Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on February 02-03/2024
Biden’s Administration is conspiring with the terrorist Iranian mullahs, and the American raids on factions affiliated with Iran In Iraq & Syria are theatrical, staged and agreed upon/Elias Bejjani/January 03/ 2024
Israel could escalate border tensions, Western diplomat says
What did UK propose to de-escalate tensions on Lebanon-Israel border?
Israel Will Not Halt Strikes Against Hezbollah Despite Ceasefire in Gaza
Hochstein to visit Israel, French FM to visit Beirut
Cameron Says Britain Could Recognize a Palestinian State Before a Peace Deal with Israel
U.S. official Leaf meets Bou Saab, Lebanese MPs in Washington
Criminal Network Active between Lebanon and Europe Prompts Army Intelligence Alert
French Foreign Ministry Concerned about the Situation on the Lebanon-Israel Border
Jumblatt: Possibility of Ceasefire, but Not Before a "Final Solution"
Qassem confirms any Gaza ceasefire will apply to Lebanon front
Is Hariri's return to Lebanon related to looming regional settlement?
Border clashes: Latest developments
Circular 166: BDL introduces new circular instead of Circular 151 to alleviate depositor losses
Air strikes near Jabal Blat, shelling in Aitaroun
Possible conflict with Lebanon: Israel braces for northern front amid Gaza ceasefire talks
Russian drone attack in Ukraine leaves 40,000 without power
Exclusive LBCI Interview: David Cameron urges moving Hezbollah forces north of Litani River and supports two-state solution
Palestinian refugees in Lebanon protest against UNRWA funding cuts

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on February 02-03/2024
'Several killed' as US airstrikes hit 85 targets in Iraq and Syria
US begins strikes on Iranian-backed militias in Iraq, Syria
18 people loyal to Iran were killed in US strikes on Syria
Washington responds to Baghdad's statement: Iraq was informed in advance of the strikes!
Iraq condemns US strikes as ‘violation of sovereignty’
Iran Guard among 3 killed in Israel strikes in Damascus
US hints large response to Iran-backed militias is imminent
US launches fresh sanctions targeting Iran Revolutionary Guard
Hamas gives 'initial' approval to plan for Gaza fighting pause
Iraq's pro-Iran Al-Nujaba movement vows to keep up attacks on US troops
Analysis shows destruction, possible buffer zone along Gaza's border with Israel
Britain could recognize Palestinian state before peace deal with Israel
US sanctions 4 Israeli settlers who attacked Palestinians, peace activists in West Bank
Biden avoids angry Gaza protesters as he meets friendly autoworkers in Michigan
UN top court set to decide if it can hear Ukraine's genocide case against Russia
Biden to attend dignified transfer for US troops killed in Jordan
Turkish police rescue hostages held for hours in P&G plant in Gaza protest

Titles For The Latest English LCCC  analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on February 02-03/2024
Biden Must Abandon Plans to Withdraw US forces from Syria and Iraq/ Con Coughlin/Gatestone Institute/February 02, 2024
Question: “What did Jesus mean when He said, “I never knew you. Depart from me”?/GotQuestions.org?/February 02, 2024
Iran: Risky Elections Ahead/Amir Taheri/Asharq Al-Awsat/February 02, 2024
Why the world order should be fixed, not replaced/Mohammed Abu Dalhoum/Arab News/February 02, 2024
Are Turkiye-Bahran relations poised for a new chapter?/Sinem Cengiz/Arab News/February 02, 2024

Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on February 02-03/2024
Biden’s Administration is conspiring with the terrorist Iranian mullahs, and the American raids on factions affiliated with Iran In Iraq & Syria are theatrical, staged and agreed upon.
Elias Bejjani/January 03/ 2024
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/126674/126674/
It is disgraceful and disheartening that the recent US aerial military responses in Syria and Iraq, which commenced a few hours ago, are a farcical and shameful American-Iranian play that is demeaning to intellects and disappointing in its outcome.
These are symbolic and prearranged American strikes with predetermined locations, communicated in advance to Iran, Iraq, and Syria, rendering them neither surprising nor serious nor effective.
The victims of these air strikes are Syrians, Iraqis, and Afghan mercenaries in militias serving as Iranian proxies, with not a single Iranian casualty among those targeted by the American strikes.
Any American strikes hold no value, effectiveness, or seriousness unless they target the Iranian homeland. It is lamentable that the world’s strongest power, the United States, is submissive and compliant to the Iranian agenda, collaborating with terrorist Mullahs, fundamentalists, and invaders to strike Arab countries, dismantle their regimes, allow the Iranian rulers to take control, plunder their wealth, enslave their people, and force them into a Stone Age culture that glorifies death, war, and crime.
President Biden’s weak and indecisive administration is a 100% extension of the era of Obama, infatuated with the Iranian Mullahs, their supporter, and financier, and this is where the catastrophe lies.
Lebanon is at the forefront of these countries handed over by American Democratic administrations Biden & Obama) to Iran and its militias.
*The author is a Lebanese expatriate activist
Author's Email: Phoenicia@hotmail.com
Author's Website: http://www.eliasbejjaninews.com

Israel could escalate border tensions, Western diplomat says
Agence France Presse/February 02, 2024
A Western diplomat told AFP there was an increasing possibility Israel will escalate border tensions because of internal political pressure, "but meanwhile, Hezbollah does not want to start a war". Hezbollah had previously signalled its willingness to endorse a diplomatic solution, but only after Israel ends its war in the Gaza Strip. Western diplomats, including British officials, are pushing for a solution that would include "fully implementing resolution 1701 and giving new impetus" to U.N. peacekeeping forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL), said the Western official. On Thursday, British foreign minister David Cameron met Lebanese prime minister Najib Mikati in Beirut to discuss defusing tensions on the Lebanon-Israel border as Israel's military reported new exchanges of fire. Senior Hezbollah official Nabil Qaouq said Wednesday the group had "intensified" its operations "in response to Israel's escalation", Lebanon's official news agency NNA reported. His comments came after Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on Monday that troops would "very soon go into action" near the Lebanese border. Nearly four months of cross-border fire have killed more than 210 people in Lebanon, most of them Hezbollah fighters but also including more than 25 civilians, according to an AFP tally. On the Israeli side of the border, nine soldiers and six civilians have been killed, Israeli officials have said

What did UK propose to de-escalate tensions on Lebanon-Israel border?
Associated Press/February 02, 2024
Britain's top diplomat has said that his country is proposing a plan to de-escalate tensions on the Lebanon-Israel border, where Hezbollah and Israeli forces have been trading fire near-daily for the past four months, sparking fears of a wider war. The plan would include Britain training Lebanese army forces to carry out more security work in the border region, he said. Foreign Secretary David Cameron, speaking to An-Nahar newspaper during a visit Thursday to Lebanon intended to tamp down regional tensions, said that there is a good alternative to the escalation that includes implementing U.N. Resolution 1701, the withdrawal of Hezbollah to the north of the Litani River, a correct land border demarcation and training Lebanese army forces to carry out more security work in the border region. "There is a good chance of diplomatic solutions," he said. Pro-Hezbollah al-Akhbar newspaper said Friday that the British plan includes the installation of surveillance towers, equipped with modern monitoring and tracking devices, on both sides of the border and under the supervision of the UNIFIL to ensure that there are no violations of Resolution 1701.

Israel Will Not Halt Strikes Against Hezbollah Despite Ceasefire in Gaza
Al Modon/February 2, 2024
Israeli Defense Minister, Yoav Galant, stated that Tel Aviv will not cease firing along the Lebanon border against Hezbollah, even if the ceasefire in Gaza is implemented. During his visit to a military unit near the northern border with Lebanon, Galant said, "It is a big mistake for Hezbollah to think that Israel will stop firing at them if the Gaza war stops. I say here, openly, as long as we haven't reached a situation where the residents of settlements can live safely, we will not stop firing." Galant emphasized that Israel is making significant efforts in the north, including political initiatives aiming to enable the residents of settlements near Lebanon to return to their homes safely. He clarified, "The Israeli army is alert and at a high state of readiness along the northern sector, especially facing the Golan Heights and southern Lebanon," adding, "Forces are in an extreme state of readiness and prepared on a wide scale... the noses of the aircraft are directed north in anticipation of any incident that may occur."
In parallel, international attention continues on the Lebanese file, focusing on two main points: firstly, restoring stability to southern Lebanon and exploring opportunities to solidify it, and secondly, the emphasis on the necessity of electing a president for the republic. These two issues constitute the core of international concern. Following the visit of British Foreign Secretary David Cameron to Beirut, emphasizing the need to avoid war, prevent escalation, and implement Resolution 1701, in addition to stressing the necessity of electing a president, the new French Foreign Minister, Stephane Sejourne, will arrive in Beirut in the coming days to address the same issues.
Parliamentary Delegation in Washington
Amidst a visit by a Lebanese parliamentary delegation to Washington, including Deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saab, and MPs Alain Aoun, Naima Ephraim, Yassin Yassin, and Asaad Dargham, the delegation held a meeting with Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, Barbara Leaf. The emphasis was on the need for the Lebanese to work towards electing a president and completing the building of the state. Additionally, efforts were made to keep Lebanon neutralized from the specter of an all-encompassing war. Leaf affirmed that "the Quint committee seeks to assist Lebanon in finding a solution to its political crisis, but it cannot replace the Lebanese in reaching an internal solution and understanding among themselves," emphasizing that the ultimate solution is the responsibility of the Lebanese themselves.
In another meeting, Leaf reiterated that Washington had sent clear messages to Hezbollah to avoid war and escalation, stating that the message to the party was clear that it is heading towards a dangerous slope.
Return of Hookstein
On the Israeli side, the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation revealed that "Biden's special envoy, Amos Hookstein, will arrive in Israel early next week." This is part of the ongoing efforts to avoid escalation between Israel and Hezbollah. Hookstein's visit to Tel Aviv will involve discussions on the situation with Lebanon, and he will intensify efforts to benefit from any ceasefire in the Gaza Strip to withdraw on the Lebanese front, seeking to stabilize calm. In a related context, Israeli Chief of Staff, Herzli Helvi, assessed the situation on the borders with Lebanon, stating that the residents of northern towns will not be returned to their homes until the situation becomes safe. As for U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, he said, "We do not see a comprehensive conflict between Israel and the Lebanese Hezbollah group." However, he considered that "the current time represents a critical moment in the Middle East, but Washington will work to avoid the widening of the conflict."

Hochstein to visit Israel, French FM to visit Beirut
Naharnet/February 02, 2024
U.S. mediator Amos Hochsetin will arrive in Israel in the beginning of next week, the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation said. Political and diplomatic sources who contacted a Lebanese parliamentary delegation present in Washington meanwhile told al-Joumhouria newspaper that “Hochstein will tour the region and will be in Tel Aviv on Monday or Tuesday.”“Should his visit achieve positive results in terms of the points of discussion, he might visit Beirut on Wednesday or Thursday,” the sources added. French diplomatic sources meanwhile told the daily that “the new French Foreign Minister, Stéphane Séjourné, will visit Lebanon early next week as part of a regional tour involving a number of regional capitals.”“He will likely be in Beirut between Monday evening and Tuesday morning, because the exact date will be affected by the tour,” the sources said. Hochstein has held behind-the-scenes talks with Deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saab, who is the official Lebanese “channel” for talks regarding the situation in the south, informed sources have said. Hochstein is seeking to devise a Lebanon-Israel settlement that would follow the cessation of hostilities in Gaza and that would put an end to the daily clashes between Israel and Hezbollah on the Lebanese-Israeli border, the sources told ad-Diyar newspaper in remarks published Thursday. Hochstein had said Sunday that he “will likely head back soon” to Lebanon and Israel as part of the efforts to prevent a bigger conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. Nearly four months of cross-border fire have killed more than 210 people in Lebanon, most of them Hezbollah fighters but also including more than 25 civilians. On the Israeli side of the border, nine soldiers and six civilians have been killed, according to Israeli officials. The fighting has also displaced tens of thousands of residents on both sides of the border and Israel has warned that it is ready to use military force to return its settlers to their homes.

