English LCCC Newsbulletin For
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For January 10/2025
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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lccc Site
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/aaaanewsfor2025/english.January10.25.htm
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Bible Quotations For today
I know what kind of people you are, and I know that you have no love for God in
your hearts
John 05/30-47: "I can do nothing on my own authority; I judge
only as God tells me, so my judgment is right, because I am not trying to do
what I want, but only what he who sent me wants. “If I testify on my own behalf,
what I say is not to be accepted as real proof. But there is someone else who
testifies on my behalf, and I know that what he says about me is true. John is
the one to whom you sent your messengers, and he spoke on behalf of the truth.
It is not that I must have a human witness; I say this only in order that you
may be saved. John was like a lamp, burning and shining, and you were willing
for a while to enjoy his light. But I have a witness on my behalf which is even
greater than the witness that John gave: what I do, that is, the deeds my Father
gave me to do, these speak on my behalf and show that the Father has sent me.
And the Father, who sent me, also testifies on my behalf. You have never heard
his voice or seen his face, and you do not keep his message in your hearts, for
you do not believe in the one whom he sent. You study the Scriptures, because
you think that in them you will find eternal life. And these very Scriptures
speak about me! Yet you are not willing to come to me in order to have life. “I
am not looking for human praise. But I know what kind of people you are, and I
know that you have no love for God in your hearts. I have come with my Father's
authority, but you have not received me; when, however, someone comes with his
own authority, you will receive him. You like to receive praise from one
another, but you do not try to win praise from the one who alone is God; how,
then, can you believe me? Do not think, however, that I am the one who will
accuse you to my Father. Moses, in whom you have put your hope, is the very one
who will accuse you. If you had really believed Moses, you would have believed
me, because he wrote about me. But since you do not believe what he wrote, how
can you believe what I say?"
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on January 09-10/2025
Elias Bejjani/Text & Video: Elias Bejjani: Text and Video: The Story Is
Over, Joseph Aoun Appointed President by Saudi-Iranian-American Agreement...
Come On, Let's Celebrate
Elias Bejjani/Text & Video: Dima Sadek's Documentary on Shiite Victimhood is a
Blatant and Shameless Falsification
Text & Video of President Joseph Aoun’s Inaugural Speech in Parliament After
Taking the Constitutional Oath/Who Is Joseph Aoun
Joseph Aoun elected president of Lebanon
Global leaders, Arab nations congratulate new Lebanon president
Lebanon’s bonds climb as parliament elects first president since 2022
Lebanon’s Mahan Air theater was meant to cover ceasefire deal
non-performance/David Daoud & Ahmad Sharawi/FDD's Long War Journal/January
09/2025
Lebanese Journalist: Hizbullah, Who Bears Sole Responsibility For The
Destruction In Lebanon, Is Selling Its Supporters A False Victory
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on January 09-10/2025
UN migration agency appeals for $73 million in aid for Syria
Gaza's Health Ministry says the Palestinian death toll from the war has
surpassed 46,000
Israel rallies global support to win release of a woman believed kidnapped in
Iraq
Gaza war deaths pass 46,000
Armenian government approves bill to launch EU accession bid
The man who could become Canada's future PM
A top Iranian general said Russia was actually bombing the empty desert while
saying it was attacking Syrian rebels
Firefighters battle devastating Los Angeles wildfires as winds calm somewhat
Titles For
The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources
on January 09-10/2025
Media, International Community Ignore Palestinian Crimes Against
Palestinians/Bassam Tawil/Gatestone Institute./January 09/2025
Trump can’t leave Syria to others/Sinan Ciddi/Washington Examiner/January
09/2025
Turkey Is Preparing to Invade Syria, Then Israel?/Sinan Ciddi/ 1945
website/January 09/2025
The ‘War on Christmas’ (and All Christian Holy Days) in Egypt: How a Persecuted
Minority Spends the Holidays/Raymond Ibrahim/Coptic Solidarity/January 09/2025
History will not be kind to Biden’s presidency/Osama Al-Sharif/Arab News/January
09, 2025
Here is the news: if it’s not true, that’s your problem/Ross Anderson/Arab
News/January 09, 2025
How international community can resolve the Sudan crisis/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab
News/January 09, 2025
Iran between the ‘floods’ of Sinwar and Al-Sharaa/Ghassan Charbel/Asharq Al-Awsat
newspaper./January 09, 2025
The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on January 09-10/2025
Elias Bejjani/Text & Video:
Elias Bejjani: Text and Video: The Story Is Over,
Joseph Aoun Appointed President by Saudi-Iranian-American Agreement... Come On,
Let's Celebrate
January 9, 2025
Based on analysis and without official or confirmed information, we expect that
today, Thursday, January 9, 2025, at 12 noon Beirut time, Army Commander General
Joseph Aoun will be appointed as President of the Republic. The rubber-stamp
Parliament, led by the eternal corrupt and Trojan Speaker Nabih Berri,
specialized in submissiveness, will endorse the decision without objection. This
is because all the Members of Parliament fundamentally lack independent, free,
and sovereign will, as they are either followers of their local political party
owners or Trojan agents and soldiers serving foreign states, as is the case with
the so-called 'Party of God,' blasphemously named Hezbollah.
Furthermore, based on analysis and numerous political commentaries and
assessments, we believe that the presidential breakthrough came as a result of a
Saudi-Iranian agreement blessed by the United States, accompanied by a binding
set of conditions. All we hope is that Saudi commitments to Iran are strictly
limited to funding the reconstruction of Shiite areas destroyed during the
Hezbollah war with Israel and do not include leaving Hezbollah armed or granting
it any political or partisan role.
The positive or negative judgment on the new president and the government that
will come with him will be based solely on one issue: closing Lebanon as an
operational base for all those involved in the deceitful trade of so-called
resistance and liberation, the rhetoric of throwing Jews into the sea, praying
in Jerusalem, and the culture of death glorification. Of course, this includes
recognizing the State of Israel, as all Arab states have done for years.
Come on, let's celebrate, offer congratulations, and pray for Lebanon's
liberation from the Iranian occupation, the criminal terrorist Hezbollah, and
the corrupt political and partisan elite.
Elias
Bejjani/Text & Video: Dima Sadek's Documentary on Shiite Victimhood is a Blatant
and Shameless Falsification
Elias Bejjani/January 07/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/01/138797/
"Enough with the attacks on what is
referred to as 'Political Maronism' as a cover for disasters and a justification
for the crimes, heresies, terrorism, and atrocities committed in the eras that
followed. These periods were marked by jihadists, Arab nationalists, leftists,
and so-called resistance merchants abandoning Lebanon's values of freedom,
independence, democracy, and coexistence.
In reality, there was never a historical period of 'Political Maronism' in
Lebanon. Rather, it was an era of independence, freedom, progress, peace,
openness, democracy, art, culture, and leadership.
The so-called "Political Maronism" was Lebanon's only true era of independence
following liberation from the French Mandate.
Every era that followed was marked by submission and subjugation to Palestinian,
Syrian, and Iranian occupations driven by sectarian motives that destroyed
Lebanon, obliterated its sovereignty, displaced its people, and dismantled its
institutions—most glaringly evident in the ongoing crimes of the Iranian Shiite
duo. In the context of Lebanon's continued Iranianization and the attempts to
beautify this era, Dima Sadek's documentary aired yesterday on MTV under the
title "Shiite Victimhood."
This fabricated and falsified documentary has no connection to history, truth,
or facts. It is nothing but deception, a deliberate distortion aimed at
misleading the Lebanese public and justifying the crimes and Persian agenda of
the Iranian Shiite duo with vulgarity and audacity.
For countless reasons, the genuine independence era, misrepresented as
"Political Maronism," must never be equated with any political phase that
followed.
The Shiite duo has committed heinous crimes against Lebanon, holding their sect
hostage, alienating it from its homeland, and plunging it into disasters.
Therefore, the so-called "Shiite duo" has no connection to Lebanon or the Shiite
community itself.
Yes, absolutely, the Shiites are a respected and influential Lebanese component
whose rights should be equal to those of all Lebanese, and their duties should
also be bound by the state, the law, the constitution, and national charters.
No to Dima Sadek's leftist-leaning documentary, driven by dreams of throwing
Israel and the Jews into the sea while deceitfully exploiting the Palestinian
cause.
In conclusion, the leaders of the Shiite duo must be prosecuted for all the
crimes they have committed against Lebanon and the Shiite community,
specifically Hezbollah, which must be prohibited from engaging in any political,
social, or cultural activities.
رابط فيديو ونص خطاب القسم الذي القاه الرئيس جوزيف
عون في مجلس النواب بعد قسم اليمين الدستورية/من هو الرئيس الجديد
Text & Video of President Joseph Aoun’s Inaugural Speech in Parliament After
Taking the Constitutional Oath/Who Is Joseph Aoun
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/01/138880/
Text of President Joseph
Aoun’s Inaugural Speech in Parliament After Taking the Constitutional Oath
09 Juanuary 09/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/01/138880/
(Translated from Arabic by Microsoft word)
Your Excellency the Speaker of the House of Representatives
Prime Minister
Deputies and Ministers
Heads and members of the diplomatic corps
Dear Lebanese women, Lebanese, Ladies and gentlemen,
The deputies honored me by electing me as President of the Lebanese Republic,
which is the greatest honor I carry and the greatest responsibilities, so I
became the first president after the first centenary of the establishment of the
State of Greater Lebanon, in the midst of a Middle Eastern earthquake in which
alliances cracked, regimes fell, and borders may change!
But Lebanon remained the same, despite wars, bombings, interventions,
aggression, ambitions and mismanagement of our crises, because Lebanon is from
the age of history, and because religions in it are integrated, and because the
people are one, and because our identity in the diversity of our groups and
sects is Lebanese, we love creativity as a basic outlet for life and we attach
ourselves to our land as a basic space for freedom, our courageous
characteristic, our strength to adapt, we make dreams and live them, and no
matter how different we are, in times of distress we embrace each other because
if one of us is broken, we are all broken.
Dear people,
We have reached the hour of truth.
We are in a crisis of governance in which political performance is supposed to
change in our vision to preserve our security and borders, in our economic
policies, in our planning to take care of our social affairs, in the concept of
democracy, in the rule of the majority and the rights of minorities, in the
image of Lebanon abroad and our relations with the diaspora, in the philosophy
of accountability and control, in the centralization of the state and unbalanced
development, in the fight against unemployment and in the fight against poverty
and human and environmental desertification.
It is a crisis of governance and rulers and the non-application of regulations
or their misapplication, interpretation and formulation!
Therefore, my pledge to the Lebanese wherever they are and for the whole world
to hear,
Today, a new phase begins in the history of Lebanon, in which I swore before
your honorable Council and before the Lebanese people an oath of devotion to the
Lebanese nation and to be the first servant in preserving the Charter and the
National Accord Document and my commitment to implement them in a way that
serves the supreme national interest and to exercise the powers of the President
of the Republic in full as a just arbiter between institutions aimed at
protecting the sanctity of individual and collective freedoms, which are the
essence of the Lebanese entity.
These freedoms, which must be based on the rule of law and on governance that
preserves rights, guarantees accountability and equality among all citizens,
because if we want to build a homeland, we must all be under the roof of the law
and under the roof of the judiciary, where there is no summer or winter on one
roof anymore, no mafias, security outposts, smuggling, money laundering, drug
trafficking, interference in the judiciary, no interference in police stations,
protections, favoritism, or immunities for a criminal or corrupt. Or committed.
Justice is the separator and the only immunity in the hands of every citizen,
and this is my covenant!
My pledge is to work with the next government to approve a new draft law on the
independence of the judiciary
In its judicial, administrative and financial aspects, developing the work of
public prosecutions, conducting judicial formations on the basis of standards of
integrity and efficiency, activating the Judicial Inspection Authority,
simplifying trial procedures, reforming prisons, and speeding up the decision on
sentences in a way that guarantees freedoms and rights, encourages investments
and combats corruption.
My pledge is to challenge the constitutionality of any law that violates the
provisions of the Constitution and to respect the separation of powers and
exercise my supervisory role over them honestly and objectively and through my
right to reject laws and decrees that do not serve the public interest, leaving
it to the House of Representatives or the Council of Ministers to reconsider
them.
I pledge to call for quick parliamentary consultations to assign a prime
minister who is a partner in responsibility and not an adversary, exercising our
powers in a positive spirit aimed at the continuity of the public facility,
preferring efficiency over clientelism, patriotism over factionalism,
effectiveness over bureaucracy, firmness over escaping responsibility,
transparency over deals, and contemporaneous global development over
entrenchment behind the conflicts of the past.
My pledge with the Parliament and the Council of Ministers is to restructure the
public administration and rotate in the first category jobs in public
administrations and institutions, and to appoint regulatory bodies, in a way
that restores the prestige of the state and employees, preserves their dignity
and attracts elites to establish a modern, electronic, agile, effective,
neutral, non-exclusive and decentralized administration, improves the management
of its assets, has no private sector complex, prevents monopoly and has no fear
of opening its books to a right holder or censor, promotes competition, protects
consumers, prevents waste and activates control bodies. Planning, budgeting and
public debt management have improved, because there is no value for a public
administration that does not provide quality services to citizens at the best
prices as a prerequisite for preserving the dignity of the Lebanese, reviving
the economy and creating job opportunities.
My pledge is to exercise my role as commander-in-chief of the armed forces and
as head of the Higher Defense Council, through which I will work to assert the
state’s right to monopolize the bearing of arms. A state that invests in its
army to control the borders, contribute to stabilizing them in the south and
demarcating them east, north and sea, prevent smuggling, fight terrorism,
preserve the unity of the Lebanese territory, implement international
resolutions, respect the armistice agreement and prevent Israeli aggressions on
Lebanese territory, an army that has a defensive combat doctrine that protects
the people and fights wars in accordance with the provisions of the
constitution.
My pledge is to ensure the activation of the work of the security forces in
their various tasks as a basic tool for maintaining security and enforcing laws.
My pledge is to call for the discussion of an integrated defense policy as part
of a national security strategy at the diplomatic, economic and military levels
in order to enable the Lebanese state, I repeat, to remove the Israeli
occupation and repel its aggression against all Lebanese territory.
