English LCCC Newsbulletin For
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For April 17/2025
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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Bible Quotations For today
Jesus Shares His DisciplesThe Passover Meal: For the Son of Man is going as it
has been determined, but woe to that one by whom he is betrayed
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke
22/01-23./:”The festival of Unleavened Bread, which is called the Passover, was
near. The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to put Jesus to
death, for they were afraid of the people. Then Satan entered into Judas called
Iscariot, who was one of the twelve; he went away and conferred with the chief
priests and officers of the temple police about how he might betray him to them.
They were greatly pleased and agreed to give him money. So he consented and
began to look for an opportunity to betray him to them when no crowd was
present. Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb had
to be sacrificed. So Jesus sent Peter and John,
saying, ‘Go and prepare the Passover meal for us that we may eat it.’They asked
him, ‘Where do you want us to make preparations for it?’ ‘Listen,’ he said to
them, ‘when you have entered the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet
you; follow him into the house he enters and say to the owner of the house, “The
teacher asks you, ‘Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my
disciples?’ ” He will show you a large room upstairs, already furnished. Make
preparations for us there.’So they went and found everything as he had told
them; and they prepared the Passover meal. When the hour came, he took his place
at the table, and the apostles with him. He said to them, ‘I have eagerly
desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I tell you, I will
not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.’ Then he took a cup, and
after giving thanks he said, ‘Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I
tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the
kingdom of God comes.’ Then he took a loaf of bread, and when he had given
thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body, which is
given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ And he did the same with the cup
after supper, saying, ‘This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant
in my blood. But see, the one who betrays me is with me, and his hand is on the
table. For the Son of Man is going as it has been determined, but woe to that
one by whom he is betrayed!’Then they began to ask one another which one of them
it could be who would do this.
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on April 16-17/2025
Holy Thursday – A Celebration of Love, Sacrifice, and Divine
Mysteries/Elias Bejjani/April 17/2025
The War in Lebanon Was Not a Civil War/Etienne Sakr – Abu Arz/April 16, 2025
Qatari emir tells Aoun Doha ready to help in electricity and energy
Aoun, Salam call Jordan leaders over plot involving militants who 'trained in
Lebanon'
2 killed in new Israeli drone strikes in south Lebanon
Hezbollah official says 'severing hands' remarks addressed to Israelis, takfiris
and local rivals
Lebanese Army reportedly arrests Hamas members over Jordan plot
Qatar sends aid to Lebanese army as the country recovers from Hezbollah's war
with Israel
Israel says it will keep troops in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria indefinitely. What
does that mean?
Lebanon says two dead in strikes as Israel says killed Hezbollah militant
Jordan briefs Lebanon on investigation into terrorist cell
Lebanese army detains suspects behind March rocket fire toward Israel
Jordan arrests 16 in 'terror cell' plot: Lebanon commits to full cooperation,
intel-sharing underway—here’s what we know
Israeli warplanes break sound barrier over Lebanon, causing sonic boom
Parliamentary committees approve banking secrecy, monetary law amendments with
minor changes
Lebanon moves to ease tensions with Iraq after misunderstood presidential
statement — LBCI sources
New face’ for Lebanon: Beirut airport road revamp targets infrastructure and
political banners
Israeli defense minister says troops will remain in south Lebanon indefinitely
Weakened by Israel, Hezbollah turns to spin games to hold support/David Daoud/MENASource/April
16/2025
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on April 16-17/2025
Jordan arrests 16 in 'terror cell' plot: Lebanon commits to full
cooperation, intel-sharing underway—here’s what we know
Jordan arrests 16 for plotting to target national security, hording arms and
manufacturing rockets
Rubio, Jordanian prime minister discuss boosting investment, State Department
says
Iranian president says he hopes for deal with US
Questions Loom Over U.S. Concessions to Iran in Nuclear Negotiations
Iran foreign minister says uranium enrichment ‘non-negotiable’
More than 13 years of conflict in Syria ravaged the country, with the health
system shattered and infrastructure hobbled
US imposes sanctions on a Chinese refinery accused of buying Iranian oil
Iran confirms that the 2nd round of nuclear talks with the US will be in Rome
Israel will keep Gaza buffer zone, minister says, as ceasefire efforts stall
‘No humanitarian aid will enter Gaza,’ Israel defence minister says
Israeli army faces growing dissent: ‘I will never again serve under this
government’
How Israeli settlers are able to seize Palestinian land with impunity in the
West Bank
Investigation debunks claims about coalition strikes in Yemen
Houthi media says US air strikes hit Sanaa
Charity says 400,000 children in Syria risk ‘severe malnutrition’ after US cuts
UK's top court says definition of a woman is based on biological sex and
excludes transgender people
Al-Qaida-linked militants attack a strategic town in Somalia
Titles For
The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources
on April 16-17/2025
Texas Recognizes "Pakistan Day" As Pakistan Destroys Human Rights/Uzay
Bulut/Gatestone Institute/April 16, 2025
The American ‘Boiling Frog’/Raymond Ibrahim/The Stream//April 16, 2025
Syrian government, SDF, and other factions move to end tensions over strategic
dam/Seth J. Frantzman/FDD's Long War Journal/April 16, 2025
Jordan foils Muslim Brotherhood terrorist plot/Ahmad Sharawi/FDD's Long War
Journal/April 16/2025
Trump should stop dancing to Putin’s nuclear waltz/Ivana Stradner/Washington
Examiner/April 16/2025
Iran has a chance to have the Arab Gulf on its side/Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib/Arab
News/April 16, 2025
Loss of idealism is an inescapable truth of growing older/Arnab Neil Sengupta/Arab
News/April 16, 2025
NASA at "Crossroads": Mars, the moon, and the forces shaping America's future
space policy/Dr. Amal Mudallali/Arab News/April 16, 2025
Iran and the Unresolved Dilemmas/Charles Elias Chartouni/Face Book/April 16,
2025
The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on April 16-17/2025
Holy Thursday – A Celebration
of Love, Sacrifice, and Divine Mysteries
Elias Bejjani/April 17/2025
On the Thursday preceding Good Friday—the day when Jesus was crucified—Catholics
around the world, including our Maronite Eastern Church, commemorate Thursday of
the Holy Mysteries. This sacred day is also known as Washing Thursday, Covenant
Thursday, and Great and Holy Thursday. It marks the Last Supper of Jesus Christ
with His twelve Apostles, as described in the Gospels. It is the fifth day of
the Holy Week of Lent, followed by Good Friday, Saturday of the Light, and
Easter Sunday.
At its core, Christianity is a faith of love, sacrifice, honesty, transparency,
devotion, hard work, and humility. During the Last Supper, Jesus reaffirmed and
embodied these divine values. In this solemn and meaningful setting, He
performed several key acts that laid the spiritual foundation of our faith:
He ordained His Apostles as priests, commanding them to proclaim God's message:
“You are the ones who have stood by me in my trials. And I confer on you a
kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, so that you may eat and drink at
my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”
(Luke 22:28–30)
He warned against betrayal and spiritual weakness, teaching that temptation and
evil can overcome those who detach themselves from God, lose faith, or worship
earthly treasures. Even Judas Iscariot, whom Jesus Himself had chosen, fell to
Satan’s temptation:
“But behold, the hand of him who betrays me is with me on the table. The Son of
Man will go as it has been decreed. But woe to that man who betrays him!” (Luke
22:21)
He washed His Apostles’ feet, setting an eternal example of humility, love, and
service:
“Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me
‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your
Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s
feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.”
(John 13:12–15)
When the Apostles began arguing about who among them was the greatest, Jesus
responded with a powerful lesson in modesty:
“The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them... But you are not to be like that.
Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who
rules like the one who serves. For who is greater, the one who is at the table
or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you
as one who serves.” (Luke 22:24–27)
Thursday of the Holy Mysteries is so named because during the Last Supper, Jesus
instituted two of the most sacred sacraments of the Church: the Eucharist and
the Priesthood.
“Then He took a cup, gave thanks, and said, ‘Take this and share it among
yourselves. For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine
until the kingdom of God comes.’ And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it,
and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body given for you; do this in
remembrance of me.’ In the same way, after the supper He took the cup, saying,
‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.’” (Luke
22:17–20)
On this Holy Day, the Maronite Church relives the spirit of the Last Supper
through reverent prayers, liturgies, and longstanding sacred traditions:
The Patriarch blesses the Holy Chrism (Myron), along with the oils used for
baptism and anointing, which are then distributed to all parishes.
During the Holy Mass, the priest washes the feet of twelve parishioners—often
children—to symbolize Jesus’ act and the humility of service.
The faithful visit seven churches, a ritual signifying the fullness of the seven
sacraments of the Church: Priesthood, Eucharist, Holy Oil, Baptism,
Confirmation, Anointing of the Sick, and Service.
It also honors the seven stations believed to be visited by the Virgin Mary as
she searched for her Son after His arrest: the place of detention, the Council
of the Priests, Herod’s palace (twice), Pilate’s headquarters (twice), and
finally Calvary.
This tradition is believed by some scholars to have originated in Rome, where
early Christian pilgrims visited the Seven Pilgrim Churches as a form of
penance: Saint John Lateran, Saint Peter, Saint Mary Major, Saint Paul Outside
the Walls, Saint Lawrence Outside the Walls, Holy Cross in Jerusalem, and
traditionally Saint Sebastian Outside the Walls. For the Jubilee Year 2000, Pope
John Paul II substituted the Sanctuary of the Madonna of Divine Love for Saint
Sebastian.
The Mass of the Lord’s Supper is marked by the ringing of bells, which then fall
silent until the Easter Vigil. Worshipers spend the evening in prayer and
contemplation before the exposed Blessed Sacrament, meditating on the Agony in
the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus spent His final night before His
crucifixion.
Following the homily and foot washing, the Eucharist is solemnly processed to
the Altar of Repose, where it remains throughout the night. The main altar is
then stripped bare—along with all others in the church—symbolizing Christ’s
humility and the anticipation of His Passion.
Before celebrating the Resurrection on Easter Sunday, Christians live the
Paschal Mystery beginning with Thursday of the Sacraments, continuing through
Good Friday, and culminating in Saturday of the Light.
Because He loves us and desires our eternal salvation, Jesus Christ willingly
endured suffering, pain, humiliation, and death on the Cross—for our sake.
Let us pray on this Holy Day that we may always remember His love and sacrifice,
and strive to live lives of true faith, humility, forgiveness, and service.
The War in Lebanon Was Not
a Civil War
Etienne Sakr – Abu Arz/April 16, 2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/04/142369/
The following statement was issued by Etienne Sakr, President of the Guardians
of the Cedars Party – Lebanese Nationalist Movement:
On the fiftieth anniversary of the outbreak of the war on Lebanon, many Lebanese
leaders addressed this historical milestone. However, they all fell into the
same error—describing the war as a “civil war,” implying it was merely a
conflict among the Lebanese themselves. This characterization dangerously
ignores the undeniable role of external powers that planned, supported, and
participated in the aggression against Lebanon.
The first to declare war on Lebanon, under the infamous slogan “The road to
Palestine passes through Jounieh,” was Yasser Arafat and his terrorist
organizations. This assault was planned by the U.S. administration of the time,
led by Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, and backed by Arab regimes and
complicit European governments. The goal was to hand Lebanon over to the
Palestinians as an alternative homeland. But against all odds, the Lebanese
Resistance, with legendary courage, defeated the Palestinians and foiled this
diabolical plot. So where is the “civil war” they keep talking about?
In an attempt to fix its own blunder and stop the war it ignited, the U.S.
administration—with full Arab support—sent the Syrian army into Lebanon under
the guise of the so-called “Arab Deterrent Forces.” This force quickly
transformed into a full-fledged occupation army, raising the slogan “Lebanon is
part of Syria.” The Lebanese Resistance fought back and expelled it from its
regions in 1978, paving the way for its final withdrawal from all Lebanese
territory in 2005. So where is the “civil war” they keep talking about?
The Syrian regime refused to exit Lebanon without handing it over to another
occupier—this time, the Iranian regime, represented by Hezbollah. This armed
proxy quickly tightened its grip over the country, raising the banner “Lebanon
is part of the greater Islamic nation led by the Imam of the Age, Ayatollah
Khomeini.” The Lebanese Resistance, this time represented by the South Lebanon
Army, resisted Hezbollah from 1985 until 2000. Then, in 2024, Israel intervened
and decimated most of Hezbollah’s military and human capabilities. So again,
where is the “civil war” they are talking about?
Yes, military clashes did erupt at times among various Lebanese factions,
parties, and sects. These were side conflicts, fueled by the multiplicity of
militias with conflicting ideologies and the tragic absence of a strong central
state and a capable national army. But these internal disputes were marginal
compared to the major wars waged by foreign forces on Lebanese soil.
Labeling the wars against Lebanon as “civil wars” unjustly places the blame
solely on the Lebanese people and grants impunity to the real aggressors—chief
among them, the Palestinians, whose war triggered all that followed. That is why
we raised the slogan: “No Palestinian will remain on Lebanese soil.” And this
slogan will remain in force until it becomes a reality.
Long Live Free Lebanon.
Etienne Sakr – Abu Arz
(Free translation by Elias Bejjani)
Qatari emir tells Aoun Doha
ready to help in electricity and energy
Naharnet/April 16, 2025
President Joseph Aoun helds talks Wednesday in Doha with Qatari Emir Sheikh
Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, thanking Qatar for “the support it has offered Lebanon
in the various fields.”“The Lebanese Army is fully performing its duty in south
Lebanon in implementation of Resolution 1701, but the continuation of Israeli
occupation obstructs the continued deployment of the army, especially amid the
repeated attacks as happened today,” Aoun told Sheikh Tamim. Qatar’s ruler for
his part described Aoun’s visit as “important and historic for developing
relations between the two countries.”“We want to see Lebanon stable and there
are appropriate circumstances for that inside and outside the country, and Qatar
is ready to offer what Lebanon needs in the fields of electricity and energy and
any other sector, in addition to its continued support for the army,” Sheikh
Tamim added. The Presidency also said that Aoun and Sheikh Tamim “agreed on the
need to preserve civil peace in Lebanon, stressing the need to implement what
was mentioned in the inaugural presidential speech, especially in terms of arms’
monopolization in the hands of the Lebanese state.”
Aoun, Salam call Jordan leaders over plot involving
militants who 'trained in Lebanon'
Naharnet/April 16, 2025
President Joseph Aoun held a phone call with Jordanian King Abdullah II to
“inquire about the outcome of investigations into the rocket manufacturing cell
that was unveiled in Jordan,” expressing his “full readiness for coordination
and cooperation between the two countries.”
Jordanian authorities had earlier said that some of the cell’s members had
received training in Lebanon. Aoun also instructed Justice Minister Adel Nassar
to coordinate with his Jordanian counterpart over the investigations and the
exchange of information in cooperation with the security and judicial
authorities. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam for his part contacted his Jordanian
counterpart Jaafar Hassan, stressing “Lebanon’s full solidarity with the kingdom
in the face of any plots aimed at harming its security and stability.”He also
expressed full readiness for “necessary cooperation with the Jordanian
authorities regarding the information they mentioned about some of those
involved in these plots receiving their training in Lebanon,” emphasizing that
“Lebanon rejects to be a base or launchpad for any act that might threaten the
security of any brotherly or friendly country.”
2 killed in new Israeli drone strikes in south Lebanon
Agence France Presse/April
16, 2025
Lebanon reported two dead in separate Israeli strikes on the country's south
Wednesday, as Israel's military said it had killed a Hezbollah operative,
despite a ceasefire between the two sides. A "drone strike launched by the
Israeli enemy on a vehicle in Wadi al-Hujair killed one person," Lebanon's
health ministry said in a statement, referring to an area around 12 kilometers
(seven miles) from the border. It later said a separate Israeli strike in Hanin,
elsewhere in the south near the border, "killed one person and wounded another."
The Israeli military said its air force "struck and eliminated" a member of
Hezbollah's elite Radwan Force in the Qantara area, near Wadi al-Hujair. Israel
has continued to strike Lebanon since the November 27 ceasefire that largely
halted more than a year of hostilities with Hezbollah, including two months of
all-out war. The health ministry also said a 17-year-old wounded in an Israeli
strike on south Lebanon's Aitaroun on Tuesday had died, bringing the toll in
that raid to two dead. The Israeli military said that strike also killed a
Hezbollah operative. The United Nations Human Rights Office said on Tuesday that
"at least 71 civilians" had been killed by Israeli forces in Lebanon since the
ceasefire. Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah said last week that 186 people
had been killed since the truce, without saying how many were members of the
group. The health ministry has not responded to AFP requests for updated
figures.
