Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on March 21-22/2024
Elias Bejjani/Video: In a time where the weakest are oppressed, the corrupt flourish, and immorality embodied in the Terrorist Hezbollah is celebrated while virtues are mocked,
Elias Bejjani/Video & Text/In a time where the weakest are oppressed, the corrupt flourish, and immorality embodied in the Terrorist Hezbollah is celebrated while virtues are mocked,
Senior Hezbollah security official makes rare visit to UAE to discuss
France's priority: Restoring the presidential file on the international agenda
From civil war to Beirut blast: Lebanese mothers' unyielding resilience amidst years of turmoil
Washington announces Friday's vote at UN on resolution for ceasefire in Gaza
Joint American-French roadmap: Path towards diplomatic solution in Lebanon
Reported US-Iran Talks Explain Saudi Sitting Out Red Sea Operations/Hussain Abdul-Hussain/Algemeiner
Diplomats Suggest Expansion of Buffer Zone between Lebanon and Israel
Israel is right to defend itself,' Lebanese peace activist, Dr. Ghassan Bou Diab tells JPost

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on March 21-22/2024
Israel determined to take Rafah despite 'potential breach' with U.S.
US Unveils Draft UN Resolution Seeking Immediate Gaza Ceasefire
Hamas Says Latest Israeli Position On Gaza Truce 'Generally Negative'
Sisi Discusses Gaza with Blinken, Warns of Dangers of Military Operation in Rafah
UN: Satellite Images Show 35% of Gaza's Buildings Destroyed
Israeli Army: 50 Gunmen Killed in Fighting at Shifa Hospital
UN Agencies, 36 Countries Mull Aid to Gaza through Cyprus
US lawmakers move to bar funds for UN Palestinian agency
Israeli forces kill nine Palestinians in West Bank in 24 hours, WAFA news agency says
U.S. FINALLY Pressures Israel by Submitting ‘Immediate’ Gaza Ceasefire Resolution at U.N
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Yemen’s Houthis Tell China, Russia Their Ships Won’t Be Targeted
U.S. targets Iran's nuclear, weapons programs with fresh sanctions
Iraq warm to Turkey's proposed anti-PKK joint ops centre, says Turkish official
NATO military committee chief, in Kyiv, calls for strong allied support
Afghanistan: Deadly suicide bomb reported at bank in Kandahar
Russia fires 31 missiles at Kyiv in the first attack in 44 days, and 13 people are hurt
Khamenei Dissatisfied with Living Situation, Raisi Defends His Economic Performance
EU Naval Mission in Red Sea Destroys Missiles, Houthi Seaborne Drone

Titles For The Latest English LCCC  analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on March 21-22/2024
Gaza war: if there’s a lesson from the Berlin airlift it’s that political will is required to avoid a humanitarian catastrophe/Abdullah Yusuf/The Conversation/March 21, 2024
Germany's Murder of Europe/Drieu Godefridi/Gatestone Institute/March 21, 2024
Do Atrocities, Beheadings, and Sheer Carnage ‘Heal Muslim Hearts’?/Raymond Ibrahim/March 21, 2024
Foreign policy challenges loom large over EU summit/Andrew Hammond/Arab News/March 21/2024
UK government targeting Palestinian flags, not extremism/Mohamed Chebaro/Arab News/March 21/2024
Could a third world war really be fought virtually?/Khaled Abou Zahr/Arab News/March 21/2024
Popular Accountability Is the Alternative to this Tragic Reality!/Hanna Saleh/Asharq Al-Awsat/March 21/2024

Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on March 21-22/2024
Elias Bejjani/Video: In a time where the weakest are oppressed, the corrupt flourish, and immorality embodied in the Terrorist Hezbollah is celebrated while virtues are mocked,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWGDmKjGqqg&t=29s
Elias Bejjani/March 20/2024

Elias Bejjani/Video & Text/In a time where the weakest are oppressed, the corrupt flourish, and immorality embodied in the Terrorist Hezbollah is celebrated while virtues are mocked,
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/128040/128040/
Elias Bejjani/March 20/2024
The people of Lebanon wander in darkness, Amidst the absence of humane values and principles, their souls dancing in the winds of despair,And their consciences drowning in an ocean of betrayal.
In this era of destitution and loss, many of the sycophants and opportunists, along with the majority of politicians, lawmakers, ministers, and the merchants of resistance, have become mere tools,
In the hands of the vile merchants of Iran, spreading hypocrisy, chaos, narcissism, and the culture of lawlessness and barbarity everywhere.
They are nothing but slaves to the enemies of Lebanon and humanity, selling their nation and its people for profit, denying truth and embracing treachery, shattering every hope of a dignified life for the Lebanese,
under the guise of a state governed by law and institutions.
They willingly surrender to oppression and oppressors, cheerfully pledging allegiance to crime and bloodshed, amidst turmoil and chaos, they sway, Between the values of the nation and the whims of tyrants.
They are mere instruments of corruption, spreading turmoil, anarchy and injustice on earth, discarding morality into the abyss of oblivion, for the sake of power and wealth, selling their consciences, and devouring ethics and principles.
In the face of this bitter, saddening, and tragic reality, we stand with every free and sovereign individual, guardians of identity, history, existence, and dignity, shouting loudly for freedom and justice,
Holding high the banners of truth, honesty, and justice.
We, along with all those who reject the Persian occupation, and condemn terrorism, jihadism, and satanic hypocrisy, of resistance, defiance, and futile wars, shall not surrender to oppression, corruption, or occupiers, and we shall remain steadfast like lions in the face of storms, until we rebuild our beloved homeland. Lebanon, the land of cedars, is a sanctuary of saints, a temple erected for the divine, therefore, every free, sovereign, independent Lebanese citizen, is a guardian of this temple, charged with protecting it,
and fighting its enemies relentlessly.

Senior Hezbollah security official makes rare visit to UAE to discuss
AP/March 22, 2024
BEIRUT: A senior official with Lebanon’s militant Hezbollah group made a rare visit to the United Arab Emirates to discuss the cases of a dozen Lebanese citizens detained in the oil-rich nation over alleged links to the Lebanese group, Hezbollah said Thursday.
The United Arab Emirates, like other Arab gulf countries, considers Hezbollah a terrorist organization and over the years has detained and deported dozens of Lebanese citizens over alleged links to the group.
A Hezbollah statement said Wafik Safa, the head of the group’s Liaison and Coordination Unit, visited the UAE where he met officials involved in the cases of Lebanese detained there. It did not give further details, but said there were hopes of reaching a good outcome.
The UAE gave no official comment on the visit. Lebanese media outlets reported that Safa’s visit followed mediation by Syrian President Bashar Assad with officials in the UAE. After years of backing the Syrian opposition, the UAE restored relations with Damascus in 2018 and earlier this year the first ambassador for the emirates took office in Damascus. Hassan Alayan, who heads a committee of Lebanese deported from the UAE, told The Associated Press that there are 12 Lebanese citizens held in the UAE, including three who have not been charged. He said the others are three who were sentenced to life in prison, four who are serving 15-year sentences and two who were sentenced to 10 years in jail. Alayan, who was deported from the UAE in 2009 with his wife and four children after he had lived there for 27 years, charges against Lebanese in the UAE have ranged from being Hezbollah members to being drug smugglers and money launderers for the Iran-backed group. “All these charges are fabricated,” Alayan said. In May of last year, the UAE released 10 Lebanese citizens who were arrested there about two months earlier. The release came after the death earlier in May of a Lebanese man who was detained in the UAE on unknown charges. Following charges against some Lebanese in the UAE in 2019, Amnesty International said in a statement at the time that the trial of the men “failed to meet international fair trial standards,” as the evidence included confessions that were “extracted under duress, and the defendants were detained incommunicado for months and denied access to lawyers during interrogation and investigation.”

France's priority: Restoring the presidential file on the international agenda
LBCI/March 22, 2024
French diplomatic sources confirmed that "the Quintet Committee's new idea, which began with the heads of parliament and government, highlighted the necessity of giving its movement a new dynamic."This article was originally published in, translated from Lebanese newspaper Al-Joumhouria.
"It rectified the issue of granting the Christian factions a significant portion of its meetings, considering them the main stakeholders in the presidential file. In response to Patriarch Al-Rahi's speeches and statements, it was important to meet with him, listen to him, consult with him, rather than present new ideas to him," the sources added. In a statement to "Al-Joumhouria" newspaper, the sources considered that "this new dynamic is a positive indicator despite the international community's confusion about the events unfolding in the region in general and in the Gaza Strip in particular."Adding that: "The Quintet committee still attaches importance to Lebanon, specifically to the presidential file, and the most important thing is that there is a clear intention to separate this issue from the southern border and Gaza files. This is a good and positive indicator in itself."

From civil war to Beirut blast: Lebanese mothers' unyielding resilience amidst years of turmoil
LBCI//March 22, 2024
For generations, Lebanese mothers have long been pillars of society, balancing multifaceted roles across a 24-hour cycle. From managing household responsibilities to engaging in diverse professional fields, they tirelessly strive to secure their children's livelihoods. Even with the data showing that females represent around 51.5 percent of Lebanon's population, Lebanese women, mainly mothers, have long faced discrimination, struggling to have a fair system protecting their rights, especially considering the many issues spanning personal status laws, single motherhood, and maternal custody. Yet, with all the difficulties, Lebanese mothers stood their ground and continued striving, whether being homemakers or women in the working field. Lebanese Mothers Through War

Washington announces Friday's vote at UN on resolution for ceasefire in Gaza
AFP/March 22, 2024
The US Ambassador to the United Nations spokesperson announced on Thursday that the United States will present its draft resolution on "an immediate ceasefire" in Gaza to the UN Security Council for a vote on Friday. Nate Evans stated in a release, "The United States has been working earnestly with Council members for several weeks on a resolution that unequivocally supports diplomatic efforts to ensure an immediate ceasefire in Gaza as part of a hostage agreement."

Joint American-French roadmap: Path towards diplomatic solution in Lebanon
LBCI/March 22, 2024
A French diplomatic source confirmed that the document presented by Paris to Lebanon recently is a preliminary draft subject to discussion, with its goal being to initiate dialogue towards a comprehensive agreement. The source added that France is open to any amendments suitable for both conflicting parties without siding with anyone. The source, speaking to Al-Akhbar newspaper, pointed to "diplomatic reports and documents revealing that French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu hinted during his meetings with the Israeli government's senior officials in Tel Aviv that the displacement of northern settlers is a priority for them, and the concern to secure the border with Lebanon dominates the minds of Israeli leaders, who are considering the military option if there is no political opportunity to resolve the matter."He considered that Lecornu conveyed a message from his administration to the Israeli leaders "advising against resorting to war and seeking a solution through negotiation to ensure the implementation of Resolution 1701 and guarantee Hezbollah's withdrawal to north of the Litani." He said, "After consultations with the American side on the situation in Lebanon, French authorities have developed a joint American-French roadmap that includes proposals for discussion with Lebanon, following discussions with Israel, in order to reach a diplomatic solution." He cited Assistant Defense Minister as saying that Paris "feels a significant Israeli insistence that the United States, especially [Amos] Hochstein, leads any diplomatic solution that leads to full implementation of Resolution 1701." Adding that "the American role, despite its importance, is not sufficient to reach a solution that satisfies all parties, requiring collective action."

