Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on September 24-25/2023
Elias Bejjani/Video & Text: Reading in the Biblical Verse:The seven things God hates
What are the seven things God hates?”
Bishop Aoudi's sermon text that he delivered today, September 24, 2023, while presiding over the Divine Mass in St. George’s Cathedral
Aoudi: Why don’t officials compete for the best talents instead of each one trying to destroy the other’s work to show his ego?
Patriarch al-Rahi denounces Lebanon's unequal taxation system, affirms church's unwavering commitment
Saudi FM calls on Lebanese officials to initiate political, economic reforms to overcome crisis
Tripartite meeting in Beirut focuses on strengthening Palestinian coordination
Saudi ambassador says presidential vote a sovereign affair
Report: Shiite Duo clings to Franjieh in talks with Doha envoy
Israeli, Lebanese troops exchange tear gas on border
Lebanon's financial crisis: Exploring revenue potential beyond taxation
Tripoli Film Festival: Reviving the cinematic spirit of a lost era
A visit to Akkar: Bassil addresses dialogue, presidency, and refugee crisis
Syrian refugee crisis: Lebanon calls for diplomatic efforts and measures
Unauthorized printing: Scandal sparks concern around civics textbook distribution
Michael Aoun & Bassil tours Akkar: We face people whose goal is to gain power to steal, while we fight to build a homeland
Bassil: We will not be partners in any failure equation in the country because we have endured a lot
Raji al-Saad from LA: The stage is delicate and requires dialogue
Young Lebanese Diana Abi Nader sings Syriac rite before Pope Francis in Marseille
Geagea rules out presidential elections in near term
Okais: Syrian displacement has become an occupation sponsored by international organizations & bodies
Al-Bizris says "Saudi embassy reception a strong indication of strength of bilateral Lebanese-Saudi relations"
Makhzoumi hopes efforts will be made to reconnect Lebanon with its Arab & Gulf surroundings
Kabalan to al-Rahi: Some Christians do not want a Christian president

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on September 24-25/2023
AMCD Supports Syrian Druze Protesting for Competent Government
Concern mounts for ethnic Armenians in Karabakh
Armenia PM takes swipe at long-standing ally Russia
Residents of two villages in Karabakh evacuated to Armenia
Israel strikes Gaza again amid new violence at border
Israelis storm Al-Aqsa, raid Birzeit University
Saudi delegation expected to visit West Bank
Israeli forces kill 2 Palestinians in West Bank raid
Saudi Arabia condemns provocative practices carried out by Israeli extremists at Al-Aqsa Mosque
Arrest of 28 suspects linked to Islamic State in Iran
Women caught in the middle: Iran's complex relationship with the hijab reflected in new law
US allocates $73m to UNRWA amid funding crisis
Egypt, Jordan and Iraq FMs discuss economic, political ties
International monetary system has failed,’ Tunisian FM tells UN
Iran says it defused 30 bombs in Tehran, detained 28 - Tasnim news agency
'We have a breakthrough' says Ukrainian general leading counteroffensive
Back in full force, UN General Assembly shows how the most important diplomatic work is face to face
Ethiopia, Egypt, Sudan resume Nile dam talks
Anti-police violence protest 'unacceptable': French Interior Minister

Titles For The Latest English LCCC  analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on September 24-25/2023
Africa: Carving the Golden Goose/Amir Taheri/Asharq Al-Awsat/September 24, 2023
President Joe Biden: Stop the Second Armenian Genocide/Uzay Bulut/Gatestone Institute/September 24, 2023
EU hesitant in taking bold steps on Turkiye’s accession process/Yasar Yakis/Arab News/September 24, 2023
Children’s access to education and healthcare must be a priority/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab News/September 24, 2023
Iran, Russia boost ‘defense diplomacy’ to counter threats/Dr. Diana Galeeva/Arab News/September 24, 2023

Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on September 24-25/2023
Elias Bejjani/Video & Text: Reading in the Biblical Verse:The seven things God hates
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/122560/122560/
There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him/Proverbs 6:16-19
haughty eyes,
a lying tongue,
hands that shed innocent blood,
a heart that devises wicked schemes,
feet that are quick to rush into evil,
a false witness who pours out lies
and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.

Question: “What are the seven things God hates?”
GotQuestions.org?
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/122560/122560/
Answer: The seven things God hates are a catalog of sins summed up in Proverbs 6:16–19. While these aren’t the only sins that should be avoided, they do sum up most of the wicked things condemned by God. The seven things God hates are the sins that deal with the deep heart motives of the individual. The writer of Proverbs points the finger straight at our hearts and our sinful thought processes.
This is in line with our Lord Jesus Christ’s elaboration of the Ten Commandments during His Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:21–48). Sin is committed the moment it is conceived in the heart, even before it is actually committed. Avoiding the seven things God hates will help us expose our hidden intentions and motives.
The following is Proverbs’ list of seven things God hates:
Arrogant (haughty) eyes: This describes a feeling of pride and looking down upon others (Philippians 2:3, 5–11). When we begin to think of ourselves more highly and with unparalleled importance, we are forgetting the fact that anything good in us is the result of Christ living in us and that the old self is now dead (Galatians 2:20). Often, believers feel superior to other believers when they receive godly wisdom and display amazing tenacity against sin. We fail to realize these gifts were given by God through Christ and fanned into flame by the Holy Spirit and are not due to our own goodness. This sin of pride is so detested by the LORD that Paul was kept from committing this sin by being provided with “a thorn in the flesh” to humble him (2 Corinthians 12:7).
Lying tongue: A lying tongue is one that speaks falsehood, knowingly and willingly, with an intention to deceive others. Lying can be used to impugn the character of a brother or to flatter a friend. It is a most detestable evil to God, who is a God of truth. Nothing we do causes us to more closely resemble the devil, who is the father of lies (John 8:44).
Hands that shed innocent blood: This refers to cold-blooded murder. We may never have orchestrated killing someone or never have touched a gun or knife, but in Matthew 5:21–24, Jesus says that anyone who is angry with someone else unreasonably without offering room for forgiveness commits a sin equivalent to murder. John reiterates this concept in 1 John 3:15.
A heart that devises wicked schemes: This encompasses thinking or conceiving evil against any individual or group for personal benefit or other misguided objectives, like modern-day terrorists indulge in. Any sin is basically a wicked scheme. David’s sin against Uriah the Hittite and Bathsheba comes to mind (2 Samuel 11). The heart of an evil man continually contrives schemes to bring others to ruin, whether physically or spiritually.
Feet that are quick to rush into evil: Those whose feet are quick to rush into evil display no resistance whatsoever to sin. Having many examples in the Bible, and having the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30; Galatians 5:16), we are expected to be wise in this regard (Romans 6:11–14; Ephesians 5:5, 11). In the Garden of Eden, Eve had the first experience of temptation. She displayed no resistance to the serpent’s temptation. Instead, as soon as the devil attracted her to the fruit, she “saw that the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye” (Genesis 3:6). Eve had sinned at that moment itself. Contrast this with the attitude of Jesus: when tired and hungry after forty days and forty nights of fasting, He refused to yield to the devil’s tempting and killed the temptation in His mind without allowing it to grow into sin (Matthew 4:1–11). “Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).
False witness who pours out lies: This is similar to the sin of the lying tongue mentioned earlier, but this form of lying is given special mention as it could send an innocent person to jail or even lead to him being stoned to death as happened to Naboth, thanks to false witnesses instigated by the wicked Jezebel (1 Kings 21:8–14). The prohibition against bearing false witness is the ninth of the Ten Commandments, and the New Testament is equally condemning of it. Colossians 3:9–10 explains the reason for the continued prohibition against lying. Christians are new creations in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), and, as such, we reflect His nature. We have been released from our “old self” with its evil practices such as lying and bearing false witness.
A man who stirs up dissension among brothers: Brothers are created by God to live in unity (Psalm 133:1; 1 Thessalonians 4:9). Believers are brothers and sisters since they have one Father God and one Brother, Jesus Christ. The Church is also the Bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:25–27). In many situations strife among brothers and even within the church seems unavoidable, but anyone who purposely causes disruption to peace in the body of Christ will displease God above all, since that person gives room for others to sin and for himself to sin further (1 John 2:9–11; 4:19–21). Moreover, Jesus pronounced a great blessing on peacemakers, the privilege to be called “sons of God” (Matthew 5:9).

Bishop Aoudi's sermon text that he delivered today, September 24, 2023, while presiding over the Divine Mass in St. George’s Cathedral
Aoudi: Why don’t officials compete for the best talents instead of each one trying to destroy the other’s work to show his ego?
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/122542/122542/
NNA/LCCC/September 24/2023
“My beloved ones, Saint Silouan also says: “The Master’s love is hot and turbulent and leaves no room for remembering the earthly matters. He who tasted the Lord’s love searches for him day and night relentlessly. As for us, we waste this love with our pride, with religion. A brother’s kindness, his rejection, and envy.” This is what happens in this case. The beloved country, where each party looks for the mistakes of the other party in order to obstruct it, and thus obstruct the Money that is beneficial to all, due to rivalries, quarrels, hatred and interests. Why don’t officials compete for talent? For me, as the Apostle Paul says, that is, they work in an integrated way, honestly and faithfully, instead of trying to do everything One person wants to destroy the work of another so that his ego can be revealed, and to reveal to everyone that he is the savior. Is this how nations are built? This will sink the nation’s ship with everyone on it, and we will all lose everything, and regret will be of no use. Everyone must rely on the state, which must be everyone’s refuge and protector, secure the rights of all citizens and promote See justice among them. In order to reach this situation, we must build a strong and complete state, and not assault its sovereignty and the prestige of the judiciary, and stop... About disharmony, rivalry, and deviation from the goals of the state. This leads to conflicts and divisions that are useless and only end in failure and loss for everyone. “It is best to work quickly to elect a president, establish the authority, and let it rule according to law, justice, and equality.”Aoudi concluded: “Today we are called to believe in the Lord, to surrender ourselves to Him, and to work in the guidance of His Word, even if it seems that this is wrong.” He is a burden in our eyes, because he only wants our good and our best. Let us apply what we say in our prayers over and over again. A: “Let us commit ourselves and one another and all our lives to Christ God,” Amen. "

Patriarch al-Rahi denounces Lebanon's unequal taxation system, affirms church's unwavering commitment
NNA/September 24/2023
Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros al-Rahi expressed his view that "the law and the constitution are violated in Lebanon by those in power," considering that any violations by a member of any party are covered up by the party itself that protects the offender. During the Golden Jubilee Mass of the Maronite Eparchy of Australia, Patriarch al-Rahi pointed out that in Lebanon, taxes and fees are not collected from all citizens equally but rather selectively, either intentionally or out of fear of power imbalances, resulting in minimal access to public services. He emphasized that the Church will not remain silent about all the negative aspects in Lebanon and will not tire of fulfilling its mission through its educational, social, and healthcare institutions. The Maronite Patriarch asserted that "the Church has not abandoned Lebanon and its people to arrogance, and it will not remain silent about the intentional absence of the only Christian president in all Arab League countries." He directed a message to the Lebanese in Australia, saying, "Register yourselves in the Lebanese records to preserve your presence." --- LBC ENGLISH NEWS

Saudi FM calls on Lebanese officials to initiate political, economic reforms to overcome crisis
NNA/September 24, 2023
Minister for Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia, Faisal bin Farhan Al-Furhan Al-Saud, stated that human rights are of crucial importance, as his country aims to ensure a comprehensive and lasting recovery based on the individual. New and amended laws exist to ensure the dignity of citizens and protect decent livelihoods. Affirming that security in the Middle East requires acceleration of a just, comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue, he reiterated the call for an independent State based on pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. Striving to implement the principle of collective action, Saudi Arabia has hosted joint regional summits as part of the Gulf Cooperation Council and Arab League.  Noting that a resolution to the Syrian crisis would help stabilize the region and the world, his Government led negotiations with Iran, culminating in the Beijing Agreement on resuming diplomatic ties and communication between the countries. Turning to Yemen, he noted that Saudi Arabia is working to alleviate the crisis and the suffering of its people. On Lebanon, he called for all parties to initiate political and economic reforms to allow it to overcome the current crisis; similarly, Iraq’s security and stability are essential for entire region. He voiced deep concern over the escalation between the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces, calling for de-escalation, noting that his Government hosted parties to conflict in Jedda, while working with the United States to provide aid to the population, and helping to evacuate people by sea. In parallel, Riyadh presided over a high-level donor conference, resulting in commitments to provide more than $1.5 billion in aid.  All foreign interference in Libya’s internal affairs must end. Afghanistan should not serve as a refuge for terrorist organizations, he said, adding that women in that country should be permitted to access education and employment.  The international community must honour commitments to rid the world of nuclear weapons, especially in the Middle East. On human rights, he noted that the international community has made great strides in ridding the world of the scourge of terrorism and extremism, which runs counter to all religions, beliefs and races. Calling for the international community to counter hate and Islamophobia and prevent the burning of the holy Qur’an, he warned “against the gravity of these acts”.  He further welcomed the adoption by the United Nations Human Rights Council of a resolution on “combating intolerance, negative stereotyping and stigmatization of, and discrimination, incitement to violence, and violence, against persons based on religion or belief” (document A/HRC/28/47). Saudi Arabia is focusing on collective cooperation with the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries to promote the reliability and stability of global crude oil markets. On climate, he called for a transition to clean energy, citing the launch of the Green Saudi Arabia and Green Middle East initiatives, aiming to achieve carbon neutrality. --- UN

Tripartite meeting in Beirut focuses on strengthening Palestinian coordination
LBCI/September 24, 2023
A tripartite meeting was held in Beirut, bringing together leaders from the Islamic Jihad Movement, Hamas, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. During the meeting, an agreement was reached to escalate field resistance and enhance coordination. According to a joint statement, the participants discussed current developments and ways to confront the escalating Israeli occupation aggression against the Palestinian people. This includes the Israeli threats of assassinations, ongoing incursions, the continuation of the policies of annexation and settlement, and the aggression against the city of Jerusalem as part of attempts to impose a new reality in the holy city. The three forces emphasized the importance of comprehensive resistance, with armed resistance against the Israeli occupation at the forefront. They also agreed to strengthen coordination in all issues among the three parties.

