who approved the operation to the highest echelon, and I mean that.” He added, "The Iranian regime no longer has room for denial and above all, it has no immunity. Our message is sharp, clear and resolved to those who decided to launch the squads: Be sure that we will reach you."
Previaling frustration within Israel
Haim Tomer is the former head of the Mossad's counterterrorism division. "Barnea’s words mirror prevailing frustration within Israel’s security system," he told Al-Monitor. "Barnea actually threatened the Iranians that if they continue directing, launching or instigating terrorist activities against Israel or against Israeli interests, they will suffer retaliation in the heart of Tehran."Asked why Barnea chose to issue such a blatant public threat, Tomer said, "In the past we used to speak weakly and act strongly. From my acquaintance with Barnea, he would not have resorted to such language without full coordination with Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu. One thing is certain, there is a clear increase in Iranian efforts to harm Israel. The head of the Mossad also spoke about the means of sabotage and explosives that Iran is pushing into the West Bank. Israel will not sit quietly and tolerate such developments." Still, Tomer feels that the speech was first and foremost meant for American ears. "Barnea sees the behind-the-scenes contacts between Iran and the US and it frustrates him. He sees how countries in the region are getting closer to Iran, how an agreement with the American administration is taking shape, how the world ignores the fact that Iran is a terrorist state in every sense of the term," Tomer said. Barnea's threats, though unusual in their overtness, are actually in line with the strategic policy change championed by former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett. Shortly after taking office in June 2021, Bennett decided that Israel will act not only against terror operators, but also against Iran itself, on its soil, whenever it uses proxies against Israel. Bennett's new policy, dubbed "the Octopus Doctrine," seeks to expose and retaliate not only against the arms but also against the head.
Strategic shift
Though Israel never took responsibility, the doctrine could explain the May 2022 killing of IRGC commander Hassan Sayyad Khodaei, the February 2023 drone attack on the Isfahan military base. Barnea also addressed Moscow. Barnea was less blunt, but nevertheless clear. A recent attempt by Iran to provide Russia with missiles amid its war on Ukraine were foiled, said Barnea, adding, “I have a feeling that more deals will be foiled soon.” "Barnea made it clear that Israel does not seek a confrontation with the Kremlin, but will not hesitate to act against anything that it perceives as endangering its security, and this includes procurement transactions of this type," a senior Israeli security official told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity. "In this context," the source added, "there is a sensitive and precise balance between Israel and Russia, in which Israel does not supply Ukraine with weapons, while the Russians do not supply all that Iran is striving to procure, despite their situation on the battlefield." That being said, Barnea’s message to Moscow was simple: If Russia crosses Israel's red line on Iran, Israel will not hesitate to return the favor.

Mossad chief warns Iran leadership of retaliation, says Israel foiled 27 attacks
Rina Bassist/Al-Monitor/September 12, 2023
Mossad chief David Barnea revealed on Sunday that over the past year, the Israeli spy agency and its allies have foiled 27 attempted attacks by Iran on Israelis and Jewish targets around the world. In an unusually direct threat, Barnea warned that if any Jews or Israelis are hurt in future attacks by Iran or its proxies, Israel will take action against the leadership in Tehran. Addressing the annual conference of Reichman University's International Institute for Counter-Terrorism in Herzliya, Israel, Barnea said, “The squads that were captured, the weapons that were seized together with them, all had clear targets.” He added that the attacks were attempted “all over the world, in Europe, Africa, the Far East and South America.”In the past few months, Israel and other Western security agencies have thwarted several Iran-affiliated attacks in the region. In March, Greek police arrested two Pakistani nationals for allegedly planning major terror attacks against a Jewish restaurant and Jewish Chabad house in Athens. In June, Cypriot and Israeli security agencies foiled attacks planned by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on several venues frequented by Israelis in Cyprus. In July, Azeri security forces arrested an Afghan national suspected of planning an attack on Israel’s embassy in Baku. Israel reported that Iran had been involved in planning the attack. “We are witnessing a significant increase in attempts to harm Jews and Israelis around the world, and we are working even now at this very moment to follow Iranian and proxy squads to prevent them from killing Jews and Israelis around the world,” Barnea noted, warning that Israel will “exact a price from Iran in a different way.” Pledging to hold top Iranian officials responsible if any Jewish targets or Israel are attacked, Barnea said, “Harming Israelis and Jews in any way — by proxy, by Iranians or by Iranian weapons smuggled into Israel — will lead to activity against the Iranians who sent the terrorists and also against the decision-makers, from the ground operators to the commanders who approved the operation to the highest echelon, and I mean that.”
In a reference to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Barnea said that the foiled Iranian plots were pursued in accordance with a “political directive by the leader.” He added, “Fortunately for Iran, their terror efforts have been thwarted. Why fortunately for them? Because thus far we have only gotten to the operatives and those who dispatched them.” Repeating his warning, Barnea said, "The [Iranian] regime has no more options for deniability or immunity. Our message is clear: We will direct our response to the leadership for this state-sponsored terrorism." Barnea addressed Israel’s concerns over talks between the Biden administration and the Iranian government on a renewed nuclear deal, noting, “The current dialogue between Iran and the West does not reflect genuine willingness on the part of Iran to curb its nuclear program. Rather, it demonstrates Iran’s cynical attempt to release money frozen as part of the international sanctions imposed on it while continuing to develop and expand its nuclear capabilities.”
The Mossad head also addressed growing concerns within Israel’s security system that after receiving Iranian drones from Tehran, Russia might now supply Iran with advanced weapons that could threaten Israel. “Our fear is that the Russians will transfer to the Iranians in return what they lack: advanced weapons that will certainly endanger our peace and maybe even our existence here,” he said. The Mossad warnings come less than a week before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu heads to the United States for the United Nations' annual summit. Netanyahu will probably address the gathering on Sept. 21. In Netanyahu's past speeches at the UN, he had focused on the Iranian nuclear and terror threats. On Monday, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant revealed pictures of an Iranian base at an airport in Kilat Jabar in the south of Lebanon, just 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the Israeli border. Addressing the Reichman conference, Gallant said, "One can see in the pictures Iran’s flag flying on the aircraft’s runways, which the ayatollahs’ regime plans to use against Israel’s citizens." He added, "Put differently, the land is Lebanese, the control is Iranian, the target is Israel."

Iraq Starts Relocating Iranian Kurdish Fighters from Iran Border, Says Iraq FM
Asharq Al Awsat/12 September 2023
Iraq has started relocating Iranian Kurdish groups from Iraq's Kurdish region frontiers with Iran to camps far from the border as part of a security agreement between Baghdad and Tehran, Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said on Tuesday. Iraq and Iran signed a border security agreement in March, a move Iraqi officials said was aimed primarily at tightening the frontier with Iraq's Kurdish region, where Tehran says armed Kurdish dissidents pose a threat to its security. "Based on the agreement between Iraq and Iran, necessary measures were taken to remove these groups from the border areas and they were housed in camps deep inside Iraqi Kurdistan," Hussein told a press conference on Tuesday. Hussein said he would visit Tehran on Wednesday to deliver the message in person in the hopes that it would prevent any escalation on the border. Tehran has long accused Iraq's autonomous northern Kurdish region of sheltering militant groups involved in attacks against Iran, with Iran's Revolutionary Guards in turn repeatedly targeting their bases. The Iranian foreign ministry said last month that under the agreement struck with Iraq, Baghdad committed to disarm Iranian Kurdish opposition groups in Iraq's Kurdistan region, close their bases, and relocate them to other locations before September 19. Iranian officials have said that, if the deadline was missed, they could resume attacks against dissident groups inside Iraqi Kurdistan that Tehran had regularly undertaken until the end of last year. In September 2022, the Revolutionary Guards fired missiles and drones at militant targets at Iraq's Kurdish region, killing 13 people, according to local authorities. "We will discuss with the Iranian side not to threaten to use violence and not to threaten to attack some areas in the Kurdistan region of Iraq,"