Reported US-Iran Talks Explain Saudi Sitting Out Red Sea Operations
Hussain Abdul-Hussain/Algemeiner/March 21/2024
Wafic Safa, a top Hezbollah official, is on an unprecedented visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a country that classifies the Iran-backed Lebanese militia as a terrorist organization.
The visit came less than a week after The Financial Times reported that Bret McGurk, a senior Biden official, had held secret talks with Iranian counterparts in Oman about attacks in the Red Sea.
In December, America invited Saudi Arabia and the UAE to participate in Operation Guardian Prosperity, which was designed to defend international shipping lanes in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden against Houthi attacks originating from Yemen.
Under the Biden administration’s strategy of “regional integration,” America’s Arab allies — Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Egypt — are members of Combined Task Force (CTF) 153, whose mission is to guarantee the security of the Red and the Arabian seas. Yet when Yemen’s Houthi forces started targeting ships, these Arab countries passed on Washington’s invitation. Some believe this was because Riyadh and Abu Dhabi correctly calculated that Biden might change course midway and quit, leaving them facing renewed animosity from Tehran and the Houthis.
With McGurk’s reported meeting to ask the Iranians to rein in the Houthis, the Saudis and the Emiratis were proven right. They likely see this as evidence that Biden is an unreliable ally, and that if he thinks that diplomacy is the way forward, Saudi Arabia and the UAE can reach out to Iran, and its proxies, on their own. Consistency is key to successful foreign policy. The Biden administration has not shown this.
In February 2021, the administration took Yemen’s Houthi militia off the US State Department’s List of Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO), despite objections from Saudi Arabia and the UAE. In January, the administration reversed its position, re-listing the Houthis, not as an FTO, but as a “Specially Designated Global Terrorist” group, whatever that means, attesting to the administration’s obsession with word acrobatics at the expense of substantive policy.
Inconsistency has also marred the way Biden has dealt with Israel’s reaction to Hamas’ October 7 massacre of 1,200 Israelis. A week after the massacre, Biden said that Hamas must be eliminated. Less than six months later, as Israel prepared for a sweep of Rafah designed to deal the Palestinian group the final blow, Biden warned Israel against invading Gaza’s southern town, saying that Rafah was a “red line” if the Israeli action there didn’t meet his specifications.
Biden’s position on Saudi Arabia has also been confused. Originally, candidate Biden had promised to turn Saudi Arabia into a pariah state. As president, Biden visited Riyadh and asked the Saudis for favors, mainly to pump more oil to lower global prices, and foreign policy help. When Biden is not applying pressure on Riyadh to raise its production levels, he and some in the Democratic Party spend their time bashing Gulf countries for their energy production, and blaming them for global warming, even though America has been leading the world in global crude oil production, while China leads the planet, by a mile, in carbon emissions. Then there is the erratic policy of arms sales to allies. Hardware contracts are long-term and require servicing, maintenance, recalls, and upgrades. It is almost impossible to integrate systems from different countries together. This means that countries that buy US arms, and therefore help boost the American economy and create jobs, have to stick to American arms.
But Biden — and the Democrats in general — politicize arms sales and supply, whether to Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Israel, or other clients. No army wants to find itself begging for resupplies mid war. That’s exactly what America did to the Arab coalition that was fighting the Houthis in Yemen: Washington prohibited the sale of offensive weapons to Saudi Arabia.
Gulf countries eventually decided to coexist with the rogue Houthi militia on their borders, only for America to come begging the Saudis and the Emiratis to join the coalition to protect the Gulf of Eden and the Mandib Strait.
All of a sudden, the Biden administration declared that it was planning to lift the ban on sales of offensive weapons to Saudi Arabia. Riyadh said thanks, but no thanks, your war with the Houthis is not ours, just like our war with them was not yours. For Riyadh, it was payback time. Anyone who knows the Arab society knows the importance it places on loyalty, between individuals as well as between nations. With Biden and the Democrats, the Saudis and the UAE have been having a hard time in this department.
America went to war on the Houthis alone. Only the UK effectively participated.
In Iraq, America responded to attacks of pro-Iran militias on Iraqi bases housing US troops by killing half a dozen senior militia leaders. Tehran and its Iraq loyalists got the message: America was not playing games and was serious in inflicting harm on the militias. The attacks on Americans in Iraq stopped, for now. In Yemen, however, Houthi leaders enjoyed safety despite American strikes. Had America taken out a few senior leaders, it would have raised the cost of war for the militia significantly, forcing it to change its calculus.
Washington, instead, has reportedly decided to reason with the same Iran regime that has proven, time and again, that it is not interested in deals with America, only in defeating it, its allies, and ejecting it from the Middle East.
Military regional integration is a great idea, but if not backed up with a clear political vision, will, and strategy, it accounts for little. Gulf states were right to stay away from Biden’s confused policy on Yemen. Now they are reaching out to Iran and its militias, on their own. Soon, America could be out of the Middle East, both militarily and diplomatically. Washington should be careful what it wishes for.
*Hussain Abdul-Hussain is a research fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), a Washington-based nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy. X: @hahussain
https://www.algemeiner.com/2024/03/20/reported-us-iran-talks-explain-saudi-sitting-out-red-sea-operations/?fbclid=IwAR1arkGYWVIveId_G0P3Z40okFktMFiBCeo0RIuDUTfgcyTuXXa21jXj3tQ

Diplomats Suggest Expansion of Buffer Zone between Lebanon and Israel
Asharq Al Awsat/21 March 2024
United Nations diplomats said that some recent suggestions are focusing on the expansion of the buffer zone between Lebanon and Israel as a precaution to prevent further escalation between Lebanon’s Hezbollah group and Israel, or a spillover of the Gaza war into Lebanon. These suggestions were raised during a closed-door meeting held by the UN Security Council on Tuesday that discussed the latest report of Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the ongoing efforts to implement UN Resolution 1701, amid the daily exchange of fire between Lebanon and Israel. A diplomat of the five permanent members of the Council told Asharq Al-Awsat that interlocutors expressed “concern over the escalation along the Blue Line in recent weeks”, and stressed the need for the full implementation of resolution 1701. They also reiterated the need to support UNIFIL's role to prevent further deterioration.
UNIFIL’s Role
Another diplomat also expressed worry saying “we are gravely concerned about the situation on the border”, warning against any kind of “provocations that could aggravate things further”.He said a “more effective” role and UNIFIL “preparedness” is essential in order to tune down the tension, adding that they seek to find a way to expand the buffer zone to protect Israel from attacks from the Lebanese side, and for the Lebanese armed focus to to control the situation in south Lebanon.
Dangerous Threat
Guterres had expressed concern in his report about the tension along the Blue Line amid increasing hostilities and an almost daily exchange of fire between Hezbollah and other non-government armed groups on one hand and Israel on the other. He said the conflict entails a dangerous threat for the stability of Lebanon, Israel and the region, and demanded a political approach to address the root of the conflict based on UN resolution 1701.
Lebanese Army
The diplomats agreed on the necessity to address the tension along the Blue Line, appease the security situation and stop the provocations on both sides of the border. This would help thousands of displaced people on both sides of the border to return to their villages.
To that end, bolstering the role of the Lebanese army and UNIFIL is essential. Representatives of the UN countries have therefore underscored that to achieve that end, Lebanon’s state institutions must be restored, mainly the election of a new president and the formation of a government capable of performing the needed financial and economic reforms.

'Israel is right to defend itself,' Lebanese peace activist, Dr. Ghassan Bou Diab tells JPost
The Jerusalem Post reached out to two Lebanese anti-war activists who attempt to promote peace between the ancient people of the two sides of the border.
By OHAD MERLIN/MARCH 21, 2024
The imminent war between Israel and Hezbollah creates ripple effects within Lebanese society and its inner discourse. The Jerusalem Post reached out to two Lebanese anti-war activists, Dr. Ghassan Bou Diab and A., who make efforts to promote peace between the ancient people from the two sides of the border, on and offline.
The interviews have been translated and edited for content:
My name is Dr. Ghassan Bou Diab, and I want to convey a message of peace from the Land of the Cedars to the Israeli people.
After 75 years of meaningless clashes between Lebanon and Israel, it is time to think about a different approach. Time to consider what the late brave Begin and Sadat said in Camp David under US patronage: ‘no more war, no more bloodshed, no more tears.’
Because why would I even need to fight Israel? Why wouldn’t I do business with Israel or enjoy the fact that I’m a neighbor of Israel? Why do we need to pay tribute to the IRGC and the terrorist Mullahs of Tehran?
How many Lebanese must die for Iran? And why must I be a tool at the hand of Ali Khamenei?
Why would Lebanese blood be shed for the project of the Neo Nazis of the Mullah regime? Why must we deal with a foreign agenda that takes all Lebanese as hostages?
This is not our cause, not national interest.
As a free Lebanese, I don’t want that. I want peace and extend my hand starkly to the other side of the border, hoping to be met by a like-minded hand.
We need a partner from the other side of the border to build peace for tomorrow, for the era following the eradication and defeat of terrorists.
Israel has the full right to defend its citizens and enjoy peaceful and safe borders. Nothing justifies the terror attack of October 7 nor the crazy, meaningless adventure that Hassan Nasrallah and his partner - the head of amal movement (Nabih Berri) are leading Lebanon towards.
If Lebanon were attacked by the same attack – what would be the answer of the Lebanese? I am not seeking to justify the unnecessary death of civilians, but mustn’t Israel have a right to defend itself from such evil?
We are at a conundrum.
Living as hostages of terrorist political Shi'ism
Having our beloved country bombed is saddening, but living as a hostage of terrorist political Shi’ism led by the so-called Islamic Republic, which in turn occupies Iran, is in and of itself a big challenge. We cannot coexist with political Shi’ism, which aligns only with what the Faqih, the ‘sage leader' in Tehran, wants. They say openly that Hezbollah is Iran. Yet Hezbollah is a terrorist organization taking Lebanon hostage.
Israel is smart enough to know that no peace can be signed with one Lebanese sect. It must be signed between nations and people. The collapse of the May 17, 1983 Is a historical example. But also The recent maritime agreement, which didn’t pass either through the Lebanese parliament nor through the Knesset, was a bad example. We need peace between states, not sects. Peace between two states under the patronage of the US, along with other Arab leaders.
Our founding fathers in Lebanon were not promoters of Political Shi’ism. They are Maronite and Druze, like Prince Fakhr Eddin II. The Druze-Maronite social contract established the big Lebanon State. The relations between Lebanon and Israel go back to even before there were the modern states of Lebanon and Israel, to the time of the Phoenicians and King Solomon, who brought Lebanese cedars to build his Temple, and to King Heram and others. This glorious past has nothing to do with the terrorist regime which holds our country hostage.
What prevents you from coming to Junieh or me from driving to Tel Aviv? Why do I need to fight with you? This doesn’t make any sense. What makes sense is permanent peace and diplomacy among the people. We are fighting a common enemy – the so-called ‘Islamic’ regime occupying Iran and its terrorist Proxies.
Israel doesn’t have to be on alert every 2-3 years just because Khamenei wants to cause trouble and reserve a seat at the table of Negotiation with the US administration. I don’t want my borders to be a cause for any threats. I want tourism projects in Naqoura between Israeli and Lebanese companies. I want my children to visit the sacred shrine of Jethro in Hattin. Israel is a diverse state. Why can’t I go visit the tomb of Christ or Al-Aqsa Mosque? Why should anyone need to build a whole ideology based on hatred and murder? Why should anyone be celebrating the murder of people who were partying? Only Fascism or Nazism would celebrate this.
I’m ready to work with whoever is ready to sustain a future built on love, economic relations and national interests, rather than hatred. I am a neighbor of Israel, I have national interests, and peace is my national interest.
You will surely find people who will call us Zionist spies or traitors. I don’t care. I’m doing this for the future of the Lebanese people and the Jewish people. I don’t want an ideology of hate. 75 years is too much. Endless war is too much.
It's time to give peace a chance. To think about unity and diversity, to declare that peace; just like war requires brave people and strong minds. We are not in the 1960s. This is 2024 for God’s sake. The whole concept of trying to create useless borders is a joke. Can they really ban me from talking to you?
Why? If we disagree, let's talk about it. There’s a secret word – dialogue- consisting of ‘dia’ – two and ‘logos’ – word or thought. And I don’t want to be banned from thinking.
Every single drop of blood and atom of soil is precious. As a Lebanese national, my national interest is to have the best relations with our neighbors. We don’t have time for war; we have time for peace, prosperity, and technology.
We’re good at marketing, and you’re good at producing. So why should I be missing out on these chances? The interest of my country is not only peace with Israel but a strategic partnership with Israel. I won’t call for an olive branch like Arafat did back then. The 21st century requires a different approach. What I am doing is extending a strong hand with peace, the only thing it holds is peace, to be met by like-minded people from the Israeli intelligentsia and public who believe that, if you are brave enough to fight the war – you should be brave enough to fight for peace. Of course, right after defeating terrorism on all sides.
The 1000-mile journey starts in one step, and somebody needs to start this process.
Let's light a small candle, instead of cursing darkness.
Dr. Ghassan Boudiab is the director of Demokrattia Center for research and strategic studies in DC, and a Professor of Science of Religions, specializing in faith-based extremism, from the Chouf region in Lebanon.
A.: A voice for the silent
I am 38 years old, originally from Damour, south of Beirut. I am active on Twitter advocating for peace between Israel and Lebanon, without allegiance to any party. Just a normal person.
In my previous life I remember having much animosity towards Israel and Jews, but then I started to educate myself. Animosity originates in ignorance. When I met the first Jew during a trip to Europe, I went and asked him ‘why should I not hate you?’
Today, after speaking and interacting with many Jewish people– I know that we are the same, we have the same emotions towards life, even the same ideologies that we want to live in peace.
The Jewish community in Lebanon numbers around two dozen people, maybe, and they are forced to live as crypto-Jews. I was a Christian before, and during my process of educating myself I understood that much of the hate against Jews stems from religious contexts, both in Christianity and Islam. Jews are described in negative ways, even as inhumane. I had to unlearn everything I thought against the Jewish people, and I started questioning everything, which eventually led me to leave religion altogether.
The first educating interactions I had with Jews online were through social media platforms such as Clubhouse and TikTok. I made a Jewish friend who directed me to religious texts such as Pirkei Avot, and I also read modern books such as Einat Wilf’s ‘The War of Return,’ and a book titled ‘Uprooted’ by Lyn Julius which tells the story of the ending of Jewish communities of the Middle East. We never learned about any of that in our country, never heard of the Lebanon pogrom, the Damascus affair or the Farhoud. We were always taught pseudo-global thinking, that Jews control everything. Now I know that they are in fact the number one persecuted people in the world.
Eventually all of this led me to question a lot. I had to unlearn all the lies I had accumulated in my life; throw it all away and start to look in the lens of the Jewish people.
My family environment was overall accepting of the changes I went through. I am originally from Damour, where a terrible massacre of Lebanese Christians took place at the hands of Palestinian terrorists in 1976. I wasn’t born yet but three of my mother’s brothers were killed, and she herself was traumatized as a massacre survivor. She never spoke of the events until I started going on my journey, though my father did talk a lot. They didn’t hide that those who liberated us and removed the so-called Palestinian occupiers were Israel, that the Jews kicked out the intruders and brought us, the native people, back to our lands. So for them, my journey was understandable. My mother was a bit worried, but she respects what I’m doing and frankly has no problem with Israel.
By the way, my friends were also whispering that they want Israel to come and eliminate those terrorists, but they can’t say it out loud.
I’m keeping my anonymity because I’m just a voice, and the person behind the voice doesn’t matter. I did publish a photo of my real face some time ago, to show that there is indeed a face behind the voice. Very few people know who I am, but many are sending messages to my X account saying that they support me and one day would want to speak out themselves.
I view my role as empowering Lebanese voices who want to speak out. I’m not charismatic myself, maybe articulate, but also a bit messy. I would love to see more Lebanese who would make articulate and well-thought cases for peace, enough so that other Lebanese who think similarly would join. People might call me ‘assimilated’ or not-representative, which is even more why we need more people like us who believe in peace to speak out. For their sake, I shut my own mouth and let them speak and empower their voices.
Threats only make me want to speak out more. I was shot in Lebanon for speaking against Hezbollah. I almost lost my life once, so what else is there to those threats? I was already halfway to losing my life. We must be bold and act. If not, the situation would be more dire.
In his last two speeches, Nasrallah was already addressing people like us who opt for normalizing relations, which only means that we can no longer be ignored. This is what frightens them most. I see it like a basketball match, it’s the end of the last quarter and we’re winning – so we can’t go into defense, only strengthen our offense.
Even those who don’t speak for normalization or friendship with Israel –articulate their views by saying ‘we don’t want war’. Before October 7 there were a handful of Lebanese who openly said that they want peace with Israel; but ever since the war started, they’re even less prone to do so, since it would look like treason.
However, I also hear Lebanese, Sunni, Shia and Druze, who participate in my X spaces sessions and say that they don’t want war but rather want peace with Israel. They hide their identities, which I of course respect, but it’s important to empower these voices as well.
Many are aware that Lebanon’s real enemy is Hezbollah. The notion is that the majority is against war, even if not pro peace. Hezbollah takes orders from nobody, even if the people tell them to stop, they won’t listen to you.
I call on expat Lebanese living abroad: if you don’t want our country to go to war then speak your mind. Do not remain silent. Our country is hijacked by a terror organization loyal not to Lebanon but to the IRGC, and it’s our duty to be the voice from outside, to project to the international community that Hezbollah is not Lebanon and Lebanon is not Hezbollah.
We have thousands of years of history with the Jewish community. If you don’t want to advocate for peace, at least advocate for rejecting a war. Lebanon is in an economic crisis, living off help from those who live outside. So now it’s time to raise your voice and not only your money. The Lebanese expat community, in the US, in Brazil, in Europe – they all know how it is to live openly and freely in the world, just the way Lebanon used to be when we were nicknamed ‘the Paris of the Middle East.’ Yet now Hezbollah made us lose our identity. So your duty is to speak, be bold. Don’t share your names if you don’t want to. Hide your identity but raise your voice, be a voice.
We need to get rid of Hezbollah, yet my wish is that no Israelis die on my soil. My people must liberate themselves, not through others. After the civil war there were no clear winners, so our people never tasted liberation from invaders. We need to liberate ourselves fully. If Israel will end up being the ones liberating Lebanon from Hezbollah – it would be another failure for us.
We should deal with each other as human beings. Jews know how it is to struggle endlessly in order to live. Hopefully we can talk as human beings instead of dehumanizing each other. I know how the Jewish people are open for a peace between Lebanon and Israel; now it’s time for us to be open about our longing for peace as well.
A. is a peace activist operating on social media, and a kitchen chef in profession. He hopes to promote peace between Israel and Lebanon and regularly hosts joint sessions for Lebanese and Israelis on his social media platforms.
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/dr-ghassan-boudiab-i-do-this-for-my-children-793133

Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on March 21-22/2024
Israel determined to take Rafah despite 'potential breach' with U.S.
JERUSALEM (Reuters)/ March 21, 2024
Israel will take control of Rafah even if it causes a rift with the United States, a senior Israeli official said on Thursday, describing the Gazan city packed with refugees as a final Hamas bastion harbouring a quarter of the group's fighters. The prospect of tanks and troops storming Rafah worries Washington in the absence of a plan to move more than a million Palestinians who have sheltered there since being displaced elsewhere in the Gaza Strip during the five-month-old war. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged to ensure a civilian evacuation and humanitarian aid - measures that top Israeli aides are due to discuss in the White House in the coming days, at the behest of U.S. President Joe Biden. "We're quite confident that we can do this in a way that would be effective - not only militarily, but also on the humanitarian side. And they have less confidence that we can do it," one of those Israeli envoys, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, said on the "Call Me Back with Dan Senor" podcast. Dermer, a former ambassador to the United States, said Israel would hear out American ideas for Rafah, but the city on Gaza's border with Egypt would be taken whether or not the allies reach agreement:
"It will happen even if Israel is forced to fight alone. Even if the entire world turns on Israel, including the United States, we're going to fight until the battle's won." As fighting raged in northern Gaza, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Cairo for talks with Arab officials about a proposed ceasefire. Israel is open to a truce, but has ruled out ending the war with Hamas in power. Dermer said leaving the Iran-backed Islamists standing would invite open-ended attacks against Israel from across the region: "And that's why the determination to take them out is so strong, even if it leads to a potential breach with the United States."While backing Israel's war goals, the Biden administration has been shaken by the soaring toll on Palestinian civilians. The offensive has killed almost 32,000 Palestinians, the Gaza health ministry said, without providing a breakdown of civilians and fighters. Hamas killed 1,200 people in Israel on Oct. 7 and abducted 253, according to Israeli tallies. Israel says it has killed, captured or scattered enough Hamas fighters to dismantle 18 of its 24 battalions, while 252 Israeli soldiers have been killed in the operation. Hamas does not detail its losses or deployments and has dismissed Israel's assessments as exaggerations. Yet Palestinian rocket salvoes have tapered off dramatically as most of Gaza has been overrun by Israeli forces. So have Israeli military losses. Dermer said there were four intact Hamas battalions in Rafah, bolstered by fighters who had retreated from other parts of Gaza, amounting to 25% of the group's pre-war strength. "We're not going to leave a quarter of them in place," he said. "We're going into Rafah because we have to ... And I think what people don't understand is that Oct. 7 is an existential moment for Israel."

US Unveils Draft UN Resolution Seeking Immediate Gaza Ceasefire
Asharq Al Awsat/21 March 2024
The United States has circulated a draft UN Security Council resolution calling for an "immediate ceasefire linked to the release of hostages" in the Gaza Strip, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said. The diplomat made his announcement whilst on a tour of the Middle East that will include a stop in Israel.
Key Israel backer the United States has vetoed previous UN Security Council votes on the nearly six-month war, objecting as recently as in February to the use of the term "immediate" in a draft submitted by Algeria. In recent weeks, however, Washington has upped the pressure on its ally, while insisting that Hamas militants must immediately release the hostages seized by militants during its October 7 attacks on Israel. "Well, in fact, we actually have a resolution that we put forward right now that's before the United Nations Security Council that does call for an immediate ceasefire tied to the release of hostages, and we hope very much that countries will support that," Blinken said in Saudi Arabia. "I think that would send a strong message, a strong signal," he told Saudi media outlet Al Hadath on Wednesday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to destroy Hamas in retaliation for the October 7 attacks.
"Of course, we stand with Israel and its right to defend itself... but at the same time, it's imperative that the civilians who are in harm's way and who are suffering so terribly -– that we focus on them, that we make them a priority, protecting the civilians, getting them humanitarian assistance," Blinken said.
US officials had been negotiating an alternative text since blocking an Algerian draft resolution calling for an "immediate humanitarian ceasefire" in Gaza at the end of February, according to AFP. That alternative, focusing on support for a six-week truce in exchange for the release of hostages, had little chance winning approval, according to diplomatic sources. A new version, seen by AFP, stresses "the need for an immediate and durable ceasefire to protect civilians on all sides, enable the delivery of essential humanitarian aid, and alleviate suffering... in conjunction with the release of hostages still held". No vote has yet been scheduled on this text. Blinken met Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and then held talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman soon after landing in the kingdom on Wednesday on the first leg of a regional tour that will include Egypt on Thursday and then Israel on Friday. Blinken's tour, his sixth to the region since the war began, runs parallel with talks in Qatar, where mediators met for a third day on Wednesday in a renewed effort to secure a ceasefire but with little indication of an imminent agreement. The plan being discussed in Qatar would temporarily halt the fighting as hostages are exchanged for Palestinian prisoners and the delivery of relief supplies to Gaza is stepped up. Blinken had earlier warned that Gaza's "entire population" is suffering "severe levels of acute food insecurity".

Hamas Says Latest Israeli Position On Gaza Truce 'Generally Negative'
Asharq Al Awsat/21 March 2024
A senior Lebanon-based Hamas official said Wednesday that Israel's response to the latest proposal from the Palestinian group for a six-week truce in Gaza was "generally negative", as talks continued in Qatar. Osama Hamdan told a news conference in Beirut that mediators had conveyed the Israeli position a day earlier, but it was "generally negative and does not respond to the aspirations of our people". He said the Israeli response "constitutes a step backwards" compared to previously communicated positions and "is likely to hamper negotiations, and could lead to an impasse". Last week, Hamas proposed a six-week truce and the release of about 42 hostages in exchange for 20 to 50 Palestinian prisoners per hostage. Global concern has mounted over the military conflict now in its sixth month, in which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to destroy Hamas in response to its October 7 attack. Just days ago, Hamdan had said Palestinian militants would accept a partial Israeli withdrawal before exchanging prisoners, easing previous demands for a complete pullout from Gaza.

Sisi Discusses Gaza with Blinken, Warns of Dangers of Military Operation in Rafah
Asharq Al Awsat/21 March 2024
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday discussed with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi the negotiations to secure an immediate ceasefire for at least six weeks in the war between Israel and Hamas and the release of all hostages kidnapped by the Palestinian militant group in the Gaza Strip, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said. The top US diplomat is in Egypt after visiting Saudi Arabia a day earlier, as part of his latest Middle East tour. He also discussed with Sisi the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with security guarantees for Israel. Sisi stressed the need for a truce to address the escalating humanitarian crisis and warned of the dangers of a military operation in Rafah, the last zone of relative safety for civilians where more than half of Gaza's population is now sheltering, pressed against the Egyptian border. Israel will take control of Rafah even if it causes a rift with the United States, a senior Israeli official said on Thursday, describing the Gazan city as a final Hamas bastion harboring a quarter of the group's fighters. The prospect of tanks and troops storming Rafah worries Washington in the absence of a plan to move more than a million Palestinians who have sheltered there since being displaced elsewhere in the Gaza Strip during the five-month-old war.

UN: Satellite Images Show 35% of Gaza's Buildings Destroyed
Asharq Al Awsat/21 March 2024
Satellite images analyzed by the United Nations Satellite Center show that 35% of the Gaza Strip's buildings have been destroyed or damaged in the Israel offensive in the Palestinian enclave. In its assessment, the United Nations Satellite Center, UNOSAT, used high-resolution satellite images collected on Feb. 29 and compared them with images taken before and after the start of the latest conflict. It found that 35% of all buildings in the Gaza Strip - 88,868 structures - had been damaged or destroyed. Among these, it identified 31,198 structures as destroyed, 16,908 as severely damaged, and 40,762 as moderately damaged, Reuters reported. This represents an increase of nearly 20,000 damaged structures compared to the previous assessment it did based on images taken in January that showed 30% of all buildings had been damaged or destroyed, UNOSAT said. "The governorates of Khan Younis and Gaza have experienced the most significant rise in damage, with Khan Yunis seeing 12,279 additional damaged structures and Gaza experiencing 2,010," UNOSAT said. "Khan Younis City has been hit particularly hard, with 6,663 newly destroyed structures."

Israeli Army: 50 Gunmen Killed in Fighting at Shifa Hospital
Asharq Al Awsat/21 March 2024
The Israeli military said on Thursday that it killed more than 50 Palestinian gunmen over the past day in fighting around the Gaza Strip's Shifa hospital. The military said it was continuing with its "precise operational activity in the Shifa hospital” in Gaza city. Since the start of the operation, over 140 gunmen have been “eliminated in the area of the hospital," it said. Gaza officials said thousands of Palestinian patients, medical staff and others were trapped inside the sprawling complex, although the military said it allowed passage for those who wanted to leave. The Israeli military said Wednesday it has arrested 350 Palestinians in its raid on the hospital. The Shifa medical complex had only partially resumed operations after a destructive Israeli raid in November.