Cameron Says Britain Could Recognize a Palestinian State Before a Peace Deal with Israel
Asharq Al-Awsat/February 02, 2024
Britain’s top diplomat said Thursday that his country could officially recognize a Palestinian state after a ceasefire in Gaza without waiting for the outcome of what could be yearslong talks between Israel and the Palestinians on a two-state solution. Foreign Secretary David Cameron, speaking to The Associated Press during a visit Thursday to Lebanon intended to tamp down regional tensions, said no recognition could come while Hamas remained in Gaza, but that it could take place while Israeli negotiations with Palestinian leaders were continuing. UK recognition of an independent state of Palestine, including in the United Nations, “can’t come at the start of the process, but it doesn’t have to be the very end of the process,” said Cameron, a former British prime minister. “It could be something that we consider as this process, as this advance to a solution, becomes more real,” Cameron said. “What we need to do is give the Palestinian people a horizon towards a better future, the future of having a state of their own.”That prospect is “absolutely vital for the long-term peace and security of the region,” he said. Britain, the US and other Western countries have supported the idea of an independent Palestine existing alongside Israel as a solution to the region’s most intractable conflict, but have said Palestinian independence should come as part of a negotiated settlement. There have been no substantive negotiations since 2009. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for his part, has publicly rejected the creation of an independent Palestinian state after the war, and has even boasted in recent weeks that he was instrumental in preventing Palestinian statehood. A move by some of Israel’s key allies to recognize a Palestinian state without Israel’s buy-in could isolate Israel and put pressure on it to come to the table. Cameron said the first step must be a “pause in the fighting” in Gaza that would eventually turn into “a permanent, sustainable ceasefire.”
He added that in order for his country to recognize a Palestinian state, the leaders of the Hamas militant group would need to leave Gaza “because you can’t have a two-state solution with Gaza still controlled by the people responsible for Oct. 7,” referring to the deadly Hamas attack on Israel that triggered the war in Gaza. Hamas has so far taken the position that its leaders would not leave the enclave as part of a ceasefire deal. Cameron said his country is also proposing a plan to de-escalate tensions on the Lebanon-Israel border, where the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and Israeli forces have been trading fire near-daily for the past four months, sparking fears of a wider war. The plan would include Britain training Lebanese army forces to carry out more security work in the border region, he said.

U.S. official Leaf meets Bou Saab, Lebanese MPs in Washington
Naharne/February 02, 2024t
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf met Friday with deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saab and other Lebanese MPs in Washington. The meeting discussed the need to elect a president and prevent an all-out war in Lebanon. Leaf stressed in the meeting that although the five-nation group is seeking to help Lebanon in finding a solution to its political crisis, an inter-Lebanese solution and agreement are needed. "The solution in the end is the responsibility of the Lebanese themselves," Leaf said. Crisis-hit Lebanon has been without a president since Michel Aoun's term ended in October last year, with neither of the two main blocs -- Hezbollah and its opponents -- having the majority required to elect one. The international community and the five-nation group -- which comprises the U.S., France, KSA, Qatar and Egypt -- have long urged Lebanese leaders to end months of political wrangling and stem the financial meltdown.

Criminal Network Active between Lebanon and Europe Prompts Army Intelligence Alert
Al-Kalima Online / January 3, 2024
The Army Command - Directorate of Orientation issued the following statement today, Friday: "Following information available to the Intelligence Directorate about a criminal network engaged in fraudulent activities between Lebanon and a European country, a patrol from the directorate arrested the citizens (Y.M.), (A.M.), (M.S.), (H.A.), and (A.A.). Investigations revealed that they are members of the mentioned network and, along with others outside Lebanon, deliberately lure individuals through social media platforms, impersonating security and judicial authorities using advanced electronic techniques and programs with the aim of seizing their money and valuable belongings." The statement added, "The detainees are undergoing interrogation under the supervision of the relevant judiciary."

French Foreign Ministry Concerned about the Situation on the Lebanon-Israel Border
Al-Markaziya / January 3, 2024
The French Foreign Ministry, through "Al-Hadath," announced that Paris is concerned about the situation on the border between Lebanon and Israel and continues efforts to prevent the situation from escalating.

Jumblatt: Possibility of Ceasefire, but Not Before a "Final Solution"
Al-Markaziya / January 2, 2024
Former head of the "Progressive Socialist Party," Walid Jumblatt, wrote on his platform "X": "Mr. Cameron has given us lessons in history about the failure of the Oslo Agreement over the past thirty years and the necessity of establishing a Palestinian state in the next thirty years. He mentioned the possibility of a ceasefire but not before a 'final solution.'"

Qassem confirms any Gaza ceasefire will apply to Lebanon front
Naharnet/February 02, 2024
Hezbollah deputy chief Sheikh Naim Qassem has asserted that any ceasefire in Gaza would also apply to the Lebanese-Israeli border, where Hezbollah and the Israeli army have been trading fire since Oct. 8. “Stop the war in Gaza and it would automatically stop here, because the Lebanon front was launched in order to assist Gaza … When the aggression stops, there will be no more need for this form of military assistance,” Qassem said in an interview with al-Akhbar newspaper published Friday. “We are not discussing with anyone the steps to reach a ceasefire in Gaza, because this is a purely Palestinian affair of which we are not a part. Whereas here, there is nothing that requires that we discuss with anyone the situation of south Lebanon after the halt of the aggression. The issue of the south has its mechanisms and we will not discuss or anticipate the steps in advance,” Qassem added.
“We will not discuss any matter related to the southern front before the complete halt of the aggression (against Gaza). We are not in a crisis and we don’t feel that we need to prepare answers to what might be proposed later. We’re also not in a hurry to reassure or to scare anyone,” Hezbollah’s number two went on to say. Nearly four months of cross-border fire have killed more than 210 people in Lebanon, most of them Hezbollah fighters but also including more than 25 civilians. On the Israeli side of the border, nine soldiers and six civilians have been killed, according to Israeli officials. Hamas has given its "initial" approval to a planned humanitarian pause in its war with Israel and a hostage-prisoner exchange, Qatar said Thursday, as fighting raged in the Gaza Strip. "The meeting in Paris succeeded in consolidating the proposals...," Qatar's foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said of talks Qatari, U.S., Israeli and Egyptian officials had on Sunday. "That proposal has been approved by the Israeli side and now we have an initial positive confirmation from the Hamas' side."Mediators pushed ahead with peace efforts as fighting raged in Gaza and as Qatar-based Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was expected in Cairo for talks on Thursday or Friday. Ansari said there were hopes of "good news" about a new pause in the fighting "in the next couple of weeks". But the source close to Hamas said Thursday: "There is no agreement on the framework of the agreement yet -- the factions have important observations -- and the Qatari statement is rushed and not true." Hamas has been reviewing a proposal for a six-week pause and a hostage-prisoner exchange, a Hamas source had told AFP after the Paris meeting.

Is Hariri's return to Lebanon related to looming regional settlement?
Naharnet/February 02, 2024
Former prime minister and al-Mustaqbal Movement leader Saad Hariri’s upcoming visit to Beirut will not be swift and he will give time to his popular base and to anyone who might request to meet him -- be them ambassadors, politicians or social figures, al-Jadeed TV has reported. He will also visit Speaker Nabih Berri, caretaker PM Najib Mikati and Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Latif Daryan, the TV network added. “Hariri’s political return will be related to a regional settlement that would allow him to work on reactivating the economic cycle and building Lebanon, exactly as happened with his martyr father (Rafik Hariri) in 1992,” Mustaqbal sources told al-Jadeed. “The indications of the regional settlement have started to appear with the U.S. and British stances that mentioned the two-state solution and a recognition of a Palestinian state, before being followed by positivity from Hezbollah, which opened the door to negotiations over the land border and the liberation of the occupied Lebanese territory,” the sources added. According to media reports, Hariri is expected to be in Beirut on February 14 to mark the 19th anniversary of the assassination of his father, Rafik Hariri.

Border clashes: Latest developments
Agence France Presse/February 02, 2024
Israeli artillery shelled Friday several southern border towns including al-Khiam, al-Hamames, and the outskirts of al-Naqoura. The Israeli army said it had responded Thursday to attacks from Lebanon by striking the source of the fire, in addition to targeting "a Hezbollah military site in Tayr Harfa in southern Lebanon" while Hezbollah said it struck Israeli "spying devices" in an Israeli post in the occupied Shebaa Farms and three other posts along the border. Senior Hezbollah official Nabil Qaouq said Wednesday the group had "intensified" its operations "in response to Israel's escalation", Lebanon's official news agency NNA reported. His comments came after Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on Monday that troops would "very soon go into action" near the Lebanese border.Nearly four months of cross-border fire have killed more than 210 people in Lebanon, most of them Hezbollah fighters but also including more than 25 civilians, according to an AFP tally. On the Israeli side of the border, nine soldiers and six civilians have been killed, Israeli officials have said.

Circular 166: BDL introduces new circular instead of Circular 151 to alleviate depositor losses
LBCI/February 02, 2024
The Banque du Liban (BDL) is poised to introduce a new circular, Circular 166, instead of the existing Circular 151 to alleviate losses experienced by depositors and ease financial strains. The upcoming circular allows depositors to withdraw a cash sum of $150 per month from a single bank account, regardless of whether the account was opened before or after October 17, 2019. Additionally, the account size is not a limiting factor. To ensure fair implementation, depositors must lift the bank secrecy on their accounts, preventing them from benefiting from the circular with multiple accounts across different banks. Moreover, beneficiaries of Circular 158, receiving between $300 and $400 monthly, are excluded from the new circular. Financial sources estimate the total cost of this directive to range between $360 million and $450 million annually, shared among the banks and the BDL. Association of Banks' sources indicated to LBCI that while major banks could implement the new circular, others lacking necessary liquidity might face challenges that could impact their stability. These banks are awaiting further clarification on the circular. It is worth noting that Circular 158 incurred a cost of $1.78 billion between the BDL and the banks from June 2021 to April 2023, according to BDL numbers.

Air strikes near Jabal Blat, shelling in Aitaroun
LBCI/February 02, 2024
On Friday, the Israeli Air Force conducted two airstrikes in the vicinity of Jabal Blat near Ramyeh and Wadi Zubqin, alongside reports of artillery shelling in Aitaroun.

Possible conflict with Lebanon: Israel braces for northern front amid Gaza ceasefire talks
LBCI/February 02, 2024
As discussions about an imminent ceasefire in the Gaza war continue, the Israeli public and media are abuzz with talk of a broader war on the northern border with Lebanon. The first signs come as the Israeli Justice Ministry issues a warning to its employees to prepare for power outages lasting several days in Israel in the event of a war with Lebanon. The ministry anticipates at least a 60% power outage for a duration ranging from 24 to 48 hours, with potential repairs taking up to 72 hours. Israelis are particularly concerned about citizens reliant on home ventilators, requiring oxygen to sustain their lives.
According to Israeli newspaper "Israel Hayom's" military affairs correspondent Lilach Shoval, approximately 30,000 citizens in Israel depend on such devices. Beyond electricity, the war with Lebanon poses a threat to Israel's food security. According to the Israeli Agriculture Ministry, the evacuated farms in the north, which previously produced 40% of Israel's fruit and 70% of its egg supply, are now military zones, filled with tents and tanks, leaving no room for farmers. Currently, Israel is attempting to import more vegetables. However, these efforts face obstacles due to security incidents in the Red Sea and several airlines' suspension of flights to Israel. Additionally, Palestinian rocket attacks have targeted several Israeli ports, including Ashdod near the Gaza border, the largest Israeli port. Amidst this media frenzy and conflicting reports, the military reality seems contradictory. On Wednesday, Yedioth Ahronoth revealed the army's reduction of forces on the Lebanon border, replacing them with local security units responsible for responding to security incidents. Which narrative given is correct? Has the showdown in the south reached its conclusion? Or is the real war yet to begin?

Russian drone attack in Ukraine leaves 40,000 without power
Agence France Presse/February 02, 2024
Ukraine said Friday that tens of thousands of people were without power after a barrage of two dozen Russian drones damaged energy infrastructure in the center of the country. The overnight attack echoed the systematic bombardments by Russian forces last winter that left millions in Ukraine without power, heating or water for extended stretches. The air force said Moscow had launched 24 Iranian-designed drones at Ukraine, where a national energy provider said its facilities in the Dnipropetrovsk region were damaged, adding that defense systems had downed 11.
"This led to a power outage for more than 40,000 subscribers," the head of the region, Sergiy Lysak, said on social media, adding that two mines were without power. The energy provider Ukrenergo said one of its substations in the city of Kryvyi Rig -- President Volodymyr Zelensky's home town -- was damaged during the attack. Around 100 miners trapped underground had been brought out unharmed, regional officials said. Lysak also said a 37-year-old man was injured by Russian shelling on the village of Pokrovske. In the northeastern Kharkiv region meanwhile, authorities said around 64 towns and settlements had been left without electricity by Russians shelling.

