English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For December 11/2024
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news

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Bible Quotations For today
We did not submit to them even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might always remain with you. God shows no partiality
Letter to the Galatians 02/01-07: “Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me. I went up in response to a revelation. Then I laid before them (though only in a private meeting with the acknowledged leaders) the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles, in order to make sure that I was not running, or had not run, in vain. But even Titus, who was with me, was not compelled to be circumcised, though he was a Greek. But because of false believers secretly brought in, who slipped in to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might enslave us we did not submit to them even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might always remain with you. And from those who were supposed to be acknowledged leaders (what they actually were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality) those leaders contributed nothing to me. On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel for the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel for the circumcised”.

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on December 10-11/2024
Elias Bejjani/Text & Video: The Fall of Assad’s Regime: A Faith Certainty and a Foreshadowing for the Iranian Mullahs' Dictatorship
The Lebanese Killed by the Assad Regime & Hezbollah for Their Sovereigntist Beliefs
Israel prevents Lebanese army and UNIFIL from opening key road
Macron tells Rahi 'Lebanon is and will remain' in his heart
Lebanon's presidential election: Latest developments
Mikati says Lebanon to apply laws as to entry of ex-Syrian officials
Lebanon to form crisis committee on Lebanese freed from Syria jails
Hezbollah MP says 'resistance's patience has its limits'
Hezbollah condemns Israeli strikes on Syria, says stands by its people
US hostage envoy in Beirut to seek information on missing journalist Austin Tice
Bassil: Religious groups rule will threaten Syria minorities, Christian presence
'We don’t want their end': Bassil calls Hezbollah to step back from regional conflicts

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on December 10-11/2024
Assad’s feared dungeons give up their secrets
What does Assad’s downfall mean for the millions of Syrians displaced by war?
We compared satellite images of Russia's naval base in Syria before and after Assad's fall. The warships are missing.
Israel orders military to create weapons-free zone in southern Syria
Syria rescuers end search for secret cells in notorious prison
Iran Says its Power Undiminished after Assad's Fall in Syria
US Sanctions Assad’s Father-in-law
Two Former Syrian Intelligence Officials Face US War Crimes Charges
Israel Pounds Syria, Denies Forces Have Gone Past Buffer Zone
Syria’s Opposition Works to Form Government, Restore Order after Assad Ouster
Israel Pounds Syria, Denies Forces Have Gone Past Buffer Zone
Operation Bashan Arrow: IDF destroys over 350 Syrian Military targets
Why are Iran and Turkey moving to condemn Israel’s role in Syria? - analysis
Syrian mission to UN to continue work after regime exit, calls for Israel's withdrawal
Israel’s frenzied reality: When destroying an enemy navy isn’t the top news story - analysis
Asharq Al-Awsat Reveals Russia’s Moves Before Assad’s Downfall
Netanyahu Takes the Stand in long-running Corruption Trial
Pope to meet Palestinian president Thursday

Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on December 10-11/2024
Who Will Rule Syria?/Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Al Awsat/December 10/2024
Assad Has Fallen… The ‘Hardest’ Battle Has Begun/Nadim Koteich/Asharq Al Awsat/December 10/2024
ICC Arrest Warrants and the Unacceptable Weaponization of International Law/Robert Williams/Gatestone Institute./December 10, 2024
Fake History Alert: Because Whites Were Never Enslaved, DEI Must Continue/Raymond Ibrahim/The Stream/December 10/2024
The Russian hand that built Assad also destroyed him/VERONICA NEIFAKH/THE MEDIA LINE//December 10/2024
Assad falls, Khamenei wobbles: Will events in Syria lead to something similar in Iran?/Herb Keinon/Jerusalem Post/December 10/2024

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on December 10-11/2024
Elias Bejjani/Text & Video: The Fall of Assad’s Regime: A Faith Certainty and a Foreshadowing for the Iranian Mullahs' Dictatorship
Elias Bejjani/December 08/ 2024
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2024/12/137796/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNrwroj6KuY&t=861s
The fall of the tyrannical Baathist Assad regime in Syria, after 55 years of oppressive rule, marks the definitive end of an era rooted in serving the forces of evil, represented symbolically by Lucifer, the prince of darkness. This regime’s collapse is a testament to divine justice and a vivid reminder of the biblical principle that all oppressive and malevolent systems inevitably meet their demise. The same fate undoubtedly awaits the Iranian Mullahs' dictatorship, another regime entrenched in terrorism and injustice.
Assad's downfall is not just a political event but a divine reckoning, foreseen in scripture and faith. The Bible reminds us repeatedly that God, in His infinite wisdom and justice, allows time for repentance but never neglects to bring judgment upon evil. As it is written, "Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God" (1 Corinthians 6:19). Assad's regime, like all oppressive systems, desecrated this sacred principle by violating the dignity and humanity of countless individuals in Syria, Lebanon, and beyond.
Biblical Parallels and Divine Justice
The fate of the Assad regime is mirrored in biblical prophecies:
"Woe to you, destroyer, you who have not been destroyed; woe to you, betrayer, you who have not been betrayed! When you stop destroying, you will be destroyed; when you stop betraying, you will be betrayed" (Isaiah 33:1). These words echo the inevitable justice that awaits all oppressors. Assad's crimes against humanity, his betrayal of his people, and his relentless destruction could only lead to his shameful fall.
"Whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you" (John 16:23). The prayers of the oppressed, the cries of the tortured, and the faith of the just have been answered. This is a divine intervention, not merely a human effort, ensuring that no injustice remains hidden, and no tyrant escapes judgment.
A Message to the Iranian Mullahs
The collapse of Assad's regime serves as a harbinger for the Iranian Mullahs. Just as the Baathist dictatorship fell despite decades of ruthless control, the Mullahs' regime, founded on oppression, terrorism, and the distortion of religion, will face a similar destiny. History and faith assure us that regimes built on lies and injustice are doomed to fail. The same divine justice that dismantled Assad's regime will undoubtedly dismantle the Mullahs’ grip on Iran and their regional proxies.
The Iranian regime has brought untold suffering, not only to its people but to nations across the Middle East through its sponsorship of terrorism and its hegemonic ambitions. The Bible's teachings emphasize that "there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known" (Luke 12:2). This assurance reinforces our belief that the Mullahs' crimes will not go unpunished.
Faith in Action
The fall of Assad's regime is a call to action for all who value justice and human dignity. It is a moment to reaffirm faith in divine justice and to actively oppose oppressive regimes that violate human rights. With faith, prayer, and perseverance, the downfall of the Iranian Mullahs will follow. As Christians and believers in the principles of justice, we are called to stand firm in the truth, saying, "Yes, yes, or no, no," and rejecting all forms of complicity or apathy in the face of evil.
The Road Ahead
We pray and work for a Middle East free of tyranny and terror. Assad’s fall is a milestone, but it is not the end of the journey. The next chapter begins with the dismantling of the Iranian regime, whose policies have perpetuated suffering in Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, and beyond. Let us remain steadfast, united in faith and purpose, until the forces of darkness are vanquished and the light of justice prevails.
In the words of scripture: "The righteous will rejoice when they see vengeance done; they will wash their feet in the blood of the wicked" (Psalm 58:10). This is not a call for violence but a prophetic assurance that justice, both divine and earthly, will prevail.

The Lebanese Killed by the Assad Regime & Hezbollah for Their Sovereigntist Beliefs
Shirine Abdallah/This is Beirut/December 09/2024
With the fall of Bashar al-Assad, marking the end of 54 years of the brutal dictatorship of the Assad family, driven by a thirst for blood, money and power, let us remember the Lebanese who were murdered for their sovereigntist beliefs and patriotism since 1970 by the Syrian regime. During that year, Hafez al-Assad took power. He never stopped eyeing Lebanon, which he viewed with contempt as an extension of Syria, falsely using his famous slogan, "one people in two countries."
Kamal Joumblatt
On March 16, 1977, the Druze leader and founder of the Progressive Socialist Party (PSP), Kamal Joumblatt, was shot dead at the age of 60 in his car near the village of Baakline, in the Shouf mountains. The main suspects are members of the Baath Party and the Syrian Social Nationalist Party (SSNP).
Salim Lawzi
A well-known Lebanese journalist and editor, a free-spirited writer, and the founder and editor-in-chief of the weekly magazine Al-Hawadeth, Lawzi, 58, was kidnapped on February 25, 1980. Brutally tortured, his body was found on March 4, 1980. His right hand had been burned with acid. Syrian intelligence services are suspected of having ordered the assassination.
Riad Taha
Taha was an editor and the president of the Lebanese Publishers Association for 13 years. He was shot dead at the age of 53 on July 23, 1980, by a machine gun in front of the Continental Hotel in Beirut after being pursued through the city. His attackers fled the scene. The assassination was not investigated. Riad Taha was a critic of the Syrian occupation.
Bashir Gemayel
The elected president of Lebanon, Bashir Gemayel, 34, commander of the Lebanese Forces, the armed wing of the Kataeb Party, was elected president of Lebanon in 1982. He was assassinated while holding a meeting with his staff by a bomb that destroyed the building housing the party’s headquarters. The attack was planned and carried out by the SSNP. The perpetrator, Habib Chartouni, a member of this pro-Syrian party, was released from prison when the Syrian forces entered Lebanon in 1990.
Sheikh Sobhi el-Saleh
The 60-year-old cleric had received numerous threats due to his sovereigntist positions and his support for a unified Lebanon with all its communities. He was assassinated on the morning of October 7, 1986.
Hassan Khaled
The Mufti of the Republic, 68, was assassinated on May 16, 1989, in a car bomb attack while driving through the western part of Beirut. The bomb was planted in his vehicle. Sheikh Hassan Khaled was a moderate Muslim, advocating for coexistence and harmony among Lebanon's diverse communities.
Nazem el-Qadri
A Sunni MP for 38 years, Nazem el-Qadri was assassinated on September 22, 1989. At the time of his assassination, Lebanese MPs were preparing for negotiations in Taif, Saudi Arabia, aimed at reaching an agreement to end the war in Lebanon and set a deadline for the withdrawal of Syrian forces. Qadri had just criticized the Syrian presence. His assassination was a message from Syria to other Lebanese MPs, warning them not to push for a Syrian withdrawal.
René Moawad
President René Moawad, 64, who had been in office for just 17 days, was assassinated in a car bomb attack while heading back from the Independence Day celebrations in West Beirut on November 22, 1989. Moawad had sought to establish a national unity government to end the Lebanese Civil War, which was then in its 14th year.
Dany Chamoun
The son of former president Camille Chamoun, 56-year-old Dany Chamoun was assassinated at his home in Baabda on October 21, 1989, by armed men who disguised themselves as Lebanese Army soldiers. His wife and two sons were also killed. Chamoun was a staunch opponent of the government of President Elias Hraoui, who was backed by Syria.
Rafic Hariri
Prime Minister Rafic Hariri, 60, was assassinated on February 14, 2005, when a ton of explosives placed in a parked truck detonated as his convoy passed by. Hariri had become a fierce critic of the Syrian occupation of Lebanon. His assassination triggered the Cedar Revolution, which led to the withdrawal of Syrian troops after 29 years of occupation.
Samir Kassir
A columnist for the daily Al-Nahar and an influential writer, Samir Kassir, 45, was a staunch critic of Syria. He was assassinated on June 2, 2005, in a bomb explosion placed under his seat in his car.
Georges Haoui
Former leader of the Lebanese Communist Party and once a supporter of Palestinian causes, Georges Haoui, 67, was killed on June 21, 2005, by a one-kilogram bomb that exploded under the passenger seat of his car. Haoui had become a fierce critic of Syria and its intelligence services.
Gebran Tueni
A member of Parliament and the publisher of the Lebanese daily newspaper Al-Nahar, Gebran Tueni, 48, was a staunch critic of Syria. He gained international attention in March 2000 when he published an open letter on the front page of his newspaper, addressed to Bashar al-Assad, calling for the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon. Tueni was killed on December 12, 2005, in a car bomb attack in Mkalles.
Pierre Gemayel
Minister of Industry and opponent of Syrian influence in Lebanon, Pierre Gemayel, 34, was shot dead in his car on October 21, 2006. Gemayel was the son of former President Amine Gemayel (whose brother, Bashir, was assassinated in 1982 just days before becoming president) and the grandson of Pierre Gemayel, founder of the Kataeb Party.
Walid Eido
A member of Parliament and of the Future Movement led by Saad Hariri, Walid Eido, 65, was assassinated in a car bomb attack in Raouche on June 13, 2007. Three days earlier, the United Nations Security Council had passed a resolution calling for the creation of an international tribunal to prosecute those responsible for the assassination of Rafic Hariri. Eido was a vocal critic of Syria.
Antoine Ghanem
A Christian MP and member of the anti-Syrian March 14 coalition, 64-year-old Antoine Ghanem was assassinated in a car bomb attack on September 19, 2007. A member of the Kataeb party, Ghanem had fled Lebanon due to fears for his life and had returned for just two days when he was killed.
François el-Hage
François el-Hage, 54, director of operations at the army command and one of the key commanders in the Battle of Nahr el-Bared against the Fateh el-Islam Islamist group, was killed in a car bomb attack on December 12, 2007, in Baabda. His name had been circulating as a candidate for the position of army commander-in-chief.
Wissam Eid
At 32 years old, this officer of the Internal Security Forces was responsible for the technical aspects of investigations into attacks since 2004, including that of former Prime Minister Rafic Hariri. His work greatly contributed to the progress of the investigation by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, which was handling the Hariri case. On January 25, 2008, at 10 AM, he was killed in a car bomb attack in Furn el-Chebbak.
Wissam el-Hassan
The head of the Internal Security Forces Intelligence Branch and an opponent of the Damascus regime, 47-year-old Wissam el-Hassan was killed in a car bomb attack on October 19, 2012, due to his role in the investigation into the assassination of Rafic Hariri, attributed to Hezbollah.
Mohammad Chatah
Appointed Minister of Finance in July 2008 and foreign policy adviser to Prime Minister Saad Hariri from November 2009 to January 2011, 62-year-old Mohammad Chatah was killed in a bombing on December 27 in downtown Beirut. Just moments before his death, Chatah had accused Hezbollah of "pressuring for powers similar to those Syria held in Lebanon for 15 years over security and foreign policy."

