English LCCC Newsbulletin For
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For August 24/2024
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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Bible Quotations For today
No slave can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love
the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 16/13-17/:”No slave can
serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or
be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and
wealth.’The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all this, and they
ridiculed him. So he said to them, ‘You are those who justify yourselves in the
sight of others; but God knows your hearts; for what is prized by human beings
is an abomination in the sight of God. ‘The law and the prophets were in effect
until John came; since then the good news of the kingdom of God is proclaimed,
and everyone tries to enter it by force. But it is easier for heaven and earth
to pass away, than for one stroke of a letter in the law to be dropped.
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on August 23-24/2024
Three Political Concepts Compete Over
Lebanon/Etienne Saqr - Abu Arz/August 23, 2024
Child among 10 killed in Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon
Israeli strikes on Lebanon kill eight fighters, one child, security sources say
Tragic road accident in Bcharre: A family of five perishes on unsafe route
Potential FATF sanctions: Can Lebanon curb the risks of a cash-fueled economy
amid financial crimes?
LBCI celebrates its 39th anniversary
Education Minister receives 40 university scholarships from Algerian Ambassador
to Lebanon
General J. Aoun Receives French Armed Forces Deputy Chief of Staff
USAID Helps Renovate the Berbara Fishermen Cooperative
Aboul Hosn in Meerab at Walid Joumblatt’s Request
Christiane Gemayel’s Summons by Cybercrime Bureau Sparks Outcry
The Victory Movement… Against Nasserite Popular Organization
Lufthansa Extends Suspensions of Flights to Beirut
Lebanon: Room for the Elderly/Liliane Mokbel/This Is Beirut/23 Aug 2024
Bracing for war: Lebanese hospitals ready emergency plans
If Hezbollah is cornered, it could trigger a regionwide war/Dr. Dania Koleilat
Khatib/Arab News/August 23, 2024
Lebanese Filmmaker Youssef El-Khoury: 'The Palestinian Cause Is Fake, There Has
Never Been A Palestinian Entity; Nasrallah Should Just Shut Up, He Pollutes The
Lebanese Mind, History, And Heritage'
MEMRI/23 August/2024 #11340 | 04:00
Missile makes direct hit on air force base in North, IAF eliminates terror cell
Three questions to Lebanese Army retired General Maroun Hitti. Per Machiavelli,
“Wars begin when you will, but they do not end when you please"./Yara
Germany/This Is Beirut/22 August 2024
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on August 23-24/2024
White House insists it is making
progress on Gaza cease-fire as talks continue over the weekend
Israel's refusal to withdraw from Gaza: Hostage deal in jeopardy with
negotiations on edge
Biden presses Netanyahu to ease troop presence on Egypt-Gaza border: Axios
US, Israel defense chiefs discuss ceasefire deal, regional risks, Austin says
ICC prosecutor urges judges to urgently rule on warrants for Israeli, Hamas
officials
Israel offers new proposal for the Philadelphi corridor to Hamas
Baby paralyzed in Gaza’s first case of type 2 polio for 25 years, WHO says
Iran says 14 Daesh suspects arrested planning attacks
Russian snipers kill Islamist hostage-takers to end prison siege
Russian ambassador to U.S. says Putin has plan of action for Kursk incursion
Ukraine's Navy says it destroyed Russian ferry in attack
Russia is barely using one of its best weapons against Ukrainian forces in Kursk
because it's scared to hit itself, war expert says
A drone strike in Syria kills a Saudi militant from an al-Qaida-linked group,
monitor says
Syria says seven civilians wounded in Israeli strikes
UN and US say food is on its way to a famine-stricken camp in Sudan
Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources
on August 23-24/2024
My Word: The ayatollahs’ war via Gaza - opinion/Liat Collins/Jerusalem
Post/August 23/2024
The Only Award Qatar Deserves: Supporting Islamist Terrorism/Bassam Tawil/Gatestone
Institute./August 23, 2024
Egypt’s key role in ending the civil war in Sudan/Dr. Abdellatif El-Menawy/Arab
News/August 23, 2024
US must fix broken promises to abandoned Afghans/Luke Coffey/Arab News/August
23, 2024
Turkiye’s Syria policy enters its most challenging phase/Sinem Cengiz/Arab
News/August 23, 2024
Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on August 23-24/2024
Three Political Concepts Compete Over Lebanon
Etienne Saqr - Abu Arz/August 23, 2024
Lebanon stands at a crossroads, with three distinct political concepts vying for
its future.
The first concept connects Beirut to Damascus, Gaza, Sanaa, and ultimately
Tehran, under what is known as the "Resistance Concept."
The second ties Beirut to Cairo and Riyadh, referred to as the "Arab Concept."
The third concept stretches from Naqoura to Beirut, encompassing the Great
River, and remains unaligned with any external power. This is the "Lebanese
National Concept."
The first two concepts have led to the devastation of Lebanon, causing its
impoverishment and the suffering of its people.
The third concept, by contrast, holds the key to Lebanon's salvation and the
restoration of its former glory. It is the purest and most enduring path.
The choice, dear citizen, is yours.
Labayk Lebanon,
Etienne Saqr - Abu Arz
(Free trasnation by Elias Bejjani)
Child among 10 killed in Israeli airstrikes in southern
Lebanon
NAJIA HOUSSARI/Arab News/August 23, 2024
BEIRUT: Israeli airstrikes across southern Lebanon on Friday killed at least 10
Lebanese citizens, including a 10-year-old boy, before Hezbollah responded with
artillery rounds and rockets across the border. The intensified Israeli
escalation coincided with a meeting between Lebanese Army Commander General
Joseph Aoun and French Army Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations Gen. Thierry
Garreta. Both parties “discussed ways to enhance cooperation between the two
armies and developments on the southern border,” said the Lebanese Army
Command.A security source said on Friday that the Israeli “focus seemed to be on
targeting anything that moves in the field, whether on the front lines or the
rear ones, regardless of the affiliations of those moving or their military
positions in Hezbollah.” The source also pointed to “the young ages of those
targeted.” At least eight Hezbollah members were killed in separate Israeli
raids targeting the border area in southern Lebanon. Some areas were targeted
for the first time since the opening of the southern front and the beginning of
hostilities between Hezbollah and the Israeli army on Oct. 8, 2023. At 8 a.m.,
Hezbollah announced “the launching of salvos of rockets toward Mount Meron in
the Upper Galilee, targeting the espionage equipment at the headquarters of the
Air Monitoring and Operations Management Unit at the Meron base with appropriate
weapons, hitting it directly, which resulted in destroying it.”Israeli media
reported that the alert level was raised in the north, noting “an interesting
day ahead of us.”It indicated damage to the Meron air base caused by two
rockets. The Israeli army has opened an investigation into the incident.
Israeli Channel 12 quoted an army spokesman saying that the military observed
the launching of five rockets from Lebanon on Meron and intercepted some of
them, without any injuries. Israeli warplanes raided Tayr Harfa in the western
sector about 10 a.m., killing three Hezbollah members. They were Hassan Wissam
Harqous, 19, and Qassem Saleh Harqous, 20, cousins from Toura in the south, and
Aqeel Qassem Gharib, 34, from Tayr Harfa. At noon, an Israeli drone launched an
attack with two guided missiles on a car on the road to Ayta Al-Jabal in the
Bint Jbeil district, killing a man called Mohammed Ahmed Najm, a Hezbollah
member, and his 10-year-old nephew Zulfikar Fadi Radwan. The child was running
toward his uncle’s car to greet him when the missile struck. Ayta Al-Jabal has
been shelled for the first time since the start of the war on Oct. 8.
Israeli airstrikes hit the towns of Mays Al-Jabal and Dhour Kfarkela. Artillery
shelling targeted the outskirts of the towns of Kfarchouba and Kfarhamam. The
heavy machine gun fire from the Israeli army also hit the town of Aita Al-Shaab
in the central sector. A drone carried out an aerial attack on a motorcycle in
Aitaroun in the Bint Jbeil district with a guided missile. The Health Emergency
Center of the Ministry of Health announced that two people were killed and three
were injured in the airstrikes that targeted Mays Al-Jabal and Aitaroun. Sirens
sounded in the settlements of Al-Malikiyah and Shtula in Western Galilee. Also
on Friday, Hezbollah announced attacking the Israeli military site of Al-Malikiyah
with artillery shells. According to its consecutive statements, it also targeted
“Israeli soldiers positioned in the vicinity of Khazzan Hill with artillery
shells,” as well as “the Al-Abad military site.” Israeli media reported “damage
inside the Al-Malikiyah site due to Hezbollah’s rocket shelling.” The Israeli
website “Walla” counted 44 people killed in confrontations with Hezbollah since
Oct. 8, 2023, including 24 civilians, 19 officers and soldiers, and one foreign
worker. According to the Israeli site, the number of wounded “reached 271
Israelis, including 141 soldiers and officers in the Israeli army.” The site
also counted “1,091 rockets launched from Lebanon toward Israel last month,
indicating a threefold increase compared to the beginning of the year.”
Israeli strikes on Lebanon kill eight fighters, one
child, security sources say
Reuters/August 23, 2024
Israeli airstrikes across southern Lebanon on Friday killed at least eight
fighters and one child, according to security sources, as armed group Hezbollah
responded with artillery rounds and rockets across the border. The Israeli
military has been trading fire with Iran-backed Hezbollah across Lebanon's
southern border in parallel with the Gaza war, with hostilities ramping up
recently amid fears that a full-scale regional war could erupt. Israeli strikes
killed six Hezbollah fighters in various towns across the south, according to
the party's death notices and a security source. Another fighter was killed in a
separate strike outside Aitarun, according to the security source. It was not
immediately clear if the combatant was a Hezbollah member. A separate Israeli
strike on the village of Aita, approximately 14 km (nine miles) north of the
border with Israel, killed a Hezbollah fighter and a child, the security source
told Reuters. Hezbollah identified the fighter killed in Aita as Mohammad Najem.
The Israeli military, in a statement posted online, said it had targeted Najem
in Aita because he was a member of Hezbollah's rocket and missile unit. It said
it had targeted two other Hezbollah fighters across the south. Its statement
said "a number of projectiles fired from Lebanese territory" had crossed into
northern Israel but that no injuries were reported. Hezbollah's press office
said the group had fired rockets and artillery fire onto various Israeli
military positions throughout the day. More than 600 people in Lebanon have been
killed since the start of the clashes last October, including more than 400
Hezbollah combatants and over 130 civilians, according to a Reuters toll.
Tragic road accident in Bcharre: A family of five
perishes on unsafe route
LBCI/23 Aug 2024
On Thursday, August 22, 2024, Joseph Tawk, his wife, and their three children
left their home in Bcharre at around 8 PM, taking the old Cedar road. The
following morning brought a devastating discovery—Joseph's siblings found the
house empty, his butcher shop closed, with no trace of the family. The signs of
tragedy were evident along the road near the Qadisha Valley: a car battery, a
trunk, and the remnants of the vehicle, which had been completely wrecked. The
last image of their four-wheel-drive vehicle was one of total destruction. The
car descended a dangerous curb and continued descending until it reached the
valley, where all five family members were found outside the vehicle. Joseph and
his family are victims of negligence, joining the many who have suffered before
them on this dangerous road. Although no fatal accidents have occurred in the
past 20 years, this does not mean the old Cedar road, built during the French
mandate, is safe for vehicles. According to engineers and road safety experts,
the old Cedar road lacks the minimum safety standards and requirements. It lacks
retaining walls, barriers, proper lighting, and pavement—all essential for
preventing accidents. In short, this road is a death trap, and what is even more
tragic is that it is the only route leading to the tourist destination of
Qadisha Valley, used by visitors and tourists alike, yet it has not seen
maintenance in years. Today, Bcharre mourns the loss of an entire family—lives
that could have been spared with a bit of awareness and attention to a road that
was once considered international but has now deteriorated into a state of
disrepair. Once again, our roads are an easy way to lose young people and
families. With a bit of care and protection, we can save many lives.
Potential FATF sanctions: Can Lebanon curb the risks of a
cash-fueled economy amid financial crimes?
LBCI/23 Aug 2024
Lebanon is seeing an influx of cash, with at least $10 billion entering the
country annually from remittances, tourist spending, and international aid, all
bypassing the banking system, according to the World Bank's 2022 report. This
figure represents nearly half the size of the nation's economy—a situation
fraught with risks. Unlike bank transfers and checks, the untraceable nature of
cash flows increases the potential for tax evasion, smuggling, corruption, money
laundering, and even terrorism financing. The growing reliance on cash also
heightens the likelihood that Lebanon could be placed on the Financial Action
Task Force (FATF) grey list this fall, leading to stricter international
dealings with the country.
What steps is Lebanon taking to try to limit financial crimes?
In response, Lebanese banks and money transfer companies have enhanced their
monitoring mechanisms and are collaborating closely with the Banque du Liban (BDL)
to trace every dollar's origin. Meanwhile, the judiciary is tightening
accountability measures in line with recent FATF recommendations. Judge Sabouh
Sleiman noted that new investigative techniques in financial crimes are being
developed, which will be handled independently by the Internal Security Forces (ISF).
However, these efforts are insufficient, according to participants at the Annual
Forum on Combating Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing held in Beirut. The
event, which gathered Lebanese, Arab, and international experts, emphasized the
urgent need for more robust legislation and reforms. The forum's key message was
clear: Lebanon must break free from its cash-based economy and associated
problems. The path forward lies in comprehensive reforms, restoring confidence
in the banking sector, and recovering depositors' funds.