UN Agencies, 36 Countries Mull Aid to Gaza through Cyprus
Asharq Al Awsat/21 March 2024
Officials from 36 countries and UN agencies gathered in Cyprus on Thursday to discuss how to expedite aid to besieged Palestinians in Gaza via a sea route launched last week. Thursday's gathering is being attended by Sigrid Kaag, the UN's senior humanitarian and reconstruction coordinator for Gaza, as well as Curtis Ried, chief of staff of the US National Security Council. As famine looms over Gaza, agencies are increasingly looking for alternative routes to get aid into the enclave other than land crossings. But lack of infrastructure is an issue; one charity which dispatched aid from Cyprus last week made a landing jetty out of rubble, while the US has also announced plans to create a floating pier, Reuters said. Under an agreement hammered out with Israel, cargoes can undergo security inspections in Cyprus by a team including Israel, eliminating the need for screenings at its final offloading point to remove potential hold-ups in aid deliveries. One vessel left Cyprus last week and distributed aid in Gaza, while another two are expected to depart in coming days, subject to weather conditions. "We are discussing how we can max up operational capacity both in terms of departure and means of transport and also in relation to the reception and distribution methodology," said Constantinos Kombos, Cyprus's foreign minister. Delegates would also discuss the creation of a fund to coordinate operational activities of the initiative, Kombos said, although he clarified it was not a donor's conference. Asked how many vessels could be departing Cyprus with aid once the initiative is at full operational capacity, Kombos said "as many as possible". "We have to remember there are limitations in terms of the reception and distribution and the whole point is not to just stockpile aid here but about a quick turnaround so we are as efficient as possible."

US lawmakers move to bar funds for UN Palestinian agency
AFP/March 22, 2024
WASHINGTON: US lawmakers moved Thursday toward prohibiting any further funding for the UN’s embattled agency for Palestinians, which Israel has sought to link to Hamas. President Joe Biden’s administration has already suspended funding for UNRWA after Israel alleged that several of its employees participated in the October 7 attack. But with the United Nations warning of famine in Gaza, the Biden administration had hoped to resume support after an investigation, believing that only UNRWA has the capacity to feed hungry Gazans. A $1.2 trillion funding package hammered out by lawmakers early Thursday says US government money — either leftover funds from the current year or in the next fiscal year — “may not be used for a contribution, grant or other payment” for UNRWA.Lawmakers released the plan to keep the government running ahead of a deadline of midnight on Friday, when three-quarters of the government will run out of funds if a deal is not reached. Both the Republican-led House and Democratic-led Senate are expected to approve the plan, which would then be sent to Biden for his signature, despite misgivings by a number of lawmakers about some provisions.
House Speaker Mike Johnson trumpeted the section on UNRWA, saying in a statement that the package “halts funding for the United Nations agency which employed terrorists who participated in the October 7 attacks against Israel.”Representative Ro Khanna, a progressive Democrat, said he would vote no on the legislation, saying it effectively deprived food to starving children. “The America I believe in must never be indifferent to the man-made starvation of children,” Khanna wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. Israel has accused 12 of UNRWA’s roughly 13,000 Gaza employees of participating in the attack, which prompted the Israeli military campaign, and accused the agency of being a front for Hamas, which controls Gaza. UNRWA said it fired the employees and is now subject to an independent UN investigation. Israel has long criticized UNRWA, which stands for the UN Relief and World Agency for Palestinian Refugees. It is a major provider of education as well as food to Palestinian refugees, defined as Palestinians who fled or were expelled around the time of Israel’s 1948 creation, or their descendants. This week, Israel barred UNRWA’s chief, Philippe Lazzarini, from visiting Gaza, saying he did not go through proper procedures. The State Department said it provided $121 million to UNRWA in the current fiscal year and that its suspension only affected about $300,000. Expecting opposition from Republicans to resuming funding, the Biden administration has been reaching out to other countries to make contributions. Saudi Arabia, which Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited this week, announced Wednesday that it was donating $40 million to UNRWA.

Israeli forces kill nine Palestinians in West Bank in 24 hours, WAFA news agency says
RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters)/March 21, 2024
Israeli forces killed two Palestinians in separate incidents in the occupied West Bank on Thursday, increasing to nine the number of Palestinians killed in the territory over 24 hours, the Palestinian news agency WAFA reported. Since the Gaza war began, Israel has stepped up military raids in the West Bank, where violence had already been surging for over a year. U.N. records show Israeli forces or settlers have killed hundreds of Palestinians in the West bank since Hamas's Oct. 7 attack on Israel that triggered the Gaza war. A 19-year-old Palestinian died after being shot by Israeli forces in El Bireh near Ramallah on Thursday morning, the Palestinian health ministry said. WAFA said he was wounded during confrontations with Israeli forces. South of Bethlehem, Israeli forces shot dead a 63-year-old Palestinian near settlement of El'azar, WAFA reported. The Israeli military said soldiers had fired shots towards "a Palestinian who aroused their suspicion at the El'azar Junction". "A hit was identified and he was later pronounced dead," it said, adding that military police had opened an investigation into the incident. Citing Hebrew-language media, the Times of Israel reported that the 63 year-old man had his hands in the air when he was shot but there was no immediate confirmation from the military. Israel captured both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 war. Palestinians have long aimed to establish an independent state in the territories occupied in 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital. Israeli forces also killed four Palestinians in the Nur Shams refugee camp in the West Bank city of Tulkarm overnight, the Palestinian Red Crescent said, adding that two of them were shot and the other two killed in an Israeli strike.
Residents said Israeli forces bulldozed roads in the area.
Israeli forces also killed three Palestinians in the city of Jenin on Wednesday night, WAFA and the Palestine health ministry said, in what Israel's military said was an operation targeting Palestinian militants. The militant group Islamic Jihad said three of its fighters had been killed, calling it an assassination operation.
Following the incident, local sources said Palestinian militants shot dead a Palestinian man in Jenin accused of spying for Israel. Militants also clashed in Jenin with security forces from the Palestinian Authority (PA), the body led by President Mahmoud Abbas which exercises limited self-rule over patches of the West Bank, angered at the arrest of one of their members, local sources said.
LONG-RUNNING TENSIONS
Tensions have long simmered in the West Bank between militants and the PA, established under interim peace agreements with Israel three decades ago. The PA lost control of Gaza in 2007 to Hamas, the militant group behind the Oct. 7 attack that killed 1,200 people in Israel and resulted in another 253 being abducted, according to Israeli tallies. Some 32,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip by Israel's devastating retaliatory offensive, according to health authorities in the territory.

U.S. FINALLY Pressures Israel by Submitting ‘Immediate’ Gaza Ceasefire Resolution at U.N
Dan Ladden-Hall/The Daily Beast./March 21, 2024
The U.S. has submitted a draft resolution to the U.N. Security Council calling for an “immediate” ceasefire in Gaza, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday, after months of repeatedly blocking similar calls.
Speaking in an interview with Saudi news channel Al-Hadath, Blinken said Washington, D.C. is now pressing for a ceasefire “tied to the release of hostages” being held by Hamas. He said that the resolution would send a “strong signal” and that while the U.S. supports Israel’s right to defend itself, “it’s imperative that the civilians who are in harm’s way and who are suffering so terribly—that we focus on them, that we make them a priority, protecting the civilians, getting them humanitarian assistance.”
Netanyahu Scrambles for Mysterious Meetings With U.S. Senators
Blinken was asked about how the U.S. is pressuring Israel to protect civilians while still supplying American arms and finances to Jerusalem, as well as vetoing any resolution that calls for a ceasefire at the U.N. Since the conflict erupted in October, the U.S. has vetoed three such resolutions, including one last month that attracted wide support—including from the U.S.’ allies, though Britain abstained—on the grounds that it could jeopardize negotiations involving Qatar, Egypt, and Israel to secure the hostages’ release. Of the negotiations, which are still yet to secure a new truce, Blinken said an agreement is “getting closer” and that the “gaps are narrowing.” “I believe it’s very much doable, and it’s very much necessary,” he said. “And of course, if Hamas cares at all about the people it purports to represent, then it would reach an agreement, because that would have the immediate effect of a ceasefire, alleviating the tremendous suffering of people, bringing more humanitarian assistance in, and then giving us the possibility of having something more lasting.” He also reiterated the Biden administration’s opposition to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s stated goal of invading the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Blinken said there is “no effective way” of getting the 1.4 million Palestinians currently sheltering in the city to safety ahead of such a ground operation, and that an Israeli team will travel to the U.S. next week “different way of dealing with the remaining problem of Hamas in Rafah,” though he declined to provide details on what alternative options could be considered. Blinken’s comments came amid reports Wednesday that the U.S. has received written assurances from Israel claiming that its use of American-made weapons in Gaza is not breaching humanitarian laws. The State Department now has until May to assess if the assurances are “credible and reliable” and report to Congress, as per a national security memorandum President Biden issued last month. Biden could halt arms transfers to Israel if the credibility of the assurances is called into question. Human Rights Watch and Oxfam submitted a joint memorandum to the U.S. government on Tuesday alleging that Israel is using American weapons and blocking U.S.-funded humanitarian aid in Gaza in violation of international humanitarian laws and that any Israeli assurances to the contrary “are not credible.” The organizations said they had “observed or documented” indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks, the collective punishment of civilians, and the use of “starvation as a weapon of war.” Israel denies breaking international law. Nearly 32,000 people have been killed in Gaza—according to Palestinian health officials—over the course of the five-month conflict, which was launched in response to Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks which Israeli officials say killed 1,200 people. U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres this week demanded that Israel allow humanitarian aid into the enclave after a report warned of an imminent famine, with Guterres calling the crisis “an entirely man-made disaster.”

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The Canadian PressThe Canadian Press/March 21, 2024
OTTAWA — A senior official in Canada's foreign service says Ottawa is still sorting out the implications of the government committing to stop future military exports to Israel. "This is being refined as we speak," Global Affairs Canada regional head Alexandre Lévêque told senators Wednesday. Most Liberal MPs joined the NDP in backing a motion Monday calling for an end to new military permits for arms bound for Israel. Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly says Canada already stopped approving permits for Israel in early January out of human-rights concerns. Joly's office says the measure goes beyond "arms" to include weapon technology and equipment. Lévêque, the Global Affairs Canada assistant deputy minister whose regions include the Middle East, told the Senate foreign affairs committee he wasn't fully sure how the motion would affect military exports.
That includes the potential impact on dual-use exports — goods that Canada regulates because they can serve both civilian and military purposes — as well as whether Israel must meet any conditions in order for arms sales to resume.
"There are things that are being refined," Lévêque said. Ottawa's aim, he said, "is to limit any exports that could go into arms (and) weapons that could be used directly in the conflict, until we get a better sense of how the very volatile situation on the ground is evolving."
Companies can still apply for permits to export military goods, but Ottawa won't issue decisions for the time being. Israel has a large arms industry, and receives many Canadian components that are used in products bought by countries such as Canada, Lévêque said. "Supply chains, just like any other industry, are interdependent."The language in the motion has caused confusion among Liberal and NDP MPs alike. Some say it amounts to an arms embargo, while others say it maintains a policy that's been in place for two months.
Global Affairs Canada said the motion does not freeze existing export permits, and doing so could hurt Canada's relationship with allies.
That's despite calls from groups like Project Ploughshares to halt exports under existing permits, arguing concerns around human rights apply equally to those shipments. The NDP is demanding that the Liberals clarify what military goods are still being exported to Israel. Joly's office said it has provided a parliamentary committee with copies of the permits approved for Israel since the war on Hamas started on Oct. 7, but those details have not been shared publicly. Not all MPs agreed with the motion. Conservatives voted against it, along with three Liberals. One of them, Anthony Housefather, has said he is reconsidering his future with the party. And Niki Ashton, the lone New Democrat who abstained from the vote, refused to explain why Thursday.
Israel's envoy in Ottawa would not say whether the motion has anything more than a symbolic impact on his country, but he stressed the motion's passage was "really disturbing for many Israelis."Israel's foreign minister has said the vote would undermine Israel's ability to defend itself, but ambassador Iddo Moed was circumspect in an interview Wednesday. "I don't think that that's a topic I would like to discuss at the moment," Moed said. "Either way, we are a strong country, we have a strong military, and I don't think that it's a big thing to understand that we will be able to continue to defend ourselves."Moed stressed that Israelis remain traumatized by Hamas, a group Canada has deemed a terrorist organization. Before the motion passed Monday, Joly told the Commons that Canada had not approved any military export permits for goods headed toward Israel since Jan. 8. That's because of "our inability to confirm that human rights are being upheld and, of course, that our export regime requirements would be met," she said. Asked to respond to that concern, Moed said he can't speak for how Canadian authorities assess these situations, but he argued Israel is upholding human rights. "I don't see that the situation on the ground has significantly changed," Moed said of the January policy change. Health officials in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip say nearly 32,000 have been killed in the conflict that began after the Oct. 7 attack, in which militants killed 1,200 people and took another 240 hostage. Even before the current conflict, Canada had been trying to build trust in the region over the long term to work toward peace, Lévêque said. "The first domino needs to fall, creating just that one little iota of confidence, confidence-building measures, that can then be reinforced by more trust," he said. "That's the only way out of it, and not something that can happen overnight." Lévêque said that during Joly's recent visit to the region, she looked for genuine effort on the part of Palestinian leaders to "deradicalize the elements of society that foment this hatred and this cycle of violence."In Israel, she sought "the slight openness of the door" toward an eventual peace. "We and many others believe that the only way to make this happen is through two states living side by side," he said. "We're hearing from some elements in Israeli society and leadership right now that a two-state solution is no longer an option."Lévêque said Joly has brought that up in her talks, including in Jerusalem last week. "Simply to say Canada has developed a road map and has developed, I don't want to say expertise, but at least experience in reconciliation," he said. "Without creating false equivalencies, that offer was put on the table as something that is uniquely Canadian that we could also bring to a future, peaceful settlement." He made the comment when Sen. Margo Greenwood, who is Cree, asked whether any "lessons learned" about traditional governance in Canada might apply in the region. This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 21, 2024.