My pledge is to rebuild what was destroyed by the Israeli aggression in the
south, the Bekaa, Dahieh and all parts of Lebanon transparently, and with the
belief that our martyrs are the soul of our determination, and that our
prisoners are a trust in our necks, so that we do not compromise the sovereignty
and independence of Lebanon, and that our unity is the guarantee of our immunity
and that our diversity is the richness of our experience and that it is time to
bet on Lebanon in our investment in our foreign relations, not to bet on the
outside to bully each other.
I pledge that we all adhere to the principle of rejecting the settlement of the
Palestinian brothers in order to preserve the right of return and to consolidate
the two-state solution approved at the Beirut Summit in accordance with the Arab
Peace Initiative, and also to adhere to the right of the Lebanese state to
exercise its authority over all Lebanese territory, including the refugee camps
of the Palestinian brothers, and to preserve their human dignity.
My pledge is to establish the best relations with the brotherly Arab countries
based on the fact that Lebanon is an Arab belonging and identity, to build
strategic partnerships with the countries of the Levant, the Arab Gulf and North
Africa, to prevent any conspiracy against their systems and sovereignty, to
practice a policy of positive neutrality, to export only the best of our
products and industries, to attract tourists, students and Arab investors to
keep pace with their development, enrich them with our human energies, and build
integrated and cooperative economies.
Based on the rapid regional changes, we have a historic opportunity to start a
serious and equal dialogue with the Syrian state in order to address all
outstanding issues between us, especially the issue of respecting the
sovereignty and independence of both countries, controlling borders in both
directions, non-interference in the internal affairs of either of them, the file
of missing persons, resolving the issue of displaced Syrians because of its
existential repercussions on the Lebanese entity, cooperating with the Syrian
brothers and the international community to address this crisis, away from
racist proposals or negative approaches, and seeking with the next government.
The honorable parliament to develop a clear mechanism that can be implemented
immediately to repatriate them.
My pledge is to open up to the East and the West, to establish alliances and to
activate Lebanon’s foreign relations with friendly countries and the
international community, based on mutual respect in a way that preserves
Lebanon’s sovereignty and freedom of decision.
My pledge is that every expatriate is proud of our Lebanon as Lebanon is proud
of its expatriates, as their right to vote is a sacred right that transforms
their alienation into a new belonging to each village and city of Lebanon, so
that those who desire and those who can return from them, and permanent
immigration turns into a fleeting idea that is not needed.
My pledge is to push with the future governments towards the development of
electoral laws in a way that enhances the chances of rotation of power, correct
representation, transparency and accountability, and to work on the adoption of
the draft law on expanded administrative decentralization in a way that
alleviates the suffering of citizens and promotes sustainable and comprehensive
development.
My pledge is to adhere to the preservation of the free economy and individual
ownership, an economy in which banks are organized under the roof of governance
and transparency, banks that have no ruler except the law and no secrets other
than professional secret, and my pledge is not to be complacent in protecting
depositors’ funds.
My pledge is to seek to strengthen social safety nets, especially social
security and health services, to strive to preserve the environment, and to
respect freedom of information and freedom of expression within constitutional
and legal frameworks.
My pledge is to invest in science, science, science, public school and the
Lebanese University, and in preserving private education and its freedom.
My covenant is your covenant, dear MPs, and the era of every Lebanese who wants
to build a strong state, a productive economy, a coherent security and a
promising future.
There is no room to waste time anymore or to miss opportunities. I invite you
not to think about the upcoming elections, but to think about what will happen
to the future of your children and the dignity of your elders. Our duty is to be
women and statesmen, thinking about the future of our generations, not our own
interests, and to consider ourselves the king of Lebanon and not Lebanon as
ours.
To comrades in arms, at this moment take off my spotted suit, and wear civilian
clothes, but I remain from you and you proud to belong to your national school,
the school of honor, sacrifice and loyalty, and I keep in my heart, mind and
conscience your sacrifices and heroism, you are the institution on which the
homeland is built, and protects its unity, you have never failed the people and
I, in turn, will not let you down.
To my beloved Lebanese, I say: My covenant is your covenant, the workshops are
many and I cannot do them alone, they are the responsibilities of the deputies,
ministers, the judiciary, parties and civil society. My pledge is to work with
all of them to defend the public interest and the rights of the Lebanese, both
individuals and groups, and to prove to the world that there is no word failure
in the Lebanese lexicon. This is the time of your creativity and the time to
make the world bow out of respect for the spirit of determination in you and the
time of peace, awareness, work and solidarity among you, there is no virtue for
one sect over another and no advantage to one citizen over another. This is the
era of respecting the constitution, building the state and applying laws, this
is the era of Lebanon!
Long live Lebanon
Joseph Aoun elected president
of Lebanon
NAJIA HOUSSARI/Arab News/January 09, 2025
BEIRUT: Lebanese Armed Forces Chief Gen. Joseph Aoun, 61, was elected as the
country’s 14th president by parliamentarians on Thursday. Aoun received 99
votes, handing him the Presidential Palace for the next six years, breaking a
26-month deadlock over the position. The military chief took the oath of office
in front of deputies before delivering his inaugural speech. People across
Lebanon, especially in Aoun’s hometown, Al-Aichieyh in the south, let off
fireworks, ululated, slaughtered sheep and performed dabke dances following the
election. Aoun entered Parliament for the first time in a civil suit, marking
his transition from military duty, which started in 1983 when he volunteered for
the Army as an officer cadet before then enrolling in the Military College. He
took over command of the Armed Forces on March 8, 2018. He now undertakes the
civil mission of leading a country stricken by Israeli aggression against
Hezbollah and a deepening economic crisis. Aoun addressed the Lebanese people,
saying: “No matter our differences, in times of crisis, we embrace one another.
If one of us falls, we all fall.”
He emphasized the need to “change the political performance in Lebanon,” adding:
“Let the world know that starting today, a new stage of Lebanon’s history
begins, and I will be the the first servant of the country, upholding the
national pact and practicing the full powers of the presidency as an impartial
mediator between institutions. “If we want to build a nation, we must all be
under the rule of law and the judiciary.”Aoun stressed that “interference in the
judiciary is forbidden,” adding that “there will be no immunity for criminals or
corrupt individuals and there will be no place for mafias, drug trafficking, or
money laundering in Lebanon. “My term will focus on cooperation with the new
government to pass a law ensuring judicial independence, while also challenging
any laws that violate the constitution. “I will call for parliamentary
consultations to swiftly select a prime minister who would be a partner rather
than an adversary.”Aoun announced plans to rotate senior government positions
and restructure the public administration. He also vowed to assert the state’s
right to maintain a monopoly on the possession of weapons.
“We will invest in the military to secure Lebanon’s borders, particularly in the
south, demarcate the eastern and northern borders, fight terrorism, implement
international resolutions and prevent Israeli hostilities against Lebanon,” Aoun
said.
“I will work to activate the role of security forces as a fundamental tool for
maintaining security and enforcing laws. We will also discuss a comprehensive
defense strategy on the diplomatic, economic and military levels to enable the
Lebanese state to end the Israeli occupation and deter its aggression,” he
added. Aoun pledged to “rebuild what the Israeli enemy destroyed in the south,
Beirut’s southern suburb, the Bekaa and throughout Lebanon. Our martyrs are the
spirit of our determination and our detainees are a trust upon our shoulders.”
He said: “It is time for us to invest in Lebanon’s foreign relations, rather
than betting on external forces to gain leverage against one another.”
Aoun affirmed his “rejection of the resettlement of Palestinians.”
He stated: “We affirm our determination to take charge of the security of the
camps. We will adopt a policy of positive neutrality and will only export the
best products and industries to other countries while attracting tourists.”
Aoun also called for “initiating a serious and peer-level dialogue with the
Syrian state to discuss all relations and pending files between us, particularly
the file of missing persons and displaced Syrians.”His speech received
enthusiastic applause from MPs, except for those from the Free Patriotic
Movement, with Hezbollah’s MPs expressing reservations. The 13th session was
held in the morning amid a notable diplomatic presence, led by France’s
presidential envoy, Jean-Yves Le Drian, and the ambassadors of the Quintet
Committee overseeing the implementation of the ceasefire agreement with Israel.
The first session resulted in Aoun receiving 71 votes out of the 128 MPs who
attended the session. Meanwhile, 37 MPs cast blank votes, 14 voted with the
“Sovereignty and Constitution” expression, two voted for the late professor of
international law Chibli Mallat and four votes were canceled. The interventions
at the beginning of the session were met with violent verbal confrontations
between independent MPs and a FPM deputy. Aoun needed 86 votes to become
president. This number served as an alternative to amending the constitution,
preventing any challenges in the Constitutional Council, as Aoun remained in his
role and had not resigned two years earlier, which is a constitutional
requirement for running for president. Hezbollah, the Amal movement, the FPM,
and other independent MPs did not vote for Aoun in the first round.
Parliamentary Speaker Nabih Berri adjourned the session for two hours for
further consultations. Meanwhile, Amal MP Ali Hassan Khalil and Hezbollah MP
Mohammed Raad met Aoun to be reassured regarding “the government formation and
the Shiite representation within it.”During the second round, the white smoke
rose to announce the selection of the new president. While the FPM and other
independent MPs maintained their position, the Shiite duo voted for Aoun. The
vote tally included nine blank ballots, 15 votes for other names or expressions,
and five canceled votes.
In 2017, Aoun, as a senior member of the Lebanese Armed Forces, was part of
operations that succeeded in confronting hundreds of Syrian militants affiliated
with Daesh and Jabhat Al-Nusra in Arsal. Two years later, in 2019, he helped
restore order after thousands of Lebanese protestors took to the streets
following the country’s economic collapse. In 2020, Aoun led the Lebanese
military in providing aid to those affected by the Beirut port explosion. Aoun
also helped avert civil war by preventing two potential clashes: the first in
Tayyouneh, between Hezbollah and Lebanese Forces supporters over the arrest of
employees accused of negligence in the Beirut port explosion; and the second in
Kahaleh, when a Hezbollah truck carrying ammunition overturned in a Christian
area, leading to a firefight. Additionally, Aoun has worked to rid the military
of corruption and collaborated with Arab and other foreign states to secure aid
for Armed Forced members after their monthly salaries dropped to less than $50.
Saudi king and crown prince congratulate Joseph Aoun on
being elected president of Lebanon
Arab News/January 09, 2025
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman
congratulated Joseph Aoun on being elected president of Lebanon on Thursday. In
a congratulatory cable, King Salman wished Aoun success and the Lebanese people
further progress and prosperity.The crown prince sent a similar cable. Lebanon’s
parliament voted Thursday to elect the country’s army commander, Joseph Aoun, as
head of state, filling a more than two-year-long presidential vacuum. Thursday’s
session was the 13th attempt to elect a successor to Michel Aoun, whose term
ended in October 2022.
Global leaders, Arab nations congratulate new Lebanon
president
Arab News/January 09, 2025
PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday welcomed the “crucial
election” by Lebanese lawmakers of army chief Joseph Aoun as president after a
two-year vacuum at the top, calling his victory an opportunity for reform in the
country.
Aoun faces the daunting tasks of overseeing a ceasefire in south Lebanon and
naming a prime minister able to lead reforms demanded by international creditors
to save the country from its worst economic crisis in history. Aoun is perceived
as being best placed to maintain the fragile ceasefire between Israel and
Hezbollah after a devastating war this autumn. “Congratulations to President
Joseph Aoun on this crucial election,” Macron wrote on X in a message in both
French and Arabic. “It paves the way for reform and the restoration of Lebanon’s
sovereignty and prosperity,” he added. The French foreign ministry urged the
formation of a strong government to drag the country out of a political and
economic crisis. Extending France’s “warm congratulations” to Aoun, the French
foreign ministry said his election “opens a new page for the Lebanese” and urged
“the appointment of a strong government” that can help the country recover.
Qatar also praised the election of Aoun as president on Thursday, calling for
“stability” after the more than two year vacancy was filled. “The State of Qatar
welcomes the election of Lebanese army commander General Joseph Aoun,” the
foreign ministry said in a statement, adding that it hoped his election would
“contribute to establishing security and stability in Lebanon.”GCC
Secretary-General Jasem Albudaiwi congratulated Aoun and wished him success in
achieving stability, prosperity, and stronger ties with the GCC. Albudaiwi
reiterated the GCC's support for Lebanon's sovereignty, security, and stability,
as well as its armed forces. He emphasized the need to implement UN Security
Council Resolution 1701 to maintain Lebanon's political independence and
territorial integrity. He also called on the Lebanese government to assert
control over its territories per UN resolutions and the Taif Agreement.
Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas said Lebanon would overcome the
“repercussions of Israeli aggression” under the leadership of its new president.
“We are confident that our brotherly Lebanon will overcome the repercussions of
the Israeli occupation’s aggression and achieve development and prosperity,”
Abbas said in a statement, referring to Israel’s war with Lebanese militant
group Hezbollah, which ended late last year. The United Nations Special
Coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, issued a statement
congratulating Aoun, adding that she welcomed the election as a long-awaited
first step toward overcoming Lebanon’s political and institutional vacuum and
providing the Lebanese people with the functioning state institutions they
deserved.
“A prime minister must be designated and a government formed without delay. The
tasks ahead of the Lebanese state are too monumental to waste any more time,”
she stressed. “Now is the moment for each and every decision-maker to put the
interest of Lebanon above all personal or political considerations. “The
election of a president offers renewed hope and an opportunity to pave the way
for progress towards consolidating the cessation of hostilities and preserving
the country’s security and stability, including by strengthening state authority
across Lebanon and advancing comprehensive and sustainable reforms,” she added.