LBCI celebrates its 39th anniversary
LBCI/23 Aug 2024
The Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation International (LBCI) marked its 39th
anniversary on August 23, celebrating nearly four decades of pioneering
television broadcasting in Lebanon. LBCI is the first private television station
in Lebanon. It was founded in 1992 by acquiring the assets, liabilities, and
logo of LBC, an entity founded in 1985 during the Lebanese Civil War. Growing
into a leading media institution, LBCI is known for its innovative programming
and commitment to delivering quality news and entertainment to the Lebanese
audience. Since its inception, the channel has become a trusted source of
information, known for its commitment to journalistic integrity and innovation
in broadcasting. As LBCI looks to the future, it remains deeply committed to the
values that have guided it for nearly four decades, with a heartfelt promise to
continue being a voice for the people, today and always.
Education Minister receives 40 university scholarships from Algerian Ambassador
to Lebanon
LBCI/23 Aug 2024
Algeria's Ambassador to Lebanon, Rachid Belbaki, presented caretaker Education
Minister Abbas Halabi with 40 university scholarships designated for Lebanese
students across various fields of study. During their meeting, the two officials
discussed educational and academic relations between the two countries and
explored ways to strengthen these ties. Minister Halabi expressed his gratitude
to Ambassador Belbaki, the Algerian government, and universities for providing
these valuable opportunities for Lebanese students. He also instructed the
relevant administration to announce the commencement of applications for the
upcoming academic year.
General J. Aoun Receives French Armed Forces Deputy Chief of Staff
This Is Beirut/23 Aug 2024
The Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations of the French Armed Forces, General
Thierry Garreta, was received by the Commander-in-Chief of the Lebanese Army,
General Joseph Aoun, on Friday in Yarzeh. The discussion focused on cooperation
between the two armies and the situation in Lebanon, particularly in the south
of the country, where exchanges of fire between Hezbollah and Israel have been
relentless since October 8, 2023.
USAID Helps Renovate the Berbara Fishermen Cooperative
This Is Beirut /23 Aug 2024
US Ambassador Lisa A. Johnson toured the Berbara Fishermen Cooperative in Jbeil
to view the newly renovated facility, which is now a vibrant destination that
drives economic opportunity for the local community. With support from the
United States Government through the United States Agency for International
Development (USAID), the Berbara Fishermen Cooperative recently upgraded their
infrastructure with a pre-built kiosk and restroom (accessible to people with
disabilities — PWDs), bolstered their operations with a new wastewater treatment
unit and kitchen equipment, and enhanced local fishermen’s expertise in food
safety, operations, and management. Women from the Berbara community were
trained in various business areas, food safety, hygiene, and hospitality
practices to ensure top-notch service for the fishery’s clients. A customized
seafood menu was also developed to attract visitors to the port. During her
visit, Ambassador Johnson met with local fishermen, who shared how upgrades to
the fishery have provided a venue where they can sell or serve their catch. She
also heard from leadership at the Municipality of Berbara and the Fishermen
Cooperative about the port, which is a key destination on the Lebanese coast
given its proximity to major cities, and how the United States can partner with
them to boost domestic tourism and strengthen economic security. “The support
provided by USAID to the Berbara Fishermen Cooperative is a testament to our
commitment to create jobs and enhance the livelihoods of communities across
Lebanon,” shared Ambassador Johnson. USAID assistance to the Berbara Fishermen
Cooperative is one component of a broader initiative aimed at enhancing the
Maritime Economic Hub of the Jbeil Cluster. USAID’s Promoting Sustainable
Livelihoods (PSL) activity, implemented by the Rene Moawad Foundation (RMF),
supported three fishery cooperatives in Berbara, Amchit, and Jbeil to improve
their services, increase their revenues, and improve the livelihoods of tens of
fishermen and their families.
Aboul Hosn in Meerab at Walid Joumblatt’s Request
This Is Beirut/23 Aug 2024
MP Hadi Aboul Hosn met on Friday with Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea in
Meerab at the request of former Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) leader, Walid
Joumblatt. In an interview with This is Beirut, Aboul Hosn said that this visit
was part of “ongoing communication with all political parties and in particular
with the Lebanese Forces since the Mountain Reconciliation” (August 2001),
sealed by Walid Joumblatt and former Maronite Patriarch, Nasrallah Sfeir. It was
prompted by a minor tension that arose on social media between residents of
Upper Metn. “We want to maintain the best relations in Upper Metn and its
villages,” said Aboul Hosn. He explained that “posts exchanged on social media
by supporters of both sides have worried the base of both political parties.”
The MP said he was “reassured because of appeasement publications that appeared
on these same pages,” just after his meeting with Geagea.
Christiane Gemayel’s Summons by Cybercrime Bureau Sparks
Outcry
This Is Beirut /23 Aug 2024
The summons of LebTalks’ website founder and journalist Christiane Gemayel by
the Lebanese Cybercrime Bureau on Monday sparked strong reactions from NGOs and
political parties defending freedom of the press. Everyone who commented on this
summons reiterated, once again, that this bureau is not competent to question
journalists about facts related to their profession. The association
“Journalists for Freedom” reiterated their “rejection of journalists appearing
before any security body, in accordance with Articles 28 and 29 of the Press
Law,” under which the media operates.
As stipulated in the Press Law, “only the Press Court is competent for press
offenses in accordance with Articles 28 and 29,” the association recalled in a
statement released Friday. It also expressed its solidarity with Christiane
Gemayel and any other journalist summoned in violation of the law by the
Lebanese Cybercrime Bureau. This sentiment was echoed by political parties. The
Lebanese Forces (LF) and the Future Movement firmly rejected “the summons of
Christiane Gemayel before the Lebanese Cybercrime Bureau,” considering in their
turn that “the sole body authorized to summon journalists is the Press
Court.”Furthermore, the press office of the Future Movement urged the Ministry
of Information, as well as the Press Order and the Syndicate of Editors, “to
take the necessary steps with political, judicial, and security authorities to
put an end to these summons, which have recently been repeated against
journalists and media professionals.”
The Victory Movement… Against Nasserite Popular Organization
This Is Beirut/23 Aug 2024
All attempts to bring the Secretary General of the Nasserite Popular
Organization, MP Oussama Saad, back into the ranks of the “axis of resistance”
failed, as Saad categorically refused to run in the 2022 legislative elections
on the list supported by Hezbollah and alongside a Sunni personality from Saida
affiliated with the pro-Iranian group. Moreover, he distanced himself from
Hezbollah by standing for election with Nazih Bizri. Hezbollah has not forgiven
him for this setback and seems intent on making him pay dearly, politically.
Hezbollah-backed MP Melhem Hojeiri (Sunni) obtained the Interior Ministry’s
approval to found the Victory Movement, which he aimed to launch from Saida, in
an attempt to wrest some of his supporters away from Saad.
Hezbollah officials did not attend the launch conference, which apparently
failed. According to Sidonian circles, the pro-Iranian formation decided to stop
endorsing Hojeiri’s movement when it realized it was unlikely to achieve its
objective. Above all, Hojeiri’s move led to a resurgence in Saad’s popularity.
Sunni sources point out that Hezbollah is trying to promote Sunni personalities
in Tripoli, Beirut and Saida, so far without success.
Lufthansa Extends Suspensions of Flights to Beirut
This Is Beirut/23 Aug 2024
German airline Lufthansa announced on Friday that it is extending the suspension
of flights to Beirut until September 30. Additionally, flights to Tel Aviv and
Tehran will remain suspended until September 2 due to ongoing regional tensions.
Despite these extended suspensions, flights to Amman in Jordan and Erbil in
Iraq, which had previously been suspended, will resume on August 27, according
to Lufthansa. Earlier, Lufthansa had announced its avoidance of all Iraqi and
Iranian airspace in response to the ongoing regional instability.
Lebanon: Room for the Elderly
Liliane Mokbel/This Is Beirut/23 Aug 2024
Who remains in Lebanon? Primarily the elderly. Who is emigrating? The young, but
also families. The demographics of the Lebanese population are undergoing a
significant shift, mainly due to the economic deadlock in which the country
finds itself.
Emigration is not a new phenomenon for societies, which typically experience
migratory cycles limited by time and space. However, in Lebanon, this phenomenon
has transformed into a dream for the majority of families, especially for the
most educated young people. According to figures from Mohamad Chamseddine, an
economist at the research and analysis firm Information International, around
468,000 Lebanese, or nearly half a million — mostly young people — have
emigrated between 2016 and 2024. Chamseddine raises the alarm, pointing out that
Lebanon is not only losing its inhabitants, but its population is also aging.
From 2016 to 2019, the average population growth was 63,500 people per year.
However, from 2020 to 2023, this average dropped to 38,200, marking a decrease
of approximately 40%. Currently, 30% of the Lebanese population is over 50 years
old. If this trend continues over the next seven years, the proportion of
seniors could reach 40 to 43%, and even 60% within the next two decades. Among
the factors contributing to the decline in births are, in addition to
emigration, the economic crisis, the lack of mortgage loans, a 13.3% reduction
in marriage contracts, and a 7.7% increase in divorce.
Metn and Kesrwan
In response to a question from This is Beirut, Mohamad Chamseddine cited the
example of the cazas of Metn and Kesrwan, where the population of Christian
origin registered only minimal demographic growth in 2023, at 0.04% and 0.05%,
respectively. “Nationally, the country is surviving thanks to funds from the
diaspora, but it is losing human capital as its population ages,” he added. He
also highlighted that the cost of living in Lebanon has increased significantly,
noting that a family of three now needs $580 to cover its basic needs, a sum
that not all families have.
The Desire to Leave
Furthermore, a survey conducted by Arab Barometer, a pan-Arab observatory,
between February and April 2024 among a sample of 2,400 Lebanese revealed that
38% of them wish to leave the country. This represents an increase of 12
percentage points compared to the 26% recorded in 2018.The numbers show that
young people and university graduates are particularly inclined to emigrate.
Indeed, 58% of those aged 18 to 29 expressed this desire, double the number of
individuals aged 30 and older, according to the study. Additionally, those with
higher education levels are more likely to want to emigrate than those with
lower education levels (46% versus 33%).
Economic Crisis
The survey reveals that economic conditions remain the primary driver of
emigration. No Lebanese considers the economic situation to be positive nor
expects it to improve. Thus, it is unsurprising that nearly 7 out of 10 people
(72%) wish to leave Lebanon.
Security and political issues also play a significant role among the reasons
cited for emigration. Security concerns, worsened by the ongoing war in southern
Lebanon and spreading to the north and west of the Bekaa, are now the second
most frequently cited reason by potential Lebanese migrants in 2024, with 27%,
up 14 percentage points from the 13% recorded in 2022. Concerns about corruption
have also become a major factor in emigration, with 24% of Lebanese stating that
corruption is a primary reason for wanting to leave, compared to 16% in 2022.
Similarly, the proportion of Lebanese citing political issues as a motive for
emigration increased from 16% in 2022 to 23% in 2024.
Bracing for war: Lebanese hospitals ready emergency
plans
AFP/August 23, 2024
BEIRUT: In Lebanon’s biggest public hospital, nurses are busy honing their
life-saving skills as the spectre of all-out war looms, 10 months into
intensifying clashes between Hezbollah and Israel over the Gaza war. “We are in
a state of readying for war,” nurse Basima Khashfi said as she gave emergency
training to young nurses and other staff at the hospital in Beirut. “We are
currently training employees — not just nurses, but also administrative and
security staff. “With our current capabilities, we’re almost prepared” in case
of a wider war, she told AFP. Lebanon has been setting in motion public health
emergency plans since hostilities began, relying mostly on donor funds after
five years of gruelling economic crisis. The threat of full-blown war grew after
Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement vowed to avenge the killings last month,
blamed on Israel, of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and top
Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in south Beirut. “We’re training to handle mass
casualty incidents and to prepare for disasters or war,” said Lamis Dayekh, a
37-year-old nurse undergoing training. “If war breaks out, we’ll give everything
we have.”
Growing tensions
The cross-border violence has killed nearly 600 people in Lebanon, mostly
Hezbollah fighters but including at least 131 civilians, according to an AFP
tally. On the Israeli side, including in the annexed Golan Heights, 23 soldiers
and 26 civilians have been killed, army figures show. In a building next to the
hospital, where the emergency operations center is located, health ministry
officials are busy typing away, making calls and monitoring news of the war in
Gaza and south Lebanon on large television screens. “This is not our first war
and we have been ready every time,” said Wahida Ghalayini, who heads the center,
active since hostilties began in October. She cited a massive 2020 Beirut port
explosion, Hezbollah and Israel’s 2006 conflict and Lebanon’s 1975-1990 civil
war. The health ministry’s plan includes a helpline for those already displaced
by war, an assessment of hospital needs, disaster training for staff and a
mental health module. The emergency room coordinates with rescue teams and
hospitals in Lebanon’s south. The plan prioritizes hospitals based on their
location. The “red zone,” at high risk of Israeli strikes, comprises Hezbollah’s
strongholds in the country’s south, east and Beirut’s southern suburbs. But
despite Lebanon’s long history of civil unrest and disasters, the public health
sector now faces an economic crisis that has drained state coffers, forcing it
to rely on aid.
Calls for aid
“We need lots of medical supplies, fuel, oxygen... the Lebanese state has a
financial and economic problem,” said Ghalayini. The state electricity provider
barely produces power, so residents rely on expensive private generators and
solar panels. Most medical facilities depend on solar power during the day, she
said, pointing to panels atop the adjacent hospital’s roof and parking lot.