Saudi ambassador says presidential vote a sovereign affair
Naharnet/September 24, 2023
Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Walid Bukhari has stresssed that "sustainable solutions come from within Lebanon, not from abroad." "The presidential juncture is a sovereign affair that the Lebanese should decide by themselves, and we are fully confident that the Lebanese are capable of shouldering their historic responsibilities and coming together to finalize the presidential juncture," Bukhari said at a ceremony in central Beirut celebrating the Saudi National Day. "The Saudi stance is at the forefront of the regional and international stances emphasizing the need to speed up the election of a president who would be able to achieve what the brotherly Lebanese people are aspiring for," Bukhari added. "We will continue our common efforts to urge Lebanon's leaders to elect a president and carry on with the reforms," the ambassador went on to say.

Report: Shiite Duo clings to Franjieh in talks with Doha envoy
Naharnet/September 24, 2023
Hezbollah and the Amal Movement have not responded positively to the proposals of a Qatari envoy who is visiting Lebanon, sources close to the Shiite Duo said.
"The Qatari envoy, who met with Speaker Nabih Berri and later with Loyalty to Resistance bloc head MP Mohammed Raad, informed them that he is seeking consensus on a third (presidential) candidate" other than Suleiman Franjieh and Jihad Azour, the sources told Annahar newspaper in remarks published Sunday. "But Berri and Raad told him that the Duo is clinging to Suleiman Franjieh's nomination," the sources added. According to media reports, the Qatari envoy has proposed three candidates: Army chief Joseph Aoun, an independent MP and a security official.

Israeli, Lebanese troops exchange tear gas on border
Agence France Presse/September 24, 2023
Israeli and Lebanese troops exchanged tear gas fire on the border between Lebanon and the Israeli-occupied Shebaa Farms, the two armies said. The Israeli army said its troops used "riot dispersal means" to turn around a Lebanese earthmover that had allegedly strayed into Israeli-held territory. The Lebanese Army said it was Israel which violated the demarcation line and fired smoke bombs at its troops escorting the bulldozer. The demarcation line in the Shebaa Farms area where the stand-off took place has been disputed by successive Lebanese governments which have argued that the area is Lebanese and should have been returned by Israel when it pulled out of the rest of south Lebanon in 2000. Israel argues the area is part of the Golan Heights, which it captured from Syria in the Six-Day War of 1967 and later annexed in a move never recognized by the United Nations. Following Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon, there were repeated clashes in the area between Israeli troops and fighters of Hezbollah which culminated in a devastating war in 2006, and the area remains highly militarized. "Earlier today, (Israeli) soldiers spotted an engineering vehicle's shovel crossing the (U.N.-demarcated) Blue Line from Lebanon into Israeli (annexed) territory in the area of Mount Dov," where Israel maintains a military camp, the Israeli army said. "In response... soldiers used riot dispersal means. The vehicle returned to Lebanese territory." The Lebanese Army said its troops had escorted the bulldozer, which was "removing an earth mound erected by the Israeli enemy north of the withdrawal line... in the area of Bastra - South." After being targeted by Israeli smoke bombs, "the patrol members responded to the attack by firing tear gas at the enemy members, forcing them to withdraw." According to Israeli media reports, the Lebanese earthmover penetrated just two meters over the demarcation line. Sporadic incidents still occur along the demarcation line. In July, the Israeli military said it had carried out retaliatory strikes against south Lebanon after an anti-tank missile was fired from the area.

Lebanon's financial crisis: Exploring revenue potential beyond taxation
LBCI/September 24, 2023
Lebanon's ongoing financial crisis has left its treasury bankrupt and its government seemingly paralyzed, lacking economic planning and foresight. Instead of relying on external assistance and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the country must explore alternative solutions that will not burden its citizens further with taxes and fees, many of which directly affect various sectors of its economy. Alongside the crushers and quarries issue that LBCI covered, one crucial aspect that demands attention is the maritime public properties, which could generate significant annual revenue of $52 million if adequately collected and can be quadrupled if prices are corrected which are still at the exchange rate of LBP 1,500. According to international data, the issue of riverine properties can also contribute substantially to state income, providing an equivalent amount to maritime properties. Furthermore, the state can potentially collect $300 million from the Beirut Port. Currently, port revenues are insufficient due to temporary committees overseeing income collection without prior oversight. The problem of customs evasion at ports, airports, and legitimate border crossings by manipulating the declared value of imported goods has cost the state nearly $800 million annually, as estimated by the IMF. According to economic experts, this is in addition to smuggling activities through illegal crossings and tax evasion by major traders, resulting in a loss of approximately $1 billion for the country. Lebanon has numerous state institutions and agencies that can generate substantial income if effective oversight and revenue collection practices are implemented, including casinos, the regie, telecommunications, and such, if monitored and collected effectively. If the state insists on taxation and fees, it should consider adopting a progressive tax system, which is the most equitable option. Alternatively, it can employ creative solutions, such as imposing fees on sectors that do not affect citizens directly, for example, foreign and non-Lebanese workers, particularly Syrian laborers, while safeguarding the Lebanese workforce. Implementing a new traffic law with strict electronic fine enforcement and securing a portion of valet parking companies' profits when they occupy public roads are other potential sources of income. These are just a few examples of the countless ideas that Lebanon could explore to generate revenue, potentially alleviating the need for external assistance and leading the country toward a more prosperous future.

Tripoli Film Festival: Reviving the cinematic spirit of a lost era
LBCI/September 24, 2023
Less than 100 years ago, specifically after 1930, Tripoli was the largest cinema hub in Lebanon. Every neighborhood in the city was bustling with cinemas.  In the Bab Al-Ramel area, there were two cinemas, and in Bab El-Tabbaneh, there were four cinemas. In the port area, there were seven cinema halls. However, the highest number of cinemas was in the city center, where more than 40 cinema halls were open. After the Civil War, most of these cinemas closed down, some due to damage and others because of the conditions that accompanied the war. Unfortunately, Tripoli no longer has any cinemas today. The only gathering place for cinema enthusiasts is the Tripoli Film Festival. This festival not only showcases independent and diverse cinematic productions but also includes a film market, which serves as a meeting place for professionals in the industry to present and market their ideas with the goal of securing funding and production. The film market also provides an opportunity for talented individuals to find employment in the field of cinema, which is a significant source of income in many countries. Lebanon, with its abundant talent and potential, has the capacity to become one of the leading competitors in this field. There are numerous outstanding Lebanese success stories in the world of cinema.

A visit to Akkar: Bassil addresses dialogue, presidency, and refugee crisis
LBCI/September 24, 2023
Leader of the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), MP Gebran Bassil, recently made a significant statement during a visit to Akkar, highlighting the presidency, the risks of displacement, and its consequences. During his visit, Bassil took a subtle jab at a prominent military leader, emphasizing his party's support for dialogue, provided it is taken seriously. Bassil, accompanied by President Michel Aoun, toured the Akkar region, which shares its borders with Syria, a region witnessing a significant influx of refugees due to complacency or organized criminal activities. Speaking from the town of Kobayat, Bassil underlined a crucial condition for any presidential candidate: not succumbing to the will of any ambassador or foreign power in accepting the continued presence of refugees.  He stressed that a genuine commitment to confront this issue head-on is essential, as he believes that displacement should not be a means to achieve the presidency. Bassil also reaffirmed his party's alignment with President Aoun's stance on dialogue, emphasizing that they do not impose any conditions on him and remain focused on the President's agenda. The tour began in Rahbeh, where Bassil and Aoun paid their respects at the Martyrs' Monument, laying wreaths in honor of the fallen heroes. During his visit to Akkar, Bassil expressed his support for reopening Kleiat Airport for civilian use and called for unity in implementing decentralization and establishing the National Credit Fund, which both hold significant potential for the nation.

Syrian refugee crisis: Lebanon calls for diplomatic efforts and measures
LBCI/September 24, 2023
In the item related to the required measures from the Lebanese Foreign Ministry in the Syrian refugee crisis, the Lebanese government is intensifying diplomatic efforts to highlight the risks associated with refugees' continued presence in Lebanon and its regional and European security implications. This comes amid the challenges posed by the limited capabilities of Lebanese security and military agencies in curbing smuggling operations through Lebanese territory and waters. The government urges its Foreign Ministry to engage with the international community and stress the importance of the refugees' return to their homeland. However, this request faces obstacles as international organizations, including UNHCR, are working to maintain refugees in Lebanon despite the country's concerns. In response to these challenges, Lebanon's Foreign Ministry is pursuing a multi-pronged strategy: Since the Brussels Conference on Syrian refugees and the subsequent European decision to reject their repatriation, Lebanon's Foreign Ministry has been communicating with important decision-makers in various capitals through its minister and representatives. Their objective is to articulate the existential threat facing Lebanon due to the presence of over two million refugees and the potential security risks, especially with a second wave of male Syrian refugees of young age entering the country clandestinely. The Foreign Ministry is taking a tough stance with UNHCR in Lebanon, which includes suspending transactions requested by UNHCR representatives in Lebanon and halting aid delivery, especially for refugees. It is also working with relevant Lebanese agencies to stop such aid transactions. However, these measures may only be sufficient with strict border controls and intensified efforts to combat smuggling operations. The Ministry is also contacting the Syrian government to address its perceived leniency in countering illegal crossings into Lebanon. In this regard, LBCI learned that Minister Abdallah Bou Habib was initially slated to meet with his Syrian counterpart, Faisal Mekdad, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Since Mekdad did not attend, Bou Habib contacted Mekdad and agreed to travel directly to Syria upon his return from abroad to discuss the refugee crisis—a mission assigned to him by the Lebanese government. As a result, the excuse of "non-engagement with the Syrian regime hindering refugee return" would no longer apply once the Lebanese government delegation sets foot on Syrian soil. Will this initiative mark the beginning of a resolution to a crisis that seriously threatens Lebanon's existence?

Unauthorized printing: Scandal sparks concern around civics textbook distribution
LBCI/September 24, 2023
When news of forged civics textbooks surfaced, accompanied by an official statement from the Education Ministry, one particular book stood out, bearing the flag of the Israeli enemy on its back cover. The concerned publishers rushed to distribute an explanation, apologizing for the unintended error and pledging to recall the books from the market. However, it soon became evident that the situation was more complex than initially thought. According to Hiam Isaac, the head of the Educational Research and Development Center, this textbook was, in fact, counterfeit. The publishing house in question had copied the content of the official civics book without proper authorization and printed it according to their standards. Moreover, the violation did not end there. No publishing house is permitted to print civics textbooks; this responsibility is solely reserved for the Educational Center. Yet, paradoxically, at least four publishing houses were found printing civics textbooks. In our quest for the truth behind these events, we reached out to four publishing houses that print civics textbooks, but we received a response from only one. We posed this question to the Educational Center, and it was revealed that the textbooks had been printed as usual in previous years except for this year. Nonetheless, UNICEF, which had taken on the task of printing civics textbooks for the past two years, apologized for not publishing it this year due to a lack of funding. The Educational Center substituted the paper textbooks with e-books and collected used textbooks printed by UNICEF to distribute to public school students. According to Isaac, legal actions to prosecute the offenders have commenced. This is a violation that must be penalized. Are these measures sufficient to secure textbooks for all students, and does the counterfeit saga end here?