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen described the election of Aoun as Lebanon’s new
president as a “moment of hope” for the war-battered country. “The way is now
open to stability and reforms. Europe supports this path,” the European
Commission president wrote on X. Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock
said the election of Aoun as Lebanon’s new president was a chance for “reforms
and change” in the war-ravaged country. “After many years of crisis and
stagnation, this is a moment of opportunity to bring about reforms and change,”
Baerbock said on social media platform X. “Germany stands by the side of the
people of Lebanon on the way forward.” Russia also welcomed the election of a
new president of Lebanon, which it hopes will bring political stability to the
country. The foreign ministry in a statement said the election of army chief
Joseph Aoun “opened up the prospect of strengthening internal political
stability in Lebanon and righting the country’s complex social and economic
position.”* With AFP
Lebanon’s bonds climb as
parliament elects first president since 2022
Reuters/January 09, 2025
LONDON: Lebanon’s government bonds extended a three-month long rally on Thursday
as its parliament voted in a new head of state for the crisis-ravaged country
for the first time since 2022. Lebanese lawmakers elected army chief Joseph Aoun
as president. It came after the failure of 12 previous attempts to pick a
president and the move boosts hopes that Lebanon might finally be able to start
addressing its dire economic woes. Lebanon’s battered bonds have almost trebled
in value since September when the regional conflict with Israel weakened
Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, long viewed as an obstacle to overcoming the
country’s political paralysis. Most of Lebanon’s international bonds, which have
been in default since 2020, rallied after Aoun’s victory was announced to stand
between 0.8 and 0.9 cents higher on the day and at nearly 16 cents on the
dollar. They have also risen almost every day since late December, although they
remain some of the lowest priced government bonds in the world, reflecting the
scale of Lebanon’s difficulties. With its economy still reeling from a
devastating financial collapse in 2019, Lebanon is in dire need of international
support to rebuild from the war, which the World Bank estimates to have cost the
country $8.5 billion.
Lebanon’s Mahan Air theater was meant to cover ceasefire
deal non-performance
David Daoud & Ahmad Sharawi/FDD's Long War Journal/January 09/2025
A false narrative has emerged claiming Lebanese authorities searched an Iranian
plane last week at Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport over suspicion the
aircraft was smuggling funds to Hezbollah and seized the funds. Many saw this as
the long-awaited action by the Lebanese state to restrain Hezbollah and prevent
its regeneration after the group’s adventurism invited yet another destructive
war upon the Levantine country. One Lebanese propagandist described the event as
“historic, confirming Hezbollah’s end.” However, closer inspection reveals that,
though this is the impression Beirut wanted to create out of the incident, it
could not be farther from the truth.
A routine Iranian Mahan Air flight did indeed make its way from Tehran to the
Beirut airport on January 2. While en route, widespread reports began
circulating that the flight was carrying cash destined for Hezbollah’s coffers.
Nevertheless, Lebanese authorities allowed the plane to land in Beirut, and
afterward, they claimed to have conducted an extensive inspection of the
aircraft. Lebanese activist opposition mouthpiece Nidaa Al Watan’s sources
claimed Beirut’s airport security intended to prevent the plane’s alleged
illicit cargo from leaving the airport. The newspaper reported that Lebanese
officials had informed Iranian counterparts they would inspect the plane, and if
confirmed to be carrying funds for Hezbollah, those funds would be confiscated
by the Lebanese state.
Lebanese Interior Minister Bassam Malwali promoted that version of events during
his appearance on Lebanese MTV’s Sar al-Waqt talk show, which broadcasts live at
9:30 pm. At approximately 9:47 pm, Malwali claimed that airport security
authorities were, at that very moment, thoroughly inspecting a Mahan Air flight
in accordance with “necessary protocols.” However, flight data reveals that the
minister’s comments were a dramatization of events misaligned with the Mahar Air
flight’s timeline.
Mahan Air Flight 1152 departed from Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport
at 2:30 pm Tehran time. It was scheduled to arrive at Beirut’s Rafic Hariri
International Airport at 3:55 pm, well within the 2 hours and 45 minutes it
typically takes this particular flight. Instead, Flight 1152 landed in Beirut at
6:30 pm, a 4-hour-and-54-minute flight that took almost double the usual time.
Flight data reveals the plane circled over the Iranian city of Tabriz for
approximately two hours, with unconfirmed speculation that it landed in Tabriz
without reporting doing so.
Flight 1152’s return journey from Beirut to Tehran took off at 8:15 pm Beirut
time. Therefore, when Mawlawi stated that the plane was “currently undergoing an
inspection,” it had long departed Beirut’s airport and was already almost
halfway back to Tehran. Furthermore, based on this timeline, Flight 1151 spent
approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes on the tarmac after landing in Beirut. It
was scheduled to depart at 7:30 pm, but between its delayed arrival, deplaning,
reboarding passengers, and potential refueling, the plane took off 45 minutes
after schedule—only 10 minutes longer than the average delay for this flight. In
light of this sequence, there was insufficient time for the thorough inspection
alleged by Mawlawi to have occurred.
Mawlawi further claimed that the bags of an Iranian diplomat onboard Mahan Air
Flight 1152 were held up at the airport for inspection. The diplomat allegedly
refused the inspection, citing his diplomatic status. While Mawlawi asserted
that Lebanese authorities would inspect all individuals at the airport,
including diplomats, Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon later insisted that the
diplomat’s bags left Rafic Hariri International Airport without an inspection,
describing the Lebanese authorities’ actions as a result of “lack of awareness.”
On January 6, the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs likewise said that “the
Iranian plane was not inspected at the airport in Lebanon.”
Indeed, Mawlawi later appeared to backtrack on these assertions, and even the
Lebanese Foreign Ministry later confirmed the Iranian version of events. In a
January 3 statement, the ministry said that after the Iranian embassy verbally
clarified the contents of the diplomatic pouch—which the ministry said contained
documents and cash to be used for the embassy’s expenses—“the two bags were
permitted to enter pursuant to the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic
Relations.” In relevant part, Article 27(3) of the convention states, “the
diplomatic bag shall not be opened or detained,” while Article 27(5) extends the
same “inviolability” to the person of the diplomatic courier, who “shall not be
liable to any form of arrest or detention.”
In other words, the Iranian diplomat was not searched, nor were his bags
inspected, scanned, or opened. According to a report from Hezbollah’s Al-Manar
satellite TV station, the only bags that underwent any inspection belonged to
Lebanese passengers who returned from a visiting the Imam Reza Shrine in
Iran—after they had been taken off the plane.
Mahan Air Flight 1151 flies regularly between Tehran and Beirut, having made the
journey 17 times since the November 27 ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon. In
2011, the US Department of Treasury, while designating Mahan Air, said the
Iranian airline “has transported personnel, weapons and goods on behalf of
Hizballah and omitted from Mahan Air cargo manifests secret weapons shipments
bound for Hizballah.” Yet, none of these flights underwent an inspection, let
alone one so highly publicized—even though both Hezbollah and credible reports
indicate Iran has already begun sending the group fresh infusions of cash since
the November 27 ceasefire went into effect.
The reason, it seems, had more to do with Israel’s activities and less with
Beirut trying to assert its sovereignty or finally mustering the will to
restrain Hezbollah. Earlier that day, Israel launched the highest number of
airstrikes in a single day inside Lebanon—three—since the onset of the ceasefire
on November 27, 2024. That deal requires the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) to
deploy in Lebanese territory occupied by Israel during the course of the war as
Israeli troops withdraw over 60 days.
The agreement requires Lebanon to ensure that its official security forces and
LAF are the only armed entities carrying weapons or deploying forces in south
Lebanon below the Litani River—meaning Hezbollah must vacate that area, and its
military infrastructure must be dismantled. The deal additionally requires
Lebanon to deploy its security forces and the LAF across all borders and border
crossings, sealing them off from weapons shipments to Hezbollah. As far as can
be determined, these terms and Lebanon’s performance are meant to take effect
immediately. Hezbollah’s violations of the deal would be submitted to a US-led
oversight committee, which would task the LAF—as the army of the sovereign
country of Lebanon—with first responsibility of remedying the violations before
theoretically permitting Israel to act unilaterally in the event of the LAF’s
inaction.
Yet, save for a cosmetic deployment of LAF troops to south Lebanon, Lebanon is
not acting and appears to be refusing to comply. In its statement on the
airstrikes, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it was targeting rocket
launchers belonging to Hezbollah, including near Nabatiyeh in south Lebanon. The
Israelis noted they had “first sent a request to LAF to neutralize the
launchers,” and “struck the launchers after the threat was not dealt with by LAF.”
This was the first time that Israel undertook military action against Hezbollah
after the ceasefire went into effect while exclaiming LAF’s inaction and,
implicitly, the ineffectiveness of an oversight committee that would rely on the
Lebanese state or LAF to restrain the group or dismantle its military
infrastructure.
Israel has, therefore, begun pressing to extend the duration of the state of
ceasefire and for the IDF to remain in Lebanon beyond the 60-day withdrawal
period. Israel has taken this approach in light of Lebanon’s continued
demonstration of its inability and/or unwillingness to fulfill its obligations
and act against Hezbollah—and because the IDF has noted the group is already
reorganizing its ranks.
Hezbollah, for its part, responded with threats. Mahmoud Qmati, the deputy
chairman of Hezbollah’s political bureau, said the group would attack any
Israeli troops that remained in Lebanese territory after the 60-day period had
passed. Meanwhile, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem—who has delivered
contradictory messages on the group’s interpretation of the ceasefire deal—said
Hezbollah could begin attacking the Israelis even earlier. In his January 2
address, Qassem said:
There is no timetable determining the resistance’s action, not during [lit.
with] the agreement or after the 60-day period in the agreement. We said we will
be patient, giving an opportunity to prevent the Israeli violations and
implement the agreement. But this does not mean we will remain patient for 60
days or that we will remain patient less or more than 60 days. Our patience is
tied [only] to our decision regarding the appropriate time for us to confront
the Israeli aggression and Israeli violations. Our patience could run out before
60 days or could continue. The resistance’s leadership will decide this matter.
Qassem also stressed, ambiguously this time, that the “agreement’s terms are
limited to south of the Litani River” and seemingly only to “obligating Israel
to withdraw.” Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz vowed in response that “there
will be no [ceasefire] agreement” if Lebanon fails to fulfill its obligations.
This is no idle threat. The November 27 ceasefire agreement’s entry into effect
interrupted, but did not conclusively end, the legal state of war between Israel
and Hezbollah and possibly Lebanon. While scholars differ on the precise impact
of ceasefire agreements on the right of belligerents to resume full hostilities,
they generally agree that ceasefire agreements are temporary and can be a
preliminary step toward a peace treaty or a permanent end to the existing state
of war. Thus, such agreements regulate the level of violence in a conflict
rather than determine one’s existence. As such, they are governed by a distinct
body of international law—jus in bello—that relates to the conduct of
hostilities rather than the legality of their initiation. Israel’s right, then,
to resume hostilities is not governed by a peacetime jus ad bellum requiring
Hezbollah to commit another prior armed attack.
A middle-of-the-road scholarly opinion on ceasefires considers such agreements
“contracts to manage the relationship and conduct of parties during a ceasefire,
layered on top of the existing law of armed conflict.” This would thus prohibit
Israel from resuming active hostilities against Hezbollah subject to the latter
party’s compliance with the terms of the agreement. As with a contract, serious
violations of a ceasefire agreement’s terms by one party entitles the other
party to employ self-help measures “and even, in cases of urgency, [recommence]
hostilities immediately”—but under the terms and conditions of the ceasefire
itself rather than about peacetime jus ad bellum.
Either forceful acts by Hezbollah or Lebanon’s failure to enforce the
ceasefire’s terms would constitute serious violations justifying Israel’s
resumption of hostilities, even if Hezbollah falls short of an armed attack. If
Lebanon entered the ceasefire deal in bad faith—as a ruse meant merely to stop
the harm Israel was inflicting upon Hezbollah but with no intention of
compliance with the deal’s full terms—then Beirut could be deemed a
co-belligerent responsible for Hezbollah’s actions, inviting unpleasant
consequences for Lebanon.
The longer the state of affairs between Lebanon and Israel remains a ceasefire,
rather than a return to the status quo ante bellum, the more time Israel will
have to resume hostilities at this lower threshold. Therefore, Lebanon, as far
as can be determined, put up what amounts to a diplomatic theater performance at
Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport—to convince the international
community and the ceasefire oversight committee that Beirut is indeed fulfilling
its end of the bargain to restrain Hezbollah, and thus deprive Israel of
justification to either extend its stay in Lebanon or resume fighting. However,
such cosmetically stringent measures should not be expected to extend beyond the
ceasefire’s duration.
*David Daoud is senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies,
where he focuses on Israel, Hezbollah, and Lebanon affairs. Ahmad Sharawi is a
research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies focused on Iranian
intervention in Arab affairs and the Levant.
https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2025/01/analysis-lebanons-mahan-air-theater-was-meant-to-cover-ceasefire-deal-non-performance.php
Lebanese Journalist: Hizbullah, Who Bears Sole
Responsibility For The Destruction In Lebanon, Is Selling Its Supporters A False
Victory
MEMRI/January 09, 2025
Lebanon | Special Dispatch No. 11770
Since the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon came into effect on
November 27, 2024, following more than a year of fighting between Israel and
Hizbullah, this organization has been presenting itself as the victor and as the
only force that prevented Israel from occupying Lebanon. In a speech he
delivered on November 29, Hizbullah Secretary-General Na’im Qassem stated that
the victory achieved in this war surpasses the one achieved in the 2006 war
between Hizbullah and Israel. [1] He repeated this claim in a December 14
speech, in which he explained that Hizbullah won because Israel did not achieve
its goal of defeating it.[2]
These statements sparked criticism and scorn from the organization's opponents
in Lebanon and abroad, who said that the organization is denying reality and
ignoring the fact that it is the one that dragged Lebanon into a deadly war, a
war that caused massive destruction to the organization itself and to the
country as a whole. Among those who voiced this criticism was Lebanese
journalist Fares Khachan, editor and cofounder of Newsalist, a Switzerland-based
website created by Lebanese journalists living in Europe. In a December 22
article, he mocked Hizbullah for its persistent efforts to convince its
supporters of its victory despite the immense damage and destruction caused to
Lebanon by its "arrogant" actions, and despite the fact that the ceasefire
agreement allows Israel to do as it pleases in South Lebanon. Khachan also
rejected the organization's claim that it and its weapons are Lebanon's only
defense. He warned that Hizbullah is trying to avoid disarming as required by
the ceasefire agreement in order to continue using its weapons to impose its
will in Lebanon.