Lebanese Health Minister Firass Abiad said the country had enough drugs and
medical supplies to last at least four months in case of a wider war.“Efforts to
increase readiness follow the (Israeli) enemy entity’s threat of expanding its
aggression,” Abiad said in a statement. Last month’s strike that killed a top
Hezbollah commander targeted a densely packed residential area, killing five
civilians and wounding scores more. It tested the readiness of Beirut hospitals
in the high-risk Hezbollah stronghold, Ghalayini told AFP. As Israel threatens
full-scale war, Lebanon is also looking to health workers in Gaza for emergency
planning strategies, she said. “We are observing the Gaza emergency center... to
learn from them,” she said, pointing at television footage of bloodied patients
at a hospital in Gaza, where the death toll has sparked mounting concerns. For
25-year-old nurse Mohamed Hakla, the prospect of war is frightening but “our job
is to help others. I will not deprive people of this (help) because of fear.”
If Hezbollah is cornered, it could trigger a regionwide war
Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib/Arab News/August 23, 2024
Hezbollah last week published a video showing combatants transporting
projectiles on trucks through tunnels. The video was aimed at sending a signal
that the group is readying itself for war. A war with Israel would be a calamity
that should be avoided at all costs. Chances are, it would turn into a regional
war. However, Hezbollah will start such a war if it feels cornered. The key is
to find a diplomatic solution. The prevailing logic is that states and actors go
to war because it is in their interest to do so. However, the reality is that
they only go to war as a last resort. War is waged when there are no other
viable options on the table. We have to remember Japan in the Second World War:
it attacked the US despite the fact it was no military match for its rival.
However, America was strangling Japan with its oil embargo and, by December
1941, it looked like Washington was not willing to negotiate to end the embargo.
Japan took the risk of attacking the US despite the high uncertainty it
involved. It made this choice because it was cornered. America retaliated in the
Battle of Midway and, ultimately, two of Japan’s major cities, Hiroshima and
Nagasaki, were decimated by atomic bombs. Do we want the same scenario in the
Middle East? I don’t think so. This is why diplomacy should be activated to its
maximum level.
To understand Hezbollah’s behavior, one should put oneself in its shoes. Since
Oct. 8, Israel has been conducting a series of successful assassinations.
Domestic Lebanese opposition to the group is at an all-time high. Despite the
population’s overwhelming support for Palestine, the group is being accused of
unilaterally taking Lebanon to war. Faced with Hezbollah’s uncompromising
position, the opposition has increased its attacks on the group. Even
Hezbollah’s relationship with its Christian ally the Free Patriotic Movement is
now shaky. The disagreements between the two started with the Iran-aligned
group’s endorsement of Suleiman Frangieh for the presidency instead of the head
of the Christian party Gebran Bassil. The Free Patriotic Movement is now
distancing itself from Hezbollah’s confrontation with Israel. In February,
former President Michel Aoun shunned Hezbollah’s skirmishes with Tel Aviv by
saying that Lebanon “is not bound by a defense treaty with Gaza.” This is a big
problem for the group. This alliance had previously given Hezbollah a certain
legitimacy.
If Israel continues with its assassinations at this pace, it will exterminate
the group in a year or two
Hence, the group is now alienated domestically and has somehow lost legitimacy.
It is considered a terrorist group by many Arab countries, meaning it has no
Arab legitimacy. Israel has also been conducting successful assassination
operations.
Israel has killed about 350 Hezbollah operatives since Oct. 7. In its military
doctrine, it has a concept known as “Mabam,” which means the war between wars.
It basically relies on assassinations and attacks on specific targets to weaken
the capabilities of the enemy. If Israel continues with its assassinations at
this pace, it will exterminate the group in a year or two. Hezbollah cannot sit
idly by and see its members killed one by one. Basically, it finds itself pushed
into a corner and this is very dangerous. Desperate people take desperate
measures.
Also, one should not underestimate Hezbollah’s psyche. The group is ideological.
it preaches self-sacrifice. It would put up a fight even if it knew it was going
to lose; even if Israel were to kill every single member. In its mentality, that
would not be the end but a new beginning for a new generation that will be
stronger and more committed to the fight. Hence, it would rather fight than
capitulate. This is very dangerous for everyone.
If Hezbollah were to reach this point of no return, its aim would be to inflict
as much damage as possible on its enemy, regardless of what would happen to it
or to Lebanon. This would go beyond the mutual destruction of Beirut and Tel
Aviv. This would mean a regional war that would suck in Iran and the US.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Tuesday said that the war’s “center of
gravity” is gradually moving from Gaza to Israel’s northern front. Lebanon is in
real danger. The Lebanese factions that are attacking Hezbollah should think
through whether they love their country more than they hate Hezbollah. This is
the time to negotiate with Hezbollah. It needs guarantees from the different
factions — guarantees that it will not be stabbed in the back if it needs to
make some compromises.
The Lebanese opposition, the US and Arab countries should all work on preventing
a confrontation
Hezbollah is saying that the issue of electing a president will be adjourned
until after a ceasefire. However, other Lebanese groups should press for the
election of a president that can maintain the balance between Hezbollah and the
rest of the factions. It is time for both Hezbollah and the opposition to give
up on their own candidates and agree on a third-party candidate. This would lead
to an internal settlement with Hezbollah and appease the public anger against
the group. Regarding the fight with Israel, UN Security Council Resolution 1701
should include a security guarantor that can create a solid buffer between
Hezbollah and Israel. I have alluded in my previous articles to the need to have
a strong state within the UNIFIL to take the role of the security garantor. A
state that both Hezbollah, Iran, and Israel would not want to upset. This
guarantor will make sure that the Lebanese side is calm and that Hezbollah keeps
its weapons in the basement, while also making sure that Lebanese airspace is
protected from Israeli drones and warplanes. Here, the US should pressure Israel
to stop its series of assassination.
The Lebanese opposition, the US and Arab countries should all work on preventing
a confrontation that would be catastrophic for everyone. To do so, they should
engage with Hezbollah. And they should remember that diplomacy is the art of
talking to your enemies.
• Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib is a specialist in US-Arab relations with a focus on
lobbying. She is co-founder of the Research Center for Cooperation and Peace
Building, a Lebanese nongovernmental organization focused on Track II.
Lebanese Filmmaker Youssef El-Khoury: 'The Palestinian
Cause Is Fake, There Has Never Been A Palestinian Entity; Nasrallah Should Just
Shut Up, He Pollutes The Lebanese Mind, History, And Heritage'
MEMRI/23 August/2024 #11340 | 04:00
Source: Online Platforms - "Lebanon On (YouTube)"
https://www.memri.org/tv/lebanese-filmmaker-youssef-el-khoury-destroyed-lebanon-fake-cause-palestine-nasrallah-shut-up
Lebanese filmmaker and writer Youssef El-Khoury said in an August 8, 2024,
interview with Lebanon On (YouTube) that Lebanon has been destroyed for the sake
of a "fake cause," because there has never been a Palestinian entity. He asked:
"When has this land belonged to Palestine?" El-Khoury said that Hamas is a
criminal and terrorist organization and the reason that there are so many
civilian casualties in Gaza is because Hamas fighters are hiding underground and
letting their people die. He added that appointing Sinwar as the leader of Hamas
exposes it as an organization that does not want peace and does not care about
its people.
El-Khoury said that Nasrallah should shut up and that maybe this could save
Lebanon. He said that Nasrallah should be ashamed of himself and that he
pollutes the Lebanese mind, history, and heritage. El-Khoury added that he is a
"Hitler type" following the model of Nero, Mussolini, and Hirohito, who let
their countries be destroyed before they surrendered.
It is worth noting that at the end of the interview, the host qualified that he
and LebanonOn are not responsible for the views of the guests on the platform.
Youssef El-Khoury: "Everybody is screaming that Hamas is innocent and that
Israel is using excessive force against Hamas. But this is not true. Hamas is a
criminal and terrorist organization, which perpetrated massacres on October 7,
which led Israel to carry out a massive response, and so far, there are 39,000
casualties in Gaza.
"In addition, Sinwar is still underground. We haven't heard his voice. How come
people are so proud of this 'great leader' appointed yesterday by Hamas? For me,
his appointment has exposed Hamas for what it is: an organization that does not
want peace and does not care about its people and their fate.
"Two-third of the people killed [in Gaza] are civilians. It is not because
Israel is murderous and criminal and is bombing with airplanes indiscriminately,
and so on. No. It is because the Hamas fighters are hiding underground, and let
their people die above.
"We have shown solidarity with the Palestinian cause for 70 years. Tell me when
was there ever a Palestinian state and the Jews came and kicked them out of the
State of Palestine. And now we are fighting in order to…has this land ever
belonged to Palestine? The two peoples were living there. There has never been a
[Palestinian] entity…We are fighting for a fake cause. We have destroyed Lebanon
for a fake cause. We have shown solidarity with a fake cause, and have destroyed
ourselves. We are fighting for a thing that does not exist. There has never been
a Palestinian entity."
Interviewer: "Nasrallah said yesterday to the opposition in Lebanon: Do not stab
us in the back. At least shut up, at this stage."
El-Khoury: "He should shut up. He should shut up. If we shut up, it would not
make any difference."
Interviewer: "And if you speak up?"
El-Khoury: "But if he shuts up, maybe we can save Lebanon from a great and
imminent disaster. He should shut up and be ashamed of himself. All the TV and
radio channels must ban him. Nobody should give him air time. This man pollutes
the Lebanese mind. He pollutes Lebanese history and heritage."
"It is true that Nasrallah will not do anything [to prevent the war] because he
is the Hitler type. When people started telling Hitler that he was about to lose
the war, in 1945... a year before the war ended... Hitler was told that he was
about to lose the war, but he refused to surrender. Had he agreed to surrender
when he was told that it was a losing war, he would have spared the complete
destruction of Berlin and would have avoided the killing of 500,000 Germans. But
Hitler only committed suicide after he destroyed Berlin.
"The same thing happened with Nero. He only surrendered to his fate after he
burned down Rome. Hirohito also. He only surrendered after the nuclear bomb the
nuclear bomb was dropped on Japan. Mussolini, too. This man [Nasrallah] will
only surrender after he destroys Beirut. He will not go away before he destroys
Beirut, and when Beirut is destroyed again, the people who are keeping silent
will bear the responsibility."
Interviewer: "I would like to clarify that our platform is open to all views,
and we are not responsible for the views of our guests – neither me personally,
nor this platform. I thank writer and filmmaker Youssef El-Khoury for being with
us. Thank you."
Missile makes direct hit on air force base in North, IAF
eliminates terror cell
Jerusalem Post/August 23/2024
Army radio then reported that anti-tank missiles hit the air control base but
that the base's functional capacity and detection system continued to work. The
IDF confirmed there two Hezbollah missiles hit the Israel Air Force's Air
Control Unit base near Mount Meron on Friday morning, following sirens in the
area. Alarms were activated in the Upper Galilee area and Meron on Friday
morning, and Lebanese media later reported a direct hit to the base, which
Hezbollah later claimed responsibility for. Army Radio reported that anti-tank
missiles hit the air control base but that the base's functional capacity and
detection system continued to work. There were no casualties, and the IDF is
investigating the incident. Earlier on Friday morning, a terrorist cell based in
the Tayr Harfa area in southern Lebanon was eliminated by the IAF on Friday, the
IDF stated. The cell had reportedly been planning to fire projectiles toward
Israel.
IAF activity in Lebanon
A subsequent launch was identified from the area, indicating the presence of
weapons and rockets, the military added. Further, Israeli artillery reportedly
struck targets in the area of Chebaa in southern Lebanon. On Thursday, the IAF
struck a Hezbollah weapons storage facility in southern Lebanon, after which
secondary explosions were identified, indicating the presence of large amounts
of weapons in the facility. The Lebanese Health Ministry reported that an
IAF strike in Beit al-Jabal resulted in two deaths. According to the report, one
of the dead is a child. The IDF claimed that they were actually Hezbollah
terrorists.
Three questions to Lebanese Army retired General Maroun
Hitti. Per Machiavelli, “Wars begin when you will, but they do not end when you
please".
Yara Germany/This Is Beirut/22 August 2024
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2024/08/133498/
Since the beginning of the clashes between Hezbollah and Israel in south
Lebanon, Israeli strikes are increasingly targeting deeper inside the Lebanese
interior, including the southern suburb of Beirut and even the Bekaa Valley. Ici
Beyrouth queried Lebanese Army retired General Maroun Hitti on these
developments.Why is it in your opinion that the Israeli strikes are no longer
limited to the south of Lebanon?
Simply because Hezbollah is present across the entire territory of Lebanon and
not only in the south.
This targeting deep inside Lebanon is a new development in the ongoing
operations because Israel is trespassing all the red lines that have been
implicitly coordinated with Hezbollah and is moving the theater of its
operations deeper inside Lebanon.
It’s no longer only south Lebanon that is in play; it’s now the totality of the
territory of Lebanon that is the object of these operations.
In fact, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has said that the center of
gravity of the Israeli operations is migrating from the south of Israel, i.e.
Hamas in Gaza, to its north, i.e. Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Israel is right now concentrating its measures on its northern border, since the
war that erupted initially in Gaza is no longer an existential one. Hamas is,
for all practical purposes, virtually destroyed as a military structure. The war
in the north has become Israel’s priority, its new existential war. As a result,
Israel will not restrict itself to any implied framework.
At this stage, Israel and the Americans’ motivation behind their efforts in
Lebanon is not so much to gain territory or hunt down prominent leaders or even
strike deep inside the country. It is rather to deny Hezbollah and Hamas any
possibility of claiming having won any phase of the war, which is an essential
headline in Hezbollah’s strategic communication.
The two mistakes committed by Hamas and Hezbollah are, one, to believe that the
human shield strategy would always work, and two, to think that their enemy does
not understand key elements of strategic communication.