In letter to Biden, Barzani warns of Iraqi Kurdistan's collapse, urges mediation
Amberin Zaman/Al-Monitor/September 12, 2023
Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Masrour Barzani has appealed to President Joe Biden to intervene in a deepening crisis with the central government in Baghdad, airing fears that the Kurdistan Region might even collapse as an entity if the crisis is left unchecked, Al-Monitor has learned.
In a letter dated Sept. 3 that was addressed to Biden and delivered to the White House last Sunday, Barzani wrote, “I write to you now at another critical juncture in our history, one that I fear we may have difficulty overcoming. …[W]e are bleeding economically and hemorrhaging politically. For the first time in my tenure as prime minister, I hold grave concerns that this dishonorable campaign against us may cause the collapse of … the very model of a Federal Iraq that the United States sponsored in 2003 and purported to stand by since.”“We believe that your administration retains significant leverage with Baghdad,” Barzani said of Washington’s ability to diffuse the crisis.
The cri de coeur comes amid escalating tensions between Erbil and Baghdad over budgetary allocations, oil sales and territories that both sides claim for their own. Barzani reiterated his calls for further US engagement to help resolve the disputes in a meeting on Monday in Erbil with US Ambassador to Iraq Alina Romanowski. With Washington’s attention focused on China and the conflict in Ukraine, Barzani’s letter is meant to jolt the administration into action before a descent into violence.
That very specter loomed in the contested oil-rich province of Kirkuk last week when Kurds and Arabs allegedly bused in by Iran-backed Shiite militia groups clashed over a court decision preventing Barzani’s Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iraq (KDP) from reclaiming its headquarters in the regional capital. Four Kurds died in the protests that were eventually quelled by federal forces deployed to the city. “We are asking where the hell is the United States,” said a Kurdish official speaking not for attribution to Al-Monitor. The State Department declined to comment on the letter. A White House official speaking on background said, “We do not comment on private diplomatic engagements.” The White House had not responded to Barzani’s letter as of the time of publication of this article.
Broken promises, broken trust
Since US forces birthed the creation of a putatively democratic Iraq with the 2003 overthrow of Saddam Hussein, the sides have tussled over what share of Iraq’s budget should go to the Kurds, with successive governments in Baghdad typically failing to hand over the amount of money agreed to at any given time. This, in turn, has left the KRG struggling to pay public sector employees who are due $625 million every month. In recent years, the refusal has stemmed from Baghdad’s view that the Iraqi Kurds have since 2014 been “illegally” selling Iraqi oil produced in the Kurdistan Region via Turkey without the central government’s consent. Iraq took the matter to an international court of arbitration, and Turkey was slapped with a $1.5 billion fine earlier this year when the Paris-based International Chamber of Commerce ruled in Baghdad’s favor. In response, Turkey halted the flow of some 400,000 barrels per day of Kurdish crude and a further 75,000 barrels per day of Iraqi crude from the Kirkuk fields. Ankara is demanding that Baghdad waive the fine and drop another arbitration case pending against it in order to resume exports from the Turkish port of Ceyhan, leaving the Kurds deprived of at least $5 billion in revenue since exports ceased.
The KRG has since agreed with Barzani’s words to make “extraordinary concessions in the negotiations with Baghdad in the hope of securing our future.” However, Barzani told Biden, “I regret to inform you that they have done the opposite. Our goodwill in agreeing to market our oil through the federal government in return for a just share of the federal budget has been blatantly forsaken.”The figure for oil revenues promised to the Kurdistan Region following talks in April between Barzani and Baghdad was $900 million per month. Yet the federal government has parted with far less, even as the Kurds have sent Baghdad the 85,000 barrels of crude every day pledged under that deal without receiving a penny for it, Kurdish officials say. On Sept. 2, federal authorities informed the KRG they would be willing to disburse $380 million per month in loans. Iraqi Kurdish officials have long aired frustration at what they say is the United States’ growing indifference to their plight, with letters going unanswered and senior US officials no longer engaging with the same frequency as they did under the previous administration when, for instance, the energy secretary would have monthly telephone calls with Barzani. “The American mantra is ‘we are not an occupying force anymore,’” the official briefing Al-Monitor said. “The basis of our engagement in the post-2003 order was entirely predicated on the agreement that the United States would act as the guarantor of the federal model. And up until [the full US withdrawal in] 2011, when that line was tested, the Americans would step in. The Americans were the guarantors, the honest brokers.” The official explained, “We are asking the United States to take a principled position on the agreement we had at the beginning [in 2005] on three key issues: oil, the budget and territory."
“Shotgun wedding, amicable divorce”
Ken Pollack, a former CIA intelligence analyst and senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute who has written extensively on Iraq, agrees that the status quo is unsustainable and could lead to renewed civil conflict in Iraq. A weaker Iraq means a stronger Iran, which goes against US interests. But Washington’s interest in the country has taken a back seat to other pressing files. “Is Iraq a bigger priority for the United States than, say, Saudi-Israeli rapprochement? It’s hard to say that it is,” Pollack told Al-Monitor. Yet while the Kurds “get it intellectually,” Pollack contended, “emotionally they don’t.” They very much want to believe that the United States is still fully committed. Preserving that impression at the very least will cause Baghdad, Iran and the Kurds’ other large meddlesome neighbor, Turkey, to back off. Either way, Pollack concluded that the best solution for Iraq and the Kurds was an amicable divorce. “It was a shotgun wedding to begin with,” Pollack said.
An administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity to Al-Monitor noted that the KDP and its chief rival, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), needed to settle their own disputes “before pointing fingers at us.” The two parties went to war in the early 1990s, and the distrust runs so deep that they have yet to unify their respective peshmerga forces under a single command. Rampant corruption — with much of Kurdistan’s wealth concentrated in the hands of the Barzanis and the Talabani family that runs the PUK — is feeding popular disaffection and dampening dreams of independence. At the same time, mounting repression of journalists has dented the Kurdistan Region’s claims that it is “the other” and hence better Iraq. Many see Iran’s hand in the unfolding row between the KRG and Baghdad. With a large restive Kurdish minority of its own, Iran sees neighboring Iraqi Kurdistan and its pro-American leadership as a threat. Tehran’s attempts to weaken the KRG through its Iraqi Shiite allies have gained vigor since 2017 when the KRG held a referendum on independence that was fiercely opposed by Ankara, Baghdad and Washington. The ensuing volatility allowed federal troops to retake control of Kirkuk and other disputed territories the Kurds seized as Iraqi forces fled the Islamic State onslaught in 2014. The central government has since been doggedly seeking to tighten its grip. Iran is now threatening to attack the Kurdistan Region once again should it fail to disarm Iranian Kurdish opposition groups based in Kurdish territory by Sept. 19. The date coincides with the first anniversary of the mass protests that rocked Iran following the death in police custody of Iranian Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini. Iran blames the Iranian Kurdish opposition parties and their alleged Western backers — namely America and Israel — for the demonstrations, although the parties themselves admit they are weak and have little if any impact inside the Islamic Republic.
James F. Jeffrey, a former US ambassador to Iraq who chairs the Wilson Center’s Middle East program, contended that Iran was clearly using an “all elements of power” strategy to assume effective control of Iraq, following “the Lebanon model” whereby it relies on Shiite militias and their political arms that are loyal to itself rather than Baghdad. The Trump administration, Jeffrey argued, “pushed back on this Iranian strategy by inventorying all the ways the United States and more generally the West and its institutions were important to Iraq and then threatened to start sending them down if the Iraqi government didn’t take specific steps we detailed to push back on specific Iranian or militia tentacles inside government structures.”The Biden administration, by contrast, “doesn’t seem to be doing anything in this regard,” likely because it doesn’t want to provoke Iran as it seeks to revive the nuclear deal. Amos Hochstein, special presidential coordinator for Global Infrastructure and Energy Security, for example, has not been to Iraqi Kurdistan since January, Jeffrey recalled. “This is the most current and most dramatic result of the US maintaining its hands-off approach.” “Behind all the specifics, it’s Iran dictating Iraqi government positions to ensure no deal will be realized that would get oil flowing again and that keeps the KRG afloat — exactly what Iran wants to ruin,” Jeffrey added.

In Iran, Snap Checkpoints and University Purges Mark the First Anniversary of Mahsa Amini Protests
News Agencies/12 September 2023
Snap checkpoints. Internet disruptions. University purges. Iran's theocracy is trying hard to both ignore the upcoming anniversary of nationwide protests over the country's mandatory headscarf law and tamp down on any possibility of more unrest. Yet the Sept. 16 death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini still reverberates across Iran. Some women are choosing to go without the headscarf, or hijab, despite an increasing crackdown by authorities. Graffiti, likely against Iran's government, is rapidly painted over in black by Tehran's municipal workers. University professors have been fired over their apparent support for demonstrators. International pressure remains high on Iran, even as the administration tries to deescalate tensions with other nations in the region and the West after years of confrontation. “The weaponization of ‘public morals’ to deny women and girls their freedom of expression is deeply disempowering and will entrench and expand gender discrimination and marginalization,” independent United Nations experts warned earlier this month. The demonstrations over Amini's death that erupted after her arrest a year ago by the country's morality police, allegedly over the hijab, represented one of the largest challenges to Iran's theocracy since the 1979 revolution. A security force crackdown that followed saw over 500 people killed and more than 22,000 people detained. Iran's government, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, have blamed the West for fomenting the unrest, without offering evidence to support the allegation. However, the protests found fuel in the widespread economic pain that Iran's 80 million people have faced since the collapse of Iran's nuclear deal with world powers after then-President Donald Trump in 2018 unilaterally pulled America from the accord.
As Western sanctions came back, Iran currency — the rial — cratered, decimating people's lifesavings. Prices of food and other essentials skyrocketed as inflation gripped the nation, in part due to worldwide pressures following the coronavirus pandemic and the launch of Russia's war on Ukraine. Unemployment officially stands at 8% overall, though one out of every five young Iranians is out of work.
Videos of the demonstrations last year showed many young people taking part in the protests, leading authorities to apparently focus more closely on Iran's universities in recent weeks. There's historic precedence for the concerns: In 1999, student-led protests swept Tehran and at least three people were killed while 1,200 were detained as demonstrations rapidly spread to other cities. Though university campuses have largely remained one of the few safe places for students to demonstrate, even campuses have felt the latest crackdown. Over the past year, the Union Council of Iranian Students has said that hundreds of students faced disciplinary panels at their universities over the protests.
During the same period, at least 110 university professors and lecturers have been fired or temporarily suspended, according to a report by the reformist newspaper Etemad. The firings have been primarily focused at schools in Tehran, including Tehran Azad University, Tehran University and Tehran Medical University. Etemad said those who were dismissed fell into two groups: teachers concerned by the election of hard-line President Ebrahim Raisi and those who supported the protests that followed Amini's death.
But there were firings at other schools as well. At Tehran’s Sharif University of Technology, outspoken artificial intelligence and bioinformatics professor Ali Sharifi Zarchi, who backed his students taking part in the protests and later faced interrogation by Iranian security forces, was among those laid off. A petition urging the university to overturn his firing was signed by 15,000 people. “Putting pressure on professors and students is a black stain on the proud history of #Tehran_University and it must be stopped,” Zarchi wrote online before his dismissal. University teachers who were dismissed also included Hossein Alaei, a former commander in the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard and vice defense minister, and Reza Salehi Amiri, a former culture minister. Alaei had once, a decade ago, compared Khamenei to Iran's former shah, while Amiri was a former official in the administration of the relatively moderate President Hassan Rouhani. Rouhani, whose government reached the nuclear deal with world powers in 2015, has criticized the university firings. “Destroying the prestige of the universities and their professors ... is a loss for the students, science and the country,” Rouhani said, according to a report by the online news site Jamaran. The head of Tehran University, Mohammad Moghimi, had tried to defend the dismissals, describing professors as facing “ethics problems.” Some hard-liners also have tried to insist the firings weren't political, though the hard-line newspaper Kayhan directly linked the dismissals to the demonstrations. “It is not logical to allow someone to propagate against the system under the direction of foreigners,” the newspaper wrote. Those on the streets of Tehran say the governments' move will likely make the situation worse. “They want to insert their own people in the university in hope of stopping the protest, but we students will show our objections in a way that they cannot imagine,” said Shima, a 21-year-old university student. “They failed to prevent last year's protests since nobody can predict earthquakes.” Authorities “are fighting against windmills using wooden swords,” added Farnaz, a 27-year-old university student. Both women gave just their first name for fear of reprisals. The government has been trying to stay publicly quiet about the anniversary. Raisi never said Amini's name during a recent news conference with journalists — who also only tangentially referred to the demonstrations. State-run and semiofficial media in Iran as well have avoided mentioning the anniversary, which typically signals pressure from the government. But privately, activists report a rise in the number of people being questioned and detained by security forces, including an uncle of Amini. Saleh Nikbakht, a lawyer for Amini's family, faces a court case accusing him of spreading “propaganda” over his interviews with foreign media. More police officers have been noticed on Tehran's streets in recent days, including snap checkpoints for those riding on motorcycles in the country's capital. Internet access has been noticeably disrupted over recent days, according to the advocacy group NetBlocks. And abroad, Iranian state media reported that someone set tires ablaze in front of the Iranian Embassy in Paris over the weekend. Demonstrations marking the anniversary on Saturday are planned in multiple cities abroad.

