Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on February 08-09/2024
Who was Saint Maroun That The Mronite Church Carries His Name?/Elias Bejjani/February 09/2024
Khamies El Sakra -“Drunken Thursday”, Maronite Tradition/Elias Bejjani/February 08/2024
Maronites From Triumphs to Setbacks/Father Tony Bou Assaf /February 09/2024
Israel Killed Abbas Al-Bebs, A Hezbollah High rank Leader
Lebanon Rejects Proposal to Curb Hezbollah
Israel strike wounds Hezbollah official in Lebanon: security source
Report: South Lebanon incurs $1.2 billion in losses due to war
3 Lebanese officials confirm intensive negotiations to end Israel-Hezbollah fighting
Blinken says US working closely with Israel, Lebanon on diplomatic efforts
Three wounded in Hezbollah attack on command center in Kiryat Shmona
Armed forces retirees protest salaries ahead of cabinet session
Mikati, French delegation discuss French 'ideas' for South
Report says no breakthrough in Lebanon-Israel indirect talks
Palestinian refugees in Lebanon despair at UN agency funding cuts
Iranian FM to visit Beirut on Friday
Cabinet approves 2024 state budget, convenes Saturday to discuss wages of retired military and public sector employees
Mikati: Saturday’s cabinet session to address wage hike, yet bound by spending cap
Berri meets French delegation, Iraqi Agriculture Minister, Latvia’s Public Health Minister, underlines commitment to full implementation of...
Kataeb Leader Meets with US Ambassador to Lebanon, Emphasizes Importance of Lebanon's Neutrality

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on February 08-09/2024
Israel PM orders troops to prepare for push into Rafah
Senate Advances Ukraine, Israel Aid Bill After GOP Stands Down
Iraq says US strikes pushing government to end U.S.-led coalition's mission
'We are surrounded': Guarding the Middle East's most dangerous border
Iraq Hosts Both U.S. and Iranian-Backed Forces. It’s Getting Tense.
Blinken says truce deal still possible, Hamas delegation to resume talks in Cairo
Israel PM orders troops to prepare for push into Rafah
Exclusive-US-backed force in Syria: more air defence needed after deadly drone attack
Canadian officials still haven't seen intelligence linking UN's Gaza aid agency with Hamas: sources
Iranian, Chinese nationals charged in high-tech information theft
Munich Security Conference did not invite Russian, Iran officials this year

Titles For The Latest English LCCC  analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on February 08-09/2024
How Iran controls a network of armed groups to pursue its regional strategy/Christoph Bluth, Professor of International Relations and Security, University of Bradford/The Conversation/February 08/ 2024
Iran's Proxies Aren't Really Proxies/Amal Saad/Time/February 08/2024
Why Don't We Want a War with Iran?/Alan M. Dershowitz/Gatestone Institute./February08/2024
The Genocide of 'The Sunday People': 365,000,000 Christians Persecuted Worldwide/Raymond Ibrahim/Gatestone Institute./February 08/2024
Tyrants and expendable migrants: Dictators play with people’s lives to gain leverage/Emanuele Ottolenghi/The Washington Times/February 08/2024

Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on February 08-09/2024
Who was Saint Maroun That The Mronite Church Carries His Name?
Elias Bejjani/February 09/2024
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/95781/elias-bejjani-who-was-saint-maroun-that-the-mronite-church-carries-his-name/
Fouad Afram Boustani, (1904- 1994), the Lebanese Maronite historian described the Maronite denomination as, a faith of intelligence, an identification of life, a solid belief in Catholicism, a love for others, an ongoing struggle for righteousness, a mentality of openness on the whole world, and on its different civilizations, and a vehicle for martyrdom.
The Maronites established the state of Lebanon and made it an oasis for the persecuted in the middle East. They believed and practiced multiculturalism and pluralism. They created with the help of other minorities in the Middle East the unique nation of Lebanon.
The Maronites made Lebanon their homeland since the 4th century after converting its native inhabitants to Christianity. They were identified by it, and it was identified by them, they were and still are one entity.
The Maronite people were always hopeful, faithful and strong believers in the Christian Catholic doctrine. They made victories of defeats, joy of sorrow and hope of despair.
The Maronites successfully created with hard work and a great deal of faith and sacrifices, the Maronite nation by fulfilling its four basic pillars, a land, a people, a civilization and a politically independent entity.
They constantly fight for what was theirs, and never ever surrendered to despair.
On the ninth of February for the past 1600 years, Maronites in Lebanon and all over the world have been celebrating the annual commemoration of St. Maroun, the founder of their Christian Catholic denomination.
Every year, on the ninth of February, more than ten million Maronites from all over the world celebrate St. Maroun’s day.
On this day, they pay their respect to the great founder of the Maronite Church, Maroun the priest, the hermit, the father, the leader and the Saint.
They remember what they have been exposed to, since the 4th century, both good and bad times.
They reminisce through the past, examine the present and contemplate the future. They pray for peace, democracy and freedom in Lebanon, their homeland, and all over the world.
Who was this Saint, how did he establish his church, where did he live, and who are his people, the Maronites?
St. Maroun, according to the late great Lebanese philosopher and historian, Fouad Afram Al-Bustani, was raised in the city of Kouroch. This city is located northeast of Antioch (presently in Turkey), and to the northwest of Herapolos (Manbieg), the capital of the third Syria (Al-Furatia). Kouroch is still presently in existence in Turkey, it is located 15 kilometers to the northwest of Kalas city, and about 70 kilometers to the north of the Syrian city, Aleppo.
As stated by the historians, Father Boutrous Daou and Fouad Fram Bustani, Maroun chose a very high location at the Semaan Mountain (called in the past, Nabo Mountain, after the pagan god, Nabo). Geographically, the Semaan Mountain is located between Antioch and Aleppo. People had abandoned the mountain for years, and the area was completely deserted.
The ruins of a historic pagan temple that existed on the mountain attracted Maroun. Boustan stated that St. Maroun moved to this mountain and decided to follow the life of a hermit. He made the ruined temple his residence after excoriating it from devils, but used it only for masses and offerings of the holy Eucharist. He used to spend all his time in the open air, praying, fasting and depriving his body from all means of comfort. He became very famous in the whole area for his faith, holiness and power of curing. Thousands of believers came to him seeking help and advice.
St. Maroun, was an excellent knowledgeable preacher and a very stubborn believer in Christ and in Christianity.
He was a mystic who started a new ascetic-spiritual method that attracted many people from all over the Antiochian Empire. He was a zealous missionary with a passion to spread the message of Christ by preaching it to others.
He sought not only to cure the physical ailments that people suffered, but had a great quest for nurturing and healing the “lost souls” of both pagans and Christians of his time. Maroun’s holiness and countless miracles drew attention throughout the Antiochian Empire. St. John of Chrysostom sent him a letter around 405 AD expressing his great love and respect asking St. Maroun to pray for him.
St. Maroun’s way was deeply monastic with emphasis on the spiritual and ascetic aspects of living. For him, all was connected to God and God was connected to all. He did not separate the physical and spiritual world and actually used the physical world to deepen his faith and spiritual experience with God.
St. Maroun embraced the quiet solitude of the Semaan Mountain life. He lived in the open air exposed to the forces of nature such as sun, rain, hail and snow.
His extraordinary desire to come to know God’s presence in all things allowed him to transcend such forces, and discover an intimate union with God.
He was able to free himself from the physical world by his passion and eagerness for prayer and enter into a mystical relationship of love with the creator.
St. Maroun attracted hundreds of monks and priests who came to live with him and become his disciples and loyal Christian followers.
Maroun’s disciples preached the Bible in the Antiochan Empire (known at the present time as Syria), Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq, Jordan and Israel, They built hundreds of Churches and abbeys as well as schools and were known for their faith, devotion and perseverance.
At the age of seventy, in the year 410 AD, and after completing his holy mission, St. Maroun died peacefully while surrounded by his disciples and followers. His will was to be buried in the same grave with his beloved teacher, the great monk, Zabena, in the town of Kena, next to Kouroch city, where a temple was built in Zabena’s name.
St. Maroun’s will was not fulfilled, because the residents of a nearby town were able to take his body and bury him in their town and build a huge church on his grave. This church was a shrine for Christians for hundreds of years, and its ruins are still apparent in that town.
After Maroun’s death, his disciples built a huge monastery in honor of his name, adjacent to the ornate spring, (Naher Al-Assi, located at the Syrian-Lebanese border). The monastery served for hundreds of years as a pillar for faith, education, martyrhood and holiness.
It was destroyed at the beginning of the tenth century that witnessed the worst Christian persecution era. During the savage attack on the monastery more than 300 Maronite priests were killed.
The surviving priests moved to the mountains of Lebanon where with the Marada people and the native Lebanese were successful in establishing the Maronite nation. They converted the Lebanese mountains to a fortress of faith and a symbol for martyrhood, endurance and perseverance.
Initially the Maronite movement reached Lebanon when St. Maroun’s first disciple Abraham of Cyrrhus, who was called the Apostle of Lebanon, realized that paganism was thriving in Lebanon, so he set out to convert the pagans to Christianity by introducing them to the way of St. Maroun.
St. Maroun is considered to be the Father of the spiritual and monastic movement now called the Maronite Church. This movement had a profound influence on northern Syria, Lebanon, Cyprus and on many other countries all over the world where the Maronites currently live.
The biggest Maronite community at the present time lives in Brazil. More than six million Lebanese descendents made Brazil their home after the massive emigration that took place from Lebanon in the beginning of this century.
God Bless all those who struggle for freedom and liberty all over the world.
NB: This piece was first published in 2013
























 

Khamies El Sakra -“Drunken Thursday”, Maronite Tradition
Elias Bejjani/February 08/2024
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/115838/115838/
Today, Thursday, February 08/2024, the Catholic Maronites in Lebanon celebrate a tradition, and not a religious event. A tradition they call “Drunken Thursday,” which is the day that falls before the beginning of the forty-day fasting ritual – the Lent, that begins on the Ash Monday.
In past years, Maronite families, particularly in the mountainous areas, used to gather on this day at the dinner table to pray, meditate, and thank God for His blessings and gifts. They used to gather to thank the Lord for His gifts, and to supplicate for His blessings and approval before they start the Lent fasting, and before the start of austerity and prayers in preparation for the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and his ascension to heaven.
The “Drunken Thursday”, is neither a Maronite, nor a Christian holiday. Rather, it is a tradition that many of our people no longer celebrate, even if they remember it.
Historically, “drunken Thursday” is an old tradition, and we do not know in any era of time it existed, and who created it, but it was certainly practiced in our mountains every year on the Thursday before the beginning of the forty-days fasting ritual – The Lent. There is very little information written about it in the books of Lebanese history and the Maronite church records (synaxarium).
Some historical records say that the Maronites used to drink wine and Arak (Ozo) on this day, as a token of joy and partnership between parents and families during their blessed gatherings around the dinner table, as a replicate, concept and symbolism of the secret and last supper of Jesus Christ with his disciples, in a religious bid to give thanks to God for His blessings and gifts that He bestowed upon them.
NB: This piece was first published in 2015

Maronites From Triumphs to Setbacks
Father Tony Bou Assaf /February 09/2024
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/126851/126851/
In a contemplative journey through the annals of Maronite history, one is struck by the milestones of success achieved by a people driven by the desire for life. In matters of faith and worldly affairs, they grappled; in intellect and spirit, they persevered; in asceticism and frugality, they endured; in politics and sanctity, they flourished. Among them stood saints at altars, priests, patriarchs, and illustrious leaders. Thus, the community became fortified with spiritual, intellectual, and political prowess. The Maronites soared as achievers, carving through challenges with persistence, forging faith-based covenants, and steadfastly resisting invaders. Their territory transformed into a tapestry of labor and righteous struggle.
These Maronites propelled the nation’s advancement; thus, “Maronite politics” emerged as a hallmark of civilization. Despite occasional missteps, their contributions steered the nation from infancy through adolescence to maturity.
Their greatness stemmed from asceticism and prayer, prioritizing the public good over personal gain, instilling logic in statecraft, and fostering respect for institutions. Though they faced setbacks and triumphs, their resilience remained constant, proving their enduring greatness.
Yet, the contrast between past glory and present challenges is stark…
Maronites, who have strayed from their path, see their leaders embroiled in power struggles, adept at isolating one another while ignoring their collective failings.
Today’s Maronites stand as strangers on the sidelines of the nation, seeking a homeland lost to pride and shortsightedness. They relinquish the plow of progress, gazing backwards, transforming once vibrant institutions into realms of despair, frustration, and resignation. They are a scattered flock, devoid of guidance, worn down by discord and division, suffocated by indifference and fragmentation.
As the Prophet Ezekiel foretold, today’s Maronites resemble “dry bones,” facing a state of spiritual lethargy, transitioning from heights of achievement to the depths of adversity.
Forgive us, great Saint Maroun, for our transgressions and errors. Revive our spirits, reclaim our paradise, and reunite our fractured nation…grant us peace.
(Free Translation by Elias Bejjani)

Israel Killed Abbas Al-Bebs, A Hezbollah High rank Leader
Agencies/09 February/2024
An Israeli source revealed on Thursday that the attack on Nabatiyeh was in response to Hezbollah targeting the Kiryat Shmona area and the military command headquarters in northern Israel. The source added that "the Nabatiyeh operation targeted the commander of the Ridaan unit in the Khiam area." Israeli Air Force commander Tomer Bar warned on Thursday that Hezbollah "will continue to pay the price in its systems." Bar explained in a press conference: "Now there are dozens of aircraft operating in southern Lebanon, and when orders are issued, dozens will turn into hundreds to carry out their missions within moments of being called upon."
What happened in Nabatiyeh?
A military official in Hezbollah, Abbas Al-Debs, was killed as a result of an Israeli strike targeting his car in the city of Nabatiyeh. A Lebanese security source said, "The Israeli strike targeted the car of a military official in the south of Hezbollah. The official Lebanese National News Agency stated that "an Israeli raid was carried out Thursday afternoon on a four-wheel-drive vehicle at the eastern entrance of Nabatiyeh city, causing it to catch fire." The car was targeted on a main street in the city located north of the Litani River, 12 kilometers from the nearest border point with Israel. Video clips circulated on social media showing flames rising from the car. When asked about the strike, an Israeli army spokesperson only said, "We are looking into these reports." The targeting of the car came at a time when Hezbollah had intensified its shelling of Israeli positions since morning, including the Ma'aleh Gilboa and Brannit barracks and a command headquarters in Kiryat Shmona, as announced in several statements. Since the outbreak of the war in Gaza on October 7th, the Lebanese-Israeli border has witnessed daily exchanges of shelling between Hezbollah and Israel, raising international concerns about the escalation and prompting Western officials to visit Beirut and urge de-escalation. Since the escalation began, 227 people have been killed in Lebanon, including 166 Hezbollah fighters and 27 civilians, including 3 journalists, according to a tally by "Agence France-Presse." In Israel, the army has counted 9 soldiers and 6 civilians killed. The escalation has forced tens of thousands of residents on both sides of the border to flee their homes.