Exclusive LBCI Interview: David Cameron urges moving Hezbollah forces north of Litani River and supports two-state solution
LBCI/February 02, 2024
In a candid and comprehensive interview with LBCI, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron shared his insights on several critical issues in the Middle East, emphasizing the need for a two-state solution and strategies to de-escalate regional tensions.
Addressing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Cameron highlighted his discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. "We've heard what Netanyahu said, he's not ruled out comprehensively a two-state solution," Cameron stated. He emphasized his approach, saying, "My message to him was start talking about the things that a Palestinian state could be, rather than the things it can't be." Cameron remains optimistic about achieving peace, noting, "I'm always an optimist. I think we should try to make these things happen."The British Foreign Secretary also touched on the UK's stance on recognizing a Palestinian state. He explained, "Countries like Britain, part of our policy, which has always been in favor of a two-state solution, is to say there will be a time when we would look to recognize that state including at the United Nations. That can't be at the start of the process. The process needs to get going, but it doesn't have to be at the end of the process.”On the subject of the Houthis and their attacks, Cameron was firm about the UK's stance alongside the United States. "After warning after warning, we took action with the Americans, and the Houthis should know that we follow up our words with actions," he asserted. Cameron detailed the success of these actions, stating, "We have degraded their capacity to carry out attacks. We have hit many of the small supply of the high-end missiles, we have degraded some of the launch sites."Cameron's visit also focused on the tensions between Lebanon and Israel and between Hezbollah and Israel. He stressed the importance of de-escalation, proposing practical steps like a new demarcation of the border and the relocation of Hezbollah forces. "We need Hezbollah to move their forces north of the Litani River, away from the border," Cameron proposed, suggesting that the Lebanese Armed Forces, trained by Britain, could play a crucial role in this process. Reflecting on his past role as Prime Minister, Cameron recounted the UK's support for Lebanon. "We have spent over 100 million pounds, we've trained 26,500 Lebanese soldiers," he shared, emphasizing their effective role in border security and potential in de-escalating tensions in southern Lebanon.

Palestinian refugees in Lebanon protest against UNRWA funding cuts
NAJIA HOUSSARI/Arab News/February 02, 2024
BEIRUT: Palestinian refugees in Tyre, southern Lebanon, on Friday staged a protest outside UNRWA’s office to protest against the agency’s announcement that due to the suspension of its funding it may have to close its operations in the region by the end of the month. Several countries, including the US, UK, Australia, Canada, France and Germany, halted their financial support for the UN agency following allegations that several of its employees were involved in the Hamas attacks on Oct. 7. Ayham Al-Sahli, a journalist familiar with the situation in Lebanon, said: “What is happening is extremely dangerous. Not only is this collective punishment, but its goal is to erase the sole witness to the Palestinian refugee cause. “This matter has been raised before. Assuming that 12 UNRWA employees participated in the Oct. 7 attack, which has not yet been confirmed, should all refugees be punished? By what logic does this apply?”Al-Sahli, who is also a member of the Institute for Palestine Studies in Beirut, continued: “UNRWA’s budget in Lebanon is $160 million annually, through which the agency provides the minimum services to refugees. “This includes education for all Palestinian students in Lebanon who receive their education in the agency’s schools, medical services and employee salaries. If there is a 70 percent cut in this budget, all services will shrink and in return Lebanon’s services to Palestinian refugees will be zero.” Earlier this week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu renewed his call to “end the agency’s mandate and replace it with other UN-affiliated or non-UN aid agencies.” UNRWA is the only agency in charge of Palestinian refugee affairs. As well as dealing with relief aid and employment issues, it handles the rehabilitation of the camps’ infrastructure and provides community support.
Ghassan Ayoub, a Palestinian leader in the Ain Al-Helweh camp, said: “Lebanon is facing a severe economic crisis and is unable to provide health and education services to its citizens, so how is it going to provide services to Palestinian refugees? “The presence of UNRWA is a stabilizing factor in refugee camps and the instability of this factor will have serious repercussions. “If funding is discontinued, the situation will be disastrous on the humanitarian, social and living levels.” He continued: “There are over 4,000 employees at UNRWA in Lebanon, as well as others who work in certain programs, including a program funded by Germany called Cash for Work, which has been employing refugees for four years. All these programs are carried out through UNRWA. What will happen to these people? They’ll be left without relief, health or work.”UNRWA was established in 1949 to help about 6 million Palestinian refugees scattered between Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Ayoub said: “Despite the political goal, which is settling the issue of return, the commission doesn’t provide any services to refugees. It is in charge of resettling or arranging the refugees’ status where they are. Do they want to resettle Palestinians in a third country?”

Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on February 02-03/2024
'Several killed' as US airstrikes hit 85 targets in Iraq and Syria
Sky News/February 2, 2024
The US military has launched an air assault on at least 85 targets in Iraq and Syria used by Iranian-backed militias on Friday. Numerous aircraft were used - including long-range B-1 bombers flown from the US - marking the opening salvo of retaliation for the drone strike that killed three US troops in Jordan last weekend. A statement from US Central Command said: "US Central Command (CENTCOM) forces conducted airstrikes in Iraq and Syria against Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Quds Force and affiliated militia groups. Middle East latest: US begins wave of airstrikes in Iraq and Syria
"US military forces struck more than 85 targets, with numerous aircraft to include long-range bombers flown from United States. "The airstrikes employed more than 125 precision munitions." The strikes targeted "command and control operations, intelligence centers, rockets, and missiles, and unmanned aerial vehicle storages, and logistics and munition supply chain facilities". President Joe Biden and other top US leaders have been warning for days that the country would strike back at the militias, and made it clear that it would not be just one hit, but a "tiered response" over time. Following the strikes, Mr Biden said in a statement: "Our response began today. It will continue at times and places of our choosing. "The United States does not seek conflict in the Middle East or anywhere else in the world. But let all those who might seek to do us harm know this: If you harm an American, we will respond." Explainer: What we know about the sites targeted in US strikes on Iraq and Syria. Iraqi military spokesman Yahya Messenger Abdullah said: "The cities of Al-Qaim and the Iraqi border areas are being subjected to air strikes by United States aircraft, as these strikes come at a time when Iraq is striving to ensure the stability of the region. "These strikes constitute a violation of Iraqi sovereignty, an undermining of the efforts of the Iraqi government, and a threat that will drag Iraq and the region into unforeseen consequences, the consequences of which will be disastrous for security and stability in Iraq and the region."The White House said it had informed Iraqi officials ahead of the military strikes. An Iraqi security official told NBC News the US targeted a weapons warehouse and three houses belonging to Kata'ib Hezbollah in Anbar province, western Iraq. Analysis: US strikes may have unintended and far-reaching consequences
Earlier on Friday, Mr Biden and top defence leaders joined grieving families as the remains of the three Army Reserve soldiers were returned to the US during a ceremony at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. The US strikes - of which there were three in Iraq and four in Syria - appeared to stop short of directly targeting Iran or its Revolutionary Guard Quds force. Iran has denied it was behind the Jordan attack. Before the retaliatory strikes, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said that Iran will not start a war but would "respond strongly" to anyone who tried to bully it. Syrian State TV reported that "several" people had been killed and injured "as a result of the American aggression on a number of sites at the Badia and the Syrian-Iraqi border".

US begins strikes on Iranian-backed militias in Iraq, Syria
AP/February 03, 2024
WASHINGTON DC: The US military launched an air assault on dozens of sites in Iraq and Syria used by Iranian-backed militias and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Quds force Friday, in the opening salvo of retaliation for the drone strike that killed three US troops in Jordan last weekend, officials told The Associated Press. President Joe Biden and other top US leaders had been warning for days that America would strike back at the militias, and they made it clear it wouldn’t be just one hit but a “tiered response” over time. The officials confirming the initial strikes spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military operations not yet announced. The strikes by manned and unmanned aircraft hit more than 85 targets, including command and control headquarters, intelligence centers, rockets and missiles, drone and ammunition storage sites and other facilities. US Central Command said the strikes used more than 125 precision munitions, and they were delivered by numerous aircraft, inlcuding long-range bombers flown from the United States. One official said B-1 bombers were used. The assault came came just hours after Biden and top defense leaders joined grieving families to watch as the remains of the three Army Reserve soldiers were returned to the US at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. It was unclear what the next steps will be, or whether the days of US warnings have sent militia members scattering into hiding, making it more difficult to detect and strike them. But it was evident that the recent statement released by Kataeb Hezbollah, one of the main Iran-backed militias, saying it was suspending attacks on American troops had no impact on the administration’s plans. The US strikes appeared to stop short of directly targeting Iran or senior leaders of the Revolutionary Guard Quds force within its borders. Iran has denied it was behind the Jordan attack. In a statement this week, Kataib Hezbollah announced “the suspension of military and security operations against the occupation forces in order to prevent embarrassment to the Iraqi government.” But Harakat Al-Nujaba, one of the other major Iran-backed groups, vowed Friday to continue military operations against US troops. The US has blamed the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a broad coalition of Iran-backed militias, for the deadly attack in Jordan, but has not yet narrowed it down to a specific group. Kataeb Hezbollah is, however, a top suspect.
Some of the militias have been a threat to US bases for years, but the groups intensified their assaults in the wake of Israel’s war with Hamas following the Oct. 7 attack on Israel. The war has led to the deaths of thousands of civilians in Gaza and spilled across four other countries now. Iran-backed militia groups throughout the region have used the conflict to justify striking Israeli or US interests, including threatening civilian commercial ships and US warships with drones or missiles in almost daily exchanges. Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said that “this is a dangerous moment in the Middle East.” He added, “We will take all necessary actions to defend the United States, our interests and our people. And we will respond when we choose, where we choose and how we choose.” “At this point, it’s time to take away even more capability than we’ve taken in the past,” Austin said. As of Tuesday, Iran-backed militia groups had launched 166 attacks on US military installations since Oct. 18, including 67 in Iraq, 98 in Syria and now one in Jordan, according to a US military official. The last attack was Jan. 29 at at Al-Asad air base in Iraq, and there were no injuries or damage. The US, meanwhile, has bolstered defenses at the base in Jordan that was attacked by the ran-backed militants on Sunday, according to a US official. And the Israeli military said its Arrow defense system intercepted a missile that approached the country from the Red Sea, raising suspicion it was launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels. The rebels did not immediately claim responsibility.
A US official also said the military had taken additional self-defense strikes inside Yemen Friday against Houthi military targets deemed an imminent threat. Al-Masirah, a Houthi-run satellite news channel, said that British and American forces conducted three strikes in the northern Yemeni province of Hajjah, a Houthi stronghold. While previous US responses in Iraq and Syria have been more limited, the attack on Tower 22, as the Jordan outpost is known, and the deaths of the three service members has crossed a line, the official said. That drone attack, which also injured more than 40 service members — largely Army National Guard — was the first to result in US combat deaths from the Iran-backed militias since the war between Israel and Hamas broke out. Tower 22 houses about 350 US troops and sits near the demilitarized zone on the border between Jordan and Syria. The Iraqi border is only 6 miles (10 kilometers) away. Also on Friday, the US Treasury imposed new sanctions on a network of firms in Iran and Hong Kong that are accused of assisting Iran procure technology to make ballistic weapons and drones. And the US hit six Iranian officials with sanctions for allegedly committing a series of malicious cyber activities against critical infrastructure in the US and other nations.

18 people loyal to Iran were killed in US strikes on Syria
Agencies - Abu Dhabi »/02 February/2024
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that American aircraft carried out rounds of air strikes on sites along a length of about 130 kilometers from the city of Deir ez-Zor all the way to the Syrian-Iraqi border, passing through Al-Mayadeen. The Observatory added that during these tours, 26 important sites of the Iranian militias were targeted. In the city of Al-Mayadeen, sites were bombed in both the Al-Tammu neighborhood and the Ain Ali base near Al-Rahba Castle, Al-Shibli neighborhood, Al-Haidariyah, and grain silos. In Albukamal, near the Syrian-Iraqi border, several sites in Al-Hajjana and Al-Hari were targeted. In the city of Deir ez-Zor, Iranian militia sites were targeted near the former College of Education, the vicinity of the Iranian kitchen, and near the radars, Harabesh Medical Center, Hawija Sakr, and Ayyash warehouses. The strikes resulted in the killing of 18 militia members, an infinite toll of those strikes. Sources of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights revealed great confusion among the ranks of the pro-Iranian militias, due to the lack of intelligence information they have about the places expected to be targeted, and the extent of the militias’ readiness to absorb the size of the American strike expected in the coming hours, while measures have been taken according to the available capabilities, while the militias lack any A plan to confront the American attack if it is widespread. According to the sources of the Syrian Observatory, the leaders of the groups loyal to Iran have taken measures to reduce human losses in the event of the expected American targeting of their positions in Syria, as they sent their leaders to the governorates of Damascus and Homs, and also informed the leadership of the Iranian militias in Syria (leaders and members) affiliated with them, to adhere to their homes and remain in their homes. He communicated with the group leaders, while he limited himself to the site guards. It also previously instructed all militias to stop military activities and target American bases in Syria, specifically in the Al-Bukamal sites, the farms area in Al-Mayadeen, and the Palmyra countryside area, which includes forces from the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces militia.