Michael Aoun & Bassil tours Akkar: We face people whose goal is to gain power to steal, while we fight to build a homeland
Bassil: We will not be partners in any failure equation in the country because we have endured a lot
NNA/September 24, 2023
Former President Michel Aoun referred Sunday to the long path of struggle that he had taken along with those who supported and fought along his side, all for the sake of preserving and building the nation, and not for the sake of reaching power. He added: “We are facing people whose goal is to gain power in order to steal, while we are fighting to build a nation, to give it and not take from it.” “We directed you to the thieves, and they are major figures in the state...Some of them steal and others protect them...Unfortunately, these are the heads of the state, the state of Lebanon,” Aoun underlined regretfully.
His words came during his tour in the Akkar region on Sunday, accompanied by Free Patriotic Movement Chief, MP Gebran Bassil, and MPs Jimmy Jabour and Assad Dergham, and a number of movement officials. During their first stop in the town of Rahbeh, Aoun said he came to remember and pay tribute to the heroic martyrs who fell in the wars that raised the pride of Lebanon and the Lebanese, and preserved their dignity. Addressing the people of the town of Shadra, his second stop-over, Aoun said: “I know you through your heroes who fought with me and were my brothers. The engraved martyrdom list that indicates your heroism and your fight is sufficient to preserve the pride and perpetuation of Lebanon...We honored our martyrs and prayed for them as they became dust, and today I have come to pray with you for their souls that have risen to Heaven...”He added: “I know Shadra, the town near the border and connected to the heart of Lebanon, along with its people, and in times of adversity we always find its people with us.”
In the Church of Saint Fatima in Andaqet, President Aoun also assured townsmen that he knows them well through the heroes from their town who fought with him, some who fell as martyrs and some who remained alive and supported his battle for the pride and dignity of Lebanon. “There were circumstances in which we fought for Lebanon. We were expelled, but we returned and Lebanon was liberated and sovereignty and freedom were restored,” Aoun went on. He stressed that “the state of freedom we are living in must not be lost.” At the final stop-over in the town of Qobayat, a popular meeting was held in the silk factory, where a warm welcoming speech was delivered by journalist Ghassan Saud. Addressing the attendees, MP Bassil, in turn, hailed the sacrifices made by the people of Akkar, despite the long years of deprivation and injustice that they have suffered. “We will not be partners in any equation of failure in the country, because we have endured a lot, and the movement is not defeated as long as it has an incubating human environment like Akkar,” Bassil stressed, praising the valuable contributions of Akkar’s citizens to the movement and to the entire nation.
He considered that the injustice inflicted on this region cannot be removed with words, urging the people of Akkar not to believe promises of projects in absentia, for there are no more funds...He said: “Believe only when administrative decentralization and the trust fund are approved,” adding, “With decentralization, the tax that the people of Akkar pay goes to the trust fund, and thus you have your own fund under the supervision of the a judicial council that you elect, and likewise your representatives help you by approving projects in said judicial council...”
“As for major projects, there is no hope for them without the fund,” Bassil reiterated. Touching on the subject of dialogue, Bassil emphasized that “the program is the basis and the most prominent example is the issue of the displaced. We have the right to know what the position of the next president will be on the displaced file, if he wants to confront to ensure the return of the displaced or yield to pressure from an ambassador asking him to stop. We have the right to obtain guarantees. In 2011, we lived with the Prime Minister the first wave of displacement, and today we are living with him, the second wave of displacement, and the same applies to the President of the Republic....We are facing people who open the borders for Syrians to enter and prevent their exit, so do we bring any of them in as president?!”

Raji al-Saad from LA: The stage is delicate and requires dialogue
NNA /September 24, 2023
MP Raji al-Saad stressed Sunday on “the importance of dialogue and consensus in this delicate and difficult stage that Lebanon is going through, despite the rift over the issue of the presidency of the republic,” noting that “we cannot find a way out of our problem today without dialogue.”In his speech delivered before a group of Lebanese businessmen in Los Angeles during a luncheon hosted in his honor by Progressive Socialist Party representative, Sami Kadi, MP Saad said that “it is necessary to implement the system and laws in accordance with the Lebanese constitution to build a state,” highlighting “the importance of applying the constitution in order to know how to develop it later. Saad called on Lebanese expatriates to support Lebanon, whether economically or politically. Speaking at another event that included the book signing of former World Lebanese Cultural Union’s President Elias Kassab’s new released work, MP Saad shed light on the importance of studying history to avoid repeating the same mistakes, saying: “Unfortunately, we did not learn from the experiences that took place in Lebanon, and the martyrs were many.” He added: "We rely on the awareness of expatriates because they can see the situation in Lebanon from another perspective. We do not want this generation and future generations to live what previous generations have lived."

Young Lebanese Diana Abi Nader sings Syriac rite before Pope Francis in Marseille
NNA/September 24, 2023
Young Lebanese Diana Abi Nader sang Ave Maria in Syriac before Pope Francis, inspired by the two Eastern rites of the Orthodox and Syriac traditions.  According to La Croix, a daily French general-interest Roman Catholic newspaper, the young Maronite liturgical singer, who grew up in Beirut and is now living in Marseille, left the capital shortly after the August 4, 2020 explosion, and is working on a thesis on port logistics. Wearing the Lebanese flag on her shoulders, Diana sang in front of the Pope and bishops at the end of the closing session of the Mediterranean Meetings. --- LBC ENGLISH NEWS

Geagea rules out presidential elections in near term
NNA/September 24, 2023
In a press interview, the head of the Lebanese Forces Party, Samir Geagea, ruled out “the possibility of holding presidential elections in the near future despite Saudi and Qatari efforts,” in reference to internal Lebanese obstruction. Regarding the security risks that he might be exposed to by personally participating in the celebration of the 93rd Saudi National Day in a public place, Geagea replied: “Actually, there is something worth taking."Geagea praised during the interview the development taking place in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He was asked: To whom do you want to say, “I am here in downtown Beirut?” He replied: “Not to anyone. My visit is to congratulate my friends on Saudi National Day.” Asked, "Are you reassured about security?" - Geagea replied: “Yes, here, and the rest is up to God.”

Okais: Syrian displacement has become an occupation sponsored by international organizations & bodies
NNA/September 24, 2023
MP George Okais considered it shameful for the Lebanese to wait for the outside to fulfill internal entitlements, at a time when they should only resort to the constitution that determines the path and origins of any entitlement, far from establishing new norms. Speaking in an interview with “Voice of All Lebanon” Radio Station this morning, Okais hoped that the “dialogue trick” does not fool anyone, saying: “The constitution does not mention any dialogue prior to the election of a president of the republic, and it is clear in specifying parliamentary consultations for the prime minister, for instance.”The MP reiterated his apology for not responding to the call for dialogue, calling on those who plan to hold it, if they wish, to do so without the Lebanese Forces’ participation, deeming said dialogue as “a waste of time and continues to obstruct the presidency.” Regarding the talk about General Joseph Aoun assuming the presidency of the republic, Okais said: “The Lebanese Forces were the first to propose his name, and they do not mind if he is a consensual candidate with the possibility of amending the constitution.” He added, “The Strong Republic parliamentary bloc accomplished positive things, but was unable to make a radical change in the Lebanese scene, so I call on people to elect representatives outside the current structure and system.”Touching on the Syrian presence in Lebanon, the MP stressed: “This is no longer a Syrian displacement, but rather an occupation.” He considered that for the first time, international organizations and entities are sponsoring the occupation of one country by another country, calling for ceasing the financial aid given to the displaced Syrians which would trigger them to return to their country.

Al-Bizris says "Saudi embassy reception a strong indication of strength of bilateral Lebanese-Saudi relations"
NNA/September 24, 2023
MP Abdul-Rahman Al-Bizri wrote today on platform “X”: “A widespread participation in the reception of the Saudi embassy brings together various political forces in Lebanon...A strong indication of the depth and strength of the relationship between our two countries and the Kingdom’s great role in supporting Lebanon...Thank you to Saudi Arabia for its sustained support.”

Makhzoumi hopes efforts will be made to reconnect Lebanon with its Arab & Gulf surroundings
NNA/September 24, 2023
MP Fouad Makhzoumi wrote on platform “X”: “I was honored to participate in the distinguished and exceptional reception held by His Excellency the Saudi Ambassador, friend Walid Al-Bukhari, at Amin Al-Hafiz Square in central Beirut on the occasion of the 93rd Saudi National Day. The scene in this particular place, with all the historical symbolism it carries, embodies the fraternal and historical relationship between Lebanon and the Kingdom, which has never and will never forget Lebanon, and has stood by it and supported it in all its circumstances. We all hope that efforts will be exerted to reconnect Lebanon with its Arab and Gulf surroundings, from which it will never be separated...Our wishes for more security, safety and stability for the Kingdom and its people within the 2030 Strategic Vision.”

Kabalan to al-Rahi: Some Christians do not want a Christian president
NNA/September 24, 2023
The Grand Jaafari Mufti, Sheikh Ahmed Kabalan, addressed Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros al-Rahi, saying, "The issue in Lebanon is that some Christians do not want a Christian president." In a statement, Kabalan saw that "what we have been experiencing since October 2019 is an overwhelming American invasion on various fronts. We need everyone at this critical moment of invasion and the decisive battles the country is going through." He emphasized that national solidarity, dialogue, and unity are essential for the nation's salvation. He explained, "we have stated that political division violates the constitution and law and destroys the country. It plays into the hands of Washington and its international, regional group." Considering that Lebanon is facing its worst systematic war, he added, "It is no secret that Lebanon is exposed to its worst systematic war, and the organized storm led by Washington is causing the worst catastrophe affecting the state, its project, and its people. Their goal is to destroy Lebanon's pillars, and sadly, inside the country, some are participating in this war on destructive fronts. There is no neutrality in this war because Lebanon is under invasion." The Mufti further pointed out that "the law and the constitution are suffering from the Washington storm and the partnership of some with it. Those who have fought the toughest national wars to restore the constitution, the country, and its institutions are now calling for national solidarity and a rescue dialogue, and the problem is 'not the oppression of the wicked but the silence of the righteous.'"He observed that "the gate of tyranny, which violates the constitution, is only lagging in the rescue dialogue, despite the severity of the war that is grinding the country." --- LBC ENGLISH NEWS

Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on September 24-25/2023
AMCD Supports Syrian Druze Protesting for Competent Government
September 24, 2023
The American Mideast Coalition for Democracy lends its full support to the brave protesters in the predominantly Druze city of Suwaida in Syria as they seek basic government services, the stabilization of the currency and prices, reliable electricity and water services, equal application of the law, and opportunities to earn fair wages for the common people. Under pressure due to rising inflation, on August 15, Syrian President Assad doubled the wages for public sector employees while removing the subsidy for gas, causing gas prices to skyrocket and worsening inflation which is expected to hit 60% this year.. Infrastructure across the country has been destroyed by years of civil conflict and some protesters complained of the Russian presence and accused the Wagner Group and Iranian proxy Hezbollah of being involved in drug smuggling as the state descends further into tribalism and lawlessness. Iran operates numerous military checkpoints in the area. The protesters want an end to foreign interference and a government that can deliver the basic necessities of life. AMCD applauds their bravery and supports their goals.