The truce accord was based on a U.N. Security Council resolution that says
Lebanese troops and United Nations peacekeepers should be the only forces in
south Lebanon, and calls for the disarmament of all non-state groups. Under the
truce, Hezbollah was to withdraw fighters from south of Lebanon's Litani River
and dismantle any remaining military infrastructure there. Israel was to pull
out all its forces from south Lebanon, although it continues to hold five
positions that it deems "strategic".Lebanon's army has been deploying in the
south near the border as Israeli forces have withdrawn. A source close to
Hezbollah told AFP on Saturday that the group had ceded to the Lebanese Army
around 190 of its 265 military positions identified south of the Litani.
Hezbollah official says 'severing hands' remarks addressed
to Israelis, takfiris and local rivals
Naharnet/April 16, 2025
Hezbollah political bureau member Mahmoud Qmati clarified Wednesday that
“Hezbollah is cooperating with President Joseph Aoun in his stances” and that
his remarks a day earlier about “severing the hand that will extend to the
resistance’s arms” were in response to a “provocative” rhetoric from some
Lebanese rivals. “Some want to orient the army to a clash” with Hezbollah, Qmati
told Al-Jadeed television, noting that his remarks were addressed to those
parties.”“Today the entire universe -- foreigners, Arabs and Israelis -- have
made weapons their only problem,” Qmati lamented, adding that Hezbollah’s arms
are “an icon of thousands of martyrs who defended Lebanon in the face of a
foreign enemy.”The weapons “are the companions of the weapons of the army and
Hezbollah is the country’s dignity and pride and will not accept those who want
to waste this strength,” the Hezbollah official added. He clarified that
Hezbollah has agreed to “dialogue and a national security strategy” and has not
mentioned handing over weapons in its rhetoric. “A million Lebanese took out to
take part in the funeral of former Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah,
announcing that they will keep the pledge. The first term of this pledge is
preserving the resistance and weapons are the first thing that preserves the
resistance,” Qmati argued. He added that Hezbollah chief Sheikh Naim Qassem has
stressed that Hezbollah agrees to “the issue of the country’s security and the
exclusivity of arms,” noting that “preserving security is a needed matter and we
agree to it.”“As for the issue of resistance, it belongs to the second part
related to the defense strategy. The resistance is essential within this
strategy and this is subject to dialogue,” Qmati went on to say. Commenting on
Aoun’s remarks about integrating Hezbollah’s fighters into the army, Qmati said
Hezbollah does not want to discuss the defense strategy through the media.
“President Aoun has the right to present his ideas,” Qmati said. As for the
exchange of messages with Aoun, Qmati confirmed that there is “communication and
messages but no debate session or dialogue has been held over the defense
strategy.”
“There is no clash between the army and the resistance and this is settled,”
Qmati added, noting that “there will be full cooperation with the army to
liberate the land and the captives and halt the violations against Lebanon.”He
concluded by saying that “no agreement has yet been reached on a specific timing
or timeframe for dialogue” and that his remarks about “severing the hand that
extends to the resistance’s arms” were addressed to “the Israelis, the takfiris
and the ‘Jews of the interior.’”
Lebanese Army reportedly arrests Hamas members over Jordan
plot
Naharnet/April 16, 2025
Lebanese Army intelligence agents arrested Hamas members at the Ain el-Helweh,
Tyre and Nahr al-Bared camps in connection with the plot unveiled in Jordan,
military sources told Al-Arabiya’s Al-Hadath channel on Wednesday. “The Lebanese
Army will not allow any involvement in sabotage in Jordan or any Arab country,”
the sources said.“The Lebanese Army will not allow any tampering with the
security of the Lebanese south,” the sources added, noting that “a Hamas leader
has requested an appointment from the army’s Intelligence Directorate.”Jordan's
intelligence service on Tuesday announced the arrests of 16 people for allegedly
planning to target national security and sow "chaos."Authorities said the
suspects were arrested for "manufacturing rockets using local tools as well as
tools imported for illegal purposes, possession of explosives and firearms,
concealing a rocket ready to be deployed, planning to manufacture drones, and
recruiting and training operatives in Jordan as well as training them abroad."
Jordanian officials later said that some of the suspects hd received training in
Lebanon. Jordan’s government said the accused have political affiliations and
belong to what it called “unlicensed groups,” referring to the Muslim
Brotherhood. Jordan’s judiciary dissolved the Muslim Brotherhood in 2020.
Qatar sends aid to Lebanese army as the country recovers
from Hezbollah's war with Israel
Bassem Mroue/The Associated Press/April 16, 2025
BEIRUT (AP) — Qatar is sending scores of military vehicles to the Lebanese army
and a new, $60 million donation to help it pay salaries to officers as the small
Mediterranean country recovers from the fighting in Hezbollah’s latest war with
Israel, the two Arab countries announced Wednesday. Gas-rich Qatar has been a
main backer of the Lebanese army since an unprecedented economic crisis engulfed
the country in late 2019. Qatar was first sending food aid for the military
while cash donations began in 2022. The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah
launched its own attacks on Israel a day after the Israel-Hamas war erupted on
Oct. 7, 2023 with the Palestinian militants' attack on southern Israel.
Hezbollah saying it was doing so to ease the pressure on Gaza by keeping part of
the Israeli military busy along the northern Israeli border with Lebanon.
After 14 months, a U.S.-brokered ceasefire halted the Hezbollah-Israel war,
which killed more than 4,000 people in Lebanon and caused destruction that will
take $11 billion to rebuild, according to the World Bank. Since the November
ceasefire, Lebanon has elected a new president and prime minister, who have both
promised to carry out reforms. The statement by Qatar and Lebanon said 162
military vehicles would be sent to the Lebanese army to help the military “carry
out its national duties to preserve stability and control the border."It came
after visiting Lebanese President Joseph Aoun met with Qatar's emir Sheikh Tamim
bin Hamad Al Thani. The statement mentioned the necessity of implementing the
U.N. Security Council resolution that calls for deploying more Lebanese troops
along the border with Israel in the wake of the withdrawal of Hezbollah fighters
under the ceasefire. The emir said Qatar “stands by Lebanon, its people and
institutions.”Aoun, who began a two-day visit to Qatar on Tuesday, condemned
Israel’s military presence and refusal to withdraw from Lebanon, as well as
almost daily airstrikes in the border area. Israel says it is targeting
Hezbollah fighters and equipment in the border area.
Israel withdrew from much of south Lebanon in mid-February but stayed in five
strategic overlook locations inside the country. Since then, Israeli drones
strikes have killed or wounded dozens of people. Two separate Israeli drones
strikes on Wednesday on south Lebanon killed two people, the Lebanese health
ministry said.
Israel says it will keep troops
in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria indefinitely. What does that mean?
Joseph Krauss/The Associated Press/April 16, 2025
The Israeli defense minister says his country's troops will stay in “security
zones” in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon and Syria indefinitely, after Israel
unilaterally expanded its frontiers in the war unleashed by Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023,
attack. Israel says it needs to hold on to the zones to prevent similar attacks,
but the takeovers appear to meet the dictionary definition of military
occupation. The acquisition of territory by force is universally seen as a
violation of international law, something Western allies of Israel have
repeatedly invoked with regard to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Israel, which
has captured territory during wars with its Arab neighbors going back to the
country's establishment in 1948, says this is a special case. For decades,
Israeli governments said they must hold such lands for self-defense but would
return them in peace agreements, as when Israel restored the Sinai Peninsula to
Egypt in the Camp David Accords. Israel has formally annexed east Jerusalem, as
well as the Golan Heights captured from Syria. It has occupied the West Bank,
home to some 3 million Palestinians, for more than half a century and built
settlements there that today house more than 500,000 Jewish settlers. Israel
withdrew soldiers and settlers from Gaza in 2005 but imposed a blockade, along
with Egypt, after Hamas took power two years later. In a statement Wednesday,
Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israeli troops would remain in the so-called
security zones in Gaza, Syria and Lebanon “in any temporary or permanent
situation.”
What are the ‘security zones’?
Israel launched a massive offensive after the 2023 attack and carved out a wide
buffer zone along the border. Israel ended its ceasefire with Hamas last month
and has since expanded the buffer zone, established corridors across the strip
and encircled the southern city of Rafah. Israel now controls over 50% of Gaza,
according to experts. Katz did not specify which territories he was referring
to. Israel was supposed to withdraw from Lebanon under the ceasefire it reached
with the Hezbollah militant group in November after more than a year of
fighting. But troops have remained in five strategic locations along the border
and have continued to carry out strikes against what Israel says are militant
targets. When rebels overthrew Syrian President Bashar Assad in December,
Israeli forces advanced from the Golan Heights into the Syrian side of a buffer
zone established after the 1973 war. Israel has since expanded its zone of
control to nearby villages, setting off clashes with residents last month.
Israel has also repeatedly bombed Syrian military bases and other targets, and
has said it will not allow Syrian security forces to operate south of Damascus.
How have Israel's neighbors responded?
Lebanon and Syria have condemned Israel's seizure of their territory as a
blatant violation of their sovereignty and of international law. But neither
country's armed forces are capable of defending their borders against Israel.
Hezbollah, which was established during the early years of Israel's 1982-2000
occupation of southern Lebanon, has threatened to renew hostilities if Israel
does not complete its withdrawal, but its military capabilities have been
severely depleted by the war and the fall of Assad, who had been a close ally.
While Hezbollah seems unlikely to return to war, an ongoing Israeli occupation
could complicate Lebanese efforts to negotiate the group's disarmament. The
Palestinians seek an independent state in east Jerusalem, the West Bank and
Gaza, territories Israel captured in the 1967 Mideast war. A two-state solution
is widely seen internationally as the only way to resolve the conflict, but the
last serious peace talks broke down more than 15 years ago. Hamas has said it
will only release the remaining 59 hostages held in Gaza — 24 of whom are
believed to be alive — in exchange for a full Israeli withdrawal from the
territory and a lasting ceasefire. Israel's vow to remain in Gaza could further
complicate slow-moving talks on a new ceasefire.
What is the Trump administration's position?
The United States has not yet commented on Katz's remarks. But the Trump
administration has expressed full support for Israel's actions in Gaza,
including its decision to end the ceasefire, renew military operations with a
surprise bombardment that killed hundreds of people, and seal off the territory
from all food, fuel or other supplies. During his first term, President Donald
Trump gave unprecedented support to Israel's acquisition of territory by force,
at times upending decades of U.S. foreign policy. Under Trump, the U.S. became
the first and so far only state to recognize Israel's annexation of the Golan
Heights. Trump also relocated the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, lending support to
Israel's claims to the entire city. Both policies continued under the Biden
administration. Trump has proposed that the U.S. take ownership of Gaza after
the war and redevelop it as a tourist destination. He has called for the
Palestinian population to be resettled in other countries, a plan that has been
rejected by Palestinians and much of the international community. Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to implement the plan after Hamas is defeated,
saying Israel supports the “voluntary emigration” of Palestinians from a
territory it largely controls, much of which has been rendered uninhabitable by
its offensive.
Lebanon says two dead in
strikes as Israel says killed Hezbollah militant
AFP/April 16, 2025
BEIRUT: Lebanon reported two dead in separate Israeli strikes on the country’s
south Wednesday, as Israel’s military said it had killed a Hezbollah operative,
despite a ceasefire between the two sides. A “drone strike launched by the
Israeli enemy on a vehicle in Wadi Al-Hujair killed one person,” Lebanon’s
health ministry said in a statement, referring to an area around 12 kilometers
(seven miles) from the border. It later said a separate Israeli strike in Hanin,
elsewhere in the south near the border, “killed one person and wounded another.”
The Israeli military said its air force “struck and eliminated” a member of
Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force in the Qantara area, near Wadi Al-Hujair.
Israel has continued to strike Lebanon since the November 27 ceasefire that
largely halted more than a year of hostilities with Hezbollah, including two
months of all-out war.
The health ministry also said a 17-year-old wounded in an Israeli strike on
south Lebanon’s Aitaroun on Tuesday had died, bringing the toll in that raid to
two dead.
The Israeli military said that strike also killed a Hezbollah operative.
The United Nations Human Rights Office said on Tuesday that “at least 71
civilians” had been killed by Israeli forces in Lebanon since the ceasefire.
Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah said last week that 186 people had been
killed since the truce, without saying how many were members of the group.
The health ministry has not responded to AFP requests for updated figures.
The truce accord was based on a UN Security Council resolution that says
Lebanese troops and United Nations peacekeepers should be the only forces in
south Lebanon, and calls for the disarmament of all non-state groups. Under the
truce, Hezbollah was to withdraw fighters from south of Lebanon’s Litani River
and dismantle any remaining military infrastructure there. Israel was to pull
out all its forces from south Lebanon, although it continues to hold five
positions that it deems “strategic.”Lebanon’s army has been deploying in the
south near the border as Israeli forces have withdrawn. A source close to
Hezbollah told AFP on Saturday that the group had ceded to the Lebanese army
around 190 of its 265 military positions identified south of the Litani.
Jordan briefs Lebanon on investigation into terrorist cell
NAJIA HOUSSARI/Arab News/April 16, 2025
BEIRUT: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun was briefed by Jordan’s King Abdullah on
Wednesday on the results of investigations into a missile manufacturing cell
uncovered in Jordan, two members of which had been sent to Lebanon for training.
According to his media office, Aoun expressed Lebanon’s “full readiness for
coordination and cooperation” between the two countries and instructed Justice
Minister Adel Nassar to work with his Jordanian counterpart, in cooperation with
the security and judicial agencies, on the investigations and the exchange of
information. A judicial source told Arab News that Lebanese army intelligence
was “following up on the case of the terrorist cell and we do not yet know
whether any Lebanese individuals are involved.”“This agency has requested Jordan
to provide it with information regarding the investigations, to rely on the
Lebanese investigations and in the event any Lebanese involvement is proven, the
matter will then be referred to the Lebanese judiciary,” the person said. In a
parallel development, Lebanon’s army intelligence said it had arrested two
Palestinians in the southern city of Sidon for “trading in and smuggling
military weapons across the Lebanese-Syrian border and seized several weapons
and military ammunition in their possession.”The army command said the detainees
were being investigated under the supervision of the judiciary. Media reports
said the pair were members of the security apparatus of the Hamas movement in
Sidon. No official security agency has confirmed a link between the arrests and
the Jordanian cell. The Jordan News Agency on Tuesday quoted intelligence
officials as saying that “a series of plots targeting the country’s national
security were thwarted and 16 individuals suspected of planning acts of chaos
and sabotage were arrested.”The plans involved the production of missiles using
local materials and imported components. Explosives and firearms were
discovered, along with a concealed missile that was ready for use, the report
said. The 16 suspects are thought to have been engaged in efforts to develop
drones, recruit and train individuals domestically and send others abroad for
further training. According to the suspects’ statements, two members of the cell
— Abdullah Hisham and Muath Al-Ghanem — were sent to Lebanon to coordinate with
a prominent figure in the organization and receive training. In December, the
Lebanese army initiated a process to disarm Palestinian factions located outside
Palestinian refugee camps. The factions were loyal to the former Syrian regime
and mostly based in the Bekaa region along the border with Syria and the
southern region. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam expressed Lebanon’s “full solidarity
with Jordan in confronting schemes that threaten its security and stability” and
its “readiness to cooperate with Jordanian authorities as necessary regarding
information that some of those involved in these plots received training in
Lebanon,” according to his media office. At the launch of the Beirut Airport
Road Rehabilitation Project, Salam said that security issues on the airport road
were “being worked on with Defense Minister Michel Menassa and Interior Minister
Ahmed Hajjar.”In the past 48 hours, the Beirut Municipality has undertaken
efforts to remove party flags and images of politicians and party leaders,
particularly those associated with Hezbollah, from the streets of the capital.
Lebanese army detains
suspects behind March rocket fire toward Israel
LBCI/April 16/2025
The Lebanese army has arrested several suspects involved in two rocket attacks
launched toward Israel in March, according to a statement issued Wednesday. The
arrests followed an investigation by the army’s Directorate of Intelligence and
Military Police in coordination with the Internal Security Forces and the
Lebanese General Security. Authorities said the two attacks took place on March
22 and March 28 from separate locations in southern Lebanon’s Nabatieh region.
Investigators identified the group responsible as consisting of both Lebanese
and Palestinian individuals. Security forces carried out raids in several areas,
detaining members of the group and seizing the vehicles and equipment used in
the attacks. The suspects are currently being interrogated under the supervision
of the judiciary, and efforts are ongoing to arrest the remaining individuals
involved.
Jordan arrests 16 in 'terror cell' plot: Lebanon commits to
full cooperation, intel-sharing underway—here’s what we know
LBCI/April 16/2025
After Jordan's authorities revealed details about a cell that had been under
intelligence surveillance since 2021 and arrested its members, the Jordanian
judiciary charged 16 detainees with terrorism in connection with plans to target
the country's security.
If convicted, the group members face sentences of up to 15 years in prison.
