Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on March 17-18/2024
Denouncement of Arbitrary Summoning of Activist Dr. Makram Rabah by Lebanese Judiciary/Elias Bejjani/Date: March 17, 2024
Healing miracle of the blind beggar/Elias Bejjani/March 17/2024
Bishop Aoudi: The pain of the port bombing will not be erased because it remained without accountability
Hezbollah fighters were killed in an Israeli raid that targeted its warehouses in the Qalamoun Mountains area in the northern Damascus countryside
Israel strikes several sites in Syria
War monitor says Israel struck Hezbollah arms depot in Syria
Israel strikes several sites in Syria
Fares Souaid to LBCI: Iran stabbing resistance in the back, presidential elections postponed if Quintet fails
Bassil says FPM is ready to return to agreement if Hezbollah does
Frangieh calls for presidential elections and asserts commitment to constitution and national unity
Social security reforms: Private sector wages to double in Lebanon
Traffic Management Authority: Extending vehicle registration department working days to four
US Keen on Keeping Situation ‘Under Control’ between Lebanon and Israel

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on March 17-18/2024
Israeli PM vows to invade Gaza’s Rafah despite world ‘pressure’
Netanyahu Says Israel to Press on with Rafah Assault Plan
Deadly Strikes Hit Gaza as Israel Mulls Truce Talks Position
Irish PM Calls on US to Stop Sending Weapons to Israel
Netanyahu Says Schumer Call for Israel Election Was Inappropriate
Ukraine Launches Far-ranging Drone Attacks on Final Day of Russia's Presidential Vote
Germany’s Scholz Says Rafah Assault Would Make Regional Peace ‘Very Difficult’
Indian Navy Seizes Ship from Somali Pirates and Rescues 17 Crew
EU Pledges Billions of Euros for Egypt
Putin Gets Record Russia Election Win to Push War in Ukraine

Titles For The Latest English LCCC  analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on March 17-18/2024
Making Lawyers Toxic in Their Communities/Elizabeth Eastman/Gatestone Institute/March 17, 2024
Biden and The Houthi Quagmire/Tariq Al-Homayed/Asharq Al-Awsat/March 17/2024
The Potential Chuck Schumer Juncture/Hazem Saghieh/Asharq Al-Awsat/March 17/2024
Water Label Besides Energy Label/Najib Saab/Asharq Al-Awsat/March 17/2024

Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on March 17-18/2024
Denouncement of Arbitrary Summoning of Activist Dr. Makram Rabah by Lebanese Judiciary
Elias Bejjani/Date: March 17, 2024
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/127934/127934/
The arbitrary summoning of Dr. Makram Rabah by the Lebanese judiciary is not just an infringement on the rights of one individual, but a direct assault on the principles of freedom and justice that every Lebanese citizen holds dear. Dr. Rabah, a steadfast advocate for Lebanon’s sovereignty and independence, symbolizes the collective voice of those who reject Hezbollah’s occupation and stand for truth and justice.
The actions of the compromised, and hijacked Lebanese judiciary against Dr. Rabah are deplorable and illegal. It is evident that this summoning is a clear violation of his constitutional rights and an attempt to silence dissent against the oppressive practices of Hezbollah. Dr. Rabah fearlessly exposes Hezbollah’s involvement in Lebanon’s destabilization and condemns its exploitation of the Lebanese nation for Iran’s expansionist agenda.
The summoning of Dr. Rabah serves as a stark reminder of Lebanon’s status as an occupied nation, where institutions are manipulated to serve the interests of the occupier. Meanwhile, Hezbollah’s control over Lebanese institutions undermines the sovereignty and independence of the country, jeopardizing the well-being of its people regardless of their religious or social affiliations.
It is imperative to condemn and reject the misuse of the judiciary for the benefit of Hezbollah and its Iranian masters. True justice can only prevail with the liberation of Lebanon from occupation and the full implementation of UN aimed at restoring sovereignty, independence, and the rule of law. The perpetrators of occupation and their collaborators must be held accountable for their crimes against the Lebanese people.
In conclusion, the summoning of Dr. Makram Rabah highlights the urgent need for Lebanon to reclaim its independence and uphold the principles of justice and freedom. The Lebanese people must unite in their demand to end Hezbollah’s occupation and for the restoration of Lebanon’s right as a sovereign nation.

Healing miracle of the blind beggar
Elias Bejjani/March 17/2024
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/73575/elias-bejjani-faith-and-persistence-do-miracles/
John 09:39: “I came into this world for judgment, that those who don’t see may see; and that those who see may become blind.”
On the sixth Lenten Sunday, our Maronite Catholic Church cites and recalls with great piety Jesus’ healing miracle of the blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, Bartimaeus. This amazing miracle that took place in Jericho near the Pool of Siloam is documented in three gospels:Mark 10/46-52. John 9/1-41 Matthew 20/:29-34.
Maronites in Lebanon and all over the world strongly believe that Jesus is the holy and blessed light through which believers can see God’s paths of righteousness. There is no doubt that without Jesus’ light, evil darkness will prevail in peoples’ hearts, souls and minds. Without Jesus’ presence in our lives we definitely will become preys to all kinds of evil temptations.
John 09:5: “While I am in the world, I am the light of the world”.
In every community, there are individuals from all walks of life who are spiritually blind, lacking faith, have no hope, and live in dim darkness because they have distanced themselves from Almighty God and from His Gospel, although their eyes are physically perfectly functional and healthy. Meanwhile the actual blindness is not in the eyes that can not see because of physical ailments, but in the hearts that are hardened, in the consciences that are numbed and in the spirits that are defiled with sin.
John’s Gospel gives important details about what has happened with Bartimaeus after the healing miracle of his blindness. As we read in the below enclosed Biblical verses that after his healing Bartimaeus and his parents were exposed to intimidation, fear, threats, and terror. But he refused to succumb or to lie.
He held verbatim to all the course details of the miracle, bravely witnessed for the truth and loudly proclaimed his strong belief that Jesus who cured him was The Son Of God. His faith made him strong, fearless and courageous. The Holy Spirit came to his rescue and spoke through him.
Romans 8:26: “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans”
Sadly our contemporary world hails atheism, brags about secularism and persecutes those who have faith in God and believe in Him. Where ever we live, there are opportunists and hypocrites like some of the conceited crowd members that initially rebuked Bartimaeus, and tried with humiliation to keep him away from Jesus, but the moment Jesus called on him they changed their attitude and let him go through.
Meanwhile, at the present time, Christian believers do suffer dire persecution in many countries on the hands of ruthless oppressors, Jihadists and rulers who refuse to witness for the truth. But despite of all the dim spiritual darkness, thanks God, there are still too many meek believers like Bartimaeus who hold to their faith no matters what the obstacles or hurdles are. Lord, enlighten our minds and hearts with your light and open our eyes to realize that You are a loving and merciful father. Lord Help us to take Bartimaeus as a faith role model in our life. Lord help us to defeat all kinds of sins that take us away from Your light, and deliver us all from evil temptations.
NB: The Above Piece was first published in 2014, republished with minor changes

Bishop Aoudi: The pain of the port bombing will not be erased because it remained without accountability
Al-Kalima Online/March 17, 2024
The Metropolitan of Beirut and its environs, Greek Orthodox Bishop Elias Aoudi, wished that the people of this country, and the officials, leaders, and leaders in particular, would realize the importance of emancipating themselves from materialism and devoting themselves to purifying the soul and hand from all attachment to fleeting things because they are fleeting, and not eternal. In addition, Aoudi considered in his Sunday sermon that if they had acted in this way, they would have spared themselves, Lebanon and the Lebanese the hardship of wars and economic, social and moral collapse, and they would have spared Beirut and its people the tragedies and pains they suffered from the consequences of the port bombing that will not be erased from the memory of Beirut and Beirutis. Because it touched the heart of the capital and their hearts, but also because it remained unaccounted for. He pointed out that, “More than three years have passed since the fateful day, the mastermind and perpetrator are still unknown, the investigation is still pending, and hearts are bleeding.” Bishop Aoudi hoped that mercy would touch the hearts of those in their power to decide and release the investigation so that the truth would emerge and justice would prevail, and that mercy would also touch the hearts of those who put the machines of death and destruction on the heads of innocent people, and that the fighting would stop in our region and in every region ravaged by war.

