Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on September 17-18/2023
Reports: Le Drian to propose 3 candidates, army chief in the lead
Naharnet/September 17, 2023
Army Commander General Joseph Aoun is currently the leading candidate in the presidential race, but French envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian is insisting to return to Beirut with two or three names, informed sources said. “This would facilitate the discussion with the hesitant parties or those who have reservations over the army chief, such as the Free Patriotic Movement,” the sources added, in remarks to Kuwait’s al-Anbaa newspaper. Informed sources meanwhile told Kuwait’s al-Rai newspaper that a Qatari envoy “will seek to remove the obstacles that are blocking the presidential settlement by trying to clench a domestic consensus that would complement an appropriate regional atmosphere for the election of a third candidate other than Marada Movement chief Suleiman Franjieh and ex-minister Jihad Azour, who would be General Aoun.”“Le Drian has proposed a consensual exit for ending the presidential crisis which would not embarrass Speaker Nabih Berri and would not provoke the opposition,” the sources added. The proposal calls for “holding a meeting for Lebanese leaders at the French embassy under his chairmanship, which would not be labeled as as dialogue meeting,” the sources said. “It would be a meeting for discussing the answers that he received from all parties, after which Berri would invite MPs to a presidential election session with successive rounds as all parties would pledge not to block quorum no matter what the result may be,” the sources added.

Army Arrests Dozens of Syrians for Illegally Entering Lebanon
Beirut: Asharq Al Awsat/17 September 2023
Security forces in Lebanon have continued their crackdown on people who have illegally entered the country. The army raided several camps in the eastern Bekaa region, arresting dozens of Syrians. The Army Command said on Saturday that a military unit, backed by the intelligence bureau, carried out various raids against Syrian refugee camps in the Bekaa, detaining 43 Syrians for illegally entering Lebanon and failing to produce valid documents. Investigations are underway with the detainees, it added. Lebanon has been stepping up its crackdown against illegal activity by refugees in the country. Earlier this week, a commercial store, run by Syrian refugees, was shut down in the Baalbek-Hermel region because the Syrian owners were operating it without a permit. Another Syrian, identified as M.A., was arrested for the possession of counterfeit identity documents. Meanwhile, former President Michel Suleiman demanded the formation of an international coalition that would pressure the international community to resolve the refugee crisis in Lebanon. In a statement, he noted that Cyprus has approached the European Union and United Nations over the refugee problem and their burden on Lebanon. Coordination is necessary with nearby countries that have been affected by the refugee waves in order to form a coalition that would pressure the international community, he went on to say. Lebanon’s caretaker government adopted several measures last week to tackle the crisis. It decided to form a ministerial delegation, headed by Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib, that would visit Syria to discuss the refugee issue. Among the measures adopted was intensifying land and marine border security, carrying out a complete tally of refugees and removing all of their violations against state infrastructure.

Fatah Gives Deadline for Handover of General’s Killers amid Fragile Truce in Lebanon Refugee Camp
AP/17 September 2023
A top official with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah group said Sunday that Palestinian and Lebanese officials have given militant Islamist groups in Lebanon’s largest Palestinian refugee camp until the end of the month to hand over the accused killers of a Fatah general. A fragile calm has largely prevailed in the Ain el-Hilweh camp since Thursday night after the warring sides reached the latest in a series of cease-fire agreements. It followed a week of intense fighting that killed at least 18 people and wounded and displaced hundreds. Top officials from rival Palestinian groups Fatah and Hamas had traveled to Lebanon in an attempt to negotiate an end to the clashes. Azzam al-Ahmad, a member of Fatah’s central committee and of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, said in an interview with The Associated Press on Sunday that he is “optimistic about reaching a solution” but that if the accused are not handed over by the end of the month, “all possibilities are open.
.”Al-Ahmad said Fatah is not opposed to the Lebanese army entering the camp to conduct an operation against the Islamist groups should they not turn over the men accused of killing Fatah military general Mohammad “Abu Ashraf” al-Armoushi. By tradition, Lebanese soldiers do not enter the Palestinian camps, which are controlled by a network of Palestinian factions. The last time the Lebanese army intervened in one of the camps was in 2007, when it battled extremists in the Nahr al-Bared camp in north Lebanon, razing most of it in the process. Hamas, which rules Gaza, has officially stood on the sidelines in the clashes between Fatah and a number of extreme Islamist groups in the camp, but al-Ahmad accused Hamas members of taking up arms against Fatah “in some areas of fighting,” an accusation that Hamas has denied. Senior Hamas official Moussa Abu Marzouk, who last week met Lebanese officials and representatives from the Palestinian factions to try and reach a settlement to end the clashes, said in a message via the WhatsApp messaging application that “we were not involved in the shooting at all” and that “there have been continuous efforts” by Hamas to broker a “ceasefire agreement in any form.”“It is clear that clashes do not make anyone hand over anyone,” he said. “... No one is willing to give himself up in the shadow of war.”Hamas spokesman in Lebanon Walid Kilani denied that a specific deadline had been set for handing over the killers. “What was agreed upon there will be the formation of a joint security force that includes all Palestinian factions” to implement the handover of people “wanted by both sides,” he said. Both Fatah and Hamas have accused external forces of stoking the violence in the camp, which is home to more than 50,000 people, in an attempt to weaken the Palestinian cause. Marzouk described it as part of a “conspiracy against the Palestinian diaspora,” while al-Ahmad said the killing of Armoushi was “not only an assassination case, but a case of attempted removal of the Ain el-Hilweh camp.”The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees said Friday that 18 people had been killed and 140 injured in the latest round of clashes, which broke out on Sept. 7. Nearly 1,000 people displaced by the fighting were staying in emergency shelters set up by UNRWA while hundreds more were sheltering in at other sites, including a nearby mosque and in the courtyard of the municipality building of the city of Sidon, which is adjacent to the camp, or with relatives. Earlier this summer, there were several days of street battles in the Ain el-Hilweh camp between Fatah and Islamist groups after Fatah accused the Islamists of gunning down Armoushi and four of his companions on July 30. The assassination was apparently an act of retaliation after an unknown gunman shot at Islamist militant Mahmoud Khalil, killing a companion of his instead. Those street battles left at least 13 dead and dozens wounded, and forced hundreds to flee from their homes.

Conditions and positions: Gebran Bassil's backtracking on dialogue puts Berri's initiative at risk
LBCI/September 17, 2023
After the head of the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), Gebran Bassil, welcomed Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri's call for dialogue and subsequently outlined his conditions, Bassil appears to have backtracked, undermining Berri's initiative, according to sources familiar with this initiative. For Bassil, any dialogue must be confined within the boundaries of decision-making to ensure its chances of success. According to sources, he believes that democracy has limits and the expression of opinions should be confined to the ballot box. When Bassil speaks of duos and trios, he seems to preempt any call for comprehensive dialogue, warning the Parliament Speaker against using the presidency as a platform to oversee national dialogue. In Bassil's view, the President is the one who should conduct national dialogue, with the current discussions centered solely on the presidency, as per the sources. Bassil's attempt to alter not only the format of the dialogue but also its location, leaving it open-ended, is seen by some as another blow to Berri's initiative. With the current lack of cohesion between Mirna Chalouhi and Ain el-Tineh, sources following Berri's initiative see Bassil's call as merely a further waste of time.
Berri has never presented himself as a dialogue convener, and his initiative is built around one goal: a limited-time dialogue about the presidency to lead to the direct election of a president in open consecutive sessions. Therefore, introducing duos and trios is deemed illogical since the country is already fundamentally divided into two opposing opinions. As such, any limited-party dialogue appears futile. With Bassil's proposal seemingly at odds with Berri's initiative, the presidential vacuum continues to persist and expand.

Behind closed doors: Inside the Syrian smuggling routes in Ouainat, Akkar
LBCI/September 17, 2023
Behind closed doors: Inside the Syrian smuggling routes in Ouainat, Akkar
In the middle of the night, as we observe the faint glimmers across valleys and fields, it signifies the suspicious passage of undocumented individuals from Syria. According to locals, hundreds traverse their lands day and night. Let us delve into the middle of the suspicious passage of undocumented individuals from Syria in Ouainat, Akkar. However, monitoring the rugged routes and pathways smugglers use on foot or by motorcycles provides a clearer picture. These motorcycles transport Syrian families in the area, and when they spot unfamiliar vehicles or cameras, they wait for a secure moment to proceed. They arrive from the depths of Syria, either directly from the valley or through Wadi Khaled, Machta Hammoud, and Machta Hassan, bypassing the Chadra checkpoint. As our surveillance indicates, they climb using motorcycles and take refuge in olive groves until a bus or any means of transportation arrives to take them deeper into Lebanese territory. This scene unfolds daily, and with the naked eye, one can witness smuggled Syrian families reaching points even close to military installations. Sometimes, they escape into the countryside to evade potential apprehension. Occasionally, they leave their clothing behind on the road and get apprehended by the Lebanese Army in the woods or on the dirt roads they traverse. They may even be arrested while congregating near a church, leading to mass detentions for eventual deportation. The number of individuals passing through Ouainat without detention is substantial. When inquired about those who have been detained, residents, or even security sources, often mention the name "Ali D" and his relatives, who serve as facilitators and coordinators for the gathering and transportation of Syrians arriving from Syria or Wadi Khaled, ensuring their passage to the interior, away from the military, through Ouainat routes close to Chadra. The smugglers and coordinators receive assistance from some villagers whose lands the Syrians cross. Given that border control exceeds their capabilities, these networks should not be impervious to interception.