Iran Identifies 5 Prisoners it Wants from US in Swap for Iranian-Americans, Billions in Assets
News Agencies/12 September 2023
Iran on Tuesday identified the five prisoners it hopes to see freed in the United States in exchange for five Iranian-Americans now held in Tehran and billions in assets once held by South Korea. The acknowledgment by the Iranian mission to the United Nations in New York comes as the Biden administration has issued a blanket waiver for international banks to transfer $6 billion in frozen Iranian money from South Korea to Qatar without fear of US sanctions. The moves by both Tehran and Washington appear to signal the prisoner swap is progressing as the money once held in South Korean won is converted into euros and moved to Qatar, where Iran will be able to use it for humanitarian purposes. In a statement to The Associated Press, Ali Karimi Magham, a spokesman for the Iranian mission, confirmed the list of prisoners that Tehran wants released.
The five sought by the Iranians are:
— Kaveh Lotfolah Afrasiabi, an Iranian charged in 2021 with allegedly failing to register as a foreign agent on Iran's behalf while lobbying US officials on issues like nuclear policy;
— Mehrdad Ansari, an Iranian sentenced to 63 months in prison in 2021 for obtaining equipment that could be used in missiles, electronic warfare, nuclear weapons and other military gear;
— Amin Hasanzadeh, an Iranian and permanent resident of the United States whom prosecutors charged in 2019 with allegedly stealing engineering plans from his employer to send to Iran;
— Reza Sarhangpour Kafrani, an Iranian charged in 2021 over allegedly unlawfully exporting laboratory equipment to Iran; and
— Kambiz Attar Kashani, an Iranian-American sentenced in February to 30 months in prison for purchasing “sophisticated, top-tier US electronic equipment and software” through front companies in the United Arab Emirates. The US State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the list. The news website Al-Monitor, relying on a statement from the Iranian mission, first reported the Iranians' identities on Monday. On the US side, Washington seeks the release of Siamak Namazi, who was detained in Iran in 2015 and later sentenced to 10 years in prison on internationally criticized spying charges; Emad Sharghi, a venture capitalist sentenced to 10 years; and Morad Tahbaz, a British-American conservationist of Iranian descent who was arrested in 2018 and also received a 10-year sentence. The fourth and fifth prisoners were not identified. All five are under house arrest at a hotel in Tehran. US Republicans have criticized the possibility of an exchange, which is under discussion amid heightened tensions between Iran and the West over its nuclear program, as well as a series of ship seizures and attacks attributed to Tehran. The Pentagon is considering a plan to put US troops on board commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of all oil shipments pass moving out of the Arabian Gulf. A major deployment of US sailors and Marines, alongside F-35s, F-16s and other military aircraft, is also underway in the region. Meanwhile, Iran supplies Russia with the bomb-carrying drones Moscow uses to target sites during its war in Ukraine.

France Condemns 'Deliberate Arson' Targeting Iranian Consulate in Paris
AFP/12 September 2023
A suspect of Iranian origin appeared before the court in Paris on Tuesday following a fire that targeted the consulate of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the capital on Saturday, which France described as a 'deliberate arson.' France's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Anne Claire Lojandre, stated that "France strongly condemns this act."  “In accordance with the Vienna Conventions, it guarantees the protection of all personnel and diplomatic assets on its territory... Immediate measures were taken to control the fire that broke out near the Iranian embassy directly. An investigation has been opened, and legal actions have been taken," she further added.

Ukraine Conducted Drone Attack Near Nuclear Plant, Says Russia’s Rosatom
Agencies/12 September 2023
Ukraine carried out a drone strike on the Russian-held city of Enerhodar near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant on Monday, the head of Russia's state nuclear corporation was quoted as saying on Tuesday by Russia's RIA news agency. Rosatom chief Alexei Likhachev said six drones were launched at Enerhodar, and that all were destroyed. The city is in territory in southeastern Ukraine that is held by Russia, which sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine over 18 months ago. The nearby Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe's biggest, is also in Russian hands. Later on Tuesday, Ukraine's military intelligence (GUR) released footage of drone attacks, saying Ukrainian special forces and resistance members in Enerhodar had "congratulated the invaders on the 'holiday'" - a reference to Russia's day of migration service workers. The GUR said that a building in Enerhodar where Russian passports are now being issued, and two locations where up to 12 Russian officers were located, had been hit. A radio communication point had been "neutralized", it said. Reuters was not able to verify the reports or the video footage released by the GUR.

Top US House Republican McCarthy Calls for Biden Impeachment Inquiry
Reuters/September 12/2023
Republican US House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Tuesday called for an impeachment inquiry into Democratic President Joe Biden, a move certain to further divide lawmakers as they struggle to pass legislation to avoid a government shutdown.
Many in McCarthy's party were infuriated when the House, then controlled by Democrats, twice impeached Republican President Donald Trump, in 2019 and 2021, though he was acquitted both times in the Senate. Some lawmakers on the Republican right flank have said they would try to remove McCarthy as the leader of the House if he did not move ahead with an impeachment effort against Biden. Biden, who defeated Trump in the 2020 election, is seeking re-election next year. "I am directing our House committees to open a formal impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden," McCarthy told reporters. "We will go where the evidence takes us." Republicans, who now narrowly control the House, have accused Biden of profiting while he served as vice president from 2009 to 2017 from his son Hunter Biden's foreign business ventures, though they have not presented substantiation.
McCarthy said lawmakers on several committees will begin gathering evidence of possible financial misconduct. A former business associate of the younger Biden told a House hearing that Hunter Biden sold the "illusion" of access to power while his father was vice president, according to a transcript released last month. The White House has said there is no basis for an investigation and Biden has mocked Republicans over a possible impeachment. Democrats have sought to portray Republican impeachment talk as an effort to distract public attention from the legal woes of Trump, who faces four separate criminal indictments while running for his party's nomination to face Biden in the 2024 US election. Trump has pressed Republicans to try to remove Biden from office. Several hard-right Republicans have said they will not vote for must-pass spending bills unless McCarthy greenlights an impeachment inquiry. The US Constitution empowers Congress to impeach federal officials including the president for treason, bribery and "other high crimes and misdemeanors." A president can be removed from office if the House approves articles of impeachment by a simple majority and the Senate votes by a two-thirds majority to convict after holding a trial. Any Biden impeachment effort would be unlikely to succeed. Even if the Republican-controlled House votes to impeach Biden -- an uncertain prospect, given the party's narrow 222-212 vote margin -- it would almost certainly fail in the Democratic-controlled Senate. Trump is the only US president to have been impeached twice. He was acquitted both times after trials in the Senate thanks to votes by his fellow Republicans that prevented the chamber from achieving the two-thirds majority needed for conviction.
In his first impeachment, the House in 2019 charged Trump with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress after he asked Ukraine to investigate Biden and his son on unsubstantiated corruption accusations. In his second impeachment, the House impeached him in 2021 on a charge of inciting an insurrection following the attack on the US Capitol by his supporters. The first impeachment sought to remove him from office. The second, with a trial held after he left office, sought to disqualify Trump from ever again holding the presidency. Trump, as he has done with many investigations into his actions, called both impeachments politically motivated witch hunts. Biden in July mocked Republican lawmakers threatening to impeach him. "Republicans may have to find something else to criticize me for now that inflation is coming down. Maybe they'll decide to impeach me because it's coming down. I don't know. I'd love that one," Biden said at the time.

