Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on March 23-24/2024
Elias Bejjani/ Text & Video/ Palm Sunday…The Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem
Again, a raid on Baalbek... martyrs and wounded
Israeli bombing of southern Lebanon... and Hezbollah targets two Iron Dome platforms
Israel destroys more homes... and Hezbollah launches an air attack on two Iron Dome platforms!
The Israeli army "allegedly" bombed a military building belonging to the "party"
The “Al Qawmi party reveals the details of Israel’s destruction of its “headquarters” in Kafr Kila
Hezbollah bombs Iron Dome...and this is a new Israeli attack
Lebanon says Israel disrupting navigation systems around airport
Lebanon detains suspected French drug dealer days after releasing him on bail
MP Mneimneh to LBCI: Military displays should not undermine internal unity or the exclusive control over weapons
Mikati expresses solidarity with Russia on Moscow terrorist attack
Lebanon condemns 'terrorist act' in Moscow attack
Lebanese army takes strict measures in Tripoli amid security incidents
Syrian minors in custody over alleged role in Al-Qassam Brigades member's assassination
South Lebanon displaced celebrate Ramadan amid fears border conflict may become the 'new normal'
Makhzoumi: We refuse to postpone the municipal & mayoral elections
Agriculture Minister: Lebanon's relation with Arab countries is one of brotherhood, any existing obstacles are being addressed
What Do You Do for a Living… Hezbollah Edition/Makram Rabah/Now Lebanon/March 23/2024

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on March 23-24/2024
Putin says gunmen in Moscow attack tried to escape to Ukraine, Kyiv denies involvement
US-backed Syrian force that defeated Daesh 5 years ago warns group still poses international threat
Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs: Perpetrators of the concert hall attack were foreigners
Polish PM "hopes" Moscow attack "will not be a pretext for escalating violence"
UN Security Council vote on new Gaza ceasefire text postponed to Monday: diplomats
Guterres: Global consensus that any ground incursion into Rafah will lead to humanitarian catastrophe
Israel denies Hamas report troops killed 19 in Gaza aid queue
Israel military signals extended operation at Gaza hospital
Hamas Health Ministry: 9 killed and dozens injured by Israeli fire while awaiting aid in Gaza
Russia detains 11 after 93 killed in concert hall attack claimed by IS
US jets strike storage facilities in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen

Titles For The Latest English LCCC  analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on March 23-24/2024
Biden Administration's Jitterbug with Iran's Regime ... When Crime Does Pay - Spectacularly/Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone Institute./March 23, 2024
Why Iranian Entrenchment in Southern Syria Worries Neighboring Countries/
Armenak Tokmajyan and Kheder Khaddour//Carnegie Middle East Center/March 21/2024
The only smart choice in dealing with our defunct devices is recycling/Ranvir S. Nayar/Arab News/March 23, 2024
Netanyahu’s Israel is fast losing its American friends/Yossi Mekelberg/Arab News/March 23, 2024
The invisible costs of ‘Fortress Europe’/Hafed Al-Ghwell/Arab News/March 23, 2024

Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on March 23-24/2024
Elias Bejjani/ Text & Video/ Palm Sunday…The Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/107794/elias-bejjani-jesus-victorious-entry-into-jerusalem-palm-sunday-2
March 24/2024

Again, a raid on Baalbek... martyrs and wounded
Al-Modon/March 23, 2024
Once again, Israeli warplanes target the Bekaa Governorate and the city of Baalbek specifically. A new raid with four missiles carried out by Israeli aircraft in the city at midnight on Saturday and Sunday, in response to Hezbollah targeting the Kfar Blum base with drones. This indicates an Israeli effort to establish new rules of engagement, which is to respond deep inside Lebanon and in the Bekaa Valley specifically whenever Hezbollah uses its drones and targets sites relatively far from the border, or the Golan. In detail, the Israeli warplanes targeted the “Al-Asira” area east of the city of Baalbek, and according to information, a house was targeted near the house of Hezbollah leader Hassan Al-Laqqis, who is one of the most prominent leaders in the party who worked on developing the party’s air and missile defense system, and who worked to extend... The work of drones owned by the party, and Lakkis was assassinated in the southern suburb of Beirut in a commando operation in December 2013. After the raid was carried out, ambulances rushed to the place where it was reported that a number of casualties had occurred. The Governor of Baalbek-Hermel, Bashir Khader, announced in a statement that: There is preliminary information about the fall of martyrs and wounded in the Israeli raid that targeted Baalbek. He said: “There is a continuation of Israeli aircraft flying over the airspace of Baalbek, and we ask citizens to be cautious and vigilant and not to approach the site of the raid.” Israeli warplanes continued to fly over the Bekaa Valley, penetrating The wall of sound over Shtaura and Rayak. “An Israeli MK reconnaissance aircraft flew over the Baalbek region at a low altitude throughout Saturday evening, and worked on a comprehensive survey of Baalbek Governorate.” Information also indicates that a squadron of Nahshon Oron drones continued to fly. For six straight hours in the Bekaa atmosphere. Following this raid, Hezbollah quickly responded by launching a series of missiles towards the occupied Shebaa Farms and areas near the Golan. Alarm sirens sounded in the Upper Galilee, while Israeli media reported that more than one rocket was fired towards what it described as “the northern regions.” .

Israeli bombing of southern Lebanon... and Hezbollah targets two Iron Dome platforms
Beirut: «Asharq Al-Awsat / March 23, 2024
The Lebanese Hezbollah announced in a statement, on Saturday, that it had targeted two Israeli Iron Dome platforms with two assault marches. The party said that its fighters “launched this afternoon an air attack with two attack drones on two Iron Dome platforms at the Kfar Blum air defense site, and hit their targets accurately.” The party indicated that it targeted the spy equipment at the radar site in Shebaa Farms with appropriate weapons, and hit it directly. For its part, the Israeli “Channel 13” reported that two marches took place in the Upper Galilee, without causing any casualties, according to what Al-Markazia reported. Earlier, the National News Agency reported that the outskirts of the towns of Aita al-Shaab and Ramiya were subjected to direct artillery shelling from enemy positions adjacent to the Blue Line in the central sector. The border areas in southern Lebanon have witnessed security tension and an exchange of fire between the Israeli army and members of the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon, since October 8, after Israel declared war on Gaza.

Israel destroys more homes... and Hezbollah launches an air attack on two Iron Dome platforms!
Hussein Saad/Janoubia/March 23, 2024
A wave of optimism prevails among the displaced and non-displaced people of the south, who hope that the Israeli aggression on Gaza will end and that it will make its way to the southern front, to alleviate their suffering and return to their towns and villages, which are being invaded daily by tens of tons of missiles that destroy homes, residences and shops. With every additional day of this war, the number of destroyed homes in the towns increases. Not a single day goes by without them being targeted by warplane missiles, turning some neighborhoods into a wide area of scattered stones, and other homes that have in turn become uninhabitable due to the destruction that befell parts of them. The border town of Aita al-Shaab, in the Bint Jbeil district, suffers a large share of barbaric attacks on a daily basis, as it does not provide centers for scouting, first aid and charitable societies, shops and institutions, which were the only source of livelihood for families, in addition to the income from tobacco seedlings planted more than ten years ago. Contracts in the town and its neighbours. In Aita al-Shaab, in particular, which provided 12 martyrs of its own, as part of the support and support operations for Gaza, there is no accurate count yet of the number of homes and residential units completely destroyed, but all preliminary statistical information, according to a number of local officials in the town, It talks about the destruction of nearly ninety homes, in addition to gas stations, and the damage to hundreds of homes and commercial establishments, including today the destruction of the “Amal” movement’s office in the town, the headquarters of the Islamic Message Scouts Association, and the Aita al-Shaab Charitable Association. The situation in the border town of Kafr Kila was not much different from its neighbors in Mays al-Jabal, Houla, Aitaroun, Al-Adisa, and others. Enemy aircraft destroyed dozens of homes in the town, including a number of homes and an office for the Syrian Social Nationalist Party. They also destroyed other homes in Khiam and Naqoura. For its part, Hezbollah, whose number of martyrs exceeded 240, responded today to the Israeli air attacks, with an air attack on the Kafr Blum air defense site, targeting with two attack drones two platforms for the Iron Dome at the aforementioned site, as well as attacking enemy positions in Al-Malikiyah, Bayad Blida, Radar, Ruwaisat Al-Alam, Ramim Barracks, with missile and appropriate weapons, speaking of achieving direct hits.

The Israeli army "allegedly" bombed a military building belonging to the "party"
Al-Kalima Online/March 23, 2024
Israeli army spokesman Avichai Adraee wrote in a post on his account on the “X” platform: “A short while ago, an IDF force belonging to Unit 869, using a drone, spotted an element entering a Hezbollah military building in the village of Kila in southern Lebanon. Accordingly, IDF warplanes bombed it.” The atmosphere of the aforementioned building.” He added, “In the Naqoura and Aita al-Shaab regions, combat helicopters raided military buildings belonging to Hezbollah, while another bombing operation in the Khiam area targeted a monitoring site for the organization.” Adraee continued, “On the other hand, during the daytime hours today, several shelling operations were observed from Lebanese territory toward “The areas of Har Dov (Mount Ross), Margaliot, and Shomera. Also this afternoon, a report was reported that the wreckage of an aircraft was found in two locations in the Kfar Kila Plum area. There were no casualties.”

The “Al Qawmi party reveals the details of Israel’s destruction of its “headquarters” in Kafr Kila
Al-Kalima Online/March 23, 2024
The Dean of Media in the Syrian Social Nationalist Party, Maan Hamiyah, announced that the Zionist enemy bombed the office of the Kafr Kila Directorate in the National Socialist Party and destroyed it completely, without causing casualties. Hamiya pointed out that the persistent Zionist aggression against the regions of southern Lebanon will increase the steadfastness and rootedness of the people of these regions in their land, and will increase the resistance forces’ determination to confront the aggression and liberate the Shebaa Farms and the Kafr Shuba hills.