Before and after: How did Lebanon's economic history shift with the outbreak of the civil war
LBCI/September 17, 2023
Once considered an economic beacon in the Middle East, Lebanon had a different financial landscape before the devastating civil war. Let us take a recent look back at the country's economic history, which reveals a stark contrast between its past prosperity and the challenges it faces today. In 1972, Lebanon had a surprising financial connection to India. An agreement was signed for a loan issued by the Mashreq Bank in favor of the State Bank of India, totaling LBP 15 million, over five years (December 12, 1972).
Yes, in Lebanese lira!
At the time, many Lebanese officials viewed this as a step towards international engagement while using their national currency. Furthermore, Lebanon owed debts to the World Bank, a global institution that offers loans and grants to countries worldwide. Lebanon, which is now seeking assistance from the World Bank in various areas to address its ongoing crises, was once among the countries providing aid. In early 1973, Lebanese banks raised funds to offer a loan to the World Bank, totaling LBP 75 million. This move was considered to strengthen the Lebanese lira and increase its demand.During those times, Lebanon's financial stability was evident as it extended its financial reach even to Canada. In 1972, Canadian authorities expressed their willingness to borrow from Lebanon in Lebanese lira (October 28, 1972). This was the situation before 1975. The Lebanese lira was once considered reliable and robust, and the country had financial discipline and did not need any loans. However, everything changed after the outbreak of the civil war as political party leaders took control, leading to corruption, accumulating debt, and financial turmoil. The country's economic situation deteriorated further, leading to the approval of budgets with significant deficits, a development that some considered an achievement. In contrast, countries like Germany and Japan, which faced comprehensive destruction during World War II, managed to rebuild their economies into global powerhouses through visionary long-term planning.

Bassil emphasizes accountability and reform in FPM's 2023-2027 term
LBCI/September 17, 2023
During the launch event of the new presidential term for the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) from 2023 to 2027, Gebran Bassil addressed the audience, emphasizing the theme of "Renewing Trust." This marks his third consecutively endorsed term within the movement, reflecting the FPM's confidence in his leadership choices and commitment to the party's and the nation's interests. Bassil highlighted the ongoing struggle for reform and emphasized that the FPM has achieved a significant milestone in the Lebanese Republic – accountability and the end of impunity, ultimately leading to effective accountability. He clarified that accountability is not an act of political revenge but rather an element of transparency within politics. Furthermore, Bassil expressed concerns about the mass emigration of the Lebanese people and warned against replacing the native population with other neighboring and fraternal communities. He stressed the importance of retaining the Lebanese population within their homeland. Addressing the political landscape, Bassil pointed out that neither the resistance bloc nor the opposition can impose a president who does not represent their own interests. He advocated for a logical dialogue and understanding between these two factions, emphasizing the need to break the current impasse and avoid further deterioration. He also underscored the significance of decentralization, explaining that it roots people to their land, activates their potential, and stimulates their intellect and abilities. Through transparency, decentralization allows citizens to hold those in administrative positions accountable.

Fire erupts in Kharayeb as the Civil Defense responds
LBCI/September 17, 2023
A massive fire broke out near the wall of Kharayeb town. Strong winds accelerated its spread towards residential homes, prompting immediate action from Civil Defense personnel stationed at the Kharayeb center. This response was in coordination with the municipality and residents. Firefighters from the Civil Defense in the Zararieh town center also rushed to the scene in an attempt to extinguish the flames.

Former Miss Lebanon Rina Chebany shines in Nicolas Jebran's design at the 2023 Murex d'Or Awards
LBCI/September 17, 2023
Former Miss Lebanon Rina Chibany showcased an exquisite look designed by the renowned Lebanese designer Nicolas Jebran at the 2023 Murex D'Or Awards ceremony.
Chibany dazzled in a bronze and gold gown adorned with sparkling crystal embellishments and colorful shimmering beads.It is worth noting that Rina Chibany is preparing for her upcoming wedding scheduled for January. She has not disclosed the designer for her wedding dress yet, but she confirmed that the dress is currently in the works, and preparations have begun for the big day.

Sami Gemayel in a meeting with heads of Kataeb branches in Metn region: To form a broad front from all regions, groups and sects in rejection of hegemony
NNA/September 17, 2023
Kataeb Party Chief, Sami Gemayel, considered that “coexistence with illegal weapons is not possible," and that "its impossibility has been proven over the years; hence the need for putting an end to this reality and dealing with it in unconventional ways.”He added, “This requires concerted efforts and a unified decision to stop the process of submission and form a broad opposition front from all regions, groups and sects that reject hegemony.”
Gemayel’s words came during a meeting with the party’s heads of branches in the northern Metn region held in Bikfaya on Sunday, where the party’s positions were explained and some administrative matters were discussed. The Kataeb leader pointed out that, "Since 2005, there have been attempts to extend a hand and run the country's affairs despite the assassinations and difficulties we faced, but Hezbollah continued the series of coups and seizing control of the state, preventing reform and accountability and providing protection for the corrupt and criminals."

"Franjieh a stable candidate with his allies' support, withdrawal is out of question," affirms Makary
NNA/September 17, 2023
Caretaker Minister of Information, Ziad Al-Makary, touched on the presidential issue in an intervention on MTV Channel, saying: “We have moved from the Franjieh-Azour stage to the Sleiman Franjieh-Joseph Aoun stage, and there is no candidate other than them." He added that "Franjieh is a stable candidate with the support of his allies, starting from a base of 51 votes that are likely to rise in any future session." Asked about the Army Chief's possible candidacy, Makary considered his reaching Baabda Palace as not easy since that requires a constitutional amendment that needs consensus, and this entails the approval of the Shiite duo who are still committed to Franjieh as their presidential candidate. Makary continued to stress that Franjieh has no intention of withdrawing his candidacy, revealing that Franjieh did not meet with Hezbollah Secretary-General, Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah, and that his recent meeting with MP Mohammad Raad was scheduled before Le Drian's visit to Beirut. Makary also indicated that the "Raad-Aoun" meeting was not of a presidential nature, considering that the majority of votes that Jihad Azour obtained will not be available to Joseph Aoun.

Lebanese-born Hosam Abu Meri becomes one of Latvia's first ministers of Middle Eastern background
NNA/September 17, 2023
Lebanese-born Dr. Hosam Abu Meri, a gastroenterologist in Latvia, was appointed the new Minister of Health and one of the country's first ministers of Middle Eastern background. The new government, voted by Latvia's parliament on Friday, confirmed Evika Silina as the prime minister following the resignation of Krisjanis Karins.Hosam Abu Meri is a medical doctor specializing in gastroenterology and has been active in politics for more than ten years. This appointment makes Hosam Abu Meri join the multi-talented Lebanese diaspora, which has made significant contributions to the field of medicine around the world. Lebanese healthcare professionals, including doctors, nurses, researchers, and other medical practitioners, had, for years, played a vital role in advancing medical science, providing healthcare services, and contributing to medical education globally. --- LBC ENGLISH NEWS