Jordanian sources told LBCI that Lebanon, like Jordan, is a victim in the case,
and that all members of the cell admitted to entering Lebanon, which served as a
meeting point with other groups. The sources also said the Jordanian side
informed Lebanese authorities that the cell members received training from Hamas
in Lebanon, likely in one of the camps. They also received funding from
unidentified regional parties. The sources added that the cell’s activities were
aimed at Jordan, not Lebanon. According to the same sources, after the
investigation was completed and all suspects were in custody, part of the
confessions was made public. However, Lebanon had not previously been informed
of the intelligence in Jordan's possession. Following a phone call with Jordan's
King Abdullah II, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun affirmed Lebanon’s full
willingness to coordinate and cooperate. He also directed the justice minister
to work with his Jordanian counterpart on the investigation and facilitate the
exchange of information between the two countries’ security and judicial
agencies. The president also instructed Lebanon's justice minister to coordinate
with his Jordanian counterpart on the investigation and the exchange of
information between the security and judicial agencies of both countries. Based
on that communication and the anticipated exchange of information, Lebanese
authorities stand ready to fully cooperate with their Jordanian counterparts if
any part of the case is found to involve Lebanon. Meanwhile, sources confirmed
to LBCI that Lebanese security and intelligence agencies are coordinating and
sharing information regarding the Jordanian cell and the names of those
arrested. Efforts are underway to cross-check the names to determine whether any
are known to Lebanese authorities, what groups they belong to, whether they are
Lebanese or Palestinian, and whether they entered Lebanon — when, by what
routes, and whether through official border crossings or via Syria through
unofficial ones. Authorities are also investigating who trained the members of
the group.
In addition to internal coordination, Lebanese agencies plan to communicate
directly with their Jordanian counterparts to exchange intelligence about the
groups.
Israeli warplanes break sound barrier over Lebanon, causing
sonic boom
LBCI/April 16/2025
Israeli warplanes broke the sound barrier over multiple regions in Lebanon on
Wednesday, causing a loud sonic boom that was heard across the country.
Parliamentary committees approve banking secrecy, monetary
law amendments with minor changes
LBCI/April 16/2025
Lebanon’s joint parliamentary committees have approved amendments to the banking
secrecy law and the Code of Money and Credit, as submitted by the government,
with only minor changes.
Lebanon moves to ease tensions with Iraq after
misunderstood presidential statement — LBCI sources
LBCI/April 16/2025
Following tensions sparked by a press statement from President Joseph Aoun—which
was reportedly misunderstood and led to the summoning of Lebanon's ambassador to
Iraq—sources told LBCI that General Security chief Maj. Gen. Hassan Choukeir
launched an initiative toward the country. Choukeir conducted a series of
contacts with Iraqi authorities, during which he clarified Lebanon’s position
and assured the Iraqi side that the statement had no underlying political
intent. He emphasized that Lebanon holds deep respect for both the Iraqi
government and people. His mediation succeeded in calming tensions, and both
sides agreed to pursue official-level communication to resolve the matter.
According to sources, the Iraqi side told Choukeir that it understood Lebanon’s
position and confirmed that there were no negative intentions toward the
country.
New face’ for Lebanon: Beirut airport road revamp targets
infrastructure and political banners
LBCI/April 16/2025
Welcome to Beirut's Rafic Hariri International Airport — the gateway to Lebanon
and the first impression for every visitor. What lingers with travelers on the
ride from the airport to the capital? Traffic, disorder, and visual clutter. But
that reality is beginning to change.
The airport road is no longer just a route between the airport and the capital,
Beirut — it is also a political and cultural showcase of the country. In a clear
message to the international community, tourists, and Lebanese expatriates,
authorities have launched a plan to rehabilitate the airport road. The effort is
expected to extend to other areas as well.
The project goes beyond basic repaving.
It includes road resurfacing, replacing damaged sidewalks, installing protective
side barriers, upgrading and maintaining traffic signals, removing visually
disruptive billboards, improving street lighting and landscaping, restoring
stormwater drainage systems, and installing new ventilation fans in the tunnels
leading to the airport. The rehabilitation project is part of a broader vision
to transform Beirut into a city free of sectarian, political, and partisan
slogans. In both directions, the Interior Ministry has begun implementing
this plan along the road from downtown Beirut to the Camille Chamoun Sports City
Stadium area. Through its ministries, departments, and agencies, the government
has committed to the rehabilitation effort in partnership with the private
sector, particularly Middle East Airlines, Lebanon's national carrier, which is
assisting with work on the airport road. But, as always, the real test lies in
execution.
Israeli defense minister says troops will remain in south
Lebanon indefinitely
Associated Press/April 16/2025
Israel's defense minister said Wednesday that troops will remain in so-called
security zones in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon and Syria indefinitely, remarks that
could further complicate talks with Hamas over a ceasefire and hostage release.
Israeli forces have taken over more than half of Gaza in a renewed campaign to
pressure Hamas to release hostages after Israel ended their ceasefire last
month. Israel has also refused to withdraw from some areas in Lebanon following
a ceasefire with Hezbollah last year, and it seized a buffer zone in southern
Syria after rebels overthrew President Bashar Assad in December. "Unlike in the
past, the (Israeli military) is not evacuating areas that have been cleared and
seized," Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement. The military "will
remain in the security zones as a buffer between the enemy and (Israeli)
communities in any temporary or permanent situation in Gaza -- as in Lebanon and
Syria."
The Palestinians and both neighboring countries view the presence of Israeli
troops as military occupation in violation of international law. Hamas has said
it will not release dozens of remaining hostages without a complete Israeli
withdrawal from Gaza and a lasting ceasefire. "They promised that the hostages
come first. In practice, Israel is choosing to seize territory before the
hostages," the main organization representing families of the hostages said in a
statement.
"There is one solution that is desirable and feasible, and that is the release
of all the hostages at once as part of an agreement, even at the cost of ending
the war," it said. Israel says it must maintain control of what it refers to as
security zones to prevent a repeat of Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023 attack, in which
thousands of militants stormed into southern Israel from Gaza, killing some
1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251. Israel's offensive has killed
over 51,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not
say how many were civilians or combatants but says women and children make up
more than half of the dead. Israel says it has killed some 20,000 militants,
without providing evidence. Israel's bombardment and ground operations have left
vast areas of the territory uninhabitable and have displaced around 90% of the
population of roughly 2 million Palestinians. Many have been displaced multiple
times, and hundreds of thousands are crammed into squalid tent camps with
dwindling food after Israel sealed off the territory from all imports more than
a month ago.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to annihilate Hamas and
return the 59 hostages still in Gaza — 24 of whom are believed to be alive. He
has said that Israel will then implement U.S. President Donald Trump's proposal
for the resettlement of much of Gaza's population in other countries through
what Netanyahu refers to as "voluntary emigration."Palestinians and Arab
countries have universally rejected Trump's proposal, which human rights experts
say would likely violate international law. Palestinians in Gaza say they don't
want to leave, and fear another mass expulsion like the one that occurred during
the war surrounding Israel's creation in 1948. The Trump administration, which
took credit for helping to broker the ceasefire that took hold in January, has
since expressed full support for Israel's decision to end it and to cut off all
humanitarian aid. Trump's Mideast envoy, Steve Witkoff, has been trying to
broker a new ceasefire agreement more favorable to Israel but those efforts
appear to have made little progress. Netanyahu helms the most nationalist and
religious government in Israel's history, and his coalition partners have called
for the reestablishment of Jewish settlements in Gaza. Israel withdrew its
forces from Gaza and dismantled its settlements there in 2005, but it maintained
control of most of Gaza's land border, coastline and airspace, and joined Egypt
in imposing a blockade on the territory after Hamas seized power in 2007. Israel
seized Gaza, east Jerusalem and the West Bank — territories the Palestinians
want for a future state — in the 1967 Mideast war. It also captured the Golan
Heights from Syria in that conflict and annexed it in a move not recognized by
any country except for the United States.
Weakened by Israel,
Hezbollah turns to spin games to hold support
David Daoud/MENASource/April 16/2025
https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/menasource/weakened-by-israel-hezbollah-turns-to-spin-games-to-hold-support/
In the aftermath of the collapse of the Israel-Hamas cease-fire in Gaza, fears
of renewed fighting to Israel’s north sparked after it came under anonymous
rocket fire from south Lebanon. Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militants in Lebanon,
denied involvement and has neither restarted its attacks on Israel nor is it
threatening to do so. In a far cry from the group’s late 2023 bellicosity,
Hezbollah’s condemnation of Israel’s renewed “aggression” on the Gaza Strip
implored the “United Nations, Security Council, and human rights organizations”
to halt the renewed fighting through diplomatic and popular pressure.
The group’s more cautious posturing demonstrates Hezbollah knows it’s in no
condition to fight. This reality presents Hezbollah with a dilemma. Meaningfully
responding to either Israel’s renewed military effort in Gaza or its continued
attacks in Lebanon would invite war upon Lebanon again, mooting its quest for
reconstruction aid and risking heightened Lebanese, and more critically Shia,
dissatisfaction. But acquiescence, though it may currently be the more prudent
choice for the group, also carries the risk of exposing its weakness and
inability to confront the Israelis. This, too, risks siphoning Shia support.
To navigate this dilemma, Hezbollah is falling back on propaganda organs to spin
its difficult situation positively.
Impact of war with Israel
During the year-long war, Israel decimated large parts of the group’s arsenal
and wiped out its best military commanders and top political leadership. Both
Bashar al-Assad’s downfall in Syria and US President Donald Trump’s rise in
Washington have severely restricted Hezbollah’s paths to regeneration.
Meanwhile, within Lebanon, the group must now contend with a population and
politicians restive from an unnecessary war and calling for Hezbollah’s
disarmament—rumblings that, if they spread into its Shia base, could threaten
the group’s demise.
Squeezed as it is, Hezbollah is not currently aiming to rebuild enough strength
to fight Israel nor to dominate Lebanon outright. Instead, the group is focused
on the more achievable goal of navigating its current—largely
self-imposed—predicament and surviving. Retaining its massive support among
Lebanese Shias will prove critical to this objective, deterring any potential
hostile moves by Hezbollah’s political opponents or the Lebanese government.
But retaining its supporters will depend on Hezbollah securing the
reconstruction of the Shia community’s homes and properties destroyed in the
recent war with Israel. The group will also need to demonstrate to its base that
it maintains the ability to deter Israel and defeat it in battle—an image
Hezbollah cultivated over decades and which acts as the basis of much of its
popular support.
While both tasks will pose challenges for the group, the latter will be more
difficult. Back in November, the Israelis forced Hezbollah to abandon its
promise to continue attacking Israel until a cease-fire was achieved in the Gaza
Strip, just two months after Hezbollah’s late Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah
had directly challenged Jerusalem to try to make his group back down.
Hezbollah’s inaction as the fighting resumes in the Palestinian enclave
undoubtedly highlights this capitulation—especially coupled with the group’s
passivity while Israel’s air force continues to regularly target Hezbollah
assets and kill its operatives and commanders with impunity throughout Lebanon.
Spinning the narrative: Hezobllah’s save-face
Hezbollah’s face-saving narrative rests, first and foremost, in its claim of
victory over Israel in the recent war. This is based on three assertions.
The first assertion seeks to demonstrate that Hezbollah had to initiate attacks
against Israel on October 8, 2023. The group thus claims it was preempting an
imminent and unprovoked Israeli invasion of Lebanon. At once, this exonerates
Hezbollah from provoking an unnecessary war with the Israelis over a foreign
conflict amid near-total Lebanese economic collapse and paints Israel as the
aggressor. Having thus positioned itself once again as Lebanon’s defender, the
group’s narrative then heavily exaggerates both the odds confronting Hezbollah
and Israel’s war goals—claiming the Israelis, with unlimited US and European
backing, sought to utterly destroy Hezbollah, reach Beirut, and dominate
Lebanon. Israel’s failure to achieve those goals is then taken as proof of the
group’s success.
From there, Hezbollah claims its decision to agree to a unilateral cease-fire
came “from a position of strength,” in Secretary-General Naim Qassem’s words—a
concession to the requests of the Lebanese state, to spare the Lebanese people
further suffering at the hands of the “murderous” Israelis, rather than caving
to Israel’s military pressure. Qassem has thus repeatedly stressed that it was
only natural for Hezbollah to accept the November 27, 2024, Lebanon-Israel
cease-fire deal because it never sought to start a war.
“We opened a support front,” he said in a recent interview, “but support fronts
don’t lead to war . . . that was an Israeli decision,” inverting the role of
aggressor and victim.
While that portion of Hezbollah’s narrative is meant to neatly package past
events, the group has also developed an elaborate explanation for its persistent
hold of fire despite continued Israeli operations. On Lebanon, the group insists
it is motivated by the same sense of national responsibility that led it to
accept the cease-fire deal, and not weakness. National responsibility,
Hezbollah’s officials claim, now demands the group give diplomacy and the
Lebanese State the chance to deal with the Israeli threat—while caveating with
threats that its patience is not infinite.
As its inaction relates to the Palestinians, Hezbollah’s narrative has endlessly
emphasized the group’s sacrifices to date on behalf of the “resistance” and the
people in Gaza. During and after the war, the group stressed that its south
Lebanon support front had bogged the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) down, slowing
its advance in the Gaza Strip and blunting the worst impact of its war
effort—even as Hezbollah somewhat contradictorily insisted that Israel was
exterminating Gaza’s population.
In any case, Hezbollah insisted that agreeing to the November 27, 2024
cease-fire deal only meant the group would—in Qassem’s words—continue to
“support Palestine in different forms” rather than stop altogether. Hezbollah
did this in past years by arming and training militant groups such as Hamas and
Palestinian Islamic Jihad operating inside Israel to carry out their own attacks
or by facilitating operations against the Israelis by the Lebanon-based
franchises of these groups. This allowed Hezbollah to maintain pressure on
Israel, bleed out the IDF, and demonstrate its continued commitment to the
Palestinian cause, while also maintaining enough plausible deniability to avoid
proportionate Israeli retribution.
But now Hezbollah’s direct link to Palestinian groups in Israel has been cut off
both by Assad’s downfall in Syria and the IDF’s continued occupation of five
strategic points in south Lebanon. Meanwhile, unless diplomatic pressure can
halt their strikes in Lebanon, the Israelis are set on aggressively enforcing
new rules of engagement with Hezbollah that would deprive the group of its old
ability to hide behind anonymous actors or third parties. In recent weeks alone,
Israel responded forcefully to anonymous rocket fire from Hezbollah-controlled
areas of south Lebanon and assassinated high-ranking Hezbollah commander Hassan
Ali Badeer in Beirut on claims he helped Hamas plan a mass-casualty attack
against Israelis abroad.
Despite these odds, Hezbollah still possesses the one advantage that has given
its narratives traction in the past. The group, after all, is seeking to
convince an audience that is half converted, in a broad sense, and half held
captive by fear of the organization—rather than the buy-in of skeptics or open
adversaries. But it is premature to rule on Hezbollah’s chances of success this
time. Facts are, after all, unforgiving by their very nature. This time, the
harsh reality—that Israel decisively defeated and critically weakened the
group—may be too obvious and overwhelming for Hezbollah’s sophisticated
propaganda organs to claim that the “Party of God” has once again emerged
victorious.
**David Daoud is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies,
focusing on Hezbollah, Israel, and Lebanon issues. Follow him on X:
@DavidADaoud.
The Latest English LCCC
Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on April 16-17/2025
Jordan arrests 16 in 'terror cell' plot: Lebanon commits to full
cooperation, intel-sharing underway—here’s what we know
LBCI/April 16, 2025
After Jordan's authorities revealed details about a cell that had been under
intelligence surveillance since 2021 and arrested its members, the Jordanian
judiciary charged 16 detainees with terrorism in connection with plans to target
the country's security. If convicted, the group members face sentences of
up to 15 years in prison. Jordanian sources told LBCI that Lebanon, like Jordan,
is a victim in the case, and that all members of the cell admitted to entering
Lebanon, which served as a meeting point with other groups. The sources
also said the Jordanian side informed Lebanese authorities that the cell members
received training from Hamas in Lebanon, likely in one of the camps. They also
received funding from unidentified regional parties. The sources added that the
cell’s activities were aimed at Jordan, not Lebanon. According to the same
sources, after the investigation was completed and all suspects were in custody,
part of the confessions was made public. However, Lebanon had not previously
been informed of the intelligence in Jordan's possession. Following a phone call
with Jordan's King Abdullah II, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun affirmed
Lebanon’s full willingness to coordinate and cooperate. He also directed the
justice minister to work with his Jordanian counterpart on the investigation and
facilitate the exchange of information between the two countries’ security and
judicial agencies. The president also instructed Lebanon's justice minister to
coordinate with his Jordanian counterpart on the investigation and the exchange
of information between the security and judicial agencies of both countries.