France to Put on Trial Syrian Officials for Crimes Against Humanity
AFP/12 September 2023
France will begin in May 2024 the trial of three Syrian officials for killing two Syrians-French nationals, revealed a judicial source on Monday. The suspects in the murder of Mazen Dabbagh and his son Patrick, who were arrested in 2013, will be tried before the Criminal Court in Paris. The charges include involvement in crimes against humanity and war crimes. It will be the first trial in France for crimes against humanity committed in Syria. The former head of the General Intelligence Service, Ali Mamlouk, who later became head of the National Security Bureau, the former head of the Air Force Intelligence Service, Jamil Hassan, and the director of the Bab Touma Air Force Intelligence, Abdul Salam Mahmoud, will be tried in absentia. According to Agence France-Presse, the three Syrian officials are wanted under international arrest warrants. Patrick Dabbagh was born in 1993 and was a student at the College of Arts and Humanities in Damascus, while his father, Mazen, was a principal educational advisor at the French School in Damascus and was born in 1956. They were detained in November 2013 by officers who claimed to belong to the Air Force Intelligence. According to Mazen Dabbagh's brother-in-law, who was also arrested but released two days later, the two were taken to Mezzeh prison, where reports of torture have been made. They were not heard from again, and in 2018, the government declared them dead, dating Patrick's death to 2014 and Mazen to 2017. The indictment order issued by two investigating judges at the end of March stated that it "seems sufficiently established" that Patrick and Mazen Dabbagh were subjected to torture "so intense that it killed them." The Syrian regime is targeted by several judicial prosecutions in Europe, especially in Germany.

Kim in Russia to meet Putin as both are locked in standoffs with West
Associated Press/September 12, 2023
North Korea's Kim Jong Un arrived in Russia on Tuesday for a meeting with President Vladimir Putin where they are expected to offer each other increased support in their escalating standoffs with the West. Kim is expected to seek Russian economic aid and military technology in exchange for munitions to be used in Russia's war in Ukraine. After decades of complicated, hot-and-cold relations, Russia and North Korea have drawn closer since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The bond has been driven by Putin's need for war supplies and Kim's efforts to boost his partnerships with traditional allies Moscow and Beijing as he tries to break out of diplomatic isolation. North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency said Kim boarded his personal train bound for Russia on Sunday afternoon, accompanied by members of the ruling party, government and military. His final destination is uncertain. Many had assumed Kim and Putin would meet in Vladisvostok, a Russian city close to the border where the two leaders had their last meeting in 2019, and which Putin is visiting this week for an economic forum. But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed only that Kim has entered Russia, and state news agency RIA-Novosti later reported his train had headed north after crossing the Razdolnaya River, taking it away from Vladivostok. The South Korean news agency Yonhap later published a photo that it said showed the train in Ussuriysk, a city about 60 kilometers north of Vladivostok that has a sizeable ethnic Korean population.
Some Russian news media speculate that he is headed for the Vostochny spaceport, which Putin is to visit soon. Putin declined during the forum to say what he intended to do there. The launching facility is about 900 kilometers (550 miles) northwest of Ussuriysk, but the route there is circuitous and it is unclear how long Kim's slow-moving train would take to get there. Peskov said Putin and Kim will meet after the Vladivostok forum, and that the meeting would include a lunch in Kim's honor.
Officials identified in North Korean state media photos may hint at what Kim might seek from Putin and what he would be willing to give.
Kim is apparently accompanied by Jo Chun Ryong, a ruling party official in charge of munitions policies who joined the leader on recent tours of factories producing artillery shells and missiles, said South Korea's Unification Ministry. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu will be part of the Russian delegation, according to Peskov.
North Korea may have tens of millions of artillery shells and rockets based on Soviet designs that could give a huge boost to the Russian army in Ukraine, analysts say. Also identified in photos were Pak Thae Song, chairman of North Korea's space science and technology committee, and Navy Adm. Kim Myong Sik, who are linked with North Korean efforts to acquire spy satellites and nuclear-capable ballistic missile submarines. Experts say North Korea would struggle to acquire such capabilities without external help, although it's not clear if Russia would share such sensitive technologies. Kim Jong Un may also seek badly needed energy and food supplies, analysts say. Deputy foreign minister Andrei Rudenko said Russia may discuss humanitarian aid with the North Korean delegation, according to Russian news agencies. Kim's delegation also likely includes his foreign minister, Choe Sun Hui, and his top two military officials, Korean People's Army Marshals Ri Pyong Chol and Pak Jong Chon. Data from FlightRadar24.com, which tracks flights worldwide, showed an Air Koryo Antonov An-148 took off from Pyongyang on Tuesday and flew for about an hour to reach Vladivostok. North Korea's national airline has only just resumed flying internationally after being grounded during the COVID-19 pandemic. There had been speculation that North Korea could use a plane to fly in support staff. Kim is making his first foreign trip since the pandemic, during which North Korea imposed tight border controls for more than three years. Lim Soo-suk, South Korea's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, said Seoul was maintaining communication with Moscow while closely monitoring Kim's visit. "No U.N. member state should violate Security Council sanctions against North Korea by engaging in an illegal trade of arms, and must certainly not engage in military cooperation with North Korea that undermines the peace and stability of the international community," Lim said during a briefing. U.S. officials released intelligence last week that North Korea and Russia were arranging a meeting between their leaders. According to U.S. officials, Putin could focus on securing more supplies of North Korean artillery and other ammunition to refill declining reserves as he seeks to rebuff a Ukrainian counteroffensive and show that he's capable of grinding out a long war of attrition. That could potentially put more pressure on the U.S. and its partners to pursue negotiations as concerns over a protracted conflict grow despite their huge shipments of advanced weaponry to Ukraine in the past 17 months. "Arms discussions between Russia and the DPRK are expected to continue during Kim Jong Un's trip to Russia," said White House National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson, using the abbreviation for North Korea's official name of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. "We urge the DPRK to abide by the public commitments that Pyongyang has made to not provide or sell arms to Russia."
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Washington will monitor the meeting closely, reminding both countries that "any transfer of arms from North Korea to Russia would be a violation of multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions," and that the U.S. "will not hesitate to impose new sanctions."
Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters that Tokyo will be watching the outcome of the Kim-Putin meeting with concern, including the "impact it could have on Russia's invasion of Ukraine."The United States has accused North Korea of providing Russia with arms, including selling artillery shells to the Russian mercenary group Wagner. Both Russian and North Korean officials denied such claims. But speculation about the countries' military cooperation grew after Shoigu, the defense minister, made a rare visit to North Korea in July, when Kim invited him to an arms exhibition and a massive military parade in the capital where he showcased ICBMs designed to target the U.S. mainland. Following that visit, Kim toured North Korea's weapons factories, including a facility producing artillery systems where he urged workers to speed up the development and large-scale production of new kinds of ammunition. Experts say Kim's visits to the factories likely had a dual goal of encouraging the modernization of North Korean weaponry and examining artillery and other supplies that could be exported to Russia.

Egypt ban on face veil in schools sparks debate
Agence France Presse/September 12, 2023
A ban on wearing the face veil in Egyptian schools announced by the government this week sparked debate on social media Tuesday with critics condemning it as "tyrannical". The education ministry decision, announced in the state-run newspaper Akhbar al-Youm on Monday, applies to both state and independent schools. It bans the niqab, an all-encompassing black garment that leaves only the eyes visible and is worn by a small minority of Egyptian women. The decision leaves optional the hijab, the headscarf worn by a much larger number of women. The choice must be made according to the "wishes of the pupil, without pressure or coercion from any party except her legal guardian, who must be informed of the choice," the decree said. Critics took to social media to lambast the move, accusing the government of meddling in private matters. "People are angry because the government gave no justification. It's a tyrannical decision that impinges on people's private lives," a user going by the name Mohammed posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. Supporters retorted that only an extremist minority would be affected. "Nobody is angry except supporters of the Taliban and the Islamic State" group," posted a user calling himself "al-Masri" (the Egyptian). Talk show host Ahmed Moussa, a fervent supporter of the anti-Islamist administration of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, welcomed a "first significant step towards the destruction of extremism and the correction of an education system that had become the haunt of Muslim Brotherhood terrorist groups." Sisi was still army chief when in 2013 he overthrew the democratically elected Islamist President Mohamed Morsi, the Muslim Brotherhood leader. The group has since then been outlawed as a "terrorist organization," with hundreds of its members killed and tens of thousands thrown in jail. Other posts questioned the government's priorities. "Is the niqab to blame for the overcrowded classes, the old furniture and the difficulties faced by teachers?" one post asked. In 2015, Cairo University banned its teachers from wearing the niqab, in a decision upheld by an administrative court in 2020.