Bishop Aoudi’s sermon text, which he delivered today while presiding over the Divine Liturgy in St. George’s Cathedral.
Bishop Aoudi: We are a people accustomed to carrying a great cross in a country whose responsibility is to burden the citizen instead of ensuring a decent and safe life for him.
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/122377/122377/
NNA/ LCCC/September 17, 2023 (Google Translation)
The Greek Orthodox Metropolitan of Beirut and its dependencies, Bishop Elias Aoudi presided over the Divine Liturgy service in St. George’s Cathedral. After the Gospel, he gave a sermon in which he said: “In the Gospel of this Sunday, which follows the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy and Life-giving Cross, we heard a passage from the Gospel of Mark in which the Lord Jesus calls us to follow him, and also warns us of the consequences of being ashamed of him or his teachings in this sinful world. We note that this passage The Evangelist is located in the same chapter that narrates the miracle of multiplying the loaves and fishes and feeding four thousand who were following the Lord Jesus, which indicates the inability of the disciples to understand or accept him, leading to an invitation to the crowds and the disciples to follow him. What is noteworthy is that the Lord first asked his disciples to feed the crowds, but they did not They were able to carry out his request. Likewise, the disciples could not understand the Lord Jesus’ hints about the teaching of the Pharisees and Herodians when he “commanded them, saying, ‘Be careful and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Herodians.’ So they reasoned, saying to one another, ‘We have no bread.’ Then Jesus knew and said to them, ‘Why do you think that you do not have Bread? Do you not yet feel and do not understand? Are your hearts still hard? Do you not have eyes and do not see? Do you have ears and do not hear and do not remember? How can you not understand? (Mark 8:15-21).”He added: “The matter did not stop at the point where the disciples did not understand the teachings of their teacher, but they also did not accept what he said about himself, despite his healing of the blind man in front of them (8: 22-26), where “he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders and chief priests.” And the scribes, and he will be killed, and after three days he will rise again. And he said the word openly. Then Peter took him to him and began to rebuke him. And he turned and saw his disciples and rebuked Peter, saying: Get behind me, Satan, for you do not care about the things of God but the things of men” (8: 31-33). The disciples were supposed to They understand the teachings of the Lord, because they have been with Him at all times, and it has been given to them to know the secret of the Kingdom of God (4:11), in contrast to those who knew Him from the outside, to whom He told everything in parables, “that seeing, seeing, should not see, and hearing, hearing, should not understand.” (4:12) This means that every disciple of the Lord Jesus is not a true disciple if he does not accept him as he is, that is, as the Son of Man who must suffer and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again (8:31; 9: 31; 10: 33-34). Rather, he becomes one of “those from the outside” who has eyes but does not see, and has ears but does not hear. However, the matter does not stop at the limits of understanding and accepting the teachings of the Lord Jesus. Here, we reach the message that he delivers to us. The Lord is in today’s Gospel. What is required is to follow the Lord Jesus, that is, to walk the path that he took, the path of suffering, crucifixion, and death, leading to the glorious resurrection. The Lord says to each of us: “Whoever wants to come after me must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (8:34). There is no other way, and a true student cannot achieve this in secret, away from the eyes of the people around him. Rather, he must show it in front of everyone, and not be ashamed of what he does, despite what people say about him.”He continued: “In this world, man seeks to realize himself, not to deny it. Following the Lord Jesus in this way is truly repugnant before the eyes of “this immoral, sinful generation” (8:38). But the Lord Jesus tells us that dire consequences result from shame in declaring the cross. Christ and faith in Him. This is what today’s society suffers from, which hides its identity and faith out of greed for a handful of money, or a basket of narrow interests, and forgets Christ who said: “Whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father with the angels.” Saints” (8:38). Many Christians prefer to live in peace without pain. This is a natural human position, as no one chooses to suffer. However, Christ told us that we are of the world, but at the same time we are not of the world, so the true Christian does not He flees from pain, from carrying the cross, but rather takes advantage of it in order to save himself and gain the kingdom. One of the contemporary fathers says: “It would be better if we did not let pain be in vain. All our trouble and discipline will be in vain if we do not benefit from pain and exploit it. Nothing benefits humanity like pain. That is, such as disease, corruption of the body, and death as well. If all of these did not exist, we would be ferocious beasts, and society would be a jungle. I created all of these to make us calm down and sympathize with each other. The Christian can benefit from suffering so that he can be continuously in paradise.”He said: “We are a people accustomed to carrying a great cross in a country whose responsibility is to burden the people instead of ensuring a decent and secure life for them. For decades, our people have carried one cross after another, and have not yet witnessed a resurrection. Wars, assassinations and bombings, the latest of which is the bombing of the heart of Beirut, plundering money and destroying The economy, education, the hospital sector, and other vital sectors are all borne by the people, and there is no rescue plan that will revive a stricken country and a people exhausted under the weight of the sins of its officials and leaders. Uncontrolled weapons, loose borders, violated sovereignty, a trampled constitution, a state without a head, institutions that are auxiliary to state institutions. Is there a country? Is the world willing to accept such a situation? Does the Lebanese deserve all this? Perhaps our people made a mistake, as usual, in choosing who would represent them, and they also made a mistake in not raising their voices demanding a fair and transparent accountability through which they would achieve the resurrection of a homeland that its people deserve. And perhaps their biggest mistake was that they followed human beings. Untrustworthy instead of following Christ.But those who assume the leadership of this country think that the people will remain in their mistakes and that they will remain in their positions, and they do not realize that sickness and death are not far from anyone, and that the wealth, titles, positions and possessions they have accumulated will remain on earth and will not increase their lives for a moment. When the Hour comes, they will carry with them nothing but the good and bad deeds they have committed, on the basis of which they will be among the chosen or among those tormented, not by God, but by their sins. What does it profit a person if he gains the world and all its temptations and loses his soul?
He concluded: “So our call today is to carry our cross with joy, each of us according to the ability that the Lord has given him, and to follow the one who is the giver of life, and to preach to everyone, without shame, that our God has conquered death and hell, and that behind the great pain is a great resurrection. Bless May the Lord grant you life, grant you patience in suffering, and bring you to the joy of the awaited resurrection.”

Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on September 17-18/2023
Protests Continue in Syria's Sweida as US Congressman Reportedly Contacts Druze Leader
EPA/17 September 2023
The anti-regime protests have continued in Syria’s Sweida amid reports that an American congressman contacted spiritual head of the country's Druze community to discuss the rallies. News spread on social media on Saturday that Congressman French Hill had contacted Sheikh Hikmat al-Hajri. They spoke by telephone for over half an hour. Hill reportedly inquired about "what was really happening in Sweida" and the overall situation in the southern province in wake of news that the protesters in front of the Baath party branch in Sweida city were fired at. Syrian opposition figure Maher Sharafeddine said Hill expressed his pride in contacting Hajri, hoping to develop relations further with him. Hill did not disclose information about his reported talks with Hajri and the latter did not issue any statement to confirm them either. Three people were wounded on Wednesday when bullets were sprayed at anti-government protesters in Sweida, activists and local journalists said, in the first reported use of violence in weeks-long demonstrations there.Activists, who have been taking to the streets to call for President Bashar al-Assad to step down over worsening living conditions, accused members of the ruling Baath party of firing. Hajri has been the target of a fierce campaign by regime and Iran loyalists after he accused Iran of "occupying" Syria and calling for "jihad" against it. In an open letter to Hajri, MP Khaled Abboud said that should the reports about his and Hill’s talks be true, then "it is evident who is behind the protest movement" and "this puts us in confrontation with it." On Friday, the US embassy in Damascus said Washington was concerned over reports that the Syrian regime was quelling the Sweida rallies. Washington supports the right of the Syrian people for peaceful protests in their pursuit of a dignified life, freedom, security and justice. It added that the political solution, based on United Nations Security Council 2254, was the sole way to resolve the conflict in Syria. Conflict erupted in Syria in 2011 with rallies against Assad in the country's south and quickly morphed into an all-out war that has left hundreds of thousands dead and displaced millions. Assad recaptured most of the country with help from his allies Russia and Iran. Even with frontlines calmer, the country's economy remains in tatters and its humanitarian needs have skyrocketed. Still, open criticism of the government was extremely rare in Assad-held areas until the government's decision to lift fuel subsidies last month, prompted fresh protests concentrated in Sweida. Hajri, on Wednesday blamed "corrupt" security forces for the incident, which he said would not deter protests. "The main thing is restraint, and we won't give up on our peaceful demands. The street is with us. ... (We will stay) a day or two or a month or years," Hajri said.

AEA Condemns Iran for Barring Inspectors
AFP/17 September 2023
UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi on Saturday condemned Iran's "disproportionate and unprecedented" move to bar multiple International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors assigned to the country, hindering its oversight of Tehran's atomic activities. "I strongly condemn this disproportionate and unprecedented unilateral measure which affects the normal planning and conduct of agency verification activities in Iran and openly contradicts the cooperation that should exist between the agency and Iran," he said in a statement. "These inspectors are among the most experienced agency experts with unique knowledge in enrichment technology," the IAEA said. "With today's decision, Iran has effectively removed about one-third of the core group of the Agency's most experienced inspectors designated for Iran." Grossi added: "I call upon the Iranian Government to reconsider its decision and to return to a path of cooperation with the Agency." Separately, Iranian Defense Minister Mohammad Reza Ashtiyani criticized the US decision to offload Iranian oil cargo seized by Washington. "This move is a robbery on the part of the US," he added. The US Department of Justice (DOJ) last week revealed that it had disrupted a multimillion-dollar shipment of crude oil by Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps. The Suez Rajan Ltd company pleaded guilty in April and was sentenced to a fine of almost $2.5 million, according to legal documents. Empire Navigation, the operating company of the vessel carrying the contraband cargo, agreed to cooperate and transport the Iranian oil to the United States, the DOJ added, calling it the first criminal resolution to such a sanctions-violating sale.

UN nuclear agency slams Iran for barring 'several' inspectors from monitoring its program
Associated Press/September 17, 2023
The U.N. nuclear watchdog has harshly criticized Iran for effectively barring several of its most experienced inspectors from monitoring the country's disputed atomic program. The strongly worded statement came amid longstanding tensions between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency, which is tasked with monitoring a nuclear program that Western nations have long suspected is aimed at eventually developing a nuclear weapon. Iran insists the program is peaceful. Rafael Mariano Grossi, the head of the IAEA, said Iran had withdrawn the designation of "several experienced Agency inspectors," barring them from taking part in the monitoring of its program. "Iran has effectively removed about one-third of the core group of the agency's most experienced inspectors designated for Iran," he said. Grossi went on to "strongly condemn this disproportionate and unprecedented unilateral measure," saying it "constitutes an unnecessary blow to an already strained relationship between the IAEA and Iran."Iran's Foreign Ministry linked the move to what it said was an attempt by the United States and three European countries to misuse the IAEA "for their own political purposes."The U.S., Britain, France and Germany criticized Iran in a joint statement at an IAEA board meeting in Vienna this week, calling on Tehran to step up cooperation with the agency. Britain, France and Germany also said Thursday that they would maintain sanctions on Iran related to its nuclear and ballistic missile programs. "Iran had previously warned about the consequences of such political abuses, including the attempt to politicize the atmosphere of the agency," said Nasser Kanaani, spokesman for Iran's Foreign Ministry. The Vienna-based IAEA reported earlier this month that Iran had slowed the pace at which it is enriching uranium to nearly weapons-grade levels. That was seen as a sign that Tehran was trying to ease tensions after years of strain between it and the U.S. Iran and the U.S. are negotiating a prisoner swap and the release of billions of dollars in Iranian assets frozen in South Korea. World powers struck a deal with Tehran in 2015 under which it agreed to limit enrichment of uranium to levels necessary for nuclear power in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. U.N. inspectors were tasked with monitoring the program. Then-President Donald Trump unilaterally pulled the U.S. out of the accord in 2018, restoring crippling sanctions. Iran began breaking the terms a year later. Formal talks in Vienna to try to restart the deal collapsed in August 2022. Iran has long denied ever seeking nuclear weapons and continues to insist that its program is entirely for peaceful purposes, though Grossi has warned that Tehran has enough enriched uranium for "several" nuclear bombs if it chose to build them. Tehran likely would still need months to build a weapon. The IAEA, the West and other countries say Iran had a secret military nuclear program it abandoned in 2003. "Without effective cooperation, confidence and trust will continue to be elusive," Grossi said Saturday. Without these inspectors, he said, the agency will not be able to effectively "provide credible assurances that nuclear material and activities in Iran are for peaceful purposes."