Concern mounts for ethnic Armenians in Karabakh
Agence France Presse/September 24, 2023
Concern was growing for ethnic Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh on Sunday as Azerbaijani forces tightened their grip on the breakaway region. If the new ceasefire there holds, it could mark the end of a conflict between the Christian and Muslim Caucasus rivals that has raged, off and on, through the three decades since the collapse of the Soviet Union. But the years of fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh have been marked by abuses on both sides and there are fears of a new refugee crisis. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan that Washington had "deep concern" for ethnic Armenians there, in a phone call Saturday, a spokesman said. At the U.N. General Assembly in New York, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan called for a U.N. mission to monitor treatment of ethnic Armenians in the mountainous region. But for Baku, Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov told the General Assembly: "Azerbaijan is determined to reintegrate ethnic Armenian residents of the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan as equal citizens." A U.S. congressional delegation was in Armenia to show support for the embattled Pashinyan and to inspect the region's blockade. "Certainly people are very fearful of what could be occurring in there," Senator Gary Peters of Michigan told reporters at the border on Saturday. "I think the world needs to know exactly what's happening." He used binoculars to look across the border towards Russian peacekeeper positions, as Azerbaijani trucks transported material for a new highway being built as the government secures the region.
- Arsenal on display -
As the first Red Cross aid convoy crossed into the disputed enclave since Azerbaijan launched last week's lightning offensive, government forces there said rebel "demilitarization" had begun. Ethnic Armenian separatist fighters began surrendering weapons under a Russian-mediated agreement on Friday, said Moscow. On Saturday, the Azerbaijan forces showed off part of the captured rebel arsenal: sniper rifles, Kalashnikov rifles, rocket-propelled grenades and four tanks painted with cross insignia. Baku's forces now control the district of Shusha, and the town of the same name appears deserted. Troops have mortar positions on high ground overlooking the approach to the nearby regional capital Stepanakert, AFP reporters saw. They also control the so-called Lachin Corridor to the southwest, that once connected the breakaway region to Armenia. Baku has mounted a de facto blockade there for the past nine months. In the Armenian border town of Kornidzor, civilians were gathered at the last checkpoint before Azerbaijani territory, hoping for news of relatives. "I've been here for three days and nights, sleeping in my car," said 28-year-old Garik Zakaryan, as displaced Armenians borrowed a soldier's telescope to scan a village across the valley. Zakaryan got his family out in December, three days before Azerbaijan blockaded the area, but he was worried for friends and family still across the border. Zara Amatuni, local spokesman for the International Committee of the Red Cross, told AFP that 70 metric tons of food and humanitarian aid had passed along the Lachin Corridor.
- Villagers 'burn homes' -
In a hint of the bad blood between the sides, Azerbaijan's defense ministry on Saturday accused Karabakh Armenians of setting fire to their homes in one village to keep them from Baku's advancing troops. Some villagers also set fire to their homes before fleeing after Azerbaijan first began to re-establish control over parts of Nagorno-Karabakh in a six-week war in 2020. Russia said an Azerbaijani soldier had been "wounded during an exchange of fire." It was investigating the incident with Baku and separatist officials, it added. Separatist leaders have said they are in Russian-mediated talks with Baku to organize the withdrawal process and the return of civilians displaced by the fighting. They say they are discussing how citizens' access to and from Nagorno-Karabakh, where up to 120,000 ethnic Armenians live, will work.

Armenia PM takes swipe at long-standing ally Russia
Agence France Presse/September 24, 2023
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Sunday took a veiled swipe at long-standing ally Russia, calling his country's current foreign security systems "ineffective.""The systems of external security in which Armenia is involved are ineffective when it comes to the protection of our security and Armenia's national interests," Pashinyan said in a televised address aired days after Azerbaijan's resounding victory in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Residents of two villages in Karabakh evacuated to Armenia
NNA/September 24, 2023
"Russia Today" agency quoted the media center of the Republic of Karabakh as saying that the residents of two villages located in the region were evacuated, and they arrived in the territory of the Republic of Armenia. According to site data, residents of the Yaghtsakhukh region in Karabakh were evacuated during the recent hostilities, and expressed their desire to move to their relatives in Armenia. It is noteworthy that they arrived, accompanied by Russian peacekeeping forces, in Armenian Kurdzor. Russia also called on the parties to the conflict to stop the bloodshed and return to a diplomatic settlement. In the past two days, the Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense announced that an agreement had been reached with the participation of the Russian peacekeeping contingent on the suspension of anti-terrorism measures in Karabakh.

Israel strikes Gaza again amid new violence at border
AFP/September 24, 2023
GAZA CITY: The Israeli army launched a drone strike on the Gaza Strip on Saturday after violent protests in which three Palestinians were wounded by Israeli fire, sources on both sides said. The early evening strike is one of a series that have come amid near-daily protests at the border by Palestinians after Israel closed the Erez crossing from Gaza. A drone “struck a military post belonging to the Hamas terrorist organization, adjacent to the area where a violent riot was taking place,” the army said. It added that “shots were fired toward” Israeli soldiers near the border during the strike, without reporting any casualties. A Palestinian security source told AFP that an “Israeli aircraft had targeted a Hamas surveillance site east of Gaza City,” without mentioning any casualties. Earlier in the day, Palestinian demonstrators faced off against Israeli soldiers stationed along the border fence, an AFP journalist reported. Demonstrators set fire to tires and threw stones at Israeli soldiers. Three Palestinians were wounded by Israeli fire, according to the Gaza health ministry. Israel has imposed an air, land and sea blockade on the impoverished Palestinian enclave ever since the Islamist group Hamas seized control in 2007. Thousands of Palestinian workers from Gaza have been prevented from entering Israel by the closure of the Erez crossing, which an Israeli NGO, Gisha, condemned as “collective punishment.”Israel has issued work permits to some 18,500 Gazans, COGAT, the Israeli defense ministry body responsible for Palestinian civil affairs, said on Tuesday. Since September 13, six Palestinians have been killed and nearly 100 wounded during violence at the border, according to figures from the health ministry in Gaza. Armed conflict sporadically erupts between Israel and militants in the Gaza Strip. In May, an exchange of Israeli air strikes and Gaza rocket fire resulted in the deaths of 34 Palestinians and one Israeli.

Israelis storm Al-Aqsa, raid Birzeit University
NNA/September 24, 2023
Hundreds of Israeli settlers on Sunday stormed al-Aqsa Mosque protected by the Israeli occupation forces. The Islamic Endowments Department in occupied Al-Quds said some 317 settlers stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque in the morning. The Israeli occupation forces tightened their security measures in the vicinity of al-Aqsa and obstructed the entry of worshippers to the mosque in order to secure the en masse entry of settlers to the holy site on the anniversary of the Jewish Yom Kippur holiday. Extremist Knesset Member Yehuda Glick led the raid. The Israeli Temple Institute called for a storming of Al-Aqsa on Sunday and Monday, on the eve of Yom Kippur. On the occasion of Yom Kippur, "all eyes are on the various fronts, from the south to the north," Israeli Channel 13 news military affairs correspondent Or Heller said Saturday. "Israel" will witness “a general closure in various Palestinian regions tomorrow, on the occasion of Yom Kippur,” pointing out that “a state of alert is spreading throughout Israel, amid many security warnings," he added. This indicates the continued Israeli fear of the ignition of several fronts together in any confrontation or the simultaneous start of offensives on various fronts, the Israeli reporter said. Israeli KAN public broadcaster military affairs correspondent Itay Blumental underlined that hundreds of alerts were getting to the military and security establishments ahead of Yom Kippur. On the other hand, Israeli Channel 12 reported on the escalating tension along the separation wall, particularly during the "holiday period in September and October," noting the strengthening of firefighting forces in the Gaza envelope area in anticipation of an increase in balloon-caused fires. The Gaza Strip has initiated incendiaries. According to Israeli media, the first fire broke out today in the Gaza Strip community of Netiv Haasra as a result of an incendiary balloon thrown from the Strip. Meanwhile, the military affairs correspondent for Israeli Channel 13 stated that "what happened today, Saturday, on the northern border of occupied Palestine with Lebanon (in reference to the Lebanese army's response to an occupation force's breach of the withdrawal line and the firing of smoke bombs), is... within the framework of "Hezbollah's desire and efforts to exert pressure on the borders."
IOF RAID BIRZEIT UNIVERSITY
The Israeli occupation forces raided the Birzeit University in Ramallah and arrested student council chief Abdulmajid Hassan and several other members of the student council. The occupation forces completely destroyed the contents of the student council headquarters after storming it. Birzeit University condemned the Israeli incursion, the arrest of a number of its students, and the vandalism of university property. The university confirmed that this is a "major and clear violation of all international norms and conventions," which criminalize violating the sanctity of universities and educational institutions. --- AL- MAYADEEN

Saudi delegation expected to visit West Bank
RAMALLAH (Reuters)/September 24, 2023
A Saudi delegation is due to visit Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah this week, a Palestinian official said, amid diplomatic efforts to secure an accord between Israel and Saudi Arabia that could involve concessions for the Palestinians. The delegation will be led by the non-resident Saudi envoy to the Palestinians, who was appointed last month, the official said. The visit comes after both Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last week that efforts were underway to reach an agreement normalizing relations between their two countries. U.S. officials have cautioned that any agreement, expected to include a defence agreement with Washington and a civilian nuclear programme for Saudi Arabia, would be some way off. Among the issues to be resolved would also be the Palestinian question, and calls for a revival of a peace process leading to a two-state solution with an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel. U.S.-brokered peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians broke down in 2014 and relations between the two sides have plummeted amid a tide of violence. Last week Abbas said no Middle East peace agreement would be achievable until Palestinians were granted full rights, and the Saudi foreign minister also called for a revival of the objective of a two-state solution.

Israeli forces kill 2 Palestinians in West Bank raid
Agence France Presse/September 24, 2023
Israeli forces shot dead two Palestinians in a pre-dawn raid Sunday in the West Bank, the Palestinian health ministry said, as the army confirmed "counter-terrorism" activity in the occupied territory. Violence has surged in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since early last year, particularly in the West Bank, where eight Palestinians have now been killed in Israeli incursions since Tuesday. "Two Palestinians were killed by live Israeli bullets to the head" in the town of Tulkarem, the ministry said. The army said one of its soldiers was "moderately injured by gunshot fragments" during clashes in the Nur Shams refugee camp near the town. The Palestinian health ministry identified the two killed as Osaid Abu Ali, 22, and Abd al-Rahman Abu Daghash, 32. Ibrahim al-Nimer, a representative of the Palestinian Prisoners' Club advocacy group in the camp, said the "two were civilians.""The army entered the camp after 2:00 am... and demolished streets and some houses in the camp," Nimer told AFP. The army said it had dismantled an "operational command centre" inside a building and uncovered a large number of explosive devices. "During the activity, suspects opened fire and hurled explosive devices at the forces, who responded with live fire," the army said in a statement.
- Surge in army raids -
Recent months have seen a surge in such military raids and a rise in Palestinian attacks on Israelis, as well as an increase in West Bank settler attacks against Palestinians.
In early July, the Israeli army carried out its biggest raid in years on the Jenin refugee camp in which at least 13 Palestinians were killed, including militants and children. One Israeli soldier was also killed in that raid, but by Israeli fire "following an incident of mistaken identification," the army said days later. The Jenin raid had also targeted several explosives-manufacturing facilities, the army said of the July operation that left much of the camp charred and in rubble. Israel has occupied the West Bank since the Six-Day War of 1967. Excluding annexed east Jerusalem, the territory is now home to around 490,000 Israelis who live in settlements that are considered illegal under international law. The Palestinians, who seek their own independent state, want Israel to withdraw from all land it occupied in the Six-Day War and to dismantle all Jewish settlements. However, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's hard-right government has pushed forward settlement expansion. The coalition includes settlers such as the extreme-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
- Violence in Gaza -
Unrest has also surged in recent days in the Israeli-blockaded Gaza Strip, where Palestinians have been holding daily protests that have turned violent along the border with Israel. On Saturday, the Israeli army carried out a drone strike after violent protests in which three Palestinians were wounded by Israeli fire. The strike was one of a series that have come amid protests at the border by Palestinians after Israel closed the Erez crossing, the only one for pedestrians into Israel from Gaza. Saturday's strike targeted "a military post belonging to the Hamas terrorist organization," the army said, referring to the Palestinian militant group that controls the Gaza Strip. Since September 13, six Palestinians have been killed and nearly 100 wounded during violence at the border, according to figures from the Hamas health ministry in Gaza. Israel has imposed an air, land and sea blockade on the impoverished Palestinian coastal enclave ever since Hamas seized control in 2007. At least 241 Palestinians have been killed in the Israel-Palestinian conflict so far this year. The bloodshed has also seen 32 Israelis, a Ukrainian and an Italian killed over the same period, according to an AFP tally based on official sources on both sides.
They include, on the Palestinian side, combatants as well as civilians and, on the Israeli side, mainly civilians including minors and three members of the Arab minority.

Saudi Arabia condemns provocative practices carried out by Israeli extremists at Al-Aqsa Mosque
Arab News/September 24, 2023
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia condemned on Sunday continuous provocative practices carried out by a group of extremists at Al-Aqsa Mosque under the protection of Israeli forces, Saudi Press Agency reported. The Kingdom’s Foreign Ministry expressed regret at practices carried out by Israeli authorities that undermine international peace efforts and contradict international principles and norms regarding respecting religious sanctities. The ministry reiterated the Kingdom’s firm position in support of Palestinian people and all efforts aimed at ending Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories. It also expressed its support for achieving a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue, enabling the Palestinian people to establish their independent Palestinian state on 1967 borders, with east Jerusalem as its capital. Israel captured the West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians seek those territories for their hoped-for independent state.