Yemen’s Houthis Tell China, Russia Their Ships Won’t Be Targeted
Sam Dagher and Mohammed Hatem/Bloomberg/March 21, 2024
The Yemen-based Houthis have told China and Russia their ships can sail through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden without being attacked, according to several people with knowledge of the militant group’s discussions. China and Russia reached an understanding following talks between their diplomats in Oman and Mohammed Abdel Salam, one of the Houthis’ top political figures, said the people, who asked not to be named discussing private matters. In exchange, the two countries may provide political support to the Houthis in bodies such as the United Nations Security Council, according to the people. It’s not entirely clear how that support would be manifested, but it could include blocking more resolutions against the group. Spokespeople for the governments of China and Russia, as well as the Houthis, including Abdel Salam, didn’t reply to Bloomberg’s requests for comment. While the Houthis have already signaled Moscow and Beijing’s assets would not be targeted, the talks underscore the increased nervousness among world powers about the group’s missile and drone attacks in and around the southern Red Sea since mid-November. The Houthis, an Islamist group, say they’re targeting ships linked to Israel, the US and UK. Yet they appear to have mis-identified some vessels and Russia and China may have wanted stronger assurances from the group. This month, the Houthis hit the True Confidence, a bulk-commodities carrier, causing the first deaths since they started their maritime attacks. The Houthis said the vessel was American. It used to be owned by Los Angeles-based Oaktree Capital, according to a person with knowledge of the matter, but a new, non-US company recently took it on. Separately, missiles exploded near a ship hauling Russian oil near Yemen in late January. It happened days after a spokesman for the Houthis told a Russian newspaper that Russian and Chinese merchant ships needn’t fear attacks. Ostensibly, the assaults are to put pressure on Israel to stop its war in Gaza against Hamas, though many analysts doubt the Houthis would end their campaign in the event of a cease-fire or permanent peace deal. The waterways — including the Bab el-Mandeb strait connecting the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden — are crucial for the global economy and normally around 30% of container cargo flows through them. They also handle a large proportion of oil and liquefied natural gas flows. Since the attacks started, most Western shipping firms have avoided the strait and are instead going around southern Africa. That’s adding days and significant freight costs onto journeys between Asia and Europe. Companies from China and Russia haven’t announced they’re avoiding the area and ship-tracking data shows many of them still send their ships through it.
Yemen War
Both China and Russia are diplomatic and economic partners of the Houthis’ main military and financial backer, Iran. Most Iranian oil exports go to China and the Islamic Republic has, according to the US and European Union, provided drones and other weaponry to Russia for its war in Ukraine.
Still, the Houthis retain plenty of independence from Tehran. Iran has said it supports the Houthis but that they make their own decisions on political and military matters. The Houthis are a rebel group that took control of Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, at the start of the country’s civil war in 2014. They now also hold the key Red Sea port of Hodeidah. They have survived years of bombing from a Saudi-led coalition aimed at ousting them. There’s been a tentative truce in the civil war for about two years and the Houthis are involved in peace talks with the Saudis. But the group isn’t formally recognized by international governments and is on a US terrorism list. China and Russia have already given some diplomatic support to the Houthis. In early January, they abstained from a resolution sponsored by the US and Japan that condemned “in the strongest terms” the Houthi attacks on ships. Hours after it passed, the US and UK began airstrikes against targeting the Houthis’ military infrastructure, including missile launch sites and radar stations. In mid-February, China and Russia questioned the legality of the strikes against the Houthis and said they had never been authorized by the Security Council. The US and UK moves have failed to deter the Houthis. Even so, the Pentagon says the group’s attacks are becoming less frequent as its capabilities are degraded. The Houthis’ goal is “sinking America, Britain and the West in the swamp of the Red Sea,” Ali Alqhoom, a senior Houthi political leader, said on X, formerly known as Twitter. He claimed China and Russia back the group’s campaign, even though they’ve both said they want ships to move freely through international waters. Beijing has called for a halt to the attacks more than once. Last week, the Houthis’ leader, Abdul Malik Al-Houthi, vowed to expand the campaign to the Indian Ocean and hit vessels traveling around South Africa.

U.S. targets Iran's nuclear, weapons programs with fresh sanctions
Darryl Coote/ UPI/ March 21, 2024
The Biden administration has blacklisted three procurement networks accused of supporting Iran's ballistic missile, nuclear and defense programs. The networks consisting of five people and five entities are based in Iran, Turkey, Oman and Germany, according to the U.S. Treasury, which said they work to secure carbon fiber, epoxy resins and other missile-applicable goods for Iran's military research and development unit and its ministry of defense, among others. "Through complex covert procurement networks, Iran seeks to supply rogue actors around the world with weapons systems that fuel conflict and risk countless civilian lives," Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson said in a statement. "Through complex covert procurement networks, Iran seeks to supply rogue actors around the world with weapons systems that fuel conflict and risk countless civilian lives." The sanctions are the latest that the Biden administration has imposed on Iran's procurement networks since October when it hit those supporting Tehran's missile and drone programs. The Middle Eastern country has been accused of selling drones to Russia and which evidence has been uncovered that Kremlin has used them in the Ukraine war. However, the United States has more recently been vigorously targeting those facilitating Tehran's proxy militias, which have become embolden amid Israel's war against Hamas. In particular, the Biden administration has been targeting the Houthi rebels of Yemen, who have been attacking shipping vessels as well as U.S. and British warships transiting the Red Sea. The sanctions, officials have said, are part of an effort to degrade the ability of Iran and its proxies to make war. "The United Stats is committed to using all available tools to expose and disrupt the networks supporting Iran's reckless proliferation of weapons that destabilizes the Middle East and enables Russia's continued aggression against Ukraine," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Wednesday in a statement.

Iraq warm to Turkey's proposed anti-PKK joint ops centre, says Turkish official
ANKARA (Reuters)/March 21, 2024
- Turkey proposed to set up a "joint operation centre" with Iraq in order to fight the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), and Baghdad responded "positively" in a meeting last week, a Turkish defence ministry official said on Thursday. Senior Turkish and Iraqi officials, including defence ministers, held talks in Baghdad last week to discuss security issues including potential measures against the PKK, after Turkey warned of new military operations in the region. "Iraq also views (the PKK) as a threat to itself. They approached positively our offer to set up a joint operation centre and to cooperate in the fight against terrorism," the official told reporters. During last week's meeting, the two sides also discussed preparations for a planned visit by President Tayyip Erdogan to Baghdad, which is expected to take place after the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which ends in April. The official said Ankara wants the joint operation centre to be included in a broader strategic document that Erdogan intends to sign during the visit. The PKK, designated a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States and the European Union, took up arms against the Turkish state in 1984. More than 40,000 people have been killed in the insurgency. The conflict was long fought mainly in rural areas of southeastern Turkey but is now more focused on the mountains of northern Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region. Turkey has conducted years of cross-border military operations against militants that have left roughly half the Syrian territory bordering Turkey and all of Iraqi territory bordering Turkey controlled or overseen by Turkey's military.

NATO military committee chief, in Kyiv, calls for strong allied support
(Reuters)/March 21, 2024
NATO Military Committee Chief Rob Bauer said during a visit to Kyiv on Thursday that Ukraine's allies should not be too pessimistic about its ability to repel Russian troops and called for important aid packages to be delivered quickly. Bauer led the first official visit to Kyiv by a NATO military delegation since February 2022 when Russia sent thousands of troops to Ukraine in a multi-pronged invasion. Kyiv's troops are facing shortages of ammunition shells and manpower, and are on the back foot in the east where Russian forces are inching forward. "Ukraine needs even more support. And you need it now. Time in Ukraine is not measured in days, weeks or months. It is measured in human lives. In allied nations a week is a week. In Ukraine a week is a mother, a father, child, friend, lover, lost forever," he told the Kyiv Security Forum. He hailed Ukraine's resilience and ability to adjust quickly while changing many aspects of modern warfare. Bauer also met Ukraine's Army Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi for talks on the current combat situation. Syrskyi said on Facebook that ammunition supplies and air defences were discussed. With Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba Bauer had a talk on prospects for combat training for Ukrainian servicemen and defence industries cooperation, the ministry said. "While the world may have been overly optimistic in 2023 we should not make the same mistake becoming overly pessimistic in 2024," Bauer told the forum, expressing confidence in Ukraine's ability to succeed on the battlefield.

Afghanistan: Deadly suicide bomb reported at bank in Kandahar
BBC/March 21, 2024
At least 21 people have been killed in a suicide bombing in the Afghan city of Kandahar, a doctor at the regional hospital has told the BBC. The Taliban government has put the death toll at three. Police said a number of others were wounded. The Taliban said the suicide attack took place at around 08:00 (03:30 GMT) at a bank located in the city centre. No group has yet said it carried out the attack, which appears to be the biggest in Afghanistan this year. The blast took place at a branch where Afghan government employees were queueing to collect their salaries. The dead and around 50 injured people have been taken to Mirwais hospital, the region's largest, a doctor from the hospital said on the condition of anonymity. Kandahar is the seat of power of the Taliban, the base of their supreme commander. While the overall security situation in Afghanistan has improved since the Taliban gained complete control with the full withdrawal of foreign troops in 2021, there continue to be dozens of bombings and suicide attacks in the country each year.Many of them have targeted Afghanistan's Hazara ethnic minority and have been claimed by Islamic State Khorasan Province, or ISKP, the regional affiliate of the so-called Islamic State group, a major rival of the Taliban.

Russia fires 31 missiles at Kyiv in the first attack in 44 days, and 13 people are hurt
KYIV, Ukraine (AP)/March 21, 2024
Russia fired 31 ballistic and cruise missiles at Kyiv before dawn Thursday in the first attack on the Ukrainian capital in 44 days, officials said. Air defenses shot down all the incoming missiles, though 13 people including a child were injured by falling wreckage, they said. Residents of Kyiv were woken up by loud explosions around 5 a.m. as the missiles arrived at roughly the same time from different directions, said Serhii Popko, head of the Kyiv City Administration. Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched two ballistic missiles and 29 cruise missiles against the capital. Kyiv has better air defenses than most regions of the large country. The missile interception rate is frequently high, rendering Russian attacks on the capital significantly less successful than during the early days of the war. Even so, Ukrainian officials warn that they need considerably more Western weapons if they are to prevail against Russia's invasion. An 11-year-old girl and a 38-year-old man were hospitalized in Kyiv, the city administration said. Eight other people sustained light injuries, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko. Ukraine's Emergency Service said around 80 people were evacuated from their homes. Falling wreckage from the intercepted missiles set fire to at least one apartment building, burned parked cars and left craters in streets and a small park. Some streets were littered with debris, including glass from shattered windows. Survivors, some of them in tears and visibly shaken as emergency workers treated them in the street, recounted narrow escapes. Raisa Kozenko, a 71-year-old whose apartment lost its doors and windows in the blast, said her son jumped out of bed just in time. “He was covered in blood, in the rubble,” she said, trembling from shock. “And all I can say is ... the apartment is completely destroyed.”Mariia Margulis, 31, said a decision to stay in the corridor throughout the attack saved her family. “The blast wave blew out all the windows on the side where everything happened,” she said. “My mom was supposed to sleep in that room, but I asked her to move to the corridor in time, which saved us.”The attack occurred hours after a visit to Kyiv by President Joe Biden’s top foreign policy adviser, Jake Sullivan, and came after repeated Ukraine aerial attacks in recent days on Russia's Belgorod region near the border with Ukraine. On Thursday, five people were injured in the latest attack on the Belgorod region, which damaged homes and the city sports stadium, Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov said. Russia’s Ministry of Defense said it stopped 10 rockets over the region. Russian President Vladimir Putin had threatened Wednesday to “respond in kind” to the attacks. At an event in the Kremlin, Putin said Russia “can respond in the same way regarding civilian infrastructure and all other objects of this kind that the enemy attacks. We have our own views on this matter and our own plans. We will follow what we have outlined.”Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged the country’s Western partners to send more air defense systems so they can be distributed across the country where missile strikes have become more common. “Every day, every night such ... terror happens,” he said on Telegram after Thursday’s attack on Kyiv. “World unity is capable to stop it by helping us with more air defense systems.”Zelenskyy said Russia doesn’t have missiles that can evade U.S.-made Patriots and other advanced air defense weapons. European Union leaders were considering new ways to help boost arms and ammunition production for Ukraine at a summit in Brussels on Thursday. Russia has largely turned its attention to other Ukrainian cities, targeting them with drones and ballistic missiles. On Wednesday, Russian ballistic missiles killed five people and injured nine in the eastern Kharkiv region, and strike on southern Odesa last week killed 21.