Latest English LCCC  analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on September 12-13/2023
Jericho is NOT a Palestinian Heritage Site/Congress Should Block Any UNESCO Funding
Robert Williams/Gatestone Institute./September 12, 2023
The deeply corrupt, highly politicized United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) will vote later this week on declaring Jericho, an ancient Jewish city, a "World Heritage Site in Palestine."
The Palestinian Authority submitted a nomination of Jericho, which it wants to rename Tell es-Sultan.
UNESCO's purpose is to promote "international cooperation in education, sciences, culture, communication and information" which it is supposed to do through "knowledge sharing and the free flow of ideas." Nowhere does it say that UNESCO has the least right to meddle in ongoing conflicts and create make-believe "facts" on the ground.
This illegitimate imposition is not the first time that UNESCO is putting on display its anti-Israel bias, penchant for faking history and an impressive tradition of lying.
In 2010, UNESCO renamed the Jewish site of Rachel's Tomb the "Bilal Bin Rabah Mosque," stating that it was part of "occupied Palestine."" ... At the time, only the US voted against these straight-faced falsifications of Jewish history.
In 2016, UNESCO declared Jerusalem's Temple Mount – site of the two biblical Jewish temples – "a Muslim holy site of worship" and mentioned it only by its Islamic names, the "Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Al-Sharif." It also renamed the Western Wall -- a retaining wall which is all that remains of the Jewish Second Temple that was destroyed by the Roman Legions in 70 CE -- "Al-Buraq Plaza".
"[T]hey decided that the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron is a Palestinian site, meaning that it is not Jewish, and that the site is in danger. Not a Jewish site?! Who is buried there? Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah, Rebecca and Leah – our patriarchs and matriarchs! And the site is in danger? It is only in those places where Israel is, such as Hebron, that freedom of religion for all is ensured." — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, The Guardian, July 7, 2017.
Corruption, politicization, and the falsification history do not appear, however, to bother the Biden administration in the least. In July 2023, the United States rejoined UNESCO, even though the organization has been called "a byword for inefficiency, nepotism and corruption" and was cited "among the most corrupt and politically biased UN agencies."
"Biden's excuse for rejoining UNESCO is to counter rising Chinese influence. The State Department argues, for example, that 'we can't afford to be absent any longer from one of the key fora in which standards around education for science and technology are set.' This claim is entirely specious. There is little to no need for America to rejoin UNESCO to prevent harmful Chinese influence. UNESCO 'standards' for any sort of education are irrelevant, if not harmful to real education, as we've learned over many painful decades.... Biden is making precisely the same mistake as Obama, and, if Biden proceeds further, Congress should firmly block any UNESCO funding, as it has consistently done." — John R. Bolton, former National Security Advisor and former US Ambassador to the UN, New York Post, June 20, 2023.
UNESCO does nothing to counter China, Russia, North Korea or Iran, but does do a lot to demoralize those countries hoping that the US will still be the leader of the Free World. UNESCO's corruption, with America's backing, is simply driving these countries still further into the waiting arms of China.
If US membership in UNESCO is to have any purpose at all, the least the Biden administration can do with its taxpayer dollars is all it can to prevent Jericho from becoming a "Heritage site in Palestine."
For a start, there is no "State of Palestine." In fact, until 1964, there was not even a "Palestinian people".
"The Palestinian people does not exist. The creation of a Palestinian state is only a means for continuing our struggle against the state of Israel for our Arab unity. In reality, today there is no difference between Jordanians, Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese. Only for political and tactical reasons do we speak today about the existence of a Palestinian people, since Arab national interests demand that we posit the existence of a distinct Palestinian people to oppose Zionism." — Zoheir Mohsen, Palestinian leader, interview in Trouw, March 31, 1977.
"For tactical reasons, Jordan, which is a sovereign state with defined borders, cannot raise claims to Haifa and Jaffa, while as a Palestinian, I can undoubtedly demand Haifa, Jaffa, Beer-Sheva and Jerusalem. However, the moment we reclaim our right to all of Palestine, we will not wait even a minute to unite Palestine and Jordan." — Zoheir Mohsen, Trouw, March 31, 1977.
It is important to remember: Until the seventh century there were not even any Muslims in the world, let alone Palestinians.
In 2021, UNESCO published a handbook: "Journalism, 'Fake News' and Disinformation: A Handbook for Journalism Education and Training." Perhaps the good folks at UNESCO might read it before they vote?
Failing that, the US Congress should "should firmly block any UNESCO funding, as it has consistently done" -- as Bolton suggested.
The deeply corrupt, highly politicized United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) will vote later this week on declaring Jericho, an ancient Jewish city, a "World Heritage Site in Palestine." Pictured: A view of Jericho.
The deeply corrupt (here, here and here), highly politicized (here and here) United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) will vote later this week on declaring Jericho, an ancient Jewish city, a "World Heritage Site in Palestine."
UNESCO is convening in Saudi Arabia from September 10-25 for its 45th session and to vote on new sites to include for its World Heritage List. The Palestinian Authority submitted a nomination of Jericho, which it wants to rename Tell es-Sultan.
If UNESCO votes to declare (yet another) ancient Jewish city a Palestinian heritage site, it will not only amount to a falsification of history but also exacerbate tensions in the region toward the widespread war that Iran and its proxies have openly been trying to provoke (here, here and here). In addition, this interference in the Israeli-Arab conflict is one Arab conflict in which the UN body has no authority to meddle: UNESCO's purpose is to promote "international cooperation in education, sciences, culture, communication and information" which it is supposed to do through "knowledge sharing and the free flow of ideas." Nowhere does it say that UNESCO has the least right to meddle in ongoing conflicts and create make-believe "facts" on the ground.
This illegitimate imposition is not the first time that UNESCO is putting on display its anti-Israel bias, penchant for faking history and an impressive tradition of lying (here, here, here, here and here).
In 2010, UNESCO renamed the Jewish site of Rachel's Tomb the "Bilal Bin Rabah Mosque," stating that it was part of "occupied Palestine." In addition, UNESCO criticized Israel for including Rachel's Tomb on its heritage list, and urged it to remove it from the list. The resolution also criticized Israel for including the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron on its national heritage list, as UNESCO considers both Hebron and the Cave of the Patriarchs to be Islamic sites, having renamed the cave the Al-Ibrahimi Mosque. At the time, only the US voted against these straight-faced falsifications of Jewish history.
In 2016, UNESCO declared Jerusalem's Temple Mount – site of the two biblical Jewish temples – "a Muslim holy site of worship" and mentioned it only by its Islamic names, the "Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Al-Sharif." It also renamed the Western Wall -- a retaining wall which is all that remains of the Jewish Second Temple that was destroyed by the Roman Legions in 70 CE -- "Al-Buraq Plaza".
At the time, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said:
"This time they decided that the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron is a Palestinian site, meaning that it is not Jewish, and that the site is in danger. Not a Jewish site?! Who is buried there? Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah, Rebecca and Leah – our patriarchs and matriarchs! And the site is in danger? It is only in those places where Israel is, such as Hebron, that freedom of religion for all is ensured."
In 2017, President Donald Trump announced that the United States would leave UNESCO altogether, primarily because of its anti-Israel prejudice. The Trump administration referred to "mounting arrears at UNESCO, the need for fundamental reform in the organization, and continuing anti-Israel bias at UNESCO" as reasons for the decision.
In December 2018, the US withdrew from the UN. It was not, however, the first time that the US had withdrawn. Under President Ronald Reagan, in 1984, the US had also withdrawn from the organization, stating:
"UNESCO has extraneously politicized virtually every subject it deals with. It has exhibited hostility toward a free society, especially a free market and a free press, and it has demonstrated unrestrained budgetary expansion."
Corruption, politicization, and the falsification history do not appear, however, to bother the Biden administration in the least. In July 2023, the United States rejoined UNESCO, even though the organization has been called "a byword for inefficiency, nepotism and corruption" and was cited "among the most corrupt and politically biased UN agencies."
Not only is the Biden administration rejoining the organization, it will also be paying more than $600 million taxpayer dollars to UNESCO in back dues. The US stopped financing UNESCO in 2011 after the organization invited "Palestine" to become a full member.
Unsurprisingly, the US and its tax dollars were greeted with open arms by UNESCO's director general, Audrey Azoulay, who clearly understands how much unwarranted legitimacy US membership grants the corrupt organization.
"It is a strong act of confidence in UNESCO and in multilateralism," she said when she told the body's member states in Paris about Biden's decision to rejoin.
The excuse that the Biden administration made for rejoining the corrupt UN organization was that it was necessary "to counter China" – a pretext instantly shot down by former National Security Advisor and former US Ambassador to the United Nations, John R. Bolton:
"Biden's excuse for rejoining UNESCO is to counter rising Chinese influence.
"The State Department argues, for example, that 'we can't afford to be absent any longer from one of the key fora in which standards around education for science and technology are set.'
"This claim is entirely specious. There is little to no need for America to rejoin UNESCO to prevent harmful Chinese influence.
"UNESCO 'standards' for any sort of education are irrelevant, if not harmful to real education, as we've learned over many painful decades...
'The UN General Assembly and Human Rights Council have also become essentially irrelevant, leaving only the question of which UN specialized and technical agencies are still worth protecting.
"Some certainly are, such as the World Intellectual Property Organization and the International Maritime Organization.
"But UNESCO, which never had a clearly defined mission, fails under any sensible cost-benefit analysis.
"Biden is making precisely the same mistake as Obama, and, if Biden proceeds further, Congress should firmly block any UNESCO funding, as it has consistently done."
The readmission of the United States to UNESCO will "help us address a key opportunity cost that our absence is creating in our global competition with China," according to Undersecretary of State for Management John Bass.
"If we're really serious about the digital-age competition with China, ... we can't afford to be absent any longer from one of the key fora in which standards around education for science and technology are set."
That is nonsense. Spending US taxpayer dollars on and legitimizing a massively corrupt organization, which does not, or should not be, "setting the standards" for anything, does nothing to counter China, Russia, North Korea or Iran, but does do a lot to demoralize those countries hoping that the US will still be the leader of the Free World. UNESCO's corruption, with America's backing, is simply driving these countries still further into the waiting arms of China.
If US membership in UNESCO is to have any purpose at all, the least the Biden administration can do with its taxpayer dollars is all it can to prevent Jericho from becoming a "Heritage site in Palestine."
For a start, there is no "State of Palestine." In fact, until 1964, there was not even a "Palestinian people". As published in an interview with James Dorsey in the Dutch news outlet Trouw on March 31, 1977, Palestinian leader Zoheir Mohsen confirmed:
"The Palestinian people does not exist. The creation of a Palestinian state is only a means for continuing our struggle against the state of Israel for our Arab unity. In reality, today there is no difference between Jordanians, Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese. Only for political and tactical reasons do we speak today about the existence of a Palestinian people, since Arab national interests demand that we posit the existence of a distinct Palestinian people to oppose Zionism.
"For tactical reasons, Jordan, which is a sovereign state with defined borders, cannot raise claims to Haifa and Jaffa, while as a Palestinian, I can undoubtedly demand Haifa, Jaffa, Beer-Sheva and Jerusalem. However, the moment we reclaim our right to all of Palestine, we will not wait even a minute to unite Palestine and Jordan."
The only times there were Palestinians was around 135 CE, when the Roman Empire renamed Judea to "Syria Palaestina" to strip it of its Jewish identity-- or from April 1920, during the British Mandate for Palestine, until Israel declared its independence in 1948. During the British Mandate, Muslims, Christians, and Jews all had "Palestine" on their passports.
Until 1918, the area was part of the Ottoman Empire, although never administrated independently or as a whole territorial unit. In April 1920, the Ottoman regions that are now Israel and Jordan were handed over to Great Britain to administer, and the regions that are now Syria and Lebanon were handed to France.
The Philistines (from whom the term "Palestine" came), in antiquity, also came to the area -- often referred to as Canaan -- mainly from Crete.
It is important to remember: Until the seventh century there were not even any Muslims in the world, let alone Palestinians. The Qur'an was reportedly only begun in approximately 609 CE, more than a millennium after Joshua in 1,400 BCE conquered the ancient city of Jericho (which dates back to 9,000 BCE). Now a "Heritage Site in Palestine" – presumably to avoid saying "A Palestinian Heritage Site" – obliquely refers to a people who were not even there at the time, and whose identity was lifted, with changes and embellishments, more than two millennia later, from the Jews, who were there at the time. Ibrahim is the Arabic name for Abraham, Moussa is Moses, Youssef is Joseph, Yacoub is Jacob, Daoud is David, Jibril is Gabriel, Suleyman is Solomon, Issa is Jesus, and scores more. How is that for "cultural appropriation"?
In 2021, UNESCO published a handbook: "Journalism, 'Fake News' and Disinformation: A Handbook for Journalism Education and Training." Perhaps the good folks at UNESCO might read it before they vote?
Failing that, the US Congress should "should firmly block any UNESCO funding, as it has consistently done" -- as Bolton suggested.
*Robert Williams is a researcher based in the United States.
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Vienna: A Harbinger of (Jihadist) Things to Come
Raymond Ibrahim./September 12, 2023
When it comes to a complete change in attitude concerning Islam, few Western cities stand out as much as Vienna, Austria. Its past and present are like day and night to one another.
Indeed, on this very day in history, in the year 1683, Vienna, on the verge of being captured by Islam, was relieved only in the final moment. That story is worth recounting—not least as it helps set the stage concerning where Vienna finds itself today vis-à-vis Islam.
On July 15, 1683, the largest Islamic army ever to invade European territory—which is saying much considering that countless invasions preceded it since the eighth century—came and surrounded Vienna, then the heart of the Holy Roman Empire.
Some 200,000 Muslim combatants, under the leadership of the Ottomans, invaded under the same rationale that so-called “radical” groups, such as the Islamic State, cite to justify their jihad on “infidels.”
Because Vienna was perceived as the head of the infidel snake, Muslim logic required it to be laid low, so that “all the Christians would obey the Ottomans,” to quote the leader of the Muslim expedition, Grand Vizier Kara Mustafa.
This was no idle boast; sources describe this Mustafa as “fanatically anti-Christian.” After capturing a Polish town in 1674 he ordered all the Christian prisoners to be skinned alive and their stuffed hides sent as trophies to Ottoman Sultan Muhammad IV.
Even during the elaborate pre-jihad ceremony presaging the siege of Vienna, the sultan, “desiring him [Mustafa] to fight generously for the Mahometan faith,” to quote a contemporary European source, placed “the standard of the Prophet…into his hands for the extirpation of infidels, and the increase of Muslemen.”
Once the massive Muslim army reached and surrounded the walls of Vienna, Mustafa followed protocol. In 628, his prophet Muhammad had sent an ultimatum to Emperor Heraclius: aslam taslam, “submit [to Islam] and have peace.” Heraclius rejected the summons, jihad was declared against Christendom, and in a few decades, two-thirds of the then Christian world—including Spain, all of North Africa, Egypt, and Greater Syria and Mesopotamia—were conquered.
Now, more than a millennium later, the same ultimatum of submission or death had reached the heart of Europe. Although the Viennese commander did not bother to respond to the summons, graffiti inside the city—including “Muhammad, you dog, go home!”—captures the mood.
So it would be war. On the next day, Mustafa unleashed all hell against the city’s walls; and for two months, the holed-up and vastly outnumbered Viennese suffered plague, dysentery, starvation, and many casualties—including of women and children—in the name of jihad.
Then, on today’s date, September 12, when the city had reached its final extremity, and the Muslims were about to burst through, Vienna’s prayers were answered. As an anonymous Englishman explained:
After a siege of sixty days, accompanied with a thousand difficulties, sicknesses, want of provisions, and great effusion of blood, after a million of cannon and musquet shot, bombs, granadoes, and all sorts of fireworks, which has changed the face of the fairest and most flourishing city in the world, disfigured and ruined [it] . . . heaven favorably heard the prayers and tears of a cast down and mournful people.
The formidable king of Poland, John Sobieski, had finally come at the head of 65,000 heavily-armored Poles, Austrians, and Germans—all hot to avenge the beleaguered city. Arguing that “It is not a city alone that we have to save, but the whole of Christianity, of which the city of Vienna is the bulwark,” Sobieski led a thunderous cavalry charge—history’s largest—against and totally routed the Muslim besiegers.
Although a spectacular victory, the aftermath was gory: before fleeing, the Muslims ritually slaughtered some 30,000 Christian captives collected during their march to Vienna—raping the women beforehand. On entering the relieved city, the liberators encountered piles of corpses, sewage, and rubble everywhere.
It is, incidentally, this history of Islamic aggression that informs Eastern European views on Islam. As one modern Pole, echoing the words of Sobieski, said, “A religious war between Christianity and Islam is once again underway in Europe, just like in the past.”
The irony of ironies, however, is that Vienna is today a hotbed of radical Islamic activity. Just recently, two young Muslim boys arrested before launching a terrorist attack on their Austrian school confessed that “We wanted to shoot all the Christians in the class!” Why? Because “Killing Christians takes us to paradise.”
“Austrians living in fear as violent migrant gangs carry out DAILY attacks in Vienna,” is the telling title of a 2017 report. Sex crimes against “infidel” women and children have skyrocketed, as have attacks on churches; crosses are everywhere broken, and Jesus and Mary statues beheaded. School textbooks whitewash Islamic history—including the aforementioned siege of Vienna—while demonizing Austria’s own “intolerant” Christian heritage.
According, moreover, to a 2017 PEW report, by 2050, Muslims might account for as much as 20% of Austria’s population. There are already more Muslim than Catholic students in Vienna.
When it comes to Vienna (as well as many other Western cities and nations), the words of historian Alan G. Jamieson ring true:
At a time when the military superiority of the West—meaning chiefly the USA—over the Muslim world has never been greater, Western countries feel insecure in the face of the activities of Islamic terrorists…. In all the long centuries of Christian-Muslim conflict, never has the military imbalance between the two sides been greater, yet the dominant West can apparently derive no comfort from that fact.
Such is the great “riddle” of our age. Until solved, things will only get worse.
*Note: The historical portion of this article is excerpted from and documented in the author’s Sword and Scimitar: Fourteen Centuries of War between Islam and the West.