Are the attacks of Hezbollah the driver of Israeli retaliations, or is it the
opposite? Who drives the clashes today?
Initially, it was Hezbollah that triggered the clashes by attacking Israel on
October 8. The confrontation was limited then to measured strikes and
counterstrikes on both sides. But these have intensified since.
“Wars begin when you will, but they do not end when you please", Machiavelli
said. This applies particularly to Hezbollah which has initiated the clashes,
but is no longer able to put an end to them.
Right now, it is Israel that is driving the clashes. Which means that it has the
capacity to take the initiative and the force that is needed to maintain it.
Hezbollah does respond, but it is in a quandary. I am convinced that Hezbollah
initially calculated that the Israel-Hamas war would not last longer than three
months. In effect, it was banking on Hamas’s human shield strategy, which
consists in attacking Israel then waiting that civilians get killed in the
Israeli response. This would provoke international outcry and intervention to
impose a ceasefire and bring the belligerents to the negotiating table. In this
scenario, Hamas could claim to have scored a victory. Alas, this did not work
when the Hamas operation exceeded its scope.
Hezbollah has therefore no control over the situation. Even if it were to stop
its attacks against Israel today, I don’t think that Israel would actually stop.
For the Israeli government, a return to the status quo prior to October 7 along
its northern border cannot be countenanced. The Israeli government would cease
its operations only when the situation on that border is radically modified,
which would allow the permanent and safe return of its northern residents back
to their region.
The way out: First, the strict implementation of UNSCR 1701 which calls for,
among other things, the disarming of Hezbollah along with an assumption by
UNIFIL and the Lebanese government of their responsibilities. The Lebanese
government has never adopted a real position on this matter. Second, UNSCR 1559,
which calls for the disbanding of all militias in Lebanon, including Hezbollah,
must be implemented by the Lebanese government.
No other exit is possible, otherwise the indefinite continuation of the fighting
would inevitably lead Hezbollah to a bitter end or to the neutralization of its
offensive capabilities.
Is this increased deepening of the conflict inside Lebanese territory simply a
demonstration of force or the beginning of a new phase in the war?
Neither. The Israelis do not need to demonstrate their
power. It is rather a demonstration of the capabilities of Israeli intelligence
at infiltrating Hezbollah’s ranks.
The strikes deeper inside Lebanon follow the qualitative strikes in the southern
suburb of Beirut, the assassination of the military chief of Hezbollah Fuad
Shokr and before him the number two of Hamas Saleh El-Aruri, as well as in the
Bekaa, 80 kilometers north of the border, against sites that few suspected as
belonging to Hezbollah like ammunition and weapons depots. This is exacerbating
the rumors of defections within the upper echelons of Hezbollah. If this were to
be true, Hezbollah would be in a critical situation, because this would mean
that Israel would have won a war that was primarily an intelligence war.
Indeed, the Israeli strikes deeper inside Lebanon is not either a new phase in
the war, since it was a predictable evolution of the situation. This should not
be a “surprise” because it follows a trajectory of predictable events leading to
an escalation of violence and a widening of the scope of the operations and the
conflict. What is happening today was expected the
moment that Hezbollah began its strikes against Israel after October 7. Since
then, it was impossible to exclude that Israel would strike at every opportunity
it sees as favorable, even outside the areas that have been tacitly coordinated
between Hezbollah and Israel, such as the assassination of Fuad Shokr in the
southern suburb of Beirut.
The Latest English LCCC
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on August 23-24/2024
White House insists it is making progress on
Gaza cease-fire as talks continue over the weekend
Aamer Madhani And Julia Frankel/BUELLTON, Calif. (AP) /August 23,
2024
The White House said Friday that cease-fire talks in Cairo have been
constructive and will continue over the weekend as the U.S. and Mideast allies
continue to press Israel and Hamas to forge an agreement. CIA Director William
Burns and Brett McGurk, a senior adviser on the Middle East to President Joe
Biden, are leading the U.S. side of negotiations that began on Thursday amid
major differences between Israel and Hamas over Israel’s insistence that it
maintain forces in two strategic corridors in Gaza. “There has been progress
made,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby said, “We need now for
both sides to come together and work towards implementation.”Kirby did not
detail where progress had been made, but he did insist that there’s been
momentum in the conversations among the mediators from the U.S., Israel and
Hamas' interlocutors Egypt and Qatar.
Biden took a break from his family vacation in Santa Ynez Valley, California, on
Friday to call Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and Egyptian
President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to discuss developments in the negotiations.
Diplomatic efforts have redoubled as fears grow of a wider regional war after
the recent targeted killings of leaders of the militant Hamas and Hezbollah
groups, both blamed on Israel, and threats of retaliation.Israel and Hamas have
been at loggerheads over the Philadelphi corridor alongside Gaza’s border with
Egypt and the Netzarim east-west corridor across the territory. Hamas is
demanding a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. Netanyahu insists
on the principle that Israel will control the Philadelphi corridor, with the aim
of preventing the rearming of Hamas and a repeat of the atrocities of the Oct. 7
attack on Israel. He also denied reports that Israel would be willing to accept
an international force in the corridor. Hamas on Friday pushed back that
Netanyahu was “blocking any chance to reach a cease-fire deal.”El-Sisi in his
call with Biden stressed the importance of Israel and Hamas “showing flexibility
to complete the agreement" to “spare the region the scourge of expanding the
conflict,” according to an Egyptian government statement. Asked whether
Netanyahu was negotiating in good faith, Kirby noted that Biden had a
“constructive” conversation Wednesday with Netanyahu. “We're in Cairo. They're
in Cairo,” Kirby said. “We need Hamas to participate. We need to get down to the
brass tacks of locking in these details. And that’s what we’re focused on here."
The war began with the Oct. 7 attack as Hamas and other militants stormed
Israel, killing around 1,200 people — mostly civilians — and abducting around
250. The Israeli offensive launched in response has killed more than 40,000
Palestinians in Gaza, according to the local Health Ministry, which doesn’t
distinguish between militants and civilians. Biden last week said he was
“optimistic” that an agreement could be reached after he spoke by phone with the
Egyptian president and Qatar’s emir. That conversation came after a round of
negotiations in Doha that White House officials said showed promise that a deal
was close. But by Tuesday, Biden was notably more muted about the prospects of
the two sides coming to an agreement soon. He told reporters after delivering an
address at the Democratic convention that “Hamas was now backing off,” but that
the U.S. is “going to keep pushing” to land a cease-fire deal.
Biden in a Wednesday call with Netanyahu “stressed the urgency of bringing the
ceasefire and hostage release deal to closure,” according to the White House.
Biden also made clear to Netanyahu that both Hamas and Israel will need to
compromise, according to a person familiar with the leaders' call who spoke on
the condition of anonymity about the private conversation. Meanwhile, the
families of the Israeli hostages said they met with Netanyahu on Friday “to
understand what could still be more important than freeing their loved ones,”
venting their anger at his failure to seal a cease-fire deal that would lead to
their loved ones’ release from Hamas captivity. Representatives from the
Hostages Family Forum, a group representing relatives of hostages, said
Netanyahu reiterated his commitment to do everything in his power to bring their
family members back alive. More than 100 Israeli hostages remain in Gaza,
including dozens who are presumed dead. “The word ‘alive’ limits this to a
certain time frame,” said Yizhar Lifshitz, son of hostage Oded Lifshitz, whose
mother was kidnapped and freed by Hamas last October. The revelation on Thursday
that the autopsies of six captives — which Israeli troops recovered from an
underground tunnel in southern Gaza — were riddled with bullet wounds has
escalated domestic pressure on Netanyahu to agree to a cease-fire that might
save captives' lives. Ella Ben Ami, daughter of hostage Israeli Ohad Ben Ami,
said she left her meeting with Netanyahu “with a heavy and difficult feeling
that this isn’t going to happen soon, and I fear for my father’s life, for the
girls who are there, and for everyone.”
Israel's refusal to withdraw from Gaza: Hostage deal in
jeopardy with negotiations on edge
LBCI/August 23, 2024
Awaiting negotiations on a potential prisoner exchange deal in Cairo, Israelis
are approaching the talks with a mix of hope and pessimism. Reports
indicate that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remains resolute on maintaining
Israel's military presence in the Philadelphi Corridor, rejecting a US-Egyptian
proposal that suggests withdrawing troops and reducing the number of monitoring
points from eight to two. Netanyahu's stance has been deemed by many as a
decisive factor that could lead to the failure of the negotiations even before
they properly begin. During an extended meeting of Israel's mini-security
cabinet on Thursday night, the ongoing negotiations in Cairo were discussed in
detail. Ministers demanded to be fully briefed on the negotiations, which had
previously been kept from them under the pretext of preventing leaks. The
majority of the cabinet members backed Netanyahu's position, which prolongs the
war in southern Israel, rejecting the mediators' proposal for a ceasefire and
prisoner exchange deal. The deal's third and final stage involves ending the war
and withdrawing Israeli troops. In a parallel move, the Palestinian Authority
(PA) has sought to impose its own reality on the ground, with President Mahmoud
Abbas reportedly requesting permission from Israel to enter Gaza. It has also
been revealed that reconciliation talks are underway between Abbas and his
rival, Mohammed Dahlan, who was previously exiled from the Fatah movement and
now resides in the UAE. If successful, the reconciliation meeting is expected to
take place in Moscow. The PA's moves aim to establish control over the
Philadelphi Corridor and, subsequently, the Gaza Strip. However, the Israeli
government opposes this scenario, arguing that accepting the mediators' proposal
and allowing the PA to take control would enable Hamas fighters to remain in
Gaza, potentially strengthening their capabilities. As tensions and protests
rise within Israel, internal divisions have deepened amid fears of the deal's
potential failure and its impact on the lives of hostages, as well as the
possibility of escalation in the north. Meanwhile, the Israeli army is
intensifying its training in anticipation of a possible large-scale response
from Hezbollah following the assassination of the party's senior commander,
Fouad Shokor, after the current round of negotiations concludes. The Israeli
Navy has also ramped up its preparations, conducting drills at sea to simulate
various defense and attack scenarios, particularly concerning the security of
strategic sites such as gas fields, the Port of Haifa, and the surrounding Gulf
region.
Biden presses Netanyahu to ease troop presence on
Egypt-Gaza border: Axios
LBCI /August 23, 2024
US President Joe Biden has requested Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
during their call on Wednesday to agree to pull Israeli forces back from part of
the Egypt-Gaza border during the first phase of the hostage-release and Gaza
ceasefire deal, "so negotiations on the deal can move forward," Axios reported,
citing three Israeli officials. Prime Minister Netanyahu demanded that the
Israeli army continue to be deployed along the Philadelphi Corridor on the
border of Egypt and Gaza during the first phase of the deal, which has become
one of the main points of contention.
"The Israeli officials said Netanyahu partially accepted Biden's request and
agreed to give up one Israeli position along the border," Axios noted.
US, Israel defense chiefs discuss ceasefire deal,
regional risks, Austin says
Reuters/August 23, 2024
WASHINGTON: US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Friday said he had spoken with
his Israeli counterpart to discuss a range of issues in the region, including
the ongoing exchanges of fire on the Israel-Lebanon border and the need to
finalize a ceasefire deal. In a post on X, Austin said he also discussed the
risk of escalation from Iran and Iran-backed groups in the call on Thursday and
told Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant that the United States is well
postured across the region.
ICC prosecutor urges judges to urgently rule on warrants
for Israeli, Hamas officials
Reuters/ August 23, 2024
THE HAGUE (Reuters) - The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court
stressed the court had jurisdiction to investigate Israeli nationals and asked
judges to urgently decide on arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu and his defence minister Yoav Gallant. In court filings made public
Friday, prosecutor Karim Khan urged judges weighing the arrest warrants sought
against Israeli officials and Hamas leaders to not delay. "Any unjustified delay
in these proceedings detrimentally affects the rights of victims," he said. Khan
stressed that the court had jurisdiction over Israeli nationals who commit
atrocity crimes in the Palestinian territories and asked the judges to dismiss
legal challenges filed by several dozen governments and other parties. "It is
settled law that the court has jurisdiction in this situation," the filing said,
dismissing legal arguments based on provisions in the Oslo accords and
assertions by Israel that it is carrying out its own investigations into alleged
war crimes. ICC prosecutors say there are reasonable grounds to believe
Netanyahu and Gallant, as well as Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, military chief
Mohammed Al-Masri, and another Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, bear
criminal responsibility for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Haniyeh was assassinated in Iran late July. The court has since declined to
comment on reports of his death. Israel has said it killed Al-Masri, also known
as Mohammed Deif, in another airstrike but Hamas would neither confirm or deny
that news. About 1,200 people were killed in the initial Hamas attack and around
250 taken hostage, according to Israeli counts. Nearly 40,000 Palestinians have
since been killed in an Israeli assault on Gaza that has caused a deadly and
widespread humanitarian crisis. Israel and Palestinian leaders have dismissed
allegations of war crimes, and representatives for both sides have criticised
Khan's decision to seek warrants. There is no deadline for judges to decide on
warrants.
Israel offers new proposal for the Philadelphi corridor
to Hamas
Jeremy Diamond and Alex Marquardt, CNN/August 23, 2024
Egypt is set to deliver Israel’s latest Philadelphi corridor
proposal to Hamas after Israel submitted a revised plan on Thursday as efforts
to secure a ceasefire deal to halt the fighting in Gaza continue, a diplomat and
an Israeli source familiar with the talks said.