Hezbollah fighters were killed in an Israeli raid that targeted its warehouses in the Qalamoun Mountains area in the northern Damascus countryside
Al-Kalima online/March 17, 2024
At dawn on Sunday, Israeli aircraft bombed two Lebanese Hezbollah sites in the Qalamoun Mountains area in the northern Damascus countryside, resulting in deaths and injuries. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that Israeli aircraft targeted a shipment of weapons inside a military vehicle of the regime forces used by Hezbollah, as well as another site near the engineering battalion, between the areas of Yabroud and Al-Nabk in the Qalamoun Mountains in the Damascus countryside.
While he noted that explosions occurred inside the two targeted sites and fires broke out, he confirmed that there is information about human casualties. For its part, the pro-regime Sham FM radio said, “Successive explosions were heard in the Qalamoun region in the vicinity of the city of Nabek, without information being received about their cause,” adding that “Syrian air defenses responded to hostile targets that targeted points in the vicinity of the town of Al-Qastal on the eastern side of the highway.” Damascus - Homs. The air strike came hours after an Israeli artillery bombardment targeted a regime military site in Tal al-Jumou` in the western countryside of Daraa, following the launching of a missile into the occupied Golan by groups affiliated with Hezbollah, according to the Observatory. The Syrian Ministry of Defense said, “At approximately 00:42 after midnight on Saturday - Sunday, the Israeli enemy launched an air aggression from the direction of the occupied Syrian Golan, targeting a number of points in the southern region,” adding that “our air defense means responded to the aggression’s missiles and shot down some of them, and the aggression resulted in One soldier was injured and some material losses occurred.” On Tuesday, the Observatory said that Israeli forces targeted military points with missiles in the Tal Ahmar area, north of the city of Khan Arnaba in the Quneitra countryside, pointing out that the targeted points contained factions affiliated with Hezbollah, confirming the killing of two members of groups loyal to the party. At the beginning of March, Israel assassinated the advisor to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Radhi Zarei, after its planes launched an air attack targeting his house in the city of Baniyas in the Tartous countryside on the Syrian coast. Two other people were also killed with him, and Iranian websites said they were from the Lebanese Hezbollah.

Israel strikes several sites in Syria
Associated Press/March 17/2024
Israeli airstrikes hit several sites in southern Syria early Sunday wounding a soldier, Syrian state media reported. State news agency SANA, citing an unnamed military official, said air defenses shot down some of the missiles, which came from the direction of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights at around 12:42 a.m. local time. The strikes led to "material losses" and the wounding of a soldier, the statement said. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said Israeli strikes also hit two military sites in the Qalamoun mountains northeast of Damascus, an area where Lebanon's Hezbollah has operations. One of the targets was a weapons shipment, the observatory said. The observatory said the strikes represented the 24th time Israel has struck inside Syria since the beginning of 2024. They have killed 43 fighters with various groups — including Hezbollah and Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard — and nine civilians. There was no immediate statement from Israeli officials on the strikes. Israel frequently launches strikes on Iran-linked targets in Syria but rarely acknowledges them. The strikes have escalated over the past five months against the backdrop of the war in Gaza and ongoing clashes between Hezbollah and Israeli forces on the Lebanon-Israel border. Last week, the Israeli army said it has carried out 4,500 strikes against Hezbollah targets over the past five months, most of which were in Lebanon, while a few were in Syria. The Israeli army said in a statement that it "will not allow for any attempted actions which could lead to the entrenchment of Hezbollah on the Syrian front."

War monitor says Israel struck Hezbollah arms depot in Syria
Agence France Presse/March 17/2024
A war monitor said Israeli strikes on Syria early Sunday targeted at least two sites in Damascus province including a weapons depot, while state media said a soldier was wounded in the attack. Israel has launched hundreds of air strikes on targets in Syria since civil war broke out in 2011, mainly targeting Iran-backed forces including militants from Lebanon's Hezbollah as well as Syrian army positions. The strikes have increased since Israel's war with Palestinian militant group Hamas, a Hezbollah ally, began on October 7. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said "Israeli missiles" targeted a weapons depot belonging to the Syrian military and used by Hezbollah in Damascus province's Qalamun mountains. Another site near an army battalion in the same area was also targeted, added the Britain-based Observatory, reporting a fire at one of the sites. State news agency SANA, carrying a statement from a military source, said that "the Israeli enemy carried out an air attack... targeting a number of points in the southern region", without specifying where. It said a soldier was wounded in the attack and reported "material losses", adding that air defence systems shot down some of the missiles. Earlier this month, an Israeli strike killed an Iranian Revolutionary Guard and two other people in Banias on Syria's Mediterranean coast, reports said, in the third consecutive day of Israeli attacks on the country. This week, the Israeli army said it had hit about 4,500 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon and Syria over the past five months. Israel rarely comments on individual strikes but has repeatedly said it will not allow Iran to expand its presence in Syria.

Israel strikes several sites in Syria
Associated Press/March 17/2024
Israeli airstrikes hit several sites in southern Syria early Sunday wounding a soldier, Syrian state media reported. State news agency SANA, citing an unnamed military official, said air defenses shot down some of the missiles, which came from the direction of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights at around 12:42 a.m. local time. The strikes led to "material losses" and the wounding of a soldier, the statement said. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said Israeli strikes also hit two military sites in the Qalamoun mountains northeast of Damascus, an area where Lebanon's Hezbollah has operations. One of the targets was a weapons shipment, the observatory said. The observatory said the strikes represented the 24th time Israel has struck inside Syria since the beginning of 2024. They have killed 43 fighters with various groups — including Hezbollah and Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard — and nine civilians. There was no immediate statement from Israeli officials on the strikes. Israel frequently launches strikes on Iran-linked targets in Syria but rarely acknowledges them. The strikes have escalated over the past five months against the backdrop of the war in Gaza and ongoing clashes between Hezbollah and Israeli forces on the Lebanon-Israel border. Last week, the Israeli army said it has carried out 4,500 strikes against Hezbollah targets over the past five months, most of which were in Lebanon, while a few were in Syria. The Israeli army said in a statement that it "will not allow for any attempted actions which could lead to the entrenchment of Hezbollah on the Syrian front."

Fares Souaid to LBCI: Iran stabbing resistance in the back, presidential elections postponed if Quintet fails
LBCI/March 17/2024
Former MP Fares Souaid emphasized that the main issue is implementing Resolution 1701, which requires state-building through the presidency. There is a connection between the implementation of Resolution 1701, the president's election, and the results of Gaza. He said, "The Quintet Committee does not reject Sleiman Frangieh, but if it reaches a formula for implementing Resolution 1701 through the presidency, we will continue to work on it. If the Quintet Committee fails, we will wait until after the US presidential elections." In response to a question, he said, "If we want a president as a result of the settlement, there is no chance for Army Commander Joseph Aoun." He confirmed that Lebanon needs a president who says, "Lebanon's strength lies in its national unity." The Mar Mikhael Agreement led to the loss of sovereignty, stability, and independence of the country, undermined the concept of balance in the country, and may have allowed the Free Patriotic Movement to expand its size and bring President Aoun to the presidency, as he said. In addition, he considered that Hezbollah is preventing the election of a president and suspending the constitution in Lebanon. He considered that the expected truce in Gaza would enter Lebanon into a new phase, the title of which is the implementation of Resolution 1701 and the election of a president. "Thus, we may enter a new phase."Souaid believed that it is not true that the "Support Front" was in Lebanon's favor; on the contrary, it tied it to Gaza and besieged it. He pointed out that the state that is on the borders of Israel today is Iran, and the south must be brought back under the state's umbrella through the implementation of Resolution 1701. Moreover, he said, "The one who stabbed the resistance in the back is Iran because it invented Hezbollah and is capable of selling and buying it, and the rope is around Hezbollah's neck because Iran does not want escalation through entering the war." He pointed out that administrative decentralization is fundamental, but "what does it mean amid the presence of weapons in several areas?"

Bassil says FPM is ready to return to agreement if Hezbollah does
LBCI/March 17/2024
The head of the Free Patriotic Movement, Deputy Gebran Bassil, affirmed that "no one should think that we regret the alliance with Hezbollah," revealing that "at any moment Hezbollah returns to the agreement, we return to it." During a meeting titled "From Generation to Generation - Gen to Gen," Bassil noted that the agreement provided 15 years of stability in the country. Bassil emphasized that "when there was an intention to isolate Hezbollah, the agreement came, and we forged a partnership, leading to stability." He continued, "We lost popularity due to the agreement because marketing Hezbollah in the Lebanese street is difficult, especially among youth.""Despite that, we sacrificed our popularity for stability. But when we reached a point where Hezbollah no longer progressed with us in partnership, we distanced ourselves. Hence, we say: If you return, we return. If Hezbollah returns to the agreement, we will return," he stated. Bassil stressed, "Lebanon is our country, and we will defend it. This is our land, and no one will take it away from us.''Adding, ''After that, the rest of the forces inside wanted to move after seeing foreign countries move while we remained hopeful. We learned from that period that we should be free in what we do, whatever concerns our future and our freedom."