Based on that communication and the anticipated exchange of information,
Lebanese authorities stand ready to fully cooperate with their Jordanian
counterparts if any part of the case is found to involve Lebanon. Meanwhile,
sources confirmed to LBCI that Lebanese security and intelligence agencies are
coordinating and sharing information regarding the Jordanian cell and the names
of those arrested. Efforts are underway to cross-check the names to determine
whether any are known to Lebanese authorities, what groups they belong to,
whether they are Lebanese or Palestinian, and whether they entered Lebanon —
when, by what routes, and whether through official border crossings or via Syria
through unofficial ones. Authorities are also investigating who trained the
members of the group. In addition to internal coordination, Lebanese agencies
plan to communicate directly with their Jordanian counterparts to exchange
intelligence about the groups.
Jordan arrests 16 for plotting to
target national security, hording arms and manufacturing rockets
Agence France Presse/Associated
Press
Jordan's intelligence service on Tuesday announced the arrests of 16 people for
allegedly planning to target national security and sow "chaos", state media
reported. "Jordan's General Intelligence Department (GID) has foiled plans aimed
at targeting national security, sowing chaos, and sabotaging within Jordan," the
Petra state news agency reported. "The GID has detained 16 suspects after close
intelligence monitoring since 2021," it added. It said the suspects were
arrested for "manufacturing rockets using local tools as well as tools imported
for illegal purposes, possession of explosives and firearms, concealing a rocket
ready to be deployed, planning to manufacture drones, and recruiting and
training operatives in Jordan as well as training them abroad".The case has been
referred to the state security court, Petra added. Jordan’s government said the
accused have political affiliations and belong to what it called “unlicensed
groups,” referring to the Muslim Brotherhood. Jordan’s judiciary dissolved the
Muslim Brotherhood in 2020. In a statement Tuesday, the Muslim Brotherhood
called the accusations unfair and said it was committed to Jordan’s stability
and security. The Muslim Brotherhood is a pan-Arab Islamist political movement
with branches in many countries, describing itself as a charitable and political
organization, although experts say some branches have apparent ties to
militants. Jordan enjoys relative stability compared with other countries in the
region, but has previously announced arrests on national security charges. In
May last year, security services thwarted an attempt by a foreign state-backed
militia to smuggle arms to a cell inside the kingdom, an official said at the
time.
Rubio, Jordanian prime minister discuss boosting investment, State Department
says
Reuters/April 16, 2025
WASHINGTON, DC: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Jordanian Prime Minister
Jafar Hassan discussed ways to expand economic cooperation and increase
investments between the two nations, the State Department said in a statement on
Tuesday. The pair also discussed the situation in Gaza and the West Bank, the
statement added.
Iranian president says he hopes
for deal with US
Agence France Presse/April 16, 2025
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Wednesday he hopes a deal can be
reached with the United States, as the two countries prepare for a second round
of nuclear talks this weekend. "We would naturally welcome the conclusion of an
agreement" with the U.S., Iran's official IRNA news agency quoted Pezeshkian as
saying during a cabinet meeting.
Questions Loom Over U.S. Concessions to
Iran in Nuclear Negotiations
FDD/April 16, 2025
Witkoff Appears to Walk Back Concessions: The lead U.S. representative in
ongoing nuclear talks with Iran appeared to walk back earlier statements
signaling that the Trump administration was willing to allow Tehran to continue
enriching uranium. U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff said on April 15 that any
deal on Iran’s nuclear program would require Tehran to “stop and eliminate its
nuclear enrichment and weaponization programs.” The statement contrasted with an
interview on April 14 in which Witkoff said that capping Iran’s enrichment
activities at 3.67 percent — the level of enrichment needed for civilian nuclear
power — would constitute an acceptable outcome. Similarities to Obama’s Nuclear
Deal: President Donald Trump withdrew from the Obama administration’s Joint
Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2018, protesting that the deal allowed
Iran to keep its nuclear enrichment program, continue building its missile
arsenal, and support a network of terrorist proxies throughout the Middle East.
While Witkoff suggested that a future agreement should cover verification on
missiles that could carry a nuclear weapon, it is unclear whether the topic of
Iran’s missile stockpile was brought up during the first round of indirect
negotiations on April 12. The Guardian reported that a major stumbling block
between the two sides is whether Iran should be allowed to keep its stockpile of
highly enriched uranium or if it must transfer it to a third country.
IAEA Chief Heads to Tehran: The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA),
Rafael Grossi, is scheduled to arrive in Tehran on April 16 for fresh talks with
Iranian leaders. In March, the IAEA expressed concern that Iran’s stock of
enriched uranium, enough material for at least six nuclear weapons, could be
quickly converted for weaponization purposes. In a report to the IAEA board,
Grossi said, “Iran is the only non-nuclear weapon state enriching to this level,
causing me serious concern,” noting as well that it had been “four years since
Iran stopped implementing its nuclear-related commitments.”
FDD Expert Analysis
“Witkoff should understand that 3.67 percent enrichment represents 70 percent of
the effort to make weapons-grade uranium. This capability cannot remain in the
Ayatollah regime’s hands. The administration’s position that Iran must dismantle
its enrichment capability — the means to produce fuel for nuclear weapons —
appears to have collapsed after one meet-and-greet in Oman. Trump abandoned a
similarly weak deal in 2018, the JCPOA.” — Andrea Stricker, FDD Research Fellow
and Deputy Director of FDD’s Nonproliferation and Biodefense Program
“Tehran leverages its nuclear program as a tool of coercive diplomacy, seeking
sanctions relief that can be redirected to expand its ballistic missile arsenal
and sustain a transnational network of proxy militias. Ignoring Iran’s arsenal
of 2,000-kilometer-range missiles — capable of reaching parts of Europe — would
constitute a critical oversight.” — Janatan Sayeh, Research Analyst
Iran foreign minister says
uranium enrichment ‘non-negotiable’
AFP/April 16, 2025
TEHRAN: Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Wednesday that Iran’s enrichment of
uranium as part of its nuclear program was “non-negotiable” after US Special
Envoy Steve Witkoff called for a halt. “Iran’s enrichment is a real, accepted
matter. We are ready to build confidence in response to possible concerns, but
the issue of enrichment is non-negotiable,” Araghchi told reporters after a
cabinet meeting. The remarks came as Araghchi and Witkoff are due to meet again
in Oman on Saturday, a week after they held the highest-level talks between the
longtime foes since US President Donald Trump abandoned a landmark nuclear deal
in 2018. Trump reimposed sweeping sanctions in a policy of “maximum pressure”
against Tehran that he has reinstated since returning to office in January. In
March, he sent a letter to Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei urging
talks but warning of possible military action if they fail to produce a deal.
Both sides described Saturday’s meeting as “constructive.”But on Tuesday,
Witkoff said Iran must “stop and eliminate” its enrichment of uranium as part of
any nuclear deal. He had previously demanded only that Iran return to the 3.67
percent enrichment ceiling set by the 2015 accord between Iran and major powers
that Trump withdrew from. Araghchi condemned what he called the “contradictory
and conflicting positions” coming out of the Trump administration ahead of
Saturday’s talks. “We will find out the true opinions of the Americans during
the negotiation session,” he said.
Iran’s top diplomat said he hoped to start negotiations on the framework of a
possible agreement but said that required “constructive positions” from the US.
“If we continue to (hear) contradictory and conflicting positions, we are going
to have problems,” he warned. Araghchi is set to head to Iranian ally Russia on
Thursday, Iran’s ambassador in Moscow Kazem Jalili said. Iran has said the visit
was “pre-planned” but will include discussions on the Iran-US talks. “The
objective of (my) trip to Russia is to convey a written message from the supreme
leader” to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Araghchi said.
In readiness for the US talks, Iran has engaged with Russia and China, which
were both parties to the 2015 deal. Ahead of Saturday’s second round of talks in
Muscat, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said he hoped a deal could be
reached with the US, the official IRNA news agency reported. On Tuesday,
Khamenei cautioned that while the talks have proceeded well in their early
stages, they could still prove fruitless. “The negotiations may or may not yield
results,” he said, noting that Iran had already outlined its “red lines.”Iran’s
Revolutionary Guards have said the country’s military capabilities are
off-limits in the talks. Late on Sunday, IRNA said Iran’s regional influence and
its missile capabilities — both sources of concern for Western governments —
were also among its “red lines.”The head of the International Atomic Energy
Agency, Rafael Grossi was due in Iran later Wednesday for talks with senior
officials. The UN watchdog was tasked with overseeing Iran’s compliance with the
2015 nulear deal. In its latest report, the IAEA said Iran had an estimated
274.8 kilograms of uranium enriched to up to 60 percent. That level far exceeds
the the 3.67 percent ceiling set by the 2015 deal but still falls short of the
90 percent threshold required for a nuclear warhead.
More than 13 years of
conflict in Syria ravaged the country, with the health system shattered and
infrastructure hobbled
AFP/April 16, 2025
DAMASCUS: Save the Children said on Wednesday that more than 400,000 children in
the Syrian Arab Republic were at risk of “severe malnutrition” after the US
suspended aid, forcing the charity to slash operations in the country. Bujar
Hoxha, Save the Children’s Syria director, in a statement called on the
international community to urgently fill the funding gap, warning that needs
were “higher than ever” after years of war and economic collapse.“More than
416,000 children in Syria are now at significant risk of severe malnutrition
following the sudden suspension of foreign aid,” Save the Children said in a
statement, adding separately that the cuts were those of the US. The global aid
situation has grown dire since US President Donald Trump ordered the dismantling
of the US Agency for International Development early this year. His
administration scrapped 83 percent of humanitarian programs funded by USAID. The
agency had an annual budget of $42.8 billion, representing 42 percent of total
global humanitarian aid. The suspension has “forced the closure of one third of
Save the Children’s life-saving nutrition activities” across Syria, the charity
said, halting “vital care for over 40,500 children” aged under five. Hoxha said
the closure of the charity’s nutrition centers “comes at the worst possible
time” with “the needs in Syria are higher than ever.” Its clinics that are still
open are “reporting a surge in malnutrition cases while struggling to keep up
with the growing demand for care,” the charity added.
More than 13 years of conflict in Syria ravaged the country, with the health
system shattered and infrastructure hobbled. In February, a United Nations
Development Programme report estimated that nine out of 10 Syrians now live in
poverty and face food insecurity with “malnutrition on the rise, particularly
among children.”Save the Children said more than 650,000 children under five in
Syria were now “chronically malnourished,” while more than 7.5 million children
nationwide needed humanitarian assistance, which it said was the highest number
since the crisis began. Hoxha urged the international community to “urgently
step up” to fill the funding gap. Syrian children “are paying the price for
decisions made thousands of miles away,” Hoxha added in the statement.
US imposes sanctions on a
Chinese refinery accused of buying Iranian oil
David Klepper/The Associated
Press/April 16, 2025
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Treasury Department imposed sanctions Wednesday on a
Chinese refinery accused of purchasing more than $1 billion worth of Iranian
oil, saying the proceeds help finance both Tehran's government and Iran's
support for militant groups. The sanctioned refinery in China's Shandong
province received dozens of shipments of crude oil from Iran worth more than $1
billion, the Trump administration said. Some of the petroleum came from a front
company for Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, U.S. authorities said.
Officials also announced that several companies and vessels involved in the
shipments were added to the sanctions list. The new penalties were imposed by
the Office of Foreign Assets Control and follow earlier efforts by the
administration to disrupt the flow of Iranian oil, which authorities say is
carried by Iran's “shadow fleet." The United States has already penalized dozens
of individuals and vessels involved in the shipments. “Any refinery, company, or
broker that chooses to purchase Iranian oil or facilitate Iran’s oil trade
places itself at serious risk,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a news
release. "The United States is committed to disrupting all actors providing
support to Iran’s oil supply chain, which the regime uses to support its
terrorist proxies and partners.”Iran is accused of backing militant groups
including Yemen's Houthis, who have launched attacks on international shipping,
Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza. During his confirmation hearing earlier
this year, Bessent criticized the Biden administration’s sanctions policies and
called for the U.S. to have a more “muscular” sanctions system, including on
Iran and Russian entities and oil. Tammy Bruce, a State Department spokeswoman,
said in a statement Wednesday that Trump “is committed to drive Iran's illicit
oil exports, including to China, to zero.” “As Long as Iran attempts to generate
oil revenues to fund its destabilizing activities, the United States will hold
both Iran and all its partners in sanctions evasion accountable,” Bruce said.
The new sanctions were announced the same day that Iran confirmed that the next
round of talks with the U.S. on Tehran's nuclear program will be held in Rome.
Messages seeking responses from representatives of the Chinese and Iranian
governments were not immediately returned Wednesday.
Iran confirms that the 2nd round of nuclear talks with the US will be in Rome
Jon Gambrell And Nasser Karimi/AP/April
16, 2025
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran confirmed Wednesday that the next round of
nuclear talks with the United States this weekend will be held in Rome after
earlier confusion over where the negotiations would be held. The announcement by
Iranian state television came as Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian formally
approved the resignation of one of his vice presidents who served as Tehran's
key negotiator in its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. The head of the
United Nations' nuclear watchdog, Rafael Mariano Grossi of the International
Atomic Energy Agency, also arrived in the Islamic Republic on Wednesday. His
talks may include negotiations over just what access his inspectors can get
under any proposed deal. The state TV announcement said Oman will again mediate
the talks on Saturday in Rome. Oman's foreign minister served as an interlocutor
between the two sides at talks last weekend in Muscat, the sultanate's capital.
Officials initially on Monday identified Rome as hosting the negotiations, only
for Iran to insist early Tuesday they would return to Oman. American officials
so far haven’t said publicly where the talks will be held, though Trump did call
Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq on Tuesday while the ruler was on a trip to the
Netherlands. The stakes of the negotiations couldn’t be higher for the two
nations closing in on half a century of enmity. U.S. President Donald Trump
repeatedly has threatened to unleash airstrikes targeting Iran’s nuclear program
if a deal isn’t reached. Iranian officials increasingly warn that they could
pursue a nuclear weapon with their stockpile of uranium enriched to near
weapons-grade levels. Pezeshkian praises former vice president while
acknowledging his resignation. The former vice president, Mohammad Javad Zarif,
served as a key supporter of Pezeshkian in his election last year but drew
criticism from hard-liners within Iran's Shiite theocracy, who long have alleged
Zarif gave away too much in negotiations. In March, Zarif tendered his
resignation to Pezeshkian. However, the president did not immediately respond to
the letter. Zarif has used resignation announcements in the past in his
political career as leverage, including in a dispute last year over the
composition of Pezeshkian’s Cabinet. The president had rejected that
resignation. But on late Tuesday, a statement from the presidency said
Pezeshkian wrote Zarif a letter praising him but accepting his resignation.
“Pezeshkian emphasized that due to certain issues, his administration can no
longer benefit from Zarif’s valuable knowledge and expertise,” a statement from
the presidency said. The president in a decree appointed Mohsen Ismaili, 59, to
be his new vice president for strategic affairs. In Iran's political system, the
president has multiple vice presidents. Ismaili is known as a political moderate
and a legal expert.
Grossi visit comes as Iran has restricted IAEA access
Grossi arrived in Tehran for meetings with Pezeshkian and others, which likely
will be held Thursday as his previous visits saw the engagements the following
morning after his arrival. Since the nuclear deal’s collapse in 2018 with
Trump's unilateral withdraw of the U.S. from the accord, Iran has abandoned all
limits on its program, and enriches uranium to up to 60% purity — near
weapons-grade levels of 90%. Surveillance cameras installed by the IAEA have
been disrupted, while Iran has barred some of the Vienna-based agency’s most
experienced inspectors. Iranian officials also have increasingly threatened that
they could pursue atomic weapons, something the West and the IAEA have been
worried about for years since Tehran abandoned an organized weapons program in
2003. Any possible deal between Iran and the U.S. likely would need to rely on
the IAEA's expertise to ensure Tehran's compliance. And despite tensions between
Iran and the agency, its access has not been entirely revoked. Iran's foreign
minister questions contradictory responses from US envoy. Meanwhile, Iran's
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Wednesday warned the U.S. about taking
contradictory stances in the talks. That likely refers to comments from U.S.
Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff, who this week initially suggested a deal could see
Iran go back to 3.67% uranium enrichment — like in the 2015 deal reached by the
Obama administration. Witkoff then followed up with saying "a deal with Iran
will only be completed if it is a Trump deal.”“Iran must stop and eliminate its
nuclear enrichment and weaponization program,” he wrote on the social platform
X. “It is imperative for the world that we create a tough, fair deal that will
endure, and that is what President Trump has asked me to do.”Araghchi warned
America about taking any “contradictory and opposing stances” in the talks.
“Enrichment is a real and accepted issue, and we are ready for trust building
about possible concerns," Araghchi said. But losing the right to enrich at all
"is not negotiable.”
Israel will
keep Gaza buffer zone, minister says, as ceasefire efforts stall
Reuters/April 16, 2025
JERUSALEM/CAIRO: Israeli troops will remain in the buffer zones they have
created in Gaza even after any settlement to end the war, Defense Minister
Israel Katz said on Wednesday, as efforts to revive a ceasefire agreement
faltered. Since resuming their operation last month, Israeli forces have carved
out a broad “security zone” extending deep into Gaza and squeezing more than 2
million Palestinians into ever smaller areas in the south and along the
coastline. “Unlike in the past, the IDF is not evacuating areas that have been
cleared and seized,” Katz said in a statement following a meeting with military
commanders, adding that “tens of percent” of Gaza had been added to the zone.