Hezbollah bombs Iron Dome...and this is a new Israeli attack
Al-Kalima Online/March 23, 2024
The Islamic Resistance issued a series of statements regarding operations carried out “in support of the steadfast Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and in support of their valiant and honorable resistance.”
- At 4:50 pm on Saturday 03/23/2024, the Mujahideen of the Islamic Resistance targeted the Ruwaisat Al-Alam site in the occupied Lebanese hills of Kfar Shuba with artillery shells and hit it directly.
- At 01:15 pm on Saturday 03/23/2024, the Mujahideen of the Islamic Resistance targeted the Bayad Blida site with appropriate weapons and hit it directly.
- At 01:10 pm on Saturday 03/23/2024, the Mujahideen of the Islamic Resistance targeted the spy equipment at the radar site in the occupied Lebanese Shebaa Farms with appropriate weapons and hit it directly.
- At 12:20 noon on Saturday 03/23/2024, the Mujahideen of the Islamic Resistance launched an air attack with two attack drones on two Iron Dome platforms at the Kfar Blum air defense site and hit their targets accurately.
- At 12:00 noon on Saturday 03/23/2024, the Mujahideen of the Islamic Resistance targeted the Ramim barracks with artillery shells.
Enemy attacks
Al-Manar reported that enemy warplanes launched an air strike with missiles targeting a house in the town of Naqoura, without causing any casualties. The enemy warplanes also launched two raids on the town of Aita al-Shaab. In turn, Al-Mayadeen reported that Israeli artillery shelling targeted the outskirts of the town of Yaron. The Israeli enemy targeted the town of Khiam, and one of the buildings in the public square in the town of Kafr Kila, without recording any casualties. Later, the Dean of Media in the Syrian Social Nationalist Party, Maan Hamiyah, announced that the Zionist enemy bombed the office of the Kafr Kila Directorate in the National Socialist Party and destroyed it completely, without causing casualties. Hamiya pointed out that the persistent Zionist aggression against the regions of southern Lebanon will increase the steadfastness and rootedness of the people of these regions in their land, and will increase the resistance forces’ determination to confront the aggression and liberate the Shebaa Farms and the Kfarshouba hills. Al-Manar reported that enemy artillery shelling targeted the Jabal Sadana area in the Arqoub Heights. Earlier, the enemy targeted Wadi Saluki with artillery shells.

Lebanon says Israel disrupting navigation systems around airport
Agence France Presse/March 23/2024
Lebanon will lodge a complaint against Israel at the U.N. Security Council accusing it of disrupting navigation systems and civil aviation around Beirut airport, the Foreign Ministry said on Friday. Since the Gaza war erupted in October, Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah, a Hamas ally, has been exchanging near-daily cross-border fire with the Israeli army. Lebanon will "submit an urgent complaint to the U.N. Security Council about Israel... disrupting navigation systems and civil aviation safety" in the skies around Beirut airport since the start of the Gaza war, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on the official NNA news agency. The ministry statement condemned "Israel's deliberate policy of jamming air and ground navigation systems, and deliberately disrupting devices receiving and transmitting signals."
It did not provide further details of the disruption. On January 7, the departures and arrivals screens at Beirut airport came under cyberattack, with media airing footage showing anti-Hezbollah messages displayed instead and baggage conveyor belts that had ground to a halt. Those behind the airport hack have yet to be unmasked, with caretaker Public Works and Transportation Minister Ali Hamieh admitting Lebanon lacks cybersecurity expertise. Since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October, at least 323 people, mainly Hezbollah fighters but also 56 civilians, have been killed in Lebanon, according to an AFP tally.
In Israel, at least 10 soldiers and seven civilians have been killed in the cross-border exchanges according to the Israeli army.

Lebanon detains suspected French drug dealer days after releasing him on bail
Associated Press/March 23/2024
Lebanese authorities have detained a suspected French drug dealer a few days after releasing him on bail, judicial officials said. The officials said members of Lebanon's General Security Directorate detained Abdel Karim Touil at the request of the country's prosecutor general and he was being held at the Justice Palace in Beirut. Officials refused to give any details on whether Touil has a lawyer in Lebanon. The three officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations, said the man could be handed over to France, which is expected to send an official extradition request to Lebanese authorities. The officials said a meeting is expected soon between French and Lebanese judicial officials in order to hand him over. Touil was taken into custody at Beirut's Rafik Hariri International Airport on Sunday and authorities confiscated his French and Algerian passports before releasing him three days later on bail. His passports remained with authorities after his brief release to make sure he did not leave the country, the officials said. In August, Lebanon handed over to Italy a suspected Italian drug dealer a month after he was detained in Beirut.

MP Mneimneh to LBCI: Military displays should not undermine internal unity or the exclusive control over weapons
LBCI/March 23/2024
MP Ibrahim Mneimneh stated that the reason for rejecting the sudden appearance of weapons in Beirut was because, despite their connection to supporting the Palestinian cause and showing sympathy towards the Palestinian people, these military displays should never jeopardize the unity within the country or the state's control over weapons. Mneimneh said on LBCI's "Nharkom Said" TV show, "When we witness such arms display on the streets of Beirut, it indicates that we are heading towards a larger development on this issue, and for this reason, we raised our voices to say that we 'do not want weapons in Beirut.'"
He emphasized that all political forces, especially Hezbollah, must return to the state, noting that the discussion on this matter is postponed until the end of the war and Israeli attacks. Mneimneh stated, "Our priority is national unity and cohesion, and we must responsibly move together towards confining the decision of peace and war to the state and confining arms within it." Regarding the Beirut Port explosion, he mentioned that there are positive indications that the judicial investigator in the case, Judge Tarek Bitar, will return to continue his work. He noted that what the Lebanese people want most is justice, not compensation. He considered the investigations to be crucial and determining factors in determining whether we will achieve a state governed by justice or not. He stressed that "it is our duty as Lebanese to stand behind the families of the explosion's victims and assist them until the complete truth is reached." Regarding the presidential elections, Mneimneh pointed out that the elections are still subject to external axes, leaning towards proceeding with the "third option." He said, "The future president must have a vision focused on reforming the country, and we will oppose him if he does not adhere to this reformist approach."

Mikati expresses solidarity with Russia on Moscow terrorist attack
LBCI/March 23/2024
Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati condemned the terrorist act that targeted Moscow on Friday, resulting in dozens of casualties. In a telegram addressed to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Mikati stated: "Lebanon strongly condemns the terrorist act that occurred last night in the capital Moscow, leading to the fall of dozens of innocent victims, both dead and injured." The telegram added: "Lebanon expresses its full solidarity with the Russian Federation and reaffirms its absolute rejection and complete condemnation of all forms of violence, extremism, and terrorism." It continued, ''On behalf of myself and the Lebanese government, we extend our deepest condolences to Your Excellency, the friendly Russian people, and the families of the victims, and we wish the injured a speedy recovery."

Lebanon condemns 'terrorist act' in Moscow attack
LBCI/March 23/2024
Lebanon's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants condemned what it described as the "terrorist act" that targeted a concert hall near Moscow, Russia. This attack resulted in the deaths of dozens of innocent victims and a large number of injuries. The Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a statement, "Lebanon reaffirms its solidarity with the Russian Federation and its absolute rejection and condemnation of this criminal act." "Lebanon emphasizes the importance of bringing the perpetrators to justice and ensuring fair punishment so they can serve as a deterrent to others," it added.

Lebanese army takes strict measures in Tripoli amid security incidents
LBCI/March 23/2024
A source confirmed to the Nidaa Al-Watan newspaper that "since the beginning of security incidents in Tripoli, the Lebanese army has taken strict measures around the clock, day and night, and numerous arrests have been made to prevent further deterioration." This article was originally published in and translated from Lebanese newspaper Nidaa Al-Watan. The source indicated that the army is working tirelessly to control the security situation and prevent events from escalating and recurring. The source also pointed out that "matters are still under control, as evidenced by the fact that nine crimes have occurred, and the army has managed to swiftly arrest the perpetrators, preventing the situation from deteriorating further."

Syrian minors in custody over alleged role in Al-Qassam Brigades member's assassination
LBCI/March 23/2024
Lebanese security sources revealed that two Syrian minors are now in the custody of the Lebanese Army Intelligence after being handed over by Palestinian factions. They are being interrogated for their involvement in the assassination of Al-Qassam Brigades' member, Hadi Mostafa.
This article was originally published in and translated from the Arab outlet Asharq Al-Awsat. The sources told the Asharq al-Awsat newspaper that preliminary information suggests they planted a tracking device in the car of the Al-Qassam Brigades' member, facilitating his assassination by an Israeli drone.

South Lebanon displaced celebrate Ramadan amid fears border conflict may become the 'new normal'
Naharnet/March 23/2024
Shortly before sunset on a recent evening, Mervat Reslan and a group of other women made french fries in vats of boiling oil to serve with that night's iftar — the meal that breaks the daily fasts Muslims observe during the holy month of Ramadan. They belong to roughly 60 families who have been sheltering at an abandoned hotel in the southern Lebanon town of Marwanieh to escape the shelling and airstrikes that have made it too dangerous to stay in their homes in the country's border region with Israel. Although they've become a family of sorts to one another, many long to return home.
"Especially during Ramadan, you start thinking that your house is better — that you and your family all used to gather together, your children and their children, your in-laws and neighbors. And now you're sitting by yourself in a room," said Reslan. Those living at the Hotel Montana, which went out of business in 2005, are among an estimated 90,000 people from southern Lebanon who have been displaced by the near-daily clashes between Hezbollah and Israeli forces. Another 60,000 Lebanese civilians have decided to stay in the border zone and risk the danger, according to a United Nations agency.
The border clashes began with a few Hezbollah rockets fired across the frontier on Oct. 8, the day after Hamas' deadly incursion into southern Israel and Israel's ensuing bombardment of the Gaza Strip. They quickly escalated to near-daily exchanges of rockets, shelling and airstrikes across the border and sometimes beyond. Israeli strikes have killed more than 300 people in Lebanon. Most were militants from Hezbollah or allied groups, but more than 40 were civilians. Hezbollah strikes, meanwhile, have killed at least eight Israeli civilians and 11 soldiers, and displaced tens of thousands on that side of the border.
The cross-border attacks seem unlikely to end before a cease-fire is reached in Gaza — and possibly not even then. The prolonged state of limited conflict has left Lebanon, and particularly the displaced families, in limbo. School, work and farming in Lebanon's border region have been put on hold. For a while, many hoped that a cease-fire would coincide with the start of Ramadan, but half of the holy month has passed without clear prospects for a solution.
Most of the displaced Lebanese have moved in with relatives or found shelter in vacant houses or rooms offered up by residents farther north. Those with the means have relocated to their second homes or rented apartments.
Shelters like the Hotel Montana are a last resort.
"A person can deal with 10, 15, 20 days, a month (of displacement), but we're now entering the sixth month and it looks like it will go on longer," said Ali Mattar, who heads the union of municipalities for the Sahel al-Zahrani region, which includes Marwanieh.
The cash-strapped municipalities have been given much of the responsibility for dealing with the displacement, a task made more difficult by the four years of economic crisis the country has faced. The Lebanese government has promised to compensate residents of the south whose homes have been damaged or destroyed. But the funding hasn't been secured, said Maj. Gen. Mohammad Kheir, who heads the country's Higher Relief Committee. A comprehensive survey hasn't been conducted to assess how many houses are damaged, though it is "in the thousands," he said. Hezbollah has been providing monthly payments to many of the displaced families, an official with knowledge of the situation said. The official, who was not allowed to brief journalists and spoke on condition of anonymity, did not give a precise amount, saying it depends on a family's size and needs. Local and international nongovernmental organizations and religious charities have taken up much of the slack, but their resources are also strained. At the Hotel Montana, for instance, the Red Cross provides diesel to run a generator, but it can only be run for two hours in the morning and five in the evening because the supply is limited, said Salam Badreddine, who oversees disaster management for the union of municipalities.
The U.S. and France, among other countries, have engaged in diplomatic missions to try to prevent the border conflict from escalating into full-scale war. But even if they succeed, some fear that a continuous state of low-level conflict could become the new normal.
"I think the risk of an all-out war still exists, and I would argue that it's high," said Emile Hokayem, director of regional security at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a London-based think tank. But there is also a potential for a long-term simmering conflict that would "exhaust" the struggling Lebanese economy and society, he said. "What I worry about is this ability to rationalize levels of violence and adjust to them, and (to think that) as long as we've avoided the big one, we're fine," he said. Reslan said her family was briefly displaced during the brutal monthlong war between Hezbollah and Israel in 2006, but this time feels different. Shelling has already damaged her family's house, and she is afraid that the extended displacement will become permanent.
"We're afraid — not of Israel but that we won't return to our houses and villages. That's the only thing we're afraid of," she said. Mohammed Issa, a construction worker and farmer, fled the village of Aitaroun with his wife and three children on Oct. 8, when shells began falling next to his house. They stayed for two months with another family before moving to the Hotel Montana. Now he's counting the days until they can go home. "If there's a cease-fire, we'll be on the highway and at our house within an hour," he said. When displaced families do finally return home, they could face the grim reality of damaged homes, burned fields and a lack of resources to help, said Jasmin Lilian Diab, director of the Institute for Migration Studies at the Lebanese American University. "It is not so much a conversation of whether or not they will eventually be able to go back, but what are they going back to," she said.