For the Palestinians, ‘What’ is the Question
NATHAN J. BROWN/Carnegie/September 12, 2023
As the succession of Mahmoud Abbas looms, in what ways are his countrymen speculating about the aftermath of his departure?
Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president for two decades, is an old man, prompting speculation about succession. Neither his age nor the speculation is particularly new, but they are both becoming more pronounced. However, there is a subtler shift in discussions about the Palestinian leadership that goes beyond adding years to Abbas’ age: The interrogative adverb, “how,” is now being used by international observers in questions about succession. But among Palestinians, especially those outside official circles, the question is “what.” And the mood among some of those asking these questions is increasingly grim.
The journalistic and diplomatic gossip—and gossip it is—has generally asked, “Who will follow Abbas?” A half-dozen names are bandied about—Fatah leaders, current ministers, security chiefs—with the list changing only slightly over the years, and they point to a small group of aging men. When asked, Palestinian intellectuals and Ramallah will contribute their thoughts on whose star is rising and whose is fading, but the heart of their discussions are moving to other questions.
Indeed, this speculation seems to assume that Palestinians have personalities more than politics or procedures. They are rich in both, if not always happy in either. But with the procedural aspects in mind, in September 2022 Vladimir Pran and I wrote an account of “the how of the who” and sketched the rules and procedures by which various leadership bodies would handle Palestinian succession. Our point was not that the rules were all that mattered, but that they were unlikely to be irrelevant.
More abstractly, the problem for Palestinians is not that the rules will be violated but that they rely on structures, some of which, like the Palestinian National Authority’s parliament, are broken; others operate, but do not offer any accountability or popular voice, such as the Supreme Constitutional Court, which is now headed by Abbas’ former legal advisor. We have not been alone in our interest, as other analysts have joined us in exploring procedural aspects or suggesting the necessity of discussing which fixes can be improvised or imposed.
So specialists have begun to shift the attention to procedure. But what about politics? And it is here that I have found the greatest disconnect between diplomats and pundits on the one hand and the Palestinians whose future is being discussed on the other (though that gap is closing). In discussions with Palestinians during periodic visits over the long period of succession speculation, I have generally been struck by how little the discussions about “who” resonated while those about “how” seemed unsurprisingly legalistic. In that sense, I sometimes sensed that outside of restricted circles, speculation and rumors would be circulated because I was in the room, but I guessed they would stop as soon as I left. There were other more pressing concerns and, in raising the issue of procedures for succession, I seemed to be asking “chicken or pasta?” to airline passengers alarmed that their airplane was rapidly losing altitude.
On a recent visit to the West Bank, I no longer had that sensation. Yes, questions about “who” resonated little—most of the names on the short list do not have a high public profile, and even fewer are held in high public regard because of a sense that Palestinian officials form part of a small, self-perpetuating clique. The corruption of Palestinian leaders has been a staple of conversations for years, but on this trip I was struck by how authoritarianism, harassment of dissidents, restrictions on speech and organization, and their unaccountability came up just as frequently. If the current Palestinian leaders pass from the scene, few will mourn them.
But there is one aspect of succession that does prompt discussion. Palestinians are more likely to speculate about what will come next, not who will succeed or how succession will be handled. Abbas has virtually no public support and the structures of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA)—or the State of Palestine, as the PNA refers to itself—seem not to be the kernel of state, even to those who run them except in a ritualistic way that persuades (or interests) almost no one. The PNA has no raison d’etre, no strategy. It only has an embedded leadership and structures for administration, policing, and service provision for some cities and towns.
But those structures do have some presence and control of them is largely in Mahmoud Abbas’ hands. His departure would be a leap into the unknown. Which structures will survive him? How will they work, if indeed they do? And how might daily life change? Unless there is a very well managed succession consecrated by credible elections, whoever does succeed Abbas will likely raise suspicions from the beginning as being either a foreign imposition or the product of a corrupt backroom deal—or both.
Nobody expects elections any time soon. Most people want them, and I think if they were scheduled and seemed credible, they might generate considerable interest and involvement, even from most young people, who complain about having no voice. But there is no organized or public pressure, and the various political factions either do not want elections or want them on their own specific and irreconcilable terms. The sense that people are voiceless is widespread and is particularly pronounced among youths.
But what comes next can be worse in many ways. The more moderate voices in the current Israeli government talk of annexing territory, but not people. A generation ago, Palestinian critics of the Oslo process (and even its supporters) feared that if the process failed, a series of “Bantustans” would be created in the Occupied Territories. The children and grandchildren of those critics are now watching the entrenchment of that reality.
A Palestinian population controlled by local Palestinian strongmen in disconnected cities, managing rather than replacing the terms of Israeli occupation and keeping some basic level of public services alive, seems a prospect that is not only a real possibility but also a possible Israeli strategy. And more extreme Israeli voices—sometimes in key positions—are calling not simply for bottling up Palestinians as noncitizens in their homeland, but for expelling those who do not like it. Others speak darkly of “Amalek”—the people mentioned in the Bible as an eternal enemy of the Jewish people whose memory should be eliminated.
So speculation about “what” will follow Abbas is rarely cheery. And the prevailing reaction seems to be a mixture of despair and radicalism—the latter particularly pronounced among the young. This radicalism is not in the ideological realm but in the distrust of institutions and authority, and in the willingness to countenance any form of resistance. The upsurge of violence against Israel in Palestinian areas seems therefore more about self-expression than either collective or strategic action.
The anger and despair behind that upsurge are in rich supply but whether that will metamorphose into anything sustainable remains unclear. So far it has not. The first two intifadas were preceded by the strengthening of informal networks, and even formal ones, at the grassroots level. They were led by groups that were somewhat organized at the very local level. There is no evidence thus far of such organizations, formal or informal, arising today. However, there is also little restraining individual action. What appears from afar to be a wave of impulsive but isolated actions looks the same way up close. And over the short term, that may be what comes next.
*Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