“The IDF will remain in the security zones as a buffer between the enemy and the
communities in any temporary or permanent situation in Gaza — as in Lebanon and
Syria.”In southern Gaza alone, Israeli forces have seized about 20 percent of
the enclave’s territory, taking control of the border city of Rafah and pushing
inland up to the so-called “Morag corridor” that runs from the eastern edge of
Gaza to the Mediterranean Sea between Rafah and the city of Khan Younis. It
already held a wide corridor across the central Netzarim area and has extended a
buffer zone all around the border hundreds of meters inland, including the
Shejaia area just to the east of Gaza City in the north. Israel says its forces
have killed hundreds of Hamas fighters, including many senior commanders of the
Palestinian militant group, but the operation has alarmed the United Nations and
European countries. More than 400,000 Palestinians have been displaced since
hostilities resumed on March 18 after two months of relative calm, according to
the UN humanitarian agency OCHA and Israeli air strikes and bombardments have
killed at least 1,630 people. Medical charity MSF said Gaza had become a “mass
grave” with humanitarian groups struggling to provide aid. “We are witnessing in
real time the destruction and forced displacement of the entire population in
Gaza,” Amande Bazerolle, MSF’s emergency coordinator in Gaza said in a
statement. Katz said Israel, which has blocked the delivery of aid supplies into
the territory, was creating infrastructure to allow distribution through
civilian companies at a later date. But he said the blockade on aid would remain
in place. He said Israel would push forward with a plan to allow Gazans who
wished to leave the enclave to do so, although it remains unclear which
countries would be willing to accept large numbers of Palestinians.
Red lines
The comments from Katz, repeating Israel’s demand on Hamas to disarm, underscore
how far away the two sides remain from any ceasefire agreement, despite efforts
by Egyptian mediators to revive efforts to reach a deal. Hamas has repeatedly
described calls to disarm as a red line it will not cross and has said Israeli
troops must withdraw from Gaza under any permanent ceasefire. “Any truce lacking
real guarantees for halting the war, achieving full withdrawal, lifting the
blockade, and beginning reconstruction will be a political trap,” Hamas said in
a statement on Wednesday. Two Israeli officials said this week that there had
been no progress in the talks despite media reports of a possible truce to allow
the exchange of some of the 59 hostages still held in Gaza for Palestinian
prisoners. Israeli officials have said the increased military pressure will
force Hamas to release the hostages but the government has faced large
demonstrations by Israeli protesters demanding a deal to stop the fighting and
get them back. Israel launched its campaign in Gaza in response to the October
2023 attack by Hamas on southern Israel that killed 1,200 people and saw 251
taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies. The offensive has killed at least
51,000 Palestinians, according to local health authorities, and devastated the
coastal enclave, forcing most of the population to move multiple times and
reducing broad areas to rubble. On Wednesday, Palestinian medical authorities
said an airstrike killed 10 people, including Fatema Hassouna, a well-known
writer and photographer who had documented the war. A strike on another house
further north killed three, they said. The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza
said Israel’s suspension of the entry of fuel, medical, and food supplies since
early March had begun to obstruct the work of the few remaining working
hospitals, with medical supplies drying up.“Hundreds of patients and wounded
individuals are deprived of essential medications, and their suffering is
worsening due to the closure of border crossings,” the ministry said.
‘No humanitarian aid will
enter Gaza,’ Israel defence minister says
FRANCE 24/April 16, 2025
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said Wednesday that Israel will keep
blocking aid to Gaza to pressure Hamas into releasing the remaining hostages,
even as the UN warned of the enclave’s worst crisis since the war began and
Doctors Without Borders described it as a "mass grave".Israel said Wednesday it
would keep blocking humanitarian aid from entering Gaza, where a relentless
military offensive has turned the Palestinian territory into a "mass grave", a
medical charity reported. Air and ground attacks resumed across the Gaza Strip
from March 18, ending a two-month ceasefire with Hamas that had largely halted
hostilities in the territory. However, Israel has halted the entry of aid into
Gaza since March 2, as the humanitarian crisis continues to grow amid ongoing
military assaults which rescuers said killed at least 11 people Wednesday.
Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday Israel would continue preventing
aid from entering the besieged territory of 2.4 million people. "Israel's policy
is clear: no humanitarian aid will enter Gaza, and blocking this aid is one of
the main pressure levers preventing Hamas from using it as a tool with the
population," Katz said in a statement.
Israeli army faces growing
dissent: ‘I will never again serve under this government’
Bahar MAKOOI/France 24/April 16,
2025
Israeli media have reported a marked increase in the number of reservists
refusing to show up for army duty, pointing to rapidly declining support for a
war that critics – including within the military – say is no longer motivated by
Israel’s security interests and the release of hostages held in Gaza. More than
18 months since the start of the war in Gaza, Israel’s onslaught on the ravaged
Palestinian enclave shows no sign of relenting. Yuval Ben-Ari, however, has
decided his war is over. “The Gaza Strip is a field of ruins, there’s nothing
left, and yet the army is planning new operations with no clear objective,” the
40-year-old reservist told Israel’s Radio Haifa in an interview earlier this
month. Like tens of thousands of fellow Israelis, Ben-Ari quickly answered a
call-up to fight in the wake of the Hamas-led October 7 attack, the deadliest
ever on Israeli soil. He served with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in southern
Gaza and in the Netzarim Corridor that splits the enclave down the middle, as
well as taking part in Israeli manoeuvres in southern Lebanon during clashes
with Hezbollah. Open dissent has been spreading in recent weeks, including among
elite units in the Israel Defense Forces.
How Israeli settlers are
able to seize Palestinian land with impunity in the West Bank
AFP/April 16, 2025
SANAA: Houthi media said more than a dozen air strikes hit the militia-held
capital Sanaa on Wednesday, blaming them on the United States. Houthi-held areas
of Yemen have endured near-daily strikes, blamed on the United States, since
Washington launched an air campaign against the militia on March 15 in an
attempt to end their threats to shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of
Aden.“Fourteen air strikes carried out by American aggression hit the Al-Hafa
area in the Al-Sabeen district in the capital,” the Houthis’ Al-Masirah TV
reported. It also reported strikes blamed on the United States in the Hazm area
of Jawf province.The US campaign followed Houthi threats to resume their attacks
on international shipping over Israel’s aid blockade on the Gaza Strip. Since
March 15, the Houthis have also resumed attacks targeting US military ships and
Israel, saying they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza
Strip. The Houthis began targeting ships transiting the Red Sea and Gulf of
Aden, as well as Israeli territory, after the Gaza war began in October 2023,
later pausing their attacks during a recent two-month ceasefire. Israel cut off
all supplies to Gaza at the beginning of March and resumed its offensive in the
Palestinian territory on March 18, ending the truce. The vital Red Sea route,
connecting to the Suez Canal, normally carries about 12 percent of world
shipping traffic, but the Houthi attacks forced many companies to make a long
detour around the tip of southern Africa.
Investigation debunks
claims about coalition strikes in Yemen
Arab News/April 16, 2025
RIYADH: An investigation found that a number of airstrikes carried out by The
Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen did not target civilian sites including
a hospital and farm as claimed. The coalition’s Joint Incidents Assessment Team
held a meeting on Wednesday to address allegations regarding airstrikes in
various regions of Yemen in recent years. On Jan. 13, 2022, the UN High
Commissioner for Human Rights reported that an airstrike partially damaged the
emergency department and inpatient clinics of a hospital in the Al-Sawad area.
It was claimed that coalition forces targeted a military camp near the hospital.
The JIAT reviewed relevant documentation and found that a military camp, known
as Al-Sawad camp, was located near the 48 Model Hospital, which is on the
coalition forces’ no strike list. On the day of the alleged strike, coalition
forces conducted a targeted airstrike on military targets within the camp, based
on intelligence regarding Houthi militia activities. The bombs were guided and
aimed to minimize civilian impact, hitting their intended targets accurately and
remaining a safe distance from the hospital. Therefore, the JIAT concluded that
coalition forces did not target the hospital on Jan. 13, 2022. On March 3, 2021,
reports emerged alleging that coalition forces conducted an airstrike targeting
a farm in the Al-Watadah area of the Khawlan Directorate in Sanaa Governorate.
The JIAT said it reviewed documents, including air tasking orders, daily mission
schedules and satellite imagery. The investigation revealed that no specific
coordinates for the alleged farm were provided. The JIAT found no record of
airstrikes in Al-Watadah on the date in question, nor in the days surrounding
it. Open-source searches yielded no corroborating information. In conclusion,
the JIAT determined that coalition forces did not target a farm in Al-Watadah on
March 3, 2021, as alleged. Other reports indicated that a missile fell near a
house in Al-Malaheet village on Feb. 23, 2020. The JIAT investigated and found
no evidence that coalition forces had conducted missile strikes in the area on
that date. On June 4, 2015, allegations surfaced regarding an airstrike on the
governorate building in Zinjibar. The JIAT confirmed that no air missions were
conducted in Abyan on that date. Through these investigations, the JIAT aims to
clarify allegations and uphold accountability and transparency.
Houthi media says US air
strikes hit Sanaa
AFP/April 16, 2025
SANAA: Houthi media said more than a dozen air strikes hit the militia-held
capital Sanaa on Wednesday, blaming them on the United States. Houthi-held areas
of Yemen have endured near-daily strikes, blamed on the United States, since
Washington launched an air campaign against the militia on March 15 in an
attempt to end their threats to shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
“Fourteen air strikes carried out by American aggression hit the Al-Hafa area in
the Al-Sabeen district in the capital,” the Houthis’ Al-Masirah TV reported. It
also reported strikes blamed on the United States in the Hazm area of Jawf
province. The US campaign followed Houthi threats to resume their attacks on
international shipping over Israel’s aid blockade on the Gaza Strip. Since March
15, the Houthis have also resumed attacks targeting US military ships and
Israel, saying they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza
Strip. The Houthis began targeting ships transiting the Red Sea and Gulf of
Aden, as well as Israeli territory, after the Gaza war began in October 2023,
later pausing their attacks during a recent two-month ceasefire. Israel cut off
all supplies to Gaza at the beginning of March and resumed its offensive in the
Palestinian territory on March 18, ending the truce. The vital Red Sea route,
connecting to the Suez Canal, normally carries about 12 percent of world
shipping traffic, but the Houthi attacks forced many companies to make a long
detour around the tip of southern Africa.
Charity says 400,000
children in Syria risk ‘severe malnutrition’ after US cuts
AFP/April 16, 2025
DAMASCUS: Save the Children said on Wednesday that more than 400,000 children in
the Syrian Arab Republic were at risk of “severe malnutrition” after the US
suspended aid, forcing the charity to slash operations in the country. Bujar
Hoxha, Save the Children’s Syria director, in a statement called on the
international community to urgently fill the funding gap, warning that needs
were “higher than ever” after years of war and economic collapse. “More than
416,000 children in Syria are now at significant risk of severe malnutrition
following the sudden suspension of foreign aid,” Save the Children said in a
statement, adding separately that the cuts were those of the US. The global aid
situation has grown dire since US President Donald Trump ordered the dismantling
of the US Agency for International Development early this year. His
administration scrapped 83 percent of humanitarian programs funded by USAID. The
agency had an annual budget of $42.8 billion, representing 42 percent of total
global humanitarian aid. The suspension has “forced the closure of one third of
Save the Children’s life-saving nutrition activities” across Syria, the charity
said, halting “vital care for over 40,500 children” aged under five.
Hoxha said the closure of the charity’s nutrition centers “comes at the worst
possible time” with “the needs in Syria are higher than ever.”Its clinics that
are still open are “reporting a surge in malnutrition cases while struggling to
keep up with the growing demand for care,” the charity added. More than 13 years
of conflict in Syria ravaged the country, with the health system shattered and
infrastructure hobbled. In February, a United Nations Development Programme
report estimated that nine out of 10 Syrians now live in poverty and face food
insecurity with “malnutrition on the rise, particularly among children.”
Save the Children said more than 650,000 children under five in Syria were now
“chronically malnourished,” while more than 7.5 million children nationwide
needed humanitarian assistance, which it said was the highest number since the
crisis began.
Hoxha urged the international community to “urgently step up” to fill the
funding gap.
Syrian children “are paying the price for decisions made thousands of miles
away,” Hoxha added in the statement.
UK's top court says
definition of a woman is based on biological sex and excludes transgender people
Brian Melley, Jill Lawless And Sylvia Hui/The Associated Press/April 16, 2025
LONDON (AP) — The U.K. Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that a woman is someone
born biologically female, excluding transgender people from the legal definition
in a long-running dispute between a feminist group and the Scottish government.
The court said the unanimous ruling shouldn't be seen as victory by one side,
but several women's groups that supported the appeal celebrated outside court
and hailed it as a major win in their effort to protect spaces designated for
women. “Everyone knows what sex is and you can’t change it,” said Susan Smith,
co-director of For Women Scotland, which brought the case. “It’s common sense,
basic common sense, and the fact that we have been down a rabbit hole where
people have tried to deny science and to deny reality, and hopefully this will
now see us back to reality.”
A unanimous decision
Five judges ruled that the U.K. Equality Act means trans women can be excluded
from some groups and single-sex spaces such as changing rooms, homeless
shelters, swimming areas and medical or counseling services provided only to
women. The court said the ruling did not remove rights for trans people still
protected from discrimination under U.K. law. But it said certain protections
should apply only to biological females and not transgender women. The ruling
brings some clarity in the U.K. to an issue that has polarized politics in some
other countries, particularly the United States. Republican-controlled states
over the last four years have been banning gender-affirming care for minors,
barring transgender women and girls from sports competitions that align with
their gender and restricting which public bathrooms transgender people can use.
Since returning to office in January, President Donald Trump has signed orders
to define the sexes as only male and female and has tried to kick transgender
service members out of the military, block federal spending on gender-affirming
care for those under 19 and block their sports participation nationally. His
efforts are being challenged in court. The U.K. case stems from a 2018 law
passed by the Scottish Parliament saying 50% of the membership of the boards of
Scottish public bodies should be women. Transgender women with gender
recognition certificates were to be included in meeting the quota. “Interpreting
‘sex’ as certificated sex would cut across the definitions of ‘man’ and ‘woman’
... and, thus, the protected characteristic of sex in an incoherent way,”
Justice Patrick Hodge said in summarizing the case. “It would create
heterogeneous groupings.”
Trans rights advocates condemn the judgment
The campaign group Scottish Trans said it was “shocked and disappointed” by the
ruling, saying it would undermine legal protections for transgender people
enshrined in the 2004 Gender Recognition Act. Maggie Chapman, a Green Party
lawmaker in the Scottish Parliament, said the ruling was “deeply concerning” for
human rights and "a huge blow to some of the most marginalized people in our
society.”“Trans people have been cynically targeted and demonized by politicians
and large parts of the media for far too long,” she said. “This has contributed
to attacks on longstanding rights and attempts to erase their existence
altogether.”Groups that had challenged the Scottish government uncorked a bottle
of champagne outside the court and sang, “Women’s rights are human rights.”“The
court has given us the right answer: the protected characteristic of sex — male
and female — refers to reality, not to paperwork," said Maya Forstater of the
group Sex Matters. In 2022, an employment tribunal ruled that she had been the
victim of discrimination when she lost out on a job after posting
gender-critical views online.The British government welcomed the latest ruling,
saying it would provide clarity and confidence for women. “Single-sex spaces are
protected in law and will always be protected by this government,” it said.
Scotland’s semi-autonomous government said it accepted the judgment. “We will
now engage on the implications of the ruling,” First Minister John Swinney
posted on X. “Protecting the rights of all will underpin our actions.”
'One's bodily reality'
For Women Scotland had argued that the Scottish officials' redefinition of woman
went beyond Parliament’s powers. But Scottish officials then issued new guidance
stating that the definition of woman included someone with a gender recognition
certificate.
FWS sought to overturn that. “Not tying the definition of sex to its ordinary
meaning means that public boards could conceivably comprise of 50% men and 50%
men with certificates, yet still lawfully meet the targets for female
representation,” the group’s director Trina Budge said previously.
The challenge was rejected by a court in 2022, but the group was granted
permission last year to take its case to the Supreme Court. Aidan O’Neill, a
lawyer for FWS, told the Supreme Court judges — three men and two women — that
under the Equality Act “sex” should refer to biological sex as understood “in
ordinary, everyday language.”“Our position is your sex, whether you are a man or
a woman or a girl or a boy, is determined from conception in utero, even before
one’s birth, by one’s body,” he said. “It is an expression of one’s bodily
reality. It is an immutable biological state.”