Khamenei Dissatisfied with Living Situation, Raisi Defends His Economic Performance
London: Adil Al-Salmi/Asharq Al Awsat/21 March 2024
Iran’s Spiritual Leader Ali Khamenei expressed his dissatisfaction with the living and economic situation in the country, while President Ebrahim Raisi defended his government’s economic performance, pointing to an improvement and a significant decrease in inflation. In his annual televised address, Khamenei said the past year was “full of joys and bitterness,” stressing that economic and living problems were among the regretful developments. At the same time, he spoke of “good work” and “some progress” in curbing the inflation and promoting production.
For the upcoming year, the Iranian leader launched the slogan of “productive boom with people’s participation.” It is the ninth year in a row that carries a purely economic slogan, since the conclusion of the 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and the major powers, under which international economic sanctions were lifted in January 2016, before former US President Donald Trump reinstated them in August 2018. Since 1999, Khamenei starts each new year by launching an annual slogan to be the focus of the policies of the state apparatus, especially the government and parliament. “After reviewing the opinions of experts, I came to the conclusion that the main key to solving the country’s problems is production, national production. That is why we have relied in recent years on our own,” Khamenei said in his address. On the foreign policy level, he said that the government’s moves in various economic and political fields “were good news,” but he described the developments in Gaza as “bitter events in our foreign issues.” For his part, Raisi said that his government had attracted foreign investments amounting to $11 billion. This investment is certain, and not just on paper,” he said in a televised speech, noting that official statistics show an average economic growth rate of 6 percent over the past year. He continued: “The inflation rate has decreased, although prices are still high... but the indicators show that we have chosen the right path for a sustainable decline in inflation and economic growth, with the help of people and activists in the economic field.”

EU Naval Mission in Red Sea Destroys Missiles, Houthi Seaborne Drone
Asharq Al Awsat/21 March 2024
The EU's naval mission in the southern Red Sea said on Thursday it had destroyed three ballistic missiles and a Houthi seaborne drone to protect merchant ships. The EU's mission, known as Aspides, said on social media platform X that a French warship had destroyed the ballistic missiles and a German destroyed the drone, operated by the Iran-aligned Houthis and spotted near commercial vessels. Aspides was launched in February to help protect the key maritime trade route from drone and missile attacks by Yemen's Houthi militias, who say they are retaliating against Israel's war on Gaza. Other countries, including the United States and Britain, also have naval forces operating in the area.

Latest English LCCC  analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on March 21-22/2024
Gaza war: if there’s a lesson from the Berlin airlift it’s that political will is required to avoid a humanitarian catastrophe
Abdullah Yusuf/The Conversation/March 21, 2024
The crisis in Gaza transcends mere statistics to reveal a deep human tragedy that continues to escalate. According to the latest figures from the Gaza health ministry, the conflict has claimed the lives of over 30,000 individuals, including 12,300 children and 8,400 women. Additionally, 60,000 pregnant women are struggling with malnutrition. The United Nations has indicated that Gaza, which it now decribes as having “simply become uninhabitable”, requires at least 300 aid trucks daily to meet the urgent needs of its population. Meanwhile, Israel’s allies in the west grapple ineffectually with their shattered image as protectors of human rights. They supply arms to Israel while simultaneously sending air drops of food that are but a drop in the ocean to the humanitarian needs on the ground. The Red Cross estimates that the entire 2.2 million population is experiencing food insecurity at crisis levels or above, with some families reportedly sharing just “one can of food every 48 hours”. At the moment the delivery of vital aid supplies, such as food, water, medication and shelter, is reportedly being hindered at checkpoints by Israeli officials – although Israel has denied this. Humanitarianism is flourishing. It has developed into an industry by employing hundreds of thousands of individuals. But whether this has translated into a more effective aid system is questionable. In 2018, the Active Learning Network for Accountability and Partnership (ALNAP) – a group of more than 100 government and non-government humanitarian organisations operating globally – estimated that there were 570,000 field personnel involved in humanitarian missions. This figure doesn’t include those employed at headquarters or directly by donors. This expansive network is part of a sector where operational budgets have grown exponentially. For example, the funding for the United Nations’ World Food Programme (WFP) has escalated dramatically from US$1.2 billion (£945 million) in 1997 to more than US$14 billion in 2022. Yet despite this, the people of Gaza face what most observers now agree is an imminent chance of famine.Perhaps the most apt historical parallel is that of the Berlin airlift in 1948, when a concerted effort by Allied forces – principally the US and Great Britain – were able to feed and supply 2 million west Berliners for a year.
Feeding west Berlin in 1948
The Soviet blockade of west Berlin by the Soviet Union emerged as a defining moment in the early cold war period. Soviet forces attempted to coerce west Berlin by cutting off all land and water routes into the sectors of Berlin being administrated by the allied powers France, Britain and the US.
This aggressive move was designed to force the withdrawal of the newly introduced Deutsche mark and to challenge the allies’ resolve to maintain their presence in Berlin. In response, the Allies initiated a massive airlift of goods into west Berlin. It was a monumental logistical operation. The operation, codenamed “Operation Vittles”, involved the use of air corridors over the Soviet occupation zone to deliver essential supplies such as food, fuel and medicine to the people living in the western part of the city. At its peak, the airlift saw planes landing in west Berlin every 30 seconds, a testament to the allies’ dedication to the mission and a clear rebuke to the Soviet blockade. The airlift was not just a military and logistical achievement; it was a significant humanitarian effort. Over more than a year, the allies’ air forces conducted over 278,000 flights, delivering nearly 2.3 million tonnes of provisions, including food, fuel, and other essential supplies. Initially perceived as an overwhelming challenge due to Berlin’s vast area and its people’s significant needs, the operation swiftly transformed into a symbol of hope for the people of west Berlin. The airlift’s success extended beyond just aiding Berlin’s people. It helped ease cold war tensions, showcasing the west’s capacity for a coordinated, global response to Soviet hostility. This operation underscored the power of global cooperation with a humanitarian focus, setting a model for managing similar situations in the future with compassion and collective effort.
Lessons for Gaza
Applying lessons from Berlin to the current context of Gaza requires a sophisticated, multifaceted approach that goes beyond the logistical challenges associated with aid delivery. This approach must also tackle the political barriers that exacerbate the humanitarian crisis. The particular circumstances of Gaza, indicate that humanitarian airdrops are ineffective and costly. They would be unnecessary if the options for ground access were not being restricted by Israeli forces. Ensuring that blockades and starvation are not used as methods of warfare will require a robust international response. Israel’s allies must ensure accountability and check that international humanitarian law is being observed and upheld at all times. It is far from clear this is the case in Gaza. Read more: Gaza: weaponisation of food has been used in conflicts for centuries – but it hasn't always resulted in victory. The desperate plight of the population of Gaza suggests that in this conflict humanitarian aid has become politicised. In 1948, when there was a clear-cut political consensus in the west that the people of Berlin must be helped in their hour of need, it was possible to mount and sustain such an enormous operation. To do so again with the people of Gaza will take the same political will. It’s not entirely clear, at least not yet, from the leaders of Israel’s western allies, that this political will exists. This is where a lesson can be drawn from Berlin, and it is a scandal that it is taking so long for this to happen.
**Abdullah Yusuf, Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Relations, University of Dundee and Claudia Milena Adler, Lecturer in Humanitarianism and Deputy programme director of MSc in International Humanitarian Affairs, University of York