Washington responds to Baghdad's statement: Iraq was informed in advance of the strikes!
Sky News Arabia - Abu Dhabi »/02 February/2024
The White House said that the United States informed Iraq before launching air strikes on three sites belonging to factions inside the country, minutes after the Iraqi army denounced the strikes, which it described as a violation of Iraqi sovereignty. "We had already notified the Iraqi government before launching the strikes," John Kirby, spokesman for the White House National Security Council, told reporters. Iraq denounced the American strikes inside its territory, warning that this step would drag Iraq and the region into undesirable consequences. The Iraqi army said in a statement: “The cities of Al-Qaim and the Iraqi border areas are being subjected to air strikes by US aircraft, as these strikes come at a time when Iraq is striving to ensure the stability of the region.” The statement added: "These strikes are a violation of Iraqi sovereignty, an undermining of the efforts of the Iraqi government, and a threat that will drag Iraq and the region into unforeseen consequences, and its consequences will be dire for security and stability in Iraq and the region." A Pentagon official told Sky News Arabia that the United States coordinated the "logistics" of military operations with the Iraqi government.

Iraq condemns US strikes as ‘violation of sovereignty’
AFP/February 03, 2024
BAGHDAD: Iraq on Saturday condemned retaliatory US strikes against pro-Iran armed groups on its territory as a “violation of Iraqi sovereignty,” warning of “disastrous consequences” for the country and beyond. Friday’s strikes in western Iraq near the Syrian border are a “violation of Iraqi sovereignty” and will bring “disastrous consequences for the security and stability of Iraq and the region,” General Yehia Rasool, a spokesman for Prime Minister Mohamed Shia Al-Sudani, said in a statement.

Iran Guard among 3 killed in Israel strikes in Damascus
Agence France Presse/February 02, 2024
Three pro-Iran fighters were killed in Israeli strikes south of Damascus Friday, a war monitor said, with Iranian media reporting an adviser from the Revolutionary Guards was among the dead. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said "three members of pro-Iran groups, including an Iranian and an Iraqi" were killed in "Israeli air strikes". The targets included a site operated by Lebanese militant group Hezbollah on a road leading to the Sayyida Zeinab district and a site on the road to Damascus airport that had recently been vacated by pro-Iran groups, the Britain-based war monitor said.
Iran's Mehr news agency said an Iranian adviser from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Saeed Alidadi, was killed in the strikes. Syrian state media reported damage from "Israeli" air strikes south of Damascus but did not mention casualties. The Israeli military declined to comment. During more than a decade of civil war in Syria, Israel has launched hundreds of strikes, primarily targeting Iran-backed forces and the Syrian army. Its strikes have intensified since the war between Israel and Hamas began on October 7. Israel rarely comments on individual strikes but has said repeatedly that it will not allow Iran to expand its presence in Syria. Friday's reported strikes were the second this week. On Monday, missiles fired on a base in Sayyida Zeinab housing Iranian Revolutionary Guards and Hezbollah fighters killed at least eight people, the Observatory reported. A previous air strike in Sayyida Zeinab in late December, also blamed on Israel, killed a senior Iranian general. And on January 20, a strike on Damascus's Mazzeh neighbourhood targeting the Revolutionary Guards' Syria spy chief killed 13 people, the Observatory said. Iran, a key ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in his country's more than decade-old civil war, says its troops are deployed in an advisory capacity only at the request of the Damascus government.

US hints large response to Iran-backed militias is imminent
Associated Press/February 02, 2024
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has said it's time to further disable Iran-backed militias that have struck at U.S. forces and ships in the Middle East and the U.S. is preparing to take significant action in response to the deaths of three U.S. service members in Jordan.
For days the U.S. has hinted strikes are imminent. While the threat of retaliation for Sunday's deaths has driven some militant groups to say they were stopping hostilities, as late as Thursday Yemen's Houthi rebels were still attacking vessels and fired a ballistic missile at a Liberian-flagged container ship in the Red Sea. "At this point, it's time to take away even more capability than we've taken in the past," Austin said Thursday in his first press conference since he was hospitalized on Jan. 1 due to complications from prostate cancer treatment. Previous U.S. strikes have not deterred the attacks. Since the war between Israel and Hamas broke out in October, Iranian-backed militant groups have struck U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria at least 166 times with rockets, missiles and one-way attack drones, drawing about a half-dozen U.S. counterstrikes on militant facilities in both countries. The U.S. military also has carried out airstrikes targeting the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. The U.S. has attributed the attack on Tower 22 in Jordan to the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iran-backed militias that includes the militant group Kataib Hezbollah. While Iran has denied involvement, Austin said Thursday that "how much Iran knew or didn't know, we don't know. But it really doesn't matter because Iran sponsors these groups."Austin said "without that facilitation, these kinds of things don't happen." He said the Pentagon is still looking at the forensics of the drone that struck Tower 22, a secretive base in northeastern Jordan that's been crucial to the American presence in neighboring Syria. "I don't think the adversaries are of a 'one and done' mindset. And so they have a lot of capability. I have a lot more," Austin said. "We're going to do what's necessary to protect our troops."In the Red Sea, the Houthis have fired on commercial and military ships almost 40 times since November. In the latest attack, they fired a ballistic missile at the M/V Koi, a Liberian-flagged container ship on Thursday, U.S. Central Command said. The ship's management could not immediately be reached for comment. The Houthis did not claim responsibility for the assault. The attack happened west of Hodeida, a port city in Yemen long held by the rebels, said the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, a British military group overseeing Mideast waterways. Also on Thursday, Central Command said it had destroyed two more Houthi-fired drones. One overhead drone, fired at 5 a.m. in Yemen, was shot down in the Gulf of Aden. A few hours later, an uncrewed surface vehicle, a drone that travels through water, was "determined to be an imminent threat" and was struck in self defense in the Red Sea, Central Command said. The Houthis say they are targeting ships over Israel's offensive in Gaza against Hamas. But they have frequently targeted vessels with tenuous or no clear links to Israel, imperiling shipping in a key route for global trade between Asia, the Mideast and Europe. The Houthis hit a commercial vessel with a missile on Jan. 26, sparking a fire that burned for hours. The Pentagon has the aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower in the region, along with at least a half dozen other major U.S. warships, U.S. Air Force fighter jets and radar aircraft. It has already been regularly using those assets to conduct strikes and defend ships. Late Wednesday, American F/A-18 fighter jets struck and destroyed 10 Houthi drones that were prepared to launch, as well as a ground control station used by the rebels, the U.S. military said. The U.S. also intercepted a ballistic missile and other drones already in the air during the day.

US launches fresh sanctions targeting Iran Revolutionary Guard
AFP/February 02, 2024
WASHINGTON: The United States announced new sanctions Friday aimed at the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, as Washington prepares retaliation after a strike killing three Americans in Jordan that was blamed on Iran-backed militias. The US Treasury Department said it was imposing sanctions on six officials in the cyber-electronic command of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), over activities targeting critical infrastructure. In a separate notice, the Treasury added that it was also hitting a network of suppliers providing “materials and sensitive technology for Iran’s ballistic missile and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) programs.” The moves come shortly after President Joe Biden blamed “radical Iran-backed militant groups operating in Syria and Iraq” for the Sunday drone attack on a base in Jordan that killed three American troops. He has pledged to hold “all those responsible to account at a time and in a manner of our choosing.” The casualties were the first US military deaths in an attack in the region since the Israel-Hamas war started. But Iran said it had nothing to do with the strike, with its president vowing it would “respond firmly” to any attack. In issuing the latest US sanctions on Friday, the Treasury said IRGC-affiliated cyber actors recently hacked and posted images on screens of controllers manufactured by an Israeli company, Unitronics. “Unauthorized access to critical infrastructure systems can enable actions that harm the public and cause devastating humanitarian consequences,” the department said. A State Department spokesperson added that “actors used default credentials to display an anti-Israel message” on the controllers’ interface. Separately, the United States sanctioned four Iran- and Hong Kong-based entities, saying they “operated as covert procurement entities” for individuals actively supporting Iranian military organizations like the IRGC. Another target was Hong Kong-based China Oil and Petroleum Company, allegedly involved in selling “hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of Iranian commodities” for the benefit of the IRGC Quds Force — the foreign operations arm of the Revolutionary Guards. As a result of the sanctions, all property of designated individuals in the United States is blocked and must be reported.

Hamas gives 'initial' approval to plan for Gaza fighting pause
Naharnet/February 02, 2024
Hamas has given its "initial" approval to a planned humanitarian pause in its war with Israel and a hostage-prisoner exchange, Qatar said Thursday, as fighting raged in the Gaza Strip. However, a source close to Hamas told AFP there was no agreement yet on the proposal. "The meeting in Paris succeeded in consolidating the proposals...," Qatar's foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said of talks Qatari, U.S., Israeli and Egyptian officials had on Sunday. "That proposal has been approved by the Israeli side and now we have an initial positive confirmation from the Hamas' side."Mediators pushed ahead with peace efforts as fighting raged in Gaza and as Qatar-based Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was expected in Cairo for talks on Thursday or Friday. Ansari said there were hopes of "good news" about a new pause in the fighting "in the next couple of weeks". But the source close to Hamas said Thursday: "There is no agreement on the framework of the agreement yet -- the factions have important observations -- and the Qatari statement is rushed and not true." Hamas has been reviewing a proposal for a six-week pause and a hostage-prisoner exchange, a Hamas source had told AFP after the Paris meeting. Israel's military said Thursday troops had "eliminated dozens of terrorists" over the past day and destroyed a long-range missile launcher in the embattled southern city of Khan Younis. According to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza, 119 people were killed in strikes overnight. The U.N. also reported heavy bombardment across Gaza, particularly in Khan Yunis, and said 184,000 more Palestinians from the city had registered for humanitarian assistance. More than 30,000 displaced people in schools around the city's Nasser hospital face a lack of food, water, medicine and baby formula, health ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra said. "We have nothing to eat, nothing to drink... we have nothing here but fear," a woman at Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City told AFPTV. "People are scared. We demand a ceasefire."
Three-stage plan
A Hamas source had told AFP the three-stage plan would start with an initial six-week halt to the fighting that would see more aid deliveries into Gaza. Only "women, children and sick men over 60" held by militants would be freed during that stage in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in Israel, the source said, requesting anonymity because of the sensitivity of the talks. There would also be "negotiations around the withdrawal of Israeli forces", with possible additional phases involving more hostage-prisoner exchanges. The war was triggered by Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of around 1,160 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Militants also seized about 250 hostages. Israel says 132 remain in Gaza including at least 27 people believed to have been killed. After the deadliest attack in its history, Israel launched a withering offensive that has killed at least 27,019 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory. Violence has also flared in the occupied West Bank, with more than 370 people killed by Israeli troops and settlers since October 7. On Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there was "no room" for U.S. sanctions on settlers in the West Bank, after Washington imposed punitive measures on a handful of Jewish settlers there.
Aid access
Netanyahu has ruled out withdrawing troops from Gaza and has repeatedly vowed to destroy Hamas, which the United States and European Union consider a "terrorist" group. He has also opposed releasing "thousands" of Palestinian prisoners as part of any deal.
With scores of Israeli hostages still in Gaza, there has been mounting criticism of Netanyahu's government that has triggered street protests and calls for an early election. For people in Gaza, access to aid has been further hampered by a controversy surrounding the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, after Israel accused several of its staff of involvement in the Hamas attack. The claims saw several donor countries, led by the United States, freeze funding for the agency. U.N. chief Antonio Guterres said he had "met with donors to listen to their concerns and to outline the steps we are taking".
Netanyahu said UNRWA had been "totally infiltrated" by Hamas, and called for other agencies to replace it. UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini said that "if the funding remains suspended, we will most likely be forced to shut down our operations by end of February not only in Gaza but also across the region".
Regional tensions
The war's impact has been felt widely, with violence involving Iran-backed allies of Hamas across the Middle East surging since October and drawing in US forces among others. The White House blamed the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a loose alliance of pro-Iran armed groups, for a drone attack that killed three U.S. soldiers at a base in Jordan. Yemen's Houthi rebels, part of the "axis of resistance" of Iran-backed groups, have been harassing Red Sea shipping for months, triggering U.S. and British reprisals. A missile fired from Yemen hit a merchant vessel, maritime security firm Ambrey said Thursday, after the Houthis claimed an attack on a US ship. And an explosion was reported near a ship off the Yemeni coast, British maritime security agency UKMTO said, adding that both vessel and crew are safe. The US military said Wednesday a destroyer shot down three Iranian drones and an anti-ship missile fired by the Houthis. It also said it had targeted 10 attack drones and a ground control station in Yemen. British Foreign Secretary David Cameron met Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati in Beirut on Thursday to discuss defusing tensions on the Lebanon-Israel border as the Israeli army reported new exchanges of fire. Since October 7, the border has seen near-daily exchanges between Israel and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, a Hamas ally.