Makhzoumi: We refuse to postpone the municipal & mayoral elections
NNA/March 23/2024
MP Fouad Makhzoumi wrote Saturday on platform “X”: “We refuse to postpone the municipal and mayoral elections and extend the current councils for any reason whatsoever...As for the southern villages that are subjected to repeated Israeli attacks, the elections there them can be postponed until a later time.”In this context, Makhzoumi reiterated the necessity of implementing the “mega center” and adopting the “magnetic electronic card”, especially following the Interior and Municipalities Minister’s confirmation that his ministry is ready to hold the elections on time. “Accordingly, we insist on the need for the government to assume its responsibilities and facilitate the completion of this entitlement because of its impact on the order of the state and its institutions and the management of people’s daily affairs in light of the difficult circumstances our country is going through,” the MP underscored.

Agriculture Minister: Lebanon's relation with Arab countries is one of brotherhood, any existing obstacles are being addressed
NNA/March 23/2024
Caretaker Agriculture Minister, Abbas Hajj Hassan, said that “the relationship between Lebanon and the rest of the Arab countries is one of brotherhood."He added that "any existing obstacles are being overcome through discussions underway between technicians at the ministry and the economic sectors in regard to this dossier.”Hajj Hassan also indicated that the Egyptian side will be opening the doors to imports from Lebanon in the summer, especially apples, almonds, and other products. His words came during a tour today in the region of Akkar to assess the plain's seasonal produce, especially the potato season. He reiterated the decisions previously taken by the Agriculture Ministry regarding the import of Egyptian potatoes in terms of mechanisms and the agricultural calendar between Lebanon and Egypt, in wake of demands from farmers about determining the quantities of potatoes imported from Egypt. The minister promised the farmers to address this issue with the Egyptian side, commending Egypt’s positive response.

What Do You Do for a Living… Hezbollah Edition
Makram Rabah/Now Lebanon/March 23/2024
Monday afternoon, news broke that Wafiq Safa, head of Hezbollah’s Liaison and Coordination Unit, was aboard a private jet heading to the United Arab Emirates. The purpose: to secure the release of Hezbollah members sentenced by UAE courts for terrorism. Analysts and the public alike were skeptical about the declared purpose of this trip, speculating that Iran and Hezbollah were attempting to establish back channels with Israel. This comes as Iran’s Lebanese proxy realizes that Israel is in the final stages of planning a full-scale assault against Hezbollah—a tragic scenario that could mark the end of Lebanon
To be honest, deciphering Safa’s UAE trip is not my primary concern, nor am I inclined to offer much respect or analysis to someone who has threatened Judge Tarek Bitar, the judicial investigator of the Beirut port explosion. However, what caught my attention is the fact that Safa was visiting a country which he and his Iranian-backed organization have consistently sought to undermine through verbal attacks, security plots, and the export of millions of dollars’ worth of drugs into a country with zero tolerance for narcotics. This has led the UAE to place Lebanon under an unofficial embargo.
I humorlessly pondered what Wafiq Safa would do if stopped by one of Dubai’s famous influencers or TikTokers, who often ask, “What do you do for a living?” Perhaps Hajj Wafiq might find himself at a loss for words. He could simply say he is “a hajj or a prince and does not have to work,” or he might read from the US Treasury List of sanctions that he “facilitates the passage of items, including illegal drugs and weapons, into the port of Beirut, Lebanon.”
Regardless, it is certain that Safa and the militia he represents, due to the brevity and urgency of their visit, will miss the opportunity to explore the United Arab Emirates and witness the colossal business and technology ventures that have transformed these young Arab Gulf islands from a desert into an oasis of progress and innovation. Meanwhile, Hajj Wafiq and what he stands for have, with the complicity of the Lebanese political establishment, succeeded only in turning Lebanon from a beacon of enlightenment into a narco-state trying to escape an ominous fate.
Enjoy your trip, Hajj.
***Makram Rabah is the managing editor at Now Lebanon and a lecturer at the American University of Beirut, Department of History. His book Conflict on Mount Lebanon: The Druze, the Maronites and Collective Memory (Edinburgh University Press) cover collective identities and the Lebanese Civil War. He tweets at @makramrabah.

Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on March 23-24/2024
Putin says gunmen in Moscow attack tried to escape to Ukraine, Kyiv denies involvement
REUTERS/March 23, 2024
MOSCOW: Russian authorities arrested the four people suspected of taking part in the attack on a suburban Moscow concert hall that killed at least 133 people and believe they were headed to Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin said Saturday during an address to the nation.
Kyiv, meanwhile, strongly denied any involvement in Friday’s attack on the Crocus City Hall music venue in Krasnogorsk, which the Daesh group’s affiliate in Afghanistan claimed responsibility for in a statement posted on social media channels linked to the group. Kyiv accused Putin and other Russian politicians of falsely linking Ukraine to the assault in order to stoke fervor in Russia’s war in Ukraine, which recently entered its third year. A US intelligence official told The Associated Press that US agencies had confirmed that IS was responsible for the attack. Putin said authorities have detained a total of 11 people in the attack, which also injured scores of concertgoers and left the venue a smoldering ruin. He called it “a bloody, barbaric terrorist act” and said Russian authorities captured the four suspected gunmen as they were trying to escape to Ukraine through a “window” prepared for them on the Ukrainian side of the border.
Putin also said that additional security measures have been imposed throughout Russia, and he declared Sunday to be a day of mourning. Investigators on Saturday were combing through the charred wreckage of the hall for more victims, and the authorities said the death toll could still rise. Hundreds of people stood in line in Moscow early Saturday to donate blood and plasma, Russia’s health ministry said. “We faced not just a thoroughly and cynically prepared terror attack, but a well-prepared and organized mass murder of peaceful innocent people,” Putin said.
The attack, which was the deadliest in Russia in years, came just days after Putin cemented his grip on power in a highly orchestrated electoral landslide and as the war in Ukraine drags on. Some Russian lawmakers pointed the finger at Ukraine immediately after the attack. But Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, denied any involvement. “Ukraine has never resorted to the use of terrorist methods,” he posted on X. “Everything in this war will be decided only on the battlefield.” Ukraine’s foreign ministry accused Moscow of using the attack to try to stoke fervor for its war efforts.
“We consider such accusations to be a planned provocation by the Kremlin to further fuel anti-Ukrainian hysteria in Russian society, create conditions for increased mobilization of Russian citizens to participate in the criminal aggression against our country and discredit Ukraine in the eyes of the international community,” the ministry said in a statement. Images shared by Russian state media Saturday showed a fleet of emergency vehicles still gathered outside the ruins of Crocus City Hall, which could hold more than 6,000 people and has hosted many big events, including the 2013 Miss Universe beauty pageant that featured Donald Trump and other VIPs. Videos posted online showed gunmen in the venue shooting civilians at point-blank range. Russian news reports cited authorities and witnesses as saying the attackers threw explosive devices that started the fire. The roof of the theater, where crowds had gathered for a performance by the Russian rock band Picnic, collapsed early Saturday as firefighters spent hours fighting the blaze. In a statement posted by its Aamaq news agency, the IS’s Afghanistan affiliate said it had attacked a large gathering of “Christians” in Krasnogorsk. A US intelligence official told the AP that American intelligence agencies had gathered information in recent weeks that the IS branch was planning an attack in Moscow, and that US officials had privately shared the intelligence earlier this month with Russian officials. The official was briefed on the matter but was not authorized to publicly discuss the intelligence information and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. Messages of outrage, shock and support for the victims and their families have streamed in from around the world. On Friday, the UN Security Council condemned “the heinous and cowardly terrorist attack” and underlined the need for the perpetrators to be held accountable. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also condemned the terrorist attack “in the strongest possible terms,” his spokesman said. Putin, who extended his grip on Russia for another six years in this week’s presidential vote after a sweeping crackdown on dissent, had publicly denounced the Western warnings of a potential terrorist attack as an attempt to intimidate Russians. “All that resembles open blackmail and an attempt to frighten and destabilize our society,” he said earlier this week. In October 2015, a bomb planted by IS downed a Russian passenger plane over Sinai, killing all 224 people on board, most of them Russian vacation-goers returning from Egypt. The group, which operates mainly in Syria and Iraq but also in Afghanistan and Africa, also has claimed several attacks in Russia’s volatile Caucasus and other regions in the past years. It recruited fighters from Russia and other parts of the former Soviet Union.