Harry Potter author backed challenge
The women’s rights group counted among its supporters author J.K. Rowling, who
reportedly donated tens of thousands of pounds to back its work. The “Harry
Potter” writer has been vocal in arguing that the rights for trans women should
not come at the expense of those who are born biologically female. Rowling said
she was “so proud” of the “extraordinary, tenacious” For Women Scotland
campaigners who took the case on a years-long battle through the courts. Rowling
wrote on X that “in winning, they’ve protected the rights of women and girls
across the U.K.”Opponents, including Amnesty International, said excluding
transgender people from sex discrimination protections conflicted with human
rights laws. Amnesty submitted a brief in court saying it was concerned about
the deterioration of the rights for trans people in the U.K. and abroad. “A
blanket policy of barring trans women from single-sex services is not a
proportionate means to achieve a legitimate aim,” the human rights group said.
Al-Qaida-linked militants
attack a strategic town in Somalia
Omar Faruk/The Associated Press/April 16, 2025
The Somalia -based militant group al-Shabab on Wednesday attacked a strategic
town that serves as a major base for government troops, raising new concerns
about the sustainability of the fight against the al-Qaida-linked militants. The
dawn attack on Adan Yabal in Middle Shabelle region started with the launching
of explosives before the militants attacked on foot on multiple fronts. Al-Shabab
in a statement claimed it captured the town. A Somali military officer who spoke
on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media
said government troops controlled some areas and fighting continued. Adan Yabal,
about 245 kilometers (152 miles) north of the capital, Mogadishu, came under al-Shabab
control in 2016 and was retaken by government forces in December 2022. President
Hassan Sheikh Mohamud visited the town last month, underscoring its symbolic and
strategic importance in the fight against the militants. “For the past two
consecutive years, we have been on a winning streak. Occasional losses on the
battlefield do not mean we are losing the war,” he said. Military sources
reported significant casualties on both sides Wednesday, though the exact number
was unclear due to disrupted communication lines in the area. There was no
immediate government statement. In a related development, government forces and
an allied militia withdrew from the nearby village of Abooreey after 10 days of
clashes. Local sources confirmed that al-Shabab has since captured the village.
The setbacks come amid a broader counterinsurgency campaign that began in 2022
when Somali forces, supported by clan militias and international partners,
reclaimed dozens of towns and villages across Hirshabelle, Galmudug and
Southwest states. It was one of the most significant offensives against al-Shabab
in more than a decade. However, in recent months, the insurgents have regrouped
and launched a series of counterattacks, regaining control over rural
settlements in Middle Shabelle and Galgaduud regions. Al-Shabab also continues
to operate in large parts of Lower Shabelle, Middle Juba and Bakool regions,
where government presence remains limited. The militant group has fought for
more than 15 years to overthrow Somalia’s internationally backed government. It
retains the capacity to launch deadly raids and bombings, including in
Mogadishu. The most recent attack was on March 18 when a roadside bombing
targeted the presidential motorcade. The Somali government insists al-Shabab has
been weakened.
The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources
on April 16-17/2025
Texas Recognizes "Pakistan Day" As Pakistan
Destroys Human Rights
Uzay Bulut/Gatestone Institute/April 16, 2025
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/21551/texas-recognizes-pakistan-day
The problem is that at the same time as Texas was celebrating "Pakistan Day", in
Pakistan, Christian citizens were being arrested and sentenced to death for
"blasphemy," and Muslims were abducting young Christian girls to sexually abuse,
forcibly "marry," and coerce into converting to Islam.
Pakistan's national and provincial parliaments have given their consent to these
atrocities.... Christians, Hindus and other non-Muslim communities in Pakistan
have been enduring increased levels of violence and persecution....
Under Pakistan's blasphemy laws, anyone found guilty of insulting Islam, its
prophet or other religious figures can be imprisoned and sentenced to death....
The police are often biased and refuse to file reports from Christians and
Hindus.
The Texas House of Representatives might instead have dedicated March 23 to
Pakistan's abduction victims and abused children.
"The introduction of a 'Single National Curriculum' in schools denigrates
religious minorities and enforces the teaching of the Quran and subjects like
Mathematics and Science in an Islamized manner. Thus, religion is permeating
school education... Radical Islamic groups are flourishing... Such groups are
innumerable and even a ban will only make them re-organize, re-brand and
re-emerge. The default option for dealing with radical Islamic movements (who
are able to mobilize millions for street demonstrations) is appeasement and even
accommodation..." — Open Doors, December 2024.
"Occupations that are deemed low, dirty, and degrading—such as cleaning sewers
or working in brick kilns—are reserved for Christians by the authorities. Many
believers are referred to as 'chura', a derogatory term meaning 'filthy'.
Christians are also vulnerable to being trapped in bonded labor." — Open Doors,
2024.
Have Pakistani Texans done anything to help the victims of these horrific human
rights abuses in Pakistan or raised awareness of them in any way while in the
US? In what areas have they effectively cooperated with the US government? Have
they used their resources to fight Islamic terror groups; if so, to what extent?
Has Pakistan been a great US ally? What has the government of Pakistan actually
done to deserve being celebrated with an official day by the Texas House of
Representatives?
At the same time as Texas was celebrating "Pakistan Day", in Pakistan, Christian
citizens were being arrested and sentenced to death for "blasphemy," and Muslims
were abducting young Christian girls to sexually abuse, forcibly "marry," and
coerce into converting to Islam.
The Texas House of Representatives passed a resolution on March 28, officially
recognizing March 23 as "Pakistan Day." The resolution, introduced by State
Representative Dr. Suleman Lalani, claims that Pakistani Texans have made
"significant contributions in the state's social, religious, linguistic, and
economic spheres." Pakistan's Consul General in Texas, Muhammad Aftab Chaudhry,
was present at the event.
The problem is that at the same time as Texas was celebrating "Pakistan Day", in
Pakistan, Christian citizens were being arrested and sentenced to death for
"blasphemy," and Muslims were abducting young Christian girls to sexually abuse,
forcibly "marry," and coerce into converting to Islam.
Pakistan's national and provincial parliaments have given their consent to these
atrocities. In 2019, the Sindh Provincial Assembly rejected a bill criminalizing
forced religious conversions. This was the second attempt at enacting a law
against forced conversion in the province. In 2016, the Assembly had passed a
similar bill, but the governor did not agree to it. In 2021, a committee in
Pakistan's National Assembly rejected a bill against forced conversion after the
Ministry of Religious Affairs opposed the proposed law.
Christians, Hindus and other non-Muslim communities in Pakistan have been
enduring increased levels of violence and persecution.
On March 25, Muslim gunmen attacked 34-year-old Adnan Masih and his wife in
Faisalabad District, robbing them at gunpoint. According to Masih:
"When I told them that I was a poor Christian and an ordinary worker at a brick
kiln, they started whispering something into each other's ears... One of them
grabbed my wife's arm and pulled her into a nearby sugarcane field... and took
turns raping my wife."
On March 21, a Muslim in Punjab Province, Zohaib Iftikhar, slashed the throat of
a Christian co-worker, Waqas Masih, on allegations that he had committed
blasphemy by touching an Islamic textbook "with unclean hands."
On March 20, police arrested a social media influencer on allegations of
blasphemy from the country's Muzaffargarh District. A complaint was filed
against the woman for "posting derogatory remarks."
"Police registered a case against the TikToker under Sections 295-A (Deliberate
and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by
insulting its religion or religious beliefs) and 298-A (Uttering words with
deliberate intent to wound religious feelings) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).
She was later arrested... and she was sent to jail on judicial remand..."
On March 17, Federal Investigation Agency officials arrested 24-year-old Arsalan
Gill, a Christian, "under a blasphemy law mandating the death penalty in
relation to material that appeared on Facebook groups without his knowledge."
"The impoverished Catholic family was shocked when an FIA official told them
late that night that their son was arrested and charged with sharing blasphemous
content on Facebook groups. The FIA officials did not let them meet with him
that night..."
These are not isolated cases. Under Pakistan's blasphemy laws, anyone found
guilty of insulting Islam, its prophet or other religious figures can be
imprisoned and sentenced to death.
In January, a Pakistani court sentenced four Pakistanis to death for "posting
sacrilegious material on social media about Islamic religious figures and the
Quran."
"Along with the death sentences, the judge imposed collective fines of 4.6
million rupees (around $16,500) and handed down jail terms to each of the four
should a higher court overturn their death sentences."
While all women in Pakistan are vulnerable to gender-based violence, those from
religious minorities face particularly violent gender-specific abuse. Every
year, according to the Movement for Solidarity and Peace, up to a thousand
Christian and Hindu girls and young women are abducted by Muslim men.
These girls -- as young as 7, primarily from poor families and including girls
with physical disabilities -- are forcibly married, sexually assaulted and
compelled to convert to Islam on pain of death. Many families never see them
again, and the police and state authorities rarely take any action to recover
the girls or bring perpetrators to justice. The police are often biased and
refuse to file reports from Christians and Hindus.
The Texas House of Representatives might instead have dedicated March 23 to
Pakistan's abduction victims and abused children.
The Jubilee Campaign reported in a 2023 written statement to the UN Human Rights
Council that "the victim girls are forcibly married to men who are twice their
age or more and who are already married with children near the victims' age."
Open Doors, a human rights organization that monitors the persecution of
Christians on a global scale, ranks Pakistan number eight in its World Watch
List:
"The legal system repeatedly fails these young women. The psychological trauma
and abuse continue even if a case is brought to bring back the girl. Many of
them are forced to say they're over 18 years old or that they converted
voluntarily."
A 10-year-old girl from Faisalabad was kidnapped and forcibly converted on
February 12, 2024. Other recent instances include a 13-year-old girl who was
kidnapped on March 13, 2024, and a 15-year-old girl from Sindh Province who was
abducted on March 11, 2024, forcibly converted to Islam and married.
On January 20, 2025, three Muslims abducted Ariha Masih, a 12-year-old Christian
girl, at gunpoint from her home in Punjab Province and threatened to sell her
into sexual slavery. Her mother Sumera identified her daughter's kidnapper as
Sajjad (Saajhu) Baloch, a 40-year-old neighbor. Baloch and two accomplices had
forced their way into the Masih family home.
A bill to criminalize forced conversion stalled in Pakistan's National Assembly
in 2021, even though reports showed an increase of 177% of such cases against
religious minorities from the year before. The bill, which proposed that only
"mature" non-Muslims be allowed to convert to Islam, was called "un-Islamic" by
the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony.
Six United Nations special rapporteurs wrote and published a letter to
Pakistan's government in 2022 on the practice of forced marriages and
conversions. So far, no response, if any, has been made public. In 2024, the
rapporteurs repeated their statement.
"The U.N. special rapporteurs demanded Pakistan raise the legal age for girls to
marry to 18 as a deterrent against exploitation...
"The U.N. experts urged Pakistan to bring perpetrators to justice, enforce
existing legal protections against child, early and forced marriage, abduction
and trafficking of minority girls, and uphold the country's international human
rights obligations."
It is unclear whether the efforts being made to protect children in Pakistan
will succeed and actually lead to implementation. According to Qamar Rafiq, a
human rights advocate from Pakistan:
"The current situation [in Pakistan] makes it unlikely that we will see a
significant enough change in the country's politics to formulate an Anti-Forced
Conversion Bill any time soon."
The organization Church in Chains on March 20 related:
"A serious issue for Christians in Pakistan is that every year hundreds of
Christian girls and young women are abducted and forced to convert to Islam and
marry their abductors.....
"Pakistan's federal and provincial governments have failed to take action to
address the issue, and parents often report that police do not help them to
recover their daughters. Police are slow to register reports of abductions and
perpetrators know that the likelihood of conviction is low. When cases come to
court, judges tend to rule on the basis of Sharia (Islamic) law rather than
federal law, so decisions go in favour of the perpetrators and the girls lose
all contact with their families.
"Typically, a Christian or Hindu teenager from a poor family goes missing and
after some time her distraught family is informed that she has voluntarily
converted to Islam and married her alleged abductor.
"The girl is taken first to a local mosque or madrassa for conversion.... The
girl's age is usually entered on the conversion certificate as being over 18.
The conversion ceremony may be followed immediately by a Nikah (Muslim wedding)
and if the girl is underage the marriage certificate will falsify her age.
Courts often refuse to accept official documentation such as birth, baptismal or
school certificates as proof of age and insist on a medical examination, which
is intrusive and cannot provide an accurate result.
"If a case comes to court, the girl is coerced into siding with her abductor,
often through threats to kill her and her family if she does not testify that
she converted and married of her own free will – her abductor may be in the
courtroom when she delivers her testimony and Islamist mobs often pack the
courtrooms, intimidating judges, lawyers and families, especially in lower
courts...
"[T]he perpetrator and his supporters may be allowed access to the girl... and
continue to pressurize and threaten her, and she may be put under pressure by
older women in the refuge to go back to her abductor...
"On the occasions when a girl escapes or is rescued from her abductors, the
ordeal does not end with her return to family life... because of ongoing threats
from her abductor."
The organization Insight UK reported on March 12:
"The Chanda Maharaj case in Pakistan highlights the plight of minority girls,
particularly Hindus, subjected to abduction, forced conversion, and marriage.
Chanda, a 15-year-old Hindu girl from Sindh, was kidnapped on August 12, 2022,
by Shaman Magsi. She was forcibly converted to Islam, married to her abductor,
and repeatedly assaulted. Despite her testimony and her family's efforts to
prove she was underage, Pakistan's courts ruled in favour of the abductor,
citing unreliable birth certificates and medical assessments claiming she was
biologically older."
According to Open Doors, widespread human rights abuses and the dictatorial
nature of Pakistani politics enable Islamic terrorism:
"Pakistan is experiencing an increasingly Islamizing culture and is home to a
plethora of radical Islamic groups. It is difficult to keep track of the
different Islamist groups of varying size, names and influence, as they split,
merge and re-appear as needed. One of the most recent ones entering the public
sphere and claiming the headlines is Tehreek-e-Labaik (TLP). The Christian
community feels increasingly trapped between these radical groups, the Islamic
culture of Pakistani society and a government appeasing these groups. Those who
hold a radical perspective based on Wahhabi ideology and who continue to buy
into the caliphate theology and treatment of 'infidels', seem to have the
strongest voice in society. They firmly identify themselves with supporters of
the Islamic State group (IS) and the Taliban....
"The introduction of a 'Single National Curriculum' in schools denigrates
religious minorities and enforces the teaching of the Quran and subjects like
Mathematics and Science in an Islamized manner. Thus, religion is permeating
school education, dividing children and families. Radical Islamic groups are
flourishing -- despite a continued crackdown on some of them by the army -- and
are used by various political groups as allies. Their power to mobilize hundreds
of thousands of predominantly young people and take them to the streets remains
a political tool and offers strong leverage for enforcing political goals. Even
efforts to protect underage girls belonging to minority religions from being
abducted, forcefully converted and married are hindered and often especially
lower courts simply follow the claims made by the perpetrators about the
victim's age and free will...
"While successive governments have actively opposed some radical and violent
groups, they have also tried to co-opt others and use them for (foreign)
political means. Such groups are innumerable and even a ban will only make them
re-organize, re-brand and re-emerge. The default option for dealing with radical
Islamic movements (who are able to mobilize millions for street demonstrations)
is appeasement and even accommodation...
"For many years politics in Pakistan has been family business, a trend which was
only recently broken and is again back on track. However, whoever is in power in
Pakistan tends to cling to it and will do whatever is needed to gain enough
support. One strong driver in this is a political player which seldom operates
openly: The army. The way the army courts some radical Islamic groups to use
them as a tool leads to Christians being targeted by such groups as well."
Those who caused harm to Christians have deliberately been left unpunished, Open
Doors adds. "One of the most concerning trends in recent years has been that
vigilante attacks on suspected blasphemers are not only being tolerated, but
actually celebrated. In one case of a Muslim accused of blasphemy who was killed
by a policeman in what the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan referred to as an
'extra-judicial killing'. This was the second such killing in one week. In the
other case the family of the victim said they forgave the policeman who had
killed their relative as indeed it was wrong to blaspheme. This impunity is
clearly seen in the case of persecution of Christians by the fact that more than
90% of the suspects of the 2023 attack in Jaranwala are still at large."
All Christians suffer institutionalized discrimination, notes Open Doors.
"Occupations that are deemed low, dirty, and degrading—such as cleaning sewers
or working in brick kilns—are reserved for Christians by the authorities. Many
believers are referred to as 'chura', a derogatory term meaning 'filthy'.
Christians are also vulnerable to being trapped in bonded labor."
In January 2025, officials from the European Union issued a warning to Pakistan
regarding human rights violations, including blasphemy laws, forced conversions,
and other targeted persecution against religious minorities. If not addressed,
Pakistan's trade relations with the EU could be jeopardized.
Have Pakistani Texans done anything to help the victims of these horrific human
rights abuses in Pakistan or raised awareness of them in any way while in the
US? In what areas have they effectively cooperated with the US government? Have
they used their resources to fight Islamic terror groups; if so, to what extent?