Lebanon Rejects Proposal to Curb Hezbollah
FDD/February 08, 2024
Latest Developments
Lebanon rejected a proposal on February 6 for Hezbollah’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon, as mandated by UN Security Council Resolution 1701. The United States and four European countries are reportedly calling for Hezbollah to retreat several kilometers north as part of a diplomatic effort to defuse tensions at the border. However, Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib rebuffed these efforts, saying on February 6 that Beirut “will not accept half-solutions.” He insisted on linking a solution to Hezbollah’s attacks to a broader “package deal” that would also resolve outstanding land border disputes between Lebanon and Israel.
Expert Analysis
“UN Security Council Resolution 1701 imposes non-negotiable obligations on Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah or at least remove it north of the Litani. Beirut, instead, has been treating these duties as bargaining chips. It is using Hezbollah’s violence and the threat of war to scare the international community into granting it territorial concessions and, reportedly, even financial assistance. In exchange, Lebanese officials have promised only to try to implement 1701’s terms, assiduously avoiding any guarantees that Beirut can live up to its legal duties.” — David Daoud, FDD Senior Fellow
“Diplomacy should be given every opportunity to succeed. An agreement that pushes Hezbollah north of the Litani River would be a welcome step toward greater stability in the Middle East. But we cannot expect diplomacy to prevail. Hezbollah may want war. The United States must therefore work closely with Israel to ensure that the Israelis are prepared for the battle that may be looming.” — Jonathan Schanzer, FDD Senior Vice President for Research
Hezbollah Defies UN Security Council Resolution 1701
UN Security Council Resolution 1701 established the ceasefire that ended the 2006 Lebanon War. Yet for 18 years, Lebanon has failed to fulfill the resolution’s obligations. Instead, Hezbollah has massively expanded its presence in south Lebanon, thereby enabling the group to fully participate in the current war. Hezbollah’s most senior leaders have described the Lebanese front as a “war” and a “war of attrition.” As a result of Hezbollah’s attacks, ongoing since October 8, Israel has evacuated more than 80,000 citizens from communities along the northern border.
Diplomatic Solution
U.S. Special Envoy Amos Hochstein visited Israel on February 4, where he spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant about resolving the Hezbollah threat diplomatically. The United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Italy are also engaged in the diplomatic effort.
Hochstein reportedly proposed a partial implementation of Resolution 1701 involving Hezbollah withdrawing eight to 10 kilometers from the border — not the full 30 kilometers required by Resolution 1701. Israel would also be required to draw down its forces along the border. Additionally, Hochstein’s framework reportedly includes economic incentives for Lebanon.

Israel strike wounds Hezbollah official in Lebanon: security source
AFP/February 08, 2024
BEIRUT: An Israeli air strike on a car in south Lebanon seriously wounded a military official of Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah on Thursday, a Lebanese security source told AFP. The official was “seriously wounded and a companion was also injured” in the strike in the city of Nabatiyeh, some way from the border region that has seen almost daily exchanges of fire since the Israel-Hamas war broke out last October.

Report: South Lebanon incurs $1.2 billion in losses due to war
Naharnet/February 8, 2024
The economic losses in south Lebanon have reached around $1.2 billion since the beginning of the Israel-Hezbollah clashes on October 8, a study has found. The study, which has been conducted by non-governmental sources, was reported Thursday by the Asharq al-Awsat newspaper. “These are losses that are mainly related to the destruction that has affected infrastructure, roads, buildings and agricultural land. There is also around $300 million in indirect losses due to the closure of businesses,” the daily said. Mohammad Chamseddine, policy and research specialist at Information International, told Asharq al-Awsat that “520 homes have been totally destroyed and 3,300 others have been partially damaged.” “There is an entire economic cycle that has ground to a halt in the South, seeing as a lot of businesses and factories have stopped functioning, in addition to major losses in the agricultural sector, especially olive crops and forests,” Chamseddine added. Since the outbreak of war between Israel and Gaza-based Palestinian militant group Hamas on October 7, the Lebanese-Israeli border has seen near-daily exchanges of fire between Israel and Hezbollah, a Hamas ally. Israel has repeatedly bombarded Lebanese border villages, killing 227 people, mostly Hezbollah fighters but also 27 civilians including three journalists. On the Israeli side, 15 people have been killed in the northern border area including nine soldiers and six civilians, according to the Israeli army. The fighting has also displaced tens of thousands of residents on both sides of the border.

3 Lebanese officials confirm intensive negotiations to end Israel-Hezbollah fighting
Associated Press/February 8, 2024
Foreign diplomats have put forward proposals to bring calm to the volatile Lebanon-Israel border, in parallel with the ongoing Gaza cease-fire negotiations, according to officials Wednesday. This includes a pullback by Hezbollah from the frontier and the deployment of thousands of additional Lebanese Army troops. The proposal put forward by European diplomats would be based on the "partial implementation" of the U.N. Security Council resolution that ended a 34-day war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006, two Lebanese political officials and a Lebanese diplomat based in Europe told The Associated Press.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to disclose details of the talks. Israel has publicly insisted on a full implementation of the resolution meaning that Hezbollah has to move its fighters north of the Litani River, which is more than 20 kilometers north of the border.
Iran-backed Hezbollah, a Hamas ally, has refused to be part of the discussions while the Israel-Hamas war is ongoing, but once a cease-fire is in place, the group said it was open to moving its forces away from the border by a few miles in exchange for concessions by Israel over 13 disputed border areas, one of the officials familiar with the talks said Wednesday. Iran's regional militant group allies have said that once a cease-fire in Gaza comes into effect, all attacks by Iran-backed groups in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen would stop. Britain and France's top diplomats, among others, have recently visited Beirut amid concerns the Israel-Hamas war could expand to Lebanon where exchanges of fire have taken place on an almost daily basis between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters for nearly four months. The violence along the Lebanon-Israel border has displaced tens of thousands of people on both sides. Israel has issued increasingly stern warnings that Hezbollah should pull back from the border or it will launch a war on Lebanon.
Last Thursday, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron arrived in Lebanon with a plan he said would include Britain training Lebanese army forces to carry out more security work in the border region. France's Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne was also in Beirut on Tuesday, with a proposal to ease the tension. He warned that the border situation is "very concerning" and that Israel is serious in its threats against Lebanon, one of the Lebanese officials said. Sejourne 's suggestion called for a bigger role for the Lebanese Army in the border area and for negotiations regarding 13 disputed points along the border since Israel withdrew from southern Lebanon in 2000, according to the Lebanese diplomat based in Europe. The diplomat said there is "initial understanding" regarding seven of the 13 areas. Apart from those, one of the officials familiar with the regional talks said Hezbollah would demand that Israel withdraw from the Lebanese part of the town of Ghajar, which is split in half by the border. He said the proposal on the table calls for Hezbollah to pull back 7 km from the border -- the range of the anti-tank missiles the group has been using most frequently during the clashes — and for the deployment of 12,000 Lebanese Army troops in the area. He added that many members of Hezbollah's elite Radwan Force live in the border area but the group had no "fixed bases" there. Amos Hochstein, a senior advisor to U.S. President Joe Biden, was in Israel over the weekend. He reported progress in talks concerning Hezbollah's pullback from the border area, according to Israeli media. Hochstein had successfully mediated a maritime border deal between Lebanon and Israel in 2022. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Israeli leaders on Wednesday after Hamas put forward a detailed plan for a new cease-fire and hostage release deal, but both sides remain dug in on thus far elusive goals as the war enters its fifth month. The Lebanese politician familiar with the talks said that Hamas would be willing to give up political power in Gaza in return for a reconstruction plan. He added that any Palestinian ruling body that might take over would include people trusted by Hamas leadership. However, Hamas leaders in Gaza including Yahya Sinwar, have rejected an Israeli proposal for them to leave the enclave, similar to a deal under which Palestinian Liberation Organization leaders evacuated Lebanon in 1982.
The politician, who is in contact with Hamas officials, said Sinwar has been leading the negotiations with Israel from his hideout in Gaza.

Blinken says US working closely with Israel, Lebanon on diplomatic efforts
Naharnet/February 8, 2024
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said that Washington is still exerting diplomatic efforts to resolve the border conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in a peaceful way. “We’re continuing to work closely with Israel and Lebanon on diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions on Israel’s northern border so that families can return to their homes -- both in northern Israel and in southern Lebanon -- and live in peace and security,” Blinken said during a visit to Israel. Amos Hochstein, one of U.S. President Joe Biden's closest and most trusted advisers, met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in Israel on Sunday and discussed his proposal for “new understandings” between Lebanon and Israel, U.S. news portal Axios has reported. Since the outbreak of war between Israel and Gaza-based Palestinian militant group Hamas on October 7, the Lebanese-Israeli border has seen near-daily exchanges of fire between Israel and Hezbollah, a Hamas ally. Israel has repeatedly bombarded Lebanese border villages, killing 227 people, mostly Hezbollah fighters but also 27 civilians including three journalists. On the Israeli side, 15 people have been killed in the northern border area including nine soldiers and six civilians, according to the Israeli army. The fighting has also displaced tens of thousands of residents on both sides of the border.

Three wounded in Hezbollah attack on command center in Kiryat Shmona
Naharnet/February 8, 2024
Hezbollah targeted Thursday three military posts and a command center in northern Israel as Israeli artillery shelled several border towns in south Lebanon. Hezbollah said in a statement that it had attacked the Jalil command center in Kiryat Shmona, the Branit post, soldiers in Metula, and the Radar post in the occupied Shebaa Farms. An officer and two soldiers were wounded in the Kiryat Shmona attack, the Israeli army radio said. Israeli artillery meanwhile shelled the southern towns of Kfarkila, al-Khiam, al-Hamames and the outskirts of Aita al-Shaab. On Wednesday, Israeli strikes on the town of al-Khiam killed a man identified as a civilian and wounded two others. Israel and Hezbollah have been engaging in low-intensity but deadly fighting since the start of the war in Gaza. During that time, 228 people have been killed in Lebanon, 173 of them identified by Hezbollah as fighters. Israeli authorities say nine soldiers and nine civilians have been killed in attacks by Hezbollah. Hezbollah announced two attacks Wednesday, a rocket attack on a gathering of Israeli troops and another attack on what they called “technical equipment,” without elaborating. International governments are scrambling to prevent hostilities on the Lebanon-Israel border from spiraling into all-out war. Israel and Hezbollah fought a monthlong war in 2006 that ended in a stalemate.

Armed forces retirees protest salaries ahead of cabinet session
Naharnet/February 8, 2024
Security forces fired tear gas on Thursday to disperse hundreds of protesters, mainly retired soldiers, who tried to break through the fence leading to the Grand Serail in downtown Beirut. The retired members of the armed forces gathered at Beirut's Riad al-Solh Square to protest their low salaries and blocked the roads leading to the Grand Serail where Cabinet convened Thursday. Some ministers were seen arriving at the Grand Serail on foot, as protestors tried to prevent them from reaching the session. The retirees demanded that their salaries be discussed in the session. Cabinet will discuss in an extraordinary session Saturday the retirees' demands, caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said after the session. In the session, the caretaker Cabinet appointed Maj. Gen. Hassan Aoude as army chief of staff and approved the publishing of the 2024 state budget in the official Gazette. On Tuesday, the retirees demanding better pay blocked the Karantina road with burning tires. "Our demand is to live in dignity," a protester said. All public sector employees, including the members of the armed forces, get paid in Lebanese pounds. Their salaries have become too low to cover basic expenses while grocery stores and other businesses are now pricing their goods in dollars.