US-backed Syrian force that defeated Daesh 5 years ago warns group still poses international threat
AP/March 23, 2024
BEIRUT: The US-backed force that defeated the Daesh group in Syria five years ago warned Saturday that the extremists still pose grave dangers throughout the world and called on the international community to find solutions for thousands of fighters still held in its jails. The statement by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces to mark the fifth anniversary since Daesh lost the last sliver of its self-declared caliphate came hours after the group claimed responsibility for Friday’s attack in Moscow that left 133 people dead. On March 23, 2019, SDF fighters captured the eastern Syrian village of Baghouz marking the end of the extremist group’s caliphate that was carved out of large parts of Syria and Iraq. During its rule, Daesh brutalized millions of people and attracted thousands of men and women from around the world to join it ranks. “The liberation of Baghouz marked a pivotal moment. Our forces freed millions from the organization’s terror, safeguarding not only our region but the world from its barbarity,” the SDF said. Despite its defeat, Daesh sleeper cells and its affiliates in Asia and Africa still claim deadly attacks as well as in Syria and neighboring Iraq where the extremists were defeated in 2017. “The terrorist organization still poses a great danger to our regions and the world,” the SDF said, adding that “it seeks to rebuild itself through its sleeper cells and tries to revive its dreams of regaining geographical control over some areas.”The SDF said that in order to completely eradicate Daesh it must dismantle “its ideological breeding ground.”The SDF is holding some 10,000 captured Daesh fighters in northeast Syria in around two dozen detention facilities — including 2,000 foreigners whose home countries have refused to repatriate them. US-backed Kurdish fighters also oversee some 45,000 family members of Daesh fighters, mostly women and children in the sprawling Al-Hol camp. The camp once had a population of 73,000 but dropped as some countries have been repatriating their citizens. Many of the women and children remain die-hard Daesh supporters, and the camp has seen bouts of militant violence. In February, the SDF concluded a dayslong security operation at Al-Hol during which they detained 85 people, captured weapons and freed a Yazidi woman who was raped and forced to marry Daesh fighters. “The issue of Daesh detainees requires a global solution,” the SDF said, using a term to refer to Daesh. It added that their home countries should repatriate their nationals, or an international court established in northeast Syria where they can stand trial. The SDF said that ending the case of Daesh families at Al-Hol camp “is a priority that cannot be overlooked or ignored, as the camp is still a ticking time bomb.” “Concerns are growing about the children of Daesh who are receiving the organization’s teachings within this terrorist-infested environment,” it said. “This in itself poses a threat to the future of the region and the world,” the SDF said.

Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs: Perpetrators of the concert hall attack were foreigners
Reuters./March 23, 2024
Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs said on Saturday that the four suspected militants arrested after the deadly attack on a concert hall near Moscow were all foreign citizens. Moscow announced the arrest of the four gunmen, and President Vladimir Putin pledged to track down and punish those responsible for the attack.

Polish PM "hopes" Moscow attack "will not be a pretext for escalating violence"
AFP./March 23, 2024
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk condemned the "brutal" attack targeting a concert hall in a Moscow suburb, which resulted in the death of at least 133 people, expressing his hope that it would not become a "pretext" for escalating violence. Speaking on the "X" platform, he said, "Poland strongly condemns the brutal attack (...) We all mourn for the families of the victims. We hope that this tragedy will not be used as a pretext by anyone to escalate violence and aggression."

UN secretary-general ‘deeply troubled’ by situation in Rafah
NADIA AL FAOUR/Arab News/March 23, 2024
RAFAH: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres visited Egypt’s border with the Gazan city of Rafah on Saturday to reiterate pleas for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. His visit comes after the UN Security Council’s failure to pass a resolution to halt the Israeli offensive on Gaza, which is now entering its sixth month with a death toll nearing 32,000. Speaking at the border, he urged the world to remind Gazans they are not alone. “I am deeply troubled to know during this holy month of Ramadan that there are those who will not be able to have a proper iftar,” Guterres said. He added that it is “a moral outrage” that there are thousands of aid trucks parked on the Egyptian side of the border awaiting access, while people in Gaza are facing starvation. “While nothing justifies the actions of October 7, nothing justifies the collective punishment of the Palestinian people,” Guterres said. “There are hardships, houses demolished, entire families and generations wiped out, while hunger stalks the population.”  He urged people to “stand on the right side of history,” adding, “It is time to silence the guns. We need a ceasefire. I will not give up. We should not give up, for the sake of humanity.” Guterres also called for funding and support of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.  Prior to his press conference at the crossing, the secretary-general was received by Sinai governor Mohamad Shusha at El-Arish airport. Shusha said that some 7,000 trucks are currently waiting in North Sinai to deliver aid to Gaza, but that inspection procedures demanded by Israel have held up the flow of aid. Guterres also visited Palestinian evacuees from Gaza receiving treatment at Arish General Hospital in Sinai and said he was “moved” by their spirit.

UN Security Council vote on new Gaza ceasefire text postponed to Monday: diplomats
AFP/March 23, 2024
UNITED NATIONS, United States: A vote at the UN Security Council on a new text calling for an “immediate” ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war was postponed to Monday, diplomatic sources said, after a separate, US-lead draft resolution was vetoed. The United States, Israel’s main ally and military backer, had put forward a resolution mentioning “the imperative of an immediate and sustained ceasefire” and condemning the October 7 attack by Hamas. Russia and China on Friday vetoed that resolution, which was also opposed by Arab states for stopping short of explicitly demanding Israel immediately end its campaign in Gaza. The new ceasefire text was meant to go to a vote on Saturday, but was pushed back to allow further discussions, the diplomatic sources said. The new, tougher draft resolution, seen by AFP, “demands an immediate ceasefire” for the ongoing Muslim holy month of Ramadan that leads “to a permanent sustainable ceasefire” respected by all sides. Eight of the council’s 10 non-permanent members have been working on the draft, which also calls for the “immediate and unconditional” release of hostages seized by Hamas and the lifting of “all barriers” to humanitarian aid flowing into the besieged Gaza Strip. “We as (the) Arab Group unanimously endorse and support the draft resolution,” said Palestinian ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour, who had denounced the US-led text as biased. But US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield indicated opposition, saying the resolution would jeopardize ongoing diplomatic efforts to secure the release of hostages — the same reason the United States gave before vetoing previous ceasefire resolutions. “In its current form, that text fails to support sensitive diplomacy in the region. Worse, it could actually give Hamas an excuse to walk away from the deal on the table,” she said. Friday’s text did not explicitly use the word “call,” but simply stated that a ceasefire was imperative, and linked to ongoing talks, led by Qatar with support from the United States and Egypt, to halt fighting in return for Hamas releasing hostages. “If the US is serious about a ceasefire, then please vote in favor of the other draft resolution, clearly calling for a ceasefire,” China’s representative, Zhang Jun, said. More than 1,160 people, mostly civilians, died on October 7 when Hamas militants infiltrated Israel in the country’s deadliest attack, according to Israeli official figures. Israel has vowed to eradicate Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip. More than 32,000 people, mostly civilians, have died in the retaliatory campaign, according to the Gaza health ministry, and the United Nations has warned of imminent famine in the territory.

Guterres: Global consensus that any ground incursion into Rafah will lead to humanitarian catastrophe
Reuters./March 23, 2024
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Saturday that there is a clear international consensus that any ground attack on the city of Rafah in southern Gaza would result in a humanitarian catastrophe.
His remarks came during a press conference at the Egyptian El Arish Airport near the Rafah border crossing with Gaza after Israel reiterated its threat to launch a major military operation in Rafah, which is crowded with displaced persons, five months after the outbreak of the war.

Israel denies Hamas report troops killed 19 in Gaza aid queue
AFP/March 23, 2024
GAZA STRIP, Palestinian Territories: The Hamas-run government in Gaza said Israeli fire killed 19 people as they were waiting at an aid distribution point on Saturday, a charge Israel denied. The deaths if confirmed would be the latest in a series of cases of Gazan civilians being killed while seeking desperately needed relief supplies. The Hamas government media office said 19 people were killed and 23 wounded. The health ministry said: “they were waiting for aid trucks at the Kuwait roundabout” when they were hit by “Israeli occupation army tank fire and shells.” The Israeli army denied it had fired on the crowd.
“The reports claiming that the (Israeli military) attacked dozens of Gazans at an aid convoy are incorrect,” an army statement said. “Preliminary findings have determined that there was no aerial strike against the convoy, nor were there incidents found of (Israeli) forces firing at the people at the aid convoy.”
AFPTV footage showed bloodied Gazans arriving at the crowded compound of Al-Ahli hospital, at least one of them transported by donkey cart. Gaza City resident Wael Al-Mamlouk appealed to Arab governments to intervene to prevent what he described as Israeli abuses.
“Where are the Arabs? Where is the Arab nation? Enough with this injustice,” he said. Mahmud Basal, spokesman for the civil defense department in Gaza, said there had been “heavy shooting at civilians” and victims had been transported to a nearby hospital. “There were very serious injuries, some of whom were injured by shrapnel. The reality is tragic, difficult and challenging,” he said. Half of Gazans are experiencing “catastrophic” hunger, with famine projected to hit the north of the territory by May unless there is urgent intervention, a United Nations-backed food assessment warned Monday.
With aid agencies reporting huge difficulties gaining access to Gaza, particularly the north, the UN has warned for weeks that a famine is looming. But aid distribution has become increasingly dangerous and sometimes lethal. On March 15, Gaza’s health ministry said Israeli fire killed 20 people and wounded 155 waiting to receive aid, also at Kuwait roundabout, an account that Israel rejected as “erroneous.” The Israeli military said: “armed Palestinians” had opened fire as Gazans awaited the arrival of aid trucks, then “continued to shoot as the crowd of Gazans began looting the trucks.”
On February 29, also in north Gaza, the health ministry said more than 100 Gazans were killed when Israeli troops opened fire on people scrambling for food from a convoy. The Israeli army said its initial investigation found troops “fired precisely” at suspects who approached them and posed a threat.
Just over a month earlier, in late January, the health ministry said Israeli forces killed 20 people waiting for humanitarian aid to be distributed, again at the Kuwait roundabout. The Israeli military said at the time it was looking into the reported deaths.

Israel military signals extended operation at Gaza hospital
AFP/March 23, 2024
JERUSALEM: A top Israeli commander has said troops will continue their operation at Gaza’s largest hospital Al-Shifa until the last militant is “in their hands.” Israeli forces launched the operation in and around Al-Shifa hospital on Monday, saying senior Hamas operatives were based at the sprawling compound. Days of heavy fighting have followed, with the military reporting about 170 Palestinian militants killed and hundreds more arrested or questioned. “We are continuing with this operation,” Southern Command chief Major General Yaron Finkelman said in comments released on Saturday.
“We will finish this operation only when the last terrorist is in our hands — alive or dead,” he added, following a Friday visit to Shifa. The military said the sick and wounded at the complex in Gaza City had been moved to a “designated compound” in the hospital. In video footage released by the army, soldiers unload supplies at the hospital and assemble what appears to be a hospital ward with a row of beds and IV stands. About two tons of food and three tons of water were brought in, along with the medical equipment, the army said.

Hamas Health Ministry: 9 killed and dozens injured by Israeli fire while awaiting aid in Gaza
AFP./March 23, 2024
The Hamas Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip said on Saturday that nine people were killed and dozens injured when the Israeli army opened fire on them while waiting for aid trucks south of Gaza City. The ministry said in a statement, "At least nine martyrs and dozens injured by the fire and shells of Israeli occupation army tanks as they were waiting for aid trucks at Kuwait roundabout," adding that the victims "were transferred to Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza."