Frangieh calls for presidential elections and asserts commitment to constitution and national unity
LBCI/March 17/2024
The head of the Marada Movement, Sleiman Frangieh, stressed that "respecting the constitution is a duty and cannot be dealt with casually or according to personal interest, as some do." He expressed his wish for "presidential elections to take place soon, with candidates having a history in political and national work, known positions, and not just names brought forward for obstruction purposes."His remarks came during a meeting with Joseph Kosseifi, the head of the Lebanese Press Editors Syndicate, who visited him leading a delegation in Bnachii, as part of a tour to hear from stakeholders about their opinions and aspirations. Frangieh stated: "Since 2005, my name has been proposed for the presidency. Therefore, the Amal-Hezbollah duo did not nominate me, but they supported my nomination."He added, "It is unacceptable to disregard the fifty-one votes, meaning that fifteen Christian deputies voted for me and supported me." Frangieh emphasized that his stance on Hezbollah is not new and does not change according to circumstances or events. He said, "Everyone knows that in 2016, I could have reached the presidency, but I did not accept, and I am not regretful." He also expressed. "I had informed the former French President François Hollande then that I would not join the council except hand in hand with President Michel Aoun."In response to two Christian factions' rejection of his candidacy, Frangieh replied, "The problem is that I exist. They disagree on everything and unite against me.'' He added, "The fundamental question is: Are they afraid of a successful president? President Aoun reached power with a parliamentary majority, yet he governed for six years without consensus."Regarding his approach to the system, he said: "I am in favor of the Taif Agreement, and any discussion about its shortcomings should be addressed through consensus." Frangieh continued, "We hope to reach a comprehensive national vision that includes foreign and defense policies, working to restore the state's prestige, reform the economy, and respect the laws." In response to a question, he clarified: "There is no American or Saudi veto on my name, and the American ambassador openly stated that they would cooperate with me if I were to assume office. Everyone knows that no president can succeed without the approval of Hezbollah, and some present their credentials under the table."He renewed his rejection of all forms of division and deemed that "every talk about division or federalization is populist talk, as this country can only be one, and the national project is the biggest winner, and every isolationist, whether Christian or Muslim, is not worthy of responsibility." He continued, "No one can outbid us, as we have safeguarded Christians with arms and through agreements and have stood firm against all challenges.''Adding, ''We are Christian, unified, patriotic Arabs who believe in Lebanon's unity and coexistence. We stand with Hezbollah and against Israel, and if some consider it an accusation, I see it as an added value."Regarding the comments attributed to the Speaker of the Parliament Nabih Berri about withdrawing his support for his nomination, Frangieh pointed out that "some are trying to create a rift within our political line, and Berri stood by my side when everyone abandoned me in 2016." Regarding the displaced persons crisis, he emphasized the need to address this issue realistically through a precise mechanism based on categorizing the displaced persons. As for Gaza, he expressed, "As humans, nationals, Arabs, and Christians, we must stand by Gaza, and failure to reach a solution will exacerbate the crisis and the continued Palestinian refugee issue in Lebanon. Israel realizes that the destruction it will suffer will be very significant, so it calculates everything." Frangieh concluded by emphasizing the "importance of free speech and the free media that Lebanon is characterized by, but the media has a responsibility not to prioritize journalistic scoops over national interests," praising the role of the Syndicate in this regard.

Social security reforms: Private sector wages to double in Lebanon
LBCI/March 17/2024
With the increase in the public sector, attention has turned to Lebanon's private sector. In numbers, the minimum wage in the private sector is set to double from LBP 9 million to 18 million. Additionally, transportation allowances, which currently stand at around LBP 11 million monthly, will contribute to private sector employees now earning a minimum of $324, compared to approximately $400 in the public sector. Moreover, educational scholarships for private sector employees will increase from LBP 6 million to 12 million for those with children in private schools and from LBP 2 million to 4 million for those attending public schools. These increases will be announced next Tuesday during a meeting between the Labor Ministry and representatives of employers and workers, following an agreement among all concerned parties. However, will employers formally declare these new salaries to Social Security and factor them into end-of-service compensations? Here lies the problem: the majority of companies either evade declaring to social security or understate the actual salaries, partly to reduce subscription costs and partly because they lack trust in the system. According to Social Security's numbers, only 10% are being reported, which has led to significant revenue losses for Social Security and hindered its ability to increase social benefits. Social security sources emphasize the need for this 10% compliance rate to increase to at least 50%, coinciding with the raise in the minimum wage. This would enable the institution to enhance its healthcare coverage from the current 40-50% to 80-90%, restoring levels seen before the 2019 crisis.

Traffic Management Authority: Extending vehicle registration department working days to four
LBCI/March 17/2024
Lebanon's Traffic and Vehicles Management Authority announced in a statement, "To facilitate citizens' transactions and provide services more efficiently, the main center in Dekwaneh will increase working days. Starting from March 18, 2024, the department will offer services four days a week instead of three as follows:
-Mondays will handle transactions for owners of used and imported car showrooms.
-The official closing day on Monday, March 25, 2024, will be replaced by Friday, March 22, 2024.
-The official closing day, Monday, April 1, 2024, will be replaced by Friday, April 5, 2024.
Transactions that have already started but not yet completed will be processed starting from twelve o'clock on:
• Monday, March 18: for new cars and motorcycles with chassis numbers ending in 3/2/1/0.
• Friday, March 22: for new cars and motorcycles with chassis numbers ending in 6/5/4.
• Friday, April 5: for new cars and motorcycles with chassis numbers ending in 9/8/7.
In other departments (Zahle, Sidon, Nabatieh, and Tripoli), work will continue as usual:
-Tuesdays for cars/driving licenses ending in chassis numbers: 3/2/1/0.
-Wednesdays for cars/driving licenses ending in chassis numbers: 6/5/4.
Thursdays for cars/driving licenses ending in chassis numbers: 9/8/7.
Note that the department will announce the availability of new services in the coming weeks."

US Keen on Keeping Situation ‘Under Control’ between Lebanon and Israel
Washington: Ali Barada/Asharq Al-Awsat/March 17/2024
High-ranking officials in US President Joe Biden’s administration and others express their belief that there is "no interest" for either the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or Lebanon’s Hezbollah in waging a wide-ranging war across the Blue Line, despite the current military operations greatly increasing the likelihood of "miscalculations." The UN Security Council has not convened any emergency sessions to discuss the tense situation on the ground despite numerous complaints lodged by the Lebanese and Israeli sides since October 7th of last year.
The mutual complaints between Lebanon and Israel reflect the atmosphere of increasing tension on both sides of the border and fears of the repercussions of the Gaza war on Lebanon. Hezbollah continues to hit Israeli military sites resulting in the deaths of about 20 Israeli soldiers and civilians, while Israel carries out targeted operations that have so far resulted in the deaths of more than 200 Hezbollah activists and officials, in addition to several Hamas leaders across all Lebanese regions, as well as dozens of civilian casualties in Lebanon. UN spokesperson Farhan Haq said the UN Security Council is not convening an emergency session because neither of the concerned parties requested it from the member states. He said the council is holding regular sessions to review the implementation of its resolutions, especially Resolutions 1559 and 1701, and discussing reports issued by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, according to what he told Asharq Al-Awsat.
Lebanon’s Complaint
Hadi Hashem, the Acting Head of the Lebanese Mission to the United Nations, filed a new complaint this week regarding "Israeli attacks on safe residential areas in Baalbek and Keserwan”. He warned of "Israeli desires to escalate the conflict and drag the entire region into war”.He urged the international community to "pressure Israel into stopping its ongoing escalating attacks”.
The Israeli Threat
Despite the complaints lodged from the Israeli side to the Security Council bearing a threatening nature, the Council members have not called for an emergency meeting, amid continued US pressures to prevent things from spiraling out of control.
According to information obtained by Asharq Al-Awsat, a US official said that preventing an expansion of the war is one of the primary strategic goals sought by the Biden administration, not only towards Lebanon but also in Yemen, the Red Sea, and the wider Middle East region.
Hezbollah’s Weapons
The American efforts in that regard have not alleviated the concerns of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres regarding the situation along the Blue Line.
In his recent report on the implementation of UN Resolution 1701, which will be discussed by the Security Council next Tuesday, he expresses "grave concern" about the ongoing violations of the cessation of hostilities since October 8th, amid recurrent exchanges of fire between Hezbollah and other non-governmental armed groups in Lebanon on one side and Israel on the other. He said it poses a "a serious threat to the stability of Lebanon, Israel, and the region." He calls for "a political process to address the root causes of the conflict" based on the full implementation of Resolution 1701.
Militarization of the Refugee Camps
Guterres reiterated strong condemnation of all violations of Lebanese sovereignty by Israel, calling on the latter to "cease all overflights over Lebanese territory," he also denounced "any violation of Israeli sovereignty from Lebanon." He warned of the prolonged vacuum in the country’s top state post urging what he termed "Lebanon's political class" to "take decisive steps towards electing a president to address pressing political issues, economic necessities, and security challenges facing the country. Amid international anger over the Hamas attack in Israel, and the latter’s “punishing” retaliation on Palestinians in Gaza and the escalating tension emerging on the border with Lebanon, UN officials raise concerns over what they say is the “militarization” of the Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon. “Armed groups must never seize educational institutions and other UN facilities for military purposes," said Guterres following a mobilization call launched by Hamas in the refugee camps in Lebanon.

Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on March 17-18/2024
Israeli PM vows to invade Gaza’s Rafah despite world ‘pressure’
AFP/March 17, 2024
GAZA STRIP: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Sunday to send ground forces into Gaza’s southern Rafah city despite growing international concern over the fate of Palestinian civilians sheltering there. Netanyahu, whose security and war cabinets were later due to discuss latest international efforts toward a truce deal, stressed that “no amount of international pressure will stop us from realizing all the goals of the war.” “To do this, we will also operate in Rafah,” he told a cabinet meeting, hours before he was set to meet visiting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz for talks on the war raging since October 7. Israel has repeatedly threatened to launch a ground offensive against Hamas militants in Rafah, now home to nearly 1.5 million mostly displaced Gazans sheltering near the Egyptian border. US President Joe Biden, whose country provides Israel with billions of dollars in military assistance, has said a Rafah invasion would be a “red line” without credible measures to protect civilians. UN World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged Israel “in the name of humanity” not to launch a Rafah assault, warning that “this humanitarian catastrophe must not be allowed to worsen.”Envoys were planning to meet in Qatar soon to revive stalled talks for a ceasefire and hostage release deal. A Hamas proposal calls for an Israeli withdrawal from “all cities and populated areas” in Gaza during a six-week truce and for more humanitarian aid, according to an official from the Palestinian group. Israel plans to attend the talks, with cabinet members due to “decide on the mandate of the delegation in charge of the negotiations before its departure for Doha,” Netanyahu’s office said, without giving a date for when they would leave. The war meanwhile raged on, and overnight Israeli bombardment across the Hamas-ruled territory killed at least 61 Palestinians, the Gaza health ministry said. The dead included 12 members of the same family whose house was hit in Deir Al-Balah, in central Gaza. Palestinian girl Leen Thabit, retrieving a white dress from under the rubble of their flattened house, cried as she told AFP her cousin was killed in the strike. “She’s dead. Only her dress is left,” Thabit said. “What do they want from us?“ The war was triggered by Hamas’s October 7 attack on southern Israel that resulted in about 1,160 deaths, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official figures. Israel’s retaliatory campaign against Hamas has killed at least 31,645 people in Gaza, most of them women and children, according to the health ministry.
Shelling and clashes were reported in south Gaza’s main city of Khan Yunis and elsewhere, and the Israeli army said its forces had killed “approximately 18 terrorists” in central Gaza since Saturday. More than five months of war and an Israeli siege have led to dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza, where the UN has repeatedly warned of looming famine for the coastal territory’s 2.4 million people. As the flow of aid trucks into Gaza has slowed, a second ship was due to depart from Cyprus along a new maritime corridor to bring food and relief goods, said officials of the island-nation.
On Saturday the US charity World Central Kitchen said its team had finished unloading supplies from a barge towed by Spanish aid vessel Open Arms which had pioneered the sea route. Jordan on Sunday announced the latest aid airdrop over northern Gaza together with German, US and Egyptian aircraft.
The United Nations has reported particular difficulty in accessing the north, where residents say they have resorted to eating animal fodder, and where some have stormed the few aid trucks that have made it through. Palestinian militants seized about 250 Israeli and foreign hostages during the October 7 attack. Dozens were released during a week-long truce in November, and Israel believes about 130 remain in Gaza including 32 presumed dead. Netanyahu has faced domestic pressure over the remaining captives, with protesters rallying in Tel Aviv on Saturday carrying banners urging a “hostage deal now.”
“The civilians... need to demand from their leaders to do the right thing,” said one demonstrator, Omer Keidar, 27. In Rafah, the crisis has only grown worse, said medical staff at a clinic run by Palestinian volunteers that offers treatment for displaced Gazans. “We’re facing shortages of medications,” said Dr. Samar Gregea, herself displaced from Gaza City in the north.“There are a lot of patients in the camp, with all children suffering from malnutrition” and a spike in hepatitis A cases, she told AFP. “Children require foods high in sugars, like dates, which are currently unavailable.”

Netanyahu Says Israel to Press on with Rafah Assault Plan
Asharq Al-Awsat/March 17/2024
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday he would keep on with the military campaign against Hamas in Gaza, where aid agencies say famine is looming, while ceasefire talks were set to resume. Netanyahu told a cabinet meeting that Israel would push into Rafah, the last relatively safe place in the tiny, crowded Gaza enclave after more than five months of war, despite international pressure for Israel to avoid civilian casualties. "We will operate in Rafah. This will take several weeks, and it will happen," he said, without clarifying if he meant the assault would last for weeks or would begin in weeks. He later said after meeting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Jerusalem that Israel would not leave civilians trapped in Rafah when its forces begin their assault. Israel's allies have piled pressure on Netanyahu not to attack Rafah, where more than a million displaced people from other parts of the devastated enclave have sought shelter, without a plan to protect civilians. At a joint news conference, Scholz said he had spoken with Netanyahu about the need to provide comprehensive humanitarian aid to the people in Gaza. "We cannot stand by and watch Palestinians risk starvation," Scholz said, echoing a call from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, visiting neighboring Egypt at the same time, for a ceasefire deal and more aid for Gaza. "It is critical to achieve an agreement on a ceasefire rapidly now that frees (Israel's) hostages and allows more humanitarian aid to reach Gaza," von der Leyen said after meeting Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. At the cabinet meeting, Netanyahu had hit out at his allies, saying: "Are your memories that short? Have you so quickly forgotten October 7, the most horrific massacre of Jews since the Holocaust? Are you so quick to deny Israel the right to defend itself against the Hamas monsters?".Hamas fighters killed 1,200 people and seized 253 hostages in the Oct. 7 attack according to Israeli tallies, triggering a massive assault on Gaza. Israel's air and ground campaign in the enclave has killed more than 31,600 people say health authorities in Hamas-run Gaza, driven most of the population from their homes and brought them to the brink of famine according to aid agencies. A source familiar with truce talks in Qatar told Reuters the head of Israel's Mossad intelligence agency would join the delegation attending the negotiations with Qatari, Egyptian and US mediators. Hamas presented a new ceasefire proposal last week including an exchange of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners. Israel's security cabinet is to meet to discuss it before the delegation leaves. Netanyahu has already said the proposal was based on "unrealistic demands", but a Palestinian official familiar with mediation efforts said chances for a deal looked better with Hamas having given more details on the proposed prisoner swap. "Some in Israel felt (Hamas) made some improvement on its previous position and it is now in the hands of Netanyahu alone to say whether an agreement is imminent," said the official, who asked not to be named. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, in an apparent reference to the negotiations, said the security establishment "is committed to exhausting every possibility and willing to take advantage of every possibility, including the current one, to return the hostages to their families". Trucks of flour have reached northern Gaza for distribution to areas that have had no aid in four months, Palestinian media reported on Sunday. A convoy of 12 trucks arrived in the north on Saturday carrying supplies to be distributed to the northernmost areas, the media and residents said.
The Hamas-linked Home Front media outlet reported that the aid was distributed by the "Popular Committees", a group that includes leaders of powerful clans in Gaza. A Hamas source said the route was secured by Hamas security personnel.
Hospitals in the north have already reported children dying of malnutrition and dehydration.

Deadly Strikes Hit Gaza as Israel Mulls Truce Talks Position
Asharq Al-Awsat/March 17/2024
At least 61 Palestinians were killed in overnight Israeli bombardment, the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said Sunday, as Israel was preparing to send negotiators to new truce talks in Qatar. Israel's security cabinet and the smaller war cabinet were to meet to "decide on the mandate of the delegation in charge of the negotiations before its departure for Doha," the prime minister's office said. Its statement did not specify when the delegation would leave for the latest round of talks which comes after Hamas submitted a new proposal for a pause in fighting and hostage release. More than five months of war and an Israeli siege have led to dire humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip, where the United Nations has repeatedly warned of looming famine for the coastal territory's 2.4 million people. As the flow of aid trucks into Gaza has slowed, a second ship was due to depart from Cyprus along a new maritime corridor to bring food and relief goods, Cypriot officials said. On Saturday the US charity World Central Kitchen said its team had finished unloading supplies from a barge towed by Spanish aid vessel Open Arms which had pioneered the sea route. The United Nations has reported particular difficulty in accessing north Gaza, where residents say they have resorted to eating animal fodder, and where some have stormed the few aid trucks that have made it through. Shelling and clashes were reported in south Gaza's main city of Khan Younis and elsewhere. The territory's health ministry said 12 members of the same family, whose house in Deir al-Balah was hit, were among those killed overnight. Most Gazans displaced by the fighting have sought refuge in Rafah on the Egyptian border, where Israel has threatened to launch a ground offensive, without giving a timeline. The head of the UN's World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, appealed to Israel "in the name of humanity" not to launch an assault on Rafah.
'Humanitarian catastrophe'
An evacuation planned by the Israeli army ahead of launching its assault was not a practical solution, Tedros argued, noting that Palestinians there do not "have anywhere safe to move to". "This humanitarian catastrophe must not be allowed to worsen," he said on social media platform X. The war was triggered by Hamas's October 7 attack on southern Israel that resulted in about 1,160 deaths, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official figures. Israel's retaliatory campaign against Hamas has killed at least 31,645 people in Gaza, most of them women and children, according to the health ministry. Palestinian fighters also seized about 250 Israeli and foreign hostages in the attack. Dozens were released during a week-long truce in November, and Israel believes about 130 remain in Gaza including 32 presumed dead. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has faced domestic pressure to secure the release of the captives, with protesters in Tel Aviv on Saturday carrying banners urging a "hostage deal now". "The civilians... need to demand from their leaders to do the right thing," said demonstrator Omer Keidar, 27. The Hamas proposal calls for an Israeli withdrawal from "all cities and populated areas" in Gaza during a six-week truce and more humanitarian aid, according to an official from the Palestinian group. With the situation on the ground increasingly dire, aid donors have turned to deliveries by air or sea. Multiple governments have begun daily airdrops of food over Gaza, while the new maritime corridor is to be complemented by a US-military-built temporary pier.
Malnutrition and disease
But air and sea missions are no alternative to land deliveries, UN agencies say. Humanitarian groups have cited Israeli restrictions as among the obstacles they face. The United States, which provides Israel with billions of dollars in military assistance, has also grown increasingly critical of Netanyahu over his handling of the war. Washington has said it cannot support Israel's long-threatened operation against Hamas in Rafah without a "credible, achievable, executable plan" to protect Palestinian civilians. The crisis has only grown worse in Rafah, said medical staff at a clinic run by Palestinian volunteers that offers treatment for displaced Gazans. "We're facing shortages of medications, especially pediatric medicines," said Dr. Samar Gregea, herself displaced from Gaza City in the north. "There are a lot of patients in the camp, with all children suffering from malnutrition," she told AFP, also reporting the "widespread presence of hepatitis A". "Children require foods high in sugars, like dates, which are currently unavailable."