Iraq's pro-Iran Al-Nujaba movement vows to keep up attacks on US troops
Agence France Presse/February 02, 2024
Iraq's pro-Iran Al-Nujaba movement said Friday it intends to press on with attacks on U.S. troops in the Middle East, despite Washington's threat to hit back after three of its soldiers were killed in Jordan. "Any (U.S.) strike will result in an appropriate response," Al-Nujaba leader Akram al-Kaabi said in a statement, adding the group would continue its actions until its demands are met for U.S. troops to leave Iraq and an end to Israel's war on Hamas in Gaza.

Analysis shows destruction, possible buffer zone along Gaza's border with Israel
Associated Press/February 02, 2024
Satellite photos show new demolition along a 1-kilometer-deep path on the Gaza Strip's border with Israel, according an analysis by The Associated Press and expert reports. The destruction comes as Israel has said it wants to establish a buffer zone there, over international objections, further tearing away at land the Palestinians want for a state. The demolition along the path represents only a sliver of the wider damage from the Israel-Hamas war seen in Gaza, which one assessment suggests has damaged or destroyed half of all the buildings within the coastal enclave. Israeli leaders have signaled that they would like to establish a buffer zone as a defensive measure, which they contend could prevent a repeat of the Oct. 7 cross-border attack by Hamas that triggered the nearly four-month-old war. That's despite U.S. warnings not to shrink Gaza's territory. Israel's military declined to answer whether it is carving out a buffer zone when asked by the AP, only saying it "takes various imperative actions that are needed in order to implement a defense plan that will provide improved security in southern Israel." However, the military has acknowledged it has demolished buildings throughout the area. An Israeli government official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing internal deliberations, said a "temporary security buffer zone" is under construction. But the scope of the demolitions calls into question how temporary the possible buffer zone will be.
WHERE IS THE PROPOSED BUFFER ZONE?
Gaza has a nearly 60-kilometer (37-mile) border with Israel, with its back up against the Mediterranean Sea. Creating that buffer zone would take some 60 square kilometers (23 square miles) out of the Gaza Strip, which has a total landmass of about 360 square kilometers (139 square miles). Toward the southern part of the Gaza Strip, much of the land in the imagined buffer zone is farmland that abuts the vast $1 billion border barrier constructed on Israeli land that separates it from the enclave. But near the town of Khirbet Khuzaa, where the border turns to the northwest, it's a different story.
Satellite images from Planet Labs PBC analyzed by the AP show significant destruction of buildings and lands bulldozed in a roughly 6-square-kilometer (2.3-square-mile) area. Just over 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) north, farmland has been torn up into bare dirt along where the potential buffer zone would sit. Further north is an area in central Gaza's Maghazi refugee camp. There, Israeli reservists preparing explosives to demolish two buildings near the Israeli border were killed in January when a militant fired a rocket-propelled grenade at a tank nearby. The blast triggered the explosives, collapsing both two-story buildings onto the soldiers, killing 21. A large complex of warehouses sits destroyed just southeast of Gaza City, also within the potential buffer zone. The AP's visual analysis corresponds with data from scientists studying satellite data to make sense of the war's damage. Adi Ben-Nun, the manager of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem's Geographic Information System Center, has surveyed damage along the potential buffer zone up until Jan. 17. Of some 2,850 buildings that could potentially face demolition, 1,100 already have been damaged, he told the AP. Across the Gaza Strip, he estimates 80,000 structures have been damaged during the war. Corey Scher of City University of New York and Jamon Van Den Hoek of Oregon State University put the damage even higher. They estimate at least half of all buildings in Gaza, some 143,900 structures, have been damaged or destroyed during the war. The most intense damage has been around Gaza City — the first city targeted in the ground offensive — though damage has increased in the southern city of Khan Younis. In the area where the 1-kilometer buffer would be, at least 1,329 buildings have been damaged or destroyed since the war began, the U.S. analysts told the AP.
Gaza's border with Egypt already has a narrow buffer zone known as Philadelphi Corridor, which was created as part of Cairo's 1979 peace deal with Israel.
HOW HAS THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY RESPONDED?
In December, Israel informed Western allies and regional Arab nations about its plans to create a buffer zone between the Gaza Strip and Israeli territory, Egyptian and Western diplomats told the AP. The discussions then did not include specifics. News of the buffer zone sparked worries from the international community about eating further into Palestinian territory, particularly in the U.S., which has been Israel's main backer during the war. "We do not support any diminution of the territory of Gaza," U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned on Jan. 25. The State Department did not respond to questions from the AP on the analysis of the demolition in the possible buffer zone. However, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller on Wednesday told journalists that officials had "raised with (Israel) the issue of the establishment of a buffer zone.""I will say we have made clear to them the same thing that we have said publicly, which is we are opposed to any reduction in the size of the territory of Gaza," Miller said.
WHAT DO THE PALESTINIANS SAY?
Meanwhile, there has been a continued growth of Israeli settlements in the West Bank under the far-right government of Benjamin Netanyahu. That further undermines the prospects for an independent Palestinian state in the long-sought two-state solution to the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian crisis. The Palestinians want the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza Strip — areas captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war — for their future state. The Palestinian Foreign Ministry, under the Palestinian Authority that oversees the occupied West Bank, said in a statement that "Israel continues to implement its occupation and colonial projects in the Gaza Strip, evident in its recent initiation of what it calls 'buffer zones' along the borders of Gaza Strip." Senior Hamas official Basem Naim said Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, was "determined not to let this happen" when asked about the possible Israeli plans for a buffer zone. He did not elaborate.

Britain could recognize Palestinian state before peace deal with Israel
Associated Press/February 02, 2024
Britain's top diplomat has said that his country could officially recognize a Palestinian state after a cease-fire in Gaza without waiting for the outcome of what could be yearslong talks between Israel and the Palestinians on a two-state solution. Foreign Secretary David Cameron, speaking to The Associated Press during a visit Thursday to Lebanon intended to tamp down regional tensions, said no recognition could come while Hamas remained in Gaza, but that it could take place while Israeli negotiations with Palestinian leaders were continuing. U.K. recognition of an independent state of Palestine, including in the United Nations, "can't come at the start of the process, but it doesn't have to be the very end of the process," said Cameron, a former British prime minister. "It could be something that we consider as this process, as this advance to a solution, becomes more real," Cameron said. "What we need to do is give the Palestinian people a horizon towards a better future, the future of having a state of their own." That prospect is "absolutely vital for the long-term peace and security of the region," he said. Britain, the U.S. and other Western countries have supported the idea of an independent Palestine existing alongside Israel as a solution to the region's most intractable conflict, but have said Palestinian independence should come as part of a negotiated settlement. There have been no substantive negotiations since 2009. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for his part, has publicly rejected the creation of an independent Palestinian state after the war, and has even boasted in recent weeks that he was instrumental in preventing Palestinian statehood. A move by some of Israel's key allies to recognize a Palestinian state without Israel's buy-in could isolate Israel and put pressure on it to come to the table. Cameron said the first step must be a "pause in the fighting" in Gaza that would eventually turn into "a permanent, sustainable cease-fire." He added that in order for his country to recognize a Palestinian state, the leaders of the Hamas militant group would need to leave Gaza "because you can't have a two state solution with Gaza still controlled by the people responsible for Oct. 7," referring to the deadly Hamas attack on Israel that triggered the war in Gaza. Hamas has so far taken the position that its leaders would not leave the enclave as part of a cease-fire deal.

US sanctions 4 Israeli settlers who attacked Palestinians, peace activists in West Bank
Associated Press/February 02, 2024
President Joe Biden on Thursday issued an executive order that targets Israeli settlers in the West Bank who have been accused of attacking Palestinians and Israeli peace activists in the occupied territory, imposing financial sanctions and visa bans in an initial round against four individuals. Those settlers were involved in acts of violence, as well as threats and attempts to destroy or seize Palestinian property, according to the order. The penalties aim to block the four from using the U.S. financial system and bar American citizens from dealing with them. U.S. officials said they were evaluating whether to punish others involved in attacks that have intensified during the Israel-Hamas war. Biden's order is a rare step against America's closest ally in the Mideast who, Biden says, has the right to defend itself. But the Democratic president has pressed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to show greater restraint in its military operations aimed at rooting out Hamas. Netanyahu denounced the U.S. penalties, which his government was notified in advance, U.S. officials said. Palestinian authorities say some Palestinians have been killed, and rights groups say settlers have torched cars and attacked several small Bedouin communities, forcing evacuations. "This violence poses a grave threat to peace, security, and stability in the West Bank, Israel, and the Middle East region, and threatens the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States," White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said in a statement. Biden is facing growing criticism for his administration's strong support of Israel as casualties mount in the conflict, which began when Hamas, the militant group that rules Gaza, attacked Israel on Oct. 7. The order notes that the violence by settlers undermines U.S. foreign policy objectives, "including the viability of a two-state solution and ensuring Israelis and Palestinians can attain equal measures of security, prosperity, and freedom." Biden has reinvigorated calls for an independent Palestinian state that would exist alongside Israel, a goal that has eluded American presidents and Middle East diplomats for decades. Biden has said that finding a way to achieve Palestinian sovereignty once the Israel-Hamas war ends is essential to building a durable peace. Netanyahu has rejected such an idea throughout his political career and has told U.S. officials he remains opposed to any postwar plan that includes establishment of a Palestinian state. The Israeli leader quickly denounced the sanctions. "The vast majority of settlers," he said in a statement, "are law-abiding citizens, many of them these days are fighting as conscripts and reservists for the defense of Israel." He said his country "takes action against law-breakers in every place, and therefore there is no place for exceptional steps on this measure."
The State Department, in a statement, identified the four settlers and described the accusations against them:
—David Chai Chasdai allegedly led a riot in Huwara in which a Palestinian civilian was killed.
—Einan Tanjil is accused of assaulting Palestinian farmers and Israeli activists.
—Shalom Zicherman was reportedly filmed assaulting Israeli activists in the West Bank.
—Yinon Levi regularly led a group of settlers from the Meitarim Farm outpost who assaulted Palestinian and Bedouin civilians and threatened them with more violence if they did not leave their homes.
Biden has spoken out against retaliatory attacks by Israeli settlers and pledged that those those responsible for the violence will be held accountable. He said in late October that the violence by "extremist settlers" amounted to "pouring gasoline" on the already burning fires in the Middle East. "It has to stop. They have to be held accountable. It has to stop now," Biden said. Israel Defense Forces stepped up raids across the West Bank after the war began. Hamas militants are present in the West Bank, but largely operate underground because of Israel's tight grip on the territory. Palestinians have accused the Israeli military of not preventing attacks by settlers.
Israel's wartime mobilization of 300,000-plus reservists included the call-up of settlers for duty, and many were put in charge of policing their own communities. The military said that in some cases, reservists who live in settlements replaced regular West Bank battalions deployed in the war. The order will give the Treasury Department the authority to impose financial sanctions on settlers engaged in violence, but is not meant to target U.S. citizens. A substantial number of the settlers in the West Bank hold U.S. citizenship, and they would be prohibited under U.S. law from transacting with the sanctioned individuals.
U.S. lawmakers have zeroed in on the role of Americans or dual citizens in the settler violence and intimidation. In a letter last month, Sen. Ben Cardin, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, asked the White House to take action against any U.S. citizens involved in attacks against Palestinians. He said that could include criminal charges and financial sanctions. "There's got to be a strong message against the extreme activities taken by some settlers on the West Bank, jeopardizing the lives of Palestinians as well as the peace in the region," Cardin, D-Md., told reporters Thursday.
Biden's order was first reported by Politico.
In conjunction with the executive order, the Treasury Department issued an alert to financial institutions to look out for transactions that might benefit "extremist" settlers in the West Bank. The alert provides banks with four possible red flags to consider when determining whether to mark transactions to the department as suspicious. They include transactions with nonprofits related to "extremist" settlers and groups, memo-line data that suggests support for extremism and purchases of tactical gear for nongovernmental use in the West Bank. Biden's order was released not long before a visit to Michigan, a key presidential battleground state where his campaign team has seen alarming signs of the growing rift from Arab and Muslim leaders over his handling of the war. Last week, the president's campaign manager, Julie Chavez Rodriguez traveled to suburban Detroit and found a number of community leaders unwilling to meet with her. Some frustrated by Biden's Israel policy are working to discourage voters from supporting the president in the general election. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the administration would send officials to Michigan to engage with community leaders on a range of issues, including the war. When National Security Council spokesman John Kirby was asked whether the timing of the order was related to domestic pressure facing Biden, Kirby said, "Not at all." Kirby said officials have been working since November on potential action to respond to violence by settlers. The State Department announced in December it would impose travel bans on extremist Jewish settlers implicated in a rash of recent attacks on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. While the department did not announce individual visa bans, officials said at the time the bans would cover "dozens" of settlers and their families, with more to come if the violence continued.