Iran says guard fatally shot on anniversary of Amini death
Agence France Presse/September 17, 2023
A member of Iran's Basij paramilitary force linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was shot dead during events falling on the anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death, state media reported Sunday. Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurd, died in police custody on September 16, 2022 following her arrest for an alleged breach of the Islamic republic's strict dress code for women. Her death triggered months-long demonstrations which saw hundreds killed, including dozens of security personnel, in what Tehran labelled as "riots" fomented by foreign governments and "hostile media"."One person was martyred and three people were injured" on Saturday evening in a "blind shooting" by two unknown assailants towards Basij guards in the city of Nurabad in Southern Fars province, state news agency IRNA reported. The news agency did not immediately elaborate on the assailants' identity or the motivation for the shooting. "The intelligence, security and law enforcement agencies of the province are trying to arrest the assailants" who fled after the shooting, it said. The Revolutionary Guards meanwhile announced that a dual national was arrested over "attempts to organise riots and vandalism" in Karaj city west of the capital Tehran.
The Guards did not elaborate further on the suspect's identity or other nationality. On Saturday, authorities arrested several groups over accusations of "planning to create chaos" and producing content to serve "hostile media", according to IRNA. Many of the arrests were made in Amini's home province of Kurdistan, as well as Iran's northwest and south, the agency added. Others were arrested in the northeastern province of North Khorasan for instigating "riots", according to the Mehr news agency. Authorities in the central city of Isfahan have "identified 97 people" and blocked 15 Instagram pages for attempting to stir up "public opinion" on the anniversary of the protests, IRNA said.

Iranian Revolutionary Guard Amass on Iraq’s Kurdistan Border
AFP/17 September 2023
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard is mobilizing forces along the border area between Iraq and Iran in the Kurdistan Region, suggested information from the Sulaymaniyah province in the Kurdistan Region. The development comes just three days before the expiration of the deadline set by Tehran for the disarmament of separatist Iranian groups present in the Kurdistan Region. Iran had recently announced its agreement with Iraq to close down the separatists’ headquarters and disarm them by no later than September 19. The agreement stipulates the closure of military facilities belonging to the groups in northern Iraq. A source closely associated with Iranian opposition parties informed Asharq Al-Awsat that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard has amassed a substantial force along the border strip with the Kurdistan Region. The move appears to be an effort to exert pressure on both Baghdad and the Kurdistan Region to expedite the implementation of the agreement. According to the source, who requested anonymity, Iraqi border guards have also deployed along the area to enforce the agreement. The source did not rule out the possibility of the Revolutionary Guard launching attacks within Iraqi territory, whether by missiles or drones, as they have frequently done against anti-Tehran parties in Iraq. Moreover, the source said it was impossible to predict whether Iranian forces would enter the Iraqi territories, but it was a means to pressure Baghdad to follow through with agreement. Ghayath Al-Sourji, a leader in the Kurdistan National Union Party, emphasized in an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat that while the Iranian build-up along the border is evident, it may also be connected to “Iran's domestic affairs.” Tehran is bracing for the one-year anniversary of the killing of Iranian Kurdish young woman Mahsa Amini by Iranian police, raising the potential for new protests in Kurdish areas within Iran.

High level US-Chinese talks in Malta
AFP/17 September 2023
The White House National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Saturday and Sunday in Malta, amid a tense atmosphere between the two major powers. The White House stated in a press release that "both sides held candid, substantive, and constructive talks." On the other hand, Beijing emphasized that "Wang Yi stressed that the Taiwan issue is the first red line that should not be crossed in Sino-American relations." Dialogues between the United States and China have resumed in recent months through successive visits by American officials to Beijing, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Tensions between Beijing and Washington escalated in February due to the flight of Chinese drones in American airspace, which the United States considered an attempt at espionage. Trade disputes, China's expansion in the South China Sea, and the Taiwan issue remain the most prominent points of contention between the two parties. The White House also added that "both sides pledged to maintain this channel of strategic communication and continue consultations at a high level in vital sectors."Maltese authorities confirmed the occurrence of the meeting between the American and Chinese delegations.

Saudi Arabia's role in ending the Yemeni war: A potential peace mediator?
LBCI/17 September 2023
Could Saudi Arabia be the mediator for signing a peace agreement to end the Yemeni war in the coming days?There is a sense of relief surrounding the visit of the Houthi delegation to Saudi Arabia, and there is a positive atmosphere from the media of both Saudi and Iranian sides emerging in the talks hosted by the Kingdom between it and the Houthi delegation, which will continue for several days. Where lies the significance of this visit, during which participants are expected to discuss various issues, including lifting the blockade on the Hodeidah port and Sanaa airport, disbursing salaries to Yemeni employees, as well as the files of prisoners and detainees, and reconstruction? First, it is the first carried out by a delegation from the Ansar Allah to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia since the start of the war in Yemen in 2015. Secondly, it comes after a breakthrough in Saudi-Iranian relations, with the Yemeni file reportedly included in the terms of the agreement between the two countries. Thirdly, the Houthi delegation's visit to Saudi Arabia coincides with international efforts, represented by the "shuttle tours" of the UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg, the US Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking, in addition to Omani mediation that led to the Saudi talks. Fourthly, this visit comes about five months after a Saudi delegation visited Sanaa and a week after the Saudi Crown Prince's visit to Oman. Fifthly, the visit's theme is to reach a comprehensive and permanent political solution. Sixth, there is a will on the part of all parties to overcome the challenges this time, find a peaceful solution, and take into account the humanitarian and economic files to reach the negotiating table. In contrast to all the positivity, what are the main challenges? The files hindering the comprehensive peace process include issues related to freedom of movement between Yemeni governorates, the state's general budget, the movement of ports and vital facilities, and other security matters. What emerges from the negotiations indicates that all parties are seeking a solution soon. As for the controversial issues on which the two parties may not reach an agreement, they will be "transferred" to later negotiations after the signing of the peace agreement. The priority today is to agree on peace. Could the grand solution for Yemen come from Saudi Arabia, bringing relief to Yemenis and the Kingdom from a war that has deeply affected them and shifting the Yemeni issue to other pending matters between Tehran and Riyadh?

Canada joins allies in sending air defence missiles to Ukraine
The Canadian Press/September 17, 2023
OTTAWA — Canada is joining a three-month-old partnership with several key allies to send air defence missiles to Ukraine. Defence Minister Bill Blair is in the United Kingdom today and announced Canada's $33 million contribution on a visit to Canadian soldiers helping train Ukrainian recruits at Lydd Military Training Camp. The money comes from the $500 million fund Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced in June 2023 for military assistance in Ukraine. That same month the U.K., Denmark, Netherlands and the United States partnered to deliver hundreds of short- and medium-range air defence missiles to help Ukraine protect itself against Russian missile and drone attacks. For a little more than a year, Canadian Armed Forces personnel have run training courses at Lydd for about 2,600 Ukrainian recruits in weapons handling, battlefield first aid and patrol tactics. Canada has contributed $8 billion in aid to Ukraine over the last year and a half, including $1.8 billion in military assistance including for weapons, ammunition, military vehicles, drone cameras and winter clothing.

Russia says 7 Ukrainian drones destroyed over Moscow, Crimea
Agence France Presse/September 17, 2023
Russia shot down one Ukrainian drone over the outskirts of Moscow and six others over the annexed Crimean peninsula on Sunday, according to the Ministry of Defense. At around 1:45 am (2245 GMT on Saturday) one drone was intercepted over Moscow's Istrinsky district, the defence ministry said in a Telegram post. "According to preliminary data, there was no damage or casualties at the site where the debris fell," Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin wrote in a separate Telegram post. "Emergency services specialists are working at the scene."Two Ukrainian drones were also destroyed at 1:15 am over the west coast of Crimea, with another four drones detected and destroyed over the peninsula between 1:45 to 2:20 am, according to the ministry. Since Ukraine launched its counteroffensive in early June, Russia has weathered waves of drone attacks that have sporadically damaged buildings, including in the capital. Russian officials have downplayed the significance of the attacks.