Mikati, French delegation discuss French 'ideas' for South
Naharnet/February 8, 2024
Caretaker PM Najib Mikati met Thursday with a French delegation comprising the foreign ministry’s political affairs director, the defense ministry’s international and strategic relations director, the deputy head of the N. Africa and Mideast dept. at the foreign ministry, and the French ambassador to Lebanon. “The visit is a follow-up to the visit of French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné and we raised our ideas regarding the situation in South Lebanon,” French Ambassador to Lebanon Herve Magro said after the talks. Sejourne was in Beirut on Tuesday with a proposal to ease the border tensions between Israel and Hezbollah. He warned that the border situation is "very concerning" and that Israel is serious in its threats against Lebanon, a Lebanese official told The Associated Press. Sejourne 's suggestion called for a bigger role for the Lebanese Army in the border area and for negotiations regarding 13 disputed points along the border since Israel withdrew from southern Lebanon in 2000, according to a Lebanese diplomat based in Europe.

Report says no breakthrough in Lebanon-Israel indirect talks
Naharnet/February 8, 2024
Lebanese officials told Western envoys who visited Beirut over the past two weeks that Lebanon is clinging to “the simultaneous implementation of Resolution 1701 by the two sides,” Lebanese sources involved in the talks said, describing the ideas leaked by U.S. news portal Axios as “ideas that satisfy the Israeli side with which Lebanon is not concerned.”“The international envoys did not carry a solid proposal and we have not started negotiations over anything,” the sources told Asharq al-Awsat newspaper in remarks published Thursday. Another source following up on the discussions told the daily that “there have been no new proposals since the beginning of the crisis.”“From all the discussions, it has not appeared that there is anything practical and no breakthrough has been achieved. The international envoys have also not carried guarantees regarding an Israeli withdrawal from all occupied Lebanese territories,” the source added. Two Israeli officials and an informed source had told Axios that the U.S. and four of its European allies hope to announce in the next few weeks a series of commitments made by Israel and Hezbollah to diffuse tensions and restore calm to the Israel-Lebanon border. Amos Hochstein, one of U.S. President Joe Biden's closest and most trusted advisers, met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in Israel on Sunday and discussed his proposal for “new understandings” on the border, Axios said. “The proposal is based on the model of the 1996 ‘Grapes of Wrath’ understandings between Israel and Hezbollah that were declared by the U.S. and other world powers to end the Israeli military operation in Lebanon at the time,” Axios added. The sources said the new understandings would not be officially signed by the parties but the U.S. and four European allies -- the UK, France, Germany and Italy -- would issue a statement detailing the commitments each side has agreed to make.

Palestinian refugees in Lebanon despair at UN agency funding cuts
Agence France Presse/February 8, 2024
Fakhria al-Ali depends on the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees for her breast cancer treatment in Lebanon, but after key countries suspended their financing, she fears she has been handed a death sentence. "My life is a nightmare," said the unemployed 50-year-old, who lives in the impoverished Beddawi Palestinian refugee camp in north Lebanon. "Without UNRWA I would die," she added, referring to the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees. UNRWA was set up in 1949 and assists Palestinians who fled or were forced from their homes by the war over Israel's creation a year earlier, as well as their descendants. The agency is under fire over Israeli accusations that 12 staff members were involved in Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel. More than a dozen countries including the United States and Britain have suspended funding to the agency, which sacked the accused individuals. Some 5.9 million Palestinians are registered with UNRWA in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including east Jerusalem, and can access assistance such as health care and social services. Lebanon hosts an estimated 250,000 Palestinian refugees, according to UNRWA. "An entire people will face death -- those with cancer like me first of all," Ali told AFP by telephone.
'Killing us slowly' -
Dorothee Klaus, the agency's director in Lebanon, warned of "severe consequences for UNRWA operations" and Palestinian refugees if the countries fail to reverse their decisions "before the agency runs out of funding at the end of March".
"An estimated 80 percent" of Lebanon's Palestinian refugee community needs UNRWA help, from schooling to cash assistance, she added, noting the number was "constantly increasing" amid a four-year-long economic crisis in Lebanon that has plunged most of the population into poverty. UNRWA has a cost-sharing agreement for some 50,000 Palestinian refugee hospital patients in Lebanon, and takes care of "around 600 cancer patients", Klaus said. Without the agency's help, "patients would have to forego critical hospital treatment", she warned. For some 23,000 Palestinian refugees who have come to Lebanon fleeing civil war in neighbouring Syria, the situation is just as desperate. "They are killing us slowly... this decision simply aims to erase our existence as a people," said Najah al-Daher, a housewife who came to Lebanon with her family in 2019. "If the aid is cut, how will I live, how will I educate my children?" said Daher, whose husband does odd jobs to make ends meet. "Collecting rubbish, is that (my son's) future?" UNRWA educates thousands of Palestinian students in more than 60 schools across Lebanon, Klaus said. Without funding, "we would see 40,000 children out of school, on the streets, with no place to go," she warned. Education can be a vital gateway for Palestinian youth, sometimes helping them secure work abroad, as Lebanon places restrictions on their employment.
'Give our land back' -
Daher and her sister Majida, 32, each receive around $300 in aid per month from UNRWA to help support their families. Majida and her husband are in debt, and live with their two children in the ramshackle Palestinian refugee camp of Burj al-Barajneh, in Beirut's southern suburbs, where they rent a room for $60 a month. "The rent risks going up, and if they also cut our UNRWA aid, we'll be out on the streets," Majida al-Daher said, decrying what she called the "collective punishment" of Palestinian refugees. Some 80 percent of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon live in poverty, according to UNRWA. Haitham al-Jashi, who works in a minimarket in the camp, said "options are limited for us, and it's been worse since the (economic) crisis" in Lebanon. The countries' decision to suspend funding is an "attempt to tighten the noose around Palestinians", he said, adding that he was already struggled to make a living.
Palestinian Youssef Dahuk, 40, who does odd jobs to try to make ends meet in the camp, said his four children were all totally dependent on UNRWA assistance. "It's as if our lives are coming to an end," he said. "I'd be OK if they cut off our aid -- but in that case, give us our land back," he said.

Iranian FM to visit Beirut on Friday
Naharnet/February 8, 2024
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian will arrive Friday in Beirut, Iran’s ambassador said. Abdollahian will hold “important meetings” with top Lebanese officials over the various developments, Iranian Ambassador to Lebanon Mojtaba Amani said in a post on the X platform. Since the outbreak of war between Israel and Gaza-based Palestinian militant group Hamas on October 7, the Lebanese-Israeli border has seen near-daily exchanges of fire between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah, a Hamas ally. Israel has repeatedly bombarded Lebanese border villages, killing 227 people, mostly Hezbollah fighters but also 27 civilians including three journalists. On the Israeli side, 15 people have been killed in the northern border area including nine soldiers and six civilians, according to the Israeli army.

Cabinet approves 2024 state budget, convenes Saturday to discuss wages of retired military and public sector employees
NNA/February 8, 2024
The Cabinet on Thursday convened in session at the Grand Serail under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Najib Mikati. At the outset of the session, Mikati emphasized "the importance of holding the Cabinet meeting under the current circumstances facing the country."Following the Cabinet session, Prime Minister Najib Mikati announced the approval of the 2024 budget, adding that it will be immediately implemented. "We have decided to hold an extraordinary Cabinet session next Saturday to continue discussions on the situation of retired military personnel and public sector employees,” Mikati added. Furthermore, it was announced that Brigadier General Hassan Audi has been appointed Chief of Staff of the Army.

Mikati: Saturday’s cabinet session to address wage hike, yet bound by spending cap
NNA/February 8, 2024
Caretaker Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, on Thursday delivered the following word in the wake of the cabinet session:
“Out of our keenness for the current situation in the country and for constitutional institutions to function fully, there was a collective insistence by all ministers to convene the Cabinet today to address all matters raised in these challenging circumstances, with a view to what is best for Lebanon and the Lebanese people.At the outset of the session, the 2024 budget law was approved due to its significant importance in managing state affairs, and once published, it will be implemented immediately. Furthermore, the second issue discussed, raised by some ministers, concerns increasing productivity allowances for the public sector, military personnel, and retirees. This item was not initially on the agenda. I am surprised by all this commotion because it was not scheduled for discussion today. However, given the ministers' eagerness to approve this matter as soon as possible to ensure continuity in the public sector and to give everyone their due rights, we have decided to hold an extraordinary Cabinet session next Saturday to specifically discuss this item after distributing the proposed projects to the ministers for review. We fully understand the importance of this matter. I am fully aware of the current reality and the social situation of retirees and the conditions they are experiencing. However, we are bound by a certain spending ceiling that we cannot exceed, and within this framework, some ministers have requested considering the possibility of achieving more justice in the required distributions. For this reason, the next session on Saturday will address this matter. This issue was not approved because it was not originally on the Cabinet's agenda, and we will reconsider it next Saturday. The Cabinet also discussed security and military conditions in Lebanon and Israeli aggression and all necessary security requirements. With a pressing need to appoint a Chief of Staff for the army, the Cabinet decided to appoint Brigadier General Hassan Audi as Chief of Staff and promote him to the rank of Major General. This matter is critical today given the circumstances Lebanon is facing.
In the course of the session, general topics were discussed, and at the outset of the session, Dr. Nawaf Salam was congratulated on behalf of the Cabinet, as it is an honor for Lebanon to have Dr. Nawaf Salam as the President of the International Court of Justice.”

Berri meets French delegation, Iraqi Agriculture Minister, Latvia’s Public Health Minister, underlines commitment to full implementation of...
NNA/February 8, 2024
House Speaker, Nabih Berri, on Thursday welcomed at the second presidency headquarters in Ain el-Tineh, a French delegation comprising Frédéric Mondoloni, Director General of Political Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Alice Rufo, Director General of International and Strategic Relations at the Ministry of Defense, Emmanuel Souka, Deputy Director of North Africa and the Middle East at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and French Ambassador to Lebanon, Hervé Magro. Also present at the meeting was Speaker Berri’s Advisor, Dr. Mahmoud Berri. Discussions reportedly touched on the general situation in Lebanon and the region, in light of Israel's continued aggression against Lebanon and the Gaza Strip. Berri stressed to the delegation “commitment to full implementation of Resolution 1701," stressing ''the necessity of strengthening the Lebanese army, and cooperating with UNIFIL forces.''Soeaker Berri later received at Ain el-Tineh, the Iraqi Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Abbas Jabr al-Maliki, and the accompanying delegation, in the presence of the Head of the Iraqi Mission in Lebanon, Amin al-Nasrawi, and the Lebanese Ambassador to Iraq, Ali Habhab. Discussions reportedly dwelt on the general situation and bilateral relations between the two countries, especially the agricultural cooperation program between Lebanon and Iraq. This afternoon, Berri received the Minister of Health of the Republic of Latvia, Dr. Hossam Abu Merhi, in the presence of the Latvian Consul to Lebanon, Gerard Renno. The general situation and the bilateral relations between the two countries featured high on their talks.

Kataeb Leader Meets with US Ambassador to Lebanon, Emphasizes Importance of Lebanon's Neutrality
NNA/February 8, 2024
Kataeb leader Samy Gemayel met with US Ambassador to Lebanon Lisa Johnson with talks featuring high on the latest developments in Lebanon and the region. During the meeting, emphasis was placed on Lebanon's importance, the Quintet Committee's role, and its unified stance regarding the urgency of electing a president for the republic as soon as possible and facilitating the process by all parties involved. Gemayel stressed the necessity of protecting Lebanon, its neutrality, and preventing its entanglement in the ongoing regional conflict. He also urged the implementation of UNSC Resolution 1701, restoring Lebanon's sovereignty, reinstating the functionality of its institutions, and separating the presidency from conflict-related issues. Gemayel underscored the importance of the support provided by the United States to the Lebanese Army and its pivotal role in protecting the borders and defending Lebanon and its people. The meeting was attended by Kataeb Lawmaker Selim Sayegh, Kataeb Political Bureau Member Zeina Hobeika, as well as Kataeb Foreign Affairs Advisor Dr. Michel Abou Abdallah.

Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on February 08-09/2024
Israel PM orders troops to prepare for push into Rafah
AFP/February 08, 2024
JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered troops to prepare to enter the overcrowded Gazan city of Rafah, even as a new round of talks aimed at securing a truce with Hamas were set to open Thursday in Cairo.
Netanyahu announced the order after rejecting Hamas’s response to a ceasefire proposal at the center of intense recent diplomatic efforts, though visiting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken insisted on Wednesday that he still saw “space for agreement to be reached”. Concerns were mounting, meanwhile, for the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who have sought refuge in Rafah along the Egyptian border, with UN chief Antonio Guterres warning a military push into the city “would exponentially increase what is already a humanitarian nightmare”. In televised remarks Wednesday, Netanyahu said he had ordered troops to “prepare to operate” in the city and that “total victory” over Hamas was just months away. Regarding the ceasefire proposal, he added: “Giving in to the bizarre demands of Hamas that we have just heard will... only invite another massacre.” Blinken, who is on yet another trip to the region to press for a truce, told reporters in Tel Aviv that Hamas’s counter-proposal at least offered an opportunity “to pursue negotiations”.“While there are some clear non-starters in Hamas’s response, we do think it creates space for agreement to be reached, and we will work at that relentlessly until we get there,” Blinken said, hours after meeting Netanyahu. Since October 7, the Lebanese-Israeli border has seen near-daily exchanges of fire between Israel and the Iran-backed Hamas ally Hezbollah. International Crisis Group president Comfort Ero warned Wednesday that the hostilities around the region increased the possibility of the situation boiling over. “I think the big three — Iran, Israel and the US — do not want to see escalation,” she told AFP in Washington. “But we are also seeing that every day we’re one step closer to a major miscalculation.”