Germany's Murder of Europe
Drieu Godefridi/Gatestone Institute/March 21, 2024
Climate, of course, is a global issue: if Europe reduces its emissions to zero, while the rest of the world continues to increase them, the effect on the climate will be zero. As a result, the German plan will not save a single euro in terms of the damage caused by global warming and extreme events.
So, the investment needed each year would not be €1.5 trillion invested to save 0.03% of GDP per year. It would be €30 trillion — €1.5 trillion per year for 20 years — invested to change absolutely nothing in the climate of Europe.
There are no serious analysts left who still maintain that the objective of the Paris Agreement will be achieved; the Paris Agreement is obsolete and to pretend otherwise, as the European Commission is doing, is misleading, irresponsible, and not even scientific.
In practical terms, whole swathes of our populations have entered into a pattern that is the ultimate dream of environmentalists: degrowth. In other words, their impoverishment.
Ironically, if the IPCC's projections are to be believed, global warming may occur, and we will adapt to it through innovation. All the resources that Europe is burning up in a phantasmatic "energy transition", which has failed and will fail -- will just burn through money that we will then not have for innovation. What will Europe do when these misguided ideologies have permanently broken the back of its economy?
Climate is a global issue. If Europe reduces its emissions to zero, while the rest of the world continues to increase them, the effect on the climate will be zero. As a result, the German plan will not save a single euro in terms of the damage caused by global warming and extreme events.
In a preparatory impact report, a copy of which has been obtained by the Financial Times before official release, the European Commission estimates that to achieve the target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2040 then 100% in 2050 — the main objective of the "European Green Deal" — Europe will need to invest €1.5 trillion a year from 2031 to 2050. 1.5 trillion euros a year. That is equivalent to 10% of the Europe Union's entire GDP for 2022 -- every year! Apart from a war effort, there is no objective of any kind that has ever required the diversion of 10% of a continent's GDP by political decree.
The new German utopia
This number shows us that, while Germany has had to give up imposing its hatred of nuclear power on its European partners, it is determined to inflict on Europe the rest of the environmental utopia, i.e. total decarbonization, even at the cost of economic collapse and freedoms.
You may say that the European Commission is not Germany, but anyone who has worked in the Commission will tell you that there are two insurmountable lobbies at this level: Germany, by far is the most powerful country in Europe, followed by the environmental NGOs, such as Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth, which have permanent offices in the Berlaymont, the headquarters building of the European Commission. The fact that the current president of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, is German is just the icing on the apfelstrudel.
All the same, everything in this delirious report by the German Commission is wrong.
The Commission's pseudo-savvy calculations
The report states that the cost of inaction would be much higher than €1.5 trillion a year. In fact, explains the report, the European plan will save up to 1% of GDP per year. It should be noted, however, that this figure runs counter to all the IPCC's projections on the cost of global warming — which is 0.03 % of GDP per year, not 1%.
Annex 8 of the impact report just published by the Commission states:
"The IPCC AR6 Working Group II report (2022) confirms that global aggregate economic impacts generally increase with higher degree of global warming. However, due to the wide range of damage estimates and lack of comparability between methodologies, the report does not provide a robust range of estimates but recognizes that global aggregate economic impacts could be higher than estimated in the previous report."
In short, the IPCC's sixth report states that the cost of global warming could actually be greater than that stated in the fifth report.
Unfortunately (for lack of time? space? ink?) the Commission does not bother to reiterate what was said in the fifth report, which was voluble and precise on the question of the cost of global warming. Let us make up for this shortcoming: according to the fifth IPCC report AR5, chapter 10:
"For most economic sectors, the impact of climate change will be small relative to the impacts of other drivers... Changes in population, age, income, technology, relative prices... and many other aspects of socioeconomic development will have an impact on the supply and demand of economic goods and services that is large relative to the impact of climate change." Above all, the Paris Agreement, of which the Commission claims to be part, aimed to limit global warming to only 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2100. Achieving this objective presupposed a drastic global reduction in human greenhouse global gas emissions, not just Europe. However, since 2015, these global emissions have continued to rise, and there is no realistic scenario in which global emissions will decrease. China, which still builds roughly two new coal-power plants a week, and India continue to lay waste to these projections.
Climate, of course, is a global issue: if Europe reduces its emissions to zero, while the rest of the world continues to increase them, the effect on the climate will be zero. As a result, the German plan will not save a single euro in terms of the damage caused by global warming and extreme events.
So, the investment needed each year would not be €1.5 trillion invested to save 0.03% of GDP per year. It would be €30 trillion — €1.5 trillion per year for 20 years — invested to change absolutely nothing in the climate of Europe.
There are no serious analysts left who still maintain that the objective of the Paris Agreement will be achieved; the Paris Agreement is obsolete and to pretend otherwise, as the European Commission is doing, is misleading, irresponsible, and not even scientific.
In addition, the report goes on to say that reducing European imports of fossil fuels would result in savings of up to €2.8 trillion between 2031 and 2050. At present there is no technical or scientific way of overcoming the intermittent nature of renewable energies such as wind, solar. As a result, Europe's energy mix will have to continue to rely on fossil fuels in addition to nuclear power, as demonstrated by Germany, the champion of lignite coal and CO2 emissions – and releasing ten times more CO2 than France, per unit of energy produced -- in 2024. What is more, this pseudo-savvy calculation presupposes that we know the prices of oil and gas in advance, and that we persist in banning the exploitation of the shale gas that lies beneath Europe's soil.
The report by the European Commission shows a frightening headlong rush. The situation in Europe is already dramatic. Since 2008, American GDP has doubled, meaning that Americans earn twice as much as they did in 2008. Since 2008, Europe's GDP has stagnated. This means that Europeans are increasingly taxed and harassed, and forbidden to move, build, undertake, innovate and start a family as they see fit, while their incomes are not increasing. The shale revolution means that America now could be the world's largest producer of oil and gas, if President Joe Biden had not hobbled domestic energy production on his first day in office. The beneficiaries of his move were Russia, Iran -- and China, which can now more easily sell its cheap coal, thereby polluting the climate even more. "Meanwhile," according to Gideon Rachman, chief foreign affairs commentator of the Financial Times, "energy prices in Europe have soared."
"The Ukraine war and the loss of cheap Russian gas mean that European industry typically pays three or four times as much for energy as their American competitors. Gloomy European bosses say this is already leading to factory closures in Europe".
In practical terms, whole swathes of our populations have entered into a pattern that is the ultimate dream of environmentalists: degrowth. In other words, their impoverishment. Giorgos Kallis, a prominent figure in the field of environmental economics, asserted recently the necessity of adopting a "degrowth" paradigm over the conventional GDP-based model. He contends that economies can and must thrive while simultaneously diminishing inequality and enhancing overall well-being.
Scenarios
Three possible scenarios emerge.
In the first scenario, the EU will persist in its German ecological utopia, which will throw the whole of Europe even more deeply into the recession in which Germany is already languishing. In the context of its current economic stagnation, Europe cannot afford to divert 10% of its GDP per year to unaffordable, unreliable and intermittent energy sources. Popular revolts will multiply, making the current farmers' revolt look like "Pat the Bunny." It should be obvious that our democracies will not be able to withstand the impoverishment deliberately organized by "elites" who have gone mad trying to promote an insufficiently substantiated green ideology. In the second scenario, the EU would not undo the "European Green Deal," but its entry into force would simply be rescheduled (meaning postponed). This scenario condemns Europe to what economists Lawrence Summers and Henri Lepage name "secular stagnation," a condition when there is negligible or no economic growth in a market-based economy, on the model of Japan. A third scenario would see a new majority come to power through the European elections in June -- after all, what is the point of democratic elections if not to allow a change of course? -- and deconstruct (repeal) every piece of legislation in a European Green Deal that has become irrelevant or economically harmful to the most destitute among us in the current global context. Ironically, if the IPCC's projections are to be believed, global warming may occur, and we will adapt to it through innovation. All the resources that Europe is burning up in a phantasmatic "energy transition", which has failed and will fail -- will just burn through money that we will then not have for innovation. What will Europe do when these misguided ideologies have permanently broken the back of its economy?
**Drieu Godefridi is a jurist (University Saint-Louis, University of Louvain), philosopher (University Saint-Louis, University of Louvain) and PhD in legal theory (Paris IV-Sorbonne). He is an entrepreneur, CEO of a European private education group and director of PAN Medias Group. He is the author of The Green Reich (2020).
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Do Atrocities, Beheadings, and Sheer Carnage ‘Heal Muslim Hearts’?
Raymond Ibrahim/March 21, 2024
In a recent communique, the Islamic State called on its followers to slaughter and terrorize every single Western person they could reach. A snippet follows:
Lions of Islam: Chase your preys whether Jewish, Christian or their allies, on the streets and roads of America, Europe, and the world. Break into their homes, kill them and steal their peace of mind by any means you can lay hands on…. Solidify your plans and diversify the attacks: detonate explosives, burn them with grenades and fiery agents, shoot them with bullets, cut their throats with sharp knives, and run them over with vehicles. A sincere person will not lack the means to draw blood from the hearts of the Jews, the Christians, and their allies, and thus ease the suffering in the hearts of the believers. Come at them from every door, kill them by the worst of means, turn their gatherings and celebrations into bloody massacres, do not distinguish between a civilian kaffir [infidel], and a military one, for they are all kuffar [infidels] and the ruling against them is one…. Intentionally seek easy targets before hard ones, civilian targets before military one, religious targets like synagogues and churches before others, for this will satisfy the soul… [emphasis added].
Of curious interest here is not so much the sadistic (though ultimately hackneyed) calls for carnage, but rather the claim that torturing, terrorizing, and tearing infidels apart somehow “eases the sufferings in the hearts of the believers,” and “satisfies the soul.”
Such claims are actually derived from Islam’s most sacred text. The Koran exhorts believers to “Fight them [those who oppose Islam], Allah will torment them with your hands, humiliate them, empower you over them, and heal the hearts of the believers, removing the rage from their hearts” (Koran 9:14-15).
As usual, to understand the significance of any Koran verse, one must turn to the sira and hadith—the biography and anecdotes of Muhammad, respectively—for context. Koran 9:14-15 is connected to the slaughter of ‘Amr bin Hisham, a pagan Arab chieftain originally known as “Abu Hakim” (Father of Wisdom) until Muhammad dubbed him “Abu Jahl” (Father of Stupidity) for his staunch opposition to Islam.
After ‘Amr was mortally wounded by a new convert to Islam during the Battle of Badr, Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud, a close companion of Muhammad, saw the non-Muslim chieftain on the ground. So he went to him and started abusing him, including by grabbing and pulling ‘Amr’s beard and standing in triumph over the dying chief’s chest.
According to Al-Bidaya wa Al-Nihaya (“The Beginning and the End”), Ibn Kathir’s authoritative history of early Islam, “After that, he [Abdullah] cut his [‘Amr’s] head off and bore it till he placed it in the hands of the Prophet. Thus did Allah heal the hearts of the believers with it.”
This, then, is the exegesis of Koran 9:14-15:
Fight them, Allah will torment them with your hands [mortally wounding and eventually decapitating ‘Amr], humiliate them [pulling his beard], empower you over them [standing atop him], and heal the hearts of the believers, removing the rage from their hearts [at the sight of his decapitated head].
The logic here is that, pious Muslims are so full of zeal for Allah’s cause that the only way their inflamed hearts can be soothed is to see those who oppose Allah and his prophet utterly crushed—humiliated, mutilated, decapitated. Then the hearts of the believers can be at ease and “healed.”
But there’s more. Koran 96:15-16 alludes to the fate of ‘Amr and offers context: “No! If he does not desist, we will surely drag him by the forelock—a lying, sinning forelock.”
According to al-Alusi’s exegesis, after Abdullah placed his foot on the dying foe of Islam, ‘Amr opened his eyes and recognized him. The once proud chieftain lamented that he was being killed by a common “goat herder,” to which Abdullah replied, “Islam elevates and nothing is elevated above it.” He then sheared his head off. “But he could not carry it, so he made holes in the ears and put thread through them and dragged the head to the prophet. Then Gabriel, peace be upon him, came laughing and saying, “O prophet, you got an ear and an ear—and the head between for a bonus!”
Based, then, on the treatment of ‘Amr bin Hisham (aka “Abu Jahl”) as recorded in the Koran and Islam’s other core texts, all sadistic acts carried out by the Islamic State—and now being called for against every Western person—were in fact committed by the earliest Muslims and all to the complete approval of Muhammad (and apparently the “angel” Gabriel, too). They include: beheadings and mutilations (e.g., holes in ears of ‘Amr); humiliation and gestures of triumph (feet on chest of fallen victim, dragging his body, or head, on the ground); laughter, mockery, and celebration (for the hearts of the believers are now “healed”). ISIS was so committed to promoting such atrocities that, back in its heyday in Iraq and Syria, it regularly disseminated gory videos and pictures of its victims precisely in an effort to “heal the hearts” of Muslims, as documented at the bottom of this 2014 article (warning: graphic images). One showed the decapitated head of a Syrian soldier, with the caption, “healing for hearts.” Several showed ISIS jihadists standing atop their slain victims. Others showed jihadists laughing and joking around while holding the mutilated heads of their enemies —reminiscent of the “angel” Gabriel laughing and joking about the mutilated head of ‘Amr. Such is the true cult of jihad which few non-Muslims can begin to comprehend—and little wonder, considering that their political leaders and media do everything possible to present Islam as the (perpetually misunderstood) “religion of peace.”

Foreign policy challenges loom large over EU summit
Andrew Hammond/Arab News/March 21/2024
As the clock ticks toward June’s big European Parliament elections across the EU’s 27 member states, politics in Brussels is becoming increasing domestic-focused. However, there has rarely been a time in recent years when so many red lights are flashing outside of the bloc, in what has been called an “arc of instability.” That term was first used in the 1990s, especially by Australians, to describe a chain of politically unstable nation states in the Asia-Pacific region. However, more recently, it has been utilized by some US policymakers to highlight instability in a different, broader geography. That is a spectrum of states from sub-Saharan Africa through North Africa, into the Middle East, Eastern Europe and the Caucasus, plus South and Central Asia and possibly parts of Southeast Asia too. Some of this vast geography will be among the key topics of discussion at the ongoing summit of the EU’s 27 presidents and prime ministers. One example is the growing tensions in the Middle East, with the EU’s chief diplomat Josep Borrell this week condemning Israel for creating what he said was a “manmade” famine in Gaza.
Borrell added: “Before the war, Gaza was the greatest open-air prison. Today, it is the greatest open-air graveyard.” Moreover, he said European leaders have told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu they cannot stand by and watch Palestinians starve to death.
There is growing concern in Europe about the possibility of a new migration crisis if conflicts spill over
In North Africa, meanwhile, Sudan could face a catastrophic famine within weeks, aid workers have warned, amid security restrictions and armed violence as the war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and its former security partners the Rapid Support Forces continues. The UN’s World Food Programme says this threatens to trigger “the world’s largest hunger crisis,” with more than 25 million people scattered across Sudan, South Sudan and Chad “trapped in a spiral” of food insecurity. The conflict has also uprooted more than 8 million people. With 2 million forced from their homes before the fighting broke out, Sudan already hosts the world’s largest displacement crisis.
There is growing concern in Europe about the possibility of a new migration crisis if the numerous conflicts in the Middle East and Africa spill over into neighboring countries. This is in a context where multiple European governments are still dealing with the impact of the 2015 migration crisis, which saw about 1 million Syrian refugees cross from Turkiye into Greece alone, according to UN estimates.
One of the other big concerns for European leaders is that the growing proliferation of foreign challenges will distract or undermine the political focus of the West from what many see as the overwhelming international priority: Ukraine. In recent weeks, there have been growing Russian advances on the battlefield and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said last week that Kyiv is running out of ammunition and that its allies are not doing enough to help. This comes as a bill in the US Congress to send further aid to Ukraine continues to stall amid deep partisan divisions ahead of elections there in November.
In this context, there is a huge body of work for the EU still to undertake to become a more fit-for-purpose, progressive force in the world today. In the 1990s, then-Belgian Foreign Minister Mark Eyskens said that the bloc is “an economic giant, a political dwarf and a military worm.” Therefore, it is no coincidence that EU leaders will this week discuss security and defense as a pressing priority. There is unanimity within the bloc that Europe needs to increase its defense readiness, so there will be talks on exactly how to build the EU’s strength, resilience and competitiveness.
There is a huge body of work for the EU still to undertake to become a more fit-for-purpose, progressive force.
European Commission President Charles Michel said this week that, if Europe wants to exist in peace, it must shift to a “war economy” mode. He said that this requires significantly bolstering defense capabilities in the face of the threat posed by Russia. Michel added that US support can no longer be taken for granted and that EU countries need to take much more responsibility for their own security as they grapple with the biggest security challenge since 1945. He also condemned a decades-long lack of funding and investment in European militaries and, despite military manufacturing capacity increasing by 50 percent since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, much more needs to be done.
Beyond these hugely important security and defense questions, it is also clear that the bloc will need a clearer, wider grand strategy in the years ahead. In many plausible scenarios, it is highly likely that Europe will be facing a more challenging geopolitical context.
Several states in particular will be crucial to shaping how this plays out in a fast-changing multipolar world. With respect to the US, a long-standing ally of Europe, greater stability has been infused into the bilateral relationship following Joe Biden’s arrival in the White House. However, Donald Trump, who has called for the EU’s further dismemberment, could well win again in November.
However, no matter which of Trump or Biden wins, the overall geopolitical context for Europe may worsen significantly in the next half-decade. This is not just because of Russia, but also wider problems, including instability in key countries in neighboring regions.
The bloc therefore faces huge international challenges that may only grow. While it is on a trajectory to become a stronger, more progressive force in world affairs, it still has a long way to travel in this direction to fulfill its ambitions.
**Andrew Hammond is an Associate at LSE IDEAS at the London School of Economics.