Has Pakistan been a great US ally? What has the government of Pakistan actually
done to deserve being celebrated with an official day by the Texas House of
Representatives?
**Uzay Bulut, a Turkish journalist, is a Distinguished Senior Fellow at
Gatestone Institute.
© 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.
The American ‘Boiling Frog’
Raymond Ibrahim/The Stream/April 16, 2025
Few things better explain how common sense and morality have been subverted than
the “boiling frog” analogy.
Here is a standard definition:
The boiling frog is an apologue describing a frog being slowly boiled alive. The
premise is that if a frog is put suddenly into boiling water, it will jump out,
but if the frog is put in tepid water which is then brought to a boil slowly, it
will not perceive the danger and will be cooked to death. The story is often
used as a metaphor for the inability or unwillingness of people to react to or
be aware of sinister threats that arise gradually rather than suddenly…. The
boiling frog story is generally offered as a metaphor cautioning people to be
aware of even gradual change lest they suffer eventual undesirable consequences.
It may be invoked in support of a slippery slope argument as a caution against
creeping normality… The term “boiling frog syndrome” is a metaphor used to
describe the failure to act against a problematic situation which will increase
in severity until reaching catastrophic proportions.
Take sexual depravity, for instance, which is today widely accepted, if not
celebrated. It’s a complete byproduct of boiling frog syndrome.
Once Upon a Time in America
Younger generations may be unaware of this, but, decades ago things that are so
taken for granted today, such as promiscuity (“sexual openness”) or sex out of
wedlock were as strongly frowned upon in the U.S. as they still are in much of
the world.
Needless to say, homosexuality was anathema. In 1955, for example, the Unified
School District of Inglewood — in California, mind you — worked with the local
police department to make an educational video warning against “the dangers of
homosexuality,” describing it as “a sickness of the mind.”
Over a decade later, in 1966, a police detective used a large auditorium full of
schoolchildren to lecture against homosexuality. In an effort to warn these
impressionable youth, he said that if any kids were experimenting with it,
“You better stop, quick. Because one out of three of you will turn queer. And if
we catch you involved with a homosexual, your parents are going to know about it
first. And you will be caught; don’t think you won’t be caught. Because this is
one thing you cannot get away with. This is one thing that, if you don’t get
caught by us, you’ll be caught by yourself, and the rest of your life will be a
living hell.”
So, how did we get from the point at which authorities actively warned
schoolchildren that homosexuality was a “sickness of the mind” that would lead
to a “living hell” on earth to letting them be openly seduced by precisely the
same predators the policeman warned about — pedophiles dressed as women (“drag
story hour”) indoctrinating and confusing toddlers about their sexual identity?
Indeed, how did we get to the point where forms of sexual depravity that
might’ve once made a homosexual blush in the 1960s are now loudly trumpeted from
the roof, so that we must be bombarded with them for the entire month of June?
The latest mutation of these things is that men and women can transform
themselves into each other – and demand that you participate in their fictions
under penalty of law.
Starting with the Media
Well, here is how we did not get here. Those who are pushing for the sexually
depraved agenda did not start by pushing “transgenderism” down people’s throats.
That would have instantly failed; that would have been throwing the frog in an
already boiling pot, which it would have instinctively jumped out of post haste.
Rather, the heat was turned up very gradually, imperceptibly. The venerable and
ever-trustworthy “scientists” — the predecessors of those who brought you COVID
hysteria and vaccine mandates — began by telling us that homosexuality was not a
“sickness of the mind.” It was, rather, quite normal. Only “bigoted,”
unenlightened folk (among whom you obviously don’t want to be counted) thought
otherwise. Besides, all that homosexuals wanted was to be treated with dignity
and respect — and who could argue against such a seemingly modest request?
So homosexuality was legitimized and presented under a whole new set of
euphemisms: being referred to as “gay” (that is, joyous), being represented by a
beautiful and innocent-looking rainbow (once the preserve of children), and so
on.
The media naturally lent a helping hand: All throughout the 1970s, 80s, and 90s,
homosexual characters — always presented in a sympathetic light — increasingly
began to appear in movies, sitcoms, and in pop culture in general.
Once homosexuality had become normalized/standardized in American society, the
heat was turned up another notch, preparing the American Frog to accept the
next, greater form of sexual license, leading to where we are today.
A Necessary Waste of Time
Note, too, the power and efficacy of this creeping normalcy. By the time a
second milestone (i.e., a second, greater perversion) is introduced and begins
creating controversy, the first — now seen as a milder, more “acceptable” form
compared to the second — has become an established, unquestioned fact of
American society.
For example, the latest insanity being pushed on Americans, transgenderism,
remains controversial and unacceptable to many. But because the perversity bar
has been set so low, things like “standard” homosexuality have become absolutely
normal — definitely preferable to transgenderism.
In other words, the American Frog, on reaching a new boil in the waters of
transgenderism, starts longing for the “good ol’ days” in the cauldron when
“standard homosexuality” seems ideal.
And so we come to the current situation, where “conservatives,” Republicans, and
even Christians are falling over each other to endorse Buttigieg-style
homosexuality (a man “marrying” another man, and both minding their own business
and otherwise behaving “normally”) whereas that too was once an abomination. But
to a slowly boiled frog, 50 degrees less heat can only register as a great
“improvement.”
From here we understand why President Donald Trump’s recent executive order
making it federal policy to recognize only two genders is more of an
embarrassment than a victory. Which other nation requires none other than its
Commander in Chief to waste his time creating and enforcing “laws” that any
toddler already knows?
However, because we’ve been at a high boil for the last few years — not least
thanks to the previous administration, which fostered and promoted gender
insanity — passing an executive order to acknowledge what every child
instinctively knows both feels and is treated like a great victory because it’s
a lessening of the infernal boil. And so we’re thankful for it.
In reality, we should be expecting and demanding much more than that.
**Raymond Ibrahim, author of Defenders of the West and Sword and Scimitar, is
the Distinguished Senior Shillman Fellow at the Gatestone Institute and the
Judith Rosen Friedman Fellow at the Middle East Forum.
Syrian government, SDF, and other factions move to end
tensions over strategic dam
Seth J. Frantzman/FDD's Long War Journal/April 16, 2025
The transitional Syrian government and the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)
have reached an agreement regarding the handover of the strategic Tishrin Dam
from SDF’s control to Damascus’s control. Local Kurdish media and Damascus state
media reported the deal, which follows four months of clashes over the dam that
pitted Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) factions against the SDF. The
dam is located on the Euphrates River and is a key strategic and infrastructure
site in central Syria. It also links areas controlled by the SDF with the SNA
and Syria’s new government forces.
On April 14, according to the state-controlled Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA),
“a delegation from the [Syrian] Ministry of Defense, headed by Brigadier General
Awwad Mohammad, Commander of the 60th Division, paid a field tour to the
Tishreen Dam axis in Aleppo Eastern countryside to inspect the security and
military situation in the area.” Mohammad told SANA that “the Tishreen Dam will
be handed over within a carefully considered timetable, which will be announced
in the coming days, within the framework of full coordination between the
relevant authorities.”
Kurdistan24, a Kurdish media channel located in Erbil, Iraq, reported on April
10 that “the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES)
and the Syrian government have reached a significant agreement to jointly manage
the Tishreen Dam, one of the largest hydropower facilities in northern Syria (Rojava).”
The report added that a source from DAANES, the civilian authority in eastern
Syria, “confirmed on Thursday that the agreement is part of a broader political
understanding between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the transitional
Syrian government. Under the terms of the deal, the SDF will withdraw from the
dam area, transferring control to the general security forces operating under
the authority of the new Damascus administration.”
The Kurdistan24 report characterized the deal as one result of the March 10
Damascus meeting between SDF leader Mazloum Abdi and Syrian interim President
Ahmed al Sharaa. The agreement took some time to iron out. Recent clashes over
the dam, largely the result of a power vacuum in Syria after the fall of the
Bashar al Assad regime, had peaked in January as various forces vied to take
areas where the regime had suddenly evaporated. For instance, on January 7, The
New Arab reported that 280 people had been killed in battles between the
Turkish-backed SNA and the US-backed SDF near the dam.
Abdi said in an interview with Al Monitor that the clashes had ended around
April 1 as the March 10 agreement began to pave the way for an agreement. “There
are two parts to the Tishreen accord. The first concerns the dam itself. We have
agreed with Damascus for the administration and personnel of the dam to be
preserved as is. The dam’s operational center is on the dam itself.” Abdi added,
“Our sides are going to withdraw to our side, to the east, and hand over our
positions to Damascus forces. We are currently positioned eight kilometers away
from the dam.”
Reports portray the deal over the dam as a key to de-escalating tensions between
the various factions, including the SDF and SNA. The agreement is complex
because it involves not only the SDF and the new Syrian army but also the SNA.
According to local Syrian reports, the deal is also backed by the US-led
coalition, though the coalition has not commented on its role. Members of the
coalition visited the dam on April 12, the same day that reports first emerged
about a potential agreement over the area, according to several reports from the
site. The pro-Iranian Al Mayadeen TV channel noted that “North Syria’s Tishreen
Dam hosted a notable visit from a delegation of the US-led international
coalition, accompanied by representatives from the Syrian government and the
Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), as intense helicopter activity from
the international coalition covered the skies over the area.”
On April 14, Syrian state media noted that the visit by its delegation from the
Syrian Ministry of Defense included a tour of the area as the central government
attempts to “restore security and stability and strengthen control in these
areas.”
Reporting from Israel, Seth J. Frantzman is an adjunct fellow at FDD and a
contributor to FDD’s Long War Journal. He is the senior Middle East
correspondent and analyst at The Jerusalem Post, and author of The October 7
War: Israel’s Battle for Security in Gaza (2024).
Jordan foils Muslim Brotherhood terrorist plot
Ahmad Sharawi/FDD's Long War Journal/April 16/2025
https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2025/04/jordan-foils-muslim-brotherhood-terrorist-plot.php
On April 15, the Jordanian General Intelligence Directorate (GID) announced that
it “foiled plans aimed at targeting national security, sowing chaos, and
sabotage within Jordan.” The GID further specified that it “detained 16 suspects
after close intelligence monitoring since 2021.”
In its statement, the GID reported that the thwarted plans included “cases
related to manufacturing rockets using local tools as well as tools imported for
illegal purposes, possession of explosives and firearms, concealing a rocket
ready to be deployed, planning to manufacture drones, and recruiting and
training operatives in Jordan as well as training them abroad.”
The Jordanian government revealed that some of the individuals involved in the
plot received training abroad, and a key planner, Ibrahim Mohammad, is a member
of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood. Al Arabiya reported that the cell’s
organizational leader is based in Beirut and the terrorists had established
weapons storage sites and begun manufacturing rockets using both locally sourced
materials and parts imported from abroad. The materials discovered with the cell
could produce up to 300 rockets, and one rocket seized from the group was
prepared for use within Jordan.
The Jordanian intelligence agency released a video showing confessions by the
accused and imagery of the storage facilities and their locations. In the video,
the accused discuss the transfer and storage of approximately 30 kilograms of
highly explosive materials, including TNT, C4, and SEMTEX-H. Mohammad, the
cell’s leader, organized trips for two cell members, Abdullah Hisham and Muath
al Ghanem, to Lebanon to meet with the group’s organizational leader in Beirut
for further planning and training. The task of transporting money from abroad
was assigned to a third member, Mohsen al Ghanem.
The video further explained that the cell operated in two locations across two
governorates. In Zarqa, the plotters set up a manufacturing plant, while in
Amman, they established a storage depot. Authorities discovered a range of metal
pieces in the homes of those involved, including tube-like and conical shapes,
as well as other parts. When assembled, these parts formed a short-range rocket
structure inspired by the munitions used in a Russian BM-21 “Grad” multiple
rocket launcher. The rockets were awaiting specialists to fit them with
explosives, propulsion systems, and impact detonators. The video confirmed that
the confiscated rockets had a range estimated between 3–5 kilometers, posing a
serious threat to targets within Jordan.
One member of the rocket-manufacturing cell, Abdullah Hisham, stated that his
relationship with the Muslim Brotherhood began in 2002, during his time as a
student. In 2021, he began working with a Brotherhood member named Ibrahim, who
informed him of a plan to manufacture rockets in Jordan. Abdullah was tasked
with identifying suitable locations for production and recruiting an assistant.
He chose his cousin, Muath al Ghanem, to join the effort. Ibrahim later
instructed them to travel to Lebanon to meet a man named Abu Ahmad, who was
described as the group’s leader. In Lebanon, Abdullah and Muath received
training in rocket production. Upon returning to Jordan, they rented a warehouse
to store the materials they had managed to procure.
Muath al Ghanem, the second member of the cell, said his affiliation with the
Brotherhood began in 2010 and that he remains an active member to this day.
The third member, Mohsen al Ghanem, claimed he joined the Muslim Brotherhood in
1994 and is still active. He said he met Ibrahim—who resides in Lebanon—and
received $20,000 from him to purchase the materials needed for rocket
production.
Jordanian intelligence later released a second video containing confessions from
other cells, including one focused on drone manufacturing and another on
recruitment.
In the recruitment cell, an individual named Kheder Abdel Aziz stated he joined
the Brotherhood after graduating high school in 1975. He currently serves as the
administrative manager of both the Muslim Brotherhood and the Islamic Action
Front in Zarqa. Aziz admitted selecting two active Brotherhood members to join
the terrorist cell.
Another individual, Anas Abu Awad, said he joined the group in 2010. Awad
claimed that a senior Brotherhood figure in his circle, Marwan Mabrouk,
instructed him to recruit individuals for the terrorist plot and advised him to
use Telegram for communication. He added that during a pilgrimage to Saudi
Arabia, he was directed to meet a Lebanese Brotherhood representative named Abu
Saleh. Awad later traveled to a third, undisclosed country, where he underwent
training and received assignments. One of these was to deliver a flash drive
containing a list of names and scout hidden sites in Jordan capable of storing
weapons—among them, graveyards in Amman.
In the drone-manufacturing cell, Ali Qasem stated that in November 2023, he met
with two other members—Abdullah Saqer al Hadar and Ahmad Ibrahim Khalifeh—to
discuss drone production. They decided to involve a fourth individual, Abdul
Aziz Haroun, an aerospace engineer, who would provide technical studies and
source the drone’s external frame. Khalifeh was assigned responsibility for
electrical systems and programming.
In his confession, Haroun said he found that “foam board” was effective in drone
manufacturing and had been used by Ukrainian forces in the Russia-Ukraine war.
He also recalled that Ahmad Khalifeh once asked him about gliders, noting that
he had previously built one for personal use on his farm. Haroun added that he
considered asking his father to help secure materials, given his father’s
connections to weapons smugglers.
The Islamic Action Front previously called for the release of some of the cell
members, claiming that they were political prisoners, prior to the announcement
by the GID that these were part of a terrorist plot. The demand included freeing
Abdul Aziz Haroun and Ali Qasem from the drone manufacturing unit, Muath Ghanem
and Abdullah Hisham from the rocket manufacturing unit, and Kheder Abdel Aziz
and Ayman al Ajaoui from the recruitment cell. This shows a direct link between
the Islamic Action Front and the cell.
Over the past 18 months, particularly following the October 7 attacks in Israel,
Jordan has faced significant internal challenges. Domestic voices, including the
Islamic Action Front, have sharply criticized the kingdom’s role in the
conflict, organizing protests and openly supporting Hamas. However, recent
revelations regarding the involvement of key figures from this organization in
terrorist plots within Jordan could imperil the survival of the Islamic Action
Front as a political entity.
*Ahmad Sharawi is a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of
Democracies focused on Iranian intervention in Arab affairs and the levant.
Trump should stop dancing to Putin’s nuclear waltz
Ivana Stradner/Washington Examiner/April 16/2025
Since retaking office, President Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed concern
that Russia’s war on Ukraine could spiral into World War III. The U.S.
intelligence community’s Annual Threat Assessment recently warned about the
“catastrophic damage” Russia’s nuclear forces could inflict on America.
Russian president Vladimir Putin understands that Washington fears nuclear
escalation, and since launching a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, he has used
nuclear threats to manipulate Kyiv’s Western allies into hesitating over
military support. But rather than falling victim to Moscow’s hollow rhetoric,
Trump should call Putin’s bluff and increase pressure on the Kremlin.
Russia has a long history of using information operations to influence its
adversaries’ decision-making. Decades ago, the Soviet Union pioneered a
technique known as reflexive control, flooding its enemies’ news ecosystems with
propaganda to influence US perceptions of the nuclear balance of power. As
summarized by Russia’s Ministry of Defense, information warfare involves “a
massive psychological manipulation of the population to destabilize the state
and society, as well as coercion of the state to take decisions for the benefit
of the opposing force.”