Arrest of 28 suspects linked to Islamic State in Iran
AFP/September 24, 2023
The Iranian Ministry of Intelligence announced on Sunday the arrest of 28 individuals suspected of having ties to the jihadist Islamic State organization and planning attacks on the anniversary of last year's nationwide protest movement. Protests erupted following the death of the 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman, Mahsa Amini, on September 16, 2022, just days after her arrest by the police, who deemed that she had violated the country's strict dress code. The ministry stated on its website, "In recent days, during a series of simultaneous operations carried out in Tehran and the provinces of Alborz and West Azerbaijan, several terrorist bases were targeted (…)," adding that 28 individuals had been arrested. The detainees "belong" to the Islamic State organization, and some of them "accompanied extremists in Syria or were active in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the Kurdistan region of Iraq," according to the source. The ministry also reported that two security personnel were injured during the arrest operations, and explosive devices, firearms, explosive vests, and communication devices were confiscated. According to the source, the 28 suspects had planned to "carry out 30 simultaneous terrorist bombings in densely populated areas in Tehran to undermine security, incite riots, and stage demonstrations on the occasion of the anniversary of the riots" in 2022. During the protests that took place between October and November 2022, hundreds of Iranians, including security personnel, were killed, and thousands were arrested. On Thursday, the Iranian judiciary sentenced a Tajik man, claiming to be a member of the Islamic State organization, to death after he was convicted of opening fire last month at a Shiite shrine in the southern part of the country.

Women caught in the middle: Iran's complex relationship with the hijab reflected in new law
LBCI/September 24, 2023
It is a year that separates the killing of the young Iranian woman Mahsa Amini, who was arrested because her hijab did not correctly cover her head, from the approval of Iranian lawmakers to implement a law requiring wearing the hijab and modesty in public places.
The law, known as the "Bill to Support the Family by Promoting the Culture of Chastity and Hijab," is undergoing a three-year trial period and still requires the approval of the Guardian Council. The proposed law includes a set of provisions, including longer prison sentences for women who refuse to wear the hijab, fines ranging from $750 to $20,000, and strict new penalties for celebrities and companies violating the rules. The Iranian police will also use artificial intelligence to identify women who violate dress code rules. Among the provisions of the law:
- The Ministry of Culture is obliged not to issue any permits for artistic works that contradict it. - Iran's Radio and TV corporation is prohibited from hosting those who promote unveiling.
- The Ministry of Economy is instructed not to import prohibited clothing, statues, mannequins, paintings, and products that contribute to promoting unveiled dress.
This is a new blow to women's rights coming months after protests against the imposition of the hijab. While different countries are moving towards empowering women and giving them the right to choose their way of life, Iran is heading in the opposite direction by tightening restrictions on women. What is striking is that in Iran, the hijab is no longer just a religious issue for each woman; it has become a political title. Enforcing it serves the political system, and rejecting it is associated with opposition to the system. In between, there are women who have no say in the matter.

US allocates $73m to UNRWA amid funding crisis
Arab News/September 24, 2023
LONDON: US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield announced an additional $73 million in funding to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, Jordan Press Agency reported on Sunday. The ambassador said that the funding would help supply food to needy families, provide healthcare for children and pregnant women, assist students in furthering their education, and support people affected by the conflict through mental health services. It will also provide emergency humanitarian assistance to residents of Jenin and Ain Al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camps, both of which have suffered from recent violence. Earlier on Thursday, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said the funding crisis for Palestinian refugees in Jordan and other host countries has created an “absolutely unbearable” situation that could soon approach a tipping point. Lazzarini said that the agency required between $170 and $190 million just to keep its activities in Jordan, Lebanon, Gaza and elsewhere running until the end of the year. Jordan’s King Abdullah II told the UNGA in New York on Tuesday that the world must not abandon Palestinian refugees to the forces of despair. “In Jordan, where refugees make up over a third of our 11 million population, cuts have already thrown the lives of hundreds of thousands of refugees into uncertainty. The impact of such humanitarian shortfalls is never limited to a country or region,” the king said.
Despite several UN member states pledging Thursday to boost their contributions to UNRWA, the agency still only has the means to provide services until October.

Egypt, Jordan and Iraq FMs discuss economic, political ties
Arab News/September 24, 2023
CAIRO: The foreign ministers of Egypt, Jordan and Iraq on Saturday discussed ways to activate cooperation between the three countries in several economic and political fields. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Egypt Sameh Shoukry hosted Jordan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Al-Safadi, and Iraq’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Fuad Hussein, at the headquarters of the Permanent Mission of Egypt to the UN in New York on the sidelines of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly. The Egyptian foreign ministry said on Sunday that this was the follow-up to a summit in Baghdad in June 2021.
HIGHLIGHT
The ministers touched on many issues, notably the Palestinian issue in the context of the importance of restoring inalienable Palestinian rights. During the meeting on Saturday, topics agreed on included the importance of completing projects proposed among the countries. Initiating the introduction of new ideas and projects in electrical connectivity, renewable energy, communications, trade, industry, transportation, health, pharmaceutical industries, housing and construction were discussed, as well as in culture, tourism, youth and sports, and in the areas of security and defense cooperation. The ministers also discussed the political situation in the region, stressing the importance of achieving security and stability there. They touched on many issues, notably the Palestinian issue in the context of the importance of restoring inalienable Palestinian rights. Ministers also discussed efforts to find a solution to the Syrian crisis, especially through the work of the Arab Ministerial Contact Group, in a way that achieved the interests of the Syrian people and ended their suffering. The foreign ministers agreed to continue coordination among themselves to prepare for the tripartite summit scheduled to be held in Cairo. Tripartite cooperation between Egypt, Jordan and Iraq includes agreements in the energy, health and education sectors, as well as political coordination on Middle East issues.

International monetary system has failed,’ Tunisian FM tells UN
Arab News/September 24, 2023
NEW YORK: “Substantive” reforms to the international financial system and global economic governance are necessary to bridge the gap between rich and poor countries, Tunisia’s foreign minister told the UN General Assembly on Saturday. Nabil Ammar warned that the world is “experiencing a very delicate page in its history,” defined by growing crises and challenges, “wars and conflicts getting worse and geopolitical divisions being evident.”He said: “Is this really the world to which we aspire after almost eight decades since the creation of the UN? This is an image that’s very distant from the goals and values that this organization is based on.”Ammar called for universal acknowledgment that the international financial system has failed in its objectives. Only then can the system, “which has increased the gap between advanced countries and developing countries,” be rebuilt, he said.
“The international monetary system has failed; the system which was created following the Second World War to provide a safety net for the world, to guarantee lasting financing for development and for the least-developed countries. This system, quite to the contrary, has disappointed and has abandoned these countries.”
Indebtedness among developing countries is worsening, he warned, with growing poverty and hunger fueling an “unprecedented increase in refugees and migrants.”
Tunisia has taken on an outsized burden in that regard because of its geographical position as a gateway to Europe, and due to the effects of conflict and climate change in Africa, Ammar added. “We reiterate the need to adopt a global approach to tackle this issue of illegal migration, by focusing on its root causes rather than simply its consequences.” He added: “We once again would like to reiterate the need for all parties to assume their responsibility — origin countries, transit countries and destination countries, as well as regional and international organizations.”
As part of the effort to address the root causes of mass migration, Ammar welcomed a decision by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to launch a response group for energy and food crises.
Ammar relayed an appeal by Tunisian President Kais Saied to establish a global emergency grain stockpile to safeguard against supply chain issues. Ammar said confronting climate change is an “absolute priority” for Tunisia, adding: “What the world is experiencing today — the impact of climate change, deterioration of ecosystems, worsening of natural disasters — all of this forces all of us to confront these challenges urgently.” He said: “Tunisia hasn’t been an exception to what the world has experienced and continues to experience in terms of challenges — economic challenges, social challenges and living conditions. “And we, in spite of these difficulties, intend to overcome them, strengthen resilience and sustainability in cooperation with our friends and partners, while respecting the principles and the guiding principles of our national policies and national destiny.” Ammar said Tunisia will continue “tirelessly” with reform, strengthening good governance and combating corruption in order to “strengthen and fine-tune our democracy.”The country will also continue empowering women and young people to “strengthen their participation in public life and in decision-making,” he added.
Ammar called for “a new global order” and a new vision that promotes balance and equality between states, and which “takes into account the root causes of instability.”The Palestinian question is part of that effort, he added, condemning the “silence of the international community” on Israel’s “disregard of international law.”A just solution, overseen by the UN and based on the June 1967 borders, is necessary to achieve peace for Palestinians, Ammar said. In Tunisia’s “immediate neighborhood,” he said his country is “providing all possible assistance” to Libya in order to achieve a political agreement there. Tunisia rejects any military solution or foreign incursions into Libya, Ammar added. He ended his address by telling the UNGA: “We’re at a crossroads, given the scale of the risks and challenges that are unprecedented.”The choices each country makes “should be based on long-term vision and our engagement to humanity,” he said.

Iran says it defused 30 bombs in Tehran, detained 28 - Tasnim news agency
DUBAI (Reuters)/September 24, 2023
Authorities in Iran have neutralised 30 bombs meant to go off simultaneously in Tehran and detained 28 terrorists linked to Islamic State, Iran's Tasnim news agency reported on Sunday, citing the intelligence ministry. "Some of the members are of Islamic State (IS) and the perpetrators have a history of being affiliated with Takfiri groups in Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan and the Kurdistan region of Iraq," Iran's intelligence ministry added in a statement. The militant group has claimed several attacks in Iran, including deadly twin bombings in 2017 that targeted Iran's parliament and the tomb of the Islamic Republic's founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. More recently, IS claimed responsibility for an attack on a Shia shrine last October, where 15 people were killed in the southwestern city of Shiraz.

'We have a breakthrough' says Ukrainian general leading counteroffensive
Abbie Cheeseman/The Telegraph/Sat, September 24, 2023
Ukraine has broken through Russia’s lines in the Zaporizhzhia region and expects to make further breakthroughs, the general leading Kyiv’s offensive in the south has said. “On the left flank [near the village of Verbove] we have a breakthrough and we continue to advance further,” General Oleksandr Tarnavskiy told CNN. He acknowledged the advance had so far been slower than Ukraine hoped. “Not as fast as it was expected, not like in the movies about the Second World War,” he said. “The main thing is not to lose this initiative.” The major breakthrough is expected to come if Kyiv’s forces manage to retake Tokmak, 12 miles beyond the current frontline, the general said. The liberation of the city would allow Ukrainian forces to push further towards occupied Melitopol and annexed Crimea. “I believe yes [there will be a big breakthrough],” Gen Tarnavsky said. “I think it will happen after Tokmak. At the moment [the Russians] are relying on the depth of their defensive line there.”His comments about advances in the south are the latest in a series of claims from Kyiv in recent weeks that they are progressing in the Zaporizhzhia region and have penetrated Russia’s strongest defences. The “crossroads, tree lines and minefields between the tree lines,” represent the biggest challenges, he said in the interview. There is “a combination of small, harmful enemy defence groups that currently are planted very precisely and competently,” he said. “But the actions of our fighters force them to slowly pull back when they face our assault squads.”For Gen Tarnavsky, reaching Tokmak is the minimum to claim success in the counter-offensive. “Tokmak is the minimum goal,” he said. “The overall objective is to get to our state borders.”While many fear that the onset of winter could further slow the offensive, Gen Tarnavsky said he believes the weather is unlikely to hold them back now. “The weather can be a serious obstacle during advance, but considering how we move forward, mostly without vehicles, I don’t think [the weather] will heavily influence the counter-offensive,” he said. Russian officials have given a very different picture of the battle in Zaporizhzhia. The interview was published a day after Kyiv struck Russia’s Black Sea Fleet headquarters in the Crimean port of Sevastopol, claiming to have killed “senior” commanders. Gen Tarnavsky said the counter-offensive’s success depends not only on what happens on the front, but also on “destroying command centres” that create “a mess on the battlefield”.