Biden avoids angry Gaza protesters as he meets friendly autoworkers in Michigan
Associated Press/February 02, 2024
President Joe Biden has chatted with a friendly union crowd inside a United Auto Workers hall in Michigan as pro-Palestinian demonstrators held back by police with riot shields voiced their anger nearby at the president's full-throated support for Israel in its war with Hamas. The tension highlighted the challenges ahead for Biden in holding on to this critical battleground state in November over likely rival Donald Trump, and underscored the Democrats' concerns about flagging enthusiasm among voters who have been key to their coalition. Biden's visit on Thursday with autoworkers making phone bank calls for him ahead of the state's Democratic primary came just days after union President Shawn Fain announced their endorsement of him. Fain praised Biden's ties to the working class, saying, "We know who's been there for labor and who wasn't," adding that the union's mission now is to "keep Joe Biden as our president."Biden, who joined striking workers on the picket line last year, replied, "Supporting you is the easiest thing I've ever done." However, Biden's Michigan schedule did not include any meetings with Arab Americans, adding to increasing frustration over his support of Israel in its war with Hamas as the Palestinian death toll has mounted. "Why not have a meaningful conversation for how you change course with a community that has first-hand accounts of what it's like to live in the countries where your decision-making is unfolding?" said Abdullah Hammoud, the mayor of Dearborn, one of the largest Arab American communities in the nation. Despite the White House offering no advance details about Biden's planned meeting, close to 200 pro-Palestinian demonstrators were waiting for Biden near the UAW Region 1 building in Warren ahead of his event there. The president's motorcade bypassed them using side streets. Protesters chanted "Hey Biden, what do you say? We won't vote on Election Day" as well as pro-Palestinian slogans, including "Free, free Palestine." Amir Naddaf, 34, traveled with friends from Ann Arbor to protest the president's UAW event after having supported Biden in the 2020 election
"We came here to send a clear message to the administration that they're not welcome in Michigan," said Naddaf. Dozens of riot gear-clad police officers and an armored vehicle kept the protesters from approaching the union hall. More than 26,000 Palestinians, mostly women and minors, have been killed in Gaza since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, according to the Health Ministry in the Hamas-ruled territory. Hamas killed more than 1,200 people and kidnapped about 250 more, mostly civilians, in the attack.
Michigan has shifted increasingly Democratic in recent years, with the party controlling all levels of state government for the first time in four decades. Biden is looking to build on that power as he seeks reelection and the state's critical 15 electoral votes.
The president faces no serious challenge in the primary, but his campaign is trying to build energy for the tougher fight to come in the fall. Michigan was part of the so-called blue wall of three states — with Wisconsin and Pennsylvania — that Biden returned to the Democratic column when he won the White House in 2020. He kicked off his visit to Michigan by meeting with Black religious leaders at They Say restaurant in Harper Woods, outside of Detroit, before thanking autoworkers for their support.
Warren, where Biden met with union workers, is in Macomb County, an area that Democrats lost by a wide margin to Trump in the past two national elections. Biden's outreach to workers there came amid concerns within the party over rising tension between Biden and Arab Americans in the state, many of them in Detroit's Wayne County, which is the Democratic Party's largest base. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Air Force One with Biden that senior administration officials will travel to Michigan later in February to hear from community leaders on the conflict in Israel and Gaza. She did not specify which officials or with whom they would meet.
The early endorsement by the UAW was a clear win for Biden, who came to Michigan to stand alongside striking autoworkers last year. His latest meeting with union members comes on the heels of Trump's visit with another one of the U.S. most influential unions, the Teamsters, in Washington on Wednesday. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., a longtime Biden ally, said Democrats need to tend to a multitude of constituencies in Michigan to hold on to the state in 2024. "Michigan is a purple state. I say that to everybody," she said. "Clearly, the Arab American community matters. But young people have to turn out. They were very decisive two years ago in voter turnout. A lot of the union leadership has endorsed the president, but we've got to get into the union halls and do the contrast so people really understand what it's about. And we've got to make sure women and independents turn out. You know, we're a competitive state."Biden's campaign manager, Julie Chavez Rodriguez, led a group of campaign advisers to the Dearborn area last week as part of her ongoing effort to meet with core supporter groups around the country. She spoke with some community leaders, but the trip ended abruptly when Arab American leaders declined to show up for a meeting with her. Ahead of Biden's visit, demonstrators held a community rally in Dearborn on Wednesday night to protest administration policies backing Israel. "The people in the Middle Eastern community are not confused. They are crystal clear on how Palestine has been handled versus Israel," said former Democratic state Rep. Sherry Gay-Dagnogo, who is from Detroit. "Just to come and visit them without changing your positions is not going to move them. African Americans are not confused either. And so you can't just do visits. A visit is not enough."Biden and his aides have said they do not want to see any civilians die in Hamas-ruled Gaza, and the U.S. is working to negotiate another cease-fire to allow critical aid to reach the territory. During an October visit to Tel Aviv, Biden warned the Israelis not to be "consumed by rage." But the president and his aides have also said he believes Israel has the right to defend itself and he has asked Congress for billions to help Israel in its war effort. On Thursday during a National Prayer Breakfast in Washington ahead of his trip, Biden spoke of the threat of Islamophobia and anti-Semitism. "Not only do we pray for peace, we are actively working for peace, security, dignity for the Israeli people and the Palestinian people," he said. A December AP-NORC poll found that 59% percent of Democrats approve of Biden's approach to the conflict, up from 50% in November. But Democratic voters in New Hampshire's primary were roughly split on how Biden has handled the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, according to AP VoteCast.

UN top court set to decide if it can hear Ukraine's genocide case against Russia
Associated Press/February 02, 2024
The International Court of Justice is ruling Friday on whether it has jurisdiction to hear a case filed by Ukraine in the days after Russia's invasion accusing Moscow of breaching the genocide convention. In the highly-charged case, Kyiv claims that Russia breached the landmark 1948 convention by using trumped-up claims of genocide in the eastern regions of Luhansk and Donetsk as a pretext for attacking Ukraine nearly two years ago. Ukraine also accuses Moscow of "planning acts of genocide."Moscow rejects the allegations and argued last year that the court should throw out the case before even considering the merits of Kyiv's claims. At hearings in September, the leader of Moscow's legal team, Gennady Kuzmin, called Ukraine's case "hopelessly flawed and at odds with the longstanding jurisprudence of this court." In order for the court to have jurisdiction, Ukraine has to establish that it has a dispute with Russia over the genocide convention. A member of Moscow's legal team, Sienho Yee, told judges in September that Russia had not used the genocide convention to justify its military actions in Ukraine, saying they "are based on the right to self-determination and its inherent right to self-defense."
At the same hearings, Ukraine insisted the court has jurisdiction and slammed Moscow for openly flouting an interim order by the court to halt its invasion. The court ordered Russia to stop military operations in Ukraine while the legal proceedings went forward during the war's early weeks, in March 2022. "Russia's defiance is also an attack on this court's authority. Every missile that Russia fires at our cities, it fires in defiance of this court," the leader of Ukraine's legal team, Anton Korynevych, told the 16-judge panel. Judges at the court rebuked Russia for its invasion on Wednesday as they ruled in another case between the two countries linked to attacks in eastern Ukraine since 2014 and discrimination in annexed Crimea. If judges rule that they have jurisdiction in the genocide case, it will move in coming months to discussions of the merits of Ukraine's arguments. A final, legally binding decision is likely still years away. Ukraine's case is based on the 1948 Genocide Convention, which both Kyiv and Moscow have ratified. The convention includes a provision that nations which have a dispute based on its provisions can take that dispute to the world court. Russia denies that there is a dispute, a position Ukraine rejects. The convention and the Hague-based court came under intense scrutiny in recent weeks when South Africa filed a case accusing Israel of genocide in its devastating military operation in Gaza in the aftermath of the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks.
In a preliminary ruling that did not address the merits of South Africa's case, the court last week ordered Israel to do all it can to prevent death, destruction and any acts of genocide in Gaza.

Biden to attend dignified transfer for US troops killed in Jordan
Associated Press/February 02, 2024
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden will join grieving families at Dover Air Force Base on Friday to honor three American servicemembers killed in a drone attack in Jordan, a solemn ritual that has become relatively uncommon in recent years as the U.S. withdrew from conflicts abroad. The Bidens will attend a "dignified transfer" as the remains of the troops killed in the overnight assault Sunday return to U.S. soil. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will join the Bidens for the transfer in Dover, where such events take place when U.S. servicemembers are killed in action. The service members killed Sunday were all from Georgia — Sgt. William Jerome Rivers of Carrollton, Sgt. Kennedy Sanders of Waycross and Sgt. Breonna Moffett of Savannah. Sanders and Moffett were posthumously promoted to sergeant rank. The deaths were the first U.S. fatalities blamed on Iran-backed militia groups, who for months have been intensifying their attacks on American forces in the region following the onset of the Israel-Hamas war in October. Separately, two Navy SEALs died during a January mission to board an unflagged ship that was carrying illicit Iranian-made weapons to Yemen. "These service members embodied the very best of our nation: Unwavering in their bravery. Unflinching in their duty. Unbending in their commitment to our country — risking their own safety for the safety of their fellow Americans, and our allies and partners with whom we stand in the fight against terrorism," Biden said earlier this week. "It is a fight we will not cease."At Thursday's National Prayer Breakfast at the Capitol, Biden acknowledged Rivers, Moffett and Sanders by name, again vowing to never forget their sacrifice to the nation.
"They risked it all," the president said.
Rivers, Sanders and Moffett hailed from different corners of Georgia but were brought together in the same company of Army engineers that was based in Fort Moore. Sanders and Moffett, in particular, were close friends who regularly popped in on each other's phone calls with their families back home.
Moffett had turned 23 years old just nine days before she was killed. She had joined the Army Reserves in 2019, but also worked for a home care provider to cook, clean and run errands for people with disabilities. Sanders, 24, worked at a pharmacy while studying to become an X-ray technician and coached children's soccer and basketball. She had volunteered for the deployment because she wanted to see different parts of the world, according to her parents. Rivers, who was 46 years old and went by Jerome, joined the Army Reserve in New Jersey in 2011 and served a nine-month tour in Iraq in 2018.
Biden will not speak during the dignified transfer, a mournful ritual that, in recent years, has become increasingly uncommon as the U.S. withdrew from conflicts abroad, most notably the war in Afghanistan where U.S. involvement lasted two decades.
According to the most recent statistics available from the Defense Department, no servicemembers were killed as a result of hostile action in 2022. Thirteen servicemembers were killed as a result of hostile action the year prior during the fall of Kabul in Afghanistan, when a suicide bomber at the airport's Abbey Gate killed 11 Marines, one sailor and one soldier. Nine service members were killed as a result of hostile action in 2020. Friday will be the second dignified transfer Biden attends as president. In August 2021, he took part in the ritual for the 13 servicemembers killed during the suicide bombing in Kabul. As vice president, Biden in 2016 attended a dignified transfer for two U.S. soldiers killed in a suicide blast at Bagram Airfield. He also attended one as a senator in 2008 after the family requested his presence and the Pentagon gave him permission to do so.
The U.S. government said this week that the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iran-backed militias that includes the group Kataib Hezbollah, had planned, resourced and facilitated the overnight drone attack. While Biden and White House officials have stressed that they don't want a broader war with Iran, the administration has also warned that its response to the deadly assault won't be a "one-off."More than 40 troops were also injured in the Sunday drone attack at Tower 22, a secretive U.S. military desert outpost whose location allows U.S. forces to infiltrate and quietly leave Syria.