Senate Advances Ukraine, Israel Aid Bill After GOP Stands Down
Igor Bobic, Arthur Delaney/HuffPost/February 8, 2024
WASHINGTON ― The Senate on Thursday cleared a key procedural vote on a bill providing billions of dollars in military aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, voting to open debate on legislation that has been stalled by Republicans for months. The breakthrough came after lawmakers decoupled the $95 billion foreign assistance portion of the bill from tougher border enforcement measures that Republicans demanded last year but then quickly abandoned after a backlash on the right, including from former President Donald Trump. After much hemming and hawing this week, and multiple rounds of discussions that seemed to go nowhere, 17 Republicans voted with every Democrat to break a filibuster and advance the measure, over the objections of conservatives who demanded that stronger border enforcement changes be added back into the bill. “The Republicans wanted something and then decided that they didn’t want that thing,” Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) told HuffPost after the vote Thursday. “Now some of them want it again, and I think the adults are just moving on.” Passage of the bill is not yet assured, however. Senators must take several more procedural votes before a final vote, a process that could stretch into next week. And then there’s still the matter of the House, where many Republicans are firmly opposed to more U.S. support for Ukraine in its struggle for survival against Russian aggression.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) suggested on Wednesday, before the Senate voted, that he was open to letting the House vote on the foreign aid bill. He’d previously said that the bill combining foreign aid and border security was “dead on arrival” in the House. “We’ll see what the Senate does, where it’s allowing the process to play out and we’ll handle it,” Johnson told reporters. “As I’ve been very clear, we have to address these issues on their own merits. Israel desperately needs the assistance. ... We spend a lot of time on the House side awaiting the Senate’s action. It’s frustrating.”For now, at least, supporters of the Ukraine and Israel aid package are relishing forward momentum after weeks of GOP infighting that repeatedly spilled into the open. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) seemed to be beaming on the Senate floor as votes rolled in that were in favor of the bill.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who called for McConnell to resign as leader earlier this week over his leadership and tactics, approached the Kentucky senator on the chamber floor at one point, and a lengthy discussion between the two men ensued. McConnell grinned for most of it. Their conversation wasn’t audible to watchful reporters above the chamber floor in the Senate galleries. “I think he continues to have the support of the great majority of our caucus in my view,” Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) said of McConnell. “There’s always been a group of [senators] that wants to replace him, and I don’t think that’s in the cards until he decides that’s something he wants to do, which I don’t expect anytime soon.”

Iraq says US strikes pushing government to end U.S.-led coalition's mission
DUBAI (Reuters)/February 8, 2024
Repeated U.S. strikes against Iran-backed armed groups in Iraq are pushing the government to end the mission of the U.S.-led coalition in the country, the prime minister's military spokesman Yahya Rasool said on Thursday. The U.S. military said a strike on Wednesday killed a commander from Kataib Hezbollah, an Iran-backed armed group in Iraq that the Pentagon has blamed for attacking its troops. Rasool said in a statement that the U.S.-led coalition "has become a factor for instability and threatens to entangle Iraq in the cycle of conflict."The U.S.-led international military coalition in Iraq was set up to fight Islamic State. The United States has 2,500 troops in Iraq, advising and assisting local forces to prevent a resurgence of the group.Since the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza began in October, Iraq and Syria have witnessed almost daily tit-for-tat attacks between hardline Iran-backed armed groups and U.S. forces stationed in the region.

'We are surrounded': Guarding the Middle East's most dangerous border
Jeremy Bowen/ BBC Middle East editor/February 08/2024
Barbed wire fencing and cameras run along the border at the Israeli town of Metula
It is a lonely drive to Israel's most northern town, Metula, along a spur of land that is surrounded on three sides by Lebanon. That means it is also surrounded on three sides by Lebanon's most powerful armed group, Hezbollah. The soldiers at the checkpoint on the edge of Metula were all local men, mostly middle-aged reservists with no illusions about the force on the other side of the border. As the rain lashed down on a miserable, foggy night, one of them, who did not want his name to be published, used his finger to traverse the compass, pointing to the border and Hezbollah's positions.
"To the west a quarter of a mile, to north half a mile and another half mile to the east. So, we are 300 degrees surrounded by the Hezbollah." The other 60 degrees, he said, included the steep road back down to the rest of Israel. The Gaza war that started after Hamas attacked on 7 October, killing around 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians, has been devastating. The Israeli offensive that followed has, so far, killed well over 27,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians, and inflicted severe damage on Gaza. Reservists in Metula, Israel's northernmost town, are on high alert for attacks from Hezbollah. The border conflict between Israel and Hezbollah that followed has steadily intensified, but all sides know how much worse it would get if it exploded into a high-intensity war. It was stark and clear to the men on guard on the edge of Metula. The Israeli reservist continued: "Yes, it definitely can turn into a big war and a big war with Hezbollah is not like Hamas, they are a real army, very trained, greatly equipped and they have a lot of experience, real experience in Syria." Hezbollah intervened in the war in Syria, fighting for the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, has no plans to visit Metula on his current Middle East tour, but the long flight from Washington and the travelling times between different capitals in the Middle East must be grimly familiar to him by now. He is back in the region for the fifth time since 7 October. Mr Blinken has not tried to minimise the magnitude of the crisis in the Middle East. At the end of January, standing next to the secretary general of Nato, he said it was "incredibly volatile… I would argue that we have not seen a situation as dangerous as the one we're facing now across the region since at least 1973, and arguably even before that."
That is quite a comparison.
The Middle East war of 1973 turned into one of the most dangerous superpower confrontations of the Cold War. With US President Richard Nixon submerged by the Watergate scandal, his Secretary of State Henry Kissinger ordered US strategic forces on to their highest level of peacetime alert, Defcon 3, after a report that the USSR was moving nuclear weapons to the Middle East. Half a century on Mr Blinken was speaking after militias trained and funded by Iran killed three American soldiers at a base in Jordan. Since then the US, helped in Yemen by the UK, has started a rolling campaign of retaliatory air strikes. The Americans hope they have calibrated their response to stabilise matters, not make them worse, but that is not at all certain. Hawkish critics of President Biden in Washington DC say that action taken so far will not deter Iran, which backs Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen as well as Shia militias in Syria and Iraq. The hawks say only attacks on Iran itself will force Tehran to order its proxies and allies to stand down. The Biden administration believes attacking Iran itself risks detonating a wider conflict in the Middle East. On previous trips Secretary Blinken has repeatedly expressed America's support for Israel's war against Hamas, but also grave doubts about the way Israel is fighting. Washington has called, unsuccessfully, for restraint. The US has continued to supply Israel with the weapons it needs for its campaign, despite its reservations about the way they are being used.
The US has had more success in forcing Israel to let in much more humanitarian aid to more than two million Palestinian civilians who are trapped in the catastrophe. Last October, Israeli leaders said nothing would be allowed in. Even so, the UN and aid groups active in Gaza say Israel has not allowed in anything close to what they need. Hardened aid officials with long careers trying to help civilians in warzones have told me they have never seen anything as bad. One who has been inside Gaza multiple times in the last few months (journalists are not allowed in by Israel and Egypt, who control the borders) said he had "never seen anything of this size, scale and depth".
More aid has been allowed into Gaza but the UN says it is not enough
The UN says not enough aid is getting into Gaza to help the 1.7m people displaced by the conflict
Mr Blinken's top priority is securing a ceasefire in Gaza. President Biden needs to calm the Middle East, not just because of the terrible risks of a continued and escalating war, but because he faces elections this year. Polls suggest he is losing votes as some Americans blame his support for Israel for the humanitarian catastrophe inside Gaza. A renewed burst of diplomacy, involving the US, Qatar, Egypt and Israel, produced broad parameters for a deal but no details. Hamas has delivered its terms. It wants a three-stage process lasting 135 days, which would allow a phased exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. It has put forward a long list of demands. The most significant is that by the end of that time Israel would have pulled its forces out of Gaza and the war would be over. All that was dismissed by Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after his meeting with Secretary of State Blinken. Since the war started, Israel has defined victory as the destruction of Hamas and the safe return home of the hostages. Neither objective has yet been achieved. Mr Netanyahu said Israel would not make concessions to Hamas, and repeated his insistence that its forces were closing in on "total victory". In recent days, he has also said Israel needed to kill Hamas leaders. Mr Blinken still believes, he said later, that a deal is possible. His challenge is to try to narrow the gap between the diametrically opposed positions of Israel and Hamas to get some sort of ceasefire. The BBC's information is that Hamas is much less confident than it was early in the war. The ferocity of Israel's assault and the killing of so many civilians means that Gazans trapped in the war are turning against Hamas, making its leaders realise they need to try negotiation. In Israel, for all the determined talk emerging from the prime minister and his allies, pressure is growing for a ceasefire to create an opportunity for a deal to get the hostages back. It is not much for Mr Blinken to work with. The odds look to be against a ceasefire unless either or both sides make substantial concessions.

Iraq Hosts Both U.S. and Iranian-Backed Forces. It’s Getting Tense.
Alissa J. Rubin/ the New York Times/ February 08/2024
For years, Iraq has managed to pull off an unlikely balancing act, allowing armed forces tied to both the United States and Iran, an American nemesis, to operate on its soil. Now things are getting shaky. When Washington, Tehran and Baghdad all wanted the same thing — the defeat of the Islamic State terrorist group — the relationships were fairly tenable, but in recent months, as the war in the Gaza Strip sends ripples across the region, American and Iranian-backed forces have clashed repeatedly in Iraq and Syria. A U.S. strike on one of those militias last week killed 16 Iraqis, and Iraq is saying it has had enough. Our land and sovereign authority is not the right place for rival forces to send messages and show their strength.” the office of Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said in a statement Sunday. For many years, Iran and the United States had their proponents within the Iraqi government, and the Iranian-backed armed groups and the American troops lived in a tolerable if uneasy balance. That started to change in 2020 after the United States killed one of Iran’s top security and intelligence commanders, Gen. Qassem Soleimani, a widely revered figure at home, in a drone attack as he was visiting Iraq. The Iranians began pushing hard for the U.S. military to be ejected. Iraqi leaders resisted, in part because of divisions over which country Iraq should lean toward. Even after 2022, when parties close to Iran were able to form a government, there was a notable distinction between what Iraq officials said about the United States publicly and what they said in private.
Now, Sudani’s government is sounding increasingly tough.
Its statement Sunday denouncing the fighting on its soil was particularly pointed in its criticism of the United States, describing last week’s attack in western Iraq as “a blatant aggression” that had jeopardized talks on reducing the number of American troops in Iraq. “Violence only begets violence,” the statement warned. The comments reflected the thorny situation the Iraqi government finds itself in as it negotiates a withdrawal of the U.S. troops that have been in Iraq off and on since 2003. Iraq has been under pressure from Iran, which views the United States as a mortal enemy, to compel the complete removal of U.S. forces from its soil. But some military officials in Iraq and in the United States believe the country would benefit from a limited U.S. military presence focused on training and on tracking the remaining threat from the Islamic State.
The Iraqi government has deep political and military connections to Iran, and on Sunday it made only an elliptical reference to the Iranian-backed armed groups in Iraq that have attacked U.S. camps and bases more than 160 times since the war between Hamas and Israel began in October.
It was those attacks that prompted recent instances of U.S. retaliation, including the one Friday that killed 16 Iraqi soldiers, angering many in the Iraqi government. It followed a drone strike Jan. 28 by an Iranian-backed Iraqi militia that killed three U.S. soldiers at a base in northwest Jordan.
Analysts who follow Iraq closely suggested that recent events have put the two countries at an inflection point, potentially forcing a faster withdrawal of U.S. troops than the United States — and many in Iraq — might have hoped for.
“The problem for both the Iraqi and U.S. governments, said Renad Mansour, director of the Iraq Initiative at the London-based research group Chatham House, is “that neither wants an escalation and neither wants a continued presence of U.S. troops.”
Before the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7 and Israel’s retaliatory bombing and invasion of the Gaza Strip, Iraq and the United States had been “on the same page,” Mansour said, and hoped to negotiate a mutually beneficial troop withdrawal arrangement.
But now there are new pressures. Much as the two countries might want to go back to the pre-Oct. 7 discussions, “things are changing, and they are trying to deal with this new, emerging reality,” Mansour said.
Colin P. Clarke, the head of research for the Washington-based Soufan Group, an intelligence and security consulting firm, said he was concerned that over the past few days, the rhetoric from both the Americans and the Iraqis had spiraled. The danger, he said, is “that the war of words becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, where the U.S. ratchets up its rhetoric and the Iraqi government does the same, and then it’s who’s going to flinch first.”Clarke said he worried that the United States would withdraw its troops too quickly, a replay of the breakdown of negotiations in 2011, which resulted in the U.S. pulling all of its troops out of Iraq. Within two years, the Islamic State group had taken over tranches of western Iraq and a year later, much of Iraq’s north, as well as precipitating a four-year war that cost tens of thousands of lives.
After the deadly U.S. strike last week, Nuri al-Maliki, a former prime minister of Iraq who leads an influential Parliamentary party that supports the government, appeared at least publicly disinclined to give much room to the United States, saying it had targeted Iraqis “in cold blood.”
Hadi al-Ameri, one of the leaders of the Framework Coalition, which backs Sudani, went further. “We do not believe in negotiations,” he said, “and American forces must be removed immediately from Iraq.”
How the next few weeks unfold will depend on how Sudani navigates the twin pressures from Iran and the United States. The head of the Islamic Republic’s Security Council was in Baghdad on Monday, and the head of its Quds Force, Gen. Ismail Qaani, was there last week for meetings with Iraq’s security officials. “Sudani has been undermined systematically for the last four months,” said Rend al-Rahim, the president of the Iraq Foundation, which promotes democracy and human rights in Iraq. The Iraqi leader, she said, has “done his utmost” to curb the Iranian-backed militias that have been targeting U.S. troops. “They haven’t listened to him,” she said. “He was very angry,” al-Rahim said. “Then the U.S. strike came on top of this already building anger that now Iraq is an open field for the U.S. to settle scores with Iran.”Al-Sudani — much like President Joe Biden and Iran’s leader, Ayatollah Khamenei — has domestic politics to consider, several Iraqi analysts said. “He worries that he now appears weak,” said Ehsan al-Shimmari, a political science professor at Baghdad University. Beyond that, al-Shimmari said, the current situation has made clear the limits of his power. Even when it comes to one of the most major foreign policy decisions facing Iraq — the future role of the U.S. military there — it is not entirely up to him. ”He is waiting to hear what the Iranian position will be, and then based on that he will balance the considerations and make his decision,” al-Shimmari said. “But this makes him feel cornered.”
c.2024 The New York Times Company