The new Israeli proposal, which includes a map of where Israeli troops would be
deployed, reduces the number of troops and military posts along the strategic
corridor bordering Egypt from Israel’s previous position, the Israeli source
said. Egyptian negotiators had rejected the previous Israeli map days earlier
and declined to transfer it to Hamas, calling it a non-starter. The Philadelphi
corridor is a 14-kilometer (8.7-mile) strip of land in southern Gaza along the
border with Egypt- that the IDF currently controls. The deployment of Israeli
troops along the Philadelphi corridor during the first phase of a ceasefire
agreement has been a major point of contention between Israel and Hamas. Israel
has demanded maintaining control of the border zone, whereas Hamas has said
Israeli troops must withdraw from the area. Hamas’ response to the new proposal
will be critical to determining whether it sends negotiators to an expected
negotiating summit in Cairo on Sunday. If they attend, the two sides could hold
true negotiations – with each side’s delegation occupying a room, and Egyptian
and Qatari mediators going back-and-forth between the two. The new proposal was
the product of an hours-long meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu and his negotiating team on Thursday, in which Netanyahu agreed to
reduce troop levels. That meeting came a day after Netanyahu spoke with US
President Joe Biden, who pushed Netanyahu to show more flexibility on the
Philadelphi corridor.
Baby paralyzed in Gaza’s first case of type 2 polio for
25 years, WHO says
Reuters/August 23, 2024
DUBAI: A 10-month-old baby in war-shattered Gaza has been paralyzed by the type
2 polio virus, the first such case in the territory in 25 years, the World
Health Organization said on Friday, with UN agencies appealing for urgent
vaccinations of every baby. The type 2 virus (cVDPV2), while not inherently more
dangerous than types 1 and 3, has been responsible for most outbreaks in recent
years, especially in areas with low vaccination rates. UN agencies have called
for Israel and Gaza’s dominant Palestinian militant group Hamas to agree to a
seven-day humanitarian pause in their 10-month-old war to allow vaccination
campaigns to proceed in the territory. “Polio does not distinguish between
Palestinian and Israeli children,” the head of the UN agency for Palestinian
refugees (UNRWA) said on Friday in a post on X. “Delaying a humanitarian pause
will increase the risk of spread among children,” Philippe Lazzarini added. The
baby, who has lost movement in his lower left leg, is currently in stable
condition, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement.
The WHO has announced that two rounds of a polio vaccination campaign are set to
begin in late August and September 2024 across the densely populated Gaza Strip.
With its health services widely damaged or destroyed by fighting, and raw sewage
spreading amid a breakdown in sanitation infrastructure, Gaza’s population is
particularly vulnerable to outbreaks of disease.
Challenge of vaccinations in war zone
Gaza’s health ministry first reported the polio case in the unvaccinated
10-month-old baby a week ago in the central city of Deir Al-Balah, an often
embattled area in the war. Hamas on Aug. 16 supported a UN request for a
seven-day pause in the fighting to vaccinate Gaza children against polio, Hamas
political bureau official Izzat Al-Rishq said on Friday. Israel, which has laid
siege to Gaza since last October and whose ground offensive and bombardments
have levelled much of the territory, said days later it would facilitate the
transfer of polio vaccines into Gaza for around one million children.
The Israeli military’s humanitarian unit (COGAT) said it was coordinating with
Palestinians to procure 43,000 vials of vaccine — each with multiple doses — for
delivery in Israel in the coming weeks for transfer to Gaza. The vaccines should
be sufficient for two rounds of doses for more than a million children, COGAT
added. As well as allowing the entry of polo specialists into Gaza, the UN has
said a successful campaign would require transport for vaccines and
refrigeration equipment at every step as well as conditions that would allow the
campaign to reach children in every area of the rubble-clogged territory.
Poliomyelitis, a highly infectious virus primarily spread through the fecal-oral
route, can invade the nervous system and cause paralysis. Traces of polio virus
were detected last month in sewage in Deir Al-Balah and Khan Younis, two areas
in southern and central Gaza that have seen hundreds of thousands of
Palestinians displaced by the fighting seek shelter. Children under five are
particularly at risk.
Iran says 14 Daesh suspects arrested planning attacks
Arab News/August 23, 2024
TEHRAN: Iran has arrested 14 suspected Daesh members who were allegedly planning
attacks in the country, authorities said on Friday. The 14 members of
“Daesh-Khorasan have been arrested” in a series of operations, the intelligence
ministry said in a statement cited by state news agency IRNA. Daesh-Khorasan, or
Daesh-K, is the jihadist group’s Afghanistan branch. “Khorasan” refers to a
historical region that included parts of Iran, Afghanistan and Central Asia.
IRNA did not specify the nationalities of those arrested, nor when they were
detained, but said they were being questioned in the provinces of Tehran, nearby
Alborz, Fars in the south, and southwest in Khuzestan. “The accused came into
the country in the past few days aiming to carry out terrorist operations,” the
ministry statement said. In January Daesh, a Sunni Muslim group, claimed twin
blasts that killed more than 90 people at a memorial ceremony in Kerman,
southern Iran. It was the deadliest attack in Shiite Muslim-majority Iran since
1978. At that time, then-interior minister Ahmad Vahidi said Daesh “was carrying
out operations in the country in the service of the Zionist regime,” a reference
to Iran’s arch-foe Israel. Since war began in October between Israel and Hamas
Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip, tensions have soared between Israel and
Iran. In April, Iranian state media reported the arrest of three suspected Daesh
members near Tehran.
Russian snipers kill Islamist hostage-takers to end prison siege
Maxim Rodionov, Filipp Lebedev and Mark Trevelyan/(Reuters)/
August 23, 2024
Russia's security services shot dead four inmates on Friday who had taken
hostages at a penal colony, fatally stabbed four of its staff and posted online
videos describing themselves as Islamic State militants, officials said.
"Snipers of the special forces of the Russian National Guard in the Volgograd
region, with four precise shots, neutralised four prisoners who had taken prison
employees hostage. The hostages have been released," state news agency RIA
quoted the National Guard as saying. The federal prisons service said all four
attackers had been "liquidated". It said four of its staff had died of stab
wounds, and others had been treated in hospital. A total of eight prison
employees and four convicts had been held hostage, it said. In one of the videos
posted by the attackers, the victims were seen lying in pools of blood, one of
them with his throat slashed. One of the prisoners shouted that they were "mujahideen"
of Islamic State. Other videos showed the attackers pacing about in a prison
yard where one of their hostages was slumped in a sitting position, his face
covered in blood. The operation to free the captives took place after President
Vladimir Putin, addressing a weekly meeting of his Security Council, said he
wanted to hear from the interior minister, FSB security chief and head of the
National Guard about the incident.
ISLAMIST ATTACKS
Russia, whose defence and security agencies are heavily focused on its war in
Ukraine, has seen a recent upsurge in Islamist militant attacks. In June, a
bloody Islamic State-linked prison uprising took place in the southern region of
Rostov, where special forces shot dead six inmates who had taken hostages. Later
that month, at least 20 people were killed in shooting attacks on a church, a
synagogue and a police checkpoint in Dagestan, a mainly Muslim region of
southern Russia. In March, Islamic State claimed responsibility for an attack in
which gunmen raided the Crocus City concert hall near Moscow, sprayed the
audience with automatic weapons fire and set the building ablaze, killing more
than 140 people. The latest incident raised major security questions, just two
months after the June prison revolt. It was not clear how the men had managed to
acquire knives to attack prison staff and mobile phones to film themselves and
post multiple videos online. In the footage, one of them appeared to have an
improvised explosive vest and the others were carrying knives and hammers. Their
demands were not clear, though in rambling monologues they said that Russia
"oppresses Muslims everywhere" and that they had acted "without mercy" in
response to alleged mistreatment of Muslim prisoners. Russian news media said
the four were citizens of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, and that three were in jail
for drugs offences and the other for murdering someone in a fight.
Russian ambassador to U.S. says Putin has plan of action
for Kursk incursion
Reuters/August 23, 2024
Russian President Vladimir Putin has formulated a response to the ongoing
Ukrainian incursion in the Kursk region and those responsible for attacking
Russia will be punished, Russian ambassador to the U.S. Anatoly Antonov said. "I
tell you sincerely that the president has made a decision," the TASS state news
agency quoted Antonov as saying late on Thursday. "I am firmly convinced that
everyone will be severely punished for what has happened in Kursk region." The
comments by Antonov, who did not provide further details on Putin's plans, came
after the Kremlin leader held a meeting on Thursday with senior officials,
including the governors of border regions, over two weeks after Ukraine launched
its lightning attack, the biggest incursion into Russia by a foreign power since
World War Two. Antonov, who has served in his post since 2017, also warned in
comments published by the RIA state news agency that the U.S. will at some point
remove all restrictions on the use of weapons supplied to Ukraine. "The current
administration behaves like a person who extends one hand and holds a dagger
behind their back with another one," Antonov said, describing Washington's
recent comments about Kyiv not being allowed to use U.S. weapons for strikes
deep into Russian territory as "goading". "They are, essentially, laying ground
(for a decision) to simply remove all the existing restrictions at a certain
point, without much thought," he said. The United States has provided Ukraine
with more than $55 billion worth of military aid since 2022, but has limited the
use of its weapons to Ukrainian soil and counterfire, defensive crossborder
operations. Kyiv has said it has used U.S.-made weapons in Kursk, including
glide bombs and HIMARS rocket systems. Washington has not commented directly on
the use of U.S.-made weapons in Kursk region but has said that U.S. policies
have not changed and that Ukraine is defending itself from Russia's invasion.
Ukraine's Navy says it destroyed Russian ferry in attack
Reuters/Fri, August 23, 2024
KYIV (Reuters) - Ukraine's Navy confirmed on Friday that it had destroyed a
ferry in the Russian port of Kavkaz that was used to deliver fuel and weapons to
occupied Crimea. Local authorities had earlier said the ferry was set ablaze and
damaged in Thursday's attack on the port in Russia's southern Krasnodar region.
"Another undoubtedly military objective has been destroyed. Its purpose was to
provide fuel for the invaders. The ferry sank and this port (Kavkaz) is not
usable until the ferry is removed," Navy spokesman Dmytro Pletenchuk told
Ukrainian television.
"It was the ferries that accounted for three quarters of all logistics and were
the main channel (of supply)," he added. The ferry was carrying 30 fuel tanks,
said Fyodor Babenkov, district head of the town of Temryuk which includes the
port. He said it sustained significant damage as a result of the attack, Kyiv's
latest strike on Russian territory as Moscow's war in Ukraine grinds on. The
port of Kavkaz is one of Russia's largest outlets on the Black Sea. It handles
ships both for exports and for fuel supplies to Crimea, seized by Russian forces
in 2014.
Russia is barely using one of its best weapons against Ukrainian forces in Kursk
because it's scared to hit itself, war expert says
Sinéad Baker/ Business Insider/August 23, 2024
Russia has been reluctant to use its glide bombs in Kursk, according to experts.
Ukraine has advanced into Russia to create a buffer zone, and Moscow has
struggled to respond. Russia's weak air control systems mean it struggles to use
the bombs accurately, an expert told BI. Russia is unable to fully take
advantage of one of its most effective weapons against Ukrainian forces
advancing in its territory, according to a military strategy expert. That's
likely because Russian systems aren't good enough to ensure that it won't hit
itself, he said. Russia has increasingly fired glide bombs at Ukrainian
territory in its invasion of the country. The bombs are equipped with guidance
systems that allow them to be launched from jets at a distance. They're
difficult to stop, and Russia has been making them more powerful: Its newest
model weighs 6,600 pounds. But Russia has not been using the bombs at the same
scale against Ukrainian forces that crossed the border into Russia earlier this
month.
A bomb attached to the bottom of a Russain aircraft. Mark Cancian, a retired
Marine Corps colonel and a senior advisor at the Center for Strategic and
International Studies, said Russia hasn't been seen heavily using air power or
glide bombs against Ukrainian forces in Kursk. "I think that's a reflection of a
weak air control system," he said. While the US and NATO "have very
sophisticated mechanisms" and a "very elaborate, well-trained system" between
aircraft and a control center to ensure they don't hit anything friendly, that's
not the case for Russia.
The US is "pretty good at it. The Russians are not," Cancian said. Ukrainian
forces in military operations in Malaya Loknya, Kursk Region, on August 20,
2024. Cancian said that Russia is able to heavily use glide bombs in Ukraine
because the front is static and largely unmoving, so Russia can get away with a
weaker control system and less unintended damage. He said Russia's relative
caution in Kursk "is a reflection of inability, their weakness in using air in
support of ground forces."
Not at scale
Some glide bomb usage has been recorded in Kursk, but not to the scale of
elsewhere. Ukraine's military said on Wednesday that Russia had launched 27
glide bombs in the region; it's not clear if that figure is in total or in one
day. Either way, it's a much smaller number than what Russia is reportedly
firing at targets on Ukrainian territory. Russia used 750 glide bombs on
Ukrainian cities and villages last week alone, according to Ukrainian President
Volodymyr Zelenskyy Sunday. It's also fewer than the 50 glide bombs Russia has
reportedly been firing daily into Ukraine's Sumy region, which neighbors
Kursk."The Russians are hamstrung in one way, in the sense that they can't drop
these fab gliding bombs in Kursk as they have done in parts of Ukraine,
especially in the eastern front, because obviously, it's their own territory,"
said Rajan Menon, a senior research scholar at Columbia University's Saltzman
Institute of War and Peace Studies.