India and the Arab World: A New Era of Cooperation
Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Al-Awsat,/12 September 2023
Aside from the late renowned Saudi Minister and literary figure Ghazi al-Gosaibi, I had another particularly close friend, Yousef al-Shirawi, the former Bahraini Minister of Development and Industry, who has also passed away. Al-Shirawi used to emphasize to us that, “India will never cease to surprise you, as it represents the future.” Back in the late ‘90s, none of us would have shared his vision or taken his expectations seriously.
Our skepticism about al-Shirawi’s prediction stemmed from India’s economic challenges, particularly as it was on the rise toward the end of the last century. Moreover, there were concerns about potential internal conflicts among India’s diverse linguistic and religious communities that could potentially lead to disintegration. On the other hand, al-Shirawi’s optimism was rooted in the reform program announced by the Indian government in 1999. Fast forward a quarter of a century, and al-Shirawi’s prediction and the success of the reform plan have been vindicated.
The country has achieved a remarkable transformation, propelling itself into one of the world’s top three economies, alongside China and the United States. It’s truly astonishing to compare India’s recent accomplishments with its historical role as a key colony of the British Empire, which once administered a significant portion of the Arab world.
These reflections occupy my thoughts as I attend the G20 Summit, that took place in Delhi from September 9 to 10. Unlike the more vocal approaches of the Americans and the Chinese, the Indians tend to maintain relative silence about their progress across various domains. Similar to China, another emerging global power, India harbors ambitious plans akin to Beijing’s Belt and Road mega-project.
Delhi’s own initiative, known as the East-West Corridor, was expected to be unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the Summit. This ambitious plan encompasses the construction of a railway connecting Delhi to Riyadh, other major Arab cities, and Europe.
Historically, Arabs have maintained close ties with Indians, and today, more than eight million Indians reside and work in GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries. These Indian expatriates play a pivotal role in the region, with their monthly money transfers accounting for approximately half of India’s foreign remittances.
Additionally, India, as the world’s sixth-largest energy consumer, relies on the GCC nations for a third of its fuel imports. With India’s economy experiencing steady growth, fuel consumption is expected to increase further.
It’s worth noting that these accomplishments represent just the initial outcomes of the reform plan that prompted my late friend al-Shirawi’s prescient prediction. Another significant indicator of the plan’s success is India’s economic growth outpacing that of both China and the United States.
From a political perspective, the United States is actively endorsing India’s ambitious plans across various domains, particularly in the economic and political arenas. It is evident that Washington aims to cultivate a formidable global competitor to China, particularly in the Middle East.
Meanwhile, Delhi is steadfastly pursuing its ambitions, regardless of Washington’s encouragement, especially given its complex relationship with China. Border disputes, military clashes, and economic rivalries have fostered a sense of mutual distrust between India and China, further shaping their interactions.
Furthermore, several geopolitical factors contribute to the intensification of the Sino-Indian rivalry. India possesses the world’s seventh-largest land area but boasts the largest population, while China ranks third in land area and second in population. Nevertheless, both countries are vying to cultivate and maintain special relations with Saudi Arabia.
Addressing another related matter, there has been considerable discussion about Prime Minister Modi, who has held office in Delhi since 2014. He has faced accusations of being a Hindu fundamentalist with antipathy toward Arabs and Muslims. However, it’s important to note that while he may have had a somewhat limited understanding of the Arab region initially, it has become evident that he quickly adapted and opened up to the Arab world. Thus, such accusations appear to emanate from extremists aiming to tarnish his image at any cost.
Modi has developed particularly close ties with GCC countries, primarily due to the significant Indian expatriate community in the region and the substantial volume of trade between Delhi and the Arabian Gulf.
As a result, Modi has become historically significant as the Indian official with the closest ties to the region, a stark contrast to his predecessors who maintained more distant relationships.
Historically, the strong ties between GCC countries and Pakistan have posed a significant obstacle to closer relations between the GCC and Delhi, given Pakistan’s status as India’s arch-enemy. Additionally, sectarian tensions occasionally arise within India itself, particularly between the Muslim minority and other religious groups. It’s essential to recognize that the stereotype of Muslims as terrorists, originating from external sources but with an impact within India, has further complicated matters.
Nevertheless, both the GCC countries and India have found common ground in respecting each other’s political sovereignty and choices. This approach means that the GCC countries’ relations with Pakistan resemble India’s strategic ties with Israel and its relations with Iran. Such relationships are to be respected by both Delhi and the GCC nations as long as they do not undermine the interests of any party.
Relatedly, Modi now understands that extremism is not limited to any one religious group, as it can also be found among adherents of other ideologies in his country. He recognizes that extremism harms not only India but the entire world, including Muslims themselves. The solution, he believes, lies in global efforts to combat extremism collectively.
This is another area where Saudi Arabia can make a significant contribution, especially considering that India boasts the third-largest Muslim population globally, numbering around 200 million people, trailing only Indonesia and Pakistan.
India has firmly established itself as a stable nation, serving as a shining example of successful coexistence among a diverse array of religious and ethnic backgrounds within its densely populated borders. Its citizens have transcended numerous differences, collectively propelling the nation forward with a remarkable awakening.
In fact, well before the 1999 reform plan, India embarked on an early phase of national rejuvenation in the early 1950s following its independence. At that time, India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, laid the foundation for the first seven national technological institutions. Subsequently, six additional institutions specializing in business administration were established. However, due to administrative challenges persisting for many years, these early initiatives only began to flourish in the past couple of decades. This transformation is evident in the significant number of Indian high-tech specialists who now hold leading positions in major US tech companies, as well as in the ongoing high-tech revolution occurring within India itself.