Blinken says truce deal still possible, Hamas delegation to resume talks in Cairo
Associated Press/February 8, 2024
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas is still possible. Blinken made the announcement late Wednesday after talks with Israeli leaders. The discussions focused on Hamas’ response to a cease-fire proposal floated by the U.S., Egypt and Qatar. “While there are some clear nonstarters in Hamas’ response, we do think it creates space for an agreement to be reached,” Blinken said. Earlier Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected key Hamas demands, leaving the fate of the cease-fire efforts in question. A senior Hamas official said the Palestinian militant group will be sending a delegation to Cairo to continue talks on a cease-fire and hostage release deal. Osama Hamdan made the remarks Wednesday after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected Hamas' plan. Hamdan did not say when the delegation would leave to Cairo. But its departure signals that talks are still ongoing despite the posturing from both Hamas and Netanyahu. Hamdan said the group's terms would continue to evolve while insisting on a permanent cease-fire. Speaking from the Lebanese capital Beirut, Hamdan called on the group’s militants to carry on its confrontations with the Israeli military.

Israel PM orders troops to prepare for push into Rafah
Agence France Presse/February 8, 2024
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered troops to prepare to enter the overcrowded Gazan city of Rafah, even as a new round of talks aimed at securing a truce with Hamas were set to open Thursday in Cairo.
Netanyahu announced the order after rejecting Hamas's response to a ceasefire proposal at the centre of intense recent diplomatic efforts, though visiting U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken insisted on Wednesday that he still saw "space for agreement to be reached". Concerns were mounting, meanwhile, for the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who have sought refuge in Rafah along the Egyptian border, with UN chief Antonio Guterres warning a military push into the city "would exponentially increase what is already a humanitarian nightmare". In televised remarks Wednesday, Netanyahu said he had ordered troops to "prepare to operate" in the city and that "total victory" over Hamas was just months away. Regarding the ceasefire proposal, he added: "Giving in to the bizarre demands of Hamas that we have just heard will... only invite another massacre."Blinken, who is on yet another trip to the region to press for a truce, told reporters in Tel Aviv that Hamas's counter-proposal at least offered an opportunity "to pursue negotiations". "While there are some clear non-starters in Hamas's response, we do think it creates space for agreement to be reached, and we will work at that relentlessly until we get there," Blinken said, hours after meeting Netanyahu.
More talks -
A new round of negotiations aimed at achieving "calm" in Gaza and a prisoner-hostage exchange was set to open Thursday in Cairo, an Egyptian official said. Cairo was urging "both parties to show the necessary flexibility" to make a deal, the official added, speaking on condition of anonymity. A Hamas source with knowledge of the matter confirmed that the Palestinian group had agreed to the talks with the goals of "a ceasefire, an end to the war and a prisoner exchange deal". The war in Gaza was triggered by Hamas's unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, which resulted in the deaths of about 1,160 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures. Israel vowed to eliminate Hamas in response and launched air strikes and a ground offensive that have killed at least 27,708 people, mostly women and children, according to the Gaza health ministry. The ministry said Thursday morning that another 109 people had been killed in overnight strikes. Militants also seized around 250 hostages on October 7. Israel says 132 remain in Gaza, of whom 29 are believed to have died. The fate of the hostages has gripped Israeli society, and while Netanyahu has repeatedly insisted that military pressure is the only way to bring them home, he has faced mounting calls to strike a deal. Addressing the prime minister, Adina Moshe, one of the hostages released as part of a temporary ceasefire deal brokered in November, told a press conference in Tel Aviv: "Everything is in your hands.""And I'm very afraid and very concerned that if you continue with this line of destroying Hamas, there won't be any hostages left to release," she added.
Fears for Rafah -
As Israel prepared to press further south, fears were also growing for the displaced Palestinian civilians thronging Rafah, pressed against Gaza's southern border with Egypt. More than half of Gaza's 2.4 million people are estimated to have sought safety in the city. "Their living conditions are abysmal -- they lack the basic necessities to survive, stalked by hunger, disease and death," UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths said in a statement. "As the war encroaches further into Rafah, I am extremely concerned about the safety and well-being of families which have endured the unthinkable in search of safety."Blinken stopped short of calling on Israel not to move on the city, but did voice concern at the new push, saying any "military operation that Israel undertakes needs to put civilians first and foremost". The war in Gaza has sparked a surge in violence across the region, largely by Iran-backed groups operating in solidarity with Hamas, drawing retaliatory attacks not only by Israel but also the United States and its allies. An American air strike in Iraq on Wednesday killed a senior commander from a pro-Iran armed group who was "responsible for directly planning and participating in attacks on U.S. forces", the U.S. Central Command said. The strike came after Washington last week launched a wave of attacks on Iran-linked targets in Iraq and Syria following the killing of three American troops in neighbouring Jordan. In Lebanon, state media reported that Israeli strikes on a southern village killed one civilian and wounded two others on Wednesday. Since October 7, the Lebanese-Israeli border has seen near-daily exchanges of fire between Israel and the Iran-backed Hamas ally Hezbollah. International Crisis Group president Comfort Ero warned Wednesday that the hostilities around the region increased the possibility of the situation boiling over. "I think the big three -- Iran, Israel and the U.S. -- do not want to see escalation," she told AFP in Washington. "But we are also seeing that every day we're one step closer to a major miscalculation."

Exclusive-US-backed force in Syria: more air defence needed after deadly drone attack
Maya Gebeily/(Reuters)/February 8, 2024
A force that has been the backbone of the U.S.-led campaign against Islamic State said additional air defences should be deployed in northeast Syria after six of its fighters were killed in a drone attack it blamed on pro-Iran factions. Mazloum Abdi, commander of the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, said his force considered it "a dangerous development when our camps are targeted in drone attacks by factions backed by Iran." Abdi's remarks to Reuters from northeast Syria suggest the force's fighters -- deployed alongside U.S. troops to fight remnants of Islamic State -- are increasingly vulnerable to widening regional instability in the aftermath of the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Palestinian group Hamas. Bases across Syria's east and northeast hosting U.S. troops and SDF fighters have faced a slew of drone and rocket attacks as pro-Iran militias declaring support for the Palestinians seek to attack U.S. and Western interests and fight Israel. A drone strike by Iran-backed militants on a U.S. outpost in Jordan on Jan 28 killed three U.S. forces. On Feb. 4, the SDF said an explosive drone attack by Iran-backed armed groups in eastern Syria killed six of their fighters. Asked whether he had requested additional military backing to fend off such attacks, Abdi said his Kurdish-led force would "require technical capabilities and an increase in the aerial defensive systems" deployed in northeast Syria. "From their (the U.S.) side, they confirmed they would try and expend efforts to prevent these attacks," he told Reuters. In Washington, the Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Spearheaded by the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) and including Arab fighters, the SDF has been a major partner for the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State over the last decade. It holds a quarter of Syria, including oil fields and areas where some 900 U.S. troops are deployed. Following rumours that the U.S. was considering pulling those troops out, Abdi said he had received reassurances by the State Department, White House and the Pentagon that their mission would continue. But he said a withdrawal "is possible in the future... Truthfully, we don't ask for American troops to stay here forever. That's not possible." Abdi warned that any U.S. troop pull-out would "multiply several times over" the threats that the SDF faces from Iran-backed troops, Islamic State and Turkey, which considers the YPG and the SDF by extension to be "terrorist" groups. "If American forces do withdraw, depending on the circumstances, naturally we will go towards the plans that suit the interests of our people and the make-up of the region," Abdi added. But that would not include a long-term partnership with the Syrian armed forces, which he said did not have the capacity to defend against IS. The Syrian military has been gutted following more than a decade of fighting off rebel and hardline factions seeking to topple Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, an opposition struggle that began following Assad's brutal crackdown of protests against him.

Canadian officials still haven't seen intelligence linking UN's Gaza aid agency with Hamas: sources
CBC/February 08/2024
The government of Canada did not see any evidence backing up Israel's claim that staff employed by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) colluded with Hamas before suspending funding to the agency, CBC News has learned. Government sources tell CBC that Israel still has not shared evidence with Canada to substantiate its claim that 12 employees of UNRWA were involved in some capacity in the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas and the affiliated group Islamic Jihad. Around 1,200 people were killed in Israel on Oct. 7 during Hamas-led attacks, including several Canadians; Israeli officials said 253 others were taken hostage, with about 130 yet to return home. Palestinian officials say more than 27,000 people have been killed in the Israeli military response to the Hamas-led attacks. Britain's Channel Four News earlier this week obtained a copy of a dossier that the government of Israel shared with the U.K. government, which also cut funding to UNRWA. Channel Four reported that the dossier was only six pages long. The news service said it rehashes long-standing Israeli government complaints about UNRWA and alleges the involvement of UNRWA staff in the Oct 7 attack, but "provides no evidence" to back up Israel's explosive allegations against the agency.
Britain's Sky News also reviewed the dossier and reached a similar conclusion:
"The Israeli intelligence documents make several claims that Sky News has not seen proof of and many of the claims, even if true, do not directly implicate UNRWA," the news channel reported. CBC News has not yet been able to review the Israeli intelligence document. Channel Four quoted from relevant sections of the document, which is in Hebrew. "From intelligence information, documents and identity cards seized during the course of the fighting, it is now possible to flag around 190 Hamas and PIJ (Palestinian Islamic Jihad) terrorist operatives who serve as UNRWA employees. More than 10 UNRWA staffers took apart in the events of October 7," the paper says. The report includes photographs of 12 UNRWA employees it claims were involved, but does not provide the information or documents it mentions to substantiate those claims, Channel Four reported. French public broadcaster France 24 also had access to the Israeli report, which it compared to the notorious "dodgy dossier" of intelligence claims about Iraqi weapons of mass destruction that led the U.K. government to join the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003.
Israel refuses to provide proof
Israel has refused to provide the intelligence it says backs up its allegations, either to UNRWA or to the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS), the UN body assigned to investigate. "I don't think we need to give intelligence information. This would reveal sources in the operation," Lior Haiat, a spokesperson for Israel's foreign ministry, told France 24. That statement appeared to contradict a tweet by Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz on Monday which pledged that Israel "will submit all evidence highlighting UNRWA's ties to terrorism and its harmful effects on regional stability."
UNRWA moved quickly to fire 12 individual staff members on January 26, as soon as Israel made its allegations. "To protect the Agency's ability to deliver humanitarian assistance, I have taken the decision to immediately terminate the contracts of these staff members and launch an investigation in order to establish the truth without delay," said Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA commissioner-general. "Any UNRWA employee who was involved in acts of terror will be held accountable, including through criminal prosecution."
UNRWA blindsided by sudden cutoff
UNRWA spokesperson Juliette Touma said the agency acted to fire the staff immediately because of the seriousness and timing of the allegations — not because it had credible evidence against them. "The commissioner-general of UNRWA did this in the best interests of the agency, due to the huge risks both to the reputation of the agency and also the largest humanitarian operation in response to the Gaza war," she told Channel Four News. She said the firings were intended to reassure donor nations and forestall drastic actions. The U.S. responded to the allegations by cutting funding immediately, although U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken acknowledged that it was relying on Israel's word alone. "We haven't had the ability to investigate [the allegations] ourselves," Blinken said on Jan. 30. "But they are highly, highly credible."
Canada announced the suspension of all funding within hours of the U.S. announcement.
"I don't think any of us has anticipated this huge number of our friendly donors, who have been our partners for decades on end, to suspend the funding so, so quickly, like they've done," said Touma. "I also think none of us have anticipated that this would be done in the middle of a war, and to the largest humanitarian organization, who's responding to what has become very quickly one of the most complex and difficult humanitarian crises in the world." Unless funding is restored within the next few weeks, she said, the agency will struggle even harder to deal with the famine conditions now prevailing in the Gaza Strip. "We're going to be forced to make very tough decisions that humanitarian aid workers are not supposed to," she said. Canadian officials told CBC News that Canada's own decision to defund was a reaction to UNRWA's decision to dismiss the staffers, which created the impression that the agency saw Israel's allegation as credible.
Splits within Israel
Israel's decision to go public with its allegations has caused friction between the Netanyahu government and the Israeli military, which has initiated an investigation to find the sources of the leak, according to Israeli media reports.
Israeli media outlets have reported commanders in the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) want UNRWA's operations to continue because they fear being left with sole responsibility for a territory gripped by famine.
Israel's civilian government has been pushing for the elimination of the agency for some time. "It's time that the international community and the UN itself understand that UNRWA's mission has to end," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a visiting UN delegation on Jan. 31. "UNRWA is self-perpetuating. It is self-perpetuating also in its desire to keep alive the Palestinian refugee issue."
"UNRWA employees participated in the massacre of October 7," foreign minister Israel Katz wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "Lazzarini should draw conclusions and resign. Supporters of terrorism are not welcome here." Touma pointed out that the Israeli government itself signs off on every employee hired by UNRWA. "Every year we send a list of all our staff working across the region to the host governments," she said. "And we have not received a response to the contents of that list from the government of Israel." Touma said she believes the names of the dozen employees accused by Israel were all on the list provided to the Israeli government in 2023.