Turkish police rescue hostages held for hours in P&G plant in Gaza protest
Associated Press/February 02, 2024
Police have rescued seven hostages held at gunpoint for hours at a factory owned by U.S. company Procter & Gamble in northwest Turkey, local officials said early Friday. A gunman had sparked the standoff at the P&G facility in Gebze, Kocaeli province, in protest of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, Governor Seddar Yavuz was quoted as saying by state-run Anadolu news agency. Police initiated the rescue after 10 hours of negotiation failed. "Our esteemed police members and our heroic security forces made the necessary intervention as soon as we were sure that no harm would come to the hostages," Yavuz said. Previous reports said two suspects had taken P&G staff prisoner, but Yavuz said it was a former employee acting alone. The man had demanded a cease-fire in Gaza and the opening of aid routes into the Palestinian enclave, he added. "The hostages were rescued safely and the person who committed the action was detained and a large-scale investigation was launched into the incident," Yavuz's office said in a statement. A spokesman for Cincinnati-based P&G said the situation at its Gebze plant had been resolved and all personnel were safe. "The fact that no one was harmed is our greatest relief. We are grateful to the authorities and first responders who managed the situation with courage and professionalism," the spokesperson said.
The suspect was also unharmed.
Yavuz said the man had two guns and an unspecified "device." Turkish media had published an image of the suspect inside the factory wearing what appeared to be a rudimentary explosives belt and holding a handgun. Private news agency DHA said a man entered the main building of the facility around 3 p.m. local time and took seven staff members hostage. Police sealed off surrounding roads at the factory and tried to negotiate with the hostage-taker. P&G Turkey employs 700 people at three sites in Istanbul and Kocaeli, according to the company's website. It produces cleaning and hygiene brands such as Ariel washing powder and Oral B toothpaste. "Thank God, we were reunited," said Fatma Dursun, who told Anadolu her niece had been among the hostages. "May God bless our people, our police and our security forces." Public feeling against Israel and its main ally the U.S. has risen in Turkey since the conflict began, with regular protests in support of the Palestinian people in major cities and calls for an immediate cease-fire. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been particularly outspoken, referring to Israeli "war crimes" and comparing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. The U.S. Embassy in Ankara issued a warning in November about demonstrations "critical of U.S. foreign policy" and calls for boycotts of U.S. businesses. The advice followed protests and attacks on outlets such as McDonald's and Starbucks over the conflict in Gaza. The photograph of the suspect carried in the Turkish media shows him with a black-and-white Arabic headscarf covering his face. He is standing next to a graffitied wall showing the Turkish and Palestinian flags with the slogan "The gates will open. Either musalla or death for Gaza." A musalla is an open prayer area for Muslims, usually used for funeral rites.

Latest English LCCC  analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on February 02-03/2024
Biden Must Abandon Plans to Withdraw US forces from Syria and Iraq
 Con Coughlin/Gatestone Institute/February 02, 2024
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/126668/126668/
[T]he priority now for the White House must be to strengthen its military presence in the region, not reduce it. Worse, the vacuum created by any withdrawal by US troops is sure to be filled by adversaries of America and the free world.
Any US withdrawal is sure to be seen, especially after the US surrender in Afghanistan, as America running away -- again.
[I]t would be folly of the highest order for the Biden administration even to contemplate a reduction of US forces in the region. With Iran clearly intent on pursuing its proxy war against the US and its allies, the US needs to demonstrate its determination to prevent Tehran from expanding its malign influence in the Middle East, rather than capitulating in the face of Iranian violence.
With Iran seemingly intent on intensifying its confrontation with the US, it is hard to imagine a worse time for the Biden administration even to consider withdrawing any of the US forces currently based in the Middle East.
Prior to the latest Iranian-sponsored attack on US forces based in Jordan, in which three serving American service personnel were killed and another 34 were injured, the White House had already opened negotiations with the Iraqi government on the future of US and other allied troops based in the country.
A statement issued by the office of Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, after the first round of talks opened in Baghdad at the weekend, declared that the talks were aimed at ending the US-led coalition in Iraq.
There are currently an estimated 2,500 US troops based in Iraq. The US deployment in the country was originally part of the coalition formed in 2014 to fight Islamic State (IS). The force has continued to operate in Iraq despite the fact that the so-called IS caliphate established in the Syrian city of Raqqa has been destroyed.
Today its main function is to make sure there is no resurgence in IS's terrorist activities in the region, as well as keeping a watchful eye on the numerous terror groups Iran sponsors in the region.
There have also been suggestions that the Biden administration is even thinking of withdrawing the 900-strong US force based in Syria, where they are involved in monitoring Iran's terrorist activities in the country, as well as guarding thousands of battle-hardened IS fighters captured after the fall of Raqqa.
Sinam Sherkany Mohamad, a prominent opposition activist with the Syrian Democratic Council, commented on the proposed withdrawal of US troops:
"If the U.S. withdrew from Syria, our whole region would be at risk. We currently are guarding over 12,500 hardened ISIS fighters who would be released back to the battlefields in the Middle East, North Africa and beyond...
"[A] U.S. withdrawal would also mean that hundreds of thousands of persecuted minorities who were critical in ending the violent ambitions of ISIS would be subject to retaliation by the Assad regime, and by a Turkish government that is hostile to religious and ethnic minorities," said Mohamad. "This would mean the continued persecution of Christians and other religions, total loss of the current equality of women, and the ethnic cleansing of protected minorities."
While the White House has denied it is planning to withdraw US forces from Syria, four sources within the Defense and State Departments have confirmed to the influential Foreign Policy magazine that the White House is no longer invested in sustaining a mission that it perceives as unnecessary, and that active internal discussions are taking place to determine how and when a withdrawal may take place.
The Biden administration's willingness even to think of withdrawing US forces from Iraq and Syria seems all the more remarkable given that forces in both countries have been actively involved in confronting Iranian-backed militias in the wake of the atrocities committed by Iranian-backed Hamas terrorists against Israel on October 7.
US personnel suffered minor injuries and a member of Iraq's security forces was wounded in a sophisticated attack on Iraq's Ain al-Asad Air Base in mid-January, carried out by an Iranian-backed militia using multiple ballistic missiles.
US forces in Syria also came under fire from Iranian-backed terrorists last year in the immediate aftermath of the October 7 attacks, with the Iran-backed Islamic Resistance of Iraq (IRI) claiming responsibility for multiple drone strikes on US bases in eastern Syria.
The latest attack by the IRI, though, on a US base in Jordan, close to the Syrian border, which claimed the lives of three US military personnel, represents a major escalation in Iran's proxy war against the US: it is the first time an Iranian-sponsored attack has resulted in American deaths, a development that should force the Biden administration to seriously reconsider its withdrawal plans.
With President Joe Biden warning that Washington intends to respond to the attack "at a time and in a manner of our choosing", the priority now for the White House must be to strengthen its military presence in the region, not reduce it. Worse, the vacuum created by any withdrawal by US troops is sure to be filled by adversaries of America and the free world. While Iran has been anxious to avoid a direct confrontation with the US over the Gaza conflict, the fact that it has subsequently emerged that an Iranian-made drone was used in the attack that killed US personnel will increase the pressure on the White House to confront Iran over its continuing support for terrorist groups in the Middle East.
Any US withdrawal is sure to be seen, especially after the US surrender in Afghanistan, as America running away -- again.
Moreover, the active threat Iran poses to security in the Middle East, with US nuclear expert David Albright warning that Tehran has enough uranium to make 12 nuclear bombs in five months, makes the prospect of a major confrontation between the US and Iran is a very real possibility.
Pentagon sources have certainly made it clear that retaliatory strikes against Iran are a distinct option.
In such circumstances, it would be folly of the highest order for the Biden administration even to contemplate a reduction of US forces in the region. With Iran clearly intent on pursuing its proxy war against the US and its allies, the US needs to demonstrate its determination to prevent Tehran from expanding its malign influence in the Middle East, rather than capitulating in the face of Iranian violence.
**Con Coughlin is the Telegraph's Defence and Foreign Affairs Editor and a Distinguished Senior Fellow at Gatestone Institute.
© 2024 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/20361/us-withdrawal-syria-iraq

Question: “What did Jesus mean when He said, “I never knew you. Depart from me”?”
GotQuestions.org?/February 02, 2024
Answer: Jesus said, “Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” (Matthew 7:23). It seems strange to hear our all-knowing Lord say there’s something—or someone—He doesn’t know. Jesus refers not to an intellectual knowledge here but to a relational knowledge.
To understand a verse, always start with the context. Jesus is wrapping up His Sermon on the Mount with a final warning about true faith. Jesus predicts that false Christian prophets will be coming as wolves in sheep’s clothing (Matthew 7:15). They may use all the right “God talk” and even make impressive displays of power, but they will not belong to the Lord:
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” (Matthew 7:21–23).
In Jesus’ words on Judgment Day, we see several important truths: it’s not a verbal claim that one follows Jesus that saves (Matthew 7:21). Nominal Christianity cannot save. Also, it’s not a demonstration of spiritual insight or power that saves (verse 22). A person can seem like a Christian in the eyes of other people, yet still be an “evildoer” in God’s sight and sent away from His presence (verse 23). Only those who do the Father’s will and who are known of God will enter heaven.
So, what is the Father’s will? Some men came to Jesus once with a question about what God required of them: “They asked him, ‘What must we do to do the works God requires?’ Jesus answered, ‘The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent’” (John 6:28–29). God wants us to have faith in His Son: “This is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ” (1 John 3:23). Those who are born again by faith in Christ will produce good works to the glory of God (Ephesians 2:10).
When Jesus said, “I never knew you,” to the feigned disciples, He meant that He never recognized them as His true disciples or His friends. He never had anything in common with them nor approved of them. They were no relations of His (Mark 3:34–35). Christ did not dwell in their hearts (Ephesians 3:17), nor did they have His mind (1 Corinthians 2:16). In all these ways and more, Jesus never knew them. Note that Jesus is not breaking off the relationship here—there was never a relationship to break off. Despite their high-sounding words and showy displays of religious fervor, they had no intimacy with Christ.
So it turns out that what matters isn’t so much that we know God on some level, but that God knows us. As Paul explained, “Whoever loves God is known by God” (1 Corinthians 8:3; also see Galatians 4:9). The Lord “tends His flock like a shepherd” (Isaiah 40:11), and He knows who are His sheep (John 10:14). Those somber words “I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” in Matthew 7:23 (KJV) show that Jesus is indeed omniscient. He did not “know” them in the sense He would if they were His followers, but He knew their hearts—they were full of iniquity! Isaiah’s condemnation of hypocrisy fits this group well: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me” (Isaiah 29:13). The evildoers whom Jesus does not know are fake Christians, false teachers, and nominal adherents of religion.
Those who are bid depart from the presence of the Lord will not partake of the blessings of the kingdom: “Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood” (Revelation 22:15). They will be cast “into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 8:12). Those fake Christians whom Jesus says He never knew will not produce the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23); rather, they will produce the opposite, the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19–21).
Jesus warns that one day He will tell a group of religious practitioners, “I never knew you.” God takes no delight in sending people to hell (2 Peter 3:9). But those who are told to depart have rejected God’s eternal purpose and plan for their lives (Luke 7:30). They have spurned the light of the gospel (2 Corinthians 4:4), choosing the darkness instead, because their deeds were evil (John 3:19). At the judgment, they try to justify themselves as worthy of heaven on the basis of their works (prophecies, exorcisms, miracles, etc.), but no one will be justified by his own works (Galatians 2:16). While claiming to do all these good works in Christ’s name, they failed to do the only work of God that counts: “to have faith in the one he sent” (John 6:29, CEV). And so Jesus, the Righteous Judge, condemns them to eternal separation from Him.