Russia detains 11 after 93 killed in concert hall attack claimed by IS
Associated Press/Agence France Presse./March 23, 2024
Eleven people have been detained after gunmen stormed a concert hall in Moscow and opened fire on the crowd, the head of Russia's Federal Security Service told President Vladimir Putin on Saturday, according to Russian state news agency Tass.
At least three children were among the 93 people killed, Russian authorities said Saturday. Images shared by Russian state media Saturday showed a fleet of emergency vehicles still gathered outside the ruins of Crocus City Hall, a shopping mall and music venue with a capacity of more than 6,000 people in Krasnogorsk, on Moscow's western edge,
Friday's attack came just days after President Vladimir Putin cemented his grip on power in a highly orchestrated electoral landslide. The attack was the deadliest in Russia in years and came as the country's fight in Ukraine dragged into a third year. Videos posted online showed gunmen in the venue shooting civilians at point-blank range. The roof of the theater, where crowds had gathered Friday for a performance by the Russian rock band Picnic, collapsed in the early hours of Saturday morning as firefighters spent hours fighting a fire which erupted during the attack. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement posted on affiliated social media channels, although neither the Kremlin nor Russian security services have officially assigned blame for the attack.
In a statement posted by its Aamaq news agency, the Islamic State's affiliate in Afghanistan said it had attacked a large gathering of "Christians" in Krasnogorsk. It was not immediately possible to verify the authenticity of the claim. However, a U.S. intelligence official told The Associated Press that U.S. intelligence agencies had confirmed that IS was responsible for the attack.
The official said U.S. intelligence agencies had gathered information in recent weeks that the IS branch was planning an attack in Moscow, and that U.S. officials had privately shared the intelligence earlier this month with Russian officials. The official was briefed on the matter but was not authorized to publicly discuss the intelligence information and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. Messages of outrage, shock and support for those affected have since streamed in from around the world.
On Friday, the U.N. Security Council condemned "the heinous and cowardly terrorist attack" and underlined the need for the perpetrators to be held accountable. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also condemned the terrorist attack "in the strongest possible terms," his spokesman said.
Meanwhile, in Moscow itself, hundreds of people stood in line Saturday morning to donate blood and plasma, Russia's health ministry said.
Putin, who extended his grip on Russia for another six years in this week's presidential vote after a sweeping crackdown on dissent, had publicly denounced the Western warnings of a potential terrorist attack as an attempt to intimidate Russians. "All that resembles open blackmail and an attempt to frighten and destabilize our society," he said earlier this week.
In October 2015, a bomb planted by the Islamic State downed a Russian passenger plane over Sinai, killing all 224 people on board, most of them Russian vacation-goers returning from Egypt. The group, which operates mainly in Syria and Iraq but also in Afghanistan and Africa, also has claimed several attacks in Russia's volatile Caucasus and other regions in the past years. It recruited fighters from Russia and other parts of the former Soviet Union.

US jets strike storage facilities in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen
Associated Press./March 23, 2024
U.S. fighter jets from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier struck three underground storage facilities in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen late Friday, according to a U.S. official. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a military operation not yet made public, said the ship is in the Red Sea. Strikes and explosions were seen and heard in Sanaa on Friday night, according to witnesses and videos, some circulating on social media. Footage showed explosions and smoke rising over the Houthi-controlled capital. There was no official confirmation of the injured or the origin of the explosions. Yemeni TV station Al-Masirah, which is linked to the Houthis, reported strikes hitting the city. In a statement late Friday, U.S. Central Command said its forces also destroyed four unmanned aerial vehicles in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen. Central Command also said Houthis fired four anti-ship ballistic missiles toward the Red Sea, but no injuries or damage were reported by U.S., coalition or commercial ships. Yemen's Houthi rebels, which are allied with Iran and control much of the country's north and west, have launched a campaign of drone and missile attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, which the rebels describe as an effort to pressure Israel to end its war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The Houthis have kept up their campaign of attacks despite two months of U.S.-led airstrikes.

Latest English LCCC  analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on March 23-24/2024
Biden Administration's Jitterbug with Iran's Regime ... When Crime Does Pay - Spectacularly
Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone Institute./March 23, 2024
The recent decision to shower Iran, the "leading state sponsor of global terrorism," with yet another $10 billion in sanctions waivers, "freeing up $10 billion elsewhere to spend on terrorism, missiles, nuclear weapons and the repression of Iranian women," defies logic and morality.
Despite galactic evidence of Iran's atrocities — such as, since October 2023, more than 165 attacks by its proxies on American assets, which include the murder of three US service members; its support for terrorist organizations such as Hamas, Hezbollah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the Houthis; its brutal crackdown on dissent at home, and its massively destabilizing actions across the Middle East — the Biden administration continues to court Iran and further enrich its regime, which thrives on chaos and bloodshed, especially against the country throwing the money at them.
"The FBI believes Iran is capable of a variety of attack options against US targets, to include cyber operations intended to sabotage public and private infrastructure .... [I]t's clear the Iranians are determined to carry out attacks in the United States...." — Robert Wells, assistant director of the Counterterrorism Division at the FBI, March 20, 2024.
"The mullahs give up nothing but get a windfall nonetheless... For [Senate Majority leader Chuck] Schumer, apparently, regime change in Israel is the national-security priority — not stopping billions of dollars to the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism." — Former National Security Council official Richard Goldberg, New York Post, March 14, 2024.
Former US Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe's assertion that the Biden administration's actions has already enriched Iran by "closer to $60 billion" is nothing short of chilling. This staggering sum undoubtedly enabled Iran to further enrich its uranium to near weapons-grade level; to help Hamas attack Israel, and to torment its own people.
It is high time for the Biden administration to send a clear and unequivocal message to Iran, China, Russia and North Korea that the days of impunity are over.
The recent decision to shower Iran, the "leading state sponsor of global terrorism," with yet another $10 billion in sanctions waivers, "freeing up $10 billion elsewhere to spend on terrorism, missiles, nuclear weapons and the repression of Iranian women," defies logic and morality.
In the intricate and often perilous world of international relations, every decision carries weight, consequences, and the potential to shape the course of events. At the heart of this delicate dance lies the Biden administration's policy towards Iran — a policy that has been veering dangerously off-course, betraying not only the principles of national security but also the essence of American values.
The recent decision to shower Iran, the "leading state sponsor of global terrorism," with yet another $10 billion in sanctions waivers, "freeing up $10 billion elsewhere to spend on terrorism, missiles, nuclear weapons and the repression of Iranian women," defies logic and morality.
Despite galactic evidence of Iran's atrocities — such as, since October 2023, more than 165 attacks by its proxies on American assets, which include the murder of three US service members; its support for terrorist organizations such as Hamas, Hezbollah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the Houthis; its brutal crackdown on dissent at home, and its massively destabilizing actions across the Middle East — the Biden administration continues to court Iran and further enrich its regime, which thrives on chaos and bloodshed, especially against the country throwing the money at them.
According to testimony this week before the US House Committee on Homeland Security, chaired by Rep. Mark E Green (R-TN), Robert Wells, assistant director of the Counterterrorism Division at the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), stated:
"The FBI believes Iran is capable of a variety of attack options against US targets, to include cyber operations intended to sabotage public and private infrastructure .... [I]t's clear the Iranians are determined to carry out attacks in the United States...."
Former National Security Council official Richard Goldberg wrote in the New York Post last week:
"The mullahs give up nothing but get a windfall nonetheless... For [Senate Majority leader Chuck] Schumer, apparently, regime change in Israel is the national-security priority — not stopping billions of dollars to the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism."
One cannot help questioning the purpose of sanctions if they are repeatedly waived or ignored. Sanctions are intended to exert pressure, to hold rogue regimes accountable for their actions, and to deter future aggression. Yet, in the case of Iran, these punitive measures seem to have become little more than symbolic gestures, easily brushed aside by a regime that remains steadfast in its pursuit of power and influence, particularly when it must look as if crime does pay -- spectacularly.
Consider, for instance, the recent decision to again grant Iraq a sanctions waiver, allowing it to purchase energy from Iran. This move not only provides a lifeline to the Iranian economy but also undermines efforts to isolate and contain a regime that poses a clear and present danger to regional stability. By turning a blind eye to Iran's malevolent activities, the Biden administration is effectively legitimizing and enabling a regime that thrives on terror and oppression.
Moreover, the staggering scale of the sanctions relief being provided to Iran is cause for alarm. As Goldberg wrote in August 2023:
"At least $16 billion has now been made available to Iran without any congressional input—and more might be on the way. Another $6.7 billion is reportedly moving to Iran via the International Monetary Fund Special Drawing Rights... and reportedly ... another $3 billion of regime assets frozen in Tokyo. India and China....".
The release of billions of dollars in frozen assets, coupled with the relaxation of restrictions on Iranian oil exports, amounts to a windfall for a regime that has shown no qualms about using its newfound wealth to fund terrorism, suppress dissent, and advance its own hegemonic ambitions.
Former US Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe's assertion that the Biden administration's actions has already enriched Iran by "closer to $60 billion" is nothing short of chilling. This staggering sum undoubtedly enabled Iran to further enrich its uranium to near weapons-grade level; to help Hamas attack Israel, and to torment its own people. The Biden administration's support for terrorism, war and disruption – whether for the Taliban in Afghanistan; Putin's "minor incursion" into Ukraine; China's murder of more than 70,000 Americans a year with fentanyl and other opiates; for the Palestinian Authority, which openly pays its people to murder Jews; and for Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and terror proxies such as Hamas, the Houthis and Hezbollah, in the Middle East and Latin America -- represents not only a betrayal of America's values but, as we have been seeing since October 2023, a clear and present danger to global security.
By providing billions of dollars in sanctions relief, the Biden administration is effectively financing Iran's nuclear program, allowing it to put the finishing touches on nuclear bombs and ballistic missiles to carry them, as well as for its proxy wars and terrorist activities that have done nothing but fuel conflict and instability. The recent surge in violence by Iran-backed groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis serves as a reminder of the deadly consequences of appeasing and financing states that sponsor terrorism.
It is all too clear that the Biden administration's approach to Iran is not only misguided but dangerous. By neglecting long-term security considerations and catering to a regime that clearly jeopardizes global stability, the Biden administration is not only endangering American lives but also strengthening a regime that thrives on chaos and bloodshed.
Worse, by appeasing Iran and essentially funding its malign activities, the United States has also been alienating its allies while emboldening its enemies and undermining its own credibility on the world stage.
The time has come for the Biden administration to reassess its Iran policy, and to hold the Iranian regime accountable for its actions. This means enforcing sanctions rigorously, exacting a serious price on Iran for its attacks -- especially the 165-plus recent attacks on US assets -- on its dash for nuclear capability; its support for terrorism, and to show the Iranian regime and others adversaries waiting in the wings that the US can and will stand firm in the face of attempts to sow discord.
It is high time for the Biden administration to send a clear and unequivocal message to Iran, China, Russia and North Korea that the days of impunity are over.
*Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a business strategist and advisor, Harvard-educated scholar, political scientist, board member of Harvard International Review, and president of the International American Council on the Middle East. He has authored several books on Islam and US Foreign Policy. He can be reached at Dr.Rafizadeh@Post.Harvard.Edu
© 2024 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.