Iranian, Chinese nationals charged in high-tech information theft
Mark Moran/UPI/February 08/2024
Kalibr cruise missiles and Kinzhal hypersonic aero-ballistic ballistic missiles firing in the Black Sea in 2020. A Chinese national was arrested this week in connection with stealing information related to similar missiles.
The Justice Department has arrested one man and charged two others in connection with schemes to transfer sensitive technology, goods and information into the hands of hostile foreign adversaries, officials announced Wednesday.
The U.S. Attorney's Office in New York charged two Iranian nationals with conspiring to export equipment used in the aerospace industry to the Iranian government, which violates the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
They are charged with "an alleged conspiracy to illegally export U.S. goods and technology without the required licenses," a statement from the Justice Department said.
In the Central District of California, a Chinese national was arrested for allegedly stealing trade secrets developed for use by the U.S. government to detect nuclear missile launches and track ballistic and hypersonic missiles.
"One year ago, I launched the Disruptive Technology Strike Force to strike back against adversaries trying to steal our nation's most powerful technology and use it against us," said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. "Since then, working with our partners at the Commerce Department, we have arrested more than a dozen corporate executives, engineers, distributors and other high-profile targets on charges that include sanctions and export control violations, and other offenses involving the unlawful transfer of sensitive information and technology."
Monaco said the three additional arrests highlight the importance of the focus on rooting out white collar crime in the tech industry.
"Today's charges against three additional defendants for seeking to illegally transfer U.S. software and semiconductor technology with military applications to benefit Iran and China highlight the critical importance of our fight against this national security threat," Monaco continued.
According to court documents, between January 2008 and August 2019, Abolfazi Bazzazi, 79, of Iran, and his son Mohammad Resa Bazzazi, 43, of Iran, and their co-conspirators sought to evade U.S. sanctions and export laws by working to procure goods and technology, including aeronautical ground support equipment, ultraviolet flame detectors and firefighting equipment, from U.S. companies for end users in Iran, including the Iranian government, without obtaining the required licenses or other authorization from the United States.
"As alleged, the Bazzazis devised an intricate scheme to evade U.S. export laws in obtaining U.S. equipment and technology to be exported to Iran and for the Government of Iran which has been designated by the United States government as a state sponsor of terrorism," said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York.
The documents claim the defendants sought to obtain components that could be used by Iran's aerospace industry. They also disguised the final destination of those U.S. goods by attempting to forward them through intermediaries in Europe and elsewhere.
In the third case, Chenguang Gong, 57, of San Jose, Calif., was arrested Tuesday in San Jose and charged with theft of trade secrets.
According to court documents, Gong transferred more than 3,600 files from the research and development company where he worked -- identified in court documents as the victim company -- to personal storage devices during his brief tenure with the company last year. The files Gong allegedly transferred include blueprints for sophisticated infrared sensors designed for use in space-based systems to detect nuclear missile launches and track ballistic and hypersonic missiles, and blueprints for sensors designed to enable U.S. military aircraft to detect incoming heat-seeking missiles and take countermeasures, including by jamming the missiles' infrared tracking ability, the Justice Department said. "We will do everything to protect our nation's security, including from foreign threats," said U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada for the Central District of California. "Mr. Gong, who had previously sought to provide the People's Republic of China with information to aid its military, stole sensitive and confidential information related to detecting nuclear missile launches and tracking ballistic and hypersonic missiles. We know that foreign actors, including the PRC, are actively seeking to steal our technology, but we will remain vigilant against this threat and remain vigilant against this threat by safeguarding the innovations of American businesses and researchers."
Gong is a native of China and became a United States citizen in 2011.

Munich Security Conference did not invite Russian, Iran officials this year
BERLIN (Reuters)/Andreas Rinke/February 08/2024
Russian and Iranian government officials have not been invited to this year's Munich Security Conference, as they did not seem open to meaningful dialogue, according to the man chairing the annual event. The conference, attended by the world's defence and security elite and sometimes known as "Davos for defence", will take place in the southern German city on Feb. 16-18. The event will open days before the second anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and four months after the start of the Israel-Hamas war, which has deepened instability across the Middle East as Western nations battle Iran-backed groups in Iraq, Yemen and Syria. Christoph Heusgen said on Tuesday he hoped the meeting would discuss these conflicts as well as others that received less attention but were causing major humanitarian crises such as the 10-month-old war in Sudan, which has displaced millions. U.S. and Chinese officials for example had spoken with one another for the first time in a long while at last year's event, which led to further engagement, he told Reuters. "So we hope Munich offers the opportunity to make these small steps," said Heusgen, who was a longtime foreign policy adviser to former Chancellor Angela Merkel. He also expected the attendance of high-ranking Chinese officials. Last year top diplomat Wang Yi attended the event. Heusgen told German press agency DPA the Iranian and Russian governments had not been invited because they had not shown a serious interest in negotiations. However, Iranian and Russian non-governmental organisations had been invited, he said. Heusgen, roundly condemned by Israel's ambassador to Germany for warning in October against an Israeli ground offensive in Gaza, said he expected high-ranking Israeli officials to attend. Germany was in a dilemma on Israel, he said, as it was committed to the country's security but also disagreed with its current leadership on a number of issues and had therefore suspended bilateral government consultations. Heusgen praised Germany's support for Ukraine, as the second biggest provider of military help to Kyiv. However it would need to have a discussion throughout society on the importance of higher defence spending and how to finance this, he said.

Latest English LCCC  analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on February 08-09/2024
How Iran controls a network of armed groups to pursue its regional strategy
Christoph Bluth, Professor of International Relations and Security, University of Bradford/The Conversation/February 08/ 2024
It took the US several days to respond to the January 28 attack on its military base in Jordan that killed three of its service personnel. But when it did, it hit at least 85 targets across Iraq and Syria.
The Pentagon was careful not to directly attack Iran itself, but it targeted Iranian-backed groups which have been conducting raids on US military assets in the region since before Hamas launched its attack on Israel on October 7.
The US strikes were carefully calibrated to avoid escalation. The five days between the attack on the Tower 22 US base in Jordan and the US airstrikes on February 2 gave Iran and its proxies time to move people and high-value assets.
This retaliation wasn’t about body counts, it was about US president Joe Biden showing Iran – and the American electorate – that it doesn’t do to mess with the US. It was a classic shot across the bows.
But who are these groups that Iran can rely on to act in its interests and how much of a threat do they pose to regional security?
Iran’s foreign policy over nearly five decades since the 1979 revolution has had several key objectives. It wants to remove the US from the Middle East and to replace it as the guarantor of regional security.
It has worked to boost the fortunes of Shia groups in the region, working directly against Saudi Arabia’s Sunni proxies, as seen in the conflict in Yemen. And it refuses to recognise the state of Israel, instead working with Palestinian groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah to pressure the Jewish state.
Quds Force
The Quds Force is part of the Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and is the IRGC’s primary vehicle for foreign affairs. According to the Council on Foreign Relations, Quds is largely responsible for providing training, weapons, money and military advice to a range of groups in the so-called “Axis of Resistance”.
Quds was led by General Qasem Soleimani, who had oversight of Shia armed groups in Iraq and Syria as well as wielding a significant amount of influence with Hezbollah in Lebanon. Soleimani was killed in a US drone strike in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, on January 3 2020.
He was succeeded by his longtime deputy Ismail Qaani, who had gained extensive experience in organising and supporting insurgent groups in Afghanistan.
Syria
In 2021, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, estimated that the IRGC had established 82 fighting units in Syria with up to 70,000 fighters. Many of these have been recruited since 2011 to help the Shia regime of Bashar al-Assad combat insurgents there.
Quds activities in Syria are reportedly overseen by Khalil Zahedi, nicknamed Abu Mahdi al-Zahdi. Working through regional subordinates, he controls a number of armed groups, including Liwa al-Quds, Lebanese Hezbollah, Fatemiyoun Brigade, Zainebiyoun Brigade, Hezbollah al-Nujaba, Liwa al-Baqir and Kata’ib al-Imam Ali.
Iran’s principal aims in Syria are to keep the Assad regime in power, maximise Iranian influence, protect Shia minorities and reduce and – if possible – eliminate the US presence in Syria. It also aims to create the conditions for a possible encirclement of Israel by occupying strategic position around the Golan heights.
Iraq
In Iraq, since the US invasion, Iran-backed armed groups come under an umbrella organisation called the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) or Quwwāt al-Ḥashd ash-Shaʿbī. The PMF claims to have as many as 230,000 fighters, mainly Shia. The PMF was founded in 2014 when Iraq’s Shia religious leader, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani issued a fatwa calling on Iraqis to defend their country after the Iraqi army collapsed and Islamic State took the northern province of Mosul.
In 2018 the PMF was incorporated into Iraq’s armed forces as an auxiliary force. As a result its wages are paid by the Iraqi military, but the Iranian government lacks proper command and control over the PMF. The same year PMF’s political wing contested elections in Iraq, coming second in the poll. It also performed well in Iraq’s 2023 regional elections and is now believed to wield considerable control in both the Iraqi parliament and the country’s supreme court.
Its military forces are now believed to be active in Kurdistan as part of an overall strategy to force the US to withdraw from the region.
Lebanon
North of Israel’s border with Lebanon, Hezbollah has been conducting military operations against Israel for many years and since October 7 clashes between Hezbollah forces and the Israel Defence Forces have become almost daily occurences.
Hezbollah (Party of God) was formed in 1982 to fight against the Israeli invasion of Lebanon. It was trained and equipped by Iran, which continues to provide practically all of its financial and military resources. In its 1985 manifesto, it vowed to expel western powers from Lebanon, called for the destruction of Israel state and pledged allegiance to Iran’s supreme leader.
In 2021 Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, claimed that the organisation has 100,000 trained fighters, but estimates as to its actual strength vary considerably.
While heavily involved both politically and economically in Lebanon, Hezbollah is also active throughout the region, doing Iran’s business rather than looking after Lebanese interests.
Major headache for the west
As can be seen with the recent attacks by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen on shipping in the Red Sea (the Houthis are armed and trained by Iran as part of a civil war against the Sunni national government backed by Saudi Arabia), dealing with Iran’s proxies throughout the Middle East is a serious challenge.
Many of these groups now wield significant political influence in the countries in which they are embedded, so confronting them is not simply a military exercise. And, as the dramatic rise in tensions in the region following the assault by Hamas on Israel (also planned with Iranian help) suggests, Iran is capable of fomenting trouble for the west almost at will across the region.