Irish PM Calls on US to Stop Sending Weapons to Israel
Asharq Al-Awsat/March 17/2024
Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar criticized on Saturday the US weapon supplies to Israel, urging Washington to stop sending arms to Tel Aviv. Varadkar will meet US President Joe Biden at the White House on Sunday, at the end of a week of engagements which involved an earlier bilateral meeting between the two leaders, reported British PA Media. Biden said he agreed with the PM’s calls for a ceasefire in Gaza “as soon as possible.”However, speaking to reporters in Washington DC, Varadkar said there were areas in which the two administrations remain at odds.
He stressed he made it “very clear” to Briden that Israel’s continued military actions in Gaza were not self-defense. The Irish leader added that the US was working “very hard” towards a ceasefire, but Biden has stopped short of calling for an immediate end to hostilities. Varadkar met with Biden for a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office on Friday. The two leaders discussed the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, as well as Irish-US trade relations.

Netanyahu Says Schumer Call for Israel Election Was Inappropriate
Asharq Al-Awsat/March 17/2024
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told CNN on Sunday that US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's speech in which he urged new elections in Israel was "totally inappropriate." In a speech on the Senate floor on Thursday, Schumer, a longtime supporter of Israel and the highest-ranking Jewish US elected official, called for new elections in Israel and said Netanyahu was an obstacle to peace. "I think what he said is totally inappropriate. It's inappropriate to go to a sister democracy and try to replace the elected leadership there," Netanyahu said in the CNN interview. The speech reflected growing frustration in Washington with Netanyahu, his management of the war with Hamas, failure to do more to protect Palestinian civilians and accusations by international relief agencies of obstruction of aid deliveries into Gaza. International criticism of US support for Israel has mounted due to the death toll and starvation crisis in the coastal enclave. Schumer said it would be a "grave mistake" for Israel to reject a two-state solution and urged negotiators in the Israel-Gaza conflict to do everything possible to secure a ceasefire, free hostages and get aid into Gaza.
President Joe Biden said on Friday that Schumer's comments echoed the concerns of many Americans, describing the remarks as a "good speech." Still, White House spokesperson John Kirby said on Sunday that Biden believed it was up to Israel to make its own decisions about internal politics. "We respect the sovereignty of the Israeli people," Kirby told Fox News Sunday. "The president believes it's up to the Israeli people and the Israeli government to determine if and when there's going to be new elections."Schumer did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Netanyahu's reaction to his speech. In Israel, Netanyahu dismissed international pressure on Sunday and said Israel's military would push into Rafah, the last relatively safe place in the tiny, crowded Gaza enclave after more than five months of war. Israel's allies have repeatedly urged Netanyahu not to attack Rafah, where more than a million displaced people from other parts of the devastated enclave have sought shelter, without a plan to protect civilians. Republican congressman Michael McCaul, who leads the House of Representatives Foreign Relations Committee, criticized Schumer's remarks, comparing them to an effort to topple Israel's government. "You don't talk about toppling a government in a democracy," McCaul told Fox News Sunday, calling Schumer's remarks "very inappropriate" and "embarrassing." Schumer also criticized Palestinians who support Hamas and said Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas also should step aside. Schumer raised the possibility of Washington using its leverage if Israel does not change course. Still, he did not go as far as suggesting a step some Democrats advocate: introducing legislation to make easing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza a condition for the US providing more weapons to Israel. "It's indicative of now the split in the Democratic Party ... and I think what you're seeing is a pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel faction in the Democratic Party," McCaul said. Israel's military assault on Gaza has displaced nearly its entire 2.3 million population, caused a starvation crisis, flattened most of the enclave, killed over 31,000 people, according to Gaza's health ministry, and led to accusations of genocide being probed in the World Court. Israel denies the genocide charges and says it is acting in self-defense after the Oct. 7 attack on Israel from Hamas that killed some 1,200, according to Israeli tallies, and took scores of hostages.

Ukraine Launches Far-ranging Drone Attacks on Final Day of Russia's Presidential Vote
Asharq Al-Awsat/March 17/2024
Ukraine launched a new massive wave of drone attacks Sunday as Russians cast ballots on the final day of a presidential vote set to extend President Vladimir Putin's rule for another six years. The Russian Defense Ministry reported downing 35 Ukrainian drones overnight, including four in the Moscow region, Reuters reported. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said there were no casualties or damage. According to the Defense Ministry, another two drones were shot over the Kaluga region just south of the Russian capital and the Yaroslavl region northeast of Moscow. The attacks on the Yaroslavl region, which is located about 800 kilometers (500 miles) from the Ukrainian border, were some of the farthest launched by Ukraine so far. More Ukrainian drones were downed over the Belgorod, Kursk and Rostov regions that border Ukraine and the southern Krasnodar region, the Defense Ministry said. A drone fell on a refinery in the Krasnodar region, sparking a blaze that was extinguished a few hours later, according to regional authorities. A worker at the refinery died of a heart attack, officials said. Refineries and oil terminals have been key targets of Ukrainian drone attacks. The attacks followed a series of other Ukrainian drone raids and other attacks over the past few days that Putin described as an attempt by Ukraine to frighten residents and derail Russia's presidential election. “Those enemy strikes haven’t been and won’t be left unpunished,” he vowed during Friday's meeting of his Security Council. “I’m sure that our people, the people of Russia, will respond to that with even greater cohesion." As the war dragged into a third year, Russian forces have made some slow and incremental gains along the front line, relying on their edge in firepower, while Ukraine has fought back with more drone attacks deep inside Russia and cross-border raids.On Saturday, two people were killed and three others were wounded in the Ukrainian shelling of the Russian border city of Belgorod which has faced regular attacks. The Russian military also claimed it thwarted another attempted cross-border incursion by Ukrainian “sabotage and reconnaissance groups” on Saturday. The Russian Volunteer Corps — which includes Russians fighting alongside Ukrainian forces — released a video on social media Saturday alleging to have captured 25 Russian soldiers. The claim couldn't be independently verified. Cross-border attacks in the area have taken place sporadically since the war began and have been the subject of claims and counterclaims, as well as disinformation and propaganda.

Germany’s Scholz Says Rafah Assault Would Make Regional Peace ‘Very Difficult’
Asharq Al-Awsat/March 17/2024
The large number of civilian casualties that would result from an Israeli assault on the Gaza city of Rafah would make regional peace "very difficult", German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Sunday after talks with Jordanian King Abdullah. This is one of the main arguments he will bring to talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later on Sunday during his whirlwind trip to the region, he said. The hastily arranged talks come after Israel on Friday approved a plan to attack the city on the southern edge of the shattered Palestinian enclave where more than half of its 2.3 million residents are sheltering after five months of war. "Right now, it is about ensuring we come to a long-lasting ceasefire," Scholz said after talks with Abdullah at his private residence in the Jordanian Red Sea port of Aqaba. "That would enable us to prevent such a ground offensive from taking place."Asked if he was prepared to exert pressure on Netanyahu to stop such an assault, Scholz said it was "very clear we must do everything so the situation does not get worse than it already is." "Israel has every right to protect itself. At the same time, it cannot be that those in Gaza who fled to Rafah are directly threatened by whatever military actions and operations are undertaken there." Israel says Rafah is one of the last strongholds of Hamas, which it has pledged to eliminate, and that residents will be evacuated. Scholz did not directly answer a question about whether Germany would react to a large-scale Rafah offensive, for example by restricting German weapons exports to Israel. Germany has been one of Israel's staunchest allies alongside the United States, consistently supporting its right to defend itself, underscoring its duty to stand by the country's side in atonement for its perpetration of the Nazi Holocaust in which 6 million Jews died. But the government has faced accusations - including from prominent Jewish residents in Germany - of allowing guilt to blinker its response to Israel's retaliation. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim accused Europe during a visit to Berlin last week of being "hypocritical" and selective in its concern for different peoples, overlooking decades of widespread Palestinian suffering. Still, German government officials have stressed in recent months the need for Israel to adhere to international law in its response to the Hamas attacks and called upon Israel to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza. They have also denounced the violence of Jewish settlers in the West Bank. Scholz said the talks with King Abdullah had made clear once again how important it was for all negotiations to touch on the long-term prospects for a possible peaceful coexistence between Israel and a Palestinian state.