Aid Arrives in Flood-Hit Libya as Derna Death Toll Estimated at 11,300
News Agencies/September 2023
A week after a wall of water rushed through the Libyan coastal city of Derna, sweeping thousands to their deaths, the focus turned Sunday to caring for survivors of the disaster. Estimates of the number of lives lost vary widely. The most recent official death toll, from the health minister of the eastern-based administration, Othman Abdeljalil, is that 3,166 people were killed. But according to a United Nations report released on Sunday, the toll from Derna alone has risen to 11,300. Citing the Libyan Red Crescent, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs added that another 10,100 people were still missing in the devastated city. "These figures are expected to rise in the coming days and weeks as search-and-rescue crews work tirelessly to find survivors," the OCHA report said. Aid is now arriving in the North African country as the world mobilizes to help emergency services cope with the aftermath of the deadly flood. At least 40,000 people have been displaced across northeastern Libya, according to the International Organization for Migration, which cautioned the actual number is likely higher given the difficulty accessing the worst-affected areas. Two dams upstream from Derna burst a week ago under the pressure of torrential rains from the hurricane-strength Storm Daniel. The dams had been built to protect the port city of 100,000 people after it was hit by significant flooding in the mid-20th century. The banks of a dried riverbed or wadi running through the city center had been heavily built on, and last week's torrent swept everything before it as it rushed towards the Mediterranean. A week on, bodies are still being found. A rescue crew from Malta's Civil Protection Department discovered a beach strewn with dead bodies on Friday, the Times of Malta newspaper reported. International aid is arriving from the United Nations, Europe and the Middle East, offering some relief to the thousands of survivors. The aid includes essential medicines and emergency surgical supplies, as well as body bags to allow corpses to be moved. Tents, blankets, carpets, hygiene kits and food have been flown in, along with heavy machinery to help clear the debris.
Questions being asked
The devastating flooding brought by Storm Daniel was exacerbated by poor infrastructure in Libya, which was plunged into turmoil after a NATO-backed uprising toppled and killed longtime ruler Moammar al-Gaddafi in 2011. Questions are being asked as to why the disaster was not prevented, when cracks in the dams have been known about since 1998. Prosecutor general Al-Seddik Al-Sour has announced an investigation into the circumstances leading to the collapse. Like much of Libya's crumbling infrastructure, the two dams that had been built to hold back water from Derna fell into disrepair during years of neglect, conflict and division in chaos-ridden Libya. The country is currently ruled by two rival administrations that have battled for power since Gaddafi’s ousting. With tens of thousands of people displaced, aid organizations have warned of the risks posed by leftover landmines and other unexploded ordnance, some of which the UN said have been shifted by floodwaters into areas previously declared clear. The risks of water-borne diseases such as cholera are also high, according to aid groups. Outside Derna, the flooding took an additional 170 lives, the UN's report said.
The National Center for Disease Control reported that at least 55 children were poisoned as a result of drinking polluted water in Derna. To assist the hundreds of thousands of people in need, the UN has launched an appeal for more than $71 million. "We don't know the extent of the problem," UN aid chief Martin Griffiths said on Friday, as he called for coordination between Libya's two rival administrations -- the Government of National Unity (GNU) in Tripoli, and one based in the disaster-hit east. The scale of the devastation has prompted shows of solidarity, as volunteers in Tripoli gathered aid for the flood victims. Survivors in Derna are glad to be alive, even as they mourn the loss of loved ones. "In this city, every single family has been affected," said Derna resident Mohammad al-Dawali. Seir Mohammed Seir, a member of the security forces, spoke of a three-month-old girl who lived through the tragedy in Derna.
"Her entire family died, she was the only one who survived."

Wildfires Break Out in Eastern Algeria
News Agencies/September 2023
Several wildfires have broken out in Algeria's northeastern Bejaia and Tizi-Ouzou provinces. While the fires in Tizi Ouzou were extinguished, the operations are ongoing to control the fire in Bejaia, according to a statement from the Civil Protection on Saturday.
The Civil Protection in Bejaia said a fire had broken out in one of the forests in the Ish El-Baz area in Boulimat. Teams from Bouira, Setif, and Bordj Bou Arreridj were dispatched to the area. No losses in life were recorded. Populated areas were also evacuated.
Moreover, a fire broke out in Mahwi Forest Tichy in the Ish El-Baz forest in Bejaia, and in the forest of the Igdassen village in Tizi Ouzou. Civil Protection units and helicopters were dispatched to extinguish the fire. In July, wildfires in the country killed at least 34 people and destroyed large swathes of forests and trees. Northern and eastern Algeria witness forest fires annually, a phenomenon that worsens year after year due to the impact of climate changes. The Meteorological Service warned in a special bulletin of a heat wave in the country's northeastern regions, including Bejaia and Tizi Ouzou, on Saturday and Sunday, with temperatures expected to reach 43 degrees. This year, Algeria recorded 97 blazes across 16 provinces, fanned by strong winds, said the interior ministry.
Arab World

Tourism Gradually Returns to Marrakech, Children Prepare to Resume School
Asharq Al-Awsat/17 September 2023
As Moroccan authorities grapple with delivering aid to survivors in the remote mountainous regions ravaged by the catastrophic earthquake that struck El-Huz, the situation in Marrakech, one of the prominent cities impacted by the tremor, seems to be gradually returning to normal. Tourists have started flocking to the historic areas for which Marrakech is renowned, albeit with caution, as local authorities have erected barriers to prevent access to some landmarks that have shown signs of damage. The city seems closer to its usual rhythm, though UNESCO has expressed significant concern about the harm inflicted on some of its World Heritage-listed sites. The liveliest activity is observed during the night, with an influx of foreign visitors converging on the heart of the commercial city. Shops have reopened their doors, and restaurants and cafes are once again welcoming tourists, according to Reuters. Marrakech boasts a wealth of historic treasures, including World Heritage sites, such as Ksar Bahia, parts of which collapsed due to the earthquake. The 6.8-magnitude quake, which struck on September 8, also impacted numerous other historic buildings, including the Almoravid Dome, Badi Palace, Ben Youssef Madrasa, and Bahia Palace. The Jemaa el-Fnaa Square, which was among the most visited places in the past two days, remains a bustling hub. Not far from Marrakech, in the Amzmiz region, which was one of the hardest-hit villages, hundreds of children and teenagers are regaining some hope after the earthquake shattered many of their dreams. Army units set up on Friday tents in their schoolyard in preparation for resuming their education. The Ministry of Education had announced the suspension of classes in the most affected villages due to varying degrees of damage to 530 educational institutions.

Macron Not Scheduled to Visit Morocco
AFP/17 September 2023
French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to Morocco "is neither on the agenda nor scheduled," said an official Moroccan government source. In an interview with a news channel, France's Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna announced that a visit by Macron to Morocco had been scheduled, at the invitation of King Mohammed VI. The source expressed astonishment that Colonna had taken "this unilateral initiative and allowed herself to make an uncoordinated announcement concerning an important bilateral event."Relations between Rabat and Paris had reached new lows in recent months in spite of a visit by Colonna to the Moroccan capital in December. The visit was aimed at overcoming disputes between their countries. Tensions had erupted two years ago when France decided to reduce the number of visas granted to Moroccans and over Paris’ stance on the contentious Sahara issue and its siding with Algeria. Relations grew even more strained after France criticized press freedom in Morocco.