Iran's Proxies Aren't Really Proxies
Amal Saad/Time/February 08/2024
U.S. airstrikes against 85 targets in Iraq and Syria on Friday and Houthi positions in Yemen on Saturday marked the “beginning, not the end of our response” to a drone attack late last month that killed three American troops in Jordan, national security advisor Jake Sullivan told NBC on Sunday. The top Biden Administration official also refused to rule out airstrikes on Iranian soil.
Yet the retaliatory strikes are destined to fail, not least because the Biden Administration appears to not grasp an obvious fact: the various and mostly Shia militant groups that make up the Axis of Resistance are far from simply being Iranian proxies that operate at the whim of Iran’s diktat. The support that Iran gives these groups—typically weapons, and advice on how to use them—doesn’t translate into the kind of power and control sponsors typically have over their proxies. Iran’s ambassador to the U.N., Amir Saied Iravani, made that case recently to NBC—saying that while Iran arms and funds its allies (except the Houthis), “We are not directing them. We are not commanding them. We have a common consultation with each other.” Iravani described Iran’s relationship with these actors as a “defense pact,” likening it to NATO.
As with most defensive alliances, each Axis member maintains a large margin of autonomy. Take, for example, Hezbollah, the most powerful non-state actor in the Axis. The late Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps general, Hossein Hamedani, wrote in his memoirs that Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was “in charge of all the policies of the resistance axis in Syria” following its intervention in the country’s civil war in 2013. Hamas, a Sunni group, has always maintained its autonomy from Iran, at one point even defecting from the Axis over its opposition to the Assad regime in Syria, which was backed by the alliance. (Some reports suggest that Hamas carried out the Oct. 7 attack without Iran’s consent or knowledge.) For their part, the Houthis showcased their independence early on, when they took over the Yemeni capital of Sanaa in 2014, disregarding Iran’s advice at the time. Meanwhile, Kataeb Hezbollah, the Popular Mobilization Forces’s (PMF) most powerful group, recently suspended its military operations against U.S. forces in Iraq because of pressure from the Iraqi government. The fact that other PMF groups have continued targeting U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria demonstrates the independent decision-making of these actors, even those within the same organization.
Whether it’s Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, or other Axis groups, each also perform key governance functions as quasi-states and are specific to their local communities and countries. As with other popular social movements, these hybrid actors cannot cater to Iran’s preferences at the expense of their publics. It just so happens that the main source of these groups’ legitimacy stems from their armed resistance roles within their own countries—and those goals often overlap, though not always, with Iran’s strategic interests.
The origins of the various members within the Axis can be traced back to security voids left by their respective states. In Gaza, Hamas’s Al-Qassam Brigades arose as a response to the Palestine Liberation Organization’s participation in the Oslo peace accords in 1993 that failed to deliver a Palestinian state. The Lebanese Armed Forces were historically powerless against multiple Israeli invasions, which gave birth to Hezbollah in 1982. In Yemen, the Houthis filled the power vacuum left during the post-Arab Spring transitional phase that lasted from 2013 to 2014. Iraq’s PMF emerged in response to the Iraqi Armed Forces’s loss of the key cities of Mosul and Fallujah to the Islamic State in 2014.
So when the U.S.,Israel, or anyone else targets these groups and their territories, this revives their raison d’etre and shores up their resistance credentials. This was most recently seen in Gaza by a doubling of support from 22% to 43% for Hamas, according to a December poll by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research. In Yemen, the Houthis’s elevated legitimacy was demonstrated by the defection of a number of militias backed by Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Both countries entered Yemen’s civil war against the Houthis, but militias they backed have now sided with the Houthis on account of their attacks in the Red Sea aimed at blocking ships from sailing to Israel. Hezbollah has also experienced a similar surge in popular support since it opened a “solidarity front” with Gaza against Israel on Oct. 8, rallying even many Sunnis who had previously opposed the Lebanese Shia group. Likewise, PMF groups received a major boost of legitimacy in the wake of the U.S. strikes on Iraq on Friday that killed several of their forces, with the Iraqi government announcing a three-day mourning period for the “martyrs.”
Nor can the Axis be wished away. Both Hezbollah and the PMF enjoy state representation in their respective parliaments and governments, and their armed wings are granted legal cover by the state. Hamas, after winning elections in 2006 deemed fair by the E.U., formed a government that was subsequently ousted by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in 2007. Hamas then seized control of Gaza and established itself as the de facto government that has administered the Strip since. Meanwhile, Yemen’s Houthis aren’t just the de facto government that rule over the majority of the country, but they have also become the de facto state after taking control of the Yemeni armed forces in late 2014. Given the absence of viable state alternatives to these actors, waging military campaigns against them only recreates the political and security conditions that gave rise to them in the first place.
The Palestinian cause has long constituted not just a central ideological pillar, but a core group and national interest, for each of the Axis members. Hezbollah has defined a ceasefire in Gaza as serving Lebanon’s national interest by preventing Israel from expanding its war into Lebanon. The U.S.’s backing of Israel’s war on Gaza has also prompted the Houthis and PMF to identify Yemen and Iraq’s national interests with Palestinians. Although PMF groups were attacking U.S. bases and convoys before this conflict, the war in Gaza has given them added impetus to expel U.S. troops from Iraq and Syria. For their part, the Houthis are poised to gain a significantly strengthened negotiating position concerning Yemen’s future in their talks with Saudi Arabia and the U.S. as a result of their participation in this conflict.
Claiming that these deeply rooted, quasi-state actors are simply Iranian stooges sets the groundwork for a disastrous U.S. strategy in response to them. Instead of demanding that Iran rein in its “proxies,” the U.S. should start by reining in Israel, if it is indeed keen on preventing a widening of this war.

Why Don't We Want a War with Iran?
Alan M. Dershowitz/Gatestone Institute./February08/2024
There are, of course, alternatives less than all-out war, and more than attacks on proxies. They involve the bombing of military targets inside Iran. These include sites used for Iran's nuclear program, its naval bases and ships, its military drone production, its oil and gas facilities and its command centers. All of these could be accomplished from the air and sea without a ground invasion, and without the loss of American lives an invasion would risk.
One conclusion is clear: in the short term, a US attack on Iran itself would contribute to destabilization in the region. But in the longer term, it might well contribute to stability by reducing the power and influence of the most destabilizing entity in the Middle East, namely Iran.
Israel, too, is at war with Iran. Iranian operatives have targeted Israeli civilians and Jews around the world. Iran has effectively called Israel a "one bomb state" and has threatened to destroy it with nuclear weapons. Israel, too, has a perfect right to respond to these acts of war. Indeed, it may have no choice but to do so, to prevent Iran from carrying out its threats of nuclear annihilation.
The Middle East and the world would be a safer place without the current Iranian regime. It would be a far more dangerous place with a nuclear-weaponized Iran that could protect its surrogates under a nuclear umbrella.
So, Biden's strategy should be given a chance to work. But if it fails — as history suggests it may— all options must be kept on the table. These include attacks within Iran, even if that means war. That may be the least worst among the many available options.
Every discussion about the current Middle East conflict begins with the mandatory mantra, "We don't want war with Iran." Why not? That question is rarely asked.
Iran has declared war on the United States — militarily, legally, diplomatically, morally and politically. They have engaged in repeated casus belli (legal causes for war) since the mullahs took Americans hostage in 1979. Since that time, they have used their surrogates to attack American targets. We are entitled to respond militarily, as we are doing. But we are also entitled to go much further and treat them as aggressors who have effectively declared war on us. We are entitled to destroy their capacity to continue to wage war against us and our allies. The policy question in not whether we have a right to wage war against Iran. It is whether it is in our interest to do so.
It would be best if we could achieve all or most of the ends we legitimately seek without employing the costly and dangerous means of all-out war. That is what the Biden administration is seeking to do by attacking some of Iran's proxies without hitting military targets within Iran itself. But can that limited strategy work?
Iran's strategy has long been to use primarily Arab soldiers to do its dirty work, without endangering its own non-Arab soldiers and civilians— a sort of ethno-religious colonialism. That is why critics quip that Iran is willing to fight till the last Arab!
The Biden strategy plays into their hands. We are targeting Syrian, Iraqi and Yemeni Arabs in an effort to deter the non-Arab mullahs of Iran. So far that has not worked. Perhaps the recent escalation of attacks on Iranian proxies will enhance deterrence against Iran. But many experts believe that unless we directly attack the head of the octopus, it will simply grow more tentacles and continue its predation through willing surrogates.
There are, of course, alternatives less than all-out war, and more than attacks on proxies. They involve the bombing of military targets inside Iran. These include sites used for Iran's nuclear program, its naval bases and ships, its military drone production, its oil and gas facilities and its command centers. All of these could be accomplished from the air and sea without a ground invasion, and without the loss of American lives an invasion would risk.
Such an escalation could produce many benefits, including the postponement — perhaps even termination — of Iran's acquisition of a nuclear arsenal. It would weaken Iran's growing exports of sophisticated military drones. And it would hurt Iran's economy, which is used to export terrorism.
It is impossible to know for certain whether such a multifaceted attack inside of Iran would weaken or strengthen the mullahs's undemocratic hold over the largely secular Iranian people, many of whom would welcome regime change — as would some of Iran's Arab neighbors. One conclusion is clear: in the short term, a US attack on Iran itself would contribute to destabilization in the region. But in the longer term, it might well contribute to stability by reducing the power and influence of the most destabilizing entity in the Middle East, namely Iran.
Israel, too, is at war with Iran. Iranian operatives have targeted Israeli civilians and Jews around the world. Iran has effectively called Israel a "one bomb state" and has threatened to destroy it with nuclear weapons. Israel, too, has a perfect right to respond to these acts of war. Indeed, it may have no choice but to do so, to prevent Iran from carrying out its threats of nuclear annihilation.
The Middle East and the world would be a safer place without the current Iranian regime. It would be a far more dangerous place with a nuclear-weaponized Iran that could protect its surrogates under a nuclear umbrella.
If Iran can be effectively deterred from pushing its belligerent agenda without an attack within its borders, that would be the best outcome. So, Biden's strategy should be given a chance to work. But if it fails — as history suggests it may— all options must be kept on the table. These include attacks within Iran, even if that means war. That may be the least worst among the many available options.
*Alan M. Dershowitz is the Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law, Emeritus at Harvard Law School, and the author most recently of War Against the Jews: How to End Hamas Barbarism. He is the Jack Roth Charitable Foundation Fellow at Gatestone Institute, and is also the host of "The Dershow" podcast.
*Follow Alan M. Dershowitz on X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook
© 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/20382/war-with-iran