Indian Navy Seizes Ship from Somali Pirates and Rescues 17 Crew
Asharq Al-Awsat/March 17/2024
Indian naval forces including special commandos seized a cargo vessel that had been hijacked by Somali pirates, rescuing 17 crew members, a spokesperson for the navy said on Saturday. The navy said in a post on social media platform X that all 35 pirates aboard the ship, the Maltese-flagged bulk cargo vessel Ruen, had surrendered, and the ship had been checked for the presence of illegal arms, ammunition and contraband. The Ruen had been hijacked last year and the navy said it had intercepted the vessel on Friday, Reuters reported. The vessel may have been used as the base for the takeover of a Bangladesh-flagged cargo ship off the coast of Somalia earlier this week, the European Union naval force said. The hijacking of the Ruen was the first successful takeover of a vessel involving Somali pirates since 2017 when a crackdown by international navies stopped a rash of seizures in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. Somali pirates had caused chaos in important global waterways for a decade but had been dormant until a resurgence of attacks starting late last year. India deploys at least a dozen warships east of the Red Sea to provide security against pirates as Western powers focus on attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis. At least 17 incidents of hijacking, attempted hijacking and suspicious approaches had been recorded by the Indian Navy since Dec. 1, Indian officials previously said.

EU Pledges Billions of Euros for Egypt
Asharq Al-Awsat/March 17/2024
The European Union announced a 7.4 billion euro ($8.1 billion) funding package and an upgraded relationship with Egypt on Sunday. The agreement lifts the EU's relationship with Egypt to a "strategic partnership" and was unveiled as a delegation of leaders visited Cairo. It is designed to boost cooperation in areas including renewable energy, trade and security, while delivering grants, loans and other funding over the next three years to support Egypt's faltering economy. The proposed funding includes 5 billion euros in concessional loans and 1.8 billion euros of investments, according to a summary published by the EU. Another 600 million euros would be provided in grants, including 200 million euros for managing migration. Such deals were "the best way to address migratory flows", said Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who travelled to Cairo alongside EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the Greek, Austrian and Belgian prime ministers, and the Cypriot president. Inflation is running close to record highs and many Egyptians say they struggle to get by. Over the past month, however, financial pressure has eased as Egypt struck a record deal for Emirati investment, expanded its program with the IMF, and sharply devalued its currency. Diplomats say Egypt's strategic importance has been underscored by the war in Gaza, where Egypt is trying to mediate between Israel and Hamas and increase deliveries of humanitarian aid; and by the conflict in neighboring Sudan, which has created the world's biggest displacement crisis. Speaking alongside Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, von der Leyen said it was critical to rapidly reach a Gaza ceasefire deal. Both leaders warned against an Israeli incursion into Rafah, where much of Gaza's population has been displaced. Egypt says it has lined up a total of $20 billion in multilateral support after increasing its loan and economic reform program with the IMF. Most of the EU funding is newly allocated and was drawn up in close cooperation with the IMF, with 1 billion euros of the "macro-financial" loan funding to be delivered this year, a senior EU official said. The remaining 4 billion euros are subject to approval by the European parliament, the official added. Egypt largely shut off irregular migration from its north coast in 2016, but more recently there has been a surge in Egyptians trying to cross to Europe via Libya, and the EU is already providing support aimed at reducing those flows. In recent months, the Greek islands of Crete and Gavdos have seen a steep rise in migrant arrivals, mostly from Egypt, Bangladesh and Pakistan. "We must prevent the opening of new migration routes and we will work very closely with Egypt to ensure that this will be achieved," said Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, adding that both countries would try to open up legal pathways on migration.