Cartoon posted on X by Lebanese activist Raymond Hakim depicts a bloodied
Hizbullah operative saying “We won!” (Image: X.com/RaymondHakim, December 17,
2024)
The following are translated excerpts from Khachan’s article:[3]
"Hezbollah's ideologues are trying to change the lexicon and introduce new
definitions for words like ‘victory,’ ‘winning,’ ‘defeat’ and ‘loss.’ They want
to play with the head of their supporters, whom they promised construction,
protection, [a chance to] pray in Jerusalem, and that the 'Zionist entity' would
explode at the press of a button. They do this by giving vague new meanings to
clear and well-understood words, in order to distract their supporters and keep
them from undertaking an realistic and accurate assessment of the disastrous
killing, death, displacement, destruction, humiliation, and surrender.
"Alongside this ridiculous diligence in [rewriting] the lexicon, Hizbullah is
trying to blame others – [namely] the people, the army, UNIFIL and the
international community – for Israel's continued military and security actions
south of the Litani, in order to claim that the weapons of resistance are
[Lebanon’s] only defense, and therefore that they must remain, continue and
increase.
“What a distortion [of reality]!
"Hizbullah bears sole responsibility for what Israel is doing. The people did
not want war, the state did not decide on it, the army does not have the
capabilities [to fight it] and the international community is interested in
saving Lebanon from this party [i.e., Hizbullah]. No one [else] lied about his
strength or intentions, Hizbullah is the only one that indulged in hyperbole,
lies, distortions and arrogance.
"There is no need for strategy experts in order to understand that the ceasefire
agreement is a surrender agreement that Hizbullah signed after sustaining a
military defeat. The written details [of the agreement], and the unwritten
mutual understandings, give the Israeli army two months to complete what it
began with the military operation...[4] Hizbullah knew this. It was informed of
the details of the talks and agreed to all the articles [of the agreement]. It
agreed in advance that Israel would do what it is doing today. Its current
complaints [that Israel is violating the agreement] are a deception and an
attempt to save what remains of its weapons, so it can use them to impose its
equations within Lebanon.
"Hizbullah started the war, considering itself to be the All-Powerful and The
Mighty [two of the names of Allah]. It disregarded everyone’s warnings,
humiliated those who opposed the military actions it carried out in the name of
‘the unity of the fronts,' rejected all the proposals that could have prevented
the war, and brought the Lebanese government to a state of despair with its
stubbornness, causing Interim Prime Minister Najib Mikati to say, when the
situation was on the brink of [explosion], that 'we have no choice but to remain
silent, wait patiently and pray.'[5]
"Hizbullah, which accepted this agreement under the attacks that destroyed the
Dahiyeh, the Bekaa and South Lebanon, [attacks that] killed thousands of
Lebanese and left the fate of hundreds unknown, now wants us to believe its
statement that 'the resistance is the only one protecting Lebanon.' It is
'protecting’ [Lebanon] by bringing back the occupation, destroying the country,
killing its people and signing an agreement of surrender and defeat!
“This is the protection that Hezbollah is trying to provide to Lebanon..."
[1] See MEMRI TV Clip No. 11605, Hizbullah Secretary-General Naim Qassem: I
Ocially Declare The War To Be A Victory Greater Than The One We Had In 2006; The
Enemy Failed To Destroy Hizbullah, November 29, 2024
[2] See MEMRI TV Clip No. 11649, Hizbullah Secretary-General Naim Qassem: We Won
The War; We Lost Our Military Supply Route Due To The Fall Of Assad, But We Hope
The New Regime Does Not Normalize Relations With Israel, December 15, 2024.
[3] Newsalist.net, December 22, 2024.
[4] Article 12 of the agreement states that Israel will gradually withdraw its
forces south of the Blue Line within 60 days, and in parallel the Lebanese Armed
Forces will deploy to positions south of the Litani.
[5] Mikati said this in a meeting with French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné,
held on August 15, 2024 in an attempt to prevent a further escalation after
Hizbullah threatened a harsh response to the death of its senior commander Fuad
Shukr in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut.
https://www.memri.org/reports/lebanese-journalist-hizbullah-who-bears-sole-responsibility-destruction-lebanon-selling-its
The Latest English LCCC
Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on January 09-10/2025
UN migration agency appeals for $73 million in aid for Syria
AFP/January 09, 2025
GENEVA: The UN migration agency on Thursday expanded an aid appeal for Syria to
over $73 million, as the country transitions after years of civil war and
decades of dictatorship. The United Nations’ International Organization for
Migration said it was more than doubling an appeal launched last month for
Syria, from $30 million to $73.2 million, with the aim of assisting 1.1 million
people across Syria over the next six months. “IOM is committed to helping the
people of Syria at this historical moment as the nation recovers from nearly 14
years of conflict,” IOM chief Amy Pope said in a statement. “IOM will bring our
deep experience in humanitarian assistance and recovery to help vulnerable
communities across the country as we work with all partners to help build a
better future for Syria.” The Geneva-based agency said it was working to
reestablish its presence inside Syria, after exiting Damascus in 2020, building
on its experience working there in the preceding two decades, as well as on its
cross-border activities in the past decade to bring aid to northwest Syria. It
said it aimed “to provide immediate assistance to the most at-risk and
vulnerable communities, including displaced and returning groups, across Syria.”
The requested funds, it added, would be used to provide essential relief items
and cash, shelter, protection assistance, water, sanitation, hygiene and health
services. They would also go to providing recovery support to people on the
move, including those displaced, or preparing to relocate. The dramatic
political upheaval in Syria after the sudden ousting last month of strongman
Bashar Assad after decades of dictatorship has spurred large movements of
people. Half of Syria’s population were forced from their homes during nearly 14
years of civil war, with millions fleeing the country and millions more
displaced internally.
The UN refugee agency has said it expects around one million people to return to
the country in the first half of this year. And by the end of 2024, the UN
humanitarian agency had already recorded the returns of nearly 500,000 people
who had been internally displaced inside Syria, IOM pointed out.
Gaza's Health Ministry says the Palestinian death toll from the war has
surpassed 46,000
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip
(AP)/January 10/2025
More than 46,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israel-Hamas war, Gaza's
Health Ministry said Thursday, as the conflict raged into a 16th month with no
end in sight.The ministry said a total of 46,006 Palestinians have been killed
and 109,378 wounded. It has said women and children make up more than half the
fatalities, but does not say how many of the dead were fighters or civilians.
The Israeli military says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing
evidence. It says it tries to avoid harming civilians and blames Hamas for their
deaths because the militants operate in residential areas. Israel has also
repeatedly struck what it claims are militants hiding in shelters and hospitals,
often killing women and children. The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed
into Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and
abducting around 250. Some 100 hostages are still inside Gaza. Israeli
authorities believe at least a third of them were killed in the initial attack
or have died in captivity. The war has flattened large areas of Gaza and
displaced around 90% of its 2.3 million people, with many forced to flee
multiple times. Hundreds of thousands are packed into sprawling tent camps along
the coast with limited access to food and other essentials. In recent weeks,
Israel and Hamas have appeared to inch closer to an agreement for a ceasefire
and the release of hostages. But the indirect talks mediated by the United
States, Qatar and Egypt have repeatedly stalled over the past year, and major
obstacles remain.
Israel rallies global support to win release of a woman believed
kidnapped in Iraq
AP/January 09, 2025
JERUSALEM: A senior Israeli official says the government is working with allies
in a renewed push to win the freedom of an Israeli-Russian researcher who is
believed to have been kidnapped in Iraq nearly two years ago. The official said
Thursday that the matter was raised in a meeting of special envoys for hostage
affairs in Jerusalem this week. He said the envoys met the family of Elizabeth
Tsurkov and that Israel asked the representatives – from the US, UK, Germany,
Austria and Canada – to have their embassies in Baghdad lobby the Iraqi
government and search for a way to start negotiations. Israel and Iraq do not
have diplomatic relations. He said he hopes other countries will help. “We are
counting on our allies,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity
because he was discussing closed-door discussions. “And I hope that other
nations will suggest assistance in helping us release Elizabeth. Many nations
have embassies and contacts with the Iraqi government.”Tsurkov, a 38-year-old
student at Princeton University, disappeared in Baghdad in March 2023 while
doing research for her doctorate. She had entered the country on her Russian
passport. The only sign she was alive has been a video broadcast in November
2023 on an Iraqi television station and circulated on pro-Iranian social media
purporting to show her. No group has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping.
But Israel believes she is being held by Kataib Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed
Iraqi militia that it says also has ties to the Iraqi government. The Israeli
official said that after months of covert efforts, Israel believes the “changes
in the region” have created an opportunity to work publicly for her release.
During 15 months of war, Israel has struck Iran and its allies, and Iran’s
regional influence has diminished. Iraq also appears to have pressured militia
groups into halting their aerial attacks against Israel.
Gaza war deaths pass 46,000
AP/January 09, 2025
GAZA: Gaza’s Health Ministry said Thursday that more than 46,000 Palestinians
have been killed in the Israel-Hamas war, with no end in sight to the 15-month
conflict. The ministry said a total of 46,006 Palestinians have been killed and
109,378 wounded. It has said women and children make up more than half the
fatalities, but does not say how many of the dead were fighters or civilians.
The Israeli military says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing
evidence. It blames Hamas for their deaths because it says the militants operate
in residential areas. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are now packed into
sprawling tent camps along the coast with limited access to food and other
essentials. Israel has also repeatedly struck what it claims are militants
hiding in shelters and hospitals, often killing women and children. The war
began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023,
killing some 1,200 people and abducting around 250. A third of the 100 hostages
still held in Gaza are believed to be dead.
Armenian government approves bill to launch EU accession
bid
Felix Light/Reuters/ January 9, 2025
Armenia's government on Thursday gave approval to a bill that calls for the
country, once part of the Soviet Union, to launch a bid to join the European
Union.
Armenia has in recent years deepened ties with the West at the expense of its
traditionally close relations with Moscow, which it has accused of failing to
defend it from longtime rival Azerbaijan. The bill was drawn up following a
successful petition. In a document seen by Reuters, the government backed its
introduction to parliament, saying it would represent "the beginning of the
accession process of the Republic of Armenia to the European Union".Brussels did
not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Three other former members of the Soviet Union - Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania -
have joined the bloc, a years-long negotiating process requiring harmonisation
with EU legislation, among other things. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan
underlined to the cabinet on Thursday that the public should not expect a rapid
accession, and that it would in any case require approval by referendum. In
2023, Pashinyan told the European Parliament that Armenia was ready to move as
close to the EU as possible, although he stopped short of backing full
membership. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Russia needed to
understand Brussels' position, and that Armenia could not join the EU while
remaining a member of the Eurasian Economic Union, a trading bloc of some
post-Soviet countries. Though Armenia's relations with the EU are warm, joining
will not be easy. The landlocked, mountainous country
of 2.7 million people shares no border with the EU and has been in conflict with
Azerbaijan, a major gas supplier to EU countries, since the late 1980s.
Azerbaijan in 2023 mounted a lightning offensive to retake control of
Nagorno-Karabakh, a breakaway region that had been run for more than three
decades by its ethnic Armenian majority with Yerevan's backing, prompting its
population to flee.
This week, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said Armenia presented a "fascist"
threat that had to be destroyed, in what Yerevan said might be a prelude to
fresh conflict.
The man who could become Canada's future PM
Nadine Yousif - BBC News, Toronto/January 09/2025
Canada's Conservative Party leader - now 45 - laid out a low-tax, small
government vision for the country in an essay contest on what he would do as
prime minister.
"A dollar left in the hands of consumers and investors is more productive than a
dollar spent by a politician," he stated. Poilievre is one step closer to making
his vision a reality, and even gave a nod to the essay in a recent interview
with conservative psychologist and commentator Jordan Peterson. For months,
Poilievre's Conservatives have enjoyed a large lead over the struggling Liberals
in national surveys, suggesting they would win a majority government if an
election were held today. Now Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced he's
standing down, and with an election likely to be called soon, Poilievre is
promising a return to "common sense politics".For Canadians frustrated with a
sluggish economy and a housing and affordability crisis, he is offering an
alternative to what he has labelled as Trudeau's "authoritarian socialism". A
win would make him part of a wave of populist leaders on the right who have
toppled incumbent governments in the west.
While it has invited comparisons to Donald Trump - and he has fans like Elon
Musk and others in the US president-elect's orbit - Poilievre story is very much
a Canadian one.
A Calgarian with his eyes set on Ottawa
Poilievre was born in Canada's western province of Alberta to a 16-year-old
mother who put him up for adoption. He was taken in by two school teachers, who
raised him in suburban Calgary. "I have always believed that it is voluntary
generosity among family and community that are the greatest social safety net
that we can ever have," he told Maclean's Magazine in 2022, reflecting on his
early life.
"That's kind of my starting point."
As a teenager, Poilievre showed an early interest in politics, and canvassed for
local conservatives. Poilievre was studying international relations at the
University of Calgary when he met Stockwell Day, who served as a cabinet
minister under former Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper. At the time,
Day was seeking the leadership of the Canadian Alliance - a right-wing party
with Alberta roots that became part of the modern-day Conservatives in a 2003
merger - and he tapped Poilievre to help with campus outreach.
"He impressed me from the start," Day told the BBC in an interview. "He seemed
to be a level-headed guy, but full of energy and able to catch people's
attention."
Day's leadership bid was successful, and he set out for Ottawa with Poilievre as
his assistant. Some time after, Poilievre walked into his office on a cold
winter night to ask his opinion about potentially running for office. Poilievre
went on to win a seat in Ottawa in 2004 at the age of 25, making him one of the
youngest elected Conservatives at the time. He has held that seat since.
Canada's Conservative Party newly elected leader Pierre Poilievre (L) and his
wife Anaida wave to supporters during the Conservative Party Convention at the
Shaw Centre, Ottawa, Canada on September 10, 2022.