Israel prevents Lebanese army and UNIFIL from opening key road
NAJIA HOUSSARI/Arab News/December 10, 2024
BEIRUT: The Israeli army fired a warning shot on Tuesday at a joint patrol of the Lebanese army and a Polish unit operating under UN peacekeeping force UNIFIL while trying to unblock the Aitaroun-Bint Jbeil public road. The Israeli military blocked the road last Thursday with a mound of earth.
UNIFIL and Lebanese army vehicles were seen on Tuesday driving on the Bint Jbeil road for the first time since the ceasefire. Israel is being criticized for continuing to violate the ceasefire agreement under the pretext of having 60 days to withdraw from the south. Its violations involve destroying remaining buildings, houses, facilities and roads along the border, rendering the area unlivable. The Israeli army carried out extensive explosions in Khiam to destroy houses and buildings. The entry of the Lebanese army’s engineering teams to southern Lebanon has been postponed. A five-member committee responsible for enforcing the ceasefire agreement had previously approved the teams’ entry. The committee convened secretly on Monday in Naqoura, UNIFIL’s headquarters, with the presence of military representatives of the Lebanese army, the Israeli army, the US, France, and UNIFIL.A joint statement from the US and French embassies in Lebanon and UNIFIL said that the meeting aimed to coordinate the participants’ support for the cessation of hostilities that went into effect on Nov. 27. The group will meet regularly and coordinate closely to implement the ceasefire agreement and Resolution 1701, it added. The Lebanese army links the gradual deployment of its soldiers south of the Litani River to the end of Israeli hostilities and the gradual withdrawal of Israeli military forces, allowing Lebanese troops to enter the areas. Israeli forces in the south launched several artillery shells from a Merkava tank on the outskirts of Chihine and Jebbayn. The Israeli army opened heavy machine-gun fire on the outskirts of the southern villages of Chakra, the Doubiyeh castle, and valleys adjacent to Qabrikha and Majdel Selem. Several Israeli Merkava tanks backed off from Wata Al-Khiam toward Sarda and Aamra adjacent to the Wazzani orchards.
Parallel to its duties in southern Lebanon, the Lebanese army is also dealing with the developments at illegal crossings and on smuggling routes on the border between Lebanon and Syria, as Syrians attempt to enter Lebanon forcibly with militants gaining control of the country.
Israeli airstrikes had targeted Lebanon’s land crossings with Syria under the pretext of preventing Hezbollah supplies from reaching Syria.
The Israeli airstrikes also put out of service the Al-Qaa-Jussiyeh crossing in the Bekaa and the Arida and Dabousieh crossings in the north, in addition to the Tal Kalakh crossing in Akkar in the north. Lebanon’s reopening of the Masnaa border crossing, the legal route to Damascus, facilitates the return of Syrian refugees in Lebanon to their home country. For the third consecutive day, the Masnaa border crossing witnessed heavy movement of Syrian refugees leaving for their country. The Lebanese General Security reported that the situation at the Masnaa crossing had improved after chaos erupted due to the absence of the Syrian General Security at the Jdeidet Yabous border post, causing a large influx of Syrians. The Lebanese army is involved in controlling the Masnaa border crossing, and Lebanon strictly vets which Syrians it allows to enter Lebanon — requiring either a travel document through the Beirut airport, a residency permit in Lebanon, or a sponsor who confirms their employment in Lebanon. Also on Tuesday, the Syrian Embassy in Lebanon lowered the flag previously used by the regime of Bashar Assad, raising that of the militants. In other developments, Lebanese prisoner Muath Muraab arrived in his hometown of Bireh in Akkar on Tuesday after being detained in Sednaya Prison for 20 years. He is the third prisoner to return to Lebanon from a list of dozens of Lebanese detainees in Syrian prisons, whose existence had previously been denied by Syrian authorities during the Assad regime. In the past two days, freed prisoners Suhail Hamaoui, Marwan Nouh, Mohammed Omar Al-Flaiti, and Moaz Merheb rejoined their families. Additionally, Khalidiya Fayyad, who was arrested 22 years ago in the town of Sindiana in Akkar, was freed from the women’s prison.
The Lebanese State Security denied protecting anyone linked to the former Syrian regime after their relocation to Lebanon. Recent media reports indicated that the Lebanese State Security was protecting some Syrian figures and officials who fled to major hotels in Lebanon due to ongoing developments in Syria. Hezbollah — in its first statement regarding the Israeli airstrikes on Syria and the incursion into Syrian territory — emphasized its “support for Syria and its people, asserting the importance of maintaining the unity of Syria, both in terms of its land and its people.”Hezbollah said that “the continuing crimes committed by Israel, whether by occupying more lands in the Golan Heights or striking and destroying the defensive capabilities of the Syrian state, constitute a flagrant act of aggression and a brazen violation of the sovereignty of the Syrian state and its people, and an attempt to destabilize this brotherly country.”

Macron tells Rahi 'Lebanon is and will remain' in his heart
Naharnet/December 10, 2024
Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi, who attended this weekend the reponing of Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral, briefly discussed on the sidelines of the ceremonies, the presidential impasse with French President Emmanuel Macron. Al-Rahi told a group of journalists in Paris that Macron had expressed France's keenness to help Lebanon, including in filling its presidential void. He said that Macron had told him that "Lebanon is and will remain" in his heart. Parliament will meet on January 9 to elect a new president, seeking to end more than two years without a head of state. The country has been without a president since Michel Aoun's term ended in October 2022, with neither of the two main blocs -- Hezbollah and its opponents -- having the majority required to elect one, and unable to reach a consensus. Al Rahi said he expects the presidential vote session to be fruitful this time. "We do not have a candidate, the church is not supposed to have candidates, but we know all the candidates and they are good," he said. The Patriarch admitted that he had failed in bringing together political leaders, including Christian leaders. The real reason is that these leaders have personal interests, he said, urging Lebanese politicians to "change" and to start speaking "the language of the Lebanese people."Al-Rahi told the journalists that the Lebanese yearn to live in peace and that Christians opened their homes to the displaced during Israel's war on Lebanon. He said that there are no disagreements between the Lebanese but rather between Lebanon's politicians," adding that Hezbollah must stop making war and peace decisions "because such decisions concern all the Lebanese".A U.S. and French-brokered 60-day ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel was reached last month after more than 13 months of clashes that escalated into a full-out war. The ceasefire has been rattled by near daily Israeli strikes. Al-Rahi said he hopes for a permanent ceasefire, reassuring the Lebanese that Lebanon is "heading toward peace".U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and dozens of heads of state and government were also attending the cathedral ceremonies, and nearly 170 bishops from France and around the world took part in the inaugural Mass. Al-Rahi met there with Trump's senior adviser on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs Massad Boulos, a Lebanese American businessman who is the father-in-law of Trump's daughter Tiffany. Boulos told al-Rahi he plans to visit Lebanon, without specifying a date.

Lebanon's presidential election: Latest developments
Naharnet/December 10, 2024
The developments in Syria have pushed Lebanon’s political forces to intensify their efforts to secure the election of a new president in the electoral session that Speaker Nabih Berri has scheduled for January 9, al-Akhbar newspaper reported on Tuesday. “There is real concern over the future of the developments in Syria and their impact on Lebanon, despite the celebrations of some forces that considered the fall of president Bashar al-Assad’s regime as a liberation of Lebanon,” the daily said. “Even Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea did not hide in his meetings the presence of concerns as to how things might develop in Syria,” al-Akhbar quoted unnamed sources as saying. The newspaper also revealed that Lebanese officials have asked U.S. mediator Amos Hochstein to clarify the latest remarks by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s advisor Boulos Massad about the need for the Lebanese to delay the election of a new president until after Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration. “That coincided with reports sent by U.S. Ambassador to Beirut Lisa Johnson to the U.S. State Department, demanding that Boulos stop voicing stances that do not reflect the United States’ official policy,” al-Akhbar said. “Johnson stressed to her visitors that the U.S. administration supports the election of a president during the January 9 session,” the daily added. The French, according to al-Akhbar, have meanwhile submitted lists containing names of potential presidential candidates who are not part of the current political class, amid reports of an undeclared meeting between Boulos and French presidency officials. Boulos received “a list with the names of three candidates that Paris believes do not represent a provocation to the main parties in Lebanon, identified as the banker Samir Assaf, former foreign minister and economic expert Nassif Hitti and former interior minister Ziad Baroud,” the newspaper said. “The meetings are still ongoing to discuss the possibility of agreeing on a consensual candidate and the latest meeting between Geagea and the MPs Alain Aoun, Elias Bou Saab, Ibrahim Kanaan and Simon Abi Ramia is part of these efforts,” the daily added.
Sources informed on the meeting meanwhile told the newspaper that “Geagea did not mention a confrontational president but rather expressed readiness to reach a consensual president with the other camp.”Geagea, however, emphasized that any agreement must not exclude the opposition camp and that it would be unacceptable for the other parties to agree on a candidate without consulting with the opposition forces, the sources said, explaining that the LF leader would reject an agreement between the Shiite Duo, the Free Patriotic Movement, the Progressive Socialist Party and Sunni MPs.
“The MPs advised Geagea to communicate with Berri to improve the electoral session’s success chances and he assured that contacts with him are supposed to resume over the coming days,” the sources said. Informed sources meanwhile told al-Akhbar that Geagea is strongly opposed to the nomination of Army chief General Joseph Aoun, a claim later denied by the LF's media department as totally baseless. Ad-Diyar newspaper for its part quoted informed sources as saying that ties have warmed again between Berri and Geagea and also between Geagea and Druze leader Walid Jumblat after a period of tensions.
“According to leaks, contacts between the three parties might lead to the election of a president in the Jan. 9 session,” the daily said.

Mikati says Lebanon to apply laws as to entry of ex-Syrian officials
Naharnet/December 10, 2024
Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s press office commented Tuesday on reports saying some former Syrian regime officials have entered Lebanon or used its territory to travel to other countries. “The Lebanese government’s policy has always been to resort to Lebanese and international laws, and this is something it had adopted throughout the previous period, when Lebanon took in hundreds of thousands of Syrian brothers,” the office said. “Mr. Prime Minister is closely following up on this matter and to this end he has carried out intensive contacts with caretaker Justice Minister Henri Khoury, State Prosecutor Judge Jamal al-Hajjar and General Security chief Maj. Gen. Elias Bayssari, instructing that the applicable laws and regulations be followed in dealing with this file, under the supervision of the relevant judicial authorities, in a manner that would achieve the interest of Lebanon and the Lebanese and the future of ties with the Syrian people,” the office added. Commenting on the same unconfirmed reports, the Progressive Socialist Party had warned of “the danger of turning Lebanon into a safe haven for these officials, who are responsible for a lot of crimes against Lebanese and Syrian citizens.”Moreover, it called on the state and its security and judicial agencies to “address this matter and prevent it from occurring so that Lebanon does not bear legal and political consequences.”

Lebanon to form crisis committee on Lebanese freed from Syria jails
Naharnet/December 10, 2024
Lebanon will form a crisis committee to search for and identify missing and forcibly disappeared persons in Syrian prisons. Under the request of caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, Cabinet Secretary-General Judge Mahmoud Makiya sent Monday a letter to the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Social Affairs asking them to urgently coordinate with the National Commission for the Missing and Forcibly Disappeared Persons in Lebanon and with the relevant authorities to identify, document, and facilitate the return of Lebanese detainees freed from Syrian prisons.
Islamist-led rebels had released thousands of prisoners from Syria's notorious jail system, including two Lebanese men. For three decades, Syria was a dominant military and political force in Lebanon, before withdrawing its troops in 2005 under international pressure after the assassination of Lebanese ex-prime minister Rafik Hariri. Rights groups say thousands of men, women and children disappeared at the hands of Hafez al-Assad, Bashar's late father, during Lebanon's civil war. In the northern Lebanon town of Chekka, Suheil Hamawi received a heartfelt welcome as he returned home Monday after languishing for 33 years in Syrian jails. Hamawi's release gave renewed hope to hundreds of families in Lebanon who have demanded to know of the fate of thousands of prisoners believed to have disappeared at the hands of Syrian troops who entered Lebanon shortly after the outbreak of the 1975-1990 civil war.

Hezbollah MP says 'resistance's patience has its limits'
Naharnet/December 10, 2024
Hezbollah MP Hassan Ezzeddine on Tuesday accused Israel of “seeking to undermine the ceasefire agreement through its violations.”“It is working to impose new facts and a fait accompli … and to have the upper hand, but this shall not happen,” Ezzeddine stressed. “This resistance is not used to accepting humiliation and degradation and it is acting according to the mechanism present in the (ceasefire) agreement,” the MP added, noting that “the Lebanese government is following this path and informing the supervisory committee.”“The committee is concerned with this situation and with rectifying and correcting it,” Ezzeddine said. “The resistance has been patient, but the resistance’s patience has its limits and it cannot allow the enemy to act as it pleases. Here the French and the Americans are the two main parties and they must shoulder the responsibility of compelling and pressing this enemy, or else they will bear the full responsibility,” the lawmaker warned.”

Hezbollah condemns Israeli strikes on Syria, says stands by its people
Agence France Presse/December 10, 2024
A monitor of Syria's war said Tuesday it had recorded more than 300 Israeli strikes since rebels toppled the country's longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad over the weekend. "The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has been able to document around 310 strikes" carried out by "Israeli warplanes" since the announcement of the fall of Assad on Sunday morning, the monitor said, while AFP journalists in the capital reported hearing loud explosions early Tuesday. Hezbollah condemned increased Israeli strikes on Syria and said it stood by the country's people, in its first comment since rebels overthrew the group's ally former President al-Assad. Hezbollah lambasted Israel for "occupying more land in the Golan Heights" where it moved troops into a buffer zone after Assad fell, and for "striking and destroying the defensive capabilities of the Syrian state". "While we affirm our support for Syria and its people, we stress the necessity to preserve Syria's unity," it added.

US hostage envoy in Beirut to seek information on missing journalist Austin Tice
Associated Press/December 10, 2024The U.S. government's top hostage negotiator is in Beirut in hopes of collecting information on the whereabouts of Austin Tice, an American journalist missing in Syria for 12 years, the State Department said. Roger Carstens, the special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, is talking to officials in the region following the overthrow of Bashar Assad's government to find out where Tice is and "get him home as soon as possible," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters Monday. Lebanon has been involved for years in mediating talks about Tice. President Joe Biden said Sunday that his administration believed Tice was alive and was committed to bringing him home, though he also acknowledged that "we have no direct evidence" of his status. Tice, who has had his work published by The Washington Post, McClatchy newspapers and others, disappeared at a checkpoint in a contested area west of Damascus as the Syrian civil war intensified. A video released weeks after Tice went missing showed him blindfolded and held by armed men and saying, "Oh, Jesus." He has not been heard from since. Syria has publicly denied that it was holding him.