22 Years after 9/11, What Does Terrorism Mean?
Camelia Entekhabifard/Asharq Al-Awsat,/12 September 2023
On Monday, September 11, 2023, The American nation and the world marked the 22nd anniversary of the largest terrorist attack in modern history, remembering the more than 3,000 people who lost their lives that day.
As we remember victims of the terror attacks on September 11, 2001, it is an opportunity to see how these attacks affected many other major events in the world and the approach of politicians to the phenomenon of terrorism and ways of countering it.
Faced with the terrorist catastrophe in New York City and killing of thousands of people, the US government sent troops to Afghanistan to fight terrorism and the Al-Qaeda terror group.A global coalition was formed to counter the threat of terrorist attacks and thousands of American and international soldiers were maimed and killed in Afghanistan on this path.
Today, after 22 years, it is a good time to ask: What is the definition of terrorism and what definition is the West offering to the world? Let’s have a look at terror groups who, 22 years ago, threatened the security and lives of people of the world, and go over their situation and that of international terrorism.
Following the attack on Afghanistan, staged in 2001 with the purpose of countering Al-Qaeda terrorists, Iraq and Syria also became involved.
Afghan Taliban were the source of Al-Qaeda-aligned terror groups. Following the attack by the US and its international coalition, some of them fled to Pakistani territory or the border areas between the two countries. The foreign terrorists based in Afghanistan were able to leave and in some countries, this act by the US and its allies was seen as a Western attack on a Muslim country and led to new provocations in the region.
Following Afghanistan, the US went to Iraq. The attacks aimed at ousting Saddam Hussein created another war in the country. Ethnic, tribal and military conflicts over stabilizing the situation led to the emergence of extremist Islamic groups, out of which ISIS was born.
The war spread to Syria and the greatest crimes against humanity happened in areas under this group’s occupation, especially those where Yazidi Kurds hailed from. Who among us has forgotten images of Yazidi girls and daughters being sold off in ISIS slave markets?
The massacre of thousands of young Yazidi men, teens and boys might not be on the scale of 9/11 terror attacks in New York, but it was unprecedented in its own way, in the number of killed and the kind of brutality used to murder the detainees.
Al-Qaeda-affiliated groups next showed up in Africa and Philippines. From the criminal and terrorist group Boko Haram in Nigeria to the Filipino Abu Sayyaf group in East Asia, many groups were formed following the US War on Terror.
Advanced countries in the world had come out to fight and eradicate terror. Behind them were international organizations, such as the United Nations. A global consensus was being forged to uproot terrorists who threatened global security.
What was the role of the UN as an international organization in creating security, calm and welfare for nations of the world and how did its officials define the phenomenon of terrorism? Have the UN and other international organizations been effective? Have they been able to realize the demands of nations in bringing about justice?
I started this discussion to get to a question: On the 22nd anniversary of the attack on the World Trade Center, which augured a new era in the way governments and nations approach international relations, have they achieved this important deed?
Where are the terror groups of yesterday and what was their fate? What is the exact definition of terrorism for a group and what measure do we have?
In reality, we see these definitions are changeable and they change based on shifting policies of states.
Based on international law and logical definitions, suicide, explosion, threatening and intimidating citizens can be defined as terrorism (there are also other definitions for terrorists.) But how can it be that one US president (Donald Trump) designated the Houthis as terrorists but the next (Joe Biden) removed the designation?
How can it be that Afghan terrorists linked to Al-Qaeda, those who are being pursued by the FBI (including Mula Ghani Baradar, Serajjedin Haqqani, Khalil Haqani), or are on the UN blacklist be now part of the Afghan government?
How can the UN accept to send bags of money to Kabul to be collected by people who are on its own terror watch list and to a government run by those very terrorists?
After 22 years, are there new definitions of terrorism we are not familiar with?
After 22 years of war on terror, what was the fate of Al-Qaeda, Boko Haram and ISIS? Have they been destroyed or do they, just like Taliban, now fit new definitions?
Have the Western governments made a mockery of human understanding of events? Are terror groups a weapon that big countries can use to pursue their interests in so-called Third World countries? A change of policies on terror groups means that in 2022, Pakistan saw 520 terror operations very similar to the terror attacks of Taliban in Afghanistan.
Unfortunately, a variety of events and illogical and partial positions taken by the UN has questioned this body’s validity and credibility.
The exact amount spent on counterterrorism by the US following 9/11 is not clear. But one credible US website puts the number, only between 2017 to 2022, at more than 2.8 trillion dollars.This massive sum was paid by American taxpayers and after 22 years of war against terror groups, it has resulted in Taliban’s return to power and more than half a million Afghans being stranded around the world.
We bow our heads to humans who gave their precious lives for freedom and security of others. The latest victims of 9/11 were 13 honorable US soldiers who were killed in the Kabul airport in August 2021 – 21 after the fight against terrorism began. They were evacuating terrorized people who were in panic, leaving an Afghanistan that Biden had given to Taliban.These soldiers did their utmost to help desperate people who were running away from terrorism and lost their lives right then and there.
Politics is open to change and moderation, but death and terror don’t change.
On such anniversaries, more than ever, we see a need for creating new bodies that could replace the current international fora.

The G20 in a New World
Nadim Koteich/Asharq Al-Awsat,/12 September 2023
This G20 Summit was not like those that had preceded it. The New Delhi Summit seemed to encapsulate the current state of the world, reflecting geopolitical shifts and global polarization. Washington seemed to have dialed down its pretensions to "moral superiority,” behaving less arrogantly and demonstrating greater readiness to accommodate the conditions and the unique qualities and positions of emerging powers, like India, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. China, whose president did not attend the summit for various reasons, was extremely present despite its absence.
As for India, it showed great tenacity and a determination to enhance its political and economic position on the world stage despite the many obstacles it faces. It was the "face" of this new global moment.
This G20 Summit was nothing less than a powerful image of the Global South’s vigorous pursuit to redefine international relations to make them more equitable and fair. It is clear that the new dynamics in international relations are pushing in the direction of a "multi-alignment," whereby countries do not confine their alliances and partnerships to an axis or fixed camp.
Nothing illustrates this better than the recent comments of Deputy Assistant to the President and Coordinator for the Indo-Pacific at the National Security Council Kurt Campbell. Following the meeting between US President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Campbell asserted that “I believe that the most important bilateral relationship in the 21st century for the United States will be with India.” He also admitted that the US seeks a stable and consistent relationship with China.
However, Campbell also added that "India is not willing to compromise their security interests with Washington for commercial gains through trade with China." These statements are essentially an acknowledgment that we live in a different world, one in which India, among others, can build flexible partnerships with rival states and axes instead of remaining entrenched in political and ideological camps, as had been during the Cold War. Imposing this position did not come easy for India. That India will become a global power free of the influence of great players was far from inevitable given the myriad challenges it faces. From its ethnic and religious struggles, which have been accompanied by the complications brought about by the rise of Hindu nationalism, to its border tensions with its Chinese and Pakistani neighbors, the extreme economic disparities between regions and ethnicities, bureaucratic inefficiency, low levels of foreign investment and global competitiveness, and massive gaps in health, education, and resources sectors, India remains a long way away from realizing its potential to transform into the international player it desires to be.
Nonetheless, the global stature and future reputation it has already achieved seem like a miracle of international politics. India has become an inspiration for many countries seeking to create a fairer global order. If, by hosting the G20 summit, India sought to underline the emergence of this new world and India's place in it - " a friend of the world" - as PM Modi put it in independence speech a few weeks ago - the absence of Chinese President Xi Jinping sends a similar albeit more confrontational, message.
Xi’s absence reflects his dissatisfaction with the status quo of international relations in a world order dominated by the United States. Thus, he is only keen on taking part in multilateral forums that align with China's vision for global governance, like the upcoming BRICS Summit and the Belt and Road Forum.
Many explanations have been given for the absence of the Chinese president. He perhaps sought to avoid being scrutinized by global media outlets and questioned by political figures regarding the difficulties currently facing the Chinese economy, especially given the recent reports of unprecedented disputes among the ruling Chinese elite regarding his foreign and domestic policies.
The latent tensions between China and India could also explain his absence, as Xi might want to avoid bearing witness to the evolution of Indo-American relations. A desire to avoid validating, through his presence, the idea that India has the capacity to organize an international forum attended by all, may be an additional reason to explain his absence.
However, we should not downplay the role that a deliberate strategy - probably - played in impelling his absence. Indeed, China wants to ignore international forums where Washington occupies a leadership position and to enhance alternative bodies in which China plays a central role, like the BRICS and others. It is difficult not to see this as a challenge to the US-led international relations system, which China sees as unfair. Moreover, Xi has made far fewer trips abroad this year, and his visits have been limited to countries that Beijing sees as friendly nations.
All of these actions and aspirations on the world stage, both inside and outside the G20 Summit, raise questions regarding the fairness of global order that have not been seen since the end of the Cold War. The implosion of relations between France and Africa, for example, manifested in the dramatic scenes of the successive coups in France's former colonies, attest to the fact that the pursuit of a more just global order goes beyond the competition between the United States and China.
What constitutes a fair world order?
This is not merely a moral question. It is also a question of which legal and political foundations can ensure sustainable global security. It is a question at the heart of the need to develop political philosophy.
That is, the theories about the justice and fairness of international relations were developed in line with the needs of liberal democracy during its protracted struggle with communism. And they can no longer address our contemporary problems, be it the repercussions of neoliberalism, authoritarianism, the rise of populism, climate issues, or leaps in technology, especially with the rise of artificial intelligence.
The resentment against the rules of the current international system simmering in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, demands restructuring the international system and a rearrangement of its priorities based on principles that reflect more nuanced conceptions of justice, equality, and mutual respect.