Pierre Poilievre with his wife, Anaida, have two young children [Getty Images]
From "Skippy" to party leader
In Ottawa, Poilievre was given the nickname Skippy by peers and foes alike due
to to his youthful enthusiasm and sharp tongue. He built a reputation for being
"highly combative and partisan", said Randy Besco, an assistant professor of
political science at the University of Toronto. Behind the closed doors of
Conservative caucus meetings, Poilievre showed his diplomatic side, Day said.
"Pierre was always good at saying, 'Okay, you know what? I hadn't thought of
that,' or he would listen and say: 'Have you thought of this?'" said Day.
Still, confrontational politics became a cornerstone of Poilievre's public
persona. After becoming Conservative leader in 2022, he would target Trudeau
with biting remarks as a way to connect with disaffected voters. It has landed
him in trouble at times. In April, he was expelled from the House of Commons for
calling the prime minister a "wacko".
Poilievre told the Montreal Gazette in June that he is a fan of "straight talk".
"I think when politesse is in conflict with the truth, I choose the truth," he
said. "I think we've been too polite for too long with our political class." His
combative style has also been divisive, and he has been criticised for
oversimplifying complex issues for political gain.
While Canadians have been open to the opposition leader's message as a change
from Trudeau's brand of progressive politics, just over half of them hold an
unfavourable opinion of him, according to the latest polls. Poilievre has also
had to shift his sights since Trudeau's resignation announcement, to get ahead
of the inevitable match-up between him and the next Liberal leader.
Poilievre on populism, immigration and Trump
The Conservative leader has been described as a "soft" populist for his direct
appeals to everyday Canadians and criticism of establishment elites, including
corporate Canada.
He came out in support of those who protested vaccine mandates during the 2021
"Freedom Convoy" demonstrations that gridlocked Ottawa for weeks. He has pledged
to deliver "the biggest crackdown on crime in Canadian history", promising to
keep repeat offenders behind bars. On social matters, Poilievre has rarely
weighed in - something Prof Besco said is typical of senior Conservatives, who
see these topics as "a losing issue". While Poilievre voted against legalising
gay marriage in the early 2000s, he recently said it will remain legal "full
stop" if he is elected. The Conservatives also do not support legislation to
regulate abortion, though they allow MPs to vote freely on the issue.
"I would lead a small government that minds its own business," Poilievre said in
June.
Amid a public debate in Canada in recent months on immigration, the party has
said it would tie levels of newcomers to the number of new homes built, and
focus on bringing in skilled workers. Poilievre's wife, Anaida, arrived in
Canada as a child refugee from Caracas, Venezuela. The Conservative leader has
pushed for the integration of newcomers, saying Canada does not need to be a
"hyphenated society". One of his major promises - to cut Trudeau's national
carbon pricing programme, arguing it is a financial burden for families - has
raised questions over how his government would tackle pressing issues like
climate change. Canada also faces the threat of steep tariffs when Trump takes
office later this month, with the US-Canada relationship expected to be a major
challenge.
Poilievre has pushed back at Trump's comments suggesting Canada become a 51st US
state, vowing to "put Canada first". He has not stepped much into foreign policy
otherwise, with his messaging focused instead on restoring "the Canadian dream".
Above all, Poilievre says he wants to do away with "grandiosity" and "utopian
wokesim" that he believes has defined the Trudeau era, in favour of the "the
things that are grand and great about the common people". "I've been saying
precisely the same thing this entire time," he told Mr Peterson. Canada's Justin
Trudeau cites 'internal battles' as he ends nine-year run. Who might replace
Trudeau as Liberal Party leader?
A top Iranian general said Russia was actually bombing the empty
desert while saying it was attacking Syrian rebels
Matthew Loh/Business Insider/January 9, 2025
Israel launches new airstrikes on Beirut, weighs retaliation against IranScroll
back up to restore default view.Behrouz Esbati, an Iranian general, partially
blamed Russia for the fall of Bashar Assad in Syria. In a speech in Tehran,
Esbati accused Russia of bombing an empty desert instead of hitting Syrian
rebels.While difficult to verify, his frank remarks are notable since Russia is
one of Iran's strongest allies. A top Iranian general has accused Russia of
lying to Tehran by saying its jets were attacking Syrian rebels while they were
instead bombing the open desert. In a rare break from Iran's diplomatic line on
Syria, Brig. Gen. Behrouz Esbati partially blamed Moscow for the fall of Bashar
Assad's government during a speech at a mosque in Tehran. An audio recording of
the speech was published on Tuesday by Abdullah Abdi, a journalist in Geneva who
reports on Iran. "We were defeated, and defeated very badly. We took a very big
blow, and it's been very difficult," Esbati said of Assad's fall, according to a
translation by The New York Times. In the recording, Esbati, a senior commander
of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, said Russia told Tehran it was bombing
the headquarters of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the rebel group spearheading Assad's
ousting. But Moscow's forces were instead "targeting deserts," Esbati said.
Esbati further accused Russia of turning off radars when Israel launched strikes
on Syria in 2024, allowing Tel Aviv's forces to attack more effectively.
The general also largely blamed internal corruption for Assad's fall, saying
bribery was rife among Syria's top-ranking officials and generals. He added that
relations between Damascus and Tehran grew tense over the last year because
Assad refused an Iranian request to facilitate attacks on Israel through Syria.
Business Insider couldn't independently verify Esbati's claims. But they
represent an exceptionally frank assessment among Iran's top ranks of its
position in Syria, where a new political leadership is still coalescing in
Assad's absence.
Iran officially held a much milder tone as Assad's government fell, saying at
the time that the fate of Syria would be up to its people and that it "will
spare no effort to help establish security and stability in Syria." Assad, a
longtime ally of both Iran and Russia, fled Damascus in early December as Hayat
Tahrir al-Sham forces stormed toward the capital from the northwest.
International observers believe the rebel advance largely happened as Moscow, a
key source of military strength for Assad, found its resources stretched thin by
the war in Ukraine. The Russian defense ministry didn't respond to a request for
comment from BI sent outside regular business hours. Esbati's remarks came as a
former senior aide to Assad told the Saudi government-owned outlet Al Arabiya on
Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin had stalled military assistance for
Syria. Kamel Saqr said that Assad had asked Putin to personally approve
airlifting military aid to Syria — and that the Russian leader agreed. The aid
was to be transported via Iranian aircraft, but Saqr said Tehran told Assad it
didn't receive any requests from Moscow. Assad then asked Moscow about this, but
"no answer came," Saqr said. Assad's fall, which neither Moscow nor Tehran
stepped up to prevent, has brought deep implications for Russia's forces in the
region. Moscow had previously relied on an airbase and a naval base, which it
maintained under a deal with Assad, for its operations in Africa and the
Mediterranean. It's unclear whether Russia will eventually be able to continue
maintaining those two facilities, but reports show that it's preparing to move
much of its equipment out of Syria. On Friday, Ukraine said Moscow was planning
to move its assets to Libya.
Firefighters battle devastating Los Angeles wildfires as winds
calm somewhat
AP/January 09, 2025
LOS ANGELES: Firefighters battled early Thursday to control a series of major
fires in the Los Angeles area that have killed five people, ravaged communities
from the Pacific Coast to Pasadena and sent thousands of people frantically
fleeing their homes.
Ferocious winds that drove the flames and led to chaotic evacuations have calmed
somewhat and were not expected to be as powerful during the day. That could
provide an opportunity for firefighters to make progress reining in blazes that
have hopscotched across the sprawling region, including massive ones in Pacific
Palisades and Altadena.
The latest flames broke out Wednesday evening in the Hollywood Hills, striking
closer to the heart of the city and the roots of its entertainment industry and
putting densely populated neighborhoods on edge during exceptionally windy and
dry conditions. But only about a mile away, the streets around the Hollywood
Walk of Fame, the TCL Chinese Theatre and Madame Tussauds were bustling, and
onlookers used their phones to record video of the blazing hills.Within a few
hours, firefighters had made major progress on the Sunset Fire in the hills. Los
Angeles Fire Department Capt. Erik Scott said they were able to keep the fire in
check because “we hit it hard and fast and mother nature was a little nicer to
us today than she was yesterday.”A day earlier, hurricane-force winds blew
embers through the air, igniting block after block in the coastal neighborhood
of Pacific Palisades as well as in Altadena, a community near Pasadena that is
about 25 miles (40 kilometers) east. Aircraft had to be grounded for a time
because of the winds, hampering firefighting efforts. Nearly 2,000 homes,
businesses and other structures have been destroyed in those blazes — called the
Palisades and Eaton fires — and the number is expected to increase. The five
deaths recorded so far were from the Eaton Fire. Some 130,000 people have been
put under evacuation orders, as fires have consumed a total of about 42 square
miles (108 square kilometers) — nearly the size of the entire city of San
Francisco. The Palisades Fire is already the most destructive in Los Angeles
history. As flames moved through his neighborhood, Jose Velasquez sprayed down
his family’s Altadena home with water as embers rained down on the roof. He
managed to save their home, which also houses their family business selling
churros, a Mexican pastry. Others weren’t so lucky. Many of his neighbors were
at work when they lost their homes.
“So we had to call a few people and then we had people messaging, asking if
their house was still standing,” he said. “We had to tell them that it’s not.”
In Pasadena, Fire Chief Chad Augustin said the city’s water system was stretched
and was further hampered by power outages, but even without those issues,
firefighters would not have been able to stop the fire due to the intense winds
fanning the flames.
“Those erratic wind gusts were throwing embers for multiple miles ahead of the
fire,” he said. The dramatic level of destruction was apparent in a comparison
of satellite images before and after the fire. A swath of about 250 homes in an
Altadena neighborhood that had been dotted with the green canopies of leafy
trees and aquamarine swimming pools was reduced to rubble. Only a few homes were
left standing and some were still in flames in images from Maxar Technologies.
Along a stretch of about 70 wall-to-wall homes overhanging the Pacific Ocean in
Malibu, fewer than 10 appeared to be intact. In Pacific Palisades, a hillside
area along the coast dotted with celebrity homes, block after block of
California Mission Style homes and bungalows were reduced to charred remains.
Ornate iron railing wrapped around the smoldering frame of one house Swimming
pools were blackened with soot, and sports cars slumped on melted tires. More
than half a dozen schools in the area were either damaged or destroyed, and UCLA
has canceled classes for the week. Another fire has hit Sylmar, a middle and
working-class area on the northern edge of the San Fernando Valley that has been
the site of many devastating blazes.
Fast-moving flames allowed little time to escape
The main fires grew rapidly in distinctly different areas that had two things in
common: densely packed streets of homes in places that are choked with
vegetation and primed to burn in dry conditions. Flames moved so quickly that
many barely had time to escape. Police sought shelter inside their patrol cars,
and residents at a senior living center were pushed in wheelchairs and hospital
beds down a street to safety. In the race to get away in Pacific Palisades,
roadways became impassable when scores of people abandoned their vehicles and
set out on foot.
Actors lost homes
The flames marched toward highly populated and affluent neighborhoods, including
Calabasas and Santa Monica, home to California’s rich and famous. Mandy Moore,
Cary Elwes and Paris Hilton were among the stars who lost homes. Billy Crystal
and his wife Janice lost their home of 45 years in the Palisades Fire. “We
raised our children and grandchildren here. Every inch of our house was filled
with love. Beautiful memories that can’t be taken away,” the Crystals wrote in
the statement. In Palisades Village, the public library, two major grocery
stores, a pair of banks and several boutiques were destroyed. “It’s just really
weird coming back to somewhere that doesn’t really exist anymore,” said Dylan
Vincent, who returned to the neighborhood to retrieve some items and saw that
his elementary school had burned down and that whole blocks had been flattened.
Higher temperatures and less rain mean a longer fire season
California’s wildfire season is beginning earlier and ending later due to rising
temperatures and decreased rainfall tied to climate change, according to recent
data. Rains that usually end fire season are often delayed, meaning fires can
burn through the winter months, according to the Western Fire Chiefs
Association. Dry winds, including the notorious Santa Anas, have contributed to
warmer-than-average temperatures in Southern California, which has not seen more
than 0.1 inches (2.5 millimeters) of rain since early May. The winds increased
to 80 mph (129 kph) Wednesday, according to reports received by the National
Weather Service. Fire conditions could last through Friday — but wind speeds
were expected to be lower on Thursday.
Landmarks get scorched and studios suspend production
President Joe Biden signed a federal emergency declaration after arriving at a
Santa Monica fire station for a briefing with Gov. Gavin Newsom, who dispatched
National Guard troops to help. Several Hollywood studios suspended production,
and Universal Studios closed its theme park between Pasadena and Pacific
Palisades. As of early Thursday, around 250,000 people were without power in
southern California, according to the tracking website PowerOutage.us. Several
Southern California landmarks were heavily damaged, including the Reel Inn in
Malibu, a seafood restaurant. Owner Teddy Leonard and her husband hope to
rebuild. “When you look at the grand scheme of things, as long as your family is
well and everyone’s alive, you’re still winning, right?” she said.
The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources
on January 09-10/2025
Media, International
Community Ignore Palestinian Crimes Against Palestinians
Bassam Tawil/Gatestone Institute./January 09/2025
"[M]edia freedoms" have never existed under the Palestinian Authority in the
West Bank and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. For many years, the two parties have been
imposing restrictions on Palestinian journalists, including a ban on criticizing
PA and Hamas leaders. Palestinian journalists and activists who dared to speak
out against the PA or Hamas found themselves incarcerated, and sometimes dead.
The silence of the international community and the so-called "pro-Palestinian"
activists on the university campuses in the US and across the West has only
encouraged the PA to dismiss launching an investigation into the killing of al-Sabbagh.
By turning a blind eye to violations committed by Palestinians against their own
people, the international community, which appears to be solely obsessed with
Israel, is displaying its hypocrisy, double standards and bigotry. Instead of
helping the Palestinians, it is doing them a great, massive, gigantic
disservice.
The family of a Palestinian female journalist has accused the Palestinian
Authority (PA) security forces of killing their daughter in Jenin Refugee Camp.
"Media freedoms" have never existed under the Palestinian Authority in the West
Bank and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. For many years, the two parties have imposed
restrictions on Palestinian journalists, including a ban on criticizing PA and
Hamas leaders.