Bassil: Religious groups rule will threaten Syria minorities, Christian presence
Naharnet /December 10, 2024
Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil warned Tuesday that “fear of the departure of a secular regime and the takeover of religious and ideological groups will threaten the presence of minorities in Syria and scare them to the extent of immigrating and leaving their land.”“This exactly threatens Christian presence in the Orient,” Bassil cautioned after a meeting of the FPM’s political council. Stressing that “what’s happening in Syria concerns the Syrian people,” Bassil hoped it will be for the welfare of both Syria and Lebanon and will lead to “a swift return of the displaced Syrians and to positive and balanced ties that preserve the sovereignty of the two countries, without interference by any of them in the affairs of the other.”“We celebrated and danced the day the Syrian army left Lebanon on April 26, 2005. This was the real national celebration. Today’s celebrations can be understood, but I fear that one day they will regret it,” the FPM chief added. “The reason behind the Syrian displacement to Lebanon has completely disappeared, and therefore there is no need, reason or justification for any displaced Syrian to remain on Lebanese soil, hence the necessity of their rapid return to their country,” he said. Noting that what happened could “help Lebanon distance itself from the policy of axes, conflicts and wars,” Bassil called on the Hezbollah-led camp not to resort to “a more hardline domestic policy to prove that their political strength has not been affected.” “We advise them to do the opposite, because we can all help each other,” the FPM chief added. Moreover, Bassil called on the army and security forces to “take all measures to prevent a repetition of what happened in the past in terms of displacement, occupation and attacks on Lebanon and the Lebanese.” He also warned that a partitioning of Syria on religious and ethnic lines might lead to “awakening the dreams of partitioning in Lebanon.

'We don’t want their end': Bassil calls Hezbollah to step back from regional conflicts
Reuters/December 10/2024
A year of fighting between Hezbollah and Israel saw more than 4,000 killed, thousands displaced and the powerful Shi'ite group considerably weakened militarily with many of its leaders dead. Iran-backed Hezbollah needs to focus on domestic issues in Lebanon and not the wider region, senior Lebanese Maronite politician Gebran Bassil said on Tuesday, adding that he was against the head of the army running for the presidency. A year of fighting between Hezbollah and Israel, which culminated in a tentative ceasefire brokered by the United States and France in November, saw more than 4,000 killed, thousands displaced, and the powerful Shi'ite group considerably weakened militarily with many of its leaders dead. "It's a process whereby Hezbollah accepts that they are part of the Lebanese state and are not parallel to the state," Bassil, a Maronite Christian, who is one of Lebanon's most influential politicians, told Reuters in an interview in Paris. 'We don't want their end'."We don't want their end. We want them to be partners in the Lebanese nation, equal to us in abiding by the rules and preserving the sovereignty of Lebanon. We agree with them on defending Lebanon and supporting the Palestinian cause, but politically and diplomatically, not militarily." Bassil, who said the group should distance itself from the Iran-aligned "Axis of Resistance," is head of the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), a Christian party founded by former President Michel Aoun, his father-in-law, that has been aligned with Hezbollah. He was sanctioned by the United States in 2020 for alleged corruption and material support to Hezbollah. He denies the accusations. He was in Paris meeting French officials. He declined to say whether he met Donald Trump's regional envoy and fellow Maronite Massad Boulos, who accompanied the US president-elect to France last weekend. Since the truce, Paris has increased efforts to discuss with the myriad key actors in Lebanon over how to break a political impasse after two years without a president or permanent government. The presidential post is reserved for Christians, but part of the standoff reflects rivalries among the community as well as crucial political and religious balances in the country. Authorities finally announced that the parliament would meet on Jan. 9 to elect a new president. Bassil, who has enough lawmakers to block a Maronite candidate, said he was against the candidacy of Joseph Aoun, the head of the army, who diplomats say both the United States and France consider as a serious candidate. He said Aoun's appointment would be against the constitution and that he did not have consensus among all the Lebanese factions. "We are against him because we don't see him as being fit for the presidency," Bassil said. "We need candidates who can bring the Lebanese together," he said declining to name one.

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on December 10-11/2024
Assad’s feared dungeons give up their secrets
AFP/December 11, 2024
DAMASCUS: Syrians lived in terror for decades of what went on behind the concrete walls of Damascus’s security compound. Now the Assad dynasty has been toppled, its dungeons and torture chambers are giving up their secrets. Rebel fighters stand guard at the entrances to the forbidden city in the capital’s Kafr Sousa district, where the feared security services had their headquarters alongside government offices. The myriad of different agencies which kept tabs on the lives of ordinary Syrians each operated their own underground prisons and interrogation chambers inside the walled defense ministry compound.
Syrians lived in fear of being summoned for a round of questioning from which they might never return. AFP found first responder Sleiman Kahwaji wandering around the complex this week trying to locate the building where he was questioned and then detained. He said he was still at secondary school when he was arrested in 2014 on suspicion of “terrorism,” a frequent allegation under the rule of now toppled president Bashar Assad, who brooked no dissent. “I spent 55 days underground,” he said. “There were 55 of us in that dungeon. Two died, one from diabetes.” Scribbled graffiti left by the prisoners are barely legible on the walls amid the darkness. “My dear mother,” one had scribbled, probably in his own blood. The cells that were used for solitary confinement are so small there isn’t even space to lie down. As many as 80 prisoners per cell were crammed into the larger ones, forcing inmates to take turns to sleep, recalls another former detainee Thaer Mustafa, who was arrested for alleged desertion. All remaining prisoners were freed on Sunday after their captors fled as the rebels swept into Damascus capping the lightning offensive they launched late last month. A large crowd broke into the security zone and ransacked the sprawling offices on the upper floors of the complex. Thousands of intelligence files lay abandoned, many of them scattered on the floor, detailing the activities of ordinary citizens subjected to draconian surveillance by security service agents. One handwritten document lists more than 10,000 prisoners held on suspicion of membership of the Muslim Brotherhood.
The Sunni Islamist group was anathema to the Assad clan who are members of Syria’s Alawite minority, followers of an offshoot of Shiite Islam. Brotherhood membership became punishable by death since 1980 two years before Assad’s father and predecessor Hafez ordered the army to crush its insurgency with an assault on the central city of Hama which killed between 10,000 and 40,000 people. Alongside each prisoner’s name and date of birth, the security services noted the details of their detention and interrogation, and whether and when they had died. Another abandoned file details the detention of a Briton of Syrian origin, who was subjected to a lie detector test over allegations he was working for British intelligence. Another, dated this January, details the investigation into a bomb attack on the Mazzeh neighborhood of Damascus, in which an Iraqi was wounded. Nothing was considered too trivial to escape the security services’ attention. There are files recording the activities of ordinary citizens as well as journalists and religious leaders. Not even government ministers were immune. On a list of members of Assad’s government, a security service agent has carefully noted the confession of each minister — Sunni or Alawite, Christian or Druze. The security services operated vast networks of paid informers, who provided the tiniest details of people’s daily lives. Families have been arriving at the gates of the Damascus security zone since Saturday, desperately seeking word on the fate of their missing loved ones. Many come after first visiting Saydnaya Prison, a vast detention complex on the outskirts of Damascus where many of those who survived interrogation at security headquarters were taken for long-term incarceration. “We heard that there were secret dungeons. I’m looking for my son Obada Amini, who was arrested in 2013,” said Khouloud Amini, 53, her husband and daughter by her side. “He was in his fourth year at the engineering faculty, I went to Saydnaya but I didn’t find him. “I was told there were underground dungeons here. I hope that all Syrian prisoners are freed.”

What does Assad’s downfall mean for the millions of Syrians displaced by war?
ANAN TELLO/Arab News/December 10, 2024
LONDON: Although Syria remains in a precarious state just days after the fall of the regime of Bashar Assad, hundreds of displaced Syrians have flocked to border crossings in Lebanon and Turkiye, eager to return to their homeland after more than 13 grueling years of civil war.
At daybreak on Monday, scores of people gathered at the Cilvegozu and Oncupinar border gates in southern Turkiye and the Masnaa crossing in Lebanon, confident for the first time in years that they would not face arrest or conscription when they reached the other side.
On Sunday, in a historic moment for the Middle East, a coalition of armed opposition groups led by Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham seized Damascus. Now a refugee himself, Assad fled the country and sought asylum in Russia, marking an inglorious end of his family’s brutal 54-year rule.
Syrians displaced across the Middle East, North Africa, Europe, and further afield by the years of fighting and persecution in their home country poured into the streets in celebration, jubilant that the uprising that began in 2011 had finally succeeded in dislodging Assad.
Syria remains the world’s largest refugee crisis. Since the outbreak of civil war in 2011 following the regime’s brutal suppression of anti-government protests, the UN says more than 14 million Syrians have been forced to flee their homes.
While the majority sought refuge in other parts of Syria, including areas outside the regime’s control, others fled to neighboring countries — primarily Turkiye and Lebanon, but also Jordan, Egypt, and Iraq. Many more risked the perilous Mediterranean crossing to Europe.
Some 7.2 million Syrians remain internally displaced, where 70 percent of the population is deemed to require humanitarian assistance and where 90 percent live below the poverty line, according to the UN refugee agency, UNHCR.
More than 5 million Syrian refugees live in the five neighboring countries — Turkiye, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Egypt. Turkiye alone hosts around 3.2 million registered with the UNHCR, while Lebanon hosts at least 830,000.
Karam Shaar, a senior fellow at the Newlines Institute for Strategy and Policy, a nonpartisan Washington think tank, believes the first Syrians to return are likely “the most vulnerable,” such as those in Lebanon and in Turkiye, who have endured poverty and mounting hostility.
“In general, because of the situation in Lebanon and Turkiye being so bad, I think these people would be the most likely to come back,” Shaar told Arab News. “Many of them would be willing to go back to the rubble of their houses as long as Assad is not there because it just can’t get any worse.”
In Lebanon, anti-Syrian sentiment has grown significantly since the country was plunged into a debilitating economic crisis in 2019. There have even been cases of violence against members of the community and their property.
In April, Syrians were attacked and publicly humiliated in the streets of Byblos after a senior Lebanese Forces official, Pascal Suleiman, was reportedly killed by a Syrian gang during a botched carjacking.
Compounding the plight of Syrians, the recent Israeli assault on Lebanon has displaced many families already struggling to survive, forcing them to live on the streets amid reports they have been denied access to municipal shelters. Even before the outbreak of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, displaced Syrians were subjected to restrictions on work and access to public services. Some 90 percent of them lived in extreme poverty, according to the UN. Returning to Syria while Assad remained in power was out of the question for many. Before the regime’s downfall on Sunday, Human Rights Watch warned that Syrians fleeing Lebanon risked repression and persecution upon their return, including “enforced disappearance, torture, and death in detention.”
Indeed, the Syrian Network for Human Rights documented at least nine arrests of returnees prior to Oct. 2, most of which were reportedly linked to “mandatory and reserve” military conscription.
In Turkiye, Syrians have frequently been scapegoated by politicians. In July, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused opposition parties of fueling xenophobia and racism. His remarks came a day after anti-Syrian riots broke out in the Kayseri province after a Syrian refugee there was alleged to have sexually assaulted a 7-year-old Syrian girl.
A similar wave of violence erupted in an Ankara neighborhood in 2021 after a Turkish teenager was stabbed to death by a group of young Syrians. Hundreds of people took to the streets, vandalizing Syrian owned businesses.
Erdogan announced on Monday that Turkiye was opening its Yayladagi border gate with Syria to facilitate the safe and voluntary return of refugees, Reuters reported. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said his country would support the return of Syrians to contribute to the reconstruction of the conflict-ravaged country.
“Those with families in Syria are eager to at least pay them a visit,” Marwah Morhly, a Turkiye-based media professional, told Arab News.
“Many are making plans to visit their hometowns with their children, who were born in Turkiye and have never been to Syria or met their relatives in person.”
However, given the ongoing insecurity and political uncertainty in Syria, and the fact that many Syrians have built lives in Turkiye, the decision to return is not an easy one to make. Morhly herself is hesitant about visiting, despite longing for her hometown of Damascus. “I can’t take a risk with a young child,” she said, referring to her son. Such a decision would depend on a Syrian-Turkish agreement on the refugee issue, she added. UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said “there is a remarkable opportunity” for Syrians “to begin returning home.”
“But with the situation still uncertain, millions of refugees are carefully assessing how safe it is to do so. Some are eager, while others are hesitant,” he added in a statement on Monday.
Urging “patience and vigilance,” he expressed hope that refugees would be able to “make informed decisions” based on developments on the ground. Those decisions, he added, would depend on “whether the parties in Syria prioritize law and order.”He stressed that “a transition that respects the rights, lives, and aspirations of all Syrians — regardless of ethnicity, religion, or political beliefs — is crucial for people to feel safe.”
UNHCR “will monitor developments, engage with refugee communities, and support states in any organized voluntary returns,” he added, pledging to “support Syrians wherever they are.”
Grandi also highlighted that “the needs within Syria remain immense,” as more than 13 years of war and economic sanctions had “shattered infrastructure.”
In Europe, home to at least 4.5 million Syrian refugees, several countries — including Austria, France, The Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Greece, and the UK — announced they had halted Syrian asylum applications just hours after Assad’s fall. Germany, which is home to the continent’s largest Syrian diaspora, was one of the first European countries to respond.
Nancy Faeser, Germany’s interior minister, said in a statement on Monday that the current “volatile situation” in Syria is the reason her country’s migration authority has paused asylum decisions, leaving thousands of Syrian applicants in limbo. Austria has gone a step further, announcing plans to deport Syrian migrants. Interior Minister Gerhard Karner told Austrian media he has “instructed the ministry to prepare an orderly return and deportation program to Syria.
In The Netherlands, the government said it would stop assessing applications for six months. However, many are concerned it may also begin deportations.
Discussions about sending refugees back to Syria amid such uncertainty have left many Syrians anxious about their future. This is particularly concerning for those who have built lives and established roots in their host countries.
Anti-refugee discourse has become increasingly common since the height of the European refugee crisis in 2015, when around 5.2 million people from conflict zones across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East arrived on European shores.
For many governments in Europe, the fall of the Assad regime could offer just the opportunity they were waiting for to show they are addressing public concerns about migration by removing thousands of Syrians.
But until Syria’s security situation stabilizes and its political future under its new de facto leadership becomes clearer, forced returns may be premature — or could even break international laws against refoulement should returnees come to harm. Indeed, with the country still divided among rival factions, extremist groups like Daesh still at large, infrastructure in ruins, an economy crippled by sanctions, and uncertainty over the political agenda of the victorious HTS, Syria is by no means guaranteed peace and security.