Latest English LCCC  analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on September 17-18/2023
Iran: Presenting a New Image
Amir Taheri/Asharq Al-Awsat/September 17, 2023
The Tar-Baby is the second of the Uncle Remus tales published in the United States in 1881. In it, the evil Br'er Fox conjures a doll made of tar and turpentine with which to entrap the Br'er Rabbit. The more the victim tries to shake himself free, the more entangled he becomes.
These days, of course, some policymakers and analysts insist that the tar-baby has changed. They claim that Tehran's "unacceptable behavior" in the past was due to fears by the radical Khomeinist faction that the "other side", that is to say, those who commend a deal with the US, might succeed and use their success to exclude the radicals. According to that narrative, the radicals are now in control of all levers of power, and no longer fear being dislodged by "reform-seekers" linked to Washington. Thus, embracing the remade tar-baby may not be as risky as it was for almost four decades.
This message has also been sent to some 8 million Iranians in the diaspora who fear that returning home even for a holiday may get them stuck with the tar-baby.
Last month, Iran's Chief Justice Ayatollah Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i called on Iranian exiles to "come home whenever you like. You won't be arrested at the airport. We just take your passport for a few days and if there is any cause for investigation that will be done quickly."
A similar message has been sent by President Ebrahim Raisi to foreigners who wish to invest in Iran. The recent release of several foreign hostages may give credence to that invitation. Right now, however, China, India, and Russia, not to mention the European Union and Japan, still seem unwilling to embrace the tar baby. Raisi hopes to address those concerns when he attends the UN General Assembly session in New York. The "usual suspects," who always tried to soften the image of the "tar baby", are preparing a platform for him to play that new tune.
Will anyone be seduced?
Last month, Iran's Chief Justice Ayatollah Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i called on Iranian exiles to "come home whenever you like. You won't be arrested at the airport. We just take your passport for a few days and if there is any cause for investigation that will be done quickly." Pictured: Mohseni-Eje'i in the Iranian parliament, on August 21, 2005. The Tar-Baby is the second of the Uncle Remus tales published in the United States in 1881. In it, the evil Br'er Fox conjures a doll made of tar and turpentine with which to entrap the Br'er Rabbit. The more the victim tries to shake himself free, the more entangled he becomes. Several recent events make one think of that American cautionary tale.
Last year, China published the final map of its "One Belt One Road" global project, leaving Iran completely out.
Last month, Turkmenistan put out its map for an energy trunk-line to ferry oil and gas from Central Asia to Europe via the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, and Turkey. The initial project worked out five years ago was to see the trunk-line pass through Iran to Turkey rather than avoiding the Islamic Republic.
Last week, it was the turn of India to publish its own map for sea and land connections with Europe via the Bay of Bombay, the Arabian Peninsula, and the Mediterranean.
Finally, it now seems certain that President Joe Biden has given up all hope of embracing Iran by concocting a new "nuclear deal" and presenting it as a great diplomatic victory close to next year's US presidential election. Robert Malley, the man in charge of the forlorn scheme, has been sacked and, despite years of acting as an apologist for Tehran, is now presented as an object of hate in Iranian media.
Malley isn't the first Western Khomeinophile figure to see his career ruined by the tar-baby in Tehran.
Robert McFarlane who served as President Ronald Reagan's Deputy National Security Advisor, took the gamble of making a secret trip to Tehran on a false Irish passport, bringing with him a planeload of illegal weapons and a promise of even more. Yet the power struggle in Tehran exposed his cloak-and-dagger number and ended his political life. In deep depression, he even attempted suicide.
Lt. Colonel Oliver North, McFarlane's sidekick in the encounter with the Tehran tar-baby, was tried, convicted and sent to jail. A third member of the trio, Amiram Nir of Israel's Mossad, was to die in a mysterious attack in Mexico.
Another distinguished Israeli advocate of "normalization" with Tehran was David Kimche, who genuinely believed that even helping create Hezbollah in Lebanon, to crush the PLO, was a wise move on the region's deadly chessboard.
The tar-baby attracted several French political grandees.
Philippe Pons, once a key figure in Jacques Chirac's political serail, even became the Islamic Republic of Iran's advisor, while his daughter served as a lawyer for the embassy in Paris. Needless to say, Pons soon found out that the tar-baby could not be shaken off, which meant his political career was over.
Guy Georgy, a distinguished French diplomat, made it a crusading cause to argue in favor of close ties with the Islamic Republic and ended up being named Ambassador to Tehran. The lovefest with the tar-baby didn't last long; the French embassy was raided by "students following the Imam" and Georgy was briefly held hostage. French journalist and diplomat Eric Rouleau was another figure who dreamed of embracing the tar-baby and shaking it off when desired. But he ended up being told that if he set foot in Tehran once again he would end up as a hostage. As his predictions about the Islamic Republic becoming moderate proved wrong, both his journalistic and diplomatic careers had to end. In Britain, a number of political figures, including former Treasury Secretary Lord Lamont did all they could to change the Islamic Republic's image but failed. Former Labor Party leader Jeremy Corbyn worked for official Iranian state television for 13 years but ended up being seen by his own electorate as tied to the tar-baby. No British politician did more than Jack Straw, as Foreign Secretary under Prime Minister Tony Blair, to sweeten Tehran's image, I believe mostly out of good intentions rather than personal profit. But he narrowly escaped being seized as a hostage when he was visiting Iran with his wife at the invitation of then President Hassan Rouhani.
The tar-baby hasn't been any kinder to its Iranian bedfellows. Almost all dual nationals held as hostages in Tehran are the Islamic Republic's own lobbyists, facilitators, sanctions-breakers and propagandists. They ended up as hostages because a rival faction within Tehran's ruling elite is sore at them for siding with the "wrong faction."
These days, of course, some policymakers and analysts insist that the tar-baby has changed. They claim that Tehran's "unacceptable behavior" in the past was due to fears by the radical Khomeinist faction that the "other side", that is to say, those who commend a deal with the US, might succeed and use their success to exclude the radicals. According to that narrative, the radicals are now in control of all levers of power, and no longer fear being dislodged by "reform-seekers" linked to Washington. Thus, embracing the remade tar-baby may not be as risky as it was for almost four decades.
This message has also been sent to some 8 million Iranians in the diaspora who fear that returning home even for a holiday may get them stuck with the tar-baby.
Last month, Iran's Chief Justice Ayatollah Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i called on Iranian exiles to "come home whenever you like. You won't be arrested at the airport. We just take your passport for a few days and if there is any cause for investigation that will be done quickly."
A similar message has been sent by President Ebrahim Raisi to foreigners who wish to invest in Iran. The recent release of several foreign hostages may give credence to that invitation. Right now, however, China, India, and Russia, not to mention the European Union and Japan, still seem unwilling to embrace the tar baby.Raisi hopes to address those concerns when he attends the UN General Assembly session in New York. The "usual suspects," who always tried to soften the image of the "tar baby", are preparing a platform for him to play that new tune.
Will anyone be seduced?
**Amir Taheri was the executive editor-in-chief of the daily Kayhan in Iran from 1972 to 1979. He has worked at or written for innumerable publications, published eleven books, and has been a columnist for Asharq Al-Awsat since 1987. He is the Chairman of Gatestone Europe.

Kim Jong Un: A Sharp Instrument for China and Russia in their Standoff with the United States, its Allies, and its Global Projects.
Raghida Dergham/The National/September 17, 2023
The meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin has forged a bilateral alliance that appears convenient for both parties in the context of their strategic standoff with the United States and its allies Japan and South Korea. More importantly, a trilateral alliance is emerging between China, Russia, and North Korea, which sends a strong message of defiance to the United States and its allies in the Quad, the strategic security alliance comprised of India, the United States, Australia, and Japan. The message is that China and Russia now have the power either to rein in or to unleash North Korea and its enigmatic leader, and his ability to cause disruptions and complications in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond. This thinly veiled threat comes on the heels of President Joe Biden's visit to Vietnam, which raised the alarm in China, shortly after the United States announced at the G20 summit in India a huge Economic Corridor project consisting of two separate connexions: one from India to the Arabian Gulf and the other linking the Arabian Gulf to Europe. China regards this initiative as a competitor to its Belt and Road project launched a decade ago, as a fundamental infrastructure component in China's long-term strategic vision.
The emergence of these new geopolitical alliances foreshadows global confrontations of as of yet indeterminate scope and dimensions.
Evidently, China and Russia yield a sharp and formidable tool against the United States and its allies, namely North Korea. And this triad has the potential to alter the balance of power in Asia and the Pacific. With the outcomes achieved during the North Korean leader's visit, President Vladimir Putin has secured himself a favorable position. He will now be able to address Western leaders, especially those in the United States, in a language that conveys the following message: If you wish to avoid the headaches from a powerful, nuclear-armed, capricious, and provocative state, you will need to talk to us in Russia and China. Russia and China are increasingly committed to enhancing their strategic cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region, irrespective of China's stance on Russia's involvement in the Ukrainian conflict. Indeed, these are two distinct matters, and their focus is squarely on fortifying the strategic, military, and political dimensions of their alliance through various means, with North Korea serving as an important tool in the strategic challenge vis-à-vis the United States and its allies.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is scheduled to meet with his Russian counterpart from October 27 to 29 during Putin's visit to commemorate the ten-year anniversary of the launching of the Belt and Road initiative. Next week, the Chinese foreign minister will head to Moscow amid growing coordination and military cooperation between the two countries and joint efforts to counter American alliances in Asia and the Pacific region.
China will ultimately welcome the outcomes of Kim Jong Un's meetings with Vladimir Putin, given the problems they create for the United States and its regional allies, and given that North Korea serves as a trigger for their deepest anxieties. What is presently unfolding between China and Russia represents the synchronization of military strategies, not in the traditional sense of a military alliance, but rather in the modern context of strategic points of coordination. In this nexus, North Korea occupies a focal position.
In the context of the bilateral relationship between Russia and North Korea and the meeting of the leaders at a cosmodrome in the Russian Far East, Kim Jong Un said: “Russia has risen to a sacred fight to protect its sovereignty and security…and we will be together in the fight against imperialism.” These strong words were matched with an arms deal to support the Russian war in Ukraine, providing millions of Soviet era artillery shells that Russia needs in the Donbas campaign. Incidentally, North Korea is the only country that recognizes Russia's sovereignty over Ukrainian territories, and its leader is ready to assist.
In return, Kim Jong Un received from Russia a commitment to develop his armed forces and modernize his military industries, in addition to assistance in overcoming the deadly food crisis in North Korea. With this commitment, Russia was delivering a blow to the United Nations and its sanctions on North Korea, saying: "Russia doesn't care”.
Russia was excluded from various projects it once considered itself essential to after its Ukrainian war. Now, it has devised a strategy to counter Western efforts to isolate it in international arenas. Therefore, it doesn't care about United Nations resolutions, even though it had voted in favor of sanctions against North Korea. China, on the other hand, is maintaining a cool demeanor without revealing its anger, but nevertheless has adopted policies aimed at teaching lessons or has occasionally engaged in obstructionist tactics. The Economic Corridor project launched during the G20 summit in India, in the absence of both the Chinese and Russian presidents, has greatly unsettled China. China was further unnerved by the strategic partnership formed by President Biden during his visit to Vietnam. This is a significant gambit because Vietnam does not want to be part of the Belt and Road initiative and needs this economic corridor, which has now become part of its strategic partnership with the United States.
The Belt and Road Initiative is a cornerstone of China's global strategy. The Economic Corridor came as a pragmatic economic project signaling that there is room for building global infrastructure networks without China. Many countries will be interested in accessing these networks because they are operationally and economically beneficial, perhaps more so than the Belt and Road option. Moreover, this project will give the United States and India an enhanced role and influence with a group of important countries in the Gulf, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific region. This does not please China, especially as it was unveiled less than two months before the Belt and Road summit in October.
The difference between the Belt and Road and the Economic Corridor is that the former is purely Chinese, financed with Chinese funds, and led solely by China, while the latter is a multi-lateral project. Some see it as a sinister ploy by the United States to weaken China and a significant step in its soft war against China. But others see its economic benefits for the countries involved. Then there are those who consider it a project aimed at excluding Russia and Iran and thwarting their projects with India such as the North South Corridor to Asian countries via the Caspian Sea.
India's agreement, for all intents and purposes, to "kill" its project with Russia and Iran by giving priority to the corridor project with the United States, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Europe indicates a change in India's stance. This project can be seen as a success story for the United States, which also views it as conducive to normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel, noting that it passes through Jordan and then through the port of Haifa. Additionally, it further strengthens the crucial US-Indian relations within the context of their strategic confrontation with China and Russia.
Saudi Arabia and the UAE are not getting involved in this strategic confrontation and have made it clear that their strategic diversification towards good relations with China does not imply hostility towards or alignment against the United States, a nation that holds a special position for both countries. Rather, these nations prioritize their interests over provocative alliances and are open to altering their policies and positions if their reasonable, bilateral, Gulf, Middle Eastern, and international demands are met. Saudi Arabia will not oppose peace with Israel or normalization with it, provided that the United States encourages Israel to pursue a two-state solution and accept the establishment of a Palestinian state.
The infrastructure development and port connectivity project will facilitate trade between the participating parties. The corridor project includes the construction of a cross-border railway and shipping network, connecting ships to trains, and building pipelines for the export and import of electricity and clean hydrogen to enhance global energy security. This is an ambitious project with the potential to benefit the entire Middle East. It represents a new language in international relations, instead of the sterile rhetoric that adopts threats as a tactic and recalcitrance as a strategy.
Lebanon remains a victim of this sterile rhetoric. Indeed, the port of Beirut could have been a part of this project, not just the port of Haifa. However, instability and the lack of sovereign decision-making hinder any consideration of a role for Beirut's ports and railways. Naturally, the aftermath of the explosion at the port of Beirut, which was an attempt to assassinate the Lebanese capital, renders it unsuitable for infrastructure projects. Yet if, by some miracle, Lebanon was to free itself from the control of its ruling class and its attempts to siphon off its natural resources, it could potentially participate in such a developmental and civilizational project whose implementation will span years and which could be opened up to further development and expansion.