The family of a Palestinian female journalist has accused the Palestinian
Authority (PA) security forces of killing their daughter in Jenin Refugee Camp
in the northern West Bank. Shatha al-Sabbagh, 22, was reportedly shot in the
head by a PA sniper on December 29, 2024, as she walked out of her home. PA
officials have denied the allegation and claimed that al-Sabbagh was killed by
gunmen in the camp.
Anwar Rajab, spokesperson for the PA security forces, condemned the killing as a
"despicable crime" and claimed that PA security forces were not present in the
area. Rajab accused "outlaws" in the camp of shooting the journalist and vowed
to pursue the "murderers."
While the killing of al-Sabbagh drew strong denunciations from many
Palestinians, international human rights organizations and foreign journalists
have shown little interest in her story. By contrast, when Shireen Abu Akleh,
another female journalist, was killed during clashes between Israeli soldiers
and gunmen in Jenin Refugee Camp in 2022, human rights activists, journalists,
and countless self-righteous governments were quick to lambaste Israel and
demand an inquiry into the circumstances of her death.
Al-Sabbagh was killed by Palestinians: either a PA sniper or gunmen in Jenin
Refugee Camp. That is why her story has not made it to the front pages of major
newspapers in the West. Had she been killed by Israeli troops, it is likely that
the United Nations and innumerable Western media outlets would have picked up
the story from day one. As far as many in the international community are
concerned, however, when Palestinians kill Palestinians, "there is nothing to
see here."
It is worth noting that al-Sabbagh was one of eight Palestinians killed by PA
security officers over the past month. The Palestinian security forces, after
gunmen stole two vehicles belonging to the PA last month, launched a security
operation targeting Iran-backed gunmen inside Jenin Refugee Camp. The camp has
since been besieged by PA security forces, who cut off water and electricity to
thousands of Palestinians living there.
Again, the distress of the residents of the camp, who have been left without
water and electricity, has failed to win the attention of most international
human rights organizations and foreign journalists. Instead, there is widespread
coverage of the "suffering" of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, where the
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have been fighting Hamas terrorists for the past 15
months.
If Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are "suffering," that is because of the war
initiated by Hamas on October 7, 2023. Then, thousands of Hamas terrorists and
"ordinary" Palestinians invaded communities in Israel, murdered 1,200 Israelis,
many of whom were raped, tortured, beheaded and burned alive, and wounded
thousands more. More than 240 Israelis were kidnapped to the Gaza Strip, where
100 remain captives.
If civilians are being killed in the Gaza Strip, it is because Hamas is using
them as human shields in the war with Israel. Hamas terrorists have turned
hospitals, schools, homes and humanitarian zones into bases for launching
attacks against IDF soldiers, and turned mosques into weapons depots. The few
instances of Palestinian journalists killed during the Israel-Hamas war have
gained the attention of many Western media outlets, while the killing of al-Sabbagh
at the hands of Palestinians in Jenin Refugee Camp is being ignored.
The Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA) has called for
the establishment of an independent investigative committee to examine the
circumstances surrounding the killing of al-Sabbagh, adding:
"MADA expresses grave concern over the killing of journalist SHATHA AL-SABBAGH,
extending its full solidarity to her family and colleagues. The Center
emphasizes that press freedom is a cornerstone of any democratic society and
views this incident as a severe setback to media freedoms in Palestine, marking
a critical turning point...
"MADA demands accountability for those responsible for these recurring crimes
against the Palestinian people. It also calls on all political forces, factions,
societal figures, and human rights institutions to take a firm stand against
these oppressive and violent practices, work to halt violations against
Palestinians, and ensure their protection."
First, it is important to note that "media freedoms" have never existed under
the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. For many
years, the two parties have been imposing restrictions on Palestinian
journalists, including a ban on criticizing PA and Hamas leaders. Palestinian
journalists and activists who dared to speak out against the PA or Hamas found
themselves incarcerated, and sometimes dead.
In 2017, the PA passed a cybercrime law that has been used to silence online
dissent and arrest critics. In the Gaza Strip, Palestinian journalists have been
frequently beaten and arrested by Hamas since the terror group seized control of
the coastal enclave in 2007.
Second, the chances that a commission of inquiry would be formed to investigate
the circumstances surrounding the killing of al-Sabbagh are zero. In the past,
similar calls for investigating PA human rights violations have gone unheeded.
The silence of the international community and the so-called "pro-Palestinian"
activists on the university campuses in the US and across the West has only
encouraged the PA to dismiss launching an investigation into the killing of al-Sabbagh.
Many journalists living under the Palestinian Authority wish that they could
have a free media, like the one in Israel. In the end, they got a media just
like those in dictatorships.
By turning a blind eye to violations committed by Palestinians against their own
people, the international community, which appears to be solely obsessed with
Israel, is displaying its hypocrisy, double standards and bigotry. Instead of
helping the Palestinians, it is doing them a great, massive, gigantic
disservice.
*Bassam Tawil is a Muslim Arab based in the Middle East. His work is made
possible through the generous donation of a couple of donors who wished to
remain anonymous. Gatestone is most grateful.
© 2025 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.
Trump can’t leave Syria to others
Sinan Ciddi/Washington Examiner/January 09/2025
After the fall of Bashar Assad‘s regime in Syria, the incoming Trump
administration faces a complex set of challenges. Despite President-elect Donald
Trump’s promise to reduce U.S. involvement overseas, completely disengaging from
Syria may not be a viable option.
The interim government led by Hayat Tahrir al Sham has shown little intention of
quickly transitioning to an elected government. Instead, it has proposed a
lengthy four-year timeline, signaling Abu Mohammad al Jolani’s ambition to
maintain power. Jolani, a U.S.-designated terrorist with past ties to al Qaida
and the Islamic State group, has claimed he intends to build an inclusive and
tolerant government. However, his actions tell a different story. Early moves by
HTS suggest a commitment to implementing Sharia law, introducing an Islamist
curriculum for children, and appointing officials with ties to extremist
ideologies.
The outgoing Biden administration and European allies are uncertain about
whether Jolani can be trusted. Western delegations, including those from Germany
and the United Kingdom, are considering removing HTS from their terrorist lists
— a step that would be premature and perilous. Jolani’s moderate rhetoric is
undermined by concrete actions that lean toward extremism.
However, these developments should not distract the Trump administration from
its primary objectives in Syria. The United States does not need to engage in
nation-building but must continue its support for the Syrian Democratic Forces.
This support is essential to prevent a resurgence of the Islamic State group and
to monitor the HTS-led government, discouraging it from developing into an
extremist regime akin to the Taliban.
Maintaining U.S. involvement will be challenging, especially given pressure from
Turkey. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is likely to urge Trump to withdraw U.S.
forces and let Ankara handle Syria. While this might align with Trump’s “America
First” policy, it could destabilize the region. Turkey’s interests often clash
with those of the SDF, given the group’s ties to the Kurdistan Workers Party,
which Turkey views as a terrorist organization.
Turkey-backed militias, operating under the Syrian National Army, have already
clashed with the SDF in areas such as Manbij, with broader conflict possible in
Kurdish-majority areas such as Kobane and Qamishli. Ankara has also provided air
support to these militias, further escalating tensions. Turkey has demanded the
SDF disband and Kurdish leaders leave Syria, a move that would jeopardize the
Kurds’ safety and autonomy.
A Kurdish autonomous administration governs northeast Syria, ensuring civilian
protection and preventing the Islamic State group from regrouping. Jolani’s HTS
government appears sympathetic to Turkey’s plans to dismantle this autonomy.
Iraqi Kurds have also aligned with Erdogan, labeling the SDF as terrorists. If
the U.S. abandons the SDF, two likely outcomes emerge: an Islamic State group
resurgence and a prolonged conflict between the SDF and Turkish-backed forces,
possibly leading to a wider regional war.
The Kurds are open to negotiations but will resist any imposed statelessness.
The Biden administration has signaled its support for the SDF by establishing a
military base in Kobane. It remains to be seen whether Trump will maintain this
commitment.
Another critical concern is Israel. Jolani has remained silent about his stance
on Israel, even as Israeli forces occupy parts of Syria’s Golan Heights. Israel
fears an Islamist regime in Syria, especially one sympathetic to Erdogan.
Turkey’s hostility toward Israel, exemplified by Erdogan’s son leading pro-Hamas
rallies, raises further concerns. Given Turkey’s past support for HTS, there is
little to assure Israel that Jolani will not align with Erdogan’s agenda.
None of these challenges offer simple solutions. The sudden overthrow of Assad
by jihadist groups has left Syria in a precarious state. Trusting Jolani’s
transformation from extremist to moderate leader is risky. History provides
cautionary examples, including Erdogan, who initially promised democratic
reforms but later steered Turkey toward authoritarianism.
While Erdogan’s rule cannot be equated with Jolani’s extremism, the dangers of
legitimizing HTS are clear. The U.S. must maintain its modest commitment to the
region, supporting the SDF and deterring the rise of another extremist regime.
Abandoning Syria at this juncture could have catastrophic consequences for
regional stability and global security.
*Sinan Ciddi (@SinanCiddi) is a nonresident senior fellow at the Foundation for
Defense of Democracies.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/restoring-america/courage-strength-optimism/3276175/trump-cant-leave-syria-to-others/#google_vignette
Turkey Is Preparing to Invade Syria, Then Israel?
Sinan Ciddi/ 1945 website/January 09/2025
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is making no effort to disguise his ambitions. In
a bold declaration following the first meeting of Turkey’s cabinet, Erdogan made
it clear that he intends to target the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
His message to Washington was unequivocal:
“A new era has begun in Syria… Turkey has shown what kind of will it has to
protect its survival and security. If it comes to that again, ‘we may come
suddenly one night’. The circle is narrowing for the separatist organization and
its extensions in Syria. As the government and the alliance, we will achieve our
goal of a terror-free Turkey, one way or another. Of course, we hope this will
happen safely. If this road is blocked and dynamited, then we will not hesitate
to strike with the iron fist of the state wrapped in velvet gloves.”
While the Biden administration nears the end of its term, Erdogan is laying the
groundwork for a military assault to neutralize the SDF. Recent clashes between
the SDF and Turkish-backed militias operating under the “Syrian National Army”
banner underscore Erdogan’s determination.
The SDF, recognized globally for its pivotal role in combating the Islamic State
(ISIS), now faces an existential threat as it fights to defend its autonomous
zone in northern Syria. For Syrian Kurds and other communities opposed to
jihadist governance, Erdogan’s ambitions signal a grim future.
The interim government in Syria, dominated by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), raises
additional concerns. Despite presenting a rebranded image, HTS has historical
connections to extremist groups like ISIS and Al Qaeda. Its leaders, now donning
suits and offering platitudes of moderation, cannot hide their true intentions.
HTS officials have left a disturbing trail of evidence. The interim
Minister of Justice is accused of overseeing public executions of Syrian women.
Anas Khattab, who is a U.N designated terrorist, previously recruited by
Turkey’s intelligence service MIT, was appointed Syria’s interim intelligence
chief. Khattab has previous ties to ISIS-linked Al Nusrah front. The interim
head of Syria’s Women’s Affairs declared she would not “not allow space for
those who disagree with my views [on women’s affairs].
There are many other interim cabinet officials with known ties to al-Qaeda,
Jabhat al-Nusra, and HTS. Many of the cabinet members are thought to hold dual
Syrian-Turkish nationality, including Syria’s interim Foreign Minister.
Meanwhile, HTS elites have declared that Syria’s interim government will operate
under Islamic law and delay democratic elections for up to four years. Such a
delay raises serious doubts about their commitment to representative governance.
European leaders are not buying HTS’s claims of moderation. During a visit to
Syria, Germany’s foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock criticized the group and
dismissed any role for Germany as a “financier of Islamist structures.” HTS
leader Abu Mohammad al-Jolani’s refusal to shake the German minister’s hand only
reinforced skepticism.
The Syria Crisis Unfolds
As outgoing Biden administration officials quietly update their resumes,
Washington must face the uncomfortable truth: while Turkish-backed jihadists may
have helped dislodge the Assad regime, they are paving the way for another
authoritarian and extremist government.
Erdogan’s motives extend beyond ideology. Ankara seeks to install a pliable
regime in Damascus, one that aligns with Turkey’s strategic interests. Turkey is
prepared to offer military aid, training, and reconstruction support, along with
lucrative contracts for Turkish firms. Erdogan also wants HTS to assist in
eliminating the SDF, reinforcing his tough-on-terrorism image domestically.
Currently, Erdogan is amassing troops along Turkey’s border with Syria.
Turkish air support has already aided the Syrian National Army, and a full-scale
military incursion appears imminent. If Washington fails to act decisively, it
must brace for the consequences of Erdogan’s unchecked ambitions.
Israel, too, is watching closely. A recent report by Israel’s Nagel
Commission warned of the dangers posed by stronger ties between Turkey and a
jihadist-led Syrian government. Such an alliance, the report cautioned, could
fast-track the emergence of a Syrian-Turkish threat.The question is no longer
whether Erdogan will act but what the United States and its allies will do to
prevent a disaster. Time is running out.
**Sinan Ciddi is a non-resident senior fellow at FDD and an expert on Turkish
politics. He is also an Associate Professor of National Security Studies at
Marine Corps University (MCU). Prior to joining MCU, Sinan was the Executive
Director of the Institute of Turkish Studies, based at Georgetown University
(2011-2020). He continues to serve as an Adjunct Associate Professor at
Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. Sinan is the author of
Kemalism in Turkish Politics: The Republican People’s Party: Secularism and
Nationalism (Routledge, January 2009) a book which explains the electoral
weakness of Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party. He obtained his
Ph.D. from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London in
2007 in the field of Political Science.