Back in full force, UN General Assembly shows how the most important diplomatic work is face to face
UNITED NATIONS (AP)/September 24, 2023
There are two opposing theses about the U.N. General Assembly: It's a place that shows the true power of words, where leaders inspire action with rousing speeches on the urgent issues of our times; or it's a talking shop, where leaders perform for domestic audiences with political rhetoric on the cause of the day.
These dueling viewpoints were tested when the coronavirus pandemic shut down much in-person diplomacy for several years. After three years of virtual, then hybrid General Debates, the scores of top leaders who attended the annual U.N. summit this week exhibited the return of in-person diplomacy, and provided ammunition to those who advocate for its importance. It wasn't just drama, like whether Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy would be addressing the Security Council in the presence of Russia’s top diplomat (the two ultimately did not cross paths).
Many of the formal speeches delivered before the green stone in the General Assembly could have been performed straight to camera, with few other people in the room (and in 2020, they were). More than the speeches, at the heart of the annual meetings is the face-to-face interaction between leaders. And as important to day-to-day relations between countries is the face-to-face interaction between lower-level staff, shown this year as diplomatic delegations and non-governmental organizations packed the U.N. headquarters and hotels and meeting spaces nearby.
The diplomatic agreements worked out in informal interactions have been key to accomplishments that weren't formally laid out in the U.N.’s founding document — activities like peacekeeping in recent years and decolonization decades ago, said Katie Laatikainen, a professor of political science and international relations at Adelphi University. Much of the world looks at the General Assembly like a world government body, she said, and ignores the less high-profile work that's advanced in behind-the-scenes interactions. “People expect governance but that’s not really what the U.N. does,” she said. The General Assembly, she said, actually “overshadows what the U.N. does well."Side meetings on themes running from conservation to Middle East peace were taking place throughout the week. In-person relations are as important, if not more so, for non-governmental organizations with stakes in the outcomes, attendees said. The La Jolla, California-based Waitt Institute works on ocean conservation and during the pandemic, “we were all on Zoom, of course ... it actually served an enormously important function,” in communicating with the small island nations where Waitt does much of its work, said executive director Kathryn Mengerink. However, real life is not “how we engage when we’re in a box on a screen,” she said, from midtown Manhattan, where she was engaging in the sort of in-person communication that she called essential to her group's work. Scott Hamilton, a former State Department official who has worked in Cuba, among other locations, described how the pandemic hurt diplomacy because “face-to-face, you can build trust and comfort between people.” Despite the more robust attendance, this year did see some notable absences: With the exception of U.S. President Joe Biden, the leaders of China, France, Russia and the United Kingdom — the four other permanent members of the United Nations Security Council — did not attend. United Nations officials say it’s a mistake to confuse in-person attendance, particularly by national leaders, as a referendum on the meeting's importance.
“We’re fully aware that there are competing demands on heads of states, domestic demands,” said Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres. “So, we’re not taking it personally.”Even without a president or a prime minister in town, delegations still get work done — and the in-person contact helps set the agenda for the year ahead. “The really hard work is what happens the rest of the year,” Laatikainen said. Many at the General Assembly, and those observing it closely from afar, declined to discuss the substance of negotiations that may never ultimately come to fruition. But they said that the 2023 summit underscored how essential it was to meet in person again, providing an invaluable way to interact that was more confidential and efficient than virtual communications. “Technology provides a facility to carry those (interactions) without personal contact, but it’s inferior to personal contact,” said Jeff Rathke, president of the American-German Institute at Johns Hopkins University and a retired State Department official who focused mainly on U.S. relations with Europe..But the General Assembly week “provides a critical mass that allows you to do all the things that you would prefer to do in person,” Rathke said. “You can exchange papers all day and have video calls,” Hamilton echoes, “but it’s all about doing what diplomats are supposed to do: It’s easy to understand people’s positions by exchanging papers but it’s more important to understand people’s interests.”

Ethiopia, Egypt, Sudan resume Nile dam talks
NNA/September 24, 2023
Ethiopia said Saturday that it has begun a second round of negotiations with Egyptand Sudan over a controversial mega-dam built by Addis Ababa on the Nile, the source of long-running tensions between the three nations. Ethiopia this month announced the completion of the fourth and final filling of the Grand Renaissance Dam, prompting immediate condemnation from Cairo, which denounced the move as illegal. Egypt and Sudan fear the massive $4.2-billion dam will severely reduce the share of Nile water they receive and had repeatedly asked Addis Ababa to stop filling it until an agreement was reached. For years at loggerheads over the issue, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed agreed in July to finalise a deal within four months, resuming talks in August. "The second round of the tripartite negotiation among #Ethiopia, #Egypt, and #Sudan on the... annual operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (#GERD) has commenced today, September 23, 2023, in Addis Ababa," Ethiopia's foreign ministry said on X, formerly Twitter. "Ethiopia is committed to reaching a negotiated and amicable solution through the ongoing trilateral process."Protracted negotiations over the dam since 2011 have thus far failed to bring about an agreement between Ethiopia and its downstream neighbours. Egypt has long viewed the dam as an existential threat, as it relies on the Nile for 97 per cent of its water needs. The dam is central to Ethiopia's development plans, and in February 2022 Addis Ababa announced that it had begun generating electricity for the first time. At full capacity, the huge hydroelectric dam -- 1.8 kilometres long and 145 metres high -- could generate more than 5,000 megawatts. That would double Ethiopia's production of electricity, to which only half the country's population of 120 million currently has access. The position of Sudan, which is currently mired in a civil war, has fluctuated in recent years. The United Nations says Egypt could "run out of water by 2025" and parts of Sudan, where the Darfur conflict was essentially a war over access to water, are increasingly vulnerable to drought as a result of climate change. --- THE NEW ARAB

Anti-police violence protest 'unacceptable': French Interior Minister
NNA /September 24, 2023
French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin denounced on Saturday the clashes that occurred between the police and anti-police violence demonstrators as "unacceptable." Paris police chief Laurent Nunez shared video footage on the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter), showing an incident where an iron bar struck a moving police car. Nunez additionally reported that a bank had become the target of the unrest. "We see where anti-police hatred leads," Darmanin wrote on X. During the incident involving the police car being struck with an iron bar, one officer exited the vehicle while carrying a firearm but did not discharge it, as reported by Nunez on BFM TV. The demonstration returned to its normal course once the police car departed. Nunez also mentioned that three individuals were arrested in connection with the incident. VARIOUS ASSOCIATIONS AND POLITICAL PARTIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY ORGANIZED THE PROTESTS TO DENOUNCE POLICE VIOLENCE AND RACISM. Before the death of teenager Nahel Merzouk in June, the French police had been accused of institutional racism. French prosecutors have also launched an inquiry into an internet fundraising campaign for the French police officer who murdered Nahel, which earned more than 1.6 million euros ($1.7 million) before being closed in early July. The cold-blooded murder of Merzouk in Paris suburbs has exposed deep division within French societies. The event sparked ablaze a fire that holds within it decades worth of resentment felt by minorities in the country toward authorities. The protests have also angered the right in France who have been critical of Macron's government for its inability to deal with the situation, leading to clashes between white civilians. --- AL-MAYADEEN

Latest English LCCC  analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on September 24-25/2023
Africa: Carving the Golden Goose
Amir Taheri/Asharq Al-Awsat/September 24, 2023
Africa today consists of 56 different experiences in nation-building with some remarkable successes and many inevitable failures. In many African countries a new player has entered the game: a younger generation that is better educated, more ambitious and, at the same time, less gullible than its ancestors in the 19th century who looked away while imperial powers carved the golden goose.
With a one-size-fits-all scheme being out of the question, maybe the best way to "reset" relations with Africa is on a bilateral basis. As the nation-state is making a comeback even in old Europe, there is no reason why it should not be seen as the best vehicle for redefining Africa's role in reshaping the global system.
"Reset!" That was the magic word often used during US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's first visit to Africa, with the message that "years of neglect" under the Trump administration were over and that the Biden presidency would see a new golden dawn in US relations with the turbulent continent. At the time, few people remembered that Hillary Clinton had used the "reset" cliché about US-Russia relations during the first Obama administration.
But if it took Clinton's reset ten years to prove be a dangerous illusion, Blinken's reset has turned out to be another monumental gaffe within less than two years. To be sure, the Biden administration did the usual diplomatic charade by organizing a US-Africa summit, providing countless photo-ops coupled with fantastic promises. Washington went even further by sending an expeditionary force to Niger to wipe out "terrorist groups" in the Sahel with the help of French and other European Union forces.
Since then, however, the "reset" has worked against the strategic interests of the US and its European allies. Four of the Sahel countries have experienced military coups that have brought anti-West generals, their chests covered with sundry medals, to power. Gabon, not far from the Sahel, has also seen regime change brought about by what looks like a palace coup. In all the countries concerned, Russian flags and insignia of the mercenary army Wagner Group have appeared in "spontaneous" anti-West demonstrations in support of the putschists.
If seasoned Africa-watchers are right, at least eight other nations in the continent may also experience military coups within the next year or two.
The current United Nations General Assembly session, held in New York, has turned the flashlights on Africa as the latest scene of big power rivalry with China, Russia, France and the US and, on a smaller scale Turkey, trying to expand their influence or at least protect what influence they already have. French diplomats are passing the message that the world may need an international conference to set diplomatic demarcation lines in Africa. This sounds like a cry back to the Berlin Conference of 1884-1885, when European colonial powers divided the "black continent" among themselves, with the US given a morsel in the shape of Liberia, a state created by Washington in the hope of persuading African-Americans to "return home".
Today, Africa is no longer a mere object in its own history. Two generations after independence -- an independence marked by many failures and yet inspiring pride and hope among Africans -- it is no longer possible for "big powers" to play the game according to their own rules. Africa today is seen both as a threat and a promise. The supposed threat comes from its demographic explosion that could send endless numbers of would-be immigrants not only to Europe but also to the Middle East. Parts of the continent are also becoming havens for a variety of terrorist, or as Obama would have it "violent extremist," groups replacing the badlands of Afghanistan and war-torn Syria.
The promise comes from Africa's immense and largely untapped natural resources. The continent accounts for around 16 percent of the world's population but has some 60 percent of the arable land on the planet.
And, yet, at least 14 of the continent's 56 nations are only months away from famine, according to World Food Program, while 30 others suffer shortages and chronic hunger. In many cases, the cash crop economy, supplying what the rich nations want, prevents the production of staple foods for the locals. The three C's, coffee, cocoa and cotton, for example, make almost all West African nations dependent on imports of rice, wheat and other grains, hence the devastating impact of the Russian war on Ukraine. Provided its resources are directed at feeding the region, Guinea alone could be the bread basket of its region.
Africa's immense mineral resources, including some of the rarest and most coveted, are arousing as much, if not more, appetite for colonial domination, albeit in new forms including long-term contracts, loans part of which end up in few pockets and, of course, token military forces in more than two dozen countries. Unsure of their future, local ruling elites always try to build a nest-egg for themselves in former colonial capitals. The new military rulers in Gabon have revealed that the toppled dictator, Ali Bongo, and his late father President Omar Ali Bongo, financed all French political parties, left and right (with the exception of the Communist Party) for over half a century.
The trouble is that while "big powers" have built a big appetite for African resources, none of them has the clout, or let's say the teeth, necessary to impose a neo-colonial agenda on the continent. Both China and Russia, newcomers to the Great Game, lack the knowledge, the network of connections and the politico-cultural sex-appeal without which any imperialist or neo-imperialist scheme could succeed.
The European countries, especially Britain and France, that still enjoy such advantages are hampered by the fact that their public opinions are not interested in, not to say hostile to, any special relations with the "black continent". As for the US, it seems so mired in its own cultural-political civil war that few might wish to rely on it as a long-term ally and/or partner.
The idea of a big conference on Africa is a non-starter. Not only it will set alarms ringing about neo-colonialism, but it is also unlikely to win the popular support within the continent and beyond without which the best laid plans are sure to go awry. More importantly, perhaps, African nations have too many bilateral and multilateral problems of their own to be able to present a united front in any international "reset".
Africa today consists of 56 different experiences in nation-building with some remarkable successes and many inevitable failures. In many African countries a new player has entered the game: a younger generation that is better educated, more ambitious and, at the same time, less gullible than its ancestors in the 19th century who looked away while imperial powers carved the golden goose.
With a one-size-fits-all scheme being out of the question, maybe the best way to "reset" relations with Africa is on a bilateral basis. As the nation-state is making a comeback even in old Europe, there is no reason why it should not be seen as the best vehicle for redefining Africa's role in reshaping the global system.
*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.