Putin Gets Record Russia Election Win to Push War in Ukraine
Bloomberg News/March 17, 2024
Vladimir Putin secured another six years as Russia’s president to step up his war in Ukraine and challenge the West, with the Kremlin claiming record public support for him in a vote whose outcome was pre-determined.
Preliminary results show Putin has 87.3% support with half of votes counted, according to Central Election Commission data shown on state television late Sunday. That far exceeded the incumbent president’s previous record of 77% in 2018 elections. Preliminary turnout was put at 74.2%. That’s the highest since Boris Yeltsin became president in 1991 after the Soviet Union’s collapse, and well above the 67.5% turnout recorded in 2018. At least six Russian regions claimed turnout was above 90%. Three other candidates from parties loyal to the Kremlin had offered no serious competition in the tightly controlled election. Communist Nikolai Kharitonov got 4.1% support, Vladislav Davankov from the New People, a party created in 2020, was on 4% and Leonid Slutsky, leader of the ultranationalist Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, trailed with 3.1%, the election commission data showed. Russia’s longest-serving leader since Soviet dictator Josef Stalin, Putin, 71, is extending his nearly quarter-century rule into a fifth term at a time when his troops are on the offensive in Ukraine. Russia’s pressing its advantage in the third year of the invasion that has become Europe’s biggest conflict since World War II, as Ukraine struggles to supply its forces with munitions amid delays in military aid from its US and European allies. Putin is “addicted to power and is doing everything he can to rule forever,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in a video address Sunday. “There is no evil he will not commit to prolong his personal power. And there is no one in the world who is safe from this.”Long lines formed at noon outside some polling stations, including in Moscow and St. Petersburg, after allies of opposition leader Alexey Navalny, who died last month in an Arctic prison camp, called on people to protest Putin’s election by turning up at that time. Their presence represented a sign of defiance amid the harshest Kremlin crackdown on dissent in decades.The election outcome “gives Putin every chance to implement any, even the toughest, scenarios in Ukraine,” said Pavel Danilin, head of the Moscow-based Center for Political Analysis, which advises the Kremlin. The “historically high result is a guarantee that the majority of the population supports Putin,” he said. Putin is giving himself a green light for any action after the Kremlin secured the huge result through “electoral manipulation and fraud,” said Maria Snegovaya, senior fellow with the Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies. The goal was to show Russians are united behind Putin’s “long-term fight against not just Ukraine but the West and the liberal international order more broadly.”An emboldened Putin is preparing for a long confrontation with the West, according to five people with knowledge of the situation, asking not to be identified because the matter is sensitive.
The Kremlin is putting the squeeze on countries such as Moldova, the Baltic states and those in the Caucasus region in the name of protecting Russian minorities. European leaders have warned openly about the risks of a Russian attack on a NATO member state, and fear the US may abandon them if Donald Trump regains the presidency in November. Russia’s economy has largely weathered the shock of unprecedented international sanctions since Putin ordered the February 2022 invasion, thanks to a continuing flow of energy revenue and a massive injection of government spending to support the defense industry and shield domestic businesses. Trade with China is booming as Russia reorients its economy away from markets in Europe.  The election allowed the Kremlin to demonstrate Putin’s support in the country to Russia’s elites, according to Nikolay Petrov, a visiting fellow at the Berlin-based SWP think tank. “The most important thing for the Kremlin is that Putin is left with the feeling of a beautiful image and a real victory,” however deceptive, he said. Russia organized voting in occupied areas of Ukraine and claimed turnout far exceeded 80%, even as millions of people have fled the regions since the invasion. The foreign ministry in Kyiv said the “pseudo-elections” were illegal. Ukraine waged an intensified campaign of drone attacks aimed at key Russian infrastructure including oil refineries in the weeks leading up to the election that continued over the weekend. Authorities briefly restricted operations at three of Moscow’s airports on Sunday after a drone was downed near the Domodedovo area of the capital. Russia occupies about a fifth of Ukraine including Crimea, which it illegally annexed in 2014. Putin in 2022 declared four regions of eastern and southern Ukraine to be “forever” part of Russia, even as his forces don’t fully control them. Putin dismissed prospects for a halt to the war in a televised interview last week, saying he’s not interested in a “pause” that would allow Ukraine to re-arm. Russia wants written security guarantees to end the fighting and the “realities on the ground” should be the basis for any negotiations, he said.
“In the last two years, the Putin regime has rebuilt every element of itself to adapt to a permanent state of war,” said Andrei Kolesnikov, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Latest English LCCC  analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on March 17-18/2024
Making Lawyers Toxic in Their Communities
Elizabeth Eastman/Gatestone Institute/March 17, 2024
Making lawyers "toxic in their communities" is a tactic of The 65 Project. The group files ethics complaints against lawyers who represented clients raising challenges to the 2020 election, despite a substantial body of evidence that presidential election results have been frequently challenged throughout our nation's history, including most recently by Democrats in 2000 and 2016.
While The 65 Project makes the claim on their website of defending democracy and the rule of law, they do exactly the opposite... by isolating, financially crippling and destroying the careers of those in the legal profession who dared challenge the government-endorsed narrative that the 2020 election was the most secure in our nation's history.
The tactics used to make lawyers "toxic" include filing ethics complaints, misrepresenting their legal work in the press, refusing to look at the evidence of election irregularities, demonizing those who raise the claims to keep the evidence from seeing the light of day, and encouraging professional associations to isolate or distance themselves from these lawyers.
The 2020 election was fraught with irregularities. It is essential for the continued integrity of our elections and the public's trust in them, to give those who have evidence a platform to present their cases. It is crucial to bring to light the courts' refusals to examine the evidence of election irregularities.... Preserving the integrity of elections calls for the greatest safeguards and vigilance.
Making lawyers "toxic in their communities" is a tactic of The 65 Project. The group files ethics complaints against lawyers who represented clients raising challenges to the 2020 election, despite a substantial body of evidence that presidential election results have been frequently challenged throughout our nation's history, including most recently by Democrats in 2000 and 2016. Indeed, the election of 1876 famously yielded multiple slates of electors from several southern states, and the dispute took months to resolve by a special commission created by Congress for the task.
While The 65 Project makes the claim on their website of defending democracy and the rule of law, they do exactly the opposite. Their actions, for instance, strike at the heart of the ability of Americans to freely associate with fellow citizens — one of the pillars of America's successful democratic republic — by isolating, financially crippling, and destroying the careers of those in the legal profession who dared challenge the government-endorsed narrative that the 2020 election was the most secure in our nation's history.
The tactics used to make lawyers "toxic" include filing ethics complaints, misrepresenting their legal work in the press, refusing to look at the evidence of election irregularities, demonizing those who raise the claims to keep the evidence from seeing the light of day, and encouraging professional associations to isolate or distance themselves from these lawyers.
The ancient Greeks ostracized citizens for political reasons. Among the most famous was Thucydides, author of History of the Peloponnesian War, who was ostracized because he failed to prevent the capture of Amphipolis while commanding a fleet in the war. The ancient Romans exiled citizens. Cicero, the great Roman orator, philosopher and lawyer, was exiled due to a retroactive law passed by his political enemies for his actions related to the Catiline Conspiracy. A more recent example from the Soviet Union is that of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, who was sentenced to a labor camp and subsequently internal exile for criticizing Stalin. Because of the importance of free association in America, these examples differ from what is being perpetrated by The 65 Project, which poses a far greater danger.
In 1835-40, Alexis de Tocqueville, author of Democracy in America, highlighted Americans' extraordinary practice of forming political and civil associations. He observed that citizens in a democratic republic are weak when acting as individuals and more likely to have a limited or narrow perception. Those in a group or association, however, expand the scope of the vision or goals, and are far stronger and more effective acting in concert when they associate to advance a common cause. Efforts to exclude learned citizens — or making them toxic, as The 65 Project is attempting to do — is to the detriment of democratic institutions and the nation's constitutional republic.
Association is part of the bedrock of American experience. Beyond the comradery or shared interests that bring people together, the goal of seeking solutions to local or national problems and advancing initiatives also drives the practice. Associations cannot make law, but they have the power to direct and influence opinion, make policy recommendations, and propose legislation. They can also expose wrongdoing and advance remedies. Examples abound of American citizens forming associations: Anti-Slavery groups, Civil Rights groups, Mothers Against Drunk Drivers, the Tea Party, and Election Integrity groups, to name just a few. These associations cross political and social divides and perpetuate America's democratic foundations through broad-based civic participation. Smearing individuals — making them toxic — because of their legal representation of unpopular clients or causes limits or prevents the participation of some of the most qualified people, and thus diminishes this vibrant practice of association to advance shared political goals. In Pakistan, for instance, attorneys are killed or threatened with death (here and here) for representing persons whose views are not liked. Is a version of that really what we want to see normalized here?
A strong response to these unwarranted and unjustified attacks is necessary. There are many ways to help fight back against this undermining of the judicial system, where everyone is entitled to legal representation. This includes lending financial support to the lawyers who are being attacked. Others with expertise or knowledge of the relevant facts should offer to testify at the bar trials or hearings in support of these lawyers, or file amicus briefs in support of those charged and defend their legal interpretations in court filings and the press. Lawyers can also go on offense and file ethics complaints against those who are bringing these unethical charges.
The inability to hold to account those who make defamatory statements against these lawyers and misrepresent their legal arguments is due in part to the 1960's case New York Times v. Sullivan, which stated that public figures can only prevail against those who defame them if they prove the defamatory statement was made with actual malice. That ruling has incentivized toxic rhetoric in American politics. Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch have recently urged that the case be reconsidered.
Dissenting from denial of certiorari in Berisha v. Lawson, Justice Gorsuch wrote:
"What started in 1964 with a decision to tolerate the occasional falsehood to ensure robust reporting by a comparative handful of print and broadcast outlets has evolved into an ironclad subsidy for the publication of falsehoods by means and on a scale previously unimaginable."
Justice Thomas added in his own separate dissent:
"This court's pronouncement that the First Amendment requires public figures to establish actual malice bears no relation to the text, history or structure of the Constitution."
Overturning Sullivan would make it easier to bring defamation suits and discourage lying and misrepresentation about the legal arguments related to the 2020 election.
The 2020 election was fraught with irregularities. It is essential for the continued integrity of our elections and the public's trust in them, to give those who have evidence a platform to present their cases. It is crucial to bring to light the courts' refusals to examine the evidence of election irregularities. These lawyers ought to be out front during this election year. Instead, they are targeted and shunned, which only serves to stop review of the evidence and even worse, future improprieties.
Elections give effect to the consent of the governed. Preserving the integrity of elections calls for the greatest safeguards and vigilance. The lawyers who step up to litigate election matters, or who defend clients whose views may not be popular, should be applauded for working within a constitutional framework to support a pillar of America's constitutional republic.
Finally, it is crucial that individuals, major organizations and non-profit groups on the other side of the lawfare divide participate in a broad defense of these targeted individuals by publicly embracing them through invitations to public fora and programs and to serve on boards of organizations. Highlight their careers, the work they did related to 2020 election challenges, and why their arguments are worthy of debate. Do not allow groups like The 65 Project to dictate who is acceptable. Do not sanction efforts to treat those standing up against false government narratives like pariahs, but instead recognize their accomplishments. A recent example is the Courage Award that the David Horowitz Freedom Center gave to one of these targeted lawyers for his legal work.
In academia, organizations such as Foundation for Individual Rights in Education and National Association of Scholars have defended faculty members who have been targeted for their speech and positions. Where is the equivalent response among professional associations of lawyers, think tanks, and academic institutions? Where are those organizations who pride themselves on debate? Are those who remain silent tacitly approving of The 65 Project's efforts to render these lawyers toxic? Are they fearful? Do they choose not to defend the fundamental practices of fairness, debate, and dissent?
Tocqueville recognized during his visit in the 1830's that Americans' freedom to associate for political good was unlimited. Does the effort to make lawyers toxic call that into question? Tocqueville also saw associations as a guarantee against tyranny of the majority and party dominance. Given our government's increasing tendency toward authoritarianism, America needs robust associations more than ever before.
*Elizabeth Eastman holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from Claremont Graduate School, an M.A. in Liberal Education from St. John's College, and a B.A. in French Literature from Scripps College. She was the 2020-21 Senior Scholar in Residence at the Benson Center for the Study of Western Civilization at the University of Colorado, Boulder and has taught at universities around the county.
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Biden and The Houthi Quagmire
Tariq Al-Homayed/Asharq Al-Awsat/March 17/2024
The Biden administration has been hit with a wave of criticism following the secret meeting between the Americans and Iranians in Oman, where they discussed the Houthi escalation in the Red Sea. Much of the criticism, which has focused on its lax approach to the Iranians, is justified. This has indeed been a problem for a while now, dating back to Barack Obama’s time in office. However, is opening secret channels with the enemy, whoever it may be, a mistake? Certainly not. Negotiations are typically held to avoid wars, and they are part and parcel of politics. Nonetheless, the criticism of the Biden administration is warranted. Washington’s excessive leniency with the Houthis has damaged its credibility in Yemen itself and in all the Gulf states, without exception. Washington has also been too tolerant of the actions of Tehran and its militias. This approach has come at the expense of the region's countries. Particularly notable in this regard is the administration’s decision to remove the Houthis from its terrorist list. It also protected them and allowed them to survive by exerting political and diplomatic pressure on the Arab coalition.
Washington exploited human rights issues opportunistically, undermining the credibility of the notion of human rights, which we see no trace of in Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza. Washington also delayed the delivery of arms to Saudi Arabia and its allies, preventing them from taking the port of Hodeidah.
The Biden administration turned a blind eye to Iran's role in financing, training, and arming the Houthis, as well as the Hezbollah officials sent to Yemen. It also overlooked Iran's destructive propaganda and political interference in Yemen. Now, the US and British forces have started bombing the Houthis, albeit timidly, the Houthis have been redesignated a terrorist group, and Washington has been talking about Iran's destructive role in the region. However, instead of supporting Yemen's legitimacy, the US negotiated with Iran in Oman! Negotiation was predictable, as the US has no strategy for how to deal with Iran and its militias. What we could call Washington's confused (if we give it the benefit of the doubt) approach, has convinced Tehran that its militias are an asset that can bring the US to the negotiating table. The simplest example is that there have been no attacks on US forces in Iraq and Syria since the 4th of February.
The Financial Times quoted an Iranian official saying that, in a meeting in Baghdad, Quds Force Commander Brigadier General Esmail Qaani told the Iraqi militias to avoid taking actions that could push the US to attack Iran. Accordingly, Washington has sought Tehran's help with the Houthis.
But the situation in Yemen is now more complicated, Naguib Ghalab, Deputy Minister of Yemen's Ministry of Information, tells me. He believes that the Houthis are exploiting the current maritime navigation crisis to carry out military action against the legitimate government. His claims were confirmed by the UN envoy. The UN envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, has said that “With more interests at play, the parties to the conflict in Yemen are more likely to shift calculations and alter their negotiation agendas. In a worst-case scenario, the parties could decide to engage in risky military adventurism that propels Yemen back into a new cycle of war.”If a war were indeed to break out, and maritime navigation continues to be targeted, the Houthi quagmire would remain a significant and complex problem for the Biden administration. The crisis neglected yesterday cannot be resolved through secret negotiations alone today. Here lies the quagmire for the Biden administration, which few in the region have any sympathy for.