The ‘War on Christmas’ (and All Christian Holy Days) in
Egypt: How a Persecuted Minority Spends the Holidays
Raymond Ibrahim/Coptic Solidarity/January 09/2025
In a recent article for the Wall Street Journal, Daniel Pipes, president of the
Middle East Forum, correctly observed that,
Few things foster a sense of common humanity as much as the adherents of one
religion offering warm holiday wishes to members of another. Yet some people
reject this geniality on principle. Islamists—Muslims intent on returning to a
medieval law code—despise any holiday not sanctioned by Islam. This archaic and
bigoted attitude provides context for the New Year’s Day massacre in New Orleans
that left 14 dead and dozens injured. Islamic theologians of the Middle Ages set
out the general approach. Ibn Taymiya (1263-1328) argued that joining
non-Muslims in their festivals is equivalent to “agreeing to infidelity.” His
student Ibn al-Qayyim (1292-1350) specified that congratulating non-Muslims on
their holidays “is a greater sin than congratulating them for drinking wine,
having illegal sexual intercourse, and so on.”
The examples he gave (mostly from Western countries) of violent incidents over
the past few years are quite pertinent.
Indeed, seldom does a Christmas approach without some Muslim “warning” fellow
Muslims against congratulating the infidels during their celebrations. This past
Christmas was no different.
Just a few days ago, a popular Algerian soccer player in Egypt, Ahmed Qandousi,
offered several such warnings on his Instagram. In one he wrote, “I am a Muslim:
I do not attribute a son to God. This is my doctrine. Nor do I celebrate with
those who attribute a son to God.” In another he wrote, “Your celebration of the
New Year, O Muslim … only exposes the extent of your ignorance concerning your
religion and the weakness of your doctrine.”
Qandousi’s remarks were such that they provoked several Coptic Christian groups
in Egypt to launch a campaign demanding that such a divisive figure, who is not
even a citizen, be banned from participating in Egypt’s sports: “We also
demand,” the campaign adds, “that the Minister of Interior deport this player to
his country, Algeria, as Qandousi mocks the Christian religion, incites hatred
against Christians, and mocks the celebration of New Year’s Eve. In addition, he
constitutes a crime of contempt for religions, a threat to national unity, and
incites sectarian strife, which is punishable by law.”
So far, no action has been taken by the club or the authorities.
To be sure, if the shoe was on the other foot—if a Christian publicly mocked
(however unthinkable that might be) or urged fellow Christians not to recognize
Muslim holidays in Egypt—being “deported” or “punished by law” would be the
least of his worries.
But of course, for the Copts of Egypt, being told that they celebrate a false
holiday is the least of their worries come Christmas time. More alarming are the
violent attacks on them and their churches that not unfrequently spark out
during this festive season.
The most recent one occurred last Christmas Eve in Egypt (which, according to
the Orthodox calendar, occurs on January 6—thus, January 6, 2024): Muslim
fanatics torched a prayer tent in the village of Mansheyet Zafarana in the Abu
Qurqas district, Minya Governorate (images of this "tent church," before and
after the fire, below).
This was déjà vu. Exactly five years earlier, on Christmas Day, 2019, Muslim
fanatics torched the actual church building that had once stood in that village.
So for last year’s Christmas, Coptic Christians set up a prayer tent with chairs
inside, near where their torched church once stood, in an effort to celebrate
Christ’s birth. Not ones to concede to such a small concession, fanatic Muslims
torched that church tent as well.
This incident is hardly the first time that fanatic Muslims torch, not just
churches, but church tents specifically set up for holiday worship, both in
Egypt and several other Muslim nations (as noted here). As one example, after 45
years of waiting, the Christians of Nag Shenouda, Egypt, finally got a permit to
build a church in 2016. Some local Muslims responded by rioting and burning down
the temporary tent that those Copts had erected to worship under (a different
incident from this similar one). Denied, the Christians of Nag Shenouda
celebrated Easter in the street, to Muslims jeers and sneers (picture here).
All of this is to say nothing of the many lethal terror attacks to target Coptic
churches in Egypt during Christmas and other Christian holidays. Examples
follow:
After Christmas Eve mass, 2010, six Christians were shot dead while exiting
their church.
During New Year’s Eve mass, 2011, a church in Alexandria was bombed; at least 23
Christians were killed. According to eyewitnesses, “body parts were strewn all
over the street outside” and “were brought inside the church after some Muslims
started stepping on them and chanting Jihadi chants,” including “Allahu Akbar!”
(Allah is greater).
On April 12, 2015, Easter Sunday, two explosions targeting two separate churches
took place in Egypt. Although no casualties were reported—hence no reporting in
Western media—large numbers could easily have resulted, based on precedent.
On Sunday December 11, 2016, a cathedral in Cairo was bombed during mass; at
least 27 churchgoers, mostly women and children, were killed.
On April 9, 2017, Palm Sunday, two Christian churches were bombed during mass;
at least 50 worshippers were killed.
As for the most recent holiday-timed attack mentioned above—the torching of a
prayer tent on Christmas Eve in Mansheyet Zafarana on January 6, 2024—it should
be noted that, after the fanatic Muslims had burned the original church building
that stood in place of the tent in 2019, the Copts had applied through the
official channels for a permit to rebuild it. Six years later, authorization has
yet to be granted by the presidential commission that handles such matters in
Egypt.
Also, the church building that was torched on Christmas Day, 2019, in Mansheyet
Zafarana, was only one of many that were attacked by extremist Muslims or closed
down by complicit authorities during that time. As such, the reader is left with
a trip down memory lane, based on contemporary reporting of what was happening
to Coptic churches in Egypt during Christmas of 2019:
An Islamic terror plot to bomb a packed Christian church on the evening of
January 6 [2019], when Coptic Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas, was
foiled by police. According to one report, “[F]our explosive devices were
planted around the Church of the Virgin Mary and St Mercurius in … Nasr City.
Three were removed safely but the fourth, concealed in a bag, exploded when
police bomb disposal technicians attempted to deactivate it. Police Major
Mostafa Ebeid was killed in the blast, which wounded two other officers and a
bystander. The explosion was the latest in a series of incidents apparently
targeting Egypt’s Coptic Christian population, occurring the day before Orthodox
Christmas eve”….
More generally, between late December and early January, authorities forcibly
shut down four more churches in Egypt after angry Muslim mobs rioted to protest
their existence. In one instance, on Friday, January 11, more than one thousand
Muslims surrounded the St George Church in Minya and demanded its immediate
closure. Not only did authorities comply, they evicted the two priests who were
holed up inside the church and hauled them off in a vehicle used for garbage.
The move prompted “an elated response from a jubilating, gloating mob,” along
with triumphant cries of “Allahu Akbar!” (“Allah is greater!”)
Police “behaved with the priests as they would with killers,” one human rights
lawyer said. “What happened frightened us,” added another clergyman. “I am a
priest and it is possible for the police to cuff me if the extremist neighboring
Muslims protest or gathered in front of my church. Things are getting worse, but
let us pray to make God keep us in peace.”…
A January 15 report discussing this attack comments that, “In total, Egyptian
authorities have closed four churches within the last four and a half weeks. No
formal procedures against the attackers of these churches have begun.”
As mentioned, Christmas in Egypt is celebrated on January 6-7, meaning it is too
early to know how fared the Copts this Nativity season. One hopes it is better
than usual.
Raymond Ibrahim © 2025.
History will not be kind to Biden’s presidency
Osama Al-Sharif/Arab News/January 09, 2025
In less than two weeks, President Joe Biden will leave the White House, ending
his one-term presidency, which analysts agree has left the long-time US
politician frustrated and disillusioned about his legacy and achievements.
Biden, now 82, has already set many personal records that he would rather be
omitted from history. His most prominent foe was his age and mental state;
notably, his poor performance at last June’s presidential debate, which turned
his world around, drove his closest allies to work against him and eventually
forced him to pull out of the race.
This was not how things were supposed to work out. When he defeated the
incumbent Donald Trump in 2020, Biden declared to the world that “America was
back,” a direct snub to his predecessor, who had America’s allies and enemies
baffled by his unpredictable and maverick leadership style. Biden vowed to
reengage the US in global affairs, from defending democracy, law and order by
opting for diplomacy over military interventions to protecting the environment
and being at the forefront of addressing the world’s most pressing challenges,
such as climate change.
The former vice president had no real answers to the global challenges that
unfolded during his presidency. owever, the former US senator and vice
president, who spent most of his life in Washington as a legislator, especially
in foreign policy, had no real answers to the global challenges that unfolded
during his presidency. Pundits are divided over his response to Russia’s
invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and whether his failure to address Vladimir
Putin’s genuine concerns about Kyiv’s overtures with NATO contributed to
Moscow’s choice of the last resort. Now, after almost three years, Ukraine finds
itself in a military stalemate despite receiving tens of billions of dollars and
euros in military aid. Trump has vowed to end this war and it appears that a
deal will come at Kyiv’s expense, handing Putin a costly victory. Biden will be
blamed for failing to engage Putin in a bid to save lives and ensure a state of
detente in Europe. Since then, Europe has veered away from liberal democracy, as
the far right has made significant gains in several key countries, including
France, Germany, Austria and the Netherlands. While the US’ hasty and
embarrassing withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021 has been blamed on his
administration, it is fair to say that it was his predecessor who took the
decision to end America’s most protracted and expensive war. The victory of the
Taliban left the rest of the world wondering about the limitations of America’s
military power.
In a shameless move, the Biden administration last week approved another $8
billion arms sale to Israel. The Biden administration has failed to engage China
and instead maintained the policies of his predecessor. Meanwhile, the US has
done little to advance peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, while
also failing to revive the nuclear deal with Iran. But it is Biden’s response to
the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on southern Israel and Israel’s brutal response
that will leave a lasting stain on his legacy. Biden’s initial support of
Israel’s right to defend itself was understandable. Still, as Benjamin Netanyahu
and his far-right government unleashed the most horrific firepower on one of the
most heavily crowded population centers in the globe, the official US response
to the massacre was ambiguous at first and complicit later on.
Israel has been accused of many appalling crimes since it declared war on Gaza.
But it is the Biden administration’s indifference to the wanton killing of
civilians, especially women and children, that has condemned America’s role in
what is now being defined as genocide, the worst since 1945.
On Biden’s watch, Israel has carried out an extermination mission against the 2
million inhabitants of Gaza, targeting women, children, journalists, medics,
doctors, relief workers, UN staff and academics. It has been accused of the
deliberate bombing of safe areas, including schools and hospitals, ethnic
cleansing, abducting thousands of Gazans, summary executions, torture, the
sexual assault of women, men and children, and using starvation as a weapon,
among other crimes.
Israel now stands accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity at the
International Court of Justice and its prime minister is wanted on similar
charges by the International Criminal Court. The Biden administration has
condemned both legal bodies, while using America’s veto at the UN Security
Council to thwart draft resolutions calling for an unconditional ceasefire. More
than that, the US has sent Israel tens of billions of dollars-worth of military
aid, including munitions that Tel Aviv has used against civilians in Gaza.
In a shameless move, the Biden administration last week approved another $8
billion arms sale to Israel, including bombs. US Secretary of State Antony
Blinken knows that Netanyahu is the main obstacle to a deal to end the war and
release Israeli captives, yet has done nothing to pressure him to embrace a
deal, even one that is based on Biden’s proposal that Hamas had accepted.
Biden’s brazen and unapologetic support of Israel has divided the Democratic
Party and damaged his chances — and later those of Kamala Harris — of uniting
the party, while exposing the Zionist influence over US politics.
The reality is that the Biden administration could have done more to stop
Israel’s killing spree, but chose not to. This means the US has become directly
implicated in the Gaza genocide, the dehumanizing of Palestinians and the
defense of a pariah and lawless state. Also, the Biden administration has
undermined the international system the US itself built, sponsored and has
maintained over the past seven decades. By applying double standards in its
responses to the crises in Ukraine and Gaza, the US irrevocably damaged
America’s so-called global leadership and its self-perception as a country
guided by moral principles.
Biden leaves the White House with the death toll in Gaza nearing 46,000. But
there are also tens of thousands of victims who remain missing, presumably under
the rubble. The final death toll from Israel’s Gaza war may be double the
announced figure. This ineptness has also caused the unnecessary death of tens
of Israeli captives who could have been released many months ago. This failure
can never be excused.
*Osama Al-Sharif is a journalist and political commentator based in Amman. X:
@plato010
Here is the news: if it’s not true, that’s your problem
Ross Anderson/Arab News/January 09, 2025
For anyone foolish enough to obtain their news from the unregulated wild west of
social media, or from websites populated by the increasingly bizarre output of
artificial intelligence, this has not been a good week.
It began with a rare and highly amusing debacle at Apple, the tech giant that is
usually so deft and sure-footed with its loyal customers. In December, the
company introduced a feature for users of new iPhones that created quick-read
summaries of significant news stories.
The summaries were produced by AI and it would be fair to say they were not an
unqualified success. Among the riveting nuggets shared with iPhone users were
that Luigi Mangione, the man accused of murdering a US health insurance boss,
had shot himself dead (he is in prison in Brooklyn and very much alive); that
the darts prodigy Luke Littler had won the world championship (at the time the
final had not even started); and that retired tennis star Rafael Nadal had come
out as gay (which would have been a surprise to his wife and son).
News must be accurate, first time, every time. When a news outlet gets something
wrong, its reputation is diminished
If the only damage done by this drivel was to Apple’s reputation, few tears
would have been shed. But the original source to which the tech company’s AI
attributed these “summaries” was the BBC — which tops almost every survey as the
world’s most trusted and respected news outlet: its reputation is the jewel in
its crown. BBC bosses, obviously, protested. Apple, obviously, said they would
rush out a software update to address the issue, because that is what they do.
This was the inevitable consequence of a company that is good at one thing
(tech) getting involved in something it knows nothing about (news) and trying to
deploy the same operating model. Apple’s core business is phones, tablets,
computers and the software that runs them. When the company, or any of its tech
rivals, releases new software, any testing they have done will be rudimentary:
the real testers are the end users. No sane smartphone owner downloads and
installs an update to the operating system on the day it is released: they wait
for the enthusiastic “early adopters” to identify the bugs, crashes and
occasional full-scale meltdown that bricks the phone, followed by the inevitable
version 2.0.