President Joe Biden: Stop the Second Armenian Genocide
Uzay Bulut/Gatestone Institute/September 24, 2023
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/122546/122546/
After besieging and starving 120,000 Armenians of the South Caucasus Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) since December 2022, Azerbaijan launched a large-scale military offensive against Artsakh on September 19, subjecting the capital Stepanakert and other cities and villages to intensive fire using heavy artillery and drones.
“My Facebook feed is full of pictures of missing children since yesterday. Most of them were at schools when the Azerbaijani military attacked so they were separated from their families. The lack of electricity, mobile and internet disruptions complicate the search efforts.” — Anush Ghavalyan, journalist in Armenia, on X (formerly Twitter), September 20, 2023.
Artsakh has never been part of independent Azerbaijan. Artsakh — ruled by Armenian monarchs, and even by Persian rulers — has always preserved its Armenian identity.
Today, Azerbaijan is falsely claiming Artsakh as Azeri land, on the pretext that in the 1920s, Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin, as part of his strategy of divide and conquer, decreed that Artsakh should be part of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic as an autonomous oblast (province) even though Christian Armenia could not be less compatible with Muslim Azerbaijan.
“Failure to stand up to Azerbaijan could also result in an escalation that leads not only to the total destruction of the Armenians of Artsakh but also to a wider war in the region as Azerbaijan and its ally Turkey pursue territorial ambitions in southern Armenia and northern Iran.” — Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention, on X (Twitter), September 19, 2023.
The US government also has influence regarding Azerbaijan. President Joe Biden can discourage any such expansionist projects with one strong phone call to Azerbaijan’s President Aliyev, by urging him to stop the invasion of Artsakh and Armenia if he does not want serious consequences. Those could include U.S. sanctions on Azeri government officials and an end to U.S. military assistance to Azerbaijan. The latter would be consistent with the FREEDOM Support Act. The US should also send a humanitarian airlift to the starving population of Artsakh — consistent with America’s heralded tradition of aiding at-risk populations.
The frightening question is: Is the US internationally regarded as having leadership anymore?
Despite a supposed ceasefire agreement, Armenian civilians in Artsakh, including children, are being killed and wounded by Azerbaijani forces. The lives of approximately 120,000 Armenians are at stake. Entire villages are currently surrounded and isolated by Azerbaijani forces, which have cut off the electrical supply in those areas.
Civilians, including children, are being killed and others seriously wounded. Thousands of Armenians who fled their villages and towns due to the Azerbaijani bombardments have become homeless.
Entire villages are currently surrounded and isolated by Azerbaijani forces, which have cut off the electrical supply in those areas.
There is no international presence including journalists there, so it is not possible to confirm at this point if the residents of these villages are still alive. Many Armenians are warning that Azerbaijan has blocked access to those villages in order to hide the traces of the massacres and other crimes they are committing against the Armenian locals.
Given the current lack of electricity and internet connectivity, thousands of people cannot find their relatives and family members these areas.
The Office of the Human Rights Defender of Artsakh (OHRDA) announced last week that there have been a minimum of 200 fatalities (including Aznavour Saghyan, the Mayor of Martuni) and more than 400 wounded. OHRDA has launched a fact-finding mission to collect data on persons whose fate is unknown.
Anush Ghavalyan, a journalist in Armenia, posted on X (formerly Twitter):
“My Facebook feed is full of pictures of missing children since yesterday. Most of them were at schools when the Azerbaijani military attacked so they were separated from their families. The lack of electricity, mobile and internet disruptions complicate the search efforts.”
Azerbaijan’s military, according to OHRDA, is targeting ambulances:
“Around 5:00, the ambulance of the Stepanakert’s morgue, which was sent to the Martakert region in order to transport 8 bodies to the capital, was fired at by the Azerbaijani armed forces. The driver of the ambulance was injured and as a result is not able to evacuate the bodies to Stepanakert.
“Around 5:00, the ambulance of the Stepanakert’s morgue, which was sent to the Martakert region in order to transport 8 bodies to the capital, was fired at by the Azerbaijani armed forces. The driver of the ambulance was injured and as a result is not able to evacuate the bodies to Stepanakert…
“As a result of Azerbaijan’s targeting of the high-voltage electricity grid in Martakert region, since September 19, the entire population of Artsakh has been deprived of electricity…
“The deliberate targeting of such vital infrastructure, which adds to more suffering and deprivation of the civilian population, is yet another terrorist act by Azerbaijan.”
In the face of the Azerbaijani offensive and its illegal siege preventing food and medical supplies from getting in and no intervention from the international community, Artsakhi authorities had to disarm their Defense Army.
Despite a supposed ceasefire agreement, the Azeris continued to bombard Artsakh: the war has not stopped. The lives of approximately 120,000 people are at stake.
On September 20, the Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention issued “an SOS for the Armenians of Artsakh, who are currently being attacked by the genocidal regime of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.”
“Residents of Artsakh are now facing not only starvation and related medical emergencies after a 9-month siege by Azerbaijan, but also immediate death from airstrikes, drones strikes and the mass shelling of civilian areas. Azerbaijan’s military attack came only one day after the country was finally forced to allow into the enclave the first aid shipment since June 15, 2023.
“At this moment in time, it is imperative that powerful leaders and states stand up to Azerbaijan and demonstrate clearly that any further aggression against Armenians will not be tolerated and will be met with all available options within the genocide prevention toolbox. Failure to do so will result in these leaders and states being responsible for complicity in genocide.
“Failure to stand up to Azerbaijan could also result in an escalation that leads not only to the total destruction of the Armenians of Artsakh but also to a wider war in the region as Azerbaijan and its ally Turkey pursue territorial ambitions in southern Armenia and northern Iran.
“There is no doubt in the minds of experts in genocide prevention – at the Lemkin Institute, but also at Genocide Watch, the International Association of Genocide Scholars, and among legal experts such as former ICC chief prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo – that what Armenians are facing from Azerbaijan is genocide.”
Azerbaijan intends to possess Armenian lands. As Muslim states, Turkey and Azerbaijan refer to their alliance as “two states, one nation”. They share a goal, pan-Turkism, that aims to unite the so-called “Turkic world,” from the Balkans to the Central Asia. They view Armenia – a non-Turkish, Christian nation – as an obstacle before that imperialistic project — an obstacle that must be eliminated.
Artsakh has been a province of Armenia, since as far back as the Armenian Empire (which existed from 331 BC to 428 AD)
Artsakh has never been part of independent Azerbaijan. Artsakh — ruled by Armenian monarchs, and even by Persian rulers — has always preserved its Armenian identity.
Today, Azerbaijan is falsely claiming Artsakh as Azeri land, on the pretext that in the 1920s, Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin, as part of his strategy of divide and conquer, decreed that Artsakh should be part of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic as an autonomous oblast (province) even though Christian Armenia could not be less compatible with Muslim Azerbaijan.
In response to self-determination efforts by Artsakh’s Armenians, Soviet Azerbaijan conducted massacres and pogroms, including the Sumgait pogrom in 1988 and Baku pogrom in 1990.
In 1991, the people of Artsakh declared in a referendum their independence not from Azerbaijan but from the USSR. This declaration was consistent with their rights under the Declaration of International Law concerning Friendly Relations and Cooperation among States (1970) in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations. The same year, as a result of the dissolution of the USSR, two legally equal republics – Artsakh and Azerbaijan – were established. Yet, Azeri violence against the Armenians never ended.
In 2020, from September 27 to November 10, Artsakh was exposed to yet another genocidal assault at the hands of Azerbaijan and Turkey. The entire world watched while the aggressors criminally assaulted and indiscriminately shelled the Armenians.
Additionally, during the war, the government of Azerbaijan, with Turkey’s assistance, used mercenaries from Syria who had affiliations to Islamic radical groups – confirmed by a United Nations report, as well as by the testimonies of Syrian mercenaries and reports by international media outlets.
During this 44-day war, the Azerbaijani military forces committed war crimes against Armenians in Artsakh. They murdered civilians, wounded journalists and targeted homes, forests, hospitals, churches and cultural centers, among other non-military targets. They used white phosphorus and cluster munitions in violation of international law. As a result, at least 90,000 Armenians were forced to abandon their ancestral lands in Artsakh.
The war finally halted after 45 days — a result of the Russia-brokered agreement imposed on Armenia. Even after signing the agreement, however, multiple videos emerged showing Azeri soldiers and their partners beheading, mutilating and torturing captured Armenian civilians, soldiers and prisoners of war. Azerbaijani soldiers filmed these gruesome crimes and proudly posted them on social media.
As these ISIS-like crimes were being carried out against Armenians, Turkish and Azerbaijani soldiers participated in a military “victory parade” in Azerbaijan’s capital city of Baku on December 10, 2020. The parade, organized to celebrate the countries’ joint “military victory” over Artsakh, was attended by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev.
During the “victory parade,” complete with the Ottoman military march, Erdogan referred to the 1918 Islamic Army of the Caucasus, created by Enver Pasha and led by the Ottoman commander, Nuri Pasha. The Islamic Army of the Caucasus was responsible for the massacres to eliminate the non-Muslim population of Baku, mainly Armenians.
Erdogan delivered a speech in which he praised Enver Pasha, one of the planners of the Ottoman Empire’s 1914-1923 Christian genocide, which cost the lives of around 3.5 million Armenians, Greeks and Assyrians:
“Today is the day when the souls of Nuri Pasha, Enver Pasha and the brave soldiers of the Islamic Army of the Caucasus are blessed.”
Erdogan also confirmed Turkey’s support for the Azeri assault against Armenians. According to the official website of Turkey’s presidency:
“Turkey, with all its institutions and organizations, supported Azerbaijan’s fight from the very beginning, underlined President Erdoğan, further stressing that it will continue to stand by the brotherly Azerbaijan with all its capabilities.”
Aliyev, in his speech, also claimed that the Armenian capital of Yerevan, Armenia’s Lake Sevan and the Syunik (Zangezur) region in southern Armenia are “historic lands of Azerbaijan.”
Aliyev has referred to Artsakh and the Republic of Armenia as “Azerbaijani lands” before. In 2018, Aliyev referred to those Armenian regions as “historic lands of Azerbaijan.” “Azerbaijanis’ return to those territories,” he added, “is our political and strategic goal, and we need to work step-by-step to get closer to it.”Both the Azerbaijani government and media have repeatedly referred to Armenia as “Western Azerbaijan.” Aliyev and other Azeri state officials have echoed his desire to eliminate Armenians multiple times.
In 2015, Aliyev posted on Twitter: “Armenia is not even a colony, it is not even worthy of being a servant.”
Azerbaijan has also long targeted the Republic of Armenia. On September 22, 2022, Azeri armed forces invaded the Republic of Armenia, which led to the Azeri occupation of some southern territories of Armenia — a situation that is still ongoing.
The security of Artsakh’s population, (citizens, officials and soldiers) cannot, therefore, be entrusted to the authorities of Azerbaijan, and needs to be guaranteed by an international peacekeeping force, probably mandated by the United Nations.
During the 1915 Armenian Genocide, 108 years ago, 1.5 million Armenians were exterminated by Ottoman Turkey. Today the dictatorship of Azerbaijan – with the support of its ally, Turkey — is continuing the same crime, genocide, against the Armenians of Artsakh, openly before an apathetic international community. Together, Azerbaijan and Turkey aim to take over not only Artsakh but also the Republic of Armenia. Aliyev made this clear, saying:
“Present-day Armenia is our land… Now that the Karabakh [Artsakh] conflict has been resolved, this is the issue on our agenda.”
Both UN and strong international intervention, consistent with the UN obligations under the Genocide Convention, are urgently needed to put a stop to this ongoing slaughter.
The US government also has influence regarding Azerbaijan. President Joe Biden can discourage any such expansionist projects with one strong phone call to Aliyev, by urging him to stop the invasion of Artsakh and Armenia if he does not want serious consequences. Those could include U.S. sanctions on Azeri government officials and an end to U.S. military assistance to Azerbaijan. The latter would be consistent with the FREEDOM Support Act. The US should also send a humanitarian airlift to the starving population of Artsakh — consistent with America’s heralded tradition of aiding at-risk populations.
The frightening question is: Is the US internationally regarded as having leadership anymore?
© 2023 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/19989/second-armenian-genocide