Putin, a former KGB officer, understands reflexive control and is adept at
employing it. In November, Putin announced changes to Russia’s nuclear doctrine,
according to which Moscow now considers aggression from any non-nuclear state
with the backing of a nuclear power as a joint attack against Russia. In
principle, this makes the United States a valid target for nuclear strikes by
virtue of Ukraine using American weapons against Russia. Kremlin spokesman
Dmitry Peskov warned that the change was “aimed at ensuring that a potential
adversary understands the inevitability of retaliation in the event of
aggression against the Russian Federation or its allies.”
This is a textbook case of reflexive control, with Russia muddying the
information space to paralyze adversaries with uncertainty: Will Russia
retaliate with nuclear weapons? Even if not, is it worth taking actions that
might risk a nuclear response? Unpredictability is the point. In reality, Putin
has no rational incentive to use nuclear weapons as he understands that doing so
would almost certainly elicit a devastating response against Russia. By
distorting Western perceptions of the risk of Russian nuclear retaliation, Putin
can protract the war in Ukraine and hamstring his adversaries into avoiding more
decisive action.
Unfortunately, the United States keeps getting manipulated by Putin. Soon after
launching its full-scale invasion, Russia placed its nuclear forces on “high
alert.” Over the next few years, Putin warned the West to take his threats of
nuclear war seriously. The Biden administration played into Putin’s hands.
President Biden said the world was close to nuclear “Armageddon” and Western
media amplified sensationalist scenarios of global conflict. Biden and his team
dragged their feet in providing certain weapon systems to Ukraine, especially
long-range missiles that could hit targets in Russia.
The current administration is no less vulnerable to this kind of psychological
manipulation. On the campaign trail, Trump claimed that Biden was inviting World
War III by arming Ukraine. Since his inauguration, Trump has continued to warn
about an allegedly “looming” World War III. His Director of National
Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, argued that Ukrainian President Volodymyr
Zelensky’s vision of Ukrainian victory could catalyze “World War III or even a
nuclear war.”
This kind of rhetoric, aimed at domestic political consumption, commits the same
sin as the Biden administration, leaving US foreign policy at the mercy of
Kremlin manipulation. The Trump administration should change course.
During his first term, Trump pursued peace through strength. He stood up to
North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un’s nuclear saber-rattling, threatening him with
a “bigger nuclear button.” In 2022, he proposed a similar approach toward
Russia, stating he would, as president, meet Putin’s nuclear threats with
regular patrols by US nuclear submarines near Russia, adding that the United
States is “a greater nuclear power.”That was the right approach, and now that he
is in office, Trump should formally issue the threat. The United States
possesses a powerful nuclear arsenal, and Trump should make clear that any
nuclear attack on America would meet an overwhelming response. Moscow has been
banging on the drum of nuclear escalation for over three years, but experience
has shown the United States should not fall for this manipulation. It is high
time for Washington and its European allies to see through Moscow’s vacuous
threats and refuse to be cowed into deterring themselves from acting with
greater resolve.
*Ivana Stradner is a research fellow at the Foundation for Defense of
Democracies (FDD). Follow her on Twitter @ivanastradner.
Iran has a chance to have the Arab Gulf on its side
Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib/Arab News/April 16, 2025
The nuclear negotiations with Iran today are different from those of 2015. The
talks with the Obama administration were limited to the uranium enrichment
reduction in return for removal of sanctions. Today, Palestine is on the table.
This creates an opportunity for the Gulf states and Iran to join hands and find
a solution for the Palestinian issue.
Mohammed Saleh Sadiqian, an Iran-based expert, published the “negotiations
framework” that the Iranian team delivered to US envoy Steve Witkoff on the
first day of talks in Muscat. The framework included 10 points. The final point
states: “The Palestinian cause has been and will remain the main source of
tension in the region unless international and regional parties work to find a
solution to the issue of the Palestinian people and end the state of occupation
of the occupied Palestinian territories.”
Additionally, the ninth point indicated that peace in the region is not only the
responsibility of Iran but also of “all parties concerned with this security,
stability and peace in the Middle East.” Iran is expected to suggest to Trump a
nuclear-free Middle East, which means that Israel would have to dismantle its
nuclear military arsenal. This is an important development, especially in light
of the current turmoil the region is witnessing with Israel’s unhinged behavior.
Any pressure on Israel is needed and welcomed by Arab states. Saudi Arabia has
held its ground, confirming that there will be no normalization without a
Palestinian state. Egypt and Jordan have maintained a firm position against any
population transfer. However, Israel does not seem to care and the US is not
putting any pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. On the
contrary, as soon as Trump took office, he signed off on a new weapons package
to Israel.
It is obvious for all parties in the region that Israel is a threat. It has
flattened Gaza and it is slowly destroying the West Bank. It attacked Syria
without any “casus belli.” It encroached into Syrian territory, though Syrian
President Ahmed Al-Sharaa clearly said he is ready to commit to the 1974
disengagement agreement. Israel is threatening Egypt and asking Cairo to
dismantle its military infrastructure in Sinai. Arab states know that if Israel
takes down Iran, it will be further buttressed and they will likely face more
belligerence. They would probably have to handle another Nakba and its effect
will last for generations to come. In this framework, Iran can be viewed as a
potential ally and not a foe. The Gulf states can stand with Iran in this round
of negotiations. Actually, today, the Arab attitude is visibly different from
2015. Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement welcoming
the hosting of talks between the Islamic Republic and the US by Oman. Abdullah
bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, the UAE minister of foreign affairs, called his Omani
counterpart to discuss the development of the Muscat talks. This is a great
opportunity for Iran as it will increase its leverage with the US.
In 2015, the Gulf states were antagonistic to agreement. This was viewed as a
stab in the back by the Obama administration, which concluded a deal with the
Iranians without taking into consideration any of their security concerns. Gulf
states, on the other hand, were viewed by the Iranians as an impediment to the
deal. Actually, the deal and the Obama administration’s arrogant and dismissive
attitude toward the Gulf created turbulence in the region. It is obvious for all
parties in the region that Israel is a threat
However, putting Palestine on the table will not be enough to win over the Gulf
states. Iran needs to answer their security needs. This should be mutual. Gulf
states should also give assurances to Iran. In the current environment and amid
the looming Israeli threat, an Arab-Iranian rapprochement is more probable than
ever. There is a general awareness that the different parties need to come
together and overcome their mistrust in order to face the Israeli scheme. Iran
and Saudi Arabia have the March 2023 security agreement brokered by the Chinese
and can build on further cooperation. In parallel with the nuclear talks with
the US, Iran should launch serious and immediate negotiations with Saudi Arabia
and other Gulf states. Two issues should be discussed. The first would be a
binding security agreement for the different parties. It should be
comprehensive, answering all the security concerns of the Gulf states as well as
Iran. It should also be coupled with setting a verification mechanism that will
allow the different parties to have trust in their counterparts. The second
pressing issue to be discussed should be how to have a common position on
Palestine – a position that transcends joint statements and translates into real
pressure on Israel and on its patron the US. Israel has always played on
differences in the region to find allies. Initially, Israel was an ally to Shah
Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, but the relationship soured with the Islamic revolution.
Israel engaged with Kemalist Turkiye, however the relationship changed with the
AK Party being supportive of Palestine. Lastly, it tried to hype up the Iranian
threat in order to get close to the Gulf states. However, if the region unites,
Israel will be cornered and the US will be pressured. Washington will compel
Israel into accepting a Palestinian state. This is an important opportunity for
both Iran and the Gulf states. It should not be squandered. And the Iranians
should understand that they have a chance to bring the Gulf states to their side
in their negotiations with the US.
• Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib is a specialist in US-Arab relations with a focus on
lobbying. She is co-founder of the Research Center for Cooperation and Peace
Building, a Lebanese nongovernmental organization focused on Track II.
Loss of idealism is an inescapable truth of growing older
Arnab Neil Sengupta/Arab News/April 16, 2025
It is impossible not to wince while watching some clips now circulating on X,
boosted personally by Elon Musk. There they are — prominent Democratic
politicians, some still in office — speaking with sincerity against bureaucratic
bloat, factory job losses, unfair trade deals, and influx of undocumented
workers. They all did so with a zeal that is now prompting President Donald
Trump’s efficiency czar to repost the clips with relish. The urge to wince is
not because of what those politicians said back then, but because of how far
they have strayed from their convictions since the 1990s and early 2000s.
Two of the clips show Sen. Chuck Schumer, in 1996 and 2010, discussing topics
such as government efficiency, trade policies, and the impact of globalization
on American workers. His words highlight concerns about job losses due to unfair
trade practices and the need for the government to protect domestic industries.
A clip of Sen. Bernie Sanders from 2015 shows him dismissing open borders as a
right-wing proposal and saying that immigration can make Americans poorer. To
those who do not have a dog in the American political fight, these clips serve
as a reminder of the quiet erosion of idealism that happens with age. Not just
in well-known politicians and public personalities, but in ordinary people, too.
We start out motivated by ideals — wanting to fight injustice, protect the
planet, launch revolutions, change the world. Then the years roll on. Bills come
due. Personal lives grow more complicated. The system proves impossible to
change, and idealism begins to seem impractical. What begins as a necessity to
survive slowly starts to control the way we think, speak, and act. We make moral
concessions, telling ourselves they are temporary. We strike compromises to
remain relevant, to preserve friendships, to protect our families and
end-of-service benefits, to keep the peace. Until, almost imperceptibly, we are
no longer the individuals we once imagined becoming. The old clips of Schumer,
Sanders, Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, and Barack Obama highlight changes in
their rhetoric and priorities over time that they can now ignore, but not deny.
Psychologists have studied this phenomenon. A 2009 paper in the Journal of
Personality and Social Psychology found that as people age, their goals shift
from exploring possibilities to preserving what they have. This shifting of goal
posts is not a sign of failure, but adaptation to new realities. As our
responsibilities grow, so does our readiness to reset our moral compasses.
Instead of continuing to dream of remaking the world, we settle for managing a
small corner of it.
Over time, we forget why we chose the paths we did
Psychologist Daniel Kahneman, who won the Nobel Prize in economics in 2002,
helped explain why with his concept of “loss aversion.” We tend to fear losing
what we already possess more than we desire what we might gain. Idealism, by
nature, invites risk. But adulthood teaches us to minimize risk — to maintain
stability, especially as we climb further into the middle class and beyond it.
That is why those resurfaced political clips may have touched a chord even with
people who do not care about headlines and partisan jabs. They show not
hypocrisy so much as political malleability. Leaders who once sounded like
champions of the working class today spout a curious mix of Wall Street caution,
social-justice platitudes, and climate alarmism. They have not necessarily sold
out. The values they started with collided with the institutions within which
they had to work.
The same happens in less visible ways to all of us. A young journalist may begin
by wanting to speak truth to power — and end up rewriting press releases under
deadline, or slanting reports against people or products or views they dislike.
A doctor dreams of serving the poor, then builds a practice that caters for the
rich. A college graduate takes up teaching intending to awaken minds, but
settles for controlling a classroom and making it through the term. Over time,
we forget why we chose the paths we did. This loss of idealism, however, should
not be confused with the changes that in fact help adolescents gain knowledge,
wisdom and prudence with the passage of years. Middle-aged and old people are an
asset to society mainly because of their experience, insight and maturity that a
younger generation may lack. Contrary to the famous observation, youth is not
wasted on the young if they are guided by the wisdom and experience of the
old.It is also true that idealism, even when buried under the hurly-burly of
life, can persist and make a comeback. Many people, especially after retirement,
rediscover their true calling — volunteering, teaching, mentoring, rediscovering
childhood hobbies, penning opinion pieces and essays aimed at enlightening young
minds. They find the freedom to act on beliefs and desires that career and
family once kept in check.
Many people rediscover their true calling after retirement
Developmental psychologists say that older adults often possess greater
emotional intelligence and deeper moral nuance. Sometimes their idealism is not
lost, just less evident. Idealism does not always burn bright like a flame, but
keeps going, as when a high-achieving engineer approaching retirement finds a
new purpose in life by devoting his free time to teaching the neighborhood
children football or basketball. Unfortunately, these are exceptions, not the
rule. There is no shame in growing older. But there may be regret in growing
older without remembering who we were before we started making compromises at
every turn. Consider Obama’s clarity of thought during a 2008 Democratic primary
debate. “The reason the American people are concerned is because they are seeing
their own economic position slip away,” he said. “And oftentimes employers are
exploiting these undocumented workers … so, what we have to do is to create a
comprehensive solution to the problem.” Or the remarks of Hillary Clinton from a
2003 interview on a radio show when she was a US senator from New York.
Emphasizing the importance of securing the nation’s borders and expressing
concern about the economic impact of undocumented workers, she bluntly said: “I
think we got to have tough conditions. Tell people to come out of the shadows.
If they committed a crime, deport them. No questions asked. They are gone.”Call
them what you will — changing personal opinions or political expediency — these
resurfaced clips are awkward for Clinton and Obama, sharply contrasting with
their current criticisms of the Trump administration and underscoring an
ideological drift that likely contributed to the Democrats’ 2024 defeat. But,
more importantly, they are useful for anyone who has watched them as a reminder,
however uncomfortable, of the idealist each of us once was — and can still
become again if we dare, provided it is for the better, not worse.
**Arnab Neil Sengupta is a senior editor at Arab News.X: @arnabnsg
NASA at "Crossroads": Mars, the moon, and the forces
shaping America's future space policy
Dr. Amal Mudallali/Arab News/April 16, 2025
Navigating the difficult terrain of space is NASA’s domain, and the storied
agency is no stranger to embracing challenges in the final frontier and beyond.
But the Earth-bound challenges it faces now are as formidable as the demands of
any of its deep space missions.
With the White House announcing last week a 50 percent cut to the agency’s
science budget, Congress putting the Trump administration on notice that it
opposes any changes to the “Moon-to-Mars” approach to space exploration, and the
increasingly visible influence of SpaceX founder Elon Musk over space policy,
NASA is hurtling into an uncertain orbit that shaped as much by politics and
great-power competition as it is by propulsion. The divisions over the future of
space exploration priorities surfaced last week when the Senate Commerce
Committee convened to consider President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead NASA,
Jared Isaacman, a billionaire entrepreneur, commercial astronaut and close
associate of Musk. The splits were not along party lines but within the
Republican Party itself. Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, who chairs the committee, is
a supporter of Trump’s original vision for space and a key advocate of NASA’s
Artemis moon-exploration program, introduced in 2017 by the first Trump
administration. Cruz made it clear that the current administration must continue
this “moon-to-Mars” stepping-stone strategy, which enjoys bipartisan
Congressional support and is codified in law. The controversy centers on what
should be America’s next space milestone in space. Trump, during his first
speech to Congress upon returning to power, seemed to adopt Musk’s new approach,
favored by Musk, when he announced that the US would “plant the American flag on
the planet Mars and even far beyond,” suggesting a reduced focus on the moon.
Isaacman told the committee during his confirmation hearing he would “prioritize
sending American astronauts to Mars,” echoing Trump.
But when Cruz pressed Isaacman on a different commitment he had made to the
senator in his office, the prospective head of NASA said he favored balancing
both missions, adding: “We don’t have to make a binary decision of moon versus
Mars.”
The wider debate is not only about the Trump administration’s priorities for
exploration of space, it is about America’s global leadership in space.
Lawmakers, Cruz in particular, remained unconvinced about Isaacman’s strategy,
viewing it as a dangerous one at a time of extreme uncertainty for the “final
frontier.” The “next space race is already here,” Cruz said, citing rising
global competition in space, most notably from China. He warned that abandoning
plans to return to the Moon would amount to surrendering a vital strategic
domain to Beijing.
“We must stay the course,” Cruz insisted. “An extreme shift in priorities would
almost certainly mean a ‘red moon,’ ceding ground to China for generations to
come.”Cruz is concerned about a Chinese challenge not only for the moon but also
in low Earth orbit. He disagrees with retiring the International Space Station
ahead of schedule, as Musk has called for, without first putting in place “the
necessary systems” to “support and command American astronauts continually in
low Earth orbit. We cannot surrender low Earth orbit to the Chinese or the
Russians.”
The concern in Congress is that Musk is exerting undue influence over US space
policy, and tensions spilled over during the conformation hearing when Isaacman
repeatedly dodged questions about whether Musk, who is believed to be behind the
nomination, was present in the room when Isaacman was interviewed for the job by
Trump.
Democratic Sen. Ed Markey told Isaacman after he refused to answer the question
for a sixth time: “I am assuming you don’t want to answer directly because Elon
Musk was in the room.” The moves by the administration so far, including the
closure of NASA’s Office of the Chief Scientist and the elimination of 20 key
science positions, including the agency’s senior climate science advisor, are
thought to be signs of Musk’s shift of focus in NASA’s work and missions away
from science issues. Isaacman told the Senate committee that he is “an advocate
of science,” citing 50 experiments conducted during his space missions and an
offer to fund an extension of the Hubble Apace Telescope’s operational life. He
also promised that “NASA will be a force multiplier for science.”But two days
after his hearing, a White House budget proposal cut NASA’s overall funding from
$25 