We compared satellite images of Russia's naval base in Syria before and after Assad's fall. The warships are missing.
Jake Epstein/Business Insider/December 10, 2024
Russia's warships are no longer at its base in Tartus, Syria — a critical facility for Moscow.Satellite imagery shows several warships docked there earlier this month, but they were gone by Monday. The development has come after rebel forces ousted Bashar Assad, Syria's longtime dictator. Russia's warships have been missing from its base in Syria in the days after rebel forces ousted the country's longtime dictator, Bashar Assad, satellite imagery obtained by Business Insider shows.
In imagery captured by Planet Labs PBC earlier this month, warships can be seen docked at the Russian naval facility in Tartus, a port city on the Mediterranean Sea. In a photo taken on Monday, however, the warfighting vessels are all gone.
The vessels remained away from their berths as of Tuesday, according to a new satellite image taken by BlackSky. The ongoing situation raises significant questions about the future of Russia's military presence in Syria. Moscow supported Assad in his ruthless civil war, which ended in stunning fashion over the weekend after rebel forces toppled his government in a rapid offensive.It's unclear whether the Russian warships have left for good. A December 1 image shows several warships docked in Tartus, but two days later, they were no longer there. By Friday, some warships — including two surface combatants and a submarine — were back. But three days later, they were gone once again. The Russian vessels were still missing from Tartus as of Tuesday, new imagery shows. Russia's defense ministry hasn't confirmed any major force posture changes, but Ukraine's military intelligence agency said Monday that Moscow had withdrawn its warships from Tartus and was airlifting weaponry out of the nearby Khmeimim base.
BI was unable to immediately verify reports on these Russian military developments. Open-source intelligence accounts on social media noted the unusual naval activity, sharing images that suggested the Russian warships were loitering off the coast of Syria. Tartus is Russia's main naval base overseas, and it provides the country with access to a warm-water port. Moscow meanwhile uses nearby Khmeimim to shuttle military forces in and out of Africa. Losing both of these facilities would be a major blow to the Russian military. The Kremlin appears to be taking steps to ensure the security of its military facilities, but the details surrounding a new transition government are unclear. Russian state media reports say Syrian rebels now have full control of the province where its bases are. When asked on Sunday about the fate of the Russian bases in Syria, a senior Biden administration official said they "can't speculate."
"It's not lost on anybody that the Russians have now announced, I think, that they've taken Assad to Moscow," the US official said during a call with reporters. "So, we'll see what the Syrians, who have worked for decades to overthrow the yoke of the Assad regime, think about that when it comes to the Russian facilities."Rebel forces led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham — an organization that traces its origins to Al Qaeda but has since split off from the terrorist group — launched a surprise offensive in northwest Syria in late November. The rebels quickly captured several key cities before taking control of Damascus Sunday, ending a bloody civil war that lasted more than 13 years. For years, Assad relied on military support from Russia, as well as Iran and Lebanese Hezbollah, to maintain power. The White House is blaming his government's shocking collapse on the fact that these three actors have been "weakened and distracted" by their respective conflicts against Ukraine and Israel."Assad was effectively abandoned because his only friends — again, Iran, Hezbollah, and Russia — no longer had the capacity to help," the Biden administration official said.

Israel orders military to create weapons-free zone in southern Syria
Associated Press/December 10, 2024
Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz said Tuesday that Israel's military destroyed Syria’s fleet overnight and intends to establish a demilitarized zone “in southern Syria” to prevent attacks on Israel. He also issued a warning to Syria’s rebels, saying that “whoever follows Assad’s path will end up like Assad — we will not allow an extremist Islamic terrorist entity to act against Israel across its border while putting its citizens at risk.”Speaking at a naval base in Haifa, Katz said the Israeli navy “operated last night to destroy the Syrian fleet and with great success.” Video showing the smoking wreckage of what appeared to be small Syrian naval ships in the port at Latakia was broadcast by Saudi-owned television station Al-Hadath on Tuesday. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which has closely tracked the conflict since the civil war erupted in 2011, said Israel targeted Syrian warships, military warehouses and an air-defense facility on the coast. Katz added that he had instructed the army to establish a “defense zone free of weapons and terrorist threats in southern Syria, without a permanent Israeli presence, in order to prevent terrorism in Syria from taking root and organizing.” It was unclear if the demilitarized zone would reach beyond the buffer zone that Israel has taken over in the border area. Israel has a long history of seizing territory during wars with its neighbors and occupying it indefinitely, citing security concerns. Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 Mideast war and annexed it in a move not recognized internationally, except by the United States.

Syria rescuers end search for secret cells in notorious prison
David Gritten - BBC News/December 10, 2024
Rescue workers from the White Helmets say they have ended their search operation for possible detainees in secret cells or basements at Syria's notorious Saydnaya military prison without finding anyone. Specialised teams assisted by K9 dog units and individuals familiar with the layout combed the prison and its grounds on Monday, as crowds gathered in the hope of finding their missing relatives. "The search did not uncover any unopened or hidden areas within the facility," a White Helmets statement said. The news came as rebel fighters said they had found almost 40 bodies showing signs of torture in the mortuary of a hospital in the capital, Damascus. Meanwhile, the leader of the Islamist militant group whose offensive led to the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad on Sunday said former senior officials who oversaw the torture of political prisoners during the country's 13-year civil war would be held accountable. Abu Mohammed al-Jolani said the names of the officials would be published and repatriation sought for those who had fled to other countries. Rewards would also be offered to anyone who provided information about their whereabouts, he added. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, says almost 60,000 people were tortured and killed in the Assad government's prisons. Human rights groups say more than 100,000 people have disappeared since Assad ordered a brutal crackdown on pro-democracy protests in 2011 that triggered the civil war.
The Turkey-based Association of Detainees and the Missing in Sednaya Prison (ADMSP) said in a 2022 report that the prison "effectively became a death camp" after the start of the conflict. It estimated that more than 30,000 detainees had either been executed or died as a result of torture, lack of medical care or starvation at the facility between 2011 and 2018. It also cited released inmates as saying that at least another 500 detainees had been executed between 2018 and 2021.ADMSP also described how "salt chambers" were constructed to serve as primitive mortuaries to store bodies before they were transferred to Tishreen Military Hospital in Damascus for registration and burial in graves on military land. The detainees' families were never given their bodies, it said. Amnesty International used the phrase "human slaughterhouse" to describe Saydnaya and alleged that the executions had been authorised at the highest levels of the Assad government, and that such practices amounted to war crimes and crimes against humanity. The Assad government dismissed Amnesty's claims as "baseless" and "devoid of truth", insisting that all executions in Syria followed due process.

Iran Says its Power Undiminished after Assad's Fall in Syria
Asharq Al Awsat/December 10/2024
The commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Tuesday that Tehran had not been weakened following the fall of its ally Bashar al-Assad in Syria, Iranian media reported. "We have not been weakened and Iran's power has not diminished," Hossein Salami was quoted as telling members of parliament in a closed session. Iran and Russia had propped up Assad's rule since Syria's civil war erupted in 2011 with military support, men and airpower. Tehran deployed its Revolutionary Guards to Syria to keep its ally in power to maintain Tehran's "Axis of Resistance" to Israel and US.influence in the Middle East. Assad's exit has eroded Tehran's ability to project power and sustain its network of militia groups across the region, particularly to its ally Hezbollah in Lebanon, which agreed a ceasefire with Israel last month. "The overthrow of the Zionist regime (Israel) is not off the agenda," Salami said in the session which met to discuss the latest developments in Syria, Reuters reported. Salami said no Iranian forces remained in Syria. Following Assad's fall from power, Iran's foreign ministry called for a national dialogue to form an inclusive government representing all segments of Syrian society. Iran's government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani on Tuesday called for "respect for Syria's territorial integrity,” saying the Syrian people should decide their own fate.

US Sanctions Assad’s Father-in-law
Washington: Asharq Al Awsat
The US State Department has announced a slew of sanctions to mark International Anti-Corruption Day and the eve of Human Rights Day, targeting individuals from multiple countries. The State Department said the United States was redesignating UK resident Fawaz Akhras, father of the British-born wife of the deposed Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, for providing him with material support. The Treasury Department said in a statement that Akhras was being designated for providing “support and facilitation to Bashar al-Assad related to financial matters, sanctions evasion and attempts by Bashar al-Assad to achieve international political engagement.”Akhras was born in the Syrian city of Homs in September 1946, and is a dual Syrian and UK national, according to the Treasury’s list of sanctioned individuals.He trained as a cardiologist, and practiced medicine in London, where his daughter Asma – who is married to the toppled former president – was born.Akhras, whose registered address is an unassuming house in west London, was previously sanctioned by the US in 2020 along with Asma, his wife Sahar, and several other family members. Assad’s in-laws have fled the UK and are believed to be in Moscow, their neighbors and friends have told MailOnline. The Kremlin has confirmed that Assad, Asma and their three children were given asylum on the direct orders of Vladimir Putin after fleeing Syria.

Two Former Syrian Intelligence Officials Face US War Crimes Charges
Washington: Asharq Al Awsat
A US indictment unsealed on Monday charged two former high-ranking Syrian officials under ousted President Bashar al-Assad with war crimes, the US Justice Department said in a statement. The indictment, which was unsealed in the Northern District of Illinois, charged the former Syrian intelligence officials with engaging in a conspiracy to commit cruel and inhuman treatment of civilian detainees, including US citizens, during the course of the Syrian civil war, Reuters reported. Prosecutors identified the defendants as former Syrian Air Force intelligence officers Jamil Hassan, 72, and Abdul Salam Mahmoud, 65. Warrants for the defendants' arrest have been issued, and they remain at large, the Justice Department added. The defendants could not immediately be reached. They engaged "in a conspiracy to commit war crimes through the infliction of cruel and inhuman treatment on detainees under their control, including US citizens, in detention facilities at the Mezzeh Military Airport (Mezzeh Prison), near Damascus," the Justice Department added. From 2012 to 2019, the officials were alleged to have "whipped, kicked, electrocuted and burned their victims; hung them by their wrists for prolonged periods of time; threatened them with rape and death; and falsely told them that their family members had been killed," US Attorney General Merrick Garland said.After a lightning advance, Syrian opposition forces brought an end to more than 50 years of rule by the Assad family over the weekend. A 13-year-old civil war killed hundreds of thousands, caused one of the biggest refugee crises of modern times and left cities bombed to rubble, countryside depopulated and the Syrian economy hollowed out by global sanctions.

Israel Pounds Syria, Denies Forces Have Gone Past Buffer Zone
Asharq Al Awsat/December 10/2024
Israel carried out a wave of heavy airstrikes across Syria as its troops advanced deeper into the country, drawing to within 25 kilometers of the capital, a Syrian opposition war monitor said Tuesday. Israel denied the advance. There was no immediate comment from the opposition either. Israel had earlier seized a roughly 400-square-kilometer buffer zone inside Syria that had been established after the 1973 Mideast war, a move it said was taken to prevent attacks in the aftermath of the overthrow of President Bashar Assad. Israel has also said it is striking suspected chemical weapons sites and heavy weapons to prevent them from falling into the hands of extremists. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which has closely tracked the conflict since the civil war erupted nearly 14 years ago, said Israel has carried out more than 300 airstrikes across the country since opposition fighters overthrew Assad over the weekend. The Observatory said Israeli troops are advancing up the Syrian side of the border with Lebanon. It was not possible to independently confirm the reports. An Israeli military spokesperson on Tuesday denied that Israeli forces had penetrated into Syrian territory beyond the buffer zone with the occupied Golan Heights. "It's not true, the forces have not left the buffer zone," the spokesperson said. An Israeli military official had earlier said that troops plan to seize a buffer zone inside Syria as well as “a few more points that have strategic meaning," without elaborating. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with regulations, dismissed reports of a larger Israeli invasion as “rumors.”

Syria’s Opposition Works to Form Government, Restore Order after Assad Ouster
Asharq Al Awsat/December 10/2024
The lightning overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad left Syrians, countries in the region and world powers nervous on Tuesday about what comes next as the opposition alliance took its first steps in a government transition. The United Nations Security Council met behind closed doors late on Monday, and diplomats said they were still in shock at how quickly Assad's overthrow unfolded over 12 days, after a 13-year civil war that was locked in stalemate for years. "Everyone was taken by surprise, everyone, including the members of the council. So we have to wait and see and watch ... and evaluate how the situation will develop," Russian UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told reporters after the body met. Russia played a major role in supporting Assad's government and helping it fight the opposition factions. The Syrian leader fled Damascus for Moscow on Sunday, ending more than 50 years of brutal rule by his family. With the mood in Damascus still celebratory, Assad's prime minister, Mohammed Jalali, on Monday agreed to hand power to the opposition-led Salvation Government, an administration based in opposition-held territory in northwest Syria. The main opposition commander Ahmed al-Sharaa, better known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, met with Jalali and Vice President Faisal Mekdad to discuss the transitional government, a source familiar with the discussions told Reuters. Jalali said the handover could take days to carry out. Al Jazeera television reported the transitional authority would be headed by Mohamed al-Bashir, who has headed the Salvation Government. The steamroller advance of the opposition alliance headed by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a former al-Qaeda affiliate, was a generational turning point for the Middle East. The civil war that began in 2011 killed hundreds of thousands, caused one of the biggest refugee crises of modern times and left cities bombed to rubble, countryside depopulated and the economy hollowed out by global sanctions. But the opposition alliance has not communicated plans for Syria's future, and there is no template for such a transition in the fractious region. Oil prices rose more than 1% on Monday, partly on concerns that instability in Syria, which is not a major oil producer, could raise regional tensions, analysts said. "This is an incredible moment for the Syrian people," Deputy US Ambassador to the UN Robert Wood said in New York. "Now we're really focused right now on trying to see where the situation goes. Can there be a governing authority in Syria that respects the rights and dignities of the Syrian population?" The US was seeking ways to engage with Syrian opposition groups and is reaching out to partners in the region such as Türkiye to start informal diplomacy, Washington said. Qatari diplomats spoke with HTS on Monday, an official briefed on the developments told Reuters, as regional states race to open contact with the group.
'FREEDOM, EQUALITY, RULE OF LAW'
Some opposition fighters who milled about the capital on Monday, clustering in the central Umayyad Square, expressed hope a civilian administration would soon be running the country. "We want the state and security forces to be in charge," said Firdous Omar, a fighter who intends to resume farming in provincial Idlib.Golani has vowed to rebuild Syria, and HTS has spent years trying to soften its image to reassure foreign nations and minority groups within Syria. But fears of reprisals remained. HTS said it will not hesitate to hold security and army officers involved in torturing the Syrian people accountable, describing them as criminals and murderers. "We will release a list that includes the names of the most senior officials involved in the torturing of the Syrian people," Golani said in a statement. "Rewards will be offered to those who will provide information about senior army and security officers involved in war crimes."
HTS is designated as a terrorist organization by many states and the UN, and its governing credentials are uncertain. "Syrians are looking forward to establishing a state of freedom, equality, rule of law, democracy, and we will join efforts to rebuild our country, to rebuild what was destroyed, and to rebuild the future, better future of Syria," Syria's UN Ambassador Koussay Aldahhak told reporters. There were tentative signs of a return to order. Syria's banks will reopen on Tuesday, and the oil ministry called on all employees in the sector to head to work on Tuesday, adding that protection would be provided to ensure their safety. In one of many challenges facing Syria, Israel seized a buffer zone in the country's south, a move condemned by Egypt, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia said the move would "ruin Syria's chances of restoring security." Israel said its airstrikes would carry on for days but told the UN Security Council that it was not intervening in Syria's conflict. It said it had taken "limited and temporary measures" solely to protect its security.