The Genocide of 'The Sunday People': 365,000,000 Christians Persecuted Worldwide
Raymond Ibrahim/Gatestone Institute./February 08/2024
Overall, the global persecution of Christians remains higher than ever, with 365 million believers suffering "high levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith."
Christians suffer "extreme levels of persecution" in the top 13 of the 50 nations. They are: 1) North Korea, 2) Somalia, 3) Libya, 4) Eritrea, 5) Yemen, 6) Nigeria, 7) Pakistan, 8) Sudan, 9) Iran, 10) Afghanistan, 11) India, 12) Syria, 13) and Saudi Arabia.
In the worst of the Muslim nations, Christianity has been so stamped out over the years that there are no indigenous Christians to persecute, only converts—apostates, who, according to most interpretations of Islamic law, deserve death.
The wildly popular late Sunni cleric Yusuf al-Qaradawi noted on television that if not for the apostasy law [proposing death], Islam would have died out long ago.
Afghanistan: "When the Taliban came to power, they did so with pledges to recognize more freedoms than in the past. But that hasn't happened—if an Afghan's Christian faith is discovered, it can be a death sentence, or they can be detained and tortured into giving information about fellow believers." — World Watch List 2024, opendoors.org
In 2023, around the world, 4,998 Christians — on average, 13 a day — were "killed for faith related reasons." The global persecution of Christians remains higher than ever, with 365 million believers suffering "high levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith."
In 2023, around the world, 4,998 Christians — on average, 13 a day — were "killed for faith related reasons." Another 4,125 Christians were illegally detained or arrested, and 14,766 churches and other Christian institutions were attacked.
Overall, the global persecution of Christians remains higher than ever, with 365 million believers suffering "high levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith."
These are among the findings of the World Watch List 2024 (WWL), recently published by the international humanitarian organization, Open Doors. Each year, the WWL ranks the top 50 nations where Christians are most persecuted for their faith, using data compiled from approximately 4,000 grassroots workers and external experts analyzing the persecution worldwide. The WWL 2024 report covers the time period between October 1, 2022 and September 30, 2023.
It finds that one in seven Christians around the world (14%) is persecuted. In Africa, that number grows to one in five (20%), while in Asia it is as much as two in five—meaning 40% of all Christians there are persecuted.
Christians suffer "extreme levels of persecution" in the top 13 of the 50 nations. They are: 1) North Korea, 2) Somalia, 3) Libya, 4) Eritrea, 5) Yemen, 6) Nigeria, 7) Pakistan, 8) Sudan, 9) Iran, 10) Afghanistan, 11) India, 12) Syria, 13) and Saudi Arabia.
The form of persecution experienced in these 13 worst offenders ranges from being assaulted, raped, imprisoned or murdered on being identified as a Christian or attending (usually underground) churches.
Coming in at #1 is North Korea:
"Being discovered to be a Christian in North Korea is effectively a death sentence. Either believers will be deported to labour camps as political criminals, where they face a life of hard labor which few survive, or they are killed on the spot. The same fate awaits family members. There are believed to be tens of thousands of Christians held in labor camps across the country."
Most of the "extreme persecution" meted out to Christians in 11 of these worst 13 nations continues to come either from Islamic oppression, or takes place in Muslim-majority nations. Significantly, this means that approximately 84% of the absolute worst persecution around the globe takes place in the name of Islam.
This trend affects the entire list: the persecution that Christians experience in 37 of the 50 nations (or 74%) also comes either from Islamic oppression or occurs in Muslim-majority nations. The overwhelming majority of these nations are governed by some form of shari'a (Islamic law). It can either be directly enforced by government or society or, more frequently, both, although societies — particularly family members outraged by relatives who have converted — tend to be more zealous in its application.
Although the persecution in North Korea is worse, there is at least some hope for its Christians: their ill-treatment is entirely connected to the regime of Kim Jong-un. Once he is gone, North Korea may well become like South Korea, where Christianity is flourishing. Conversely, the Muslim persecution of Christians is perennial, existential, and far transcends this or that regime or ruler. It is part of the history, doctrines and socio-political makeup of Islam — hence its tenacity and ubiquity.
In the worst of the Muslim nations, Christianity has been so stamped out over the years that there are no indigenous Christians to persecute, only converts — apostates, who, according to most interpretations of Islamic law, deserve death. The wildly popular late Sunni cleric Yusuf al-Qaradawi noted on television that if not for the apostasy law, Islam would have died out long ago.
In Somalia (#2):
"The dangers of being a Christian ... are extreme. Most, if not all, are converts from Muslim backgrounds, making them a high-value target for al-Shabab, a militant group that has repeatedly expressed its desire to eradicate Christians from the country. If discovered, believers could be killed on the spot.... Christian converts face intense pressure from their family and local community, which can lead to harassment, intimidation and even death. Even being suspected of converting from Islam to Christianity can lead to life-threatening danger. Church life in Somalia is non-existent, and in recent years the dangers facing Christians appear to have worsened, as Islamic militants have intensified their hunt for Christian leaders.
Similarly, in Libya (#3), where 21 Christians were infamously beheaded for refusing to embrace Islam in Sirte:
"Due to lawlessness, Christians can easily be targets for violence and death. Converts from Islam face the most intense and violent pressure from their family and community. They risk house arrest, attack, abduction, sexual violence and murder. It is incredibly dangerous for converts to meet together to worship, and church life is almost non-existent."
In most Muslim nations on the list, all sectors of society — from Muslim authorities to Muslim terrorists — persecute Christians to varying degrees.
In theocratic Iran (#9):
"Conversion from Islam to Christianity is illegal... and anyone caught as a convert can be arrested and imprisoned. The government views conversion as an attempt by the West to undermine Islam and the Islamic government of Iran. This means that anyone who is discovered to be a member of a house church can be charged with a crime against national security, which can lead to long prison sentences. Anyone arrested or detained can be tortured and abused while in jail.... Converts can lose their inheritance, unmarried Christians can be forced into marriage to a Muslim, and married believers may be forced to divorce or face losing their children."
In Afghanistan (#10), Islamic terrorists — the Taliban, who also happen to be the authorities — are chiefly responsible:
"When the Taliban came to power, they did so with pledges to recognize more freedoms than in the past. But that hasn't happened—if an Afghan's Christian faith is discovered, it can be a death sentence, or they can be detained and tortured into giving information about fellow believers. The surrounding society and family structure has no room for religious freedom, and the government upholds this rigid stance. This means Christians—almost all of whom are converts from Islam—must keep their faith secret, or they may simply disappear."
In Pakistan (#7), every rung of society is responsible for the persecution.
"The devastating attack on the Christian community in Jaranwala in August 2023 was a sobering reminder of the hostile environment facing many believers in Pakistan. The attack on more than 20 churches and almost 100 homes was in response to [false] allegations that two believers had desecrated the Quran. Pakistan's notorious blasphemy laws are often used to target minority groups, but Christians are disproportionately affected. Indeed, roughly a quarter of all blasphemy accusations target Christians, who only make up 1.8% of the population. Believers are targeted in other ways, too, both overtly and subtly. The number of Christian girls (and those from other minority religions) abducted, abused and forcefully converted to Islam (frequently backed by lower courts) is growing, while churches that engage in outreach are particularly prone to opposition. All Christians suffer from institutionalized discrimination, and occupations that are deemed low, dirty and degrading, such as working as a sewer cleaner or on a brick kiln, are reserved for Christians by the authorities."
The same region that has become a hotbed of Christianity in recent decades — Sub-Saharan Africa — is also a hotbed of brutal violence against Christians:
"Political instability, war and extremism has [sic] created a perilous situation for Christians in Sub-Saharan Africa. Amid lawlessness, jihadist groups like al-Qaeda and Boko Haram have thrived. Weak governments fail to stop them. And militants attack Christian communities and churches with impunity. Most Christians murdered for their faith in 2023 were killed in Sub-Saharan Africa. Nigeria accounted for nine out of 10 religiously-motivated murders. Christians were also killed in Congo (DRC), Burkina Faso, Cameroon and the Central African Republic (CAR)."
Additionally, in Nigeria (#6):
"Christians, particularly in the Muslim-majority north, continue to live under immense pressure and to be terrorized with devastating impunity by Islamic militants and armed 'bandits.' More believers are killed for their faith in Nigeria each year, than everywhere else in the world combined. The attacks are often brutal in nature and can involve destruction of properties, abductions for ransom, sexual violence and death. Believers are stripped of their livelihoods and driven from their homes, leaving a trail of grief and trauma."
Indeed, a few days before, and therefore not counted in, the publication of the WWL 2024 report, Muslims slaughtered 200 Christians between Christmas Eve and Day in Nigeria.
Even in those non-Muslim nations where Christians are persecuted, Muslim minorities are often responsible. For example, in the most populous nation in the world,
"The most overt persecution in China (#19) often takes place in regions where Buddhism or Islam are the majority religions—anyone who converts to Christianity is seen as a traitor to their ethnicity and family. These believers may be threatened or even harmed..."
That said, "persecution and discrimination are slowly spreading throughout most of China."
"The Chinese Communist Party's goal is to make sure churches don't fall out of line with official viewpoints. In the case of official churches, this means they are encouraged to praise and pledge allegiance to the Communist Party and its ideology. Churches that claim Christ as King are viewed with suspicion, especially since Christianity is seen as a primarily Western influence."
Whereas Islam continues to have the lion's share of persecution, hostility for Christianity has, in fact, become pandemic. A rise in Hindu nationalism, for example, has made India (#11) a hotbed of persecution:
"Christians around the nation of India find themselves increasingly under threat. This hostility is often driven by an ongoing belief among some Hindu extremists that Indians ought to be Hindu—and any faith outside of Hinduism is not welcome in India. This mindset has led to violent attacks across the country and impunity for the people who perpetrate this violence, especially in places where the authorities are also Hindu hardliners. More and more states are also implementing anti-conversion laws, creating an environment where any Christian who shares their faith can be accused of a crime, intimidated, harassed and even met with violence."
In one notable incident—amid violent attacks on hundreds of churches throughout the spring of 2023 — a Hindu mob paraded two bound Christian women in the nude, before gang-raping them. Moreover, compared to the previous year, "attacks on Christian homes doubled to 180, Christian fatalities increased ninefold to 160, and attacks on churches and Christian schools rose from 67 to 2,228."
Even in nations that would appear to be friendly or at least neutral to Christianity—for example the pre-dominantly Catholic nations of Cuba (#22), Mexico (#37), and Colombia (#34)—persecution is growing.
In Nicaragua (#30):
"Hostility toward Christians ... continues to intensify, with those who speak out against President Ortega and his government viewed as destabilising agents. The situation has deteriorated significantly since 2018, when widespread protests broke out against the country's dictatorial regime. Christians have been among those to raise their voice—but it's coming at an alarming cost. Christian leaders have been harassed and arrested, Christian properties seized, Christian schools, TV stations and charities closed, and churches monitored and intimidated.... Last Easter, police banned processions during Holy Week. Recent changes to the law have been used to label church leaders as terrorists and coup-plotters, and there are suggestions that the government wants to control church affairs such as tithes and offerings."
The dictatorial government of Nicaragua also closed 347 churches during the reporting period.
Growing attacks on churches represents another significant trend:
"More than 14,700 churches or Christian properties such as schools and hospitals were targeted in 2023. It marked a six-fold increase compared with attacks recorded the previous year. In China, at least 10,000 churches were closed. In India, [2,228] Christian properties were raided by violent mobs. And in Algeria, where there were 47 official Protestant churches, only four remain open and they are now under intense pressure. These attacks put huge pressure on Christian communities, sparking fear and insecurity. Even if believers do regroup in smaller numbers, they have limited leadership and few resources."
The displacement of Christians is also on the rise:
"In 2023, more than twice as many Christians were forced to flee their homes compared to the previous year. Political instability, war, extremism and natural disasters have all driven believers from their homelands across the Middle East and North Africa. Believers are often more vulnerable than other displaced people because of their faith. In countries like Syria, Christians are easy targets for violence. Extremists attack churches and leaders, and put pressure on Christians to move on."
Perhaps the most disturbing trend is that the persecution of Christians has nearly doubled since 1993, when the WWL was first issued. Then, only 40 nations scored high enough to warrant sufficient tracking. Today, 78 nations qualify, though the list only ranks the top 50.
How long before this seemingly irreversible trend metastasizes into even those nations once hailed for their religious liberties?
**Raymond Ibrahim, author of Defenders of the West, Sword and Scimitar, Crucified Again, and The Al Qaeda Reader, is the Distinguished Senior Shillman Fellow at the Gatestone Institute and the Judith Rosen Friedman Fellow at the Middle East Forum.
*Follow Raymond Ibrahim on X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook
© 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/20368/christians-persecuted-worldwide

Tyrants and expendable migrants: Dictators play with people’s lives to gain leverage
Emanuele Ottolenghi/The Washington Times/February 08/2024
Illegal immigration through the U.S.-Mexican border is at an all-time high, straining public resources and fueling political tension in the United States.
Much of what moves migrants to undertake the perilous journey is known: economic hardship, conflict, organized crime and political repression. But what is missing from our debate is that America’s authoritarian adversaries, such as Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela — themselves aligned with China, Iran and Russia — are seeking to turn immigrants against the United States.
Human suffering on the scale posed by mass migration shakes the conscience of free societies. Tyrants cynically exploit this opportunity: Fan the flames, then offer to help put them down in exchange for concessions. Play arsonist, then offer yourself as the indispensable fire department. For a fee, naturally.
Weaponizing migrants has a rich history of precedents. The late Libyan dictator Muammar Qadhafi used African migration to Europe as a tool to stay in power and extort political concessions from Europe.
Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, negotiated a deal with the European Union in 2016 when refugees escaping mayhem in Syria flooded Turkey on their way to Europe. In exchange for curbing the flow of illegal migrants into Greece from Turkey, Mr. Erdogan obtained 6 billion euros to pay the cost of keeping the refugees in Turkey, plus a visa-free regime to Europe for Turkish citizens.
In 2021, Belarus bused migrants to its borders with the European Union. More recently, Russia has been sending migrants to the Finnish border to create a humanitarian crisis.
This is not to say that were it not for tyrants’ cynical manipulations, there would be no crisis at the U.S.-Mexican border. But the enemies of the United States see it as a chance to inflame our politics by making things worse by design. Washington should push back.
Exhibit A is Venezuela’s response to the U.S. announcement on Jan. 29 that it would reimpose sanctions against the dictatorial regime of Nicolas Maduro if Venezuela did not reverse its Supreme Court’s decision to disqualify opposition presidential candidate Maria Corina Machado from running for office. For Mr. Maduro and the narco-kleptocracy he runs, Ms. Machado’s candidacy and free elections are a threat to their grip on power.
So are U.S. sanctions. Last October, the Maduro regime negotiated a deal with Venezuela’s opposition that would ensure free and fair elections in exchange for the U.S. reducing sanctions. The agreement presented Mr. Maduro with a dilemma: Letting the opposition compete in a fair election could mean the regime’s demise. Getting sanctions relief would benefit the regime and its domestic standing.
That’s where migrants come in. As part of the deal, Caracas also agreed to let direct flights repatriate thousands of Venezuelans, who had left their country’s economic misery and made their way to the U.S. Those flights offered Mr. Maduro new leverage: Caracas is now threatening to suspend repatriation flights if the U.S. reimposes sanctions.
Playing with people’s lives is what tyrants do, after all, and Mr. Maduro is not the only one playing this game. Nicaraguan strongman Daniel Ortega is also exploiting immigration to pressure the U.S. By relaxing visa restrictions into his country, Mr. Ortega is letting migrants in search of an entry point to the U.S. go through Nicaragua.
Not only did Nicaragua its relax visa requirements, but it also authorized hundreds of chartered flights, many run by human smugglers’ networks, to land in Managua. These exorbitantly priced charter flights carrying Africans, Cubans, Haitians and Indians are part of a clandestine migration package offered by rackets and facilitated by Mr. Ortega, whose regime, like Venezuela’s, is under sanctions pressure from Washington. It’s a good deal for Mr. Ortega. Pressure on the U.S. and money in his coffers, given that Managua exacts a transit fee on each of them to cross into Honduras on their way to the U.S.
To Mr. Maduro and Mr. Ortega, migrants are expendable. The pressure their plight creates on U.S. domestic politics is a net benefit — a divided America is weaker in their eyes and therefore more likely to grant them concessions. Besides, by letting smuggling networks use their countries, airports, travel agencies and other businesses, they bring in revenue from human trafficking that must surely pay dues to conniving authorities. Organized crime benefits, too.
This, then, should guide the U.S. response. Our authoritarian adversaries are exploiting a crisis to our detriment and their benefit — their preservation of power and the advancement of their global anti-democratic agenda.
Washington should double down against those who are making the border crisis worse, not grant them sanctions relief or legitimacy. They are what many of the migrants are fleeing from. We should not lose sight of that.
**Emanuele Ottolenghi is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a Washington-based, nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy. Follow him on X @eottolenghi.