Unsatisfactory as it is, this has become acceptable practice with software. With
news, it is far from that. News must be accurate, first time, every time. When a
news outlet gets something wrong, its reputation is diminished. If it happens
often enough, that reputation ceases to exist — and a news outlet without a
reputation for accuracy is worthless. Thus, the wholly justifiable anger of the
BBC.
Despite constant protestations by both Facebook and X that they are merely
platforms, they are not. They are publishers. As if all that were not bad
enough, it also emerged this week that Facebook and Instagram will now deploy
the same “testing by user” model on their content. Company boss Mark Zuckerberg
has ended the fact-checking program, introduced in 2016, which refers posts that
appear to be false or misleading to independent organizations to assess their
credibility. It will be replaced by “community notes” and establishing the
veracity of content will be left to users themselves.
Not uncoincidentally, this is the same system introduced by Elon Musk when he
bought Twitter, now X, in 2022, and which has been such an unmitigated triumph
that analysts at Emarketer expect X to have lost 7 million monthly active users
in the US alone since 2022. Meanwhile, its revenue plunged by 40 percent from
2023 to 2024, the brand is worth less than $700 million today compared with
nearly $6 billion when Musk bought it and X is now populated almost wholly by
nutjobs, fruitcakes, people shouting at each other while no one listens and
“experts” who know for a fact that the Earth is flat, the moon landings were
faked and there’s a guy works down the chip shop swears he’s Elvis. Despite
constant protestations by both Facebook and X that they are merely platforms,
they are not. They are publishers — and both have now abdicated the core
responsibility of a publisher, which is to ensure as far as possible the
veracity of everything they publish. Imagine if, every day, Arab News were to
place the following on the front page of the newspaper and the home page of our
website: “Hi! Nothing you are about to read is necessarily true. Frankly, we
have no idea, and we can’t be bothered checking — that’s your job. If you see
anything that isn’t true, let us know, and we may or may not fix it.” That is,
in effect, the policy now adopted by social media publishers.
I am a fully paid-up, card-carrying representative of what keyboard warriors
like to deride as the “outdated legacy media,” but I am no Luddite. I am old
enough to remember journalism before Google, Wikipedia and the wealth of
accurate, verifiable information available on the internet with a few
well-judged keystrokes, and I have no wish to return to those days. Moreover, it
seems to me to be self-evident that artificial intelligence, properly controlled
and regulated, has a key role to play in the information-gathering process.
However, obtaining and publishing accurate news is neither cheap nor easy. It
requires rigorous training, attention to detail, skill, dedication, often
considerable expenditure and an unshakable commitment to the truth — and it is a
job best left to the professionals.
*Ross Anderson is associate editor of Arab News.
How international community can resolve the Sudan crisis
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab News/January 09, 2025
The conflict in Sudan, which is now in its 21st month, has plunged the country
into one of the most severe humanitarian crises in modern history. The
devastating war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces
has caused massive human suffering, forced millions to flee their homes and
decimated the country’s economy and infrastructure. This crisis transcends
national borders, threatening regional stability. This year must mark a turning
point in global efforts to resolve the crisis and alleviate the suffering of the
Sudanese people. The scale of destruction and displacement in Sudan is
staggering. More than 11 million Sudanese have been internally displaced, making
the country the epicenter of the world’s largest internal displacement crisis.
An additional 3 million have fled to neighboring countries like Chad, South
Sudan and Egypt, overwhelming host nations that are already grappling with
limited resources. The situation within Sudan’s borders is no less dire. The
healthcare system has nearly collapsed, with 70 percent to 80 percent of
hospitals and clinics in conflict zones rendered nonoperational. Medical
supplies are critically scarce, leaving millions without access to essential
healthcare.
Food insecurity has reached catastrophic levels, with nearly 25 million Sudanese
— half the population — facing acute hunger. The UN World Food Programme has
warned of famine-like conditions in several regions. Agricultural production has
plummeted due to the ongoing violence and rising food prices have made basic
staples unaffordable for many. The toll of this conflict on civilians is
multifaceted, with no segment of the population spared from its devastating
impacts. The toll of this conflict on Sudanese civilians is multifaceted, with
no segment of the population spared from its devastating impacts. Civilians face
daily threats to their safety, ranging from aerial bombardments to ground
attacks by rival forces. In addition to direct violence, reports of sexual and
gender-based violence have escalated alarmingly. Women and girls are
particularly vulnerable, with many subjected to sexual violence during
displacement or in overcrowded camps. These traumatic experiences leave lasting
scars, both physical and psychological.
Children, often the most vulnerable in times of conflict, are disproportionately
affected. Millions are out of school, robbing them of education and exposing
them to risks such as recruitment into armed groups or exploitation as child
laborers. The lack of access to education has long-term implications for the
country’s future, depriving an entire generation of the skills and opportunities
necessary for rebuilding postconflict Sudan.
Resolving the crisis in Sudan requires a unified, multifaceted response from the
global community. The failure to act decisively risks further destabilizing the
Horn of Africa and prolonging the suffering of millions. The following measures
are imperative. First of all, the international community must prioritize
meeting the $4.2 billion funding target set by the UN for 2025. This funding
will enable humanitarian organizations to deliver lifesaving aid, including
food, medical supplies and clean water, to millions of vulnerable Sudanese.
Governments, private donors and international financial institutions must step
up their contributions to address this shortfall.
Sustained diplomatic efforts to resolve the underlying conflict are also
essential. The international community must leverage its influence to pressure
the conflicting parties to adhere to ceasefires and engage in meaningful
negotiations. Countries such as Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and the UAE have expressed
a willingness to mediate and these efforts should be supported and expanded. A
unified approach involving key international actors, including the UN, EU and
regional powers, is critical to fostering a sustainable resolution.
The African Union is uniquely positioned to play a leading role in resolving the
Sudan crisis. Its deep understanding of regional dynamics and established
relationships with Sudanese stakeholders make it an invaluable partner in
mediation and peacebuilding efforts.
The international community must prioritize meeting the $4.2 billion funding
target set by the UN for 2025. Collaboration between the African Union and
international actors can enhance the effectiveness of interventions. Joint
peacekeeping missions, coordinated intelligence sharing and unified diplomatic
initiatives can amplify efforts to stabilize the region. Furthermore, the bloc’s
influence can ensure that local voices are included in peace negotiations,
fostering a more inclusive and durable resolution.
The African Union’s track record in addressing regional conflicts, such as its
role in brokering peace in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, demonstrates its capacity
to lead such efforts. However, its success hinges on receiving adequate
financial and logistical support from the international community. Aid
organizations are also on the front lines of the crisis, providing essential
services to displaced populations and communities in need. Their contributions
include delivering food, clean water and medical care to those affected by the
conflict; offering safe spaces and psychosocial support for vulnerable groups,
particularly women and children; and raising global awareness about the crisis
and lobbying for increased international support. However, aid organizations
face significant challenges, including restricted access to conflict zones,
security risks for humanitarian workers and chronic funding shortages. The
international community must work to address these obstacles by providing
financial support, ensuring the safety of humanitarian corridors and advocating
for the protection of aid workers.
The Jeddah Declaration of Commitment to Protect the Civilians of Sudan, signed
in May 2023, provides a crucial foundation for peace efforts. The declaration
outlines key measures to safeguard civilians, facilitate humanitarian aid and
promote dialogue among the conflicting parties. However, its implementation has
been hampered by ongoing violence and a lack of enforcement mechanisms.
Building on the Jeddah Declaration involves ensuring that ceasefires are adhered
to and enforced to allow humanitarian aid to reach those in need; deploying
independent monitors to oversee compliance and address violations promptly; and
engaging all relevant stakeholders, including civil society groups, marginalized
communities and diaspora organizations, in peace negotiations. Recent diplomatic
efforts, such as Turkiye’s offer to mediate and the UAE’s support for these
initiatives, provide an opportunity to reinvigorate the Jeddah Declaration and
advance peace. These efforts must be supported by the broader international
community to ensure their success. In summary, the ongoing conflict and related
humanitarian crisis in Sudan represent one of the most pressing global
challenges of 2025. The scale of suffering demands immediate and sustained
action from the international community. By scaling up humanitarian assistance,
engaging in robust diplomacy, collaborating with the African Union, supporting
aid organizations and building on the Jeddah Declaration, the international
community can take meaningful steps toward alleviating the crisis and fostering
peace.
**Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a Harvard-educated Iranian American political
scientist. X: @Dr_Rafizadeh
Iran between the ‘floods’ of Sinwar and Al-Sharaa
Ghassan Charbel/Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper./January 09, 2025
January has painful connotations in Tehran. Iran cannot forget what happened on
the third of that month in 2020. A man far away crossed what it considered a red
line. Qassem Soleimani was killed near Baghdad Airport. The commander of the
Quds Force, the architect of the “proxies strategy” and the project of a “big
strike” against Israel, was killed.
This January, Tehran cannot help dreading the 20th. On that day, the White House
will once again fall into the hands of the man who ordered Soleimani’s
assassination. The man who withdrew the US from the nuclear agreement and
clogged the veins of Iran’s economy.
The pain associated with this month might have been bearable if not for the
bitterness of the terrible month that preceded it. A man named Bashar Assad, at
whom Iran had thrown the kitchen sink to keep in power, fell. Soleimani had
managed to convince Vladimir Putin to intervene and save him from the “flood” of
popular opposition, and that is what happened. The Iranian-Russian intervention
extended the life of Assad’s regime, but “Mr. President” chose to save himself
from the flood that a man named Ahmad Al-Sharaa had precipitated from Idlib.
Assad boarded a plane to go into exile with no desire to fight it out in the
ring, avoiding the defiance that ended the lives of Muammar Qaddafi and Ali
Abdullah Saleh. He left the stage without a masterful final scene, an art
perfected by Saddam Hussein, his Baathist “comrade.”
Assad’s flight crowned a year of painful months for Iran, which also witnessed
the assassinations of Hassan Nasrallah and Yahya Sinwar, as well as Ismail
Haniyeh’s assassination while he was being hosted by the Islamic Revolutionary
Guard Corps in Tehran. Benjamin Netanyahu responded to Sinwar and Nasrallah with
a flood of flames that devastated Gaza and Lebanon, sparing none of the Iranian
“advisers” in Syria. The result: Assad’s regime fell like a ripe fruit. The pain
associated with this month might have been bearable if not for the bitterness of
the terrible month that preceded it
In his office in Tehran, President Masoud Pezeshkian flips through documents and
days. His misfortune was that he became president during the time of floods. The
man had dreamed of gradually, cautiously opening windows, forging a durable
truce if ending the wars was impossible. He had hoped to focus more on the
economy and improving the living conditions of his people to regain their trust
after a series of betrayals and disappointments. However, the escalating roars
of the region are alarming, leaving him no time to catch his breath. True, the
Syria dossier and Iran’s proxies were never the president’s prerogative. They
are handled by the generals of the IRGC and the Quds Force, under the supreme
leader’s watchful eye. Yet, it is equally true that pressing challenges cannot
be ignored.
Understanding the state of play is necessary, even if the conclusions are as
painful as the analysis itself. Pezeshkian knows that Hamas has fought
ferociously. But he also knows that Gaza will soon step out of the military
arena to focus on reconstruction and tending to its wounds. Even if a deal to
exchange prisoners is concluded, leading to the release of Palestinian
detainees, the fact remains that Gaza has been devastated and has paid a heavy
price in human lives.
He paces in his office. In the border villages, Hezbollah fought fiercely and
paid a heavy price. However, this does not change the fact that it suffered two
monumental losses: the loss of its leader, Nasrallah, who left a void that will
be nearly impossible to fill, and the loss of its strategic depth in Syria,
which is impossible to replace because of simple geography. Without its Syrian
depth, Hezbollah cannot wage war against Israel, especially after the recent
conflict exposed the immense gap in capabilities between it and Israel.
Hezbollah has to choose between difficult options. The Lebanese-Israeli border
is being monitored under UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and an American
general. Meanwhile, Soleimani’s road to Beirut from Tehran has been firmly
sealed.
The shocks in Syria were too great to endure. The so-called resistance axis
crumbled. Several countries have recently issued firm statements: “The era of
armed factions and parallel armies must end.” “Factions must be brought back to
their territories.” “They do not have the right to launch rockets and drones on
regional missions.” “Only the state should have the right to bear arms. The
treasury cannot pay the salaries of paramilitaries accused of terrorist acts.”
Iraq refuses to be a battleground and the missiles of the Houthis cannot
compensate for the silence of other proxies.
The punishment was severe. The Israeli machine is now threatening Iran itself
and the US is on the same page. The US has made two demands of Iran: no regional
proxies and no nuclear bomb. These are extremely tough times for the country and
the supreme leader.
Pezeshkian sifts through the Syrian scenes. It is clear that Damascus draws from
an entirely different lexicon. Al-Sharaa, now spending his time reassuring
guests, has suggested that the map has been redrawn, nothing more — “flooding”
is not on the agenda. Yet the resistance axis’ Syrian linchpin has been crushed,
leaving its string of alliances in disarray.
Visitors speculate about what goes on in Al-Sharaa’s mind. He began his tenure
by demanding that factions dissolve and join the Ministry of Defense. Will he
attempt to emulate the Turkish model or will the tides bring a more hard-line
approach? One thing is certain: the visitors did not shed a tear over Iran’s
removal from Syria.
Bringing Syria back into the flood for the resistance axis seems exceedingly
unlikely in the foreseeable future. Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces and
Lebanon’s Hezbollah do not have the capacity to do so. Pezeshkian faces many
questions. Should Iran change its approach in the region and settle for a more
limited role? Had Putin grown weary of Assad’s obstinance and left him to his
fate? Has the sultan of Istanbul decided to punish the governor of Damascus for
repeatedly refusing to shake his hand? Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has accused
Israel and America of being behind what happened in Damascus. He has also stated
that “one of Syria’s neighbors played a role,” hinting at Turkiye. The Middle
East is a harsh place laden with traps, hardships and surprises. Pezeshkian is
well aware of the painful resonance that this month carries in Tehran. The
bitterness of the current scene is only compounded by the many bitter months
since Sinwar’s flood and Al-Sharaa’s flood.
*Ghassan Charbel is editor-in-chief of Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper. X: @GhasanCharbel