The Potential Chuck Schumer Juncture
Hazem Saghieh/Asharq Al-Awsat/March 17/2024
The matter will not be of interest to those who see politics as the "art of the impossible." As for those who see it as the "art of the possible" and believe that a lot of compromise and half-solutions are inherent to it, they cannot but be struck by the remarks of Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.
He called for new elections in Israel in a recent speech, seemingly suggesting that Netanyahu no longer has a popular mandate. The latter has lost his way, becoming a prisoner of the past and "a significant obstacle to peace" who "all too frequently bowed to the demands of extremists like Ministers Smotrich and Ben-Gvir, who "have stoked tensions and violence."Doubtful that Netanyahu would do such a thing, Schumer said that kicking out the two ministers would be "a real and meaningful step forward." That is because Israel's rejection of the two-state solution is a "grave mistake", and the country should change course to achieve lasting peace. Schumer's statements coincided with the United States' announcement of sanctions on three additional Israeli settlers and, for the first time, on two agricultural entities. These measures were presented as part of the US and UK governments' efforts to put an end to the expulsion and displacement of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
The fact is that it will not be easy to turn this rhetoric of Schumers' - a towering Democratic figure who is among the most ardent of Israel's traditional hardline supporters, as well as being the highest-ranking Jewish politician in US history - into the official position of the White House.
However, it would also be a mistake to ignore the fact that his remarks were preceded by a number of statements and insinuations by the president reflecting frustration with Netanyahu and disapproval of the barbaric manner in which he is waging this war. After the speech, Biden did not hesitate to call it a "good speech," and he stressed that Schumer "expressed a serious concern shared not only by him but by many Americans." Biden also mentioned that the Majority Leader "had informed the presidential staff about the speech before delivering it."
The executive shifting its position closer towards Schumer's is thus not impossible, though it is not guaranteed either. Joe Biden's presidential battle and its considerations will certainly bear on the direction he decides to take.
Netanyahu, as is well known, has not only alienated many across the globe, including in Israel itself, and turned them against him, but has also alienated the United States, the primary supporter of his country and its war, and turned it against him. Incidentally, he is already making up for lost ground in this regard as well, as he was the first prime minister in Israeli history to break with the tradition of standing with the White House, regardless of who is president, becoming embroiled in political and partisan disputes and siding with the Republicans.
In turn, the Reform Movement, the largest Jewish movement in the United States, expressed a position susceptible to change. Haaretz said the movement "agreed with the essence of the New York Senator's remarks", but "questioned whether they should have been said."
Overall, Schumer's words suggest that we could potentially see a change that results in an end to the death and prevents the war from spreading to other locations in the region. The formation of a broad coalition of those who can no longer tolerate Netanyahu or live with what he is doing could lead us to this outcome. In addition to the American administration, this camp could include Western European countries, the Arab world, and the so-called Palestinian moderates, as well as Israeli opponents of Netanyahu and Jewish groups in the United States. Taking this course could do a lot to fracture the war camp within Israel, as many within it grudgingly tolerate their prime minister, because they believe that they too are targets of a genocidal war that the events of October 7 attested to.
Naturally, this trajectory, if it were to take off, would not lead to the liberation of Palestine, nor would it grant Hamas representation of Palestine and the Palestinians, nor would it be a victory of the "Global South" over the "white man." However, putting an end to the death and preventing the spread of violence should be regarded as a significant achievement, regardless of who declares "victory" in the end.
Such an achievement, if it were realized, would undoubtedly create a more suitable environment for waging political battles that grant the Palestinians more of the rights they are entitled to. It would also be a less bloody, painful, and destructive environment. This means that Schumer's stance could potentially be a transitional juncture if it is handled correctly, and it should be handled correctly. Addressing intellectuals, though the sentiment applies to others as well, the French philosopher Raymond Aron asserted that one should ask, "What would I do if I were in the place of the statesman?" For him, the task is identifying the "possible" solution that would be best "for France or peace, or more consistent with our morals." He did not speak of "ideal solutions" or "moral solutions" in one go. As for absolute and final judgments that cannot be implemented, their negative ramifications cannot always be undone, and for those who emphasize responsibility and practicality, like Raymond Aron, such an approach cannot be taken seriously.

Water Label Besides Energy Label
Najib Saab/Asharq Al-Awsat/March 17/2024
When shopping for any electrical device, we find a label specifying energy efficiency, usually from best to worse, in classes from A to G. Most countries also classify cars and vehicles into categories, according to fuel efficiency and carbon emissions. Likewise, products we buy from the supermarket carry labels that contain information that goes beyond the production and expiration dates, besides country of origin, to list the ingredients in milligrams, and whether they are natural or artificial. This reflects a major development in the outlook on resource management, as well as in holding individuals personally responsible for guarding the health of people and the planet. It is true that the information on these labels is not always accurate, and some consumers do not even care to check them. But the role of regulatory bodies is steadily strengthening, as is the case in several Arab countries, to impose strict standards and check the accuracy of information. Consumers are getting more accustomed to checking the contents of the products they buy, if not to protect the environment and resources, then to protect their health regarding food and save money in terms of energy.
To understand the development taking place in this field, it is worth noting that, less than 25 years ago, most automotive companies in the Arab region did not publish figures on fuel consumption of the cars they sold, whether in advertisements or printed brochures- before the age of the internet. This was because local laws did not require stating the level of consumption, let alone emissions, as if they were encouraging waste. Today, most Arab countries have adopted energy efficiency programs, among the most successful of which are those implemented in Saudi Arabia, the components of which include specifying consumption rates for electrical appliances, cars and machinery.
With increasing interest in the interconnection between water, energy and food nexus, water must not remain a missing link on efficiency labels, as in the list of ingredients. This is not limited to the content in the final product, but rather addresses the amount of water used at all stages, from the farm and factory to the consumer’s/user’s table, home and office. The concept of “virtual water”, which is important for the world as a whole, holds special importance in Arab countries, which are already suffering from an increasing freshwater scarcity that has reached the point of existential threat, because most of these countries are already dry.When the Arab Forum for Environment and Development (AFED) issued its first annual report on the State of Arab Environment in 2008, the average per capita share of renewable water in the 21 Arab countries was 900 cubic meters; this has dropped to less than 500 cubic meters in AFED last report. For comparison, anything below 1,700 cubic meters is considered “water stress”, below 1,000 cubic meters “water scarcity”, while anything below 500 cubic meters is considered “absolute water scarcity.” However, the general average hides what is worse and more dangerous, as 14 Arab countries are among the 18 water-poorest countries in the world, and the poorest Arab country in renewable fresh water has an annual per capita share of less than five cubic meters. If desalination is the primary source of bridging the deficit, is it possible to continue desalinating seawater with no limits?
Here are some numbers to help understand the virtual water content, from source to consumer, in products we use daily: Producing one liter of cow’s milk requires a thousand liters of water, starting from growing fodder to raising cows and collecting, manufacturing, packaging, distributing and storing the milk. Producing a kilogram of rice consumes 3,400 liters of water, producing a kilogram of beef consumes 15,000 liters, and a pair of jeans 11,000 liters. If the production of some of these materials is necessary for the livelihood of the local population, then exporting them from countries already suffering from water scarcity is tantamount to exporting their virtual water content. I remember that, years ago, when I presented a list of the virtual water content of a number of products to an Arab minister of water, he asked me to accompany him to present it to the minister of agriculture, to urge him to impose limits on some agricultural products with high water footprint, to ease pressure on scarce water resources, mainly groundwater. This is not limited to agriculture, but also applies to controlling water consumption in industry, tourism and municipal services.
However, this does not mean that we are facing a dead end in the face of a hopeless water situation. Desalinating seawater, within balanced environmental controls, is capable of filling a large part of the deficit. This does not only apply to countries rich in oil and gas, because the energy needed by desalination plants can be obtained from the sun, in all Arab countries. Salts and minerals resulting from the waste of the desalination processes can also be used in multiple industries, including energy storage in batteries. This contributes to reducing the costs of renewable energy, which faces the obstacle of storage of electricity in peak periods, for use when the sun sets or the wind dies down. Rain enhancement, or cloud seeding programs, which stimulate rainfall by spraying chemicals into clouds, may open another window, especially to support afforestation programs in dry areas. While Saudi Arabia and the UAE are leading major programs in these two fields, other countries, including Egypt, have begun exporting desalination plant refuse. However, these artificial technologies have their limitations and environmental impacts, and cannot be considered a magic solution eternally available without limits.
Managing the world’s water resources will be presented in a United Nations report entitled “Water for Peace and Prosperity”, to be launched at UNESCO headquarters in Paris on World Water Day on 22 March. The report emphasizes that addressing the critical water situation requires international cooperation based on enhancing efficiency and justice. This is a reminder that technology alone cannot solve all energy, water and food problems in the absence of efficiency.
The prime task remains to control consumption and manage demand, instead of simply increasing production and supply, which entail depleting limited resources and polluting the environment with waste. In face of these challenges, it is high time to introduce a mandatory water label, besides the energy label, to identify efficiency and virtual water content of any product. Consumers must share responsibility by making the right choices.