China's 'CEO Whisperers': Chinese Communist Party Takes Over Canada
Robert Williams/Gatestone Institute/September 17, 2023
"I was pretty dismayed at the extent of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) influence in the federal Parliament. I should probably not say any more to stay on the right side of the libel laws... [W]hat are the authorities doing about this? I think that's the real measure of China's influence." — Australian professor Clive Hamilton, National Post, April 15, 2019.
Despite leaked intelligence reports about Chinese interference in Canada's last two federal elections in 2019 and 2021, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has refused to hold a public probe into the matter.
[T]he passivity of Trudeau's Liberal Party is "permitting China to colonize Canada." — Tasha Kheiriddin, Canadian political columnist, National Post, August 22, 2023.
"On housing: Chinese money laundering inflated Canadian property values for decades and helped push home ownership out of reach for today's buyers. On drug addiction: China is the main source country of fentanyl found in Canada, paving the way for thousands of overdose deaths. On the economy: China has targeted a host of Canadian industries for control, from lobsters to lithium." — Tasha Kheiriddin, National Post, August 22, 2023.
"The CCP's basic strategy of overseas influence and interference is to capture elites in politics, business, media, think tanks, universities, and cultural institutions...It deploys a range of techniques including flattery, financial inducement, exploitation of anti-racist and anti-American sentiment, bribery, and honey traps... Key figures in the Liberal Party have long historical ties to the CCP, not least through business connections..." — Clive Hamilton, thehub.ca, June 2, 2023.
"I've often said that Chinese leaders are what I call CEO whisperers, they're very, very skillful when meeting foreigners, particularly senior foreigners. China inspires a kind of excessive affection in people and an excessive sense of wonder and a desire not to apply the usual sort of critical thinking skills, and people are seduced by it." — Former Canadian Ambassador to China David Mulroney, thehub.ca, June 2, 2023.
China has reportedly openly been trying to influence [Canadian PM] Justin Trudeau for the past ten years. One unnamed CSIS source said that the CCP had its eyes on Justin Trudeau well before he became prime minister.
Trudeau, during his first election campaign in 2016, visited the homes of "wealthy Chinese-Canadians for private fundraising events. Some of the hosts had close connections with the CCP and had been actively promoting Beijing's takeover of islands in the South China Sea." — Clive Hamilton, in his book, Hidden Hand: Exposing How the Chinese Communist Party is Reshaping the World.
The influence of the CCP is so pervasive that Canada's Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Steven Guilbeault, "is pulling double duty as an official adviser to the Chinese government" according to a report in the Toronto Sun.
China... is a real threat to Canada's sovereignty. "Recent Chinese actions and announcements are pointing to Beijing's determination to have a military capability in the region that will exceed that of Canada." — Rob Hueber, senior fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute and associate professor of political science at the University of Calgary, Globe and Mail, August 25, 2023.
"What has not received as much attention is a research paper, published in 2021, in which Chinese scientists explain their success in developing Arctic-resilient underwater listening systems. The paper says the listening systems are for peaceful purposes, but the actual ramifications of the HABs [high-altitude balloons], buoys and research systems are inescapable. China is refining its means of monitoring the Canadian North." — Rob Hueber, Globe and Mail, August 25, 2023.
"China will very soon enjoy a major advantage in monitoring Arctic waters, especially under the surface, and it will have confidence that Canada has little ability to see what is going on or do anything about it. Factor in the overwhelming evidence of Beijing's efforts to target and interfere in our political system – and our reluctance or inability to respond to these actions – and the larger threat to Canada's very sovereignty comes starkly into view." — Rob Hueber, Globe and Mail, August 25, 2023.
"When I look... at the subtle but intense influence of China on Canadian institutions — parliaments, provincial governments, local governments, universities, the intellectual community, the policy community — it makes me deadly worried," said Australian professor Clive Hamilton, author of Hidden Hand: Exposing How the Chinese Communist Party is Reshaping the World (co-authored by Mareike Ohlberg), speaking to Canada's National Post in 2019. "I've met some very well-informed Canadians who aren't sure Canada will be able to extricate itself from this situation."
Hamilton, who "blew the whistle on Australia says Canada is in even worse trouble."
"I was pretty dismayed at the extent of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) influence in the federal Parliament. I should probably not say any more to stay on the right side of the libel laws... My response is to ask what are the authorities doing about this...? I think that's the real measure of China's influence."
Four years later and Canadian authorities are doing little to nothing about China's interference in Canada. Despite leaked intelligence reports about Chinese interference in Canada's last two federal elections in 2019 and 2021, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has refused to hold a public probe into the matter.
Investigative journalist Sam Cooper wrote in August:
"China's election interference and political influence in Canada has been enabled by Beijing's covert 'takeover' of Chinese-language media, plus sophisticated, massively-funded schemes targeting mainstream outlets and seeking to control 'key media entities' according to intelligence documents.
"These clandestine operations have involved threats against journalists, the documents say, but also inducements, such as benefits offered by Vancouver's Chinese Consulate to cultivate 'key editors, producers and high-ranking managers.'"
According to Tasha Kheiriddin, a Canadian political columnist, the passivity of Trudeau's Liberal Party is "permitting China to colonize Canada."
"The erosion of our sovereignty by foreign powers, notably the Chinese communist government, contributes to many... problems. On housing: Chinese money laundering inflated Canadian property values for decades and helped push home ownership out of reach for today's buyers. On drug addiction: China is the main source country of fentanyl found in Canada, paving the way for thousands of overdose deaths. On the economy: China has targeted a host of Canadian industries for control, from lobsters to lithium."
According to Hamilton, the CCP has a hold on Canadian elites, which explains why China's interference is allowed to continue in Canada.
"The CCP's basic strategy of overseas influence and interference is to capture elites in politics, business, media, think tanks, universities, and cultural institutions. It deploys a range of techniques including flattery, financial inducement, exploitation of anti-racist and anti-American sentiment, bribery, and honey traps... Key figures in the Liberal Party have long historical ties to the CCP, not least through business connections..."
David Mulroney, a former Canadian ambassador to China from 2009 to 2012, said that Canadian elites only see an imaginary China.
"They see the China of the very powerful rhetoric of the Communist Party. I've often said that Chinese leaders are what I call CEO whisperers, they're very, very skillful when meeting foreigners, particularly senior foreigners.
"China inspires a kind of excessive affection in people and an excessive sense of wonder and a desire not to apply the usual sort of critical thinking skills, and people are seduced by it."
China has reportedly openly been trying to influence Trudeau for the past 10 years, according to the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS). One unnamed CSIS source said that the CCP had its eyes on Trudeau well before he became prime minister.
According to columnist Tristin Hopper, writing in Canada's National Post:
"Trudeau's family has always had a weird relationship with the People's Republic of China. As prime minister, Pierre Trudeau [Justin Trudeau's father], paid semi-regular visits to the country and often hauled his children along...
"So in 2016, it didn't take all that much for the People's Republic of China to utterly flatter Justin Trudeau during his first official visit to the country. China's premier Li Keqiang made sure to offer praise of Trudeau's father within seconds of their initial meeting...
"Trudeau, meanwhile, framed the whole thing as a kind of family reunion — and made sure to note that he had brought his own kids along. 'The friendship and the openness towards China that my father taught me, I'm certainly hoping to pass on not only to my children but to generations of Canadians in the future,' he said."In his book, Hamilton writes that Trudeau, during his first election campaign in 2016, visited the homes of "wealthy Chinese-Canadians for private fundraising events. Some of the hosts had close connections with the CCP and had been actively promoting Beijing's takeover of islands in the South China Sea."The influence of the CCP is so pervasive that Canada's Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Steven Guilbeault, "is pulling double duty as an official adviser to the Chinese government" according to a report in the Toronto Sun.
In August, Guilbeault traveled to China to participate in a meeting at the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED), which was established by China's Ministry of Ecology and Environment. According to the organization's own website:
"... chaired by China's Executive Vice-Premier, CCICED serves as a high-level advisory body with a mandate to conduct research and provide policy recommendations to the Chinese Government on environment and development."
Guilbeault, a cabinet minister in the Canadian government, is, unbelievably, an Executive Vice Chairperson of CCICED.
China, according to Rob Hueber, senior fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute and associate professor of political science at the University of Calgary, is a real threat to Canada's sovereignty. "Recent Chinese actions and announcements are pointing to Beijing's determination to have a military capability in the region that will exceed that of Canada," Hueber wrote in August.
"Earlier this year, there was major news-media coverage of a series of Chinese high-altitude balloons (HABs) that flew over North American airspace, as well as Chinese monitoring buoys that floated (or were deployed) into Canadian waters.
"What has not received as much attention is a research paper, published in 2021, in which Chinese scientists explain their success in developing Arctic-resilient underwater listening systems. The paper says the listening systems are for peaceful purposes, but the actual ramifications of the HABs, buoys and research systems are inescapable. China is refining its means of monitoring the Canadian North...
"China, will very soon enjoy a major advantage in monitoring Arctic waters, especially under the surface, and it will have confidence that Canada has little ability to see what is going on or do anything about it. Factor in the overwhelming evidence of Beijing's efforts to target and interfere in our political system – and our reluctance or inability to respond to these actions – and the larger threat to Canada's very sovereignty comes starkly into view."
*Robert Williams is a researcher based in the United States.
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About Us and the Damned West: Yesterday, Today, and Always
Hazem Saghieh/Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper/September 17/2023
That we are all born with two eyes and one tongue suggests that looking and observing take precedence over speaking - that every time we speak, we should observe twice, and that we should observe twice before speaking once.
Many in our region do not act on this premise in the slightest; as civil wars, millions of refugees, and extreme poverty crush the Arab Levant, the number of voices eulogizing the West increases. They see nothing in this West but a source of misery: its misery, ours, and the entire world’s. We have all the righteousness, virtue, and beauty. Our history had been impeccable until the West arrived, and our culture had remained perfect and most refined up until that moment. Political life in the region has only seen oppression, subjugation, or wanton aggression in the form of news about others, and we had never been anything but the force of justice and truth in any of the struggles we waged or were involved in. This consciousness, very much rekindled today, is little more than a drab reiteration of antiquated legends pitting a god of good against a god of evil, of which Zoroastrianism had been considered the ultimate formulator in the ancient past. However, it is also imbued with something of the Biblical story about humanity falling from heaven because of the original sin. This sin, in our case, was nothing other than the arrival of the Western serpent, which has poisoned and continues to poison all every moment and space.
However, this consciousness is killed by the very legend that it is founded on. Indeed, if the West has the capacity to perpetrate all of this evil, continuously and tirelessly, what is the point of standing against it? Would it not be better for everyone to recognize this reality and give in to this fate? On the other hand, if we are always an object, and are incapable of becoming a subject in confronting an omnipotent and omnipresent West, then why strain our hearts by assuming that what has never happened before will happen now.
In any case, such fairytales are thrown around by journalists, artists, partisan activists, and university professors today; some of them live in the West, where they are afforded freedoms that exist nowhere else in the world. Among them are Islamists who believe that the ultimate aspiration we can seek is to live in a state ruled by the Guardian of the Jurist and his sheikhs, others are nationalists, some of whom still believe in high and low blood lineages to this day.
And almost all of them agree that the regimes currently ruling over Syria or in North Korea lay the most fertile ground for human development. Naturally, they are all also opposed to "Westerns’ racism," without doubting for a second it could be racist on their part to put hundreds of millions of Europeans and North Americans in the same cursed category (with the obvious exception of Noam Chomsky, the only survivor).
Westerners came only into this world to ruin it, and history is used, munificently and without restraint, to make this point. However, their history, in addition to its biased curation, is completely ahistorical; how can judgment be passed on the West, in its entirety and in all of its phases, without addressing its major junctures, and the novelties brought about the emergence of the agricultural revolution, the industrial revolution, or the division of labor and bureaucracy...?
Moreover, critics can find many political and non-political faults with Western countries, but the use of epithets like "enemy," "infidel," "rogue," "plunderer," "imperialist," and "satanic" raises some concern when they are only used in describing the West.
How can we adjudicate history without the histories of medicine, hospitals, paved roads, schools, newspapers, technology, the status of women, infant mortality rates, the average human lifespan, and of course freedoms, the status of minorities, and the destination sought by asylum seekers and migrants? Of course, among these anti-Westerners, especially among those who teach in the West, one can find academics who spend their time inflating marginal and fleeting phenomena in order to conclude that we had been the ones to liberate women, who were only enslaved by the arrival of the West, and that those fleeing their homes are only doing so to escape the West's imperialism.
However, these people have five tongues and half an eye. Even worse, they think that the recipients of their rhetoric similarly suffer from weak vision and a poor sense of observation, also relying on oratory virtuosity to persuade others. In this vein, an Iraqi leader who is also fiercely opposed to the West, in a caricatural culmination of this kind of history, managed to accuse the Israeli Mossad of having assassinated Imam Ali bin Abi Talib. Here, among this collection of lunatics, searching for adherents of theories of history and the civilizational transformations would be futile. One would not find Spenglers, Toynbees, Sorokins, or even Huntingtons, among them, nor figures from China or India, who are portrayed as challenging "Western dominance" with the sword of actual achievements in industry and technology.
What one finds, on the other hand, is a mix of idleness and a deep sense of defeat, behavior brimming with hypocrisy, and strong propensity for suicide shielded by a life sustained through admiration of models of resistance to "Western hegemony". But with these models having become historical excrements, be they Bolshevik, Stalinist, Hitlerian, or Maoist, Khomeinism is now the only pathway to a resplendent future!