Why Iranian Entrenchment in Southern Syria Worries Neighboring Countries
Armenak Tokmajyan and Kheder Khaddour//Carnegie Middle East Center/March 21/2024
Summary: The Syrian regime has struggled to govern Syria’s south, while the Ukraine war has weakened Russia’s influence, making both more reliant on Tehran and its allies in the area. However, this may increase the prospects of conflict between Iran and Israel.
INTRODUCTION
Southern Syria—corresponding to Quneitra, Daraa, and Suwayda Governorates—abuts Jordan, the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, and Lebanon. Whoever controls this area enjoys considerable geopolitical leverage, particularly with regard to Jordan and Israel. Those parts of Quneitra that are not occupied by Israel have strategic value because they are on high ground near the disengagement line established after the October 1973 Arab-Israeli War between the Syrian and Israeli armies. Their proximity to the Golan means that Israeli forces and towns there are vulnerable to attacks from Quneitra.
Armenak Tokmajyan
Armenak Tokmajyan is a nonresident scholar at the Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut. His research focuses on borders and conflict, Syrian refugees, and state-society relations in Syria.
@TOKMAJYANA
After losing parts of Daraa and Quneitra Governorates to opposition groups during the Syrian uprising in 2011, Syria’s military recaptured them in 2018. However, it failed to fully reassert government authority. On the contrary, Damascus’s administrative, economic, and security capabilities steadily deteriorated, as did its influence. For example, while President Bashar al-Assad’s regime never lost control over the Druze-majority Suwayda Governorate, in recent years the regime’s power has waned. The region is in turmoil, with frequent kidnappings and assassinations, poor services and governance capabilities, scarce economic resources, and proliferating armed factions.
Kheder Khaddour
Kheder Khaddour is a nonresident scholar at the Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut. His research centers on civil military relations and local identities in the Levant, with a focus on Syria.
As in all Syrian borderlands, the south is susceptible to influence from local groups and regional powers vying for dominance. However, unlike northeastern Syria or Idlib Governorate, where the Kurds’ People’s Protection Units or Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra) dominate, respectively, no single local or foreign actor does so in southern Syria. Similarly, while Türkiye and the United States have considerable sway in the north, linkages between local groups and outside states remain fluid in the south, where multiple parties are endeavoring to determine outcomes.
Iran, through its ally Hezbollah, is a major contender in this regard. It has influence across the region, most importantly in Quneitra, but it does not enjoy outright control. Nevertheless, this situation has created a conducive environment for Tehran to maintain its dominance, and even expand it over time, provided there are no significant shifts in the current dynamics in southern Syria.
SOUTHERN SYRIA AFTER 2018
In June–August 2018, the Syrian military recaptured much of the south, thanks primarily to deals brokered by Russia that removed U.S. and Israeli opposition to the military’s return. Since then, several homegrown actors and foreign countries have been active in the region. These include local militias and the Syrian regime as well as Iran, Israel, Jordan, and Russia. Russia’s involvement abated due to the Ukraine war, but it continues to be interested in the south, as it has resumed patrolling there and built two observation points in Quneitra. Iran has sought to expand its influence across the south, provoking strong opposition from Jordan and Israel. This competition has prevented the emergence of a leading local player with a foreign patron, while exacerbating instability.
The 2018 deals ended rebel rule without replacing it with a new system. The Russian-brokered agreements were conditional on the fact that Iran and its allies would not deploy to the south, in that way avoiding an Israeli military intervention. But the process was far from smooth or unified. In some places, Russia negotiated accords; in others, the regime concluded reconciliations of its own, while still others were retaken by force, leading to the expulsion of the population. Sometimes rebels switched sides, while at other times they continued resisting government forces.
Even in areas under the state’s authority, the situation has only gotten worse over the years. In Suwayda, for instance, anti-regime protests have occurred since August 2023, under the Druze religious leader Hikmat al-Hajari, who has openly defied Damascus. Israel does not have a presence on the ground, but its shadow looms large over the south. Since 2013, it has carried out numerous attacks in Syria, notably in Quneitra.
Jordan, too, has been more aggressive in responding to the chaos in southern Syria. From the outset, Jordan worked to prevent an Iranian and Hezbollah presence in the area and continues to oppose their role in heightening conflict with Israel and supporting cross-border weapons and drug smuggling. Jordan tried to address such issues, in the context of the Arab opening to Damascus in summer 2023 and on a bilateral level, with minimal results. In a notable shift, Jordan recently began targeting smugglers inside Syria. It has also reportedly coordinated with local factions in the south to curb smuggling.
The Syrian regime’s two main allies, Russia and Iran, have had markedly different trajectories in the south. Russia deployed military police there and even tried to turn the Eighth Brigade—primarily consisting of members from the formerly oppositional group known as Shabab al-Sunna, stationed in Busra al-Sham—into a proxy force. The results were mixed. Russia’s main advantage was political, however, based on the fact that it was the only actor with open lines of communication to all the conflicting parties. Moscow lost that leverage after the start of the Ukraine war. Israel has given little consideration to Russian opposition to its airstrikes in Syria, and Iran has also managed to increase its influence in the south, despite the fact that the agreements negotiated by Russia in 2018 were aimed at keeping Tehran and its allies away from the border area.
The south personifies the regime’s inability to govern. The sharp deterioration in Syria’s economy, especially after the Lebanese banking crisis in 2019–2020 and U.S. passage of the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act in 2019, has left the country bankrupt. Today, it is common to see private individuals raising money to restore and operate services in the region, such as water wells, telephone lines, and street lights.
But the governance crisis goes far deeper than a lack of funds. Insecurity in the south has become widespread. This has been reflected in the high rate of assassinations, which noticeably rose after the return of regime forces and shows no signs of decreasing. According to a local opposition source that documents these events, assassinations took the lives of 235 people in 2020, 226 in 2021, 313 in 2022, and 278 in 2023. Kidnapping for ransom is another common practice. In 2023 alone, there were over 126 kidnappings in Daraa Governorate. Similarly, in Suwayda some fifty people were kidnapped or incarcerated by nonstate actors. In less-populated Quneitra, such events have been rarer, but assassinations, kidnappings, and attacks against regime representatives do occur.
From an economic perspective, the south’s traditional reliance on agriculture, cross-border trade, and state employment has been radically transformed. The local economy has shifted to a shadow, criminal economy that is characterized by inadequate resources and a reliance on foreign remittances. The decline in formal and informal trade is an indicator of this. Despite the hope of expanded exchanges between Syria and Jordan after their border was fully reopened in 2021, the volume of bilateral trade remains low, according to Jordan’s bureau of statistics . In 2023, Jordan’s imports from Syria amounted to 45 million Jordanian dinars ($63 million). The country’s exports to Syria were valued at 60 million Jordanian dinars ($84 million), with reexports contributing another 25 million Jordanian dinars ($35 million). Taken together, these figures show a decrease of some 70 percent from 2010, when Jordan’s trade balance with Syria was 450 million Jordanian dinars ($630 million). Indeed, year-on-year trade in 2023 was 15 percent lower than in 2022. Informal (but not illicit) trade has also declined due to the regression of Syria’s economy and Jordan’s tighter border security measures.
This situation has made the local economy in the south heavily dependent on foreign remittances and illicit exchanges, especially drug trafficking. The owner of a leading hawala, or money transfer, office in Suwayda claimed that since 2018 the amount of foreign remittances to the governorate has more than doubled. He estimated that the four biggest informal hawalas together transfer no less than $120,000 a day.1
Drugs have also altered economic realities. In 2016, international organizations flagged Syria’s increased import of precursor chemicals used in manufacturing drugs, notably Captagon, an amphetamine-like drug. Gradually, the market has boomed in southern Syria, the main gateway for exporting the drug to the large Gulf market. Some estimates show that Captagon’s market value rose from nearly $1.8 billion in 2017 to $5.7 billion in 2021, reflecting the lawlessness in the south and the growing impact of drug trafficking.
A FERTILE GROUND FOR IRANIAN ADVANCES
While the south remains unstable, there have been significant changes there in terms of Russian and Iranian influence. Russian and government forces have retained a presence on the ground, but their role has receded in recent years. While Iran has not been able to fill the void, it has preserved its leverage in the area. Given the limited economic resources allowing the Syrian state to consolidate its authority, the erosion of the regime’s and Russia’s positions, and the ambient volatility in the south, conditions are in place that favor an expansion of Iran’s reach, despite obstacles.
Iran’s aim is to exploit southern Syria’s geostrategic importance. The region, particularly Suwayda and Daraa, are gateways to shaping developments in Jordan, a key U.S. ally; the West Bank; and, beyond that, the Persian Gulf. That is why the Syrian-Jordanian border is not merely a border between countries; political actors can affect regional developments from the area. The border region is especially important for being close to Israel. The highlands of Quneitra, overseeing the occupied Golan and bordering Lebanon, give Iran a pressure point against Israel, a main rival of Tehran whose security priorities have greatly defined the region’s security framework.
Due to the covert nature of Iran’s activities, it is hard to assess Tehran’s actual degree of influence along the border. However, it is possible to discern the difficulties it faces and the progress it has achieved with its affiliates. On the macro level, there is the demographic challenge. The Druze majority in Suwayda and the Sunni majority in Daraa make it harder for Iran to anchor itself among the inhabitants, many of whom view Tehran as an enemy. In Quneitra, the mosaic is different. The smaller population has historical grievances against Israel for occupying the land, and the presence of sectarian minorities—Druze and Christian—that have had a tense relationship with the Sunni majority strongly opposing the regime has created openings for Iran.
Another major difficulty for Iran is Israel’s opposition to its presence in the south. Israeli measures against Iran’s entrenchment in Syria has gone through phases, starting in 2013 with the “campaign between wars” when Israel began targeting Iranian, Hezbollah, and allied forces. Then came Russia’s intervention in Syria in 2015 and its creation of deescalation zones that included the south, provoking a discussion among Russia, the United States, Israel, and Jordan about Iran’s presence there. Though Israeli-Russian coordination grew, Israel did not stop hitting Iran and its allies inside Syria, augmenting its attacks over time. As figure 1 shows, Israeli strikes gradually grew after 2017.
A new phase began after the October 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas against Israel. Since then, Israel has carried out twenty-six attacks in Syria, the equivalent of one every five days. The nature of the targets has also changed. Israel has gone after senior officials in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), even killing them in central Damascus. To what extent this tactic is effective is questionable. However, the IRGC was worried enough that it recently announced the withdrawal of officers from Syria.
Iran has often worked through opportunistic local militias seeking power, economic gain, and security. These militias and their leaders are notorious for switching allegiances. For instance, one such figure from Inkhil, known as Jeddi (grandpa), began as a farmer, became an opposition leader, reconciled with the regime in 2018, then attempted to establish connections with Hezbollah.2 Another is Imad Abu Zureiq, formerly a high-ranking member of the opposition’s Jaish al-Yarmouk, who escaped to Jordan in 2018. He then returned to become a regime ally in his native Nassib, on the Jordanian border.3
Despite the challenges, Iran enjoys definite advantages in southern Syria, especially along the axis between Rural Damascus Governorate and Quneitra. It has not only an extensive presence there but also a strong security infrastructure. Russia too has such an infrastructure but is much less established on the ground than Iran.
Available evidence suggests that Iran has an operational hub south of Damascus, which is strategically located near the Damascus airport. The area is densely populated, includes Shia communities, and is only 20–30 kilometers from Lebanon and 30–40 kilometers from Quneitra. There are many reports of an Iranian presence in the Sayyida Zaynab neighborhood south of Damascus and west of the airport. The extensive Israeli airstrikes in Rural Damascus only reinforce this argument (see figure 2). Since 2013, 100 out of the 244 Israeli airstrikes have targeted the governorate, making it the most frequently hit area, followed by Quneitra with thirty strikes. In recent years there has been an uptick: while there were six airstrikes against Rural Damascus in 2018, by 2023 there were twenty-two (see figure 3).
Daraa and Suwayda, in turn, have been less frequently bombed by Israel, with each governorate hit only three times since 2013. This is considerably fewer than the number of airstrikes on Quneitra or on areas in Aleppo and Deir al-Zor with Iranian influence. The disparity may indicate there are not significant Iranian activities in the two governorates; or, if there are, they do not pose a major threat to Israel. Moreover, the disparity in airstrikes suggests Iranian influence in Quneitra is more substantial, which is likely for several reasons.
First, Quneitra’s geography and geographic location is different from other parts of the south. It is mountainous, making it easier to conceal military forces. Quneitra is not far from Iran’s nerve center in Rural Damascus. And it is close to Lebanon, whose border there is effectively controlled by Hezbollah. Those conditions are advantageous for Iran and do not exist in, for example, Daraa, which is mostly flat, further from Rural Damascus, and has less of a Hezbollah presence.
Another factor unique to Quneitra is that, early in the war, Iran and Hezbollah had physical access to the front line and even developed firing capabilities thanks to the regime’s continuous deployment in some pockets of the area. Quneitra was the site of a significant airstrike in 2015, when the Israeli military killed General Mohammed Ali Allahdadi of the IRGC’s Quds Force, along with six Hezbollah members, including prominent figures Jihad Mughniyeh and Mohammed Issa. In May 2018, the Golan was targeted by twenty rockets fired from Quneitra. Israel held Iran responsible for the attack and struck back hard, killing thirty-eight individuals, including eighteen foreign militants.
Another Iranian advantage in Quneitra has to do with the dynamics of the armed conflict in the region and its sociodemographic makeup, which have created opportunities for Iran. As Syria’s conflict intensified, sectarian divisions in Quneitra widened. Beit Jinn and surrounding Sunni-majority villages became centers of protest and armed opposition to the regime. In time, extremist Sunni factions led by Jabhat al-Nusra dominated and sought to eradicate government forces. In 2013, rebels displaced the inhabitants of an entirely Druze village, Mughr al-Mir, and tried to overrun regime strongholds several times, albeit without success.
As a consequence of this, the area’s Druze and Christian minorities sought refuge with the regime and its allies. Isolated and feeling threatened by Jabhat al-Nusra, these communities were prepared to “form alliances with the devil” to protect themselves, as one local lawyer put it.4 These minorities built ties with Iran, particularly through Hezbollah. Beginning in 2017, the situation began shifting in the regime’s favor. It imposed so-called reconciliation agreements on the rebels and by the end of 2017 had regained control over the area, including Beit Jinn and its environs.
Those communal divisions, as well as Hezbollah’s presence, continue today, as shown by an Israeli drone strike that left three Hezbollah members dead in December 2023. Many local militias have turned to Hezbollah for funding and protection. As a local interlocutor explained, Hezbollah’s backing not only provides protection in an unpredictable environment, but it also secures revenues, allowing participation in lucrative illicit activities such as smuggling with Lebanon or drug manufacturing and trafficking.5
Iran’s comparative advantage in the south comes, to a significant extent, from its security network that allows access to the border and connects key areas of operation—Rural Damascus, Quneitra, and the Lebanese border area. Iran’s method of building alliances through patronage, protection, and the allocation of local resources to allies, which involves including them in illicit trade, has also earned Tehran the backing of militias across Syria. Russia, in turn, has failed to implement such a model in Daraa with the Eighth Brigade, while the Assad regime lacks the means to do so. This has helped make Russia and the Syrian regime heavily dependent on Iran and its allies, giving Iran an edge in the south, especially in Quneitra.
CONCLUSION
Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza since October 2023 has shown that competing Iranian and Israeli interests in southern Syria are becoming irreconcilable. If Iran’s latitude to hit Israel from Gaza or Lebanon is reduced or neutralized once the conflict ends, Iran may be weakened, which will only reinforce its incentive to remain embedded in southern Syria. This is a cause of concern for Syria’s neighbors—particularly Israel, which dominates Syrian skies—and for international actors. That is why, without changes to the present situation, southern Syria is likely to see a gradual rise in tensions, which could conceivably lead to a major confrontation between Iran and Israel down the road.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors wish to thank Houshig Kaymakamian, a Carnegie intern, for identifying and compiling data on all Israeli strikes in Syria. Additionally, the authors are thankful for the contributions of local researchers involved in the study and express appreciation to Abdullah Jabassini for his insightful input.
This publication was produced with support from the X-Border Local Research Network, a program funded by UK International Development from the UK government. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the UK government’s official policies.
NOTES
1 Interview conducted by the authors’ research assistant in Suwayda, March 2024.
2 Author interview with a Syrian journalist from Inkhil (via WhatsApp), February 2024.
3 Author interview with a Syrian journalist from Inkhil.
4 Author interview with a lawyer from Mughr al-Mir (via WhatsApp), February 2024.
5 Author interview with a lawyer from Mughr al-Mir.
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Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