UK government targeting Palestinian flags, not extremism
Mohamed Chebaro/Arab News/March 21/2024
Extremism, terrorism, incitement and hate speech should have no place in any society. But Britain’s new definition of extremism offers little in terms of clarity of purpose as to how it could help the country become safer. Or how it will help the UK’s many religious and ethnic communities to continue to coexist cohesively under properly defined and fair laws that allow all to live freely in peace and in a way that upholds the ethos of tolerance and respect for the country’s historically entrenched democratic values.
The unveiling of the new definition last week came, according to the government, in response to an “eruption” of hate crimes against Jews and Muslims in the country since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks on Israel. But many critics believe it risks infringing on people’s rights and freedom of speech, despite it being an answer to warnings expressed by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak last month, when he claimed that the UK’s multi-ethnic democracy was being undermined by both Islamist and far-right extremists.
Many justifications have been given as to the necessity and timing of the new extremism definition, but I believe that it is an effort by the UK government to stamp out pro-Palestinian protests and remove the Palestinian flags that have sprung up in many places, as Muslims and non-Muslims alike show their solidarity with Gaza, irking some pro-Israeli communities across the country. Some even think that this Conservative government is again trying to capitalize on the spreading of fear, this time from extremism, just like the fear from migration before that.
Critics believe that the new extremism definition could be used to silence those who disagree with the government
Communities Minister Michael Gove, whose department introduced the new definition, claimed that British “democracy and our values of inclusivity and tolerance are under challenge from extremist groups, which are radicalizing our young people and driving greater polarization.”
Gove’s new definition shifts the focus from sanctioning action to ideology. In 2011, the government’s “Prevent” strategy defined extremism as the “active opposition to fundamental British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and the mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs.”The new definition says extremism “is the promotion or advancement of an ideology based on violence, hatred or intolerance, that aims to negate or destroy the fundamental rights and freedoms of others; or serve to undermine, overturn or replace the UK’s system of liberal parliamentary democracy and democratic rights.”
But critics, from the archbishop of Canterbury to former Conservative ministers and opposition parties, believe that the new extremism definition could be used to silence those who disagree with the government. They fear it could do more harm than good, stigmatizing Muslim groups, feeding the victimization syndrome of followers of the far right and maybe even criminalizing the activities of environmental activists.
The definition does not offer any new insights as to how law enforcement could better police the alleged no-go areas of London or prevent some fringe elements from demonstrating outside the homes of politicians and holding banners that reflect anti-Israel or anti-Jewish views. Gove’s distinction between Islam as a religion of peace and Islamism as a dangerous and destructive ideology was widely welcomed, but his naming of some specific Muslim groups simply for their views on the Israel-Hamas war could escalate anti-Muslim prejudices. This is especially the case when it comes from a party that itself is not entirely free from accusations of Islamophobia and racism.
As a journalist covering UK news since the early 1990s, I have repeatedly found myself surprised over the years at how tolerant various governments and local authorities have been in authorizing public rallies for “Islamist groups” such as Hizb ut-Tahrir, whose narrative is clearly rooted in anti-democratic, anti-liberal and even anti-British ideologies. My questions to officials from governments, the police and local authorities have repeatedly been repelled by saying that the UK prides itself on upholding the freedoms of expression and belief for all, as long as no violence is perpetrated on British soil.
Britain has been sleepwalking into legitimizing some groups despite being warned about the threats they pose.
Surely, that would be something to applaud if it was not also naive to believe that those groups were not bent on preaching, inciting and even recruiting and financing many activities that, if scrutinized, would not meet the most basic of “Britishness” tests. From the days of the fatwa against author Salman Rushdie in the late 1980s to the proliferation of many “preachers of hate” that occupied newspaper front pages in the 1990s, official Britain has been sleepwalking into legitimizing some groups despite being warned about the threats they pose both domestically and abroad. Furthermore, the UK has at times chosen to amplify the role of so-called moderate unelected Muslim community leaders at the expense of the established democratic and constitutional norms of representation. Muslims and everybody else in the country should be represented by their elected members of Parliament nationally and their councilors at the local level.
And I could go on.
Defunding organizations that are finally classified as “Islamists” for failing to conform to or meet the necessary criteria is a welcome move. The question remains, however, as to why the state ever chose to fund or engage with the people or bodies it now claims do not uphold British values.
What is clear to many is that the new definition of extremism rests on poor foundations and it fails to eliminate threats, undo polarization and divisions, and reduce the increased assertion of competing identities, whether religious or ethnic. Many people tend to forget that civic responsibility imposes limits on every member of society’s freedoms, such as when they start infringing on the freedoms of others.
It is evident that the new extremism definition is, at best, counterproductive and will fail to weed out extreme Islamists or white supremacists. It is a distraction from the many failures of this Conservative government in an election year. I have a strong hunch that it is also a half-baked, half-thought-out drive to please some part of the electorate, who believe that they have seen too many Palestinian flags raised in various British streets in solidarity with people under bombardment for the past five months in Gaza.
**Mohamed Chebaro is a British-Lebanese journalist with more than 25 years’ experience covering war, terrorism, defense, current affairs and diplomacy. He is also a media consultant and trainer.

Could a third world war really be fought virtually?
Khaled Abou Zahr/Arab News/March 21/2024
Tensions on the front line in Ukraine continue to grow, bringing forward the possibility — as French President Emmanuel Macron declared last week — of a serious and grim expansion of this war further into Europe. At the same time, other hotspots around the globe, from Asia to Africa, keep heating up. In light of all these events, one cannot help but wonder what a third world war might look like. Obviously, this goes beyond (or before) a nuclear holocaust that would reduce the planet to radioactive waste. Would the new technologies we keep hearing about mean it would be different from the first two world wars?
As we read of new defense tech developments that involve humanoids or drones coupled with artificial intelligence and quantum technology, there is an indirect dissemination of information telling the general public that any potential big war will be similar to science fiction. It will be a war where these drones and humanoids face each other, while children, women and men stay safe at home waiting for a winner. A war where everything is virtual and cyberattacks replace bombs and shells, leaving interruptions to Wi-Fi and short power cuts as the biggest risks.
We will not delve into the point that cyberattacks on key infrastructure, such as energy sites or dams, could cause catastrophic damage. But is this view that many in the general public hold actually true: that they will be safe at home while war takes place in another dimension with lasers and other tech gimmicks we cannot see? A preliminary answer refuting this view comes straight away. It lies in the discreet yet persistent focus of Western leaders on reestablishing a military-industrial capacity. Indeed, all Western leaders are facing the reality that, as war rages in Ukraine, Russia has a military-industrial capacity that overwhelms all of Europe and the US combined.
It is said that history does not repeat itself but it often rhymes. In that sense, the situation in 2024 resembles the situation in 1935
Indeed, Moscow is now producing 250,000 artillery munitions per month, or nearly 3 million per year, according to information from NATO intelligence estimates that were reported by CNN last week. On the other hand, the US and Europe can only produce about 1.2 million munitions per year to support Ukrainian forces, according to a senior official from a European intelligence service cited by the American media. And so, the war in Ukraine is already giving us a first answer. War is war and will stay a dirty business. And Macron’s declaration on sending troops to Ukraine would not only be a possibility but a certainty if a new world war starts.
If we focus on defense technologies, where does the world stand? In this context, the focus of Western researchers is mainly the competition between China and the US, not with Russia, when it comes to key technologies. A 2023 study by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute showed that China has a lead in 37 out of 44 critical and emerging technologies, covering fields such as defense, space, energy and biotechnology, meaning Western countries led by the US are losing out in the global competition for research output. Moreover, in some fields, all of the world’s top 10 research institutions are based in China.
It is said that history does not repeat itself but it often rhymes. In that sense, the situation in 2024 resembles the situation in 1935, whether in terms of Western military-industrial capacity or technological competition between the two opposing sides. Moreover, we also notice a similarly troubled world map, where order is no longer clear and conflicts arise in an unpredictable manner, without a clear understanding of the endgame. Conflicts where ideology, brute force and technology all come into the mix. Some even see the Spanish Civil War in many places on the map of the world.
The situation in Ukraine with its rules of engagement is probably the best answer to what a world war might look like.
And so, following these lessons of history, how did new technologies impact war? Have they ever prevented the loss of life? The answer is simple and comes in the form of another question. Did this new technology give total superiority to one side and force the other into total submission? Without this, wars take a heavy toll. But this is what happened when vehicles replaced cavalry or when air superiority gave a clear advantage, with soldiers and civilians alike paying a heavy price. There is also the possibility of unseen technology and subversive actions sometimes allowing a war to be won before it has even started, such as via a coup or a domestic implosion. Yet, generally speaking, we can notice that, when it comes to the superpowers and their military and defense technology, it always ends up being matched by their enemy. One might even say that, today, the length of time for which total superiority lasts has shrunk. It is becoming rare for one side to maintain indefinite total superiority over the other.
The situation in Ukraine with its rules of engagement is probably the best answer to what a world war might look like. The reality is that nothing has changed and war will be a meat grinder in the worst possible sense. Once drones match drones, humanoids match humanoids, AI matches AI and quantum computing matches quantum computing, all technologies and their use will cancel each other out. Then, war will take its usual and ugly form of men killing men and trenches that look like the ones used in the First and Second World Wars, only with more powerful bullets. Thinking, as many of the public tend to believe, that robots and drones will do the fighting, just as apps allow food to be cooked and delivered for us, is complete delusion.
**Khaled Abou Zahr is the founder of SpaceQuest Ventures, a space-focused investment platform. He is the chief executive of EurabiaMedia and editor of Al-Watan Al-Arabi.

Popular Accountability Is the Alternative to this Tragic Reality!
Hanna Saleh/Asharq Al-Awsat/March 21/2024
Halfway through the sixth month of Hezbollah’s “distraction” war in support of Gaza, the time has come to unpack the push to embroil Lebanon in a destructive war. We have a right to raise questions about the death and destruction in the South and across the country, as well as the disregard of the Zionists’ predictable retaliation and its consequences. These are complex issues that demand serious popular accountability, because it sets the roadmap for emerging from this tragicomic state of affairs! The time has come to turn our backs on the obsolete and rigid rhetoric of incitement, as well as the unscrupulous accusations of collaboration and treason leveled at the devastated Lebanese for merely refusing to be dragged into a war to serve Iranian interests!
Major developments are unfolding in quick succession, and they demand our attention and scrutiny. With the fading hopes for a Ramadan truce, the road ahead in Gaza, Lebanon, and the region seems perilous. Two of these developments, both of which took place in Beirut, reinforce this view.
The first is the war council meeting that brought the Houthis and Hamas, and naturally, Hezbollah, their partner under whose auspices the meeting was held. This meeting was ignored by the remnants of the Lebanese authorities, who continue to offer the Lebanese people only acquiescence. The meeting is dangerous because it reflects the nonchalance with which Beirut has only been turned into a capital for the Iranian axis, reminiscent of its past as the capital of the Palestine Liberation Organization and its allies. We all know the repercussions of that episode, whose wounds have barely healed!
The second is the Nasrallah-Qaani meeting. According to Reuters, the former reassured the latter that "he does not want Iran to be dragged into a war with Israel or America, and that (Hezbollah) will fight alone"! Their private conversation was leaked in an effort to absolve the Iranian regime to prevent attacks on Iranian territory, as the regime does not want to give Israel an excuse to strike at Iranian nuclear facilities to disrupt it or at least hinder its nuclear program, or give Netanyahu an opportunity to improve his standing in the US... Accordingly, "the party" takes responsibility alone, leaving Lebanon, now a violated arena, to bear the consequences of a potentially destructive confrontation!
Is "distracting" the enemy, in support of Hamas and in response to what has happened in Gaza - where there is genocide, the population has been uprooted and is on the brink of famine, and its infrastructure is being systematically destroyed - worth turning the South scorched earth amid the multiple collapses underway in the country? Indeed, these actions have not protected a single life or left a roof intact. What gives the "Islamic Resistance" - the "Quds Brigade" to have the final say on the battlefield? How much longer will the denial of reality and the disastrous outcomes of the "distraction" war be overlooked? How much longer will Hezbollah boast that there will be no discussion of any changes on the Lebanese front before the Zionist barbaric war on Gaza ends? What if this war continues for several more months? Netanyahu is talking about a war of at least two more years. Can we imagine the state that Lebanon and the remaining Lebanese will find themselves in, especially when our future and fate are tied to the decisions of a war criminal like Netanyahu, who is well aware that the moment military operations slow down, he will be besieged by his rivals and citizens, who will hold him accountable?
All the propaganda boasting about the damages on the Israeli side (which includes genuine damage such as the displacement of settlers, disruption of jobs, physical destruction, and military and economic losses) is not enough to conceal the scale of the harm inflicted on the South, both its people and infrastructure.
Over 300 people have been killed, and hundreds have been injured. We have a mass migration of residents both south and north of the Litani River. The destruction that has devastated the border towns is ignored. They have been transforming them into what resembles a security belt the enemy has formed with fire. This belt stretches from Naqoura to the hills of Kfar Shouba, encompassing some 50 towns and villages.
It will likely be impossible for the majority to return even if military action were suspended. They have lost their homes and fields; the land is now littered with bombs, and the region and its groundwater have been polluted by phosphorus bombs, which have burned its olive groves, vineyards, and forests, decimated livestock, and destroyed the tobacco harvest for years. Additionally, tens of thousands of students were displaced, and the suffering economic implications extend beyond the South, as Lebanon’s financial, economic, and social collapses are exacerbating and no attempts are being made to even partially address them.
Nonetheless, the wedge that has emerged within Lebanese society because of Hezbollah may be the most terrifying ramification of these skirmishes. Hezbollah is making decisions on war and peace on its own, initiating a "mini-war" that has put Lebanon in a very tight spot. Its actions serve the Iranian agenda and the Tehran mullahs’ project to perpetuate their dominance! This wedge is evident from the fact that, in large swaths of the country, inhabitants have turned their backs on the ongoing war and its tragedies, clinging to a certain way of life to say that what Hezbollah is doing does not concern or represent us. Moreover, we are seeing more criticism from within Hezbollah’s strongholds, with its base beginning to question the utility of this war.
Hezbollah knows that its slogans - from supporting Gaza to "defending" Lebanon, "deterrence" and "rules of engagement" - have rung hollow. The Israelis have the initiative. They are expanding their targets, with many areas beyond the Litani River becoming dangerous for the military leadership. Hezbollah's ability to advance has thus been limited, due to security and intelligence vulnerability and its significantly weaker military capabilities and firepower.
The "distraction" has not been a real help to Gaza, while its repercussions on Lebanon have been horrific. They cannot be dispelled with claims that "the enemy’s society is showing signs of fatigue, and their army and politicians are tired..." Is Lebanese society rested and invigorated? This propaganda culminated with an appeal to the Americans to stop the war, as the American president "can stop the aggression on Gaza with a stroke of a pen"...! Meanwhile, the shortest path to save face, safeguard peoples' lives, and protect the country's interests is ending Hezbollah’s monopoly on decision-making and this adventure, and implementing UN resolutions without delay!