"They'll get a lot of people killed. Civilians."George Barros, a Russian
military expert at the US-based Institute for the Study of War, told BI that
Russia is so far not using the bombs in Kursk "at scale."Russia's attacks in
Ukraine, Barros said, "completely obliterate entire neighborhoods and towns over
the span of just days." "The Russians decisively are not doing that in Kursk,"
he added. But as Ukraine continues its incursion, Russia's risk calculations may
change. Russia has dropped bombs on its territory and destroyed its own weaponry
since launching its invasion of Ukraine. This includes shooting down its own
fighter jets. But these were relatively isolated incidents rather than something
that was happening as a result of a new strategy, such as using glide bombs in
Kursk. Barros said Russia was afraid of the "political considerations" that
would come with targeting its own territory. A screenshot of a fighter-bomber
aircraft dropping a bomb with the Russian Ministry of Defense's logo in the
top-right corner.Meanwhile, Ukraine has started to use glide bombs against
Russia in Kursk. Zelenskyy said the incursion aims to create a "buffer zone" to
minimize Russia's ability to harm Ukraine. However, warfare analysts also told
BI that Ukraine likely wanted to stretch Russia's forces and give fresh
motivation to its troops and allies. Barros said it's not clear how the
fast-moving operation will end. But he said that so far, it's been a positive
for Ukraine after months of grinding warfare with little territory changing
hands.Ukrainians, he said, "are no longer stuck in the rut where they no longer
have the initiative.""It is now no longer the Ukrainians lying on their back for
nine-plus months at a time simply trying their best to triage," he said.
A drone strike in Syria kills a Saudi militant from an
al-Qaida-linked group, monitor says
Ghaith Alsayed/IDLIB, Syria (AP)/ August 23, 2024
A drone strike in northwestern Syria on Friday killed a Saudi militant from an
al-Qaida-linked group as he was riding on a motorcycle, a war monitor and local
residents said. The strike in the Jabal al-Zawiya area of the opposition-held
Idlib province was believed to have been carried out by a U.S.-led coalition
that was established years ago to fight the militant Islamic State group. There
was no immediate comment from the U.S. military, which has carried out a series
of attacks over the past several years targeting al-Qaida-linked militants in
northwestern Syria. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war
monitoring group, said the killed man was identified as Abu Abdul Rahman Makki,
a Saudi citizen and former leader of the now-defunct extremist Jund al-Aqsa
militant group. Local media activist Kenana Hindawi said the motorcycle Makki
was riding was hit by two missiles. The U.S. National Counterterrorism Center
currently lists Makki as a leader in the Horas al-Din, or “Guardians of
Religion,” group, which includes hardcore al-Qaida members who broke away from
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the strongest insurgent group in Idlib province. The
Observatory noted that Makki had previously been imprisoned by Hayat Tahrir
al-Sham. Last year, a drone strike in Idlib killed two members of the Horas
al-Din group.
Syria says seven civilians wounded in Israeli strikes
Reuters/August 23, 2024
Seven civilians were wounded in Israeli strikes on Syria's central region on
Friday, the Syrian defence ministry said. For years, Israel has been carrying
out attacks against what it has described as Iran-linked targets in Syria, where
Tehran's influence has grown since it began supporting President Bashar al-Assad
in the civil war that started in 2011. Reported Israeli strikes on Syria have
intensified sharply since the start of the war in Gaza last October. In a
statement, the Syrian defence ministry said its air defences had shot down some
of the Israeli rockets. "The aggression resulted in seven civilians being
injured and caused material damage," the statement read. There was no immediate
word on the incidents from Israel, which typically does not comment on specific
reports of strikes in Syria.
UN and US say food is on its way to a famine-stricken
camp in Sudan
CAIRO (AP)/August 23, 2024
Food aid is on the way to an area of Sudan facing famine amid the northeast
African country's grinding conflict, a group of countries and the United Nations
said in a joint statement Friday. The statement came at the conclusion of more
than a week of talks in Geneva, Switzerland aimed at calming the conflict, but
that failed to bring together the two warring sides. The talks were convened as
the country's humanitarian crisis worsens. Last month, global experts said that
starvation at a massive camp for displaced people in the Sudanese region of
Darfur had grown into famine. And about 25.6 million people — more than half of
Sudan’s population — will face acute hunger, experts from the Famine Review
Committee warned. Aid trucks were rolling Friday to “provide famine relief in
Zamzam Camp and other parts of Darfur,” said the joint statement from U.S.,
Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE, the Africa Union, and the U.N. “These
routes must remain open and safe so we can surge aid into Darfur and begin to
turn the tide against famine.”International experts use set criteria to confirm
famines. Formal declarations of famines are usually made by the countries
themselves or the United Nations. Aid workers were last able to get humanitarian
relief to the trapped civilians at the camps in Darfur in April. The
negotiations, which started Aug. 14, were meant to work towards a ceasefire. But
one party to the civil war, Sudan’s military, did not send a delegation. The
other party, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), sent a delegation to
the city but did not appear to attend in-person. In their absence, diplomats
pushed for food, medicine and basic aid to make it to areas that have been
difficult to access due to fighting.The group “secured guarantees from both
parties to the conflict to provide safe and unhindered humanitarian access"
through two key arteries, the statement said. Aid deliveries will likely still
face huge obstacles, because of heavy flooding in recent weeks. Both sides have
traded accusations of attacking civilians and obstructing aid since the
country’s war started in April 2023. Tensions between the military and the RSF
turned into open fighting in the capital, Khartoum, before spreading across the
country. The conflict has killed thousands of people and pushed many into
starvation. The atrocities include mass rape and ethnically motivated killings
that amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, according to the U.N. and
international rights groups. There are also increasing concerns over a new
outbreak of cholera. The outbreak, first declared on Aug. 12, has killed 28
people in 5 different states, the World Health Organization said Friday. The
spread of disease is “fueled by floods and poor water, hygiene and sanitation in
displacement camps and communities,” it said. Sudan’s war has also created the
world’s largest displacement crisis. More than 10.7 million people have been
forced to flee their homes since fighting began, according to the International
Organization for Migration. Over 2 million of them have fled to neighboring
countries.
The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources
on August 23-24/2024
My Word: The ayatollahs’ war via Gaza - opinion
Liat Collins/Jerusalem Post/August 23/2024
This is not about the Islamic Republic threatening the Jewish state. This is
about a jihadist bully threatening the global village, starting with the Jews.
Israelis have a saying “Zar lo yavin et zeh” – “An outsider wouldn’t understand
it.” The fact that the slogan is in Hebrew narrows the number of people who get
the meaning. There are some things we’ve gone through – the wars, the waves of
terrorism, the stated desire by our enemies to wipe us off the face of the
Earth, that sort of thing – that bring Israelis together.
Ten months after the Hamas mega-atrocity of October 7, Israelis differ in their
opinions on how to deal with the challenges we face but recognize that those
dangers and threats are aimed at us all – religious and secular, Left and Right.
We are, in fact, facing the sort of difficulties no other country in the world
is facing – yet. How we fare will affect how the rest of the global village will
cope.
As I write these lines, we are still in a period of heightened tension, waiting
to see whether Iran or its proxy in Lebanon will launch some form of mega-attack
on the Jewish state. The uncertainty is something Hezbollah leader Hassan
Nasrallah has proudly admitted is a form of psychological warfare.
It is also emotionally draining as we wait to hear whether the hostages being
held by Iranian-sponsored Hamas and other terrorist organizations in Gaza will
be released, and at what price. Not a day goes by that I don’t think of the fate
of those abducted on that dark Shabbat. They’re always in our thoughts and
prayers.
Following the IDF’s retrieval of six bodies this week, there are now 109 people
held in captivity, with only some 70 believed to be alive. That number could be
dropping as you read this. The fact that Hamas has not been willing to give
Israel a list of the hostages, dead or alive, is a reminder of how evil it is.
That the International Red Cross Committee has not visited the hostages or even
delivered much-needed medication to those being held captive in Gaza – ranging
in age from one-year-old Kfir Bibas to 86-year-old Shlomo Mansour – shows just
how ineffective the international community is in the face of this evil.
Hezbollah and Iran are not planning major retaliatory strikes against Israel in
response to the targeted elimination of arch-terrorists Fuad Shukr and Ismail
Haniyeh, in Beirut and Tehran respectively, both operations attributed to
Israel. Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis in Yemen plan their attacks
because they openly want to cause the demise of Israel. And they have been
allowed to get away with it. The international pressure is on Israel, not on
nearly nuclear Iran with its far-reaching terrorist tentacles.
I WAS struck this week by two commercial campaigns on Israeli TV stations. A
series of informative ads by Magen David Adom show first-responder and former
supermodel Miri Bohadana explaining what to do in an emergency, ranging from a
panic attack to major blood loss.
For the latter, Bohadana calmly shows how to apply a makeshift tourniquet. It’s
a bit like a flight attendant charmingly explaining what to do if your plane is
about to crash. Incidentally, I once heard of a quick-thinking officer who used
the arm of her sunglasses to tighten an improvised tourniquet on a terror
victim. Live and learn. And learn and live. The second ad that caught my
attention was part of a public relations campaign by Mifal HaPayis, the
government-owned lottery company. It starred popular singer-actor Idan Amedi, a
cast member of the TV drama Fauda and real-life hero, who was seriously wounded
during his military reserve duty in Gaza.
In the ad, against the background of an emergency helicopter evacuation, Amedi
calls for continued unity and to help each other cope and survive – the
physically wounded, emotionally traumatized, those who have lost their homes and
livelihoods, and the bereaved.
The ads didn’t seem out of place, although I’m not sure a stranger would have
the same reaction. Similarly, we have grown used to television programs like the
local versions of Come Dine with Me and Strictly Come Dancing being broadcast
with real-time rocket alerts superimposed as necessary. What can I tell you? If
you’re not from around here, you might not get it. It’s not normal – nor should
it be – but it’s part of the collective coping mechanism. It is jarring,
however, when the rocket and drone alerts dominate one side of the TV screen
during news reports on the International Criminal Court or the International
Court of Justice condemning Israel and of world leaders calling for Israel to
make more humanitarian gestures and concessions to those who continue to
threaten us and bombard us with rockets.
No end in sight
And it’s not going to change. The attacks won’t magically stop if a deal is
reached with Hamas and, by extension, Hezbollah. Neither are about to change
their dedication to trying to eliminate the Jewish state.
After the October 7 invasion and mega-atrocity in which some 1,200 people were
brutally murdered, there was a lot of discussion about what to call the
subsequent Israeli military operation.
The official title, Operation Swords of Iron, has not really taken root.
Personally, I think the name “the Iran-Israel War” is more accurate. It’s a war
of attrition in which the ayatollahs in Tehran play a major role. Terrorist
atrocities are part of that attrition, aimed at driving Israelis to tear each
other apart in continued social and political divisions – boosted by Iranian
bots and manipulations on social media – or to abandon the country altogether.
There are ongoing rocket and killer drone attacks from several fronts, including
Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen, directly from Iran. There are also constant
terror attacks. At least two fatal attacks in recent weeks were perpetrated by
terrorists released in the hostage deal in November.
Israel is being pressed into withdrawing from the critical Philadelphi Corridor,
where arms and supplies to Hamas flowed over the border with Egypt (and under
it, through the dozens of terror tunnels Hamas built there). Jerusalem is
expected to release more terrorists in return for citizens abducted from their
homes and a nature rave – and who can forget the bloodied and anguished faces of
the unarmed female soldiers snatched off duty from their base wearing their
pajamas?
Israel is being told to risk Hamas regaining its strength and even building on
it in the nominally Palestinian Authority-controlled West Bank. All this, in
return for a passing illusion of fleeting quiet – at least long enough to
survive the US presidential elections in November.
The current administration under President Joe Biden and Vice President and
presidential hopeful Kamala Harris, for all its stated support, strong words,
and military gestures, has not left Iran deterred or weaker. On the contrary;
mobs in Tehran still chant “Death to America” and “Death to Israel” – the Big
Satan and the Little Satan. The ayatollahs continue to inspire, sponsor, and
train terrorist movements – Shi’ite and Sunni alike – as part of a strategy
aimed at bringing down Israel, the US, and the West.
These are not freedom fighters
The anti-Israel and antisemitic demonstrators holding rallies on campuses and in
Western cities, waving Palestinian flags and proclaiming Hamas slogans, are not
the face of democracy and freedom of expression.
If you don’t understand this, you risk becoming a stranger in your own land. The
pro-Palestinian protesters outside the Democratic National Convention in Chicago
this week were actors on the sidelines of the theater of terror.
As Seth Mandel wrote recently in Commentary: “Fact is, the Iranians have
systematically worked to erase the Palestinians from the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict and to take their place. This is a war Iran has launched against the US
and Israel. Gaza is a front in that war. “We have let Tehran hijack the
narrative and set the terms of the conflict. If we don’t reverse that, we’ll be
further than ever from peace in the region.”
This is not about the Islamic Republic threatening the Jewish state. This is
about a jihadist bully threatening the global village, starting with the Jews.
The Only Award Qatar Deserves: Supporting Islamist
Terrorism
Bassam Tawil/Gatestone Institute./August 23, 2024
It is grotesque that Qatar should be recognized for its contributions to
"maintaining national and regional security" in the Middle East given that it
has long been openly supporting Islamist terrorist organizations and serving as
a home and haven for the Hamas leadership.
"[H]istory will not forget that the Qatari Al-Jazeera was and still is a
platform for leaders of terrorism.... Al-Jazeera is now playing the same tole in
spreading speeches of the leader of the Al-Houthi terrorist militia." — General
Secretariat of the Council of Senior [Islamic] Scholars in Saudi Arabia, March
27, 2018.