The only smart choice in dealing with our defunct devices is recycling
Ranvir S. Nayar/Arab News/March 23, 2024
Even as manufacturers of consumer electronics continue to line up new product launches several times a year, a report published by the UN this week revealed that the amount of “e-waste” generated around the world rose to a record 62 million tonnes in 2022.
The researchers found the amount of such waste had increased by 82 percent since 2010 and will continue to grow; by 2030, they predicted the total amount of e-waste generated around the world each year will rise by a further 30 percent to 82 million tonnes.
Even more worrying, the report states that barely 1 percent of global demand for rare earth elements, most notably lithium and nickel, which are key components in the manufacture of batteries, and a host of other key minerals needed for electronic gadgets is currently met by recycled materials.
This means almost all of these materials used for manufacturing electronics end up on ever-growing garbage heaps around the world. The amount of waste generated is increasing five times as fast as recycling.
The amount of e-waste we produce is growing by 2.6 million tonnes a year and only 22.3 percent of it was recycled in 2022. Not only did this waste come at a cost of more than $62 billion in 2022 alone, it poses a huge threat to the health of humans and all other forms of life on the planet.
Discarded products with plugs or batteries contain toxic and hazardous substances such as mercury, lead, lithium, benzene and many other chemicals known to cause damage to the brain and other body functions.
The publication of the UN report could not come soon enough. In recent years, the widespread adoption of electronics in all aspects of our lives has accelerated tremendously. This includes a significant increase in the adoption of electric vehicles; although they still represent a small percentage of the motor vehicles produced each year, the numbers will only increase.
Add to this the growing use of electronics and smart devices in all spheres of business, our homes and even public spaces, and we can expect a multifold increase in the global consumption of the materials used to manufacture these devices in the next few years.
From ever-more powerful computers, cameras and smartphones and the growing adoption of e-vehicles to the increased use of artificial intelligence and software-driven services, many more computer chips and batteries will be produced all around the world, a large proportion of which will end up in landfill if governments and regulators around the world continue to fail to monitor and control the way in which these products are disposed of.
Electronic goods contain a lot of valuable metals that can be extracted, recycled or reused in the manufacture of new products.
It would be a colossal mistake to allow the current situation, in which nothing tangible is done to regulate the management of e-waste around the world, to continue. This so-far lackadaisical approach needs to change immediately but this will happen only when significantly more public pressure is applied to governments to deal with rapidly growing mountains of e-waste.
There is a clear path to get us there. Look, for example, at how, in face of growing public awareness about the mortal threat posed by increasing plastic pollution, many governments have now banned production of some categories of plastics and imposed strict rules governing the production, use and disposal of many plastic products, most notably single-use grocery bags.
But in absence of any significant pressure on the electronics industry, the problem of managing e-waste has so far been largely ignored. Yet it is not the case that solutions are extremely difficult to imagine or implement. Europe has taken some initial steps to address this, all of which have been in the right direction, but they need to be tightened and enforced more strictly.
For instance, one of the biggest issues with electronics products is that, in wealthy countries at least, the cost of repair is often more than, or at least close to, the cost of buying a brand new product. In an attempt to tackle this, the EU has passed a law demanding manufacturers make it simpler for their products to be repaired, even outside of their own official service networks. It has also introduced a mandatory requirement that companies ensure sufficient supplies of spare parts for their products are available for a set period of time — say 5 or 10 years — so that consumers know devices can be repaired even when they are no longer the latest model.
Another requirement that has been introduced by the EU, again a no-brainer, is standardization of at least common accessories, such as chargers, across all brands. From the end of this year, for example, it will be mandatory for all smartphones, tablets and digital cameras to come with a USB-C charger.
This measure alone is expected to reduce e-waste in the EU region by at least 11,000 tonnes a year. This might seem like a very small amount, compared with the 62 million tonnes of e-waste generated annually, but it will be through the adoption of small measures such as this that the issue of e-waste will be tackled, to a large extent.
Another measure, which could be implemented even in the face of opposition from manufacturers, is to make companies more responsible for all their products throughout their life cycles, even after they stop working or when consumers want to replace them with upgraded versions.
Governments can enact legislation making it mandatory for manufacturers to “buy back” old products when consumers upgrade to a newer version, or even if they simply decide to stop using it.
Electronic goods contain a lot of valuable metals that can be extracted, recycled or reused in the manufacture of new products. By making it mandatory for manufacturers to buy back old versions of their products, therefore, governments can ensure companies invest in creating a so-called “reverse supply chain,” the purpose of which is to obtain used products from consumers, return them to the factory and recover the valuable parts and materials that can be recycled and reused.
Certainly, businesses might be opposed to some of these measures, not least because their margins are best served by selling regularly upgraded new products, and recovering and recycling their older products would force them to invest in services and processes that are nowhere near as glamorous as an exciting new product launch.
But the challenges the world faces in finding ways to deal with the rapidly rising amount of e-waste in a safe manner are now so many and so large that regulators and governments must cast aside any concerns about glamour and prestige, and instead display some grit in grappling with the problem.
*Ranvir S. Nayar is the managing editor of Media India Group and founder-director of the Europe India Foundation for Excellence.