Washington and a Different Kind of Madness
Tariq Al-Homayed/Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper/September 17/2023
Amid the hustle and bustle of the 2008 US presidential elections, former president Barack Obama hit back at criticism saying it suggested that his nation had been in "silly political season." Election season is often referred to as the "silly season" in the US.
In the famous American media-political series "The West Wing", the actress who played the role of the White House press secretary says, "Everybody's stupid in an election year." Is this hyperbole? I think not. No one following the lead-up to the elections can fail to overlook that the United States is gearing up for a different phase of "madness," amid unprecedented back-and-forth legal accusations.
On one hand, there are the charges against the Republican frontrunner Donald Trump. A US Special Council asked the judge to place a gag order on Trump. These accusations may impede Trump’s path to the White House, and if he wins, he would be a lame duck from day one. On the other hand, we have an array of charges against President Joe Biden's son, Hunter. They may create problems for President Biden and his campaign, which faces other challenges, among the most prominent of which is his age.
Recent opinion polls have shown that even Democrats are concerned that Biden might not be fit to govern for a second term, especially since his age has clearly taken a toll on him.
It's also notable that the US media, especially outlets considered favorable to Biden, have begun openly criticizing him. Indeed, CNN has reported on the inaccurate statements Biden has made recently. Also worth noting is the article that David Ignatius wrote for the Washington Post calling on Biden not to run for a second term. The piece is also notable for its criticism of Vice President Kamala Harris, and this came from a newspaper that is unequivocally favorable to the Biden administration.
Here, the reader might say that this is a domestic American issue, but the truth is that it is not. This sharp polarization in the United States and the uncertainty around the leading candidates, Republican Trump and Democrat Biden, could engender global political perturbation. It is difficult to predict the outcomes of the presidential elections. Alternative figures may emerge at different moments, both Republican and Democrat, especially as Trump's legal case, and that of Hunter Biden, progress.
Political actors around the world could be left confused. Who, for instance, would finalize an agreement or take a binding stance in cooperation with a president whose supporters are urging him not to run due to his age and whose son’s legal issues could get worse?
And who would bet on a Republican frontrunner whose legal problems could prevent him from reaching the White House, especially given the specter of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is in line, making progress in the polls?
This different kind of "madness" will create global apprehension and hesitation about taking positions right now, amid the ambitious state of the United States and the depth of its divisions, especially with the introduction of legal and judicial problems.
It's enough, here, to contemplate the implications for the Iran nuclear deal, relations with China, and the US stance on the war in Ukraine among other issues.