Not much has changed in Qatar since then.... Al-Jazeera, meanwhile, continues to
serve as a mouthpiece of terrorist organizations, especially Hamas, whose
leaders are frequently given a platform to promote terrorism. Saudi social media
pundit Mesha'al Al-Khalid wrote: "The Al-Jazeera channel burnishes [the image]
of the militias and terrorist organizations that have waded in Arab blood,
describing them as 'Islamic resistance.' We seem to be facing a planned and
organized project to burnish the image of Iran's agents and use the Palestinian
issue as an excuse to direct accusations of heresy at anyone who exposes the
proxies and agents loyal [to Iran]."
The only award Qatar is due is for encouraging Islamist terrorism and
jeopardizing security and stability in the Middle East.
In 2017, Qatar and the US signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on
combatting the financing of terrorism. The MoU ensures increased collaboration
between US and Qatari military and intelligence forces, and even provides the
ability for the U.S. Treasury Department to work closely with the Qatari
Government to help monitor suspected terror-financing activities. Evidently,
this agreement did not apply to Qatar's ties with Hamas. Nor did it prevent the
October 7 massacres.
Based on the data compiled from multiple English, Arabic and French sources
within the Middle East, Europe and the US, a team of American and Israeli
investigators concluded in April that Qatar "operates not as an independent
mediator as it claims, but benefits directly from the bloodshed and geopolitical
fallout and unrest that result from its policies."
The "Doha-Gaza Alliance at all levels — financial, political, and military — has
resulted in the current regional upheaval, the impact of which is being felt
worldwide," the same investigators said in a confidential report, adding that
Qatari funding and policies led directly to October 7. They noted that although
the US has known about Qatar's malign activities for years, it has failed to
strategically act on them. This has allowed Qatar to advance policies that are
harmful to the interests of the US and its allies in the Middle East and beyond.
Instead of showering yet more money and awards on countries that seem to be
plotting to bring America down, the US love-fest with Qatar and Iran should
immediately be ended.
The only award Qatar is due is for encouraging Islamist terrorism and
jeopardizing security and stability in the Middle East.
CIA Director William Burns has awarded the head of the Qatari State Security
Agency, Abdullah bin Mohammed Al-Khulaifi, the George Tenet Medal for his work
on strengthening intelligence cooperation between the US and Qatar.
The ceremony took place amid diplomatic efforts by the US and Qatar to reach a
hostage and ceasefire deal between Israel and the Iran-backed Palestinian
terrorist group Hamas. Burns and Al-Khulaifi are reportedly playing key roles in
these efforts.
One of the main reasons for the award is Qatar's "efforts to release the
[Israeli] hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, sources told the American Axios
website. The source said Burns gave the award to his Qatari counterpart in
"appreciation of his role in maintaining national and regional security, and the
exceptional support he provided to the CIA in preserving the interests and
security of the US and Qatar."
Another main reason for the award was "the cooperation between the CIA and
Qatari intelligence in counterterrorism and the ability of the Qatari State
Security Agency to prevent and foil threats and attacks in the Middle East, the
sources added.
It is grotesque that Qatar should be recognized for its contributions to
"maintaining national and regional security" in the Middle East given that it
has long been openly supporting Islamist terrorist organizations and serving as
a home and haven for the Hamas leadership. In 2017, several Arab countries,
including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Egypt, Yemen, Libya
and Maldives cut ties with Qatar over concerns that the Gulf state supported
Islamist extremism and terrorism. The Arab states were also worried about
Qatar's close ties with Iran.
Saudi Arabia accused Qatar of financing extremists and "supporting the
activities of Iranian-backed terrorist groups in the governorate of Qatif of the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Kingdom of Bahrain."Saudi Arabia said it severed
diplomatic relations with Qatar and closed their shared borders "to protect its
national security from the dangers of terrorism and extremism." The "decisive"
measure was due to "gross violations committed by authorities in Qatar over the
past years," a Saudi statement said. Egypt accused Qatar of supporting
"terrorism" and said all Egyptian ports and airports would be closed to Qatari
vessels and planes.
Bahrain said it was cutting ties with Qatar over its insistence in "undermining
the security and stability of Bahrain and meddling in its affairs."
Yemen's internationally recognized government accused Qatar of working with its
enemies in the Iran-aligned Houthi militia. "Qatar's practices of dealing with
the [Houthi] coup militia and supporting extremist groups became clear," the
Yemeni government said. (In 2021, some of these Arab countries restored ties
with Qatar thanks to mediation efforts by Kuwait). The Arab states also
expressed concern over the role of Qatar's Al-Jazeera TV network, which has long
been serving as a mouthpiece for the Muslim Brotherhood organization and other
Islamist terror groups, including Hamas.
In 2017, the Saudis closed Al-Jazeera's bureau in Riyadh and revoked its
operating license. Jordan followed suit and closed the network's bureau in
Amman. Egypt, which shut down Al-Jazeera in 2013, blocked access to the
network's website in 2017, after accusing it of "terrorism" and "fake news." The
United Arab Emirates and Bahrain also blocked Al-Jazeera's websites.
In 2018, the General Secretariat of the Council of Senior [Islamic] Scholars in
Saudi Arabia said:
"[H]istory will not forget that the Qatari Al-Jazeera was and still is a
platform for leaders of terrorism, as it used to exclusively broadcast speeches
of Osama bin Laden, the leader of the terrorist Al-Qaeda and his successors, in
addition to the speeches of terrorists who took up arms in the Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia. Al-Jazeera is now playing the same tole in spreading speeches of the
leader of the Al-Houthi terrorist militia."
Not much has changed in Qatar since then. The Gulf state continues to host and
support the leaders of Hamas, the group that carried out the October 7, 2023
attack on Israel. At least 1,200 Israelis were murdered, with many tortured,
raped and burned alive during the attack, the worst crime against Jews since the
Holocaust. Al-Jazeera, meanwhile, continues to serve as a mouthpiece of
terrorist organizations, especially Hamas, whose leaders are frequently given a
platform to promote terrorism. Saudi social media pundit Mesha'al Al-Khalid
wrote:
"The Al-Jazeera channel burnishes [the image] of the militias and terrorist
organizations that have waded in Arab blood, describing them as 'Islamic
resistance.' We seem to be facing a planned and organized project to burnish the
image of Iran's agents and use the Palestinian issue as an excuse to direct
accusations of heresy at anyone who exposes the proxies and agents loyal [to
Iran]."
Is it feasible that the CIA is ignorant of the fact that all these Arabs see
Qatar and its Al-Jazeera network as a danger to Middle East security and
stability? Or are the CIA and the Biden administration knowingly ignoring
Qatar's damaging role and its alliance with Iran's mullahs as part of an ongoing
effort to appease the regime in Tehran? The second option appears to be more
realistic. It is also grotesque that Qatar should be awarded for its
"intelligence cooperation in counterterrorism and its ability to prevent and
foil threats and attacks in the Middle East." If that were true, what did Qatar
do to prevent the Hamas-led October 7 atrocities? Nothing.
As Middle East expert Seth Frantzman pointed out:
"Couldn't October 7 have been prevented since Hamas leaders lived in Doha?
Shouldn't one of the pre-requisites with having them hosted by a US ally be that
Hamas not carry out a genocidal massacre and lead to a massive regional war?
Shouldn't the goal of having an ally host a terror grouping be having that group
not create massive wars and massacres? Shouldn't Qatar have wanted Hamas not to
create a massive war? Instead, after October 7 Qatar did not condemn the attack,
and there were no repercussions for Hamas. It has the same status in Doha today
as on October 6. There is not even one repercussion for what it [Hamas] did.
Imagine all the suffering that could have been prevented over the past year.
"I wonder if anyone will learn from this and predicate these relationships on
things like 'make sure the terror groups you host don't create massive wars that
cause unprecedented suffering...'"As far as I can tell, not even one in-depth
report has been done on why wasn't October 7 prevented, focusing on the wider
Middle East intel-sharing space. Maybe it's time to focus on it."
It is hard to believe that a police state such as Qatar did not know in advance
of Hamas's intention to launch the October 7 attack on Israel. If Qatar's
security agencies were not aware of the October 7 assault beforehand, it would
have been a serious intelligence failure. For that alone, the Qataris most
definitely do not deserve any special recognition. The only award Qatar is due
is for encouraging Islamist terrorism and jeopardizing security and stability in
the Middle East.
In 2017, Qatar and the US signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on
combatting the financing of terrorism. The MoU ensures increased collaboration
between US and Qatari military and intelligence forces, and even provides the
ability for the U.S. Treasury Department to work closely with the Qatari
Government to help monitor suspected terror-financing activities. Evidently,
this agreement did not apply to Qatar's ties with Hamas. Nor did it prevent the
October 7 massacres.
It is also grotesque to claim that Qatar has been supporting efforts to free the
Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip. All Qatar would need to do to ensure
the release of the hostages is to threaten to expel the Hamas leaders based in
Doha. That has not happened. The US, for its part, could threaten to leave
Qatar's the Al-Udeid Air Base, the largest US military base in the Middle East,
if Qatar does not exert pressure on the Hamas leadership to free the hostages.
That, too, has not happened. In fact, on January 2, 2024, CNN disclosed that
"The United States has quietly reached an agreement that extends its military
presence at a sprawling base in Qatar for another 10 years." Why "quietly"? That
is why the negotiations to end the war in the Gaza Strip have so far been
unsuccessful. The rulers of Qatar apparently believe that they would never be
safe if the US military were removed from their country. The emirate could be
gone in a week.
Based on the data compiled from multiple English, Arabic and French sources
within the Middle East, Europe and the US, a team of American and Israeli
investigators concluded in April that Qatar "operates not as an independent
mediator as it claims, but benefits directly from the bloodshed and geopolitical
fallout and unrest that result from its policies."Qatar is also evidently
dedicated to supporting Islamic militant organizations, and was most likely
using its spoof of a position as a "mediator" to make sure that its client,
Hamas, would be allowed to rearm, regroup and attack Israel again.
The "Doha-Gaza Alliance at all levels — financial, political, and military — has
resulted in the current regional upheaval, the impact of which is being felt
worldwide," the same investigators said in a confidential report, adding that
Qatari funding and policies led directly to October 7. They noted that although
the US has known about Qatar's malign activities for years, it has failed to
strategically act on them. This has allowed Qatar to advance policies that are
harmful to the interests of the US and its allies in the Middle East and beyond.
According to the report, Qatar has been fully aware and supportive of Hamas
military activities and strategy for more than a decade and revealed that most
of the funding sent to Gaza by Qatar was assisting in "Hamas's terror
infrastructure, weapons, and training." "The negative impact of the
Qatari-Muslim Brotherhood nexus to US policy interests," the report stated,
"includes bloodshed, unrest, and instability in a wide range of locations, most
immediately in the Middle East and Africa."
Instead of showering yet more money and awards on countries that seem to be
plotting to bring America down, the US love-fest with Qatar and Iran should
immediately be ended.
*Bassam Tawil is a Muslim Arab based in the Middle East. The work of Bassam
Tawil is made possible through the generous donation of a couple of donors who
wished to remain anonymous. Gatestone is most grateful.
© 2024 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/20891/qatar-award-supporting-terrorism
Egypt’s key role in ending the civil war in Sudan
Dr. Abdellatif El-Menawy/Arab News/August 23, 2024
Efforts by Egypt to address the conflict in Sudan between the regular army and
the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces may eventually bear fruit and end a civil
war that has lasted almost a year and a half. However, questions arise as to
why, despite these efforts, there have been no tangible results so far. The
repercussions of the war are not limited to Sudan, but have extended beyond its
borders — placing Sudan, with its importance to regional security (particularly
for Egypt), in a critical position.
Another question is whether Cairo can be an effective mediator and achieve a
comprehensive political solution in Sudan. Could it establish a roadmap that
restores security and stability to its southern neighbor?
The front lines in war sometimes advance and then retreat, and the Sudan
negotiations resemble this battlefield tug-of-war. The US envoy to Sudan, Tom
Perriello, unexpectedly canceled a meeting with a Sudanese government delegation
in Egypt, in part because of the delegation’s composition. The US wanted to meet
the Sudanese army, but the Sudanese government appointed Mohamed Bashir Abunomo
— the Minister of Minerals and a significant figure in the army-allied movement
led by Minni Arko Minawi — to lead the delegation. This same delegation had
previously met mediators in Jeddah, an encounter that yielded no significant
progress.
Negotiations between the warring parties in Sudan are essentially an
accumulation of fears, akin to social anxiety disorder. This led one party to
boycott the most recent peace talks in Geneva, and the other to be openly
obstinate in attending many mediator councils. Cairo has overlooked these
avoidance attempts more than once, but it remains engaged in mediation, thus
proving its seriousness.
Cairo has maintained neutrality and continuously called for an end to the war
between the army, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces,
led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo. However, accusations of bias have plagued its
efforts to play a calming role. The real problem has been the increasing
intervention of external parties who lack sufficient understanding of the nature
of the Sudanese people and the internal power dynamics. The front lines in war
sometimes advance and then retreat, and the Sudan negotiations resemble this
battlefield tug-of-war
The complex relationship between Egypt and Sudan is rooted in a long history of
shared borders, cultural ties, and intertwined political and economic interests.
The two countries share a history of connections dating back to ancient
civilizations along the Nile. In the modern era, this relationship was shaped by
colonial history, the management of Nile waters, and shared security concerns.
The two nations often found themselves aligned in regional politics, though they
also faced tensions due to differing political paths, particularly after Sudan’s
independence in 1956.
In the 20th century, the relationship was often viewed through the lens of Arab
nationalism, with Egypt playing a significant role in shaping Sudan’s political
landscape. However, after 2011, with the division of Sudan into two states —
Sudan and South Sudan — the geopolitical dynamics of the region changed. Egypt’s
interests in Sudan remained significant, but the complexities of Sudan's
internal politics, particularly with the rise of various military and
paramilitary groups, posed new challenges for Cairo.