Netanyahu’s Israel is fast losing its American friends
Yossi Mekelberg/Arab News/March 23, 2024
When a hard-hitting speech by the most senior Democrat in the Senate, one delivered from the floor of the chamber, is praised by the US president as a “good speech,” those who are on the receiving end of its tongue-lashing should take note, as if the words came straight from the mouth of the president.
Come to think of it, the heartfelt speech by Chuck Schumer, the Senate majority leader, about the fallout from the war in Gaza could, and should, have been delivered by Joe Biden himself.
What Schumer stated, passionately and eloquently, could also easily have been pieced together from what the president and many members of his top foreign policy team have been publicly expressing over the past few weeks, albeit in dribs and drabs and without forming a coherent policy toward achieving an immediate ceasefire and establishing a plan for peace between the Israelis and Palestinians in the aftermath of this devastating war.
Following Schumer’s speech on March 14, much was made of his call for Israel to hold a general election, which for all intents and purposes was a call not only to get rid of the country’s current, ultranationalist government but for an end to the Benjamin Netanyahu era.
Certainly, he outlined four obstacles to an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement based on a two-state solution, among which, as might be expected, was Hamas but also the Palestinian Authority, including President Mahmoud Abbas.
However, his forthright call for the change of a democratically elected government, in a country that happens to be one of Washington’s closest allies, was unprecedented.
Schumer, the highest-ranking Jewish American in the US government, stated bluntly: “I believe that holding a new election once the war starts to wind down would give Israelis an opportunity to express their vision for the postwar future.”
Netanyahu’s response to Schumer’s portrayal of him — as an obstacle to peace who should be removed — was to call it inappropriate, coming from a sister democracy, and to declare that the issue was for the Israeli public alone to decide because Israel “is not a banana republic” — a claim that these days sounds more hollow than ever.
Firstly, the public is all-too desperate to make its wishes known at the ballot box, as has been repeatedly made clear over the past five months in survey after survey. After all, who would not like to see a new leadership replace a government that has presided over the worst disaster in the country’s history?
Secondly, no other leader in Israel’s history has taken the country so far along the road to becoming a banana republic, through implication in corruption scandals and the distortion of good governance as a result of cronyism and incompetence, than Netanyahu.
Moreover, he has no leg to stand on when he complains about intervention in the domestic affairs of another country, for he has done so throughout his political career, particularly with regard to the US.
Netanyahu and his government have proved unreceptive to the voice of reason, even coming from its closest ally.
For months now, Netanyahu and other prominent Israelis have been dismissive of criticism about the contempt with which they have treated civilian lives while conducting the war in Gaza. They shrug it off as originating from lefty-liberal progressives who oppose Israel and Zionism. Whatever merit there might be in this view is very limited, at best, and by no stretch of the imagination do Biden and Schumer fit such a profile.
For many years they have been two of Israel’s closest friends and supporters, and in Schumer’s case representative of the segment of the Jewish community in America that wholeheartedly supports Israel and the very idea of a Jewish state.
Netanyahu might pour scorn on the current position of Biden and Schumer but the people of his country should not, not only because of the merits of that position, but for the price that might have to be paid for ignoring it.
If in the early days of Israel’s independence American support was derived primarily from what both sides believed to be shared democratic values, together with a US sense of obligation to help ensure the security and well-being of Israel for historical reasons, a true strategic alliance subsequently evolved between the two countries.
This is increasingly jeopardized every single day that Netanyahu remains prime minister. If the trend continues, the close relationship between the nations will increasingly come under scrutiny and, in addition, support from its Jewish community might also suffer long-term damage.
As truthful and appropriate as it is to blame Netanyahu and his government for being so detrimental to efforts to reach a peace agreement based on a two-state solution, the very people who now level this criticism should ask themselves why it has taken them so long to reach that conclusion.
Regardless, now that doubts about the value of supporting Israel without applying close scrutiny of its actions have entered the conversation between the two countries, they will remain a strong feature in the relationship, which might actually prove to be a positive development and put their relations on a healthier footing. There is no suggestion that Washington is about to abandon its close relationship with Israel. However, the war in Gaza is demonstrating that the US should be extremely cautious about giving Israeli authorities carte blanche to operate however they see fit, whatever the circumstances, and should not provide the means with which to behave so irresponsibly and in contradiction of US interests, which in this case are also threatened by the growing possibility of regional and international instability.
Israel also needs to finally recognize what is now being expressed more clearly by US officials in general, and in no uncertain terms by Schumer: If Israel wishes to enjoy the full support of America, it must genuinely commit to a two-state solution, starting with the prevention of settler violence in the occupied West Bank and by halting the expansion of Jewish settlements there.
A significant, though long overdue, sign that the US is losing patience with Israel was its decision to impose sanctions on violent settlers and on certain settlements that are notorious for being breeding grounds for settler terrorism. It is still a very limited response but at least this Rubicon has now been crossed.
Most importantly, the new policy is not directed only at the settlers but at an Israeli government that allows them to act with impunity.
Netanyahu and his government have proved unreceptive to the voice of reason, even coming from its closest ally. Until now, there have been few consequences of this but the more often that straight-talking remarks, such as those delivered by Schumer and endorsed by the president, are aired publicly, the more they are likely to resonate with the Israeli public and the choices it makes in terms of its leadership and the direction the country should take.
**Yossi Mekelberg is a professor of international relations and an associate fellow of the Middle East and North Africa Program at international affairs think tank Chatham House. X: @YMekelberg

The invisible costs of ‘Fortress Europe’
Hafed Al-Ghwell/Arab News/March 23, 2024
Europe’s approach to managing migration has long been predicated on a delicate balancing act that aims to uphold the continent’s cherished values of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law while simultaneously securing its borders against irregular migration. However, the strategies deployed to achieve these aims increasingly highlight a paradox at the heart of European policy.
In dealings with the Maghreb in particular, a region that is crucial to Europe due to its geographical proximity and role as a transit zone for migrants heading toward the continent, the EU finds itself in a catch-22 situation. The quandary arises from Europe’s reliance on agreements with local strongmen to curb migrant flows, a tactic that risks entrenching authoritarian rule and compromising the very democratic ideals the bloc purports to embody.
The thrust of this narrative hinges upon acknowledging the complex interplay between the European desire for security and its purported commitment to promoting democracy. Europe’s engagements in the Maghreb, and potentially beyond, exemplify this dilemma.
Even a cursory analysis of Brussels’ strategies to harmonize divergent European policies in North Africa reveals the bloc has often made significant financial and political concessions to authoritarian regimes in an effort to bolster the capacities of those regimes to manage migration flows, thereby effectively acting as gatekeepers for “Fortress Europe.”
While the immediate effects of such policies might seem beneficial to the EU in terms of its migration concerns, the medium-to-long-term implications reveal myriad “invisible costs.” These costs not only undermine the EU’s foundational values but also perpetuate instability and human suffering in the very regions it aims to stabilize. This predicament underlines a stark reality: In its quest to control migration, Europe might inadvertently become an underwriter of future despots.
By funneling billions into the coffers of authoritarian leaders, ostensibly for border management and migration control, the EU empowers these regimes, affording them both the means and the legitimacy to tighten their grip on power. The provision of external diplomatic backing that is often inherent in these deals further entrenches the regimes, as it is perceived as tacit endorsement of their brand of governance.
One of the most profound invisible costs of such a strategy has been the exacerbation of human rights abuses in origin and transit countries. Authorities in these places, often bolstered by European funds, reportedly engage in practices ranging from arbitrary detentions to torture and other extrajudicial abuses of desperate migrants.
Notably, the EU’s support for the Libyan Coast Guard has been roundly criticized for facilitating the interception of migrants at sea and repatriation to Libya, where they face appalling conditions in makeshift detention facilities to which humanitarian organizations are often denied access.
This assistance, albeit aimed at curtailing migration, inadvertently helps to uphold an ecosystem of well-documented abuses and violations of fundamental human rights that Europe repeatedly refuses to address.
Another troubling cost is the strengthening of authoritarian regimes which, backed by European funding and political support, might further entrench their power. The financial and technical assistance provided to these governments for the purposes of migration management often ends up supporting the security apparatus that suppresses opposition and dissent, undercuts democratic movements, and sustains exclusionary patronage networks.
Europe must invest in long-term solutions that address the root causes of migration. Such provision of blank checks can make the EU complicit in the reinforcement of authoritarian practices and undermine the prospects for democratic governance in a restless part of the world.
Moreover, the injection of funds into regimes with notable governance deficits and a lack of rule of law does little to address the root causes of migration, such as economic instability, high levels of unemployment and social inequality.
Instead, the focus on securing borders and migration control detracts from investments that could foster economic development and stability, reduce incentives for irregular migration, and ultimately benefit both transit and destination countries.
Furthermore, by channeling substantial funds toward repressive regimes, the EU risks contributing to the further economic decline and social fragmentation of already poverty-stricken countries, as governance becomes more focused on maintaining power rather than promoting development and welfare.
A less-discussed spillover of all this is the irony of how the EU’s myopia in its “cash for migrant control” schemes will only make migration itself a very valuable leverage point, even for origin countries.
Recognizing the EU’s desperation to curb migration flows, governments might use the threat of loosening border controls, or even actively pushing migrants toward Europe, as bargaining chips to extract more favorable deals, aid or concessions from Brussels. These deals are often premised on vague promises to address the push factors of migration, which these governments are either unwilling or unable to tackle meaningfully due to entrenched governance deficits.
Lastly, the lack of effective enforcement mechanisms to ensure that EU funding and aid are used as intended represents a critical oversight. Without stringent monitoring, transparency, and accountability measures, there is a significant risk that this assistance will not reach the intended targets, be they programs for economic development, capacity building or the protection of human rights. Instead, the assistance might end up bankrolling corrupt practices, enriching elites, and fortifying the security structures of oppressive regimes.
The implications of Europe’s current strategy are clear and profound. Firstly, it contravenes the foundational values upon which the EU is built, thereby eroding its moral and ethical standing both at home and on the international stage.
Secondly, it is a shortsighted tactic. While it might yield immediate reductions in migrant arrivals it neglects the root causes of the migration, such as conflict, persecution, the intensifying effects of climate change, and economic disparity, all of which are exacerbated by authoritarian governance.
Finally, the European approach risks fostering instability in the region. By supporting authoritarian regimes, the EU might inadvertently destabilize those very governments, either by bolstering opposition forces or by contributing to the grievances that fuel dissent.
The situation presents European policymakers with a profound moral and strategic challenge. The pursuit of Fortress Europe through deals with authoritarian regimes not only compromises the bloc’s foundational values but also risks long-term instability in origin and transit countries in the Maghreb, right on Europe’s doorstep.
Addressing this challenge necessitates a reevaluation of European migration policies, with an emphasis on options that do not sacrifice democratic principles for the sake of expediency. Moreover, Europe must invest in long-term solutions that address the root causes of migration, fostering cooperation and development rather than dependency and autocracy.
Developing more sustainable, ethical and effective approaches to migration will not only benefit the EU but also contribute to global stability and prosperity.
**Hafed Al-Ghwell is a senior fellow and executive director of the North Africa Initiative at the Foreign Policy Institute of the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, DC. X: @HafedAlGhwell
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