Israel Pounds Syria, Denies Forces Have Gone Past Buffer Zone
Asharq Al Awsat/December 10/2024
Israel carried out a wave of heavy airstrikes across Syria as its troops advanced deeper into the country, drawing to within 25 kilometers of the capital, a Syrian opposition war monitor said Tuesday. Israel denied the advance. There was no immediate comment from the opposition either. Israel had earlier seized a roughly 400-square-kilometer buffer zone inside Syria that had been established after the 1973 Mideast war, a move it said was taken to prevent attacks in the aftermath of the overthrow of President Bashar Assad. Israel has also said it is striking suspected chemical weapons sites and heavy weapons to prevent them from falling into the hands of extremists. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which has closely tracked the conflict since the civil war erupted nearly 14 years ago, said Israel has carried out more than 300 airstrikes across the country since opposition fighters overthrew Assad over the weekend. The Observatory said Israeli troops are advancing up the Syrian side of the border with Lebanon. It was not possible to independently confirm the reports.An Israeli military spokesperson on Tuesday denied that Israeli forces had penetrated into Syrian territory beyond the buffer zone with the occupied Golan Heights."It's not true, the forces have not left the buffer zone," the spokesperson said. An Israeli military official had earlier said that troops plan to seize a buffer zone inside Syria as well as “a few more points that have strategic meaning," without elaborating. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with regulations, dismissed reports of a larger Israeli invasion as “rumors.”

Operation Bashan Arrow: IDF destroys over 350 Syrian Military targets
Amir Bohbot/Reuters/Jerusalem Post/December 10/2024
IDF names operation 'Bashan Arrow' • Majority of Assad's military capabilities have been destroyed
The Israel Air Force targeted the majority of the strategic weapons stockpiles within Syria, carrying out some 350 strikes, the military confirmed on Tuesday night. The aim of the operation was to prevent them from falling within reach of terrorist groups in Syria. The Israeli navy struck both the Al-Bayda and Latakia ports, in which were some 15 Syrian naval vessels, the military added. The military struck anti-aircraft batteries, air force fields belonging to the Syrian military, and weapons production facilities in Damascus, Homs, Latakia, Palmyra, and Tartus. The IDF also degraded cruise missiles, surface-to-sea missiles, UAVs, fighter jets, radars, tanks, and attack helicopters, among other things. Earlier, it was reported that most of the strikes were in southern Syria and around the city of Damascus, targeting Syrian army bases, with an emphasis on air defense systems and stores of surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles.Israeli security sources indicate that these actions have significantly expanded the air force's operational freedom. Additionally, there have been attempts by Hezbollah to seize Syrian weaponry. On Monday evening, two Syrian security sources told Reuters that IAF jets had struck at least three major Syrian army air bases that housed dozens of helicopters and jets. The Qamishli air base in northeast Syria, the Shinshar base in the countryside of Homs, and the Aqrba airport southwest of the capital Damascus were all hit, the sources said. The air force also reportedly carried out several strikes on a research center on the outskirts of Damascus and a center for electronic warfare near the Sayeda Zainab area of the capital.
Israeli tanks spotted not far from Damascus
Also on Tuesday morning, citing Arab reports, Israeli media reported that IDF tanks were spotted approximately 20 km from Damascus. According to Reuters, the IAF sunk several Syrian military vessels in their home port. The IDF later confirmed that the Israeli navy had conducted a large-scale operation overnight to destroy Syria's naval fleet. "The attack was carried out using Navy missile ships, during which many Syrian naval vessels carrying dozens of sea-to-sea missiles were destroyed in the Mina al-Bayda area and the port of Latakia," the military reported. The IDF noted that the operation was conducted to stop the fleet's assets "from falling into the hands of hostile elements." Israeli incursion into Syria reaches 25 km southwest of Damascus, security sources say. An Israeli military incursion into southern Syria has reached about 25 kilometers (16 miles) southwest of the capital, Damascus, two regional security sources and one Syrian security source said on Tuesday. The Syrian security source said Israeli troops reached Qatana, which is 10 kilometers into Syrian territory east of a demilitarized zone separating Israeli-occupied Golan Heights from Syria. An Israeli military spokesperson later denied that Israeli forces had penetrated into Syrian territory beyond the buffer zone.
"It's not true. The forces have not left the buffer zone," the spokesperson said.
IDF Arabic media spokesperson, Colonel Avichay Adraee, reiterated that IDF troops had not pushed further into Syria.  "Reports circulating in some media outlets claiming that IDF forces are advancing or approaching Damascus are completely incorrect," Adraee wrote in a post on X/Twitter. "IDF forces are present inside the buffer zone and at defensive points close to the border in order to protect the Israeli border." Following condemnations from regional countries on Israel's activities in Syria, the IDF spokesperson again on Tuesday afternoon said they are not advancing toward Damascus, Reuters reported. According to the spokesperson, Israel has no interest in Syria beyond protecting its borders and civilians, the wire agency noted, and the IDF is acting to prevent strategic weapons from falling into hostile hands.
Necessary to address security threats
In a letter to the United Nations Security Council, Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon described the military actions as “limited and temporary” measures necessary to address immediate security threats. “Israel does not intervene in the internal Syrian conflict,” Danon wrote, emphasizing that the strikes were specifically aimed at ensuring the safety of Israeli citizens, particularly those residing in the Golan Heights. He reaffirmed Israel’s commitment to the Disengagement agreement that was made on May 31, 1974, between Israel and Syria. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has instructed the IDF to intensify its activities along the Syrian border following the Syrian military’s recent occupation of Mount Hermon. The IDF has been directed to establish a security zone beyond the buffer area while fostering ties with local populations, including the Druze community, to enhance stability in the region.
Additionally, on Tuesday, a senior Israeli official was cited as saying If the new government in Syria acts against Israel or will allow Iran to establish itself and act against Israel within Syrian territory, Israel will attack with strength. "Israel is not interested in intervening in Syria's internal affairs but will act resolutely to protect its security," the official reportedly noted, adding "We hope that the new regime will act solely for the benefit of the Syrian people and return Syria to the Arab world's fold."The official further stated, "If the new regime acts against Israel or allows Iran to reestablish itself in Syria and operate against Israel from its territory, Israel will strike with strength and determination against such attempts and exact a heavy and painful price."This comes amid reports that Israel had struck some 300 targets in Syria early Tuesday morning.
Jerusalem Post Staff, Sam Halpern, Mathilda Heller, and Raquel Guertzenstein Frohlich contributed to this report.

Why are Iran and Turkey moving to condemn Israel’s role in Syria? - analysis
Seth J. Frantzman/Jerusalem Post/December 10/2024
It is interesting how quickly Iran, Turkey and also voices in Qatar have mobilized to single out Israel for critique regarding Syria. Iran and Turkey, as well as media and commentators linked to both countries, are seeking to condemn Israel for its recent bombing of Syrian military sites. They are also condemning Israel for its operations in a buffer zone on the Golan. The IDF seized the buffer zone and the peak of Mount Hermon after the Syrian regime collapsed on December 8. The IDF has also struck various threats in Syria, such as warplanes and naval vessels so that they do not fall into the hands of enemies.
Why are Iran, Turkey and other countries and groups associated with them seeking to condemn Israel? They want to try to deflect from what is going on in Syria and their own role in the country. Iran has backed militias smuggling weapons in Syria and Turkey illegally occupies a large part of northern Syria. Turkey has carried out numerous airstrikes in northern Syria, targeting Kurdish groups. Turkish-backed militias have also filmed themselves kidnapping women and killing civilians. These militias, part of the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army, have been murdering and kidnapping people in northern Syria for years, usually under the umbrella of protection by Turkish armed forces. It is interesting how quickly Iran, Turkey and also voices in Qatar have mobilized to single out Israel for critique regarding Syria. They appear to be positioning themselves to back the new authorities in Damascus and they want to urge the new emerging Syrian government to condemn Israel.

Syrian mission to UN to continue work after regime exit, calls for Israel's withdrawal
Joanie Margulies/Jerusalem Post/December 10/2024
The UN has called Israel's role in taking over the buffer zone a violation of a 1974 ceasefire agreement between Israel and Syria. The permanent representative for Syria to the United Nations has been directed to continue with the mission's work in New York to "maintain state institutions," Syria's representative to the UN Koussay Aldahhak said following a UN Security Council meeting on Monday. Aldahak called on the United Nations and the Security council to end attacks on the country he attributes to Israel. Israeli troops entered the buffer zone between Israel and Syria on Sunday following directives from Prime Minister Netanyahu, Defense Minister Katz, and IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi. “We’re with the Syrian people. We’ll keep defending and working for the Syrian people. So we’ll continue our work until further notice,” Aldahak said.
Syria's collapse
In less than two weeks, a decades-long regime decimated to nothing, with ex-President Bashar al-Assad resigning and fleeing to Russia for asylum with his family, the Kremlin confirmed, creating a new reality for Syrians. “Syrians are looking forward to establishing a state of freedom, equality, rule of law, democracy, and we’ll join efforts to rebuild our country, to rebuild what was destroyed, and to rebuild the future,” Aldahhak said. He entered his role as the permanent representative of Assad’s government to the UN in December 2023. The Syrian government has come to a “to a complete and abrupt halt” after a number of state workers did not return to their jobs, AP reported, though Syria's prime minister said on Monday that most cabinet members had returned to their posts after rebels overthrew Assad's regime. As a result, an influx of refugees have bled over from Syria into neighboring and nearby countries. UNHCR figures show that 3.1 million fled to Syria, as well as 774,000 into war-torn Lebanon, already contributing to a constant refugee flow, particularly since the start of Israel's ground operation in Lebanon against Hezbollah on September 30, 2024. Germany and Jordan took between 286-628,000 refugees, with Iraq taking 286,000 and Egypt taking 156,500. Austria, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Greece took less than 100,000 Syrian refugees in recent days. Others have began returning to Syria from nearby, hoping for change. Arab media outlets have reported that Israel has increased strikes in Syria, though the IDF has not formally taken responsibility for involvement in said strikes. The IDF said on Monday that suspected chemical weapon sites and long-range rocket sites were destroyed. The military has also seized the buffer zone successfully leading to the withdrawal of Syrian troops. Meanwhile, Israel has increased its strikes on Syria. On Monday, it said it carried out airstrikes on suspected chemical weapons sites and long-range rockets. Israel has also seized a buffer zone inside Syria after Syrian troops withdrew. While noting that the Syrian mission to the UN followed instructions from the current leadership in Syria, he requested that the UN secretary-general and the UNSC would "shoulder their responsibility in maintaining international peace and security and (put) an end to the Israeli attacks on Syria.” He also requested that the UNSC not allow Israel “to benefit from this transition that the Syrians are doing now in their country for their occupation agenda, to compel Israel to respect international law, international Security Council resolutions and the GA (General Assembly) resolutions on ending the Israeli occupation of Syrian territories.” The UN has called Israel's role in taking over the buffer zone a violation of a 1974 ceasefire agreement between Israel and Syria.