In all these crises, Egypt has consistently taken a clear stance of not siding
with any faction, even during Sudan’s darkest moments, while firmly supporting
the principle of allowing the people to decide their fate without interference
or dominance from any group. Egypt seeks to resolve the Sudanese crisis to
protect several key interests. First is the Nile River, a lifeline for Egypt.
Any instability in Sudan is a threat to Egypt’s water security. Sudan’s
political stability is also vital for Egypt's security, especially regarding the
spread of extremism and armed conflicts along its southern borders. The third
interest is economic: Sudan offers opportunities for investment and trade, and
Egyptian companies are involved in various sectors in Sudan, from agriculture to
telecommunications. Instability in Sudan threatens these economic interests and
could disrupt trade routes and investment opportunities.
Egypt’s involvement in mediation to end the war is therefore crucial, but what
tools does Cairo possesses to enforce peace? The complex relationship between
Egypt and Sudan is rooted in a long history of shared borders, cultural ties,
and intertwined political and economic interests.
Politically, Egypt has maintained strong relations with leading Sudanese figures
over the years, allowing it to play the role of mediator in times of crisis.
Economically, Egypt has leveraged trade relations, investments, and aid as tools
of influence. In times of crisis, Cairo has provided humanitarian aid to Sudan,
making it a key partner in Sudan’s recovery. This economic influence could play
a significant role in persuading Sudanese factions to align with Egyptian
interests. Militarily, Egypt has a significant presence in the region and has
previously provided support to the Sudanese army to maintain some level of
stability, particularly in the face of increasing challenges from other armed
groups. Egypt’s traditional inclination toward the Sudanese army presents both
opportunities and risks. On the one hand, it gives Egypt significant influence
over one of Sudan’s strongest institutions. The army has historically been a key
player in Sudanese politics, often controlling the government directly or
indirectly. By maintaining close relations, Egypt ensures it has a role in
Sudan’s political developments.
However, the perception that Egypt supports one side in the conflict carries
obvious risks and challenges to any role as a mediator. Egypt is consistently
trying to move beyond this perception to a more balanced approach by attempting
to enforce a diplomatic strategy that acknowledges the significant presence of
the Rapid Support Forces on the ground, while also pursuing Egypt’s long-term
strategic interests. Egypt's stance is clear: it remains neutral but has the
military capacity to maintain peace in Sudan in the future by cooperating with
whichever authority is elected. Egypt also seeks to leverage its relationships
with regional and international actors to encourage a broader diplomatic effort
aimed at resolving the conflict. By working with the African Union, the UN, and
key Gulf states, Egypt can contribute to a multilateral effort to achieve
lasting peace. Egypt is well aware that its security starts with the security of
its neighbors. The continuation of war in Sudan is harmful to Egypt on all
levels, but the stalled negotiations between the warring parties are not Cairo’s
fault. However, it is trying in every possible way to bring about
reconciliation, and I believe it will succeed.
Egypt certainly possesses the tools to be a successful mediator in this war. The
main condition, however, is that the warring factions in Sudan engage with any
reconciliation attempts.
• Dr. Abdellatif El-Menawy is a journalist who has covered conflicts worldwide.
X: @ALMenawy
US must fix broken promises to abandoned Afghans
Luke Coffey/Arab News/August 23, 2024
The Taliban displayed their newly found military strength in a dazzling parade
last week at Bagram airfield, where hundreds of Taliban soldiers operated
US-built armored vehicles and helicopters abandoned during the chaotic 2021
withdrawal. An estimated $7 billion worth of military equipment was left behind
and is now under Taliban control, making them one of the best-equipped forces in
the region. However, the military hardware left behind is insignificant compared
with the tens of thousands of Afghan allies who were promised safety but were
abandoned by the US. Due to the inaction of the Biden administration and
Congress, many of these Afghans are now beginning their fourth year in hiding
under constant threat of Taliban retribution. In August, 2021, the US president
made a promise to ensure the safe evacuation of Afghan allies. “We’re going to
do everything, everything that we can, to provide safe evacuation for our Afghan
allies, partners, and Afghans who might be targeted because of their association
with the US,” he said. This commitment was echoed by chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley. “We must remain faithful to those Afghans who
risked their lives to help US troops and personnel. We must do what is necessary
to ensure their protection and, if necessary, get them out of the country,” he
said.
The military hardware left behind is insignificant compared with the tens of
thousands of Afghan allies who were promised safety but were abandoned by the
US.
Three years later, it is clear that these promises were hollow. Only 124,000
Afghans were brought out in 2021, of whom about 80,000 made it to the US. Only
34,000 have received Special Immigrant Visas that allow them to remain in the
country legally. An estimated 160,000 Afghans who qualify for those visas are
still trapped in Afghanistan, living in constant fear. Despite the Taliban’s
assurances of no retaliation, they have been persecuting, imprisoning, and
executing Afghans who worked for international forces.
None of this was unforeseen. The timeline for the US withdrawal was established
long before the chaotic events of August 2021. In February 2020, the Trump
administration struck a deal with the Taliban for a phased withdrawal of troops
by May 2021. When Biden took office, he extended the final departure date from
May to September but chose not to renegotiate the terms — even though it was in
his power to do so. Both the Trump and Biden administrations failed to take the
necessary steps to rescue Afghans who had risked everything to support
international forces. Now, these Afghans are living with the consequences of
that failure.
In the US, tens of thousands of Afghans still lack a clear legal pathway to stay
and work because Congress has not passed the necessary legislation. The visa
application process remains hopelessly backlogged, and the State Department and
Department of Homeland Security have failed to allocate the resources required
to break the logjam: according to the Association of Wartime Allies, at the
current rate it could take 31 years to process all the applications. To its
credit, the Biden administration did use executive authority in 2023 to extend
humanitarian parole for two more years for Afghans who have not yet received a
visa, but that is merely a temporary fix and executive orders can be easily
undone by future presidents with a stroke of the pen. What these Afghans need,
and what they deserve, is solid, enduring legislation that guarantees their
legal status in the US.
Moreover, there is a glaring lack of discussion in the US government or policy
circles about how to assist Afghans who don’t meet the criteria for a visa but
have been crucial to Afghan society since 2001 and are at risk of Taliban
retribution. Beyond visa applicants, tens of thousands of other Afghans directly
or indirectly supported US efforts but have no realistic way out of the country.
They remain vulnerable to Taliban retribution, and many have already faced it.
Judges, former Afghan commandos, and journalists are particularly at risk
because of their close ties to the international community over the past two
decades.
The situation is unlikely to improve no matter who wins the US. presidential
election. Neither Democrats nor Republicans want anything more to do with
Afghanistan. The 2024 Republican National Committee platform fails to mention
Afghanistan at all. The Democratic platform does acknowledge the plight of
Afghans left behind but offers no policy recommendations. With no apparent sense
of irony, the platform even touts America’s withdrawal from Afghanistan as one
of the great foreign policy successes of the Biden administration. This
selective memory ignores the disastrous aftermath of the withdrawal and the dire
situation for those left behind.
For the average Afghan life is hard enough, but it is far worse if you are
waiting to escape the country because you helped international forces in the
past.
Since the Taliban returned to power, Afghanistan has suffered. Human rights, the
economy, and the humanitarian situation have all worsened. For the average
Afghan life is hard enough, but it is far worse if you are waiting to escape the
country because you helped international forces in the past. It would be smart
for US policymakers to focus their efforts on learning from past mistakes to
avoid repeating them in the future. While there is little the US can do to
change the situation in Afghanistan today, it can ensure that those Afghans who
sacrificed and aided international forces for nearly two decades are adequately
cared for. It is time for the White House and Congress to work together to make
this happen. This is the least that can be done to honor the commitment and
service given by Afghans, and to live up to America’s promises.
**Luke Coffey is a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute. X: @LukeDCoffey.
Turkiye’s Syria policy enters its most challenging phase
Sinem Cengiz/Arab News/August 23, 2024
Turkiye was bound to the Syrian crisis by geography and history from its onset.
Since the crisis began in 2011, Turkiye has been the staunchest supporter of the
opposition against the Assad regime, offering both political and military
backing. Due to its proximity to Syria and its extensive involvement in the
crisis, it was not a surprise that Turkiye emerged as the primary base for the
opposition-in-exile. The opposition established its first exile coalition in
Turkiye and conducted its initial meetings there.
After Turkiye closed its embassy in Damascus, it hosted the first and second
meetings of the Syrian National Council. Turkiye also played a crucial role in
organizing the “Friends of Syria” meetings — a coalition of Arab and Western
nations formed to support the Syrian opposition and facilitate the removal of
Bashar Assad from power.
During my tenure as a diplomatic correspondent, I covered many of these
meetings, including the significant one held in Marrakech, Morocco, in December
2012. This meeting marked the transformation of the council into a more
inclusive coalition and saw the appointment of a new leader to represent the
opposition. Despite being in the early stages of the crisis, it was evident
there were deep divisions within the opposition. I could see this through the
interviews I conducted with various Kurdish, Islamist and secular members of the
opposition, which all had a different vision for Syria.
Ankara had developed a close and special relationship with the Syrian National
Council, which was then the primary civilian coalition-in-exile seeking the
overthrow of Assad, comprising members ideologically aligned with the Turkish
government. However, Turkiye’s support extended beyond the council to include
the opposition’s armed wing, the Free Syrian Army, which established its
headquarters in Turkiye in October 2011.
Turkiye’s approach to the Syrian opposition must be understood from a broader
perspective. In the long run, Turkiye’s effectiveness in empowering the
opposition was hampered by rivalries among various coalitions both inside and
outside Syria, as well as distrust between Islamist and secular members of the
council. Expecting funding and political recognition from the international
community, opposition figures and factions-in-exile competed for status and
resources rather than uniting under a common banner. Now, many years later,
Syria’s opposition still lacks a political leadership that could be effective
against the Assad regime, which has been directly and indirectly empowered.
Fidan this month met with the main Syrian opposition groups in Ankara to discuss
a political solution to the war
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan this month met with representatives of the
main Syrian opposition groups in Ankara to discuss a political solution to the
war. The leaders present included Hadi Al-Bahra of the Syrian National Council,
Bader Jamous of the Syrian Negotiation Commission, which was established in
2016, and Abdurrahman Mustafa of the Syrian interim government. This meeting can
be viewed in the context of potential talks over Turkish-Syrian normalization,
with Ankara attempting to reassure Syrian opposition groups that it will not
abandon them even if relations with Damascus are normalized. Turkiye still
requires their support in the areas of Syria it controls, especially following
recent unrest.
Fidan noted that Turkiye encourages dialogue between the government and the
opposition, but it cannot force the opposition to do so. The opposition remains
too weak for Turkiye to effectively present against Assad.
From the beginning, the opposition was highly fragmented, which not only
undermined Turkiye’s policy of consolidating the opposition but also
increasingly drew it into internal conflicts among Syrian groups. However, the
failure of the opposition is not solely its own fault. Disagreements among
regional backers of the opposition and rivalries among global actors supporting
either the opposition or the regime contributed to this obvious failure.
Three key shortcomings have hampered the political opposition’s efforts to
establish a significant and independent bloc that can be effective against the
Assad regime: weak representation, overreliance on external actors and the
declining significance of the political process. This has also diminished
Syrians’ confidence in the opposition and lessened its appeal as a political
representative.
Additionally, the spillover effects of the Syrian crisis have heavily impacted
Turkiye. The number of refugees entering the country increased dramatically,
amid direct security threats from terrorist groups that have found fertile
ground in Syria. Consequently, Turkiye’s support for the opposition went
hand-in-hand with its open-door policy for Syrians fleeing the conflict and
cross-border operations in northern Syria to address security threats. Turkiye,
therefore, utilized both hard and soft power in its Syria policy.
Turkiye’s potential normalization with Damascus raises concerns among both
political and military opposition groups
Given its control over parts of northern Syria, Turkiye’s potential
normalization with Damascus raises concerns among both political and military
opposition groups that have fought alongside the Turkish army during its
operations. Some groups have supported Turkiye’s push toward normalization with
the Assad regime, while others have opposed it, maintaining an independent
stance despite Turkiye’s influence over many opposition factions. This situation
reveals divisions among various Syrian opposition factions regarding the Syria-Turkiye
normalization process.
The existing divisions within Syrian armed factions and their varying levels of
compliance with Turkiye’s directives also raise questions about Ankara’s ability
to control these groups in the future, particularly if and when Turkiye and
Syria normalize their relations.
Turkiye’s Syria policy has evolved through several phases over the past 13 years
and it is now entering a new phase. Ankara is aiming to open a new chapter with
Damascus while not abandoning the opposition it has supported for many years,
resolving the refugee issue peacefully and maintaining security through its
military control over northern Syria. No other country involved in the Syrian
crisis has faced such a complex situation. This is, in fact, the hardest phase
of Turkiye’s evolving Syria policy because it is totally alone in dealing with
all of these related issues.
• Sinem Cengiz is a Turkish political analyst who specializes in Turkiye’s
relations with the Middle East. X: @SinemCngz
Three questions to Lebanese Army retired General Maroun
Hitti. Per Machiavelli, Wars begin when you will, but they do not end when you
please/
Trois questions au général Maroun Hitti: On fait la guerre quand on veut, on la
termine quand on peut
ثلاثة أسئلة للعميد المتقاعد في الجيش اللبناني مارون حتي: كما يقول مكيافيلي:
الحروب
تبدأ حين تريد، لكنها لا تنتهي حين تشاء
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2024/08/133498/
Yara Germany/This Is Beirut/22 August 2024