Iran: Risky Elections Ahead
Amir Taheri/Asharq Al-Awsat/February 02, 2024
In Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in the Wonderland” a visual perversion deforms people and objects so that they look like what they are meant to be but are not quite the same. The fantasy device used by the English poet in his comic tale has given its name to a neurological condition known as the Alice in wonderland syndrome (AIWS) which causes an incorrect perception of external reality. The four decades’ long experiment that Iran has had with the Khomeinist ideology is a big-size illustration of that syndrome. To start with you call yourself Islamic but end up as a regime that directly or indirectly has attacked all of Iran’s Muslim neighbors, sparing the only two that are not Muslims: Armenia and Russia. Then you call yourself a republic but insist that an elected president cannot be installed unless endorsed by the “Supreme Guide” who could also veto all of the president’s decisions or even sack him with a nod.
Finally you use the name Iran but make sure that nothing of Iran’s long history and rich culture is mentioned unless it serves the personality cult built of “the Supreme Guide”.
Former Foreign Minister Muhammad-Jawad Zarif called that “Our own way of being; our brand of democracy.” The current manifestation of the AIWS in Iran is the cannulation presented as general elections are due in a few weeks’ time.
The first thing that those delving into the official media in Tehran notice in this context is that the coming election started months ago, long before there were any candidates or program on offer. “Supreme Guide” Ali Khamenei fired the staring shot by saying that this election was about the very existence of his regime and that those who didn’t take it were “opponents of the system.” In other words this was not about choosing the 290 members of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, but a referendum in which the 68 million Iranians eligible to vote would come forward to renew allegiance to the “Supreme Guide”.
Nevertheless, those wishing to stand for a seat in the Majlis must be approved by a Council of the Guardians whose members are named by the “Supreme Guide”.
After four decades the rules by which candidates are tested by the council remain a mystery. Someone who has served as a parliamentarian for decades could be disqualified for the next election. Even former presidents of the republic or senior minsters could, and have been, declared “unfit” as candidates.
At the same time, the “Supreme Guide” can reinstate someone disqualified as a candidate or qualify someone who hasn’t been.
Those elected won’t be considered elected unless the “Supreme Guide” approves. And someone who has not been elected could be declared elected, again by the “Supreme Guide”.In an arrangement that might have amused Alice, candidates are not allowed to criticize the leadership or to offer programs that contradict choices already made by the ruling elite. Once approved, candidates are allowed only two weeks of campaigning in which they can brag about their own competence but allowed little else.
Since there are no real political parties inside Iran, candidates usually block together in two informal camps: Fundamentalists (Osul-garayan) and Reformists (Islah-talaban).
The Fundamentalists have never made it clear what their fundamentals are, and the Reformists have always shied away from suggesting any concrete reform.
Broadly speaking, however, one could say that the Fundamentalists want Iran to be in a real or imaginary anti-West, more specifically anti-American, camp with the hope of support from China and Russia while the Reformists dream of normalization with the US.
The “Supreme Guide” has repeatedly said he prefers the Fundamentalists who praise his “Looking East” strategy.
At the same time he needs the Reformists to make the elections appear as something more than a choice between Tweedledum and Tweedledee. However, an election without an opposition is like an opera without a tenor. So, what to do? In early phases the ruling clique cast the former regime of the Pahlavis as the opposition, although nostalgics of the ancien regime largely remained silent. If something was wrong it was the fault of Reza Shah and Muhammad Reza Shah. From the 2000s that narrative appeared to be redundant.
So a new opposition was invented in the form of previous officials of the regime itself with former Presidents Hashemi-Rafsanjani and Muhammad Khatami cast as villains.
Then it was the turn of former Premier Mir-Hussain Mussavi and former Islamic Majlis Speaker Mehdi Karrubi to be dubbed enemies of the system.
This time round those in charge of engineering the coming elections seem uncertain about whom they should castigate as opponents. Some “engineers” seem keen to give the role of the villain to former President Hassan Rouhani and his close associate Zarif. Hardly a day passes without official media attacking the du for allegedly trying to put Iran under American tutelage while wrecking the national economy.
Other “engineers” seem keen on once again refocusing on the Pahlavis as the more serious opponents, a gambit that would allow both Fundamentalists and Reformists to bury the hatchet for the time being and perform a “democratic” tango Khomeinist-style.
This is why Reza Shah, the founder of the Pahlavi dynasty, is once again the subject of vitriolic articles, seminars and TV series designed to present him as a man who tried to de-Islamize Iran by clipping the wings of the clergy and propagating the idea of national, as opposed to religious, identity. It is easy to dismiss the whole process as an exercise in futility. Nevertheless, even the holding of questionable elections is a form of tribute that vice pays to virtue. Previous elections never produced meaningful changes in Tehran’s policies or behavior. But they all provided valuable information on the mood of the people across the nation and in individual constituencies. The key trend to watch is voter participation.
Forty-two years ago over 80 percent of those eligible to vote went to the polls.
Last time round, when Ayatollah Dr. Ibrahim Raisi was elected President, the number had almost halved. Although almost two years of public protests and, more recently, the Gaza war and Iran’s attacks on Iraq, Syria and Pakistan have dominated the news, the electoral show, if it isn’t stopped by something unforeseeable, is still interesting to watch.
What will 68 million Iranian potential voters do just before their New Year in March?

Why the world order should be fixed, not replaced
Mohammed Abu Dalhoum/Arab News/February 02, 2024
After the International Court of Justice’s interim ruling last month that Israel has a case to answer on the accusation of genocide of the Palestinian people, the pressing question is: what happens next? Beyond the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the Israel-Hamas war, the next few weeks are monumentally significant for the international rules-based order.
The court’s efficacy has long been contested. As the sole international court that can, theoretically, keep states in check for their actions, the consensual nature of its decisions leaves it effectively toothless. In fact, as a component of international law, the court was always intended as a compliance-based entity, not for enforcement.
The UN has not been able to bring about a settlement to the protracted Israeli-Palestinian conflict. And now that the international court has been called upon, and will probably also fail to bring about peace, the rules-based world order is in serious jeopardy, politically, diplomatically and now judicially.
The court has looked into 192 cases since its inception. Sixteen of the last 17 cases are still in progress, with the South Africa versus Israel case the only one that has been adjudicated on since 2018. In the context of this conflict, the international system’s judicial body was arguably the strongest bargaining chip; the hidden unused card, the last resort that has now been expended.
When the Arab world succumbs to the inevitable reality that the court does not have the ability to alter the grim situation in Gaza, states like Russia will be handed yet another card to further grow their appeal and influence in the Middle East.
For years, Moscow has pointed to the waning international world order, pegging the US as culpable. In several UN Security Council meetings over the past 10 years, especially those that focused on the “Question of Palestine,” Russian representatives made a habit of blaming Washington for any halts toward a political resolution to the conflict, effectively proclaiming the US-dominated world order a failing system.
Even though Russia itself has been far less likely to offer any substantiated political or humanitarian support to the Palestinians or to victims of other conflicts, compared with the US, it continues to gain traction and appeal globally, including among Arabs.
In fact, a survey last December suggested that a third of Jordanians would like their government to side with Russia if it were in conflict with the US, up from 11 percent when asked just four months earlier. On the other hand, 28 percent indicated they would like the government of Jordan to support the US, down from nearly 50 percent.
It has contributed to historic poverty reduction rates, given millions of minority groups access to equal rights and helped preserve thousands of heritage sites.
Similarly, data from the Arab Barometer shows that 29 percent of Tunisians described the policies of US President Joe Biden toward the Middle East as good in the fall of 2023, before declining to just 6 percent by the end of the year. In comparison, those who described the policies of Russian President Vladimir Putin as good remained above 50 percent throughout the last four months of 2023.
There are similar trends elsewhere in the region and Russia is capitalizing on that. It is thus a matter of how and when Russia leverages that growing appeal toward challenging the international rules-based order.
The existing world order has its shortcomings and does require attention. A change is indeed necessary, but not all changes are the same. A 2018 article by Sergey Karaganov and Dmitry Suslov claims that the world order is in a period of collapse, which opens up possibilities for the creation of a new one — one they believe Russia should lead, not the US. This was seconded by Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov last October, in response to a speech by Biden in which he said the US ought to unite the world in a new order to forge peace. While Biden’s version might denote changes, or amendments, Russia’s version, which starts with the Greater Eurasian Partnership, preludes a paradigm shift. This shift toward a Russia-centric world order may not necessarily lead to peace and stability, as proclaimed. For instance, what happens when Ukraine, Taiwan, India, South Korea, Japan or others do not fit in with the partnership? Thus, this framework is essentially curating an existential “us versus them” conundrum, the ramifications of which are severe, especially considering the short timeframe afforded to states to determine their alliances. It is also counterproductive to individual rights and freedoms, particularly for minority groups. The emphasis on having “leading powers” decide on the principles of their new world order is highly likely to place the lives of millions of people around the world at risk. Despite its shortcomings, the current international rules-based system has had its successes. It has contributed to historic poverty reduction rates, given millions of minority groups access to equal rights and helped preserve thousands of heritage sites, among other notable achievements.
As for its shortcomings, they do not require risking the oblique and disastrous global ramifications that would accompany Russia’s proposed paradigm shift. Instead, what the current international rules-based system needs is to enact clear mechanisms that can safeguard and enforce international laws, achieving parity and ensuring that no one is above the law.
• Mohammed Abu Dalhoum is the president of MENAACTION and a senior research analyst at NAMA Strategic Intelligence Solutions.

Are Turkiye-Bahran relations poised for a new chapter?
Sinem Cengiz/Arab News/February 02, 2024
The normalization between Turkiye and the Gulf Cooperation Council states that started in early 2021 has had a transformative impact on Ankara’s relations with the region. However, when Turkiye-GCC relations are discussed, Bahrain is the state that is least mentioned. Compared to Ankara’s relations with the other Gulf states, its ties with Bahrain did not significantly develop during this normalization phase, as the two states are yet to engage in solid political, economic and defense cooperation.
However, Turkish Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus visited Bahrain on Monday. After leaving Bahrain, Kurtulmus made an official visit to the UAE, where he inaugurated a branch of the Turkish defense giant Aselsan in Abu Dhabi. Unlike Bahrain, Ankara’s relations with the UAE are rapidly improving in both the economic and defense realms. For example, Abu Dhabi has inked a free trade deal with Ankara and purchased Bayraktar TB2 drones from Turkish manufacturer Baykar.
Kurtulmus noted that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will also visit the UAE this month. This will be the fifth time the Turkish and Emirati leaders have met in less than a year. Whether Bahrain will join the UAE on Erdogan’s itinerary remains to be seen. Despite his announcement of a visit to Bahrain in November 2022 — which would have been his first visit since 2017 — the trip did not materialize.
Following last year’s presidential and parliamentary elections, Turkiye’s policymakers drafted a new approach titled “The Century of Turkiye.” In doing so — and to reflect the importance of the Gulf states — Erdogan embarked on a July tour that encompassed Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE. This tour was both symbolically and strategically significant, as several agreements were signed between Turkiye and the Gulf states, which sought to diversify their economies, counter security threats and enhance their roles in the region. Bahrain was not included.
The developing relations between Ankara and Manama were adversely impacted by the 2017 Gulf crisis and 2020 Abraham Accords
Therefore, Kurtulmus’ visits to Manama and Abu Dhabi were important in terms of timing and discussions. The visit to Bahrain could signify the beginning of a potential new chapter in Turkish-Bahraini relations and might lay the groundwork for a forthcoming high-level visit from the Turkish side.
Bahrain’s King Hamad was the first Arab leader to visit Ankara following the July 2016 failed coup attempt. During the respective visits of King Hamad to Ankara in 2016 and Erdogan to Manama in 2017, numerous agreements were signed on defense, diplomatic, educational and economic cooperation. However, the developing relations between Ankara and Manama were adversely impacted by the 2017 Gulf crisis and 2020 Abraham Accords. Yet, diplomatic contacts between Ankara and Manama have continued. Former Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu paid an official two-day visit to Bahrain in January 2022. This was followed by the visit of Turkiye’s then-Finance Minister Nureddin Nebati in March 2022. Last year, Bahrain was among the GCC countries that sent rescue and aid teams to Turkiye and Syria after they were hit by devastating earthquakes. Bahraini people also carried out donation campaigns in solidarity with the Turks and Syrians. Moreover, Turkiye’s Ambassador in Manama Esin Cakil has been instrumental in fostering relations between the two countries, focusing on business and cultural cooperation.
In international diplomacy, when high-level issues, such as security and defense cooperation, are not at a promising level, states can instead move forward by focusing on low-level politics, including cultural and economic cooperation. Bahrain already hosts a branch of one of Turkiye’s most effective cultural institutions, the Yunus Emre Institute, which promotes learning of the Turkish language and cultural norms worldwide. The institute currently only has branches in Qatar and Bahrain within the Gulf region.
It has become critical for Bahrain to diversify its partnerships with regional powers, especially in terms of defense and trade
It has become critical for Bahrain to diversify its partnerships with regional powers, especially in terms of defense and trade. It has the smallest and most vulnerable economy among the GCC states due to its relatively few energy resources and limited market and savings. Therefore, the issue of diversification is crucial to the national economy. Although the trade volume between Turkiye and Bahrain does not compare to that of other Gulf countries, there is an opportunity for Ankara to reach new sources of energy, both hydrocarbons and renewables, through its ties with Bahrain, while Manama can attract Turkish investments. Despite the relatively undeveloped level of economic ties, there are significant security aspects to the Turkish-Bahraini relationship. Over the past few years, Turkiye’s defense industry has increased its sales to Gulf countries, so this might be an area for Bahrain to deepen its cooperation with Turkiye. Although the US occupies a significant place in Bahrain’s security and economic cooperation, Turkiye is a significant regional actor that has acted as a counterforce in the Gulf for decades.
For Ankara, increasing its number of friends in the Gulf is crucial. It has been pursuing a particular policy toward each GCC member state according to its varying interests. Bahrain, like other GCC members, might seek to deepen its ties with Turkiye, particularly as it perceives significant threats to its stability and security, such as a rising hegemonic Iran, an increasing risk of terrorism and the potential for destabilizing fallout as a result of great power competition. The Iranian factor is a particularly important determinant in Bahraini foreign policy.
Given the new realities of regional politics in the post-normalization era, Turkiye’s relations with Manama have the potential and need to improve, even if they do not ultimately reach the level of Ankara’s ties with other GCC states.
• Sinem Cengiz is a Turkish political analyst who specializes in Turkiye’s relations with the Middle East. X: @SinemCngz