Israel’s frenzied reality: When destroying an enemy navy isn’t the top news story - analysis
Herb Keinon/Jerusalem Post/December 10/2024
This astounding military achievement was relegated to a secondary headline. It was just one more story in a news cycle overflowing with drama. “The IDF announced that it destroyed Syria’s navy,” the announcer of the KAN radio news bulletin said matter-of-factly at 11:00 am on Tuesday. There were two astounding things about that announcement. The first was that Israel had taken out the Syrian navy, with all its ships and sea-to-sea missiles. The second was that this item did not lead the news bulletin -- that distinction went to the courtroom drama of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who took the stand for the first time in his more than four-year-old corruption trial. Think about that for a moment. Israel had neutralized an entire enemy naval force, along with much of its air force, in what could only be described as a Six-Day War-style operation. And yet this astounding military achievement was relegated to a secondary headline. It was just one more story in a news cycle overflowing with drama. This illustrates the relentless pace of life in this country right now. Meanwhile, the deaths of seven IDF soldiers in Lebanon and Gaza reported the day before didn’t even make the 11:00 am bulletin. Their funerals and the circumstances of their deaths — once events that would have gripped the nation — were overshadowed by these other stories. This unrelenting flood of events is not unique to this week. Consider just the past two months: A ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon came into effect two weeks ago; the IAF significantly degraded Iran’s air defense systems and ballistic missile program six weeks ago; Israel killed Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas in Gaza, eight weeks ago. Each of these is an earth-shattering event, yet they all blur into a whirlwind of historical moments, leaving little time to breathe in between, take them in, and process their significance. No sooner is the nation processing one momentous event than another comes and pushes it to the side. And then came the rapid collapse of the Assad regime in Syria on Sunday. Journalists rightly termed this as “historic” — the downfall of a dictator whose family had brutally ruled the country for 54 years is indeed historic. But in the same breath, the term “historic” was also used to describe Netanyahu’s courtroom testimony, the first time a sitting prime minister has taken the stand in his trial.
Historic shift
Even though Netanyahu’s testimony was “historic” in the sense that something like this has never happened here before, using the same adjective for both events feels inadequate and even misleading. The rebel takeover of Syria is a seismic shift with far-reaching regional consequences. Netanyahu’s testimony is unprecedented but will not have nearly the same impact on the country or the region. Its real significance will not be evident until a verdict is reached and the appeals process is exhausted — a process that could stretch on for years. Nevertheless, these days in Israel do have a “historic” feel, as if we are living through events that will be flagged and highlighted as highly significant in future history books. The rapid-fire frequency of these formidable events creates a dangerous paradox: we become simultaneously desensitized to drama and addicted to it. When every headline screams “historic” or “dramatic,” it becomes difficult to distinguish the genuinely monumental from the merely momentary. This addiction to action isn’t just a feature of the news cycle; it’s woven into the national psyche. If there is a world-stopping event leading the news daily, what do we do when there isn’t? Then, we tend to take a regular run-of-the-mill story and make it dramatic. Yair Lapid’s father, the late justice minister Tommy Lapid, once captured this tendency perfectly in an op-ed in The Jerusalem Post. “If a drainage pipe bursts in Tel Aviv, the next day’s headline will declare that the country’s entire sewage system is on the verge of collapse,” he wrote. In a nation addicted to drama, even the mundane becomes magnified. This tendency is amplified by a media landscape that thrives on hyperbole. Every political skirmish in the Knesset, every piece of propaganda released by Hamas, every disagreement with the US president, every arrest or protest is a crisis or something billed as dramatic. But this addiction has a cost. The constant bombardment of high-stakes events erodes the public’s ability to process grief and celebrate victories. When tragedies like the deaths of seven soldiers barely register because other events drown them out -- in this case, genuinely significant ones -- it reflects a troubling, though understandable, numbness. At the same time, our national addiction to drama creates a vacuum that demands to be filled — often by overinflating and blowing up smaller stories into dramatic crises. And yet, how can we help it? Israel experiences in a month what other nations might in a year. The news cycle here is frenetic, like the pace of the collective life here itself -- filled with triumph, heartbreak, and tension, often all at the same time.

Asharq Al-Awsat Reveals Russia’s Moves Before Assad’s Downfall
Moscow: Raed Jaber/Asharq Al Awsat/December 10/2024
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad had no choice but to act fast. Russia urgently advised him to launch a political initiative to open dialogue with the opposition and prevent the start of Operation “Deterring Aggression.”After the attack began, Moscow had accurate details on its timing, size, and targets. By then, it was too late. Moscow quickly decided to arrange a safe exit to avoid a destructive sectarian war, which would have had catastrophic consequences, said Rami Shaar, a close advisor to Russian officials. Shaar told Asharq Al-Awsat that Russia’s intelligence on the planned large-scale attack led to urgent action 48 hours before it began. Using “specialized channels,” Russian officials warned Syria that “armed factions would advance towards Aleppo and other cities.” He added that urgent talks with Türkiye and Iran aimed to stop the attack and push for political dialogue. However, it soon became clear that the factions were determined to proceed. Shaar explained that Moscow’s decision was difficult because intelligence showed that the attack wasn’t just backed by the factions, but also by broad popular support.According to the reports, “If the attack advances widely, around 80% of Syrians will strongly support it.”Shaar told Asharq Al-Awsat that, in a bid to avoid major consequences, Russia, Türkiye, and Iran discussed ways to prevent a destructive conflict. Moscow’s intelligence also showed widespread discontent in the Syrian army, worsened by poor living conditions for soldiers and officers. The close advisor to Russian officials explained that these factors led Russia to prioritize stopping a collapse that could trigger a civil war. Russia made a direct call to Assad, warning that “all signs point to a major disaster, and a political initiative for dialogue must be launched quickly.”However, according to Shaar, “Assad did not respond as urgently as needed.”Shaar added that by then, opposition forces had already moved toward Aleppo, gaining significant local support, while the army had to gradually withdraw, allowing the opposition to take control of the city.

Netanyahu Takes the Stand in long-running Corruption Trial
Asharq Al Awsat/December 10/2024
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took the stand on Tuesday in his long-running trial for alleged corruption, as he faces an international arrest warrant for war crimes and the fighting in Gaza continues. Upon starting his testimony, Netanyahu said “hello” to the judges. One judge told him he had the same privileges as other witnesses and could sit or stand as he chose.“I waited eight years for this moment, to say the truth,” Netanyahu said, standing at a podium in a packed Tel Aviv courtroom. He called the charges against him “an ocean of absurdness” and promised his version would cut through the prosecution's case. Netanyahu appeared at ease as he began telling his version of events and shared personal details about his life that he might hope would shape the judges’ perception of him. He said he used to lose sleep over media coverage but learned it had no meaningful bearing — in contrast to the prosecution's attempts to paint him as image-obsessed, The Associated Press reported. Netanyahu will answer during his court appearances to charges of fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in three separate cases. Netanyahu, 75, denies wrongdoing, saying the charges are a witch hunt orchestrated by a hostile media and a biased legal system out to topple his lengthy rule. His testimony caps years of scandals that have swirled around him and his family. The testimony, set to take place six hours a day, three days a week for several weeks, will take up a significant chunk of Netanyahu’s working hours, prompting critics to ask if he can capably manage a country embroiled in a war on one front, containing the fallout from a second, and keeping tabs on other potential regional threats, including from Iran or the recent fall of Bashar Assad in Syria. Netanyahu, in his testimony, said he could “find a balance” between both commitments.
Dozens of people gathered outside of the court in Tel Aviv, some protesting against Netanyahu, including family members of hostages held in Gaza, and also a group of his supporters. A banner draped in front of the court read: “Crime Minister." Under Israeli law, indicted prime ministers are not required to step down. But the charges against Netanyahu cleaved deep divisions in Israel, with protesters demanding he resign and former political allies refusing to serve in government with the Israeli leader, triggering a political crisis that led to five elections in less than four years beginning in 2019. Netanyahu's supporters view the charges as the result of the justice system’s bias and overreach. Despite the pressure, the polarizing Netanyahu has rejected calls to step down and has used his position as prime minister to lash out at law enforcement, media and courts. An Israeli court rejected a request by Netanyahu’s lawyers to reduce the expected testimony hours, as well as several other requests to delay the start of the testimony, which they said were necessary because of the prime minister’s busy schedule and the country's significant challenges.

Pope to meet Palestinian president Thursday
Reuters/December 11, 2024
VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis will meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday, the Vatican said, as the Catholic pontiff has become more vocal in his criticism of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. Abbas travels to Italy this week, where he is expected also to meet with Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The Vatican announced the meeting with Abbas in a brief note on Tuesday but did not offer further details. In November, Francis suggested the global community should study whether Israel’s campaign in Gaza constitutes a genocide of the Palestinian people.
The comment, in a forthcoming book, drew a public rebuke from Israel’s ambassador to the Holy See. Israel claims accusations of genocide in Gaza are baseless and that it is solely hunting down Hamas and other armed groups. Gaza authorities say almost 45,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 106,000 injured in Israel’s offensive, while most of Gaza’s 2 million people are homeless or displaced as famine looms. Pope Francis and President Abbas have met several times and are last known to have spoken on the phone in November 2023, a month into the Israel-Hamas conflict.
The pope, as leader of the 1.4-billion-member Catholic Church, is usually careful about taking sides in conflicts but has recently been more outspoken about Israel’s campaign. In October, he criticized the “shameful inability” of the international community to end the war.

The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on December 10-11/2024
Who Will Rule Syria?
Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Al Awsat/December 10/2024
After the celebrations end and the last statues of al-Assad are toppled in the squares, Syrians will face a new and uncertain day. Who will govern them? A single individual or committees? Or will there be more than one Syria – three or four perhaps?
The situation may not be so straightforward and smooth, as al-Assad has left behind a fragmented country divided among various factions. The group that toppled Aleppo and led the change was “Hayat Tahrir al-Sham” under the leadership of Ahmad al-Sharaa, emerging from the Turkish-influenced area.
The force that entered Damascus (the Southern Operations Room led by Ahmad al-Ouda) advanced from Daraa province, a small faction of the remnants of the Free Syrian Army. Meanwhile, the group securing the border with Iraq was the Kurdish-majority “SDF” (Syrian Democratic Forces) operating within the US-influenced zone.
Damascus resembles Berlin in April 1945 when allied forces entered the city: Britain and America from the west, and the Soviets from the east. They agreed on the demise of Hitler – who committed suicide just before they arrived – but disagreed on governing Berlin. The Soviets occupied the east, while the western part of the city was handed to the Western Allies.
On Damascus’ victory day, all the victors are Syrians arriving from different zones of influence, as toppling the regime would not have been possible without external support. According to the agreements preceding Bashar’s departure – rumored to have vanished at 10 p.m. on a Thursday –governance is expected to transition to Syrian forces, revolutionaries, and independents in line with UN Security Council Resolution 2254.
This document, endorsed by the five major powers, stipulates governance by a transitional government, the drafting of a constitution, and subsequent elections. However, it is likely that “Hayat Tahrir al-Sham” will ultimately emerge as Syria’s de facto ruler, given that it is the most powerful force, which managed to overthrow al-Assad’s regime in roughly two weeks. The SDF will likely continue ruling eastern Syria, with the Euphrates River serving as a Berlin Wall dividing the two Syrian sides – unless the factions agree on a federal distribution of power, as previously proposed by Ahmad al-Sharaa or something similar.
Even if they agree, Syria is not for the Syrians alone, a reality that has shaped its fate throughout history. Regional and global powers have always had a say. I recently finished James Barr’s book A Line in the Sand, which details the British-French rivalry, much of which involved the struggle over the Levant between the two World Wars. Iran, Türkiye, Iraq, and Israel are unlikely to give up their influence and interference in Damascus.
Relations with these countries will depend on their interests and known policies. Some nations will pose a threat to the stability of the new Syria, fearing it might emerge as a rival power. Others will support stability in the new Syrian government to rebalance the regional power dynamics, which have previously favored Iran. These countries believe that the changes in Damascus will contribute to regional stability.
This means that Damascus faces a choice: Either navigate through landmines or act preemptively to reassure concerned nations, including its neighbor Iraq, as well as Iran and even Israel. All share apprehensions about the fall of al-Assad’s regime.
The interests of Syria and the region lie in forming a new regional system that reduces dangerous tensions and ends the severe polarization that al-Assad’s regime contributed to, ultimately causing its downfall. A policy of reconciliation could serve as insurance for the nascent regime. This is what Ahmad al-Sharaa hinted at in his televised message to Iraq’s Prime Minister, stating that Syria will not be an adversary to Iraq and extended a hand of friendship and respect.
Syria has just emerged from a 60-year era and faces numerous internal and external challenges. The nascent state will need money, advice, and patience. It will require support from its fellow Arab countries, not just politically but also in humanitarian efforts.
Providing moral support through presence and participation is crucial, ensuring the new leadership is not left vulnerable to those with harmful agendas, reckless intentions, and adventurists who have destroyed their own and others’ countries. The fires in the region have not been extinguished for the past 13 years and continue to burn today. Look around, and you will see numerous failed changes that serve as sufficient lessons for the new revolutionaries.

Assad Has Fallen… The ‘Hardest’ Battle Has Begun
Nadim Koteich/Asharq Al Awsat/December 10/2024
Assad's regime has fallen. Syria’s eternal leader, who left the country brimming with prisons, death, and exile, has been toppled. The Syrians have turned the page on the worst chapter in their country’s modern history. This moment can only be one of overwhelming joy for every mother who lost her son to torture by his regime, for every father who saw his home demolished before his eyes, and for every child who grew up under the shadow of the republic of horrors... The Syrians have buried a regime that silenced voices and took souls in the country and beyond.
Syrians have the right to rejoice. They have the right to breathe air free of the Assad family. They have the right to dream of a better tomorrow. However, our wariness about the illusion of moderation by extremist organizations knows no bounds.
Let us remember what was said about Khomeini in 1979, and the praise for the Brotherhood and their moderation after the fall of President Hosni Mubarak’s regime, which went far beyond today’s esteem for Abu Muhammad al-Golani. We know this history, and we know where it leads.
The return of Khomeini in 1979 was a pivotal moment in the history of the Middle East and the world. Returning from exile in Paris, he was embraced as a leader who could combine religious authority with the leadership of a popular and social movement. He was presented as a man who embodied a just revolution against the regime of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi who would lead the Iranian people to freedom and justice.
The public, elite, and political euphoria that Khomeini's return stirred went beyond Iran, extending to the Arab and Islamic worlds and across the globe. However, it quickly faded as his true colors became apparent.
In more recent memory, we should not forget that after the fall of Hosni Mubarak’s regime in Egypt in 2011, the Muslim Brotherhood promised not to seek executive power, claiming they would not nominate any member in the presidential elections. However, the Brotherhood not only nominated the late Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi but also sought to “Brotherhoodize” the Egyptian state and its bureaucracy after coming to power. On November 22, 2012, Morsi issued a decree granting himself absolute powers, shielding his decisions from judicial oversight and replacing Egypt’s prosecutor with a loyalist. He also made the Constituent Assembly and the Shura Council immune to dissolution.
This decree was another step towards despotism taken under the guise of protecting the revolution from counter-revolutionary forces. It drove massive numbers of people to the streets, forcing Morsi to annul the decree in December 2012. As the political crisis ignited by the constitutional declaration persisted, Morsi and the Brotherhood’s popularity waned, paving the way for his ouster in July 2013.
In Syria, Abu Muhammad al-Golani, the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, is emerging as the symbol of a colossal political transformation in Syria after the fall of Assad’s regime. His group, which is designated a terrorist organization by Western and Islamic countries and the United Nations Security Council, is playing a leading role in shaping Syria’s new landscape, but it faces far more questions than it has given satisfactory answers.
There is no doubt that Assad's regime has hollowed out Syria's institutions, both those of its regime and those of the revolution, over 13 years of repression, killing, abuse, and abandoning the country's sovereignty, allowing Golani, with Turkish support and others, to take a leading role.
Today, Golani seeks to reshape his image through superficial changes in his rhetoric and the behavior of his organization- from appointing symbolic figures like the Bishop of Aleppo as governor of the city to enforcing discipline on militants in terms of respecting public and private property and the lives of civilians. However, while unprecedented for Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, these steps raise deeper questions about whether we are witnessing a genuine transformation or a mere political ploy dictated by the needs of the moment- tactical adaptation.
Accordingly, if this is merely a ploy by Golani, his rise poses an existential threat to Syria's future as a pluralistic state and paves the way for replacing one despot with another, bringing nothing of the justice and freedom Syrians aspire to.
Syria is at a crossroads today. It deserves a comprehensive national project that represents every component of Syrian society and prevents the country from slipping into a new form of totalitarian rule, whether Assad's or that of an extremist ideology. Syria deserves a future that makes use of its diversity and rich cultural and human heritage, not a change of masks. Rejoicing after Assad's fall is justified, but it is not enough. Syria's real battle begins now, and the struggle to ensure its people's dreams are not stolen is its most vital and difficult challenge.

ICC Arrest Warrants and the Unacceptable Weaponization of International Law
Robert Williams/Gatestone Institute./December 10, 2024
A whistle-blower told [ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim] Khan that he knew about the sexual misconduct and Khan responded in apparent shock that he, Khan, was "finished and will need to resign." Instead of resigning, however, he reportedly threatened both the whistleblower and the victim to not press the matter further. And then he decided to announce the application for arrest warrants....
Why, by the way, did both Khan and ICC President Piotr Hofmanski meet with Qatar's ambassador to the Netherlands last year? Surely Qatar had nothing to do with influencing the decision to issue the arrest warrants?
The ICC arrest warrants are the final proof that the entire international system is beyond broken. Between South Africa's baseless case against Israel at the International Court of Justice and the arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant by the ICC, justice, accountability and the upholding of international law lie in shambles, as the obsession with the world's only Jewish state continues for the benefit of the world's actual war criminals.
What is remarkable is that no arrest warrants to date have been issued for any of the following actual war criminals....
"The ICC is a kangaroo court and Karim Khan is a deranged fanatic. Woe to him and anyone who tries to enforce these outlaw warrants. Let me give them all a friendly reminder: the American law on the ICC is known as The Hague Invasion Act for a reason. Think about it." — US Senator Tom Cotton, X, November 21, 2024.
The illegitimate International Criminal Court (ICC), and its Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan, have elevated state sponsors of terrorism, such as Iran and Qatar; has enabled their proxies, such as Hamas, and is guaranteeing more future bloodshed and instability. It is, in short, a disaster. Pictured: Khan in Bogota, Colombia on April 25, 2024.
On November 21, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and, apparently to pretend to look "balanced," three Arab terrorists, one of whom was dead.
ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan, originally a British barrister, appealed to all ICC member states to do the court's bidding and arrest Netanyahu and Gallant, and said in a statement:
"[T]he judges of the International Criminal Court have found that there are reasonable grounds to believe that each [Netanyahu and Gallant] has committed the war crime of using starvation as a method of warfare and crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts, as a direct perpetrator, acting jointly with others. The Chamber also found reasonable grounds to believe that they are each responsible for the war crime of intentionally directing attacks against civilians as a superior."
Never mind that Israel is not a state party to the ICC and that the court therefore has no jurisdiction whatsoever over the matter; never mind that the accusation against Israel of using starvation as a means of war is a proven falsehood that has been repeatedly discredited, including by the UN itself; never mind that the lie that Israel targets civilians has been repeatedly debunked -- White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby told reporters last April:
"The State Department... have not found any incidents where the Israelis have violated international humanitarian law. And lest you think we don't take it seriously, I can assure you that we do. We look at this in real time."
John Spencer, a leading international expert on urban warfare who is the Chair of Urban Warfare Studies at the Modern War Institute of the United States Military Academy (West Point), has repeatedly stressed that Israel goes to unprecedented lengths to avoid civilian casualties and is unique in that sense in the entire history of warfare.
None of these facts mattered, however, because the ICC decision was not about justice or upholding "international law." Then what was it about? Several things:
ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan surprisingly first announced his application for the arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant on May 20, while cancelling a visit to Israel on that same day, where he was to have conducted preliminary meetings with Israeli officials to hear their positions on the matter. This was after he had told a group of US Senators that he "wouldn't rush to judgment before engaging with Israel."
What happened? In the two weeks preceding his announcement, Khan became familiar with allegations against him of sexual misconduct towards a female lawyer who worked directly for him. A whistleblower told Khan that he knew about the sexual misconduct and Khan responded in apparent shock that he, Khan, was "finished and will need to resign." Instead of resigning, however, he reportedly threatened both the whistleblower and the victim to not press the matter further. And then he decided to announce the application for arrest warrants, completely blindsiding Israel in the process. The Wall Street Journal wrote on October 23:
"Israel-bashing is a reliable way to divert attention and pressure. For Mr. Khan it brought acclaim from the left, which dominates international legal circles. The ICC kept quiet about the harassment allegation for more than five months until an anonymous Twitter account brought it to light last week."
Facing the leak and a request from the Hungarian government for an external investigation into Khan's alleged sexual misconduct, Reuters published a report on November 9, saying that Khan would face an external investigation of the allegations against him. An internal document circulated to member states by ICC staff called on Khan to step down temporarily from his role at the ICC while the investigation was ongoing.
"The prosecutor should step aside with immediate effect to pave the way for an independent investigation," the document said.
Khan, again, did not step down. Instead, the ICC's pre-trial chamber, miraculously, barely two weeks after this damning news, came to Khan's rescue and issued the baseless arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant -- and presumably to try to pretend it was "balanced," against a dead Hamas terrorist leader, Mohammed Deif -- thereby completely burying Kahn's sexual misconduct case in the news cycle. Israel-bashing is indeed the best diversion.
Putting Khan's personal issues aside, the arrest warrants represent an unprecedented power-grab by the ICC, appropriating for itself the power to politicize a country's right to self-defense, thereby turning on their heads the very rules of international law that the court purports to honor. The ICC has officially become a rogue international actor that can be solicited by powerful dictatorships into doing their bidding. Why, by the way, did both Khan and ICC President Piotr Hofmanski meet with Qatar's ambassador to the Netherlands last year? Surely Qatar had nothing to do with influencing the decision to issue the arrest warrants?
MEMRI reported in January 2024:
"It should be noted that, in light of the calls to prosecute Israel at the ICC, Qatar's news agency reported that the Qatari Ambassador to the Netherlands, Mutlaq bin Majed Al-Qahtani, met with ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan on November 2, 2023 to discuss the escalation in the Gaza Strip and a number of other issues of common interest. About one month later, on December 5, 2023, the news agency reported that Al-Qahtani had also met with ICC President Piotr Hofmanski to exchange views on issues of common interest and discuss the latest developments in Gaza,"
The ICC arrest warrants are the final proof that the entire international system is beyond broken. Between South Africa's baseless case against Israel at the International Court of Justice and the arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant by the ICC, justice, accountability and the upholding of international law lie in shambles, as the obsession with the world's only Jewish state continues for the benefit of the world's actual war criminals.
If the ICC were concerned with justice, especially for Palestinians, it would have issued arrest warrants against Syria's former President Bashar Al-Assad, a suggestion made more than a decade ago, in 2012, at the beginning of the civil war in Syria, by former ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo. He urged the ICC to adopt an "innovative" approach to stop the bloodshed in Syria by having the ICC indict Assad with an arrest warrant carried out by NATO forces. Apparently the only time the ICC wants to be "innovative" is when it comes to persecuting Jews.
The ICC, evidently hankering to put Israeli leaders behind bars for fabricated crimes against Palestinians, has not the slightest inkling of desire to do anything about the real atrocities committed by Assad against Palestinians living in Syria.
This is the first time that the ICC issued an arrest warrant for a democratically-elected leader from a free country with a viable judicial system. What is remarkable is that no arrest warrants to date have been issued for any of the following actual war criminals: China's President Xi Jinping for his genocidal acts against Tibetans and Uyghurs; Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, for his murderous treatment of Iranians and minorities in his country; or Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who just days ago bombed the Kurds in north-east Syrian Kurdistan again. The bombings cut off access to water and electricity for more than a million Kurds, who are already living in an area hit by drought.
According to the BBC, Turkey conducted more than 100 attacks on Syrian Kurdistan between October 2019 and January 2024. These strikes deliberately targeted oil and gas facilities and power stations vital to civilians in the region. You will never have heard about it -- the UN, most of the legacy media and "human rights" organizations have not said a word. No one cares: no Jews were involved.
Turkey also backed the assortment of Jihadist terrorist groups, including ISIS and Al Qaeda, that toppled the Bashar Assad 's regime in Syria this month, bringing Erdogan a step closer, at least geographically, to his long-term goal: "liberate Jerusalem from the Jews."
The ICC has arrogated to itself the kind of power that no world court should have: The power to issue arrest warrants against anyone they dislike, with whose policies they disagree and whom the global elites wish to shut down, regardless of national sovereignty. The ICC now considers itself to be above the law, and is being encouraged to come for whomever it wants, whether they are part of the ICC treaty or not.
This illegitimate court has elevated state sponsors of terrorism, such as Iran and Qatar; has enabled their proxies, such as Hamas, and is guaranteeing more future bloodshed and instability. It is, in short, a disaster. Not to the European Union, however, which welcomed the decision by the ICC. The EU's then foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said last month during a visit to Jordan:
"It is not a political decision. It is a decision of a court... of an international court of justice. And the decision of the court has to be respected and implemented."
Borrell added on X:
"I take note of the decision of the @IntlCrimCourt to issue arrest warrants for Israel PM Netanyahu, former Minister Gallant, and Hamas leader Deif.
"These decisions are binding on all States party to the Rome Statute, which includes all EU Member States."
The Netherlands, recently the scene of a jihadist pogrom against Jewish soccer fans in Amsterdam by Arabs, immediately announced its intention to comply with the arrest warrant. The Netherlands will "follow the instructions. If Netanyahu or Gallant land, they will be arrested," Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp said.
Ireland, noted as "the most anti-Israel country" in Europe, also declared itself ready to comply -- with "urgency" no less.
"Ireland respects the role of the International Criminal Court. Anyone in a position to assist it in carrying out its vital work must now do so with urgency," Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris declared in a statement.
Belgium sounded positively gleeful, with its foreign ministry posting on X:
"The fight against impunity wherever crimes are committed is a priority for Belgium, which fully supports the work of the @IntlCrimCourt .
"Those responsible for crimes committed in Israel and Gaza must be prosecuted at the highest level, regardless of who committed them."
Italy's Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said that, while he believed the ICC was "wrong" to put Netanyahu and Gallant on the same level as Hamas, if either "were to come to Italy, we would have to arrest them."
In the UK, the Prime Minister's official spokesman said the government respected the court and refused to rule out that Netanyahu would be arrested in the UK. "We respect the independence of the ICC," the spokesman said.
Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also endorsed the ICC arrest warrants. When asked if he would allow the arrest of Netanyahu and Gallant on Canadian soil, he replied:
"We stand up for international law and we will abide by all the regulations and rulings of the international courts. This is just who we are as Canadians."
In the US, on the other hand, political leaders from both sides of the aisle condemned the arrest warrants. US President Joe Biden denounced the ICC decision as "outrageous," saying in his first statement on the issue:
"Let me be clear once again: whatever the ICC might imply, there is no equivalence — none — between Israel and Hamas. We will always stand with Israel against threats to its security."
US Senate Republican Leader-elect John Thune posted on X:
"The ICC's arrest warrant against Prime Minister Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Gallant is outrageous, unlawful, and dangerous. Leader Schumer should bring a bill to the floor sanctioning the ICC. If he chooses not to act, the new Senate Republican majority next year will."
US Senator Tom Cotton probably spoke for many when he posted on X:
"The ICC is a kangaroo court and Karim Khan is a deranged fanatic. Woe to him and anyone who tries to enforce these outlaw warrants. Let me give them all a friendly reminder: the American law on the ICC is known as The Hague Invasion Act for a reason. Think about it."
In Europe and throughout the rest of the world only few stood out as having understood the dangerous precedent of the ICC decision. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, condemned the decision saying in an interview, saying that the ICC arrest warrant for Netanyahu is "an outrageously brazen, I would say cynical decision."
"This is fundamentally wrong. This is a complete discrediting of international law. I will extend an invitation to the Israeli Prime Minister, Mr. Netanyahu, to visit Hungary. I will guarantee him that if he comes, the international court's verdict will have no effect in Hungary, and we will not adhere to its provisions his freedom and safety."
Orban also wrote on X:
"The ICC arrest warrant against Prime Minister Netanyahu is brazen, cynical and completely unacceptable. I invited Prime Minister Netanyahu for an official visit to Hungary, where we will guarantee his freedom and safety."
Argentina, led by President Javier Milei, issued an extraordinary declaration in defense of Israel that is rarely seen in international politics:
"The Argentine Republic expresses its deep disagreement with the recent decision of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue arrest warrants...Criminalizing the legitimate defense of a nation while omitting these atrocities is an act that distorts the spirit of international justice. Argentina stands in solidarity with Israel, reaffirms its right to protect its people and demands the immediate release of all hostages..."
Milei followed up the declaration with a statement saying in a televised statement:
"We are advancing a memorandum with Israel—a bilateral alliance for freedom, democracy, and against terrorism and dictatorships. While others ally with Iran, we ally with Israel.
Netanyahu denounced the arrest warrants as antisemitic and a modern-day version of the Dreyfus trial in France. The ICC decision to issue an arrest warrant against him, however, will have far more extensive ramifications than any Dreyfus trial could have had. While the Dreyfus trial was about injustice towards the Jews, the ICC decision will bring injustice worldwide – to anyone who crosses the corrupt agendas of the ICC.
*Robert Williams is based in the United States.
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Fake History Alert: Because Whites Were Never Enslaved, DEI Must Continue
Raymond Ibrahim/The Stream/December 10/2024
Because the ancestors of white Americans have never been enslaved, whites can never know what true oppression is.
So argued Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) at a recent hearing on DEI (“diversity, equity, and inclusion”). At one point she yelled out:
You tell me which white man was dragged out of their homes! You tell me which one of them got dragged all the way across an ocean and told that you’re gunna go to work! We’re gunna steal your wives—we’re gunna rape your wives. That didn’t happen—that is oppression!
Such statements reveal a staggering level of ignorance. Untold millions of white people have been enslaved, raped, and forced into labor since well before recorded history. And not a few of their enslavers were non-whites.
Consider Mongol enslavement of Europeans, particularly under the Muslim Tatars. Described by contemporary Christians as the “heathen giant who feeds on our blood,” the Crimean khanate alone is estimated to have enslaved and sold “like sheep” some three million Slavs—Poles, Russians, Ukrainians, and others—between just 1450 and 1783.
In fact, our word “slave” is derived from the word “Slav.” To be a Slav was to be a slave and vice-versa.
Similarly, according to the conservative estimate of American professor Robert Davis, “between 1530 and 1780 there were almost certainly a million and quite possibly as many as a million and a quarter white, European Christians enslaved by the Muslims of the Barbary Coast.”
Thus, in response to Crockett’s rhetorical questions—“which white man was dragged out of their homes!”—we can safely say that at least 4.25 million Europeans were enslaved by non-whites (Mongols and Arabs) between just 1450-1780.
Records for specific years also exist. In 1438, Bartolomeo de Giano, an Italian Franciscan described the Turkic slave raids throughout the Balkans. From Hungary, 300,000 were enslaved and “carried off in just a few days.” From Serbia and Transylvania, 100,000 were “led away in iron fetters tied to the backs of horses … [and] women and children were herded by dogs without any mercy or piety. If one of them slowed down, unable to walk further because of thirst or pain, O Good Jesus! she immediately ended her life there in torment, cut in half.”
The slave markets of the Ottoman sultanate were for centuries so inundated with European flesh that children sold for pennies, “a very beautiful slave woman was exchanged for a pair of boots, and four Serbian slaves were traded for a horse.”
This is to say nothing of the countless Europeans who were enslaved before the modern era, when accurate records were not kept or are lost. We know, for instance, that once Islam became a great power among men, beginning in the seventh century, countless successful slave raids were launched against Europe, though exact numbers are seldom relayed. Rather, sources talk of “many” or “a large amount” of Christians being hauled off to North Africa or the Middle East.
As far as the sixteenth century, Muslims were raiding and hauling off slaves from Iceland; and America’s very first war as a nation, the First Barbary War (1801-1805) was occasioned by Muslims enslaving American sailors.
As for Crockett’s suggestion that the wives of white men never experienced what the wives of black men did—rape by their masters—in fact, it’s quite the opposite: records make perfectly clear that Arabs, Mongols, and Turks particularly coveted European women for slaves and concubines. This traces back to Muhammad who enticed his followers to attack Byzantine territories in order to enslave fair haired and skinned women (banu al-asfar). Because the Arabs “particularly valued blond or red-haired women as sexual slaves … al-Andalus [Muslim-controlled Spain] became a center for the trade and distribution of slaves,” writes Professor Darío Fernández-Morera in his Myth of the Andalusian Paradise.
As for the Crimean slave trade, after describing how the Muslim Mongols castrated and savagely tortured European men (including by gouging out their eyes), an eyewitness adds that the “women are kept for wanton pleasures.”
In short, Congresswoman Crockett is flat out wrong to suggest that whites have never been dragged from their homes, enslaved, and raped by nonwhites.
The logic of her enter tirade—to defend and permit DEI practices to continue—is also worth noting: because whites have never experienced slavery, she argues, and because slavery is apparently something that no one can ever recover from, reparations (including via DEI practices) are in order.
In reality, of course, the Arabs, Turks, and Mongols never made “reparations” to the white man; rather, Europeans overcame their abusers and enslavers through sheer will and determination—through hard work, ingenuity, and perseverance. These are all splendid traits for all humans to have, though none of them can ever be attained, much less developed, by those accustomed to living off “freebies.”
Yet, for those who, like Crockett, believe that no one can overcome oppression except through artificial “assistance”—that is, for those who subscribe to Fake History—the constant need for “freebies” is all that they will ever see.
**Raymond Ibrahim, author of Defenders of the West and Sword and Scimitar, is the

The Russian hand that built Assad also destroyed him
VERONICA NEIFAKH/THE MEDIA LINE//December 10/2024
As rebel forces seize Damascus, the collapse of the Assad regime threatens Russia’s strategic foothold in the Middle East, signaling a profound shift in the region’s balance of power.
Syrian President Bashar Assad’s 24-year rule was dramatically overturned on Sunday as rebel forces swiftly seized Damascus, forcing Assad to flee to Moscow. This upheaval has placed Russia’s strategic interests in Syria under significant threat, jeopardizing Russian military installations and geopolitical influence.
Key Russian positions, including air and naval bases in Aleppo, Hama, and Homs, are now at risk as the balance of power in the region is reshaped by the rebel advance. The escalating conflict and the collapse of the regime mark a pivotal moment in Syria’s ongoing war, signaling a profound challenge to Russia’s long-standing dominance as a backer in the Middle East.
Russia’s ties with Syria date back decades. “Syria was a Soviet and later Russian ally in the fight against the United States and in advancing interests in the Middle East,” political scientist Leonid Goldenberg told The Media Line. “Of course, it was also about countering Israel, a US ally. That’s why, for decades, Russia supported the Assad regime.” Nir Boms, chair of the Syria Research Forum at Tel Aviv University’s Moshe Dayan Center, said that Russian forces have pulled out and taken their assets with them over the last several days. “They’ve not cleared all their bases, but they’re certainly preparing for the thought that their influence will be diminished,” he told The Media Line. He said that it was still unclear whether Russia had totally evacuated from Syria. Russia's investments in Syria
Boms noted that assets like the Khmeimim Air Base, the naval facility in Tartus, and the port in Latakia are pivotal to Russia’s presence in the Mediterranean and the Middle East.
Those assets are just some examples of the extensive resources that Russia invested in Syria. “Russia spent enormous amounts of money and resources in Syria,” Goldenberg said. “This included the lives of Russian soldiers—viewed as expendable resources—and significant financial investments. All of it has gone down the drain. These funds could have been used to improve the lives of Russian citizens, build better alliances, or strengthen the country domestically. Instead, they were squandered for objectives that ultimately failed.”
“Russia tried to salvage its assets by calling them part of the opposition,” he said. “But the reality is clear: they’ve been forced to retreat, and their ability to maintain influence in the region has collapsed.”
Russia’s involvement in Syria was part of an effort to show off its global influence. “During the civil war in the 2000s, Russia saw Syria as an opportunity to demonstrate its military strength in a foreign country. At that time, Russia showcased its arsenal, precision missile strikes, and the capabilities of the Wagner forces in powerful combat scenarios,” Goldenberg said.
“This was about projecting the image of Russia as a global power capable of solving international problems and supporting allies like Assad,” he continued. “They wanted to show they could handle conflicts and other global issues, distinguishing themselves as a superpower.” Economic factors in the Middle East also influenced Russia’s interest in the region. “Russia planned to use Syria and Turkey for pipelines to Europe, but as we know, the gas pipeline project failed long ago,” Goldenberg said. “Initially, they supported Assad to ensure competitors couldn’t bring pipelines through Syria into Europe. Ironically, Russia has now lost most of its European gas market, so this reason is no longer relevant.”
Goldenberg said that Russia’s retreat makes clear how much the war in Ukraine has strained the country. “This proves that Russia lacks the resources to open another front,” he said. “They can’t even manage a symbolic air campaign to save face.”
Boms also noted that Ukraine has become more strategically important to Russia than Syria. “But Syria is also important for Russia in terms of holding an empire, or whatever they want to call themselves,” he said. “It has an air base, it has a naval facility, it has a few other places where they kept power. It’s a big blow for them if they’re going to lose it. They’ve gambled on it. They have assets there, they have planes there, they have weapons there, and they have influence there. Russia is losing that.” Russia was just one of the countries backing Syria, several of which have been stretched thin. Goldenberg said that the strain on Syria’s backers made the collapse of the Assad regime inevitable.
“With Iran overstretched and Russia bogged down in Ukraine, Assad’s forces were left with no real support,” he said. “The reason for Assad’s fall is complex, but it boils down to the weakening of the two pillars holding up his regime: Iranian proxies and Russian military support. Without them, the Syrian army could no longer sustain itself.”
The decline of Russian and Iranian influence in Syria has far-reaching implications for the Middle East. “This loss undermines trust in Russia and Iran as reliable allies. If countries like Saudi Arabia or others are deciding whether to align with them, they’ll now see how unreliable they are,” Goldenberg said. “Assad made his bet on them, and it failed.”
The fall of the Assad regime will have implications for Israel’s security. “The Assad regime was a pro-Iranian regime and part of the chain of enemies surrounding us,” Goldenberg said. “Its fall removes one link from that chain. For now, Israel is likely to adopt a wait-and-see approach, but it’s also possible that communication channels with rebel groups are being quietly established.”
Despite the many geopolitical players involved in Syria, Boms said that the conflict in the region is unlikely to expand into a broader conflict between Russia and the West.Russia is expected to try and maintain its influence in Syria, even as it faces increasing challenges and declining credibility.
“Russia’s inability to sustain its assets in Syria is a public admission of its declining power. This also affects its credibility as an ally in other parts of the world,” Goldenberg said. “The Middle East is witnessing the collapse of the Assad regime and, with it, a significant reduction in Russia’s ability to project power. The consequences will shape the region’s political landscape for years to come.”

Assad falls, Khamenei wobbles: Will events in Syria lead to something similar in Iran? - analysis
Herb Keinon/Jerusalem Post/December 10/2024
The fall of Assad may trigger a dynamic of internal unrest that challenges the regime more than anything has in the past.
“Hezbollah is the victor,” Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei posted on X/Twitter on September 25, a week after beepers and walkie-talkies exploded in the hands of Hezbollah operatives across Lebanon, in what will surely go down as one of the most off-the-mark social media posts of all time.
He added absurdity to arrogance when, a few hours later, he posted again: “The Resistance Front and the Hezbollah Front will be the ultimate victors in this battle.”
Two days later, Hezbollah’s leader, and Khamenei’s prized protégé, Hassan Nasrallah, was assassinated. Just over two months after that, Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, the linchpin of Iran’s so-called Resistance Front, fled to Russia, his regime in ruins. Talk about social media posts that did not age well.
In the avalanche of post-mortems since the Assad regime’s collapse – the ones that list the winners and losers from this development – Iran tops the list of losers, followed by Hezbollah. Russia, which had propped up Assad no less than Iran but whose investment in the country and Hezbollah was not nearly as great as that of Iran, was a close third. A staggering loss
Iran’s loss is staggering. Assad’s fall toppled the crown jewel of the arc of resistance that Iran spent over 35 years constructing as a counterbalance to Israel and American influence in the region. The removal of this cornerstone has effectively dismantled the arc. Sure, the Houthis still remain, as do the Iraqi militias, and a vastly weakened Hezbollah, but what was once a unified axis of resistance has devolved into a collection of loosely aligned forces. The cohesion, strategic utility, and ideological power that once defined Iran’s regional proxy network have all but evaporated. That Iran’s ability to project power in the region has been reduced tremendously, that its hegemonic designs have been set back light years, is clear for everyone. This has to do with the impact the fall of Assad has had on Iran’s foreign policies. But what about internal developments? What impact, if any, will the fall of Assad have on internal Iranian developments?
Yes, Assad’s fall represents a significant strategic setback for Iran, but not only that. It is also likely to have a huge domestic impact as well.
Assad was hated by millions of his countrymen, who celebrated his fall. Likewise, Khamenei is hated by millions of his countrymen. Could Assad’s fall send shockwaves that will impact the rule of the Ayatollahs? While it is premature to say that the developments in Syria will have a domino effect in Iran – Iran is a much bigger country with a strong army and internal security service, and the opposition forces there remain fractured and lack central leadership – at the very least, what happened in Syria will certainly boost the morale of the country’s opposition forces, who may conclude that if Assad can fall, so can Khamenei.
Further, the lightning manner in which a regime that was in power for decades fell could serve as a powerful inspiration for Iranians seeking change in their country. Just as many Syrians thought it could never be done, so too many Iranians cannot imagine the reign of the Ayatollahs falling. The events in Syria over the last 10 days could give them hope.
The return of Trump
The changing regional dynamic, together with the return of President-elect Donald Trump in a little more than a month, could further complicate the domestic situation for the Iranian government. Increased international pressure could exacerbate an already very difficult economic situation, fueling greater domestic discontent. The loss of Syria further complicates Iran’s economic situation as the loss of ports on the Syrian coast, and strategic trade routes through Syria, is a serious setback to the economy.
Iran invested billions in Syria – including in oil and gas infrastructure, telecommunications, and reconstruction projects. That is now money thrown down the drain. In addition, Iran provided Syria with much of its oil, and Assad’s fall could have a significant impact on Iran’s oil revenues. The loss of economic concessions in Syria will be a significant blow to an already reeling economy.
Furthermore, the collapse of a long-standing authoritarian ally like Assad will highlight the potential vulnerability of Iran’s government – a perception that could encourage Iranians to view their leaders as more susceptible to pressure than in the past. The blows that Iran took at Israel’s hands, and its inability to prevent Assad’s fall, also present the regime to its people as weak.
The events in Syria could very well reinvigorate the Iranian opposition, which has been relatively quiet since the so-called hijab protests in 2022. The fall of Assad may be seen as proof that with more effort, and help from outside forces, even entrenched authoritarian regimes like those in Iran can be unseated.
Iran has a history of protests triggered by various factors, including economic problems, political issues, and concerns over water. The country’s current setbacks – the population seeing that billions of dollars Iran has invested in its proxy projects are going up in smoke – could fuel anger leading to more unrest. Even before Hamas was defeated, Hezbollah decapitated and Assad fell, Iranian protesters chanted about how their money was being wasted on projects abroad.
This is also something that Iran’s leaders know well, which is why Iran’s leaders are likely to double down in their efforts to keep a lid on any bubbling unrest.
This being the case, the Iranian regime may respond in a number of various ways.
One way would be to increase repression to prevent any Syrian-inspired uprisings. Another possibility would be to offer some superficial reforms or concessions to try and appease potential protestors.
The third and most dangerous scenario, from an Israeli perspective, would be a rapid push toward nuclear weapons. Feeling the walls closing in, Tehran might conclude that only a nuclear deterrent could secure the regime’s survival. However, Iran’s leaders – which following the Israeli attack there in October is more penetrable than ever before – surely realize that such a move could prompt a devastating Israeli strike.
The fall of Assad – by undermining Iran’s power and influence in the region, adding another blow to the economy, and potentially inspiring opposition groups – could lead to a dynamic of internal unrest that may challenge the regime.
“Hezbollah is the victor,” Khamenei wrote on September 25. Doubtful if even he believes that today.