EU hesitant in taking bold steps on Turkiye’s accession process
Yasar Yakis/Arab News/September 24, 2023
The European Parliament this month published its yearly report on Turkiye and its accession process. As expected, very few positive remarks were made about it.
Oliver Varhelyi, the European commissioner in charge of EU enlargement, paid a visit to Turkiye at the beginning of this month and held talks with several authorities in Ankara. The general tone of his subsequent statement gave the impression that there had been a sea change in the EU’s attitude toward Turkiye. He said that, after the general elections of May this year, Turkiye was now at an important juncture and that he had heard encouraging messages from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and also from the new government. He got the impression that Ankara wanted a new start in its relations with Europe. The European Council was quick to discuss the matter and it asked the European Commission to create the parameters for a positive agenda with Turkiye.
Varhelyi was trying to map out the areas in which a positive agenda could be developed. He pointed out that Turkiye is a member of the EU’s customs union, it is a very important market and investment country, it is one of the most powerful NATO members, it has a lot in common with the EU and — if you look at the geography — it is very clear that the EU and Turkiye are dependent on one another. He continued by saying that he believed there had been a new approach to EU enlargement since the outbreak of war in Ukraine. Enumerating the many positive factors in favor of Turkiye’s relations with the EU is a new phenomenon. While this was Varhelyi’s attitude, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, in her annual state of the union speech on Sept. 13, mentioned Turkiye only in the context of a new agenda for the Mediterranean, adding that the EU would continue to work on different aspects of its relations with Ankara. However, the EU’s yearly Turkiye report criticized the country’s human rights record, its fundamental rights and freedoms, democracy and freedom of expression. In fact, Turkiye’s conformity with the EU’s acquis communautaire has gone down to 7 percent. It will need gigantic efforts to bring this to an acceptable level.
The EU pointed out in its yearly report that Turkiye’s accession process cannot be resumed under the present circumstances. And it called for the EU to explore “a parallel and realistic framework” for its ties with Ankara.
When all these facts are put together, one gets the impression that both Turkiye’s and the EU’s minds are blurred regarding the accession process.
While a potentially suitable atmosphere was prevailing, Erdogan poured cold water on this relatively optimistic environment by saying that Turkiye might part ways with the EU, if necessary. He implied the country could end its membership bid.
However, cutting ties with the EU would not be an easy step. It would cause tectonic movement in both the Middle East and trans-Atlantic contexts.
The EU pointed out that Turkiye’s accession process cannot be resumed under the present circumstances.
It would be unfair to put all the blame on the EU. Ankara also has several shortcomings. As expected, Turkiye issued a harshly worded statement refuting almost every remark in the EU report.
There were, however, also several positive elements in the report. Turkiye’s endeavors in setting up the Black Sea grain deal was one. Its positive approach regarding irregular Syrian refugees and asylum seekers was another.
On the other hand, as expected, the EU did not like Turkiye’s improving economic and political ties with Russia.
Cyprus and Greece continued to use their one-sided view on the Cyprus issue as if it were the EU’s common attitude. There was a decision of principle adopted at the Lisbon summit of 2007 that says that, when an EU member state’s interests clash with those of a non-member, fellow EU members have to side with it. This decision binds EU countries even if the interests of that country are illogical. In other words, Turkiye cannot be right in a controversy that involves its interests colliding with those of any EU member.
Two paragraphs in the report summarize a lot of the points in the EU’s attitude toward Turkiye. In paragraph 21, it states that, as demonstrated by the growing gap between Turkiye and the EU, the European Commission is led to the conclusion that the Turkish government has no intention of closing this gap. A clear lack of willingness had been noticed in the last few years in Turkiye’s attitude in the fields of the rule of law, fundamental rights and freedoms, and the protection of all ethnic and confessional minorities. Turkiye did not show any interest in respecting the Copenhagen criteria or in harmonizing its policies with those of the EU. Paragraph 38 used bolder language, saying that if Turkiye does not change its direction, “its EU accession process cannot be resumed.”
As a backdrop to these developments, France and Germany last week tabled a proposal to relaunch an old idea of Europe with four concentric circles. The first of these would be the “deep integration” countries, followed by a group of present and future European countries attached to the bloc’s political objectives, principles and values. The third group would be composed of associate members that would have to abide by the EU’s principles and values regarding democracy and the rule of law. The other European countries would remain outside the “red line” and would not be required to join in with integration. The fourth group would be composed of countries that would be called the European Political Community. Turkiye expects that it would be included either in the third circle with the UK or in the fourth circle.
This is where we are in terms of Turkish-EU relations today.
• Yasar Yakis is a former foreign minister of Turkiye and founding member of the ruling AK Party.

Children’s access to education and healthcare must be a priority
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab News/September 24, 2023
For our future and the well-being of children around the world, one of the key fundamentals for the international community is to ensure that every child has access to education and proper healthcare regardless of their race, ethnicity and background.
The Convention on the Rights of the Child, which is a legally binding international agreement, was adopted by the UN in 1989. This landmark global agreement is considered to be one of the most widely ratified human rights treaties in the world, as 196 countries are now party to it. The only country that has not yet ratified the UNCRC is the US. A two-thirds majority in the Senate would be needed in order to pass it, but no president has even sent it for a vote.
Since the agreement is legally binding, it means that governments are bound by international law to adhere to the terms of the convention in order to protect children. One of the terms is that signatories must ensure that “all segments of society, in particular parents and children, are informed (and) have access to education.” It adds: “States parties recognize the right of the child to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health and to facilities for the treatment of illness and rehabilitation of health. States parties shall strive to ensure that no child is deprived of his or her right of access to such healthcare services.”
While it is encouraging that many countries have taken positive steps to ensure that their children have access to education and healthcare, nearly a quarter of a billion children and youths between the ages of six and 18 remain out of school around the world. And children who do not have access to primary school (meaning they do not get the chance to even learn how to read and write) number nearly 60 million globally. This equates to more than double the population of all the Scandinavian countries combined.
Education is the cornerstone of any community and society. But unfortunately, in spite of the significance of education and schools for the future of children, it is one of the sectors that is the least funded by humanitarian and charitable organizations, with only about 3 percent of global humanitarian funding allocated to education. The regions with the most children and youths out of school are sub-Saharan Africa and Central and Southern Asia.
More importantly, when it comes to healthcare, the survival of many children depends on having access to quality medical services. Hundreds of millions of children still lack access to healthcare. This robs them of their childhoods and their futures, as it makes it very difficult for many children to grow healthy and get educated, even if there is access to education in their community. In 2021, about 5 million children (some 14,000 a day) died before they reached their fifth birthday, while 2.1 million children and youths aged between five and 24 lost their lives, according to figures released this year by the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation.
Poor communities become trapped in a cycle of hardship that can last for generations.
To tackle this vital issue, the underlying causes need to be addressed. The first reason for children’s lack of access to education and healthcare is conflict. Children are the most vulnerable group during times of armed conflict or instability. Some recent examples include the devastating effects that the Syrian civil war had on children, as well as the ongoing conflict in Sudan. UNICEF’s former chief of education Jo Bourne pointed out: “For countries affected by conflict, school equips children with the knowledge and skills they need to rebuild their communities once the crisis is over. Schools can also protect children from the trauma and physical dangers around them.”
The second factor that plays an important role in children’s lack of access to education and healthcare is poverty. Poverty forces many children to work at an early age instead of going to school. Poor communities become trapped in a cycle of hardship that can last for generations, as they are unable to provide the resources, education, opportunities and basic necessities to allow their children to pull themselves out of poverty. Children are disproportionately affected since almost half of the people living in extreme poverty are children. An estimated one in six children, or 360 million children worldwide, were living in extreme poverty before the COVID-19 pandemic struck.
As a result, the international community must focus on reducing and eliminating conflicts and poverty. It is critical for wealthy and developed nations to provide financial assistance to poor communities and countries and make sure that education is accessible and offered for free. Providing free meals at schools will also help with children’s nutrition in poorer nations.
Funding for education should also increase and be on top of the agenda for the international community and humanitarian organizations. This also requires cooperation between the private sector, private philanthropy, wealthy individuals and governmental programs in order to effectively channel resources.
In a nutshell, in spite of the fact that children have the right to education and healthcare services, hundreds of millions of children still lack access to these basic needs. It is incumbent on the international community to ensure that education and healthcare services are accessible to every child by reducing and even eliminating conflicts and poverty.
• Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a Harvard-educated Iranian-American political scientist.
X: @Dr_Rafizadeh

Iran, Russia boost ‘defense diplomacy’ to counter threats
Dr. Diana Galeeva/Arab News/September 24, 2023
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu last week made an official visit to Iran. The two countries are looking to further develop their military and defense cooperation. The official Iranian news agency IRNA stated that Shoigu’s visit related to the “development of defense diplomacy” toward the “management of common threats.” So, what were the key topics discussed during his visit? What does “defense diplomacy” mean in the current geopolitical context? And what did the timing of the visit reveal about current Iran-Russia relations?
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, during his meeting with Chief of General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Mohammed Bagheri, Shoigu stressed that “Iran is Russia’s strategic partner in the Middle East.” Bilateral cooperation includes military areas. The ministry added: “Recently, the intensity has increased significantly, both at the highest level and at the level of leadership of military departments.” This suggests that geopolitical pressures and incentives are promoting greater bilateral defense collaborations and partnerships.
The visit fitted Russia’s broader approach to defense diplomacy, especially in being East-facing. It followed on from a four-day visit to Moscow by China’s foreign minister and, most prominently, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s official six-day visit to Russia. Kim’s summit with Vladimir Putin addressed the possible alignment of the two countries’ interests to confront the West. Shoigu was again instrumental in conducting this defense diplomacy, as he and other military officials accompanied Kim as he was shown Russia’s strategic bombers and other warplanes.
As well as some well-choreographed headlines for international consumption, such visits demonstrate the depth of relations and the necessity the countries place on building trust and collaborations. Shoigu’s Iran visit came after the US had pushed Tehran to stop selling armed drones to Russia, following on from indirect talks aimed at de-escalating the nuclear crisis in August. The Biden administration raised this matter during indirect talks in Qatar and Oman.
These discussions also included the finalization of a prisoner exchange deal that has now been completed. Iran and the US agreed to free five people each under deals that also involved the transfer of $6 billion in unfrozen Iranian assets. However, the swap has done little to resolve wider tensions as, in a joint statement issued last week, the E3 (Germany, France and the UK) and the US stated: “Iran continues to expand its nuclear activities. It is now also deliberately hampering the normal planning and conduct of (International Atomic Energy Agency) verification and monitoring activities in Iran required under Iran’s Non-Proliferation Treaty Safeguards Agreement.”
Alongside the ongoing matter of the US asking Iran to stop supplying drones to Russia, it has softened its language on the nuclear deal. Meanwhile, the official position of Tehran is a flat denial that such drones are being used in Ukraine. During President Ebrahim Raisi’s speech at the UN General Assembly last week, he stated that the project to “Americanize” the world had failed. He also stressed that any Iranian-made drones hitting Ukrainian cities had been sold before the war started; Iran, he said, was in favor of peace in Ukraine. The fact that the remarks were made on the same day as Shoigu was having meetings in Tehran stresses that the relationship between the two countries is a dynamic work in progress, if on a generally positive trajectory.
Geopolitical pressures and incentives are promoting greater bilateral defense collaborations and partnerships.
Meanwhile, there is a common view from both sides about the US and the West in general. Connected to this, the Gulf Cooperation Council factor deserves special attention in Russia-Iran relations.
In July, after Moscow backed the UAE over Iran in their Gulf islands dispute, Tehran summoned Russia’s ambassador in protest. The three islands — Greater Tunb, Abu Musa and Lesser Tunb — are claimed by the UAE but have been held by Iran since 1971. Following a ministerial meeting between Russia and the GCC, a joint statement was released that urged a diplomatic solution. According to IRNA, Iranian officials called on Russia to correct its position.
However, for Russia, the GCC and the UAE in particular are strategic economic partners, trade partners and key players in OPEC+ deals. Accordingly, Moscow continues to carefully calibrate a balance of policies between the GCC states and Iran. Prior to the Ukraine war, Russia’s policies were known as “balancing adversaries.” However, due to the Ukraine crisis, there is a geopolitical necessity for Moscow to maintain good relations with Iran in the defense field, while also valuing the GCC states as key economic partners. Similarly, the GCC countries also carefully balance their relations, maintaining dialogue with both the West and Russia. For example, the UAE has canceled the license for Russia’s sanctioned MTS Bank branch, which was placed under British and US sanctions in February.
Finally, Shoigu’s Iran meeting took place while news broke of newly deteriorating relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Armenia had last month presented a letter to the UN Security Council stating that Azerbaijan had been blocking the Lachin Corridor. Then, last week, Azerbaijan launched an anti-terror operation in response to a series of attacks on civilian and police vehicles. Nonetheless, a ceasefire agreement was reached the day after this operation, potentially saving the region from another war. Prior to the deal, according to i24 News, the recent escalation played into the hands of two key actors in the region — Iran and Russia.
In its official position, the Russian Foreign Ministry expressed “deep concern” and called on both sides to stop fighting. Moscow played a crucial role in the 2020 ceasefire agreement, but since Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan publicly questioned Moscow’s lack of attention to the South Caucasus region and Yerevan hosted a joint military drill with the US this month, the situation appears murky.
As Joseph Epstein, an expert on Iran and the former Soviet Union, put it: “In Armenia, they do indeed believe that Russia has abandoned them, but at the same time, somewhat oddly, they claim that the West won’t help them.”
As for Iran, as soon as official Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps sources reported that explosions in the Hojavend district had killed six Azerbaijanis, the Iranian forces stationed in East Azerbaijan province were prompted to be on high alert.
However, uncertainty surrounding the deal between Azerbaijan and Armenia, given the recent wars over Nagorno-Karabakh, means that Russia and Iran’s defense diplomacy will need to pay special attention to this region, as both countries aim to maintain their considerable influence in the South Caucasus. This would fit into their broader defense diplomacy logic, which both countries are developing further in other regions.
• Dr. Diana Galeeva is an academic visitor to Oxford University.