English LCCC Newsbulletin For
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For December 22/2024
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
The Bulletin's Link on the
lccc Site
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/aaaanewsfor2024/english.December22.24.htm
News Bulletin Achieves
Since 2006
Click Here to enter the LCCC Arabic/English news bulletins Achieves since 2006
Click On
The Below Link To Join Eliasbejjaninews whatsapp group
https://chat.whatsapp.com/FPF0N7lE5S484LNaSm0MjW
اضغط
على الرابط في
أعلى للإنضمام
لكروب
Eliasbejjaninews whatsapp group
Elias Bejjani/Click
on the below link to subscribe to my youtube channel
الياس
بجاني/اضغط
على الرابط في
أسفل للإشتراك في
موقعي ع اليوتيوب
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAOOSioLh1GE3C1hp63Camw
Bible Quotations For today
An account of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 01/01-17: “An account of
the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the
father of Judah and his brothers, and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by
Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Aram, and Aram
the father of Aminadab, and Aminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the
father of Salmon, and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of
Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David.
And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, and Solomon the father
of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph,
and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and
Joram the father of Uzziah, and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the
father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, and Hezekiah the father of
Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah, and
Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation
to Babylon. And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of
Salathiel, and Salathiel the father of Zerubbabel, and Zerubbabel the father of
Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, and Azor
the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of
Eliud, and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and
Matthan the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary,
of whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah. So all the generations from
Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David to the deportation to
Babylon, fourteen generations; and from the deportation to Babylon to the
Messiah, fourteen generations.
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on December
21-22/2024
Elias
Bejjani/Text & Video: No Allies for Occupying Forces in Lebanon: Only
Mercenaries, Iscariots, Trojan Horses, and Opportunists/December 22, 2024
Video Link: An interview from the "DNA" website with Dr. Walid Phares.
Lebanese army reclaims Palestinian sites in Bekaa that served Syrian regime and
Hezbollah
Israeli Bulldozers Block Deir Mimas' Entrance
3 bodies found at site of Israeli strike on Nasrallah
Elderly woman evacuated from Bani Haiyyan amid reports of Israeli demolitions
Israeli vehicles block road, damage property in Deir Mimas: LBCI
Berri says efforts ongoing to secure success of Jan. 9 session
Israeli troops wound protester in newly captured Syrian territory
Driver Deliberately Hits ISF Officer in Downtown Beirut
Behind the ScenesAddressing Ceasefire Violations and Israeli Withdrawals:
Efforts Underway in the Coming Days/Bassam Abou Zeid/This is Beirut/December
21/2024
Deriane Calls for "Comprehensive Amnesty" for Islamic Detainees
MP, Hankache Discusses Presidential Election and Proposes Reconciliation
Conference
Murex d'Or 2024 red carpet sparks excitement for star-studded ceremony
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on December
21-22/2024
Iran is hiring minors to attack Israeli, Jewish targets in Europe - report
Ten Palestinians killed in airstrikes on houses in central Gaza, medics say
Israel requests 34 hostages in first phase of deal, including 11 off-limits by
Hamas - report
Israel's defense system falters as Yemen missile attacks and regional tensions
mount
US military strikes Houthi targets in Yemen’s capital
CENTCOM conducting strikes on Houthi military facilities in Yemen's Sana'a
Pro-Palestine activists occupy NY Public Library to protest Gaza 'Scholasticide'
Israel accuses Pope of ‘double standards’, after Gaza criticism
Saudi Arabia had warned Germany about attacker’s extremist views, condemns
Magdeburg violence
Syria’s SDF says five fighters killed in strikes by Turkish-backed forces
Sectarian violence in Syria has been less intense than feared since Assad’s
ouster
How Assad’s inner circle fled Syria after his fall
Syria’s new rulers name HTS commander as defense minister
In Israeli-occupied south Syria, villagers feel abandoned
Syrian soldiers distance themselves from Assad in return for promised amnesty
Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources
on December
21-22/2024
The Emerging Situation in the Middle East/Colonel Charbel Barakat/December
22, 2024
Thank You, Israel, for Saving the World, Defending Freedom and Reshaping the
Middle East/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone Institute/December 21, 2024
The fall of Assad is just the beginning: The struggle for Syria has resumed/Elie
Podeh/Jerusalem Post/December 21/2024
What Israel’s capture of Syrian territory as Assad fell signifies for the Middle
East/ANAN TELLO/Arab News/December 21, 2024
Israeli military operation in Syria ‘wise and correct,’ Druze leader says/Felice
Friedson/The Media Line/December 21/2024
on December
21-22/2024
Elias Bejjani/Text & Video: No Allies for Occupying Forces in Lebanon: Only
Mercenaries, Iscariots, Trojan Horses, and Opportunists
Elias Bejjani – December 22, 2024
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2024/12/138233/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSs80S8LAH8&t=606s
Modern Lebanese history is rife with examples embodying treachery, Trojan horse
tactics, submissiveness, political opportunism, sectarian exploitation, and
trading official positions at the expense of the nation’s interest, identity,
sovereignty, independence, and the dignity and rights of its people. These
chameleon-like figures, stripped of any sense of self-respect, values, honor,
fear of God, or the Day of Judgment, have consistently exploited crises,
occupations, and foreign interventions due to their ingratitude and moral
bankruptcy. They have always been a poisoned and cancerous dagger in the hands
of Palestinian, Syrian, and Iranian occupiers. They were never genuine allies to
these forces or convinced by their projects, schemes, and policies. Rather, they
were traitors, self-serving narcissists motivated by personal gains and
temporary rewards.
Since the entry of Palestinian, Arabist, and leftist terrorist organizations
into Lebanon, committing atrocities against the Lebanese and seeking to
establish an alternative Palestinian homeland, whose memory still lingers among
the Lebanese, to the occupation of Lebanon by the brutal and criminal Assad
regime, and finally to Hezbollah's Iranian occupation, these forces never found
genuine allies among the Lebanese. Instead, they relied on local tools:
mercenaries and hypocrites adept at changing their stances, loyalties, and
colors to suit political winds, driven solely by notions of personal profit and
loss.
In this context, following the resounding defeat Hezbollah suffered at the hands
of Israel and the death of most of its terrorist leaders, who have no connection
to Lebanon, coupled with the collapse of Assad's criminal regime, the erosion of
its influence in the region, and the exposure of its atrocities, prisons, and
human slaughterhouses, these tools—politicians, clergymen, and political
activists in Lebanon—began changing their stances blatantly. As we say
colloquially, they “turned 180 degrees” and swapped their hats without shame or
hesitation.
Examples of Hypocritical Chameleons
Walid Jumblatt is the undisputed master of chameleons in changing stances,
alliances, and turnarounds. His record is unparalleled, making him the king of
moments of abandonment and epiphany, sitting by riverbanks waiting for the
corpses of his enemies to float by.
Meanwhile, Ex-Minister Wiam Wahhab is a living example of this hypocrisy. Wahhab,
who was a loud, street-level mouthpiece and media thug for the Assad regime and
Hezbollah, as well as the leading cheerleader for the defunct “resistance axis”
in its hostility toward Israel, recently began adopting entirely contradictory
positions. He called on Lebanese Shiites to recognize the state of Israel. Those
familiar with this opportunist and deceptive demagogue were not surprised by his
U-turn but had long anticipated it.
The Sunni minister Faisal Karami, filled with hatred, resentment,
and stupidity, presents yet another example of political opportunism and
duplicity. Until recently, he was praising the Assad regime and Hezbollah, but
he has recently turned against the Syrian Assad regime, claiming that it had
fought against his father, Omar Karami, and his uncle, Rashid Karami, for years.
We remind this hypocrite and those of his ilk with their duplicitous culture
that Hezbollah, in one of the cabinet formations, ceded a ministerial position
allocated to the Shiite sect and gave it to Faisal
Karami to infiltrate the Sunni community through its leaders.
MP, Faisal, whose actions continue to be driven by hatred and ignorance,
still accuses Dr. Samir Geagea of assassinating his uncle, Prime Minister Rashid
Karami, despite his full knowledge and the clear evidence that the Assad regime
is the true culprit behind that crime.
Sheikh Hassan Mrad is another example of this opportunistic culture. After
praising and glorifying Hezbollah and its false resistance, he has now turned
against his stances, justifying his reversal with
flimsy and childish excuses. This is the same sheikh accused of forging his
academic certificates, with his credibility amounting to zero.
Then there is Mr. Elie Ferzli, a man of the corrupt Assad regime, who
is now, renouncing his pro-Assad past and claiming yesterday that his
allegiance and support were for the Syrian state, not the regime.
However, the most despicable and vile of all opportunists and traitors who
aligned themselves with Hezbollah and the Assad regime are Michel Aoun, his
corrupt son-in-law Gebran Bassil, and their cohort of fraudsters, merchants, and
opportunists. Aoun, Bassil, and their group have betrayed every stance, slogan,
promise, and commitment since signing the 2006 Mar Mikhael Agreement. Bassil and
his uncle, former President Michel Aoun, epitomize political opportunism,
exploiting Hezbollah, the Assad regime, and the Iranian mullahs' system to
achieve personal and political gains. Through this disgraceful alliance, they
secured parliamentary and ministerial seats and influential positions in the
Lebanese state. In return, they sold out sovereignty and independence,
sacrificing Lebanon’s national interests on the altar of their personal
ambitions. Today, after Hezbollah’s defeat and the Assad regime's collapse, they
shamelessly and brazenly change their loyalties, denying their masters –
Hezbollah, Iran, and the Assad regime.
The political hypocrisy of the Aoun-Bassil approach did not stop there. After
Hezbollah's humiliating defeat against Israel and the loss of most of its
terrorist leaders, Bassil has begun publicly distancing himself from his former
ally, attempting to restore his tarnished image among the Lebanese people.
Suddenly, he is once again raising the slogans of sovereignty and independence
in a desperate attempt to regain the popular support he lost due to his
submission to Hezbollah and his association with Iran’s expansionist project.
This blatant political flip-flopping, characteristic of Bassil and Aoun's
chameleon-like nature, is a scandalous example of opportunism and hypocrisy. It
demonstrates their readiness to change positions, colors, and even their skins
to serve their interests, even at the expense of destroying the nation,
undermining its principles, and enslaving and humiliating its citizens.
In conclusion,There are no
allies for occupying forces in Lebanon, but only mercenaries, Iscariots, Trojan
Horses, and Opportunists.
Video Link: An interview from the "DNA" website with Dr.
Walid Phares.
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2024/12/138216/
Analysis into the significant developments in Iran, Lebanon, Syria, Gaza, and
Israel, as well as the implications of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham’s control over
Syria. It also reveals critical U.S. intelligence regarding an imminent scenario
for Iran, including the potential eruption of a revolution against its regime
and strikes on the IRGC. The advance of jihadist forces in Syria poses a serious
threat to Hezbollah, which may seek protection from the Lebanese Army and
transition into a purely political party. Electing Lebanon's President before or
after Trump's actual ruling?
Lebanese army reclaims
Palestinian sites in Bekaa that served Syrian regime and Hezbollah
NAJIA HOUSSARI/Arab News/December 21, 2024
BEIRUT: On Saturday, the Lebanese army took control of several strategic sites
previously held by Palestinian factions. The factions had been affiliated with
Syrian president Bashar Assad’s regime, which fell 13 days ago, and subsequently
with Hezbollah, and had posed a threat to Lebanon’s eastern sector. The army
took over the Sultan Yaacoub site in western Bekaa from the Popular Front for
the Liberation of Palestine, the General Command and the Halwa camp from Fatah
Al-Intifada, and the Hechmech site, located between Qousaya and Deir El Ghazal
in central Bekaa, from both factions. Army command said the forces took over the
sites in addition to “seizing quantities of weapons and ammunition and military
gear.”It added that the army “continues to take control of positions previously
occupied by Palestinian groups within Lebanon as part of efforts to maintain
security and stability and enforce state authority in various areas.”The camps
had remained outside of the Lebanese state’s control for around 40 years,
refusing to surrender their weapons under the 1989 Taif Agreement, which stated
that all weapons should be surrendered to the Lebanese State, except for
firearms in Palestinian camps in Lebanon, which were considered Syrian-protected
areas. Hisham Debsi, director of the independent Palestinian center Tatweer for
Strategic Studies and Human Development, told Arab News: “The Syrian regime had
launched 13 Palestinian organizations, forming its own system that subsequently
served its own policies and those of Hezbollah. With the collapse of Hezbollah,
these organizations, which are located in Bekaa, became unprotected, and with
the collapse of the Assad regime, the last shield for these organizations — who
can be called mercenaries — has fallen. “They were a disgrace to the Palestinian
cause because they would speak in its name when, in fact, they were tools used
by the Syrian regime and Hezbollah,” he continued. These Palestinian factions
aimed to “marginalize Fatah and abolish independent Palestinian
decision-making,” said Debsi, adding that the Lebanese army taking control of
these sites restored “normalcy.”
Regarding the fate of Palestinian militants affiliated with these factions, he
said: “As individuals, if they have families in the Lebanese camps, they can
join them. However, most of them are Palestinian refugees from Syria, and they
can go wherever they wish in Syria.”Debsi claimed that most Palestinian refugees
who fled from Syria to Lebanon during the 2011 protests had since left for
Europe, with only a small number remaining in Lebanon’s camps. In the recent
conflict in Lebanon, Israel did not directly target sites associated with
Palestinian factions, which were bombarded in the 2006 war. For years, reports
have alleged that these sites housed weaponry, but there has never been concrete
evidence to support such claims. In line with security measures enforcing UN
Resolution 1701, the Lebanese army reported on Saturday that its intelligence
unit had arrested six individuals and seized weapons during raids on three
Palestinian refugee camps in the Bekaa Valley. In southern Lebanon, invading
Israeli forces continued their violations of the ceasefire agreement, carrying
out further demolition operations in the town of Naqoura. They also set up a
permanent military checkpoint in place of a Lebanese army post near the town’s
fishing harbor and razed citrus groves near the UNIFIL headquarters. An Israeli
drone flew at low altitude over the border, an area that residents of the south
are prohibited from approaching or traversing. In the southern suburb of Beirut,
the General Directorate of Civil Defense released a statement saying that search
and rescue teams had successfully recovered the bodies of four victims from the
rubble of the Ayoub building in the Haret Hreik area, which was hit by Israeli
airstrikes targeting the residence of Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan
Nasrallah on Sept. 27.
The bodies will undergo DNA testing to confirm their identities, along with
three other bodies discovered on Friday in the same area, the statement added.
Israeli Bulldozers Block
Deir Mimas' Entrance
This is Beirut/December 21/2024
Israeli military vehicles and bulldozers on Saturday blocked the road leading to
the entrance of Deir Mimas in southern Lebanon, where nearly 20 Israeli soldiers
are stationed. An Israeli bulldozer also rammed three cars in the town. Israeli
forces have conducted further demolition activities in Naqoura, replacing a
checkpoint set up by the Lebanese Army near the fishermen’s port with a
permanent Israeli military checkpoint. Israeli bulldozers also destroyed an
orange and a lemon field trees near the UNIFIL headquarters in Naqoura. The
Israeli army also blew up several homes in Kfar Kila in the evening. In Tyre,
the Israeli army shelled the outskirts of the village of Hanine with five
artillery shells, coinciding with the bombing of several houses in the area. A
loud noise was heard in the western sector, caused by the Lebanese Army
detonating unexploded munitions in the Zibqin area of the Tyre district.
Explosions were also reported in Maroun al-Ras and Yaroun. Civil Defense teams,
in cooperation with the Lebanese Army, retrieved a body from the rubble in
Jalahiyeh, Khiam. After six days of continuous retreaval efforts, the death toll
from Israeli operations in Khiam has risen to six, including a Syrian national
whose body was recovered yesterday. Search operations and investigations will
continue tomorrow until all missing persons are located.
3 bodies found at site of Israeli strike on Nasrallah
Agence France Presse/December 21/2024
Lebanese rescuers recovered three bodies from the rubble of a building struck by
Israel in a September air raid that killed Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan
Nasrallah, state media reported on Friday.The health ministry has not released a
death toll for the strike, which flattened several buildings in Haret Hreik, a
southern Beirut stronghold of the Iran-backed group. Rescuers arrived at the
site on Friday morning to search for seven missing people, the National News
Agency said, adding they "retrieved the bodies of three martyrs." The remains
were taken to Rafik Hariri University Hospital in Beirut for DNA tests to
confirm their identities, NNA reported. Search efforts were ongoing for others
it said were still missing. A truce between Israel and Hezbollah took effect on
November 27, ending a conflict that killed more than 4,000 people in Lebanon,
including Hezbollah's top leaders. The September 27 air strike targeted
Nasrallah in an underground bunker in the residential area. Nasrallah was killed
along with four others, including Hezbollah's southern Lebanon commander and a
senior officer from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the group said. He
was buried at a secret location, for fear Israeli forces might target his
funeral. Hezbollah announced plans for "popular" funeral ceremonies for
Nasrallah after the ceasefire but did not specify a date. Despite the truce,
Israeli air strikes have killed more than 20 people in Lebanon since November
27, according to an AFP tally based on health ministry figures. Both Israel and
Hezbollah accuse each other of repeatedly violating the ceasefire.
Elderly woman evacuated from Bani Haiyyan amid reports of
Israeli demolitions
LBCI/December 21/2024
The Lebanese Red Cross evacuated an elderly woman from the town of Bani Haiyyan
in southern Lebanon after contact with her had been lost in recent days. Reports
indicate that Israeli forces had removed her from her home and detonated several
surrounding houses. Meanwhile, the outskirts of the town of Hanine were targeted
with five artillery shells, coinciding with the demolition of several houses.
Israeli vehicles block road, damage property in Deir Mimas: LBCI
LBCI/December 21/2024
According to information obtained by LBCI, five Israeli vehicles blocked the
road at the entrance of Deir Mimas on Saturday, with some entering homes in the
town’s eastern neighborhood. Additionally, an Israeli bulldozer reportedly
rammed three cars in the town
Berri says efforts ongoing to secure success of Jan. 9
session
Naharnet /December 21/2024
Efforts are ongoing to secure the success of the January 9 presidential election
session, Speaker Nabih Berri said. In remarks to Asharq al-Awsat newspaper,
Berri added that he does not intend to postpone the session and that he has not
received such a request from any political party. Berri also denied that he is
seeking prior agreements over the next government and its premier, structure or
policy statement, stressing that "the presidency is first."Declining to comment
on his ally Walid Jumblat's declared support for Joseph Aoun's nomination, Berri
said that "everything will become clear in the session."
Israeli troops wound protester in newly captured Syrian
territory
Associated Press/December 21/2024
The Israeli military said its soldiers shot and wounded a protester in the
Syrian village of Maariyah. Since the fall of Bashar Assad’s government in
Syria, Israel’s military has occupied several locations in the country along the
border with Israel.
During a protest Friday by dozens of Syrians against the Israeli presence in
Maariyah, soldiers shot at one man who the military said had approached their
position, wounding him in the leg. It said the troops acted “in accordance with
standard operating procedures.”“We emphasize that the IDF (Israeli army) is not
interfering in events taking place in Syria,” the military said. Residents in
the area previously told The Associated Press that Israeli forces were
preventing farmers from reaching their fields. Israeli leaders say they will
remain in the area indefinitely.
Driver Deliberately Hits ISF Officer in Downtown Beirut
This is Beirut/December 21/2024
A hit-and-run driver deliberately ran over an Internal Security Forces (ISF)
officer in downtown Beirut’s Starco area while the officer was conducting
identity checks on motorcyclists. A video of the incident quickly went viral on
social media. It showed a Mercedes speeding dangerously and hitting the officer,
George Abou Jaoudeh, who was signaling the driver to stop. The hit-and-run
driver, Khalil Ahmad Siblini, from Naqoura in Southern Lebanon, was later
arrested in the Raoucheh neighborhood, by and ISF’s Intelligence unit. The
officer suffered a hip fracture and was admitted to the American University
Hospital (AUH). His condition is stable.
Behind the ScenesAddressing Ceasefire Violations and
Israeli Withdrawals: Efforts Underway in the Coming Days
Bassam Abou Zeid/This is Beirut/December 21/2024
Indirect communication remains open between Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri
and Amos Hochstein, the mediator of the ceasefire agreement and the
implementation of Resolution 1701. These efforts aim to address Israeli
violations of the agreement, including delays in the withdrawal from southern
Lebanon, continued Israeli aerial and ground attacks, abductions, and acts of
bombing and bulldozing in several towns. According to sources close to Speaker
Berri, Hochstein is expected to chair the next meeting of the monitoring
committee after the Christmas and New Year holidays, as he promised to Berri.
A Western diplomatic source following the committee's work noted that an
assessment of the situation in the south after the November 27 ceasefire reveals
violations from both sides—the Israeli army and Hezbollah. The source
highlighted that the scale of Israeli violations is significant and escalating.
Israel is fully exploiting the 60-day truce to complete the destruction of
Hezbollah's military infrastructure in the southern villages and their
surroundings, reaching depths of up to 8 kilometers from the border. This
process is expected to continue until the final day of the 60-day period. The
source pointed out that the Israeli army in southern Lebanon is acting with a
victor's mindset but is expected to comply with the withdrawal beyond the Blue
Line by the end of the 60-day period. Moreover, the withdrawal from the town of
Khiam is particularly significant, as it represents a highly strategic point for
Israel due to its vantage over several areas inside Israel. However, the
importance of other positions still occupied by Israel, such as Maroun al-Ras,
Odaisseh, Kfar Kila, and the Naqoura area in the western sector—where demolition
and excavation activities continue—should not be underestimated.
Conversely, the Western diplomatic source reported that Hezbollah has resumed
some activities in certain southern areas. Its members are inspecting former
military positions, including rocket launch sites, ammunition depots, and
weapons storage locations. They are also attempting to assess the condition of
some tunnels, particularly those outside residential areas in several villages,
as communication has been lost with groups believed to have been stationed
there. Furthermore, the source noted that Hezbollah members are trying to
retrieve ammunition and combat equipment from some sites, which Israel
interprets as preparations for a renewed confrontation. Lebanese military
sources have described Israel's actions as procrastination in implementing the
agreement, particularly regarding withdrawal from occupied territories. Both the
US and France are reportedly exerting pressure on Israel to expedite its steps.
Information conveyed to the Lebanese side suggests that the Israeli army plans
to carry out a series of withdrawals in the coming days.
Deriane Calls for "Comprehensive Amnesty" for Islamic Detainees
This is Beirut//December 21/2024
Lebanon's Grand Mufti, Abdel-Latif Deriane, received on Saturday the families of
Islamic detainees, along with others from various regions of Lebanon, at Dar Al-Fatwa.The
families urged him to "work with the authorities to expedite the issuance of a
general amnesty for all prisoners without exception, particularly for the
Islamic detainees."Deriane emphasized that this issue is “moral and
humanitarian,” adding that they have consistently followed up with the relevant
parties to find a satisfactory resolution and close this chapter. “We call for
the passage of a comprehensive general amnesty law, without exceptions, so that
this matter can be concluded quickly and a new page can be turned. We are
convinced that the majority of Islamic detainees in prisons are victims of
injustice, accused on various pretexts,” he stated.
The meeting was attended by members of the Higher Islamic Sharia Council,
including the Head of Sunni Sharia Courts, Sheikh Muhammad Assaf; Captain
Muhammad Murad; Judges Iyad Bardan, Hamza Sharafeddine, and Sheikh Fouad Zarrad.
Attorney Zina Al-Masri and members of the Follow-up Committee for the Families
of Detainees also participated in the meeting.
MP, Hankache Discusses Presidential Election and Proposes Reconciliation
Conference
This is Beirut/December 21/2024
MP Elias Hankache, a member of the Lebanese Kataeb parliamentary bloc, is
"hopeful today.""We are reassured by efforts to confine weapons to the state and
the shifting regional dynamics favoring the establishment of a real state in
Lebanon, starting with the presidency," he told Radio Free Lebanon.
Building a State
Hankache argued that Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri "failed to fulfill his
duties for a year and a half." “We believe that building the state is not
limited to electing a president. We can build a real country on new foundations
and with a fresh mindset. But this cannot happen without holding a
reconciliation and truth-telling conference for the Lebanese people,” he said.
He emphasized that there should be "no cleverness or treachery today," demanding
"a guarantee" for the implementation of Resolution 1701, "as some are trying to
outsmart this agreement," he added. "A certain wager has failed, and an axis has
lost. It is illogical to bring in a president from the camp that made all the
losing bets and led us into a dead end," the MP said.
Presidential Election
Regarding General Joseph Aoun’s candidacy, Hankache noted that "Berri has an
obsession with constitutional amendments and argues that the Army commander does
not enjoy consensus to amend the Constitution, using this as an excuse to avoid
electing him as president. However, ongoing developments might change the
circumstances, in addition to external pressure."Hankache pointed out that
pressure “will increase on everyone in the next two weeks." He revealed that
Berri would withhold announcing his candidate until the last moment, and that
some independent and reformist MPs have concerns about amending the
Constitution. “The Constitution was designed to serve the public interest. In
light of this significant and decisive juncture, if amending the Constitution is
the solution, then let’s do it,” he noted. "We are enthusiastic about the Army
commander and may vote for him, alongside other potential candidates like Jihad
Azour, MP Neemat Frem and Samir Assaf, who excels in finance and economics. The
presidency is not confined to one name, and every bloc has options," he said. He
noted that "Berri is eager to elect a president under pressure, and the Army
commander could secure 86 votes, though not in the first session."
He stressed, "The president must come from our political camp, as we have fought
hard and will not support a president without our involvement. I believe Berri’s
position may differ from Hezbollah’s." He also stated, "There can be no
president without Shiite votes, as the president is meant to unite all
Lebanese."Hankache concluded that Iran’s situation "will not improve, and
Lebanon is moving toward sovereignty, with weapons exclusively under legitimate
state authority. Hezbollah's arms have proven to be a weakness, not a
strength."Addressing Hezbollah's Naim Qassem, he said, "There are no more routes
to supply you with weapons, as the Lebanese Army, with international support,
will control all borders and crossings and assert authority over all Lebanese
territories."
Murex d'Or 2024 red carpet sparks excitement for
star-studded ceremony
LBCI/December 21/2024
The atmosphere was electric as brothers Zahi and Fadi Helou arrived at the Murex
D'or 2024 red carpet, sparking excitement ahead of the star-studded event. The
duo shared their pride in the success of the preparations and the event’s
significance, especially given Lebanon's challenging times. Despite everything
Lebanon has gone through, the Murex d'Or continues to thrive, showing the
resilience of Lebanese culture and the entertainment industry. In a touching
moment, the Helou brothers' mother also made an appearance, beaming with pride
as she expressed her happiness over the success of her sons and the upcoming
ceremony. The event, which celebrates Lebanese and Arab artistic achievements,
has become a symbol of cultural strength, proving that Lebanon’s entertainment
scene remains resilient and full of promises even amidst challenges. Murex D'or,
a yearly award ceremony that started in 2000, is a Lebanese award created by
physicians Dr. Zahi Helou and Dr. Fadi Helou. The First edition focused on
Lebanese Artists; however, from the 2nd edition onward, the event went more
Pan-Arab and regional.
The Latest English LCCC
Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on December
21-22/2024
Iran is hiring minors to
attack Israeli, Jewish targets in Europe - report
Jerusalem Post/December 21/2024
A pattern of incidents in Sweden, Belgium, and Norway has exposed a campaign by
Tehran to expand its proxy war against Israel into European territories.
Iranian-linked operatives have been recruiting minors for attacks on Israeli and
Jewish institutions across Europe, according to a Bloomberg report on Saturday.
A troubling pattern of incidents in Sweden, Belgium, and Norway has exposed a
covert campaign by Tehran to expand its proxy war against Israel into European
territories. In Stockholm, a 15-year-old boy boarded a taxi in May with a loaded
gun and asked to be taken to the Israeli embassy. However, the teenager, unaware
of the embassy’s exact location, had to call an associate for directions.
Swedish police, who had been monitoring the boy, stopped the cab before it
reached the destination.
In Gothenburg, a 13-year-old was caught firing shots at the headquarters of
Elbit Systems, an Israeli defense company. A separate attack at the same
facility involved a 16-year-old who, alongside a 23-year-old accomplice, placed
homemade explosives near the building’s main entrance. The bombs were concealed
in thermos flasks, and while the investigation could not establish who issued
their instructions, prosecutors believe the attackers were acting on behalf of a
larger network.
These incidents underscore Iran’s broader effort to expand its conflict with
Israel beyond the Middle East by exploiting local vulnerabilities in Europe. In
Brussels, Belgian authorities thwarted a planned attack on the Israeli embassy
in May involving minors as young as 14. Norway, meanwhile, temporarily
heightened its terror alert to high in October after reports of Iranian-linked
threats. Both Sweden and Norway have issued warnings about Tehran’s growing use
of organized crime networks to target Israeli interests. The aftermath of a
failed attack in Stockholm provides further evidence of these operations. On
October 1, shots were fired at the Israeli embassy building, prompting a police
response. By the time officers arrived, the suspect had already fled on a
southbound train to Copenhagen. Later that night, two loud explosions were
reported near the Israeli mission in the Danish capital. Security officials
suspect that the same individual, also linked to Iran, was behind these
incidents. Social media as a method of recruitment
Iranian operatives are reportedly using platforms such as Telegram and TikTok to
reach out to potential recruits, Bloomberg stated. The financial incentives are
minimal, with payments as low as €120 for petrol bomb attacks and €1,500 for
more serious crimes, such as murder, according to Peter Nesser, a terrorism
researcher from Norway. Many of the recruits are teenagers, some unaware they
are working on behalf of a foreign power. Swedish security officials emphasized
that some young perpetrators do not grasp the broader implications of their
actions. For instance, the Stockholm teenager tracked and arrested before he
could reach the Israeli embassy was allegedly unaware of his handlers'
affiliations, the report claimed. The same ambiguity surrounds the perpetrators
of the Gothenburg bombing, who appeared to be acting under external instructions
but with limited understanding of the wider agenda. Sweden and Norway, long seen
as open societies with minimal policing, are now grappling with vulnerabilities
exploited by both international crime syndicates and hostile foreign actors.
Sweden, where immigrants constitute approximately 20% of the population, has
seen rising gang violence and difficulties in integrating new arrivals. In
Norway, political leaders have expressed concerns about similar patterns of
criminal recruitment crossing the border from Sweden. The issue has also
influenced political discourse, with Sweden’s government introducing youth
detention centers to address growing concerns over juvenile crime, Bloomberg
stated. Norway, facing elections next year, is debating similar measures, with
the far-right Progress Party calling for stricter policies to tackle youth
violence. The incidents are part of a larger strategy by Tehran to destabilize
Israeli targets globally. Iran’s regional proxies, weakened by Israel’s military
responses in Gaza and Lebanon, appear to be redirecting their focus toward
vulnerable communities in Europe. Officials fear that the exploitation of
minors, combined with the low cost of attacks, will make such operations
increasingly difficult to preempt. Despite the weakened state of its proxies,
Iran continues to pose a significant threat to European security. Security
experts warn that the network’s covert activities will require heightened
vigilance and international cooperation to prevent further attacks.
Ten Palestinians killed in airstrikes on houses in central
Gaza, medics say
Reuters/December 21, 2024
GAZA: At least 10 Palestinians, including two children, were killed in Israeli
airstrikes on two houses in the Nuseirat refugee camp and Deir Al-Balah city in
the central Gaza Strip, medics told Reuters on Saturday. Meanwhile, Gaza’s
health ministry said there was ongoing intense and heavy bombing of the Kamal
Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, which it said was occurring in an
“unprecedented manner” and without prior warning. The hospital is one of only
three barely operational medical facilities on the northern edge of the enclave,
where the Israeli army has been operating since October. “The bombing is being
conducted with explosives and tank fire, directly targeting us while we are
present inside the hospital departments,” the ministry said.
Israel requests 34 hostages in first phase of deal,
including 11 off-limits by Hamas - report
Jerusalem Post/December 21/2024
Al-Ghad's sources said that some of the names on Israel's list include hostages
that Hamas considers to be soldiers, whereas Hamas says it will only release the
sick, the elderly, and children. Israel reportedly presented Hamas with a list
of 34 hostages that it insists must be released as part of the first phase of a
deal, including 11 names that do not meet Hamas's criteria for a deal, Egyptian
news channel Al-Ghad reported, citing official sources, on Saturday night. Al-Ghad's
sources said that some of the names on Israel's list include hostages that Hamas
considers to be soldiers, whereas Hamas says it will only release the sick, the
elderly, and children. The sources added that the first phase of the deal would
include the release of 250 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Israeli
hostages. The two parties are also reportedly discussing the key sticking
points, such as the Rafah crossing, the withdrawal of the IDF from the Netzarim
axis, and the return of displaced Gazans to the north of the Strip. However, it
is worth noting that Israeli officials denied that any officials were in Egypt
to discuss a deal, stating on Saturday, "There is no Israeli delegation on the
way to Cairo, nor is one planned." Hamas and Israel are also debating the terms
of a gradual IDF withdrawal from the Philadelphi corridor. Al-Ghad also said
that an Israeli delegation had arrived in Cairo on Friday to discuss the deal
and that the delegates had met with key Egyptian officials. From the Egyptian
side, the discussions allegedly focused on the management of the Rafah crossing
and the Philadelphi and Netzarim axes. The Al-Ghad correspondent added that
"there are arrangements to hold an Egyptian-Qatari-American-Israeli meeting in
Cairo to discuss the truce agreement in Gaza."
Progress of the deal
Hamas said in a statement earlier on Saturday that “The possibility of reaching
a deal is closer than ever if Israel stops imposing new conditions." The
statement comes following a Friday meeting between a Hamas delegation led by
Khalil al-Hayya, head of the negotiating team for a hostage deal and ceasefire,
and representatives of the Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the
Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). Also on Saturday, a Palestinian official told
the BBC that talks to reach a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal between
Israel and Hamas are 90% complete.
The remaining 10% allegedly includes the Philadelphi corridor and the
possibility of a buffer zone between Israel and Gaza.
Israel's defense system falters as Yemen missile attacks
and regional tensions mount
LBCI/December 21/2024
The failure of Israel's defense system to intercept a ballistic missile launched
from Yemen marks a serious setback, highlighting the country's inability to
enhance its defense systems more than a year after the "Al-Aqsa Flood" war. The
missile, launched from Yemen, injured at least 20 people and forced about a
million residents into shelters. This missile is the second fired by the Houthis
in just a few days. The failure to intercept it has prompted an investigation
into why the defense systems, which were supposed to intercept the missile, were
not activated. There is also an effort to identify the missile's type, with
reports indicating it may be from an advanced and dangerous missile system. On
Saturday morning, Israeli airspace was breached from the east by a drone
launched toward the Negev, coinciding with an escalation in threats from both
military and political leadership on multiple fronts. On the Lebanon and Syria
fronts, the Israeli military maintained a heightened state of tension. It
intensified shelling of southern Lebanon, where three young men were kidnapped
on Friday, and expanded its incursion into Syrian territory. The situation is
expected to escalate, as confirmed by several officials, especially with the
ongoing trial of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The goal appears to be
diverting attention from the trials and the serious charges against him.
US military strikes Houthi targets in Yemen’s capital
Arab News/December 22, 2024
RIYADH: The US military command in the Middle East said on Sunday that it
carried out strikes against Houthi missile storage and command-and-control
facilities in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa. “CENTCOM forces conducted the deliberate
strikes to disrupt and degrade Houthi operations, such as attacks against U.S.
Navy warships and merchant vessels in the Southern Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb, and
Gulf of Aden,” the command said on X, shortly after midnight local time. The
video released by the US military showed a jet taking off from a carrier.
“During the operation, CENTCOM forces also shot down multiple Houthi one way
attack uncrewed aerial vehicles (OWA UAV) and an anti-ship cruise missile (ASCM)
over the Red Sea.” Videos on social media showed people fleeing large explosions
in the capital, but Arab News could not immediately verify the authenticity of
the footage. The command said that US air and naval assets were used in the
operation, including F/A-18s, adding the “strike reflects CENTCOM's ongoing
commitment to protect U.S. and coalition personnel, regional partners, and
international shipping.”The Houthis, who control large parts of Yemen, seized
the capital in 2014 and have been conducting drone and missile attacks on
international shipping in the Red Sea in an effort to impose a naval blockade on
Israel, who, for more than a year, has been carrying out a devastating war
against Hamas in Gaza. Earlier on Saturday, a Houthi missile hit Tel Aviv,
injuring 16 people.
CENTCOM conducting strikes on Houthi military facilities in
Yemen's Sana'a
Jerusalem Post/December 21/2024
Initially, reports attributed the attack to Israel but then shifted to the US.
The US began conducting strikes on Iran-backed Houthi missile storage and
command facilities in Yemen's capital, Sana'a, on Saturday night, US Central
Command (CENTCOM) reported. CENTCOM reported it was carrying out precision
airstrikes in order to "disrupt and degrade Houthi operations."
The Houthis have carried out multiple attacks on international maritime vessels,
disrupting trade routes since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. CENTCOM added
that the attacks on US Navy warships and merchant vessels in the Southern Red
Sea, Bab al-Mandeb, and Gulf of Aden were the reasons for their strikes on
December 21. During the operation, CENTCOM forces reportedly also shot down
multiple Houthi one way attack uncrewed aerial vehicles (OWA UAV) and an
anti-ship cruise missile (ASCM) over the Red Sea. The operation comprised of US
Air Force and US Navy, including F/A-18s. "The strike reflects CENTCOM's ongoing
commitment to protect US and coalition personnel, regional partners, and
international shipping," the report added. False attribution to Israel.
Initially, reports attributed the attack to Israel but then shifted to the US.
This marks the fourth time the US has struck Yemen this week. The attacks
renewed after the US aircraft carrier "Harry Truman" returned to the region.
Pro-Palestine activists occupy NY Public Library to protest
Gaza 'Scholasticide'
Jerusalem Post/December 21/2024
"We gather today in one of New York's most iconic libraries to remind the world
that all libraries in Gaza have been destroyed," said one of the protesters.
Pro-Palestine activists carried out a "study-in" protest in New York Public
Library on Saturday "to demand an end to Scholasticide in Gaza."
The study-in protest was organized by CUNY4Palestine, alongside National
Students for Justice in Palestine (NSJP) and Jews Voices for Peace New York (JVPNY).
"Today, in an autonomous action, activists in solidarity with Palestine took
over the Rose Reading Room at the New York Public Library to demand an end to
the destruction of education in Gaza and to the criminalization of solidarity
activism," CUNY4Palestine announced on Instagram. The statement cited the damage
to schools, the bombing of universities, and the killing of "10,000 children" in
Gaza as the reasons for the protest. Protesters wearing keffiyehs took to the
Schwartzman building of the library with laptops labeled with signs such as
"fund libraries, not genocide" and also labeled the tables with the names of
libraries "annihilated by Israeli bombs." One picture shows a computer with the
slogan "Release all the hostages," featuring a picture of a Palestinian child.
"We gather today in one of New York's most iconic libraries to remind the world
that all libraries in Gaza have been destroyed," said one of the protesters.
"Books in Gaza have become fuel as people burn them to survive. We are sickened
that our tax dollars are funding this scholasticide."
Campus protest crackdowns
CUNY4Palestine added that another reason for the sit-in was the "repression" of
the student movement in solidarity with Gaza. "The criminalization of campus
protest is ongoing," it added, lamenting that eight NYU faculty and students
have been declared "Personae Non-Grata" for "peacefully de-occupying" and
rallying Bobst Library of NYU. The groups that organized the Bobst protest -
Shut it Down NYU and NYU Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine- said it was
"incidental that all the faculty are Jewish." The library they chose to occupy -
NYU's largest - is named after his benefactor, Elmer Holmes Bobst, who is known
to have been an antisemite. He once penned a letter to close friend President
Richard Nixon in 1997, saying, “Jews have troubled the world from the very
beginning. If this beloved country of ours ever falls apart, the blame rightly
should be attributed to the malicious action of Jews in complete control of our
communications."
Israel accuses Pope of ‘double standards’, after Gaza
criticism
AFP/December 22, 2024
JERUSALEM: Israel accused Pope Francis of “double standards” Saturday after he
condemned the bombing of children in Gaza as “cruelty” following an air strike
that killed seven children from one family. The Pope’s remarks are particularly
disappointing as they are disconnected from the true and factual context of
Israel’s fight against jihadist terrorism — a multi-front war that was forced
upon it starting on October 7,” an Israeli foreign ministry statement said.
Enough with the double standards and the singling out of the Jewish state and
its people.”
Gaza’s civil defense rescue agency had reported that an Israeli air strike
killed 10 members of a family on Friday in the northern part of the Palestinian
territory, including seven children. “Yesterday they did not allow the Patriarch
(of Jerusalem) into Gaza as promised. Yesterday children were bombed. This is
cruelty, this is not war,” he told members of the government of the Holy See.“I
want to say it because it touches my heart.” The Israeli statement said:
“Cruelty is terrorists hiding behind children while trying to murder Israeli
children; cruelty is holding 100 hostages for 442 days, including a baby and
children, by terrorists and abusing them,” a reference to the Palestinian Hamas
militants who attacked Israel and took hostages on October 7, 2023, triggering
the Gaza war.“Unfortunately, the Pope has chosen to ignore all of this,” the
Israeli ministry said.
Saudi Arabia had warned Germany about attacker’s extremist
views, condemns Magdeburg violence
Arab News/December 21, 2024
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia had warned German authorities about a man involved in a
car-ramming attack on Friday evening, a Saudi source told Reuters. A German
security source said Saudi authorities had sent several tips in 2023 and 2024
and that these had been passed on to the relevant security authorities.
The attacker, who plowed into a Christmas crowd in the German city of Magdeburg,
had posted extremist views on his personal X account that threatened peace and
security. The Kingdom condemned the attack on Saturday, which left at least five
people dead and over 200 others injured. The driver was arrested at the scene
shortly after the incident. The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a
statement on Saturday, expressed its condolences and sympathy to the families of
the victims and to the government, wishing those injured a swift recovery. Saudi
Arabia also reiterated its firm stance against all forms of violence. The Muslim
World League similarly condemned the attack, with the group reaffirming its
stance against violence and all forms of terrorism. In a statement, it also
expressed ‘solidarity, heartfelt condolences, and sympathy to the families of
the victims and the injured, as well as to the German community.’German
authorities are investigating the 50-year-old attacker who has lived in Germany
for almost two decades in connection with the car-ramming. The driver was
arrested at the scene shortly after the incident. Police searched his home
overnight. The motive remained unclear and police have not yet named the
suspect. “What a terrible act it is to injure and kill so many people there with
such brutality,” Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in the central city, where he laid
a white rose at a church in honor of the victims.
Syria’s SDF says five fighters killed in strikes by
Turkish-backed forces
Reuters/December 21, 2024
CAIRO: The US-allied Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said five of its fighters
had been killed on Saturday in attacks by Turkish-backed forces on the city of
Manbij in northern Syria. Fighting in Manbij broke out after Bashar Assad was
toppled nearly two weeks ago, with Turkiye and the Syrian armed groups it
supports seizing control of the city from the Kurdish-led SDF on Dec. 9. The SDF,
an ally in the US coalition against Daesh militants, is spearheaded by the YPG —
a group that Ankara sees as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK)
militants who have fought the Turkish state for 40 years. Turkiye regards the
PKK, YPG and SDF as terrorist groups. The United States has been mediating to
stop fighting between Turkiye and the Syrian Arab groups it supports, and the
SDF. The US State Department said on Wednesday a ceasefire around Manbij had
been extended until the end of the week, but a Turkish defense ministry official
said a day later there was no talk of a ceasefire deal with the SDF.
Sectarian violence in Syria has been less intense than
feared since Assad’s ouster
AP/December 21, 2024
DAMASCUS, Syria: The toppling of Bashar Assad has raised tentative hopes that
Syrians might live peacefully and as equals after a half century of
authoritarian rule. While there have been bursts of deadly sectarian violence in
the days since Assad was ousted, it’s nothing close to what was feared after
nearly 14 years of civil war. Much credit for the relative calm so far is being
given to the Islamic militant group that led the insurgency against Assad and is
helping to rebuild the country and unite its many factions. The group — Hayat
Tahrir Al-Sham, or HTS — had ties to Al-Qaeda, but it has vowed not to
discriminate against any religion or ethnicity, and it has denounced revenge
killings. In the days since Assad’s fall, dozens of Syrians have been killed in
acts of revenge, according to activists and experts who monitor Syria. The vast
majority have been from the minority Alawite community, an offshoot of Shia
Islam that the Assad family adheres to. Given the key role Alawites played in
Assad’s brutally repressive government, experts had expected sectarian violence
to be more widespread. But HTS has worked to reduce tensions in villages where
revenge killings — as well as looting and harassment — have taken place,
according to local activists. Whether peace and pluralism will prevail
longer-term remains to be seen, experts caution. “The extent of the reprisals
has been quite limited,” said Hilal Khashan, a political science professor at
the American University of Beirut. “We hope this violence will not escalate,
leading to an outburst of civil strife.”
During the Assad family’s 50 years of iron-fisted rule, Alawites held many top
positions in the military and in the intelligence and security services, which
ran prisons where thousands of people accused of anti-government activities were
tortured and killed, according to human rights groups.
The interim government led by HTS has vowed to gather evidence and hold trials
in a special court against former officials who oversaw, or worked in, Assad’s
notorious prisons. It has also promised amnesty for other government workers and
former members of the military, some of whom have started handing in their
weapons. “If we want to establish social peace there must be justice, and there
is no justice without accountability,” said Obeida Arnaout, a spokesman for the
interim government. “Those who have blood on their hands will get no
amnesty.”The interim government has urged reconciliation among the country’s
different ethnic factions — mainly Arabs and Kurds — and mutual respect among
its religious groups. Three-quarters of Syria’s 23 million citizens are Sunnis,
one-tenth are Alawites, and the rest are a mix of Christians, Ismaili Shiites
and Druze. Under Assad, Syrians enjoyed religious and other freedoms. Men and
women mingled freely at beaches and other public places; restaurants served
alcoholic beverages; and women held senior posts in government. Now that power
resides in the hands of HTS, many Syrians — as well as Western governments and
human rights groups — are concerned the country could be transformed into a
theocracy. So far, the HTS-led coalition has not imposed any strict religious
rules, such as forcing women to wear veils, and it has allowed journalists from
around the world to report freely. Over years of control in the northwest Syrian
province of Idlib, HTS allowed Christians and Druze to practice without
interference.
HTS is led by a former Al-Qaeda member who has renounced extremism and spent
years working to remake his public image, depicting himself as a champion of
pluralism and tolerance. Still, the United States, other Western countries and
the UN still consider HTS a terrorist organization — a branch of Al-Qaeda in
Syria, but with a different name. One of the top priorities of HTS and its
leader – Ahmad Al-Sharaa — is to get the terror designation removed, which could
then lead to economic sanctions against Syria being lifted. US officials say Al-Sharaa’s
public statements about protecting minority and women’s rights are welcomed. But
they are skeptical he will follow through on them in the long run. Secretary of
State Antony Blinken said last weekend that the US is in contact with HTS and
that its “message to the Syrian people is this: We want them to succeed and
we’re prepared to help them do so.”
Since Assad fled the country, at least 72 men and women have been killed in
sectarian violence, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war
monitor based in Britain. It says the killings occurred in four religiously
mixed provinces — Hama and Homs in central Syria, and Tartus and Latakia along
its eastern coast. Gunmen stormed the village of Bahra in Hama province on Dec.
9, and killed a dozen Alawites over three days — eight of whom were from the
same family, according to a resident of the village who spoke to The Associated
Press on condition of anonymity out of fear of reprisals. In nearby Mouaa, six
men were killed, and in Um Al-Amad, a man and his son were shot dead, the
resident of Bahra said. The three villages are now almost empty after the most
residents fled to the Alawite heartland, in the coastal province of Tartus, the
Bahra resident said. “The reason why I am speaking is to try stop the killings,”
he said. In the Assad stronghold of Masyaf, gunmen last week kidnapped
Muhieddine Al-Haybe, the brother of a Shiite cleric who fled the town in Hama
province shortly after the fall of Assad’s government, according to an anti-Assad
activist who would only provide his first name, Hussein, out of concern for his
safety. He said Al-Haybe’s body and three other unidentified dead bodies were
later found near a military post. A third person from the area said the
situation was tense for days until HTS hosted a meeting over the weekend that
brought together Sunni and Alawite dignitaries from nearby villages, including
Rabia, Tizin, Metnine and Mouaa. By the end of the meeting, the participants
reconciled and agreed to end any acts of violence, according to this person, who
is Alawite and insisted on anonymity out of fear. “We were also the victims of
the regime,” the person said, adding that the Assad government did not offer
civilian jobs to Alawites, which put pressure on them to join the military and
security services. The man said his house was looted and his six cows were
stolen. There have been reports of Al-Sharaa himself trying to keep the peace
among Syria’s many factions. Syrian media reported that he met in Damascus on
Monday with a delegation from the Druze community and told them that his goal
was to unite Syria and create a free society. Some Syrians say there might have
been more sectarian violence in the aftermath of Assad’s ouster had his forces
mounted a serious fight against HTS and other militants behind the insurgency.
Instead, Assad’s army essentially melted away and chose not to defend his
government. “We are witnessing some sectarian incidents, but they are all
individuals acts,” said Rayan Maarouf, an anti-Assad activist who is a member of
Syria’s Druze minority in the southern city of Sweida.
How Assad’s inner circle fled Syria after his fall
AFP/December 21, 2024
CAIRO: A lightning rebel offensive early this month caught Syria’s ruling clan
off guard. President Bashar Assad fled to Russia on December 8, leaving behind
many of his collaborators, some of whom sought refuge in neighboring countries.
According to two sources, the ousted president, who fled to Moscow via the
Russian military airfield in Hmeimim on Syria’s coast, was accompanied by only a
handful of confidants. Among them were his closet ally, the secretary-general of
presidential affairs Mansour Azzam, as well as his economic adviser Yassar
Ibrahim, who oversees the financial empire of Assad and his wife, Asma. “He left
with his secretary and his treasurer,” an insider who requested anonymity said,
mockingly. Bashar’s brother, Maher Assad, commander of the elite Fourth Division
tasked with defending Damascus, did not know about his sibling’s plans. Leaving
his men stranded, Maher took a separate route, fleeing by helicopter to Iraq
before traveling to Russia, according to a Syrian military source. An Iraqi
security source told AFP that Maher arrived in Iraq by plane on December 7 and
stayed there for five days. Maher’s wife, Manal Al-Jadaan and his son briefly
entered Lebanon before departing through Beirut airport, said Lebanese Interior
Minister Bassam Mawlawi, without disclosing their final destination. Another
Assad government heavyweight, Ali Mamlouk, the former chief of Syria’s security
apparatus, fled to Russia via Iraq, said a Syrian military source. His son
passed through Lebanon before leaving for another destination, according to a
Lebanese security source. The Iraqi Interior Ministry denied on Monday the
presence of either Maher Assad or Mamlouk in Iraq. Both are wanted men. Maher —
and Bashar Assad — are wanted by France for alleged complicity in war crimes
over chemical attacks in Syria in August 2013. The French courts have already
sentenced Mamlouk and Jamil Hassan, former head of Syria’s Air Force
Intelligence, in absentia to life imprisonment for complicity in crimes against
humanity and war crimes. On Friday, the Lebanese authorities received an
Interpol alert relaying a US request to arrest Hassan and hand him over to the
US authorities, should he enter the country. The United States accuses Hassan of
“war crimes,” including overseeing barrel bomb attacks on Syrian people that
killed thousands of civilians. A Lebanese judicial source told AFP that they had
no confirmation of Hassan’s presence in Lebanon, but assured that he would be
detained if found. Other prominent figures also made hasty escapes. Bouthaina
Shaaban, former translator for Hafez Assad — Bashar’s father who founded the
brutal system of government his son inherited — fled to Lebanon on the night of
December 7-8. Shaaban, Bashar Assad’s long-time political adviser, then traveled
to Abu Dhabi, according to a friend in Beirut. Kifah Mujahid, head of the Baath
Brigades — the military wing of Syria’s former ruling party — escaped to Lebanon
by boat, a party source told AFP. Other officials took refuge in their hometowns
in Alawite regions, some of them told AFP. Assad hailed from Syria’s Alawite
minority. Not all escape attempts were successful. Ihab Makhlouf, Bashar Assad’s
cousin and a prominent businessman, was killed on December 7 while trying to
flee Damascus. His twin brother, Iyad, was injured in the same incident, said a
military official from the former government. Their elder sibling, Rami Makhlouf,
once considered Syria’s richest man and a symbol of the regime’s corruption,
managed to survive. Several other figures close to Assad’s government crossed
into Lebanon, according to a security source and a source in the business world.
These included Ghassan Belal, head of Maher’s office, and businessmen Mohammed
Hamsho, Khalid Qaddur, Samer Debs and Samir Hassan. A former Lebanese minister
with close ties to Syria said that several senior Syrian military officers were
granted safe passage by the Russians to the Hmeimim air base. They were rewarded
for instructing their troops not to resist the rebel offensive in order to avoid
further bloodshed, he said.
Syria’s new rulers name HTS commander as defense minister
Reuters/December 21, 2024
DAMASCUS: Syria’s new rulers have appointed Murhaf Abu Qasra, a leading figure
in the insurgency which toppled Bashar Assad, as defense minister in the interim
government, an official source said on Saturday. Abu Qasra, who is also known by
the nom de guerre Abu Hassan 600, is a senior figure in the Islamist Hayat
Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) group which led the campaign that ousted Assad this month.
He led numerous military operations during Syria’s revolution, the source said.
Syria’s de facto leader Ahmed Al-Sharaa discussed “the form of the military
institution in the new Syria” during a meeting with armed factions on Saturday,
state news agency SANA reported. Abu Qasra during the meeting sat next to Sharaa,
also known by the nom de guerre Abu Mohammed Al-Golani, photos published by SANA
showed. Prime Minister Mohammed Al-Bashir said this week that the defense
ministry would be restructured using former rebel factions and officers who
defected from Assad’s army. Bashir, who formerly led an HTS-affiliated
administration in the northwestern province of Idlib, has said he will lead a
three-month transitional government. The new administration has not declared
plans for what will happen after that. Earlier on Saturday, the ruling General
Command named Asaad Hassan Al-Shibani as foreign minister, SANA said. A source
in the new administration told Reuters that this step “comes in response to the
aspirations of the Syrian people to establish international relations that bring
peace and stability.”Shibani, a 37-year-old graduate of Damascus University,
previously led the political department of the rebels’ Idlib government, the
General Command said. Sharaa’s group was part of Al-Qaeda until he broke ties in
2016. It had been confined to Idlib for years until going on the offensive in
late November, sweeping through the cities of western Syria and into Damascus as
the army melted away. Sharaa has met with a number of international envoys this
week. He has said his primary focus is on reconstruction and achieving economic
development and that he is not interested in engaging in any new conflicts.
Syrian rebels seized control of Damascus on Dec. 8, forcing Assad to flee after
more than 13 years of civil war and ending his family’s decades-long rule.
Washington designated Sharaa a terrorist in 2013, saying Al-Qaeda in Iraq had
tasked him with overthrowing Assad’s rule and establishing Islamic sharia law in
Syria. US officials said on Friday that Washington would remove a $10 million
bounty on his head. The war has killed hundreds of thousands of people, caused
one of the biggest refugee crises of modern times and left cities bombed to
rubble and the economy hollowed out by global sanctions.
In Israeli-occupied south Syria, villagers feel abandoned
AFP/December 21, 2024
QUNEITRA, Syria: In the towns and villages of southern Syria that Israel has
occupied since the overthrow of longtime strongman Bashar Assad, soldiers and
residents size each other up from a distance. The main street of the village of
Jabata Al-Khashab is largely deserted as a foot patrol of Israeli troops passes
through it. Most villagers have cloistered themselves inside their homes since
the troops arrived. A few look on through windows and from rooftops. It is the
same story in nearby Baath City, named for the now suspended political party
that ran Syria for more than 60 years until Assad’s ouster by Islamist-led
rebels earlier this month. The town’s main street has been heavily damaged by
the passage of a column of Israeli tanks. The street furniture has been reduced
to mangled metal, aand broken off branches from roadside trees litter the
highway. “Look at all the destruction the Israeli tanks have caused to our
streets and road signs,” said 51-year-old doctor Arsan Arsan. “People around
here are very angry about the Israeli incursion. We are for peace, but on
condition that Israel pulls back to the armistice line.”Israel announced on
December 8 that its troops were crossing the armistice line and were occupying
the UN-patrolled buffer zone that has separated Israeli and Syrian forces on the
strategic Golan Heights since 1974. The announcement, which was swiftly
condemned by the United Nations, came the same day that the rebels entered
Damascus. Israel said it was a defensive measure prompted by the security vacuum
created by the Assad government’s abrupt collapse. Israeli troops swiftly
occupied much of the buffer zone, including the summit of Syria’s highest peak,
Mount Hermon. The Israeli military has since confirmed that its troops have also
been operating beyond the buffer zone in other parts of southwest Syria.
At a security briefing on Mount Hermon on Tuesday, Israeli Defense Minister
Israel Katz spoke of the importance of “completing preparations... for the
possibility of a prolonged presence” in the buffer zone. He added that the
2,814-meter (9,232-foot) peak provided “observation and deterrence” against both
Hezbollah in Lebanon and the new authorities in Damascus who “claim to present a
moderate front but are affiliated with the most extreme Islamist factions.”
Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), the Islamist group that led the rebel overthrow of
Assad, has its roots in Al-Qaeda and remains proscribed as a terrorist
organization by several Western governments, even though it has sought to
moderate its image in recent years. On the road south from Damascus to the
provincial capital Quneitra, an AFP correspondent saw no sign of the
transitional government or its fighters. All of the checkpoints that had
controlled access to the province for decades lay abandoned. Quneitra’s streets
too were largely deserted as residents stayed indoors, peeking out only
occasionally at passing Israeli patrols. Israeli soldiers have raised the Star
of David on several hilltops overlooking the town. HTS leader Ahmed Al-Sharaa
has said that Israel’s crossing of the armistice line on the Golan “threatens a
new unjustified escalation in the region.” But he added in a statement late last
week that “the general exhaustion in Syria after years of war and conflict does
not allow us to enter new conflicts.”That position has left many in the south
feeling abandoned to fend for themselves. “We are just 400 meters (yards) from
the Israeli tanks... the children are scared by the incursion,” said Yassin
Al-Ali, who lives on the edge of the village of Al-Hamidiyah, not far from Baath
City. He said that instead of celebrating their victory in Damascus, the
transitional government and its fighters should come to the aid of Quneitra
province. “What’s happening here really should make those celebrating in Umayyad
Square pause for a moment... and come here to support us in the face of the
Israeli occupation,” Ali said.
Syrian soldiers distance themselves from Assad in return
for promised amnesty
AP/December 22, 2024
DAMASCUS, Syria: Hundreds of former Syrian soldiers on Saturday reported to the
country’s new rulers for the first time since Bashar Assad was ousted to answer
questions about whether they may have been involved in crimes against civilians
in exchange for a promised amnesty and return to civilian life.
The former soldiers trooped to what used to be the head office in Damascus of
Assad’s Baath party that had ruled Syria for six decades. They were met with
interrogators, former insurgents who stormed Damascus on Dec. 8, and given a
list of questions and a registration number. They were free to leave.
Some members of the defunct military and security services waiting outside the
building told The Associated Press that they had joined Assad’s forces because
it meant a stable monthly income and free medical care. The fall of Assad took
many by surprise as tens of thousands of soldiers and members of security
services failed to stop the advancing insurgents. Now in control of the country,
and Assad in exile in Russia, the new authorities are investigating atrocities
by Assad’s forces, mass graves and an array of prisons run by the military,
intelligence and security agencies notorious for systematic torture, mass
executions and brutal conditions. Lt. Col. Walid Abd Rabbo, who works with the
new Interior Ministry, said the army has been dissolved and the interim
government has not decided yet on whether those “whose hands are not tainted in
blood” can apply to join the military again. The new leaders have vowed to
punish those responsible for crimes against Syrians under Assad. Several
locations for the interrogation and registration of former soldiers were opened
in other parts of Syria in recent days. “Today I am coming for the
reconciliation and don’t know what will happen next,” said Abdul-Rahman Ali, 43,
who last served in the northern city of Aleppo until it was captured by
insurgents in early December.“We received orders to leave everything and
withdraw,” he said. “I dropped my weapon and put on civilian clothes,” he said,
adding that he walked 14 hours until he reached the central town of Salamiyeh,
from where he took a bus to Damascus. Ali, who was making 700,000 pounds ($45) a
month in Assad’s army, said he would serve his country again. Inside the
building, men stood in short lines in front of four rooms where interrogators
asked each a list of questions on a paper. “I see regret in their eyes,” an
interrogator told AP as he questioned a soldier who now works at a shawarma
restaurant in the Damascus suburb of Harasta. He spoke on condition of anonymity
because he was not allowed to talk to media. The interrogator asked the soldier
where his rifle is and the man responded that he left it at the base where he
served. He then asked for and was handed the soldier’s military ID. “He has
become a civilian,” the interrogator said, adding that the authorities will
carry out their own investigation before questioning the same soldier again
within weeks to make sure there are no changes in the answers that he gave on
Saturday. The interrogator said after nearly two hours that he had quizzed 20
soldiers and the numbers are expected to increase in the coming days.
The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources
on December
21-22/2024
The Emerging Situation in the Middle East
Colonel Charbel Barakat/December 22, 2024
(Freely translated from Arabic by Elias Bejjani, editor and publisher of the
LCCC website)
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2024/12/138204/
Introduction
Colonel Charbel Barakat, a retired Lebanese Army officer, historian, terrorism
expert, and author of numerous works on Lebanon, the Iranian regime’s schemes,
and jihadist movements, has testified multiple times before the U.S. Congress on
critical issues, including Iranian and Syrian terrorism, the Syrian occupation
of Lebanon, jihadist threats, and the pursuit of Middle East peace. In his
analysis of today’s unprecedented and rapidly evolving changes in the Middle
East, he highlights critical developments shaping the region’s future.
The Emerging Situation in the Middle East
Recent developments in Lebanon and Syria, coupled with Iran’s withdrawal from
these countries, signal a shift in regional dynamics. These changes, which began
with the conflict in Gaza and culminated in the decline of the "axis of
resistance," reflect the failure of Iran’s military projects. These projects
drained Iranian resources, yet failed to establish the mullahs’ empire or
realize Khomeini’s dream of regional domination, modeled after the historical
ambitions of Cyrus the Great and Darius.
Khomeini sought to exploit sectarian divisions between Shiites and Sunnis as
tools of Middle Eastern fragmentation. These divisions, compounded by competing
ideological movements—from Soviet communism and Arab nationalism to the Baathist
vision of Michel Aflaq and the fascist-inspired Syrian nationalism of Anton
Saadeh—left the region mired in chaos. Attempts at unity often floundered as
various ideologies clashed, pushing the peoples of the Middle East into cycles
of intellectual and ideological upheaval.
Amid these movements, the Ottoman Empire’s decline saw the rise of religiously
infused loyalty, exemplified by the Muslim Brotherhood’s influence. This
ideology shaped subsequent political developments, including Egypt’s "Free
Officers" movement and the broader turn toward religious nationalism.
The Role of Global Powers
The Vietnam War marked a moral and strategic loss for the West, prompting the
U.S. to leverage religious fervor against Soviet expansion in Afghanistan. This
strategy led to the rise of extremist groups such as the Taliban and al-Qaeda,
which threatened global stability. Similarly, Iran’s Islamic Revolution birthed
a Shiite theocracy more radical than its Sunni counterparts, perpetuating
regional wars and stifling progress.
Despite these upheavals, Palestine remained a unifying cause for warring
factions, channeling energy into destructive conflict rather than constructive
development. The result was a region regressing into fanaticism and rejecting
modernity.
The Fall of Authoritarianism in Syria
Syria’s dictatorial regime, sustained by fifty years of police-state brutality
and Iranian support, has now collapsed. This fall was accelerated by pro-Turkish
Sunni extremists advocating dialogue and constitutional reform to foster a more
inclusive government. However, skepticism persists about their ability to
overcome factionalism and Erdogan’s neo-Ottoman ambitions, which have
destabilized regions from Libya to Nagorno-Karabakh.
The Lebanese Crossroads
In Lebanon, Iran’s militia—defeated in its conflict with Israel and forced to
disarm under international oversight—faces existential uncertainty. Decades of
corruption, smuggling, and state subversion have left Lebanon’s Shiite community
impoverished and displaced. The so-called "Shiite duo" and their religious
allies must take immediate responsibility, surrender their arms, and pave the
way for new leadership capable of rebuilding the community’s relationship with
the state and neighboring countries. The rest of Lebanese society must also rise
to the occasion. They must abandon fear and seize the opportunity to rebuild by
embracing peace initiatives, such as the Abraham Accords, to ensure a future of
stability, cooperation, and prosperity.
A Call to Action
Lebanon’s leaders must unite to purge the remnants of war and division. The path
forward requires disarming militias, strengthening state institutions, and
fostering regional peace. Only by joining the Middle East’s prosperity train can
Lebanon escape its stagnation and reclaim its place among thriving nations.
The world will not wait indefinitely. Planning and decisive action must take
precedence if Lebanon is to secure its future and achieve lasting peace and
progress.
Thank You, Israel, for Saving the World, Defending Freedom
and Reshaping the Middle East
المعارض الإيراني د. مجيد رافيزاده/معهد كايتستون
/شكراً لإسرائيل لأنها تخلص العالم وتدافع عن الحريات وتعيد تشكيل الشرق الأوسط
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone Institute/December 21, 2024
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2024/12/138229/
When it comes to national security, appeasement is not an option. Bribing
aggressors only finances their militaries for attacks on the West in the future.
Israel's approach to combating terrorism has always been characterized by
thoroughness and determination -- for which is usually put through the tortures
of hell by the very countries it is working to save.
With a vision of ultimately fostering peace, harmony, security and prosperity
throughout the region, as in the Abraham Accords, Israel expanded its military
operations beyond Hamas... reshaping the Middle East into a region free of the
grip of terror... Make Persia Great Again!
So long as Iran's regime remains in power, brutalizing its people and making
plans for global expansion, there can be no chance for peace in the region.
Removing the regime... would bring lasting security and prosperity to the Middle
East and beyond.... One could then set about subduing Turkey and its terrorist
proxies in Syria.
When it comes to national security, appeasement is not an option. Bribing
aggressors only finances their militaries for attacks on the West in the future.
Israel's approach to combating terrorism has always been characterized by
thoroughness and determination -- for which is usually put through the tortures
of hell by the very countries it is working to save.
After Hamas carried out its horrific October 7, 2023 massacre by invading
Israel, murdering hundreds of people and kidnapping individuals from various
countries, Israel reached a breaking point. This act of terrorism ignited a wave
of decisive actions across the Middle East that catalyzed remarkable
developments, aimed at countering and eliminating terror networks.
For decades, the region has been plagued by violence and instability, but
Israel's response marked a significant turning point, showcasing its resolve to
confront terrorism head-on and help usher in a new era of security.
Israel has consistently demonstrated its commitment to thorough and resolute
action. When it comes to national security, appeasement is not an option.
Bribing aggressors only finances their militaries for attacks on the West in the
future. Israel's approach to combating terrorism has always been characterized
by thoroughness and determination -- for which is usually put through the
tortures of hell by the very countries it is working to save.
Refusing to leave any task incomplete, Israel, in its counteroffensive against
Hamas, targeted and significantly diminished the terrorist group's military
capabilities and crippled its ability to function effectively. The Iranian
regime, a staunch supporter of Hamas, reacted by activating other proxies,
Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen, to attack Israel. In an
unprecedented move, Iran also launched ballistic missiles from Iranian soil into
Israel, thereby escalating the conflict.
Iran's regime, however, underestimated Israel's resilience. As a Persian proverb
says, "Iran was playing with the lion's tail." The consequences were severe.
Israel's broader objective appears to be not merely to respond to isolated acts
of terrorism, but to dismantle the infrastructure of terror in the region. With
a vision of ultimately fostering peace, harmony, security and prosperity
throughout the region, as in the Abraham Accords, Israel expanded its military
operations beyond Hamas. It launched targeted strikes against Hezbollah,
significantly weakening its military capabilities, and extended its efforts to
Syria, striking Iranian military bases and weapons-supply chains. These decisive
actions underscored Israel's commitment to reshaping the Middle East into a
region free of the grip of terror.
One of the most extraordinary developments spurred by Israel's actions was the
unexpected collapse of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria. Within a week of
launching an offensive last month, armed rebel groups achieved what for decades
had seemed impossible: the conquest of key cities and the end of Assad's reign.
This monumental shift not only dealt a devastating blow to Iran's regional
ambitions but also signaled the possibility of a brighter future for the region.
The ramifications for Iran were profound. Losing Syria, one of its closest
allies, severely weakened the regime's ability to project power and support its
proxy Hezbollah in Lebanon.
In just over a year, Israel has succeeded in reducing Iran's regional influence,
effectively dismantling or weakening the pillars of its strategy—the Syrian
regime, Hezbollah, and Hamas. This achievement is unparalleled. It disrupted
decades of Iran's poisonous dominance in the region. Thanks to Israel's
strategic and calculated actions, Iran's regime, which had survived Western
sanctions and interventions since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, now faces
unprecedented challenges to its survival, which cannot come to an end soon
enough.
Israel's efforts to eradicate terrorism and destabilize its sources have largely
been accomplished without substantial assistance from Western democracies. It is
now time for the West to step up and support Israel and most of the Iranian
people in addressing the root of the problem: the Iranian regime. This final
step requires decisive action to dismantle Iran's nuclear program and empower
the Iranian people to achieve freedom. Make Persia Great Again!
So long as Iran's regime remains in power, brutalizing its people and making
plans for global expansion, there can be no chance for peace in the region.
Removing the regime, often described as the "mother of all terrorism" and the
godfather of terrorist groups, would bring lasting security and prosperity to
the Middle East and beyond. With the regime's collapse, its proxies would be
starved of funding and weaponry, paving the way for a more peaceful Middle East.
One could then set about subduing Turkey and its terrorist proxies in Syria.
Israel's contributions to global peace and the fight against terrorism are
unparalleled. This small nation has accomplished what many larger powers have
failed to do: confronting evil, dismantling terror networks, and advocating for
freedom and security. The world owes Israel an unpayable debt of gratitude for
its unwavering courage and commitment to these ideals.
It is time for Western nations to align with Israel, offer their full support,
and take the necessary steps to ensure a safer, more secure future for all.
Bravo, Israel! Thank you for your remarkable efforts in making the world a
safer, freer, better place.
*Dr. Majid Rafizadeh, is a scholar, strategist and advisor, Harvard-educated
analyst, political scientist, and board member of Harvard International Review.
He has authored several books on the US Foreign Policy and Islam. He can be
reached at Dr.Rafizadeh@Post.Harvard.Edu
© 2024 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No
part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied
or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
The fall of Assad is just the beginning: The struggle for
Syria has resumed - opinion
Elie Podeh/Jerusalem Post/December 21/2024
The country may have exited the Axis of Resistance, but this does not mean that
it has automatically crossed to the opposing camp.
Syria constantly manages to surprise us anew. With the death of Hafez al-Assad
in 2000, his son Bashar survived against all the odds and contrary to all
predictions. At the beginning of the civil war in 2011, most experts wrote him
off. Notably, Ehud Barak, then Israel’s defense minister, stated that Assad’s
days were numbered. Bashar, of course, survived, albeit largely thanks to the
outside help he received from Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah.
In contrast to its image as a stable regime, a quick look at the history of
Syria shows that before the rise to power of the Alawite Assad dynasty in 1970,
it was the least stable country in the Middle East. From 1949 to 1970, it
experienced no fewer than 17 military coups, most of which failed. Hafez al-Assad
learned from these earlier failures, gaining a clear understanding of the
necessary conditions for establishing a lasting dictatorship.
Syria has long been a focus for regional and international tensions, leading the
journalist and Assad’s biographer Patrick Seale to refer to the phenomenon as
“the struggle for Syria.” Seale argued that whoever wants to control the Middle
East from an international perspective, and whoever wants to lead the Arab
world, must rule Syria, due to its geostrategic location and importance. While
this thesis has not always stood the test of time, the idea of the struggle over
Syria as a reflection of a broader struggle in the regional and international
arenas remains entirely valid. After it sided with Iran in the Iran-Iraq War in
1980, Syria became an important component of the “Axis of Resistance” against
Israel. With the expulsion of Egypt from the Arab League following its peace
treaty with Israel in 1979, it was Syria – not Iran – that led this axis, and
strove for “strategic equilibrium” with the Jewish state. However, the 1990 Gulf
War and the collapse of his Soviet patron led Hafez to break off relations with
Iran, forge new relations with the United States, and enter into negotiations
for a peace treaty with Israel.
During the first decade of his rule, Bashar was courted by both sides, which he
exploited to further his own interests and those of his regime. Yet the
assistance he received from Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah during the Arab Spring,
which made a decisive contribution to his survival, carried a considerable
military, economic, foreign policy, and civilian price tag: reliance on the Axis
of Resistance to the point of dependence; the transformation of Syria into a
Russian and Iranian base of influence in the Middle East; and the use of its
territory as a staging post for supplying Hezbollah, Iran’s most important ally
in Lebanon. Not actively fighting Israel
SYRIA HAS not played an active role in the October 7 war, due to the severe
consequences of its civil war, though its passive role placed it as part of the
Axis of Resistance. However, there were many who hoped that the setbacks
suffered by the Axis during the war would lead Bashar to follow his father and
switch his military and foreign policy orientation, especially in light of the
differences of opinion and concerns recently voiced about a possible Iranian
takeover of the country.
The rebels’ assault, then, surprised everyone. They perfectly exploited the
moment when Iran and Hezbollah were reeling from major blows inflicted by
Israel, while Russia was bogged down in its war in Ukraine and distracted by the
political conflict in Georgia. The external actors who saved Assad during the
Arab Spring could not save him again this time around. The problem is that the
rebel forces are not a unified bloc. They came together in order to end the
Assad regime, but the road to establishing a functioning Syrian national entity
will be a long one, because each of the country’s ethnic and religious groups –
Sunnis, Kurds, Druze, and Alawites – imagines a Syria in its own image, even if
they are all currently united around the new-old Syrian flag (which was the flag
of independence from the French Mandate).
There are several scenarios that present themselves in the Syrian arena, with
the most optimistic being that the country maintains its recognized borders and
establishes a representative government following elections. The pessimistic
scenario is that it breaks up into separate entities along ethnic and religious
lines.
Between these two extremes are several more realistic possibilities, ranging
from the rise of an Islamist regime of some type or other, to armed conflicts
between the different groups. Initial signs of this latter outcome are already
visible in the north, with fighting between the Kurds and Turkish-backed rebels.
FROM A regional perspective, Syria has returned to its natural position in the
Arab world. The alliance with Iran since 1980 has been rather unnatural, given
that Syria, from its independence, was allied with Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
Though it was Nasser’s Egypt that promoted Pan-Arabism, the roots of this
ideology lie in Syria. Thus, even if Islamist ideology becomes a central
feature, Syria will remain an important actor in the Arab world. The removal
from power of the Alawites, who are viewed as either infidels or Shi’ites
(depending on who is being asked), and the return of Sunni rule means that the
alliance with Iran and Hezbollah is no longer relevant.
Israel, of course, has benefited from the changes in Syria, which has ceased to
represent a strategic threat for the foreseeable future, due both to the
military setbacks it has suffered and to the severe economic consequences of the
civil war. Moreover, Syria’s exit from the Axis of Resistance has major regional
implications, because the “Shia Crescent” has now been severed, which will make
it much more difficult for Iran to transfer arms to Hezbollah in Lebanon. In
addition, the fact that the Axis of Resistance has become a purely Shi’ite axis
creates a countering Sunni axis that shares many common interests with Israel.
The change in Syria is not just another regime change in the Middle East. It is
significant because it means the renewal of the struggle in and for Syria,
between regional and international forces. The country may have exited the Axis
of Resistance, but this does not mean that it has automatically crossed to the
opposing camp, especially given that Iran and Russia will try to act to maintain
their control or influence there. On the other hand, the United States is
already in contact with the various rebel groups in Syria, and Israel is also
not standing idly by. In other words, the struggle for Syria has begun again,
with the potential to create new opportunities for Israel and the West.
**The writer teaches in the Department of Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies at
the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and is a board member of Mitvim – The Israeli
Institute for Regional Foreign Policies.
What Israel’s capture of Syrian territory as Assad fell
signifies for the Middle East
ANAN TELLO/Arab News/December 21, 2024
LONDON: In the early hours of Sunday, Dec. 8, shortly after a coalition of
opposition forces seized Damascus and toppled Bashar Assad’s regime, Israeli
troops infringed on Syrian territory for the first time in 50 years, marking
another breach of international law. They advanced into a demilitarized zone
along the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and seized roughly another 400 square
kilometers of Syrian territory.
The move has drawn international criticism, with Jordan slamming the deployment
of Israeli troops in the Golan as a violation of international law.
Similarly, Saudi Arabia condemned the move, saying it confirms Israel’s
“determination to sabotage Syria’s chances of restoring its security, stability
and territorial integrity.”Other countries in the region, including Iran, Iraq,
the UAE, Qatar, and Turkiye, also denounced Israel’s land grab in Syria. Qatar
described it as “a dangerous development and a blatant attack on Syria’s
sovereignty and unity.”
Israel’s foreign ministry responded with a statement accusing Turkiye of taking
control of about 15 percent of Syria’s territory through three military
operations from 2016 onward, and establishing armed proxy groups to control this
territory, where “Turkish currency is in use, and Turkish bank branches and
postal services have been operating.”Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended
the takeover of the buffer zone as a decision taken to prevent “any hostile
force from establishing itself on our border.”He made the announcement from the
Golan Heights, saying the fall of the Assad regime had rendered a Syria-Israel
disengagement agreement dating back to 1974 obsolete and that “Syrian forces
have abandoned their positions.”
Media reports, as well as the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR),
noted that Syrian forces abandoned their positions in Quneitra province — part
of which lies within the buffer zone — just hours before Assad’s fall.
Antonio Guterres, UN secretary-general, insisted on Thursday that the 1974
agreement “remains fully in force,” calling on both Israel and Syria to uphold
its terms.
Under that agreement, a UN-monitored demilitarized zone separated the
Israeli-occupied territory from the area controlled by Syria.
The UN criticized Israel’s capture of the buffer zone, saying it constituted a
violation of the 1974 agreement. Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for Guterres,
said on Dec. 9 that “there should be no military forces or activities in the
area of separation.”
The Golan Heights is a rocky plateau 60 kilometers southwest of Syria’s capital,
Damascus. It abuts Mount Hermon, also known as Jabal Al-Sheikh, the highest
mountain on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, according to
Encyclopaedia Britannica. Israel seized the Golan from Syria in the closing
stages of the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, later thwarted a Syrian attempt to retake
it during the 1973 Middle East war, and unilaterally annexed it in 1981 — a move
that was not recognized by the international community. Following Assad’s
downfall on Dec. 8, the Israeli military also seized control of the highest peak
of Mount Hermon on the Syrian side.
Israeli military operation in Syria ‘wise and correct,’ Druze leader says
Felice Friedson/The Media Line/December 21/2024
‘Proud Israeli’ Majdal Shams Mayor Dolan Abu Saleh: 'I love to be part of
society in the State of Israel… we want this feeling to be mutual and not
one-sided'
Israelis across the country were shocked last week by news of the fall of Syrian
President Bashar Assad’s regime and of the Israeli military occupation of
certain areas of Syria.
This development reverberated strongly in Majdal Shams, a Druze town on the
Golan Heights that has been under Israeli control since 1967. The Media Line sat
down with Majdal Shams Mayor Dolan Abu Saleh for an exclusive interview about
how Israel’s Druze population is reacting to these events. Majdal Shams is
considered the unofficial Druze capital of the Golan Heights and is home to
nearly 12,000 residents, all of whom are Druze. Druze people make up the
majority of the 24,000 Arabs living throughout the Golan. An additional 100,000
or so Israeli Druze live outside of the Golan in northern Israel and around
Haifa. The town’s ties to Syria run deep. For many families, there are relatives
on the other side of the border, creating a complex set of loyalties and
concerns. Abu Saleh, now in his fourth term as mayor, spoke at length about the
dramatic changes in Syria and their impact on the Druze community. “For every
family here, there’s family on the other side,” he said, stressing the deeply
personal nature of these political shifts. He described the fall of Assad as a
transformative event, noting, “The people here are very, very happy that the
dictator, the murderer of the people, is no longer in power. They hope there
will be a new Syria of peace, humanity and human rights.”
Concerns heightened in Majdal Shams after the terrorist atrocities of October 7,
2023. “Until October 7, the civil war in Syria did not pose a significant threat
to residents of the Golan,” Abu Saleh said. After that date, people worried
about possible infiltration from Syria. “Hezbollah operated freely in Syria
under Assad,” he noted, explaining why residents feared that violence could
spill over the border. “All this time, we saw cooperation between Hezbollah and
Assad,” he said.
Today, Druze in the Golan remains eligible for Israeli citizenship, and the
number of applicants has grown in recent years. Data from 2022 show that around
20% of Majdal Shams residents hold Israeli citizenship, while the rest have
permanent residency without citizenship. Abu Saleh described himself as “a proud
Israeli citizen,” explaining that Israel provides security and a high standard
of human rights. “I love this place very much. I love to be part of society in
the State of Israel,” he added. “Both personally and as a community, we want to
feel an indivisible part of the State of Israel, not only in name, but also
through receiving budgets and sharing resources from the state, and that this
feeling will be mutual and not one-sided.”
Before discussing the broader historical context, Abu Saleh outlined his
personal and political journey. He has served two terms as an appointed council
head before being elected in Majdal Shams’ first and subsequent elections, now
totaling four terms in office. He explained that the local council is
administered under the Interior Ministry and that the town receives funding from
Israeli government offices, just like any other local authority in Israel.
Majdal Shams drew wider attention in July 2024, when a Hezbollah rocket attack
killed 12 children in the town. Abu Saleh called it “a great human tragedy,”
adding that some of those wounded remained hospitalized for months.
The community received substantial philanthropic support from Israeli
organizations and from the Jewish community abroad. “Many philanthropic actors
came and embraced the families,” he said. This sympathy and support contributed
to the sense that the Druze of Majdal Shams are integral to Israel’s fabric, not
simply because of geography, but because of shared values and security concerns.
Get the Ynetnews app on your smartphone: Google Play: https://bit.ly/4eJ37pE |
Apple App Store: https://bit.ly/3ZL7iNv
Regarding current security measures, Abu Saleh said the town works closely with
local Israeli military divisions and the military’s Home Front Command,
sometimes going beyond the official guidelines. Only about 60% of homes in
Majdal Shams have bomb shelters, and the municipality is aware that more must be
done to protect residents. He praised Israel’s decision to enter Syria to create
a buffer zone, calling it “a wise and correct step” to protect Israeli citizens
before threats cross into the country.
Israel’s actions in Syria have drawn criticism from countries like Saudi Arabia
and Egypt, but Abu Saleh defended the move. “The State of Israel needs to create
a barrier that will protect its residents and citizens,” he said. “If the State
of Israel is threatened in the future, it can manage the war outside its
borders. That means that before its residents and citizens are harmed, it will
be there to protect them.”
Majdal Sham Mayor Dolan Abu Saleh
Before the outbreak of Syria’s civil war, Druze students from the Golan often
attended Damascus University. Abu Saleh acknowledged that it was a positive
experience for many at the time, but today, he favors Israeli academia. He
believes that Golan Druze who complete their studies in Israel, have an easier
time joining the Israeli labor market. Residents of Majdal Shams now work in
fields such as medicine, engineering, construction, high-tech and civil service,
and most families also engage in agriculture.
He emphasized that women in Majdal Shams play an active role, holding many
central positions in local government and making up at least half of those
working in professional fields. Abu Saleh’s eldest daughter is preparing for an
academic career, and his wife runs the family business. He called for more
factories and high-tech firms to set up locally, creating opportunities for
women who prefer to work close to home. Regarding Syria’s future under the de
facto leadership of Abu Mohammed al-Golani, some Druze are worried, but Abu
Saleh sees reasons for optimism. He noted that new authorities released
prisoners and preserved government institutions, which may indicate a focus on
human well-being. Still, he stressed the importance of ensuring that minority
groups, like the Kurds, are not harmed and called for international dialogue
with Turkey’s president to address concerns over Kurdish safety.
Reflecting on his responsibilities as mayor during these tumultuous times, Abu
Saleh acknowledged that the job is a great challenge. “The whole world looks at
how a leader acts in such a situation,” he said. “We will continue to protect
our residents and the State of Israel, which protects us, and work toward a
future where everyone can thrive.”
Majdal Shams
To mark the fall of the Assad regime, some residents of Majdal Shams raised the
flag of the Syrian opposition last week. “Seeing the Syrian flag fly in Majdal
Shams instead of the flag of the Syrian regime is very different and very
significant,” Abu Saleh said. “But we, as a local authority that is under
Israeli sovereignty, want to see here in the State of Israel the flag of the
State of Israel, because the State of Israel is the one that gives us security.”
“I think that we all hope for a situation in which Syria will receive the flag
of Israel in Damascus. Until then, we will think about cooperating in raising
the flags in a friendly manner.”
Giorgia Valente contributed to this story.
The story is written by (author's name) and reprinted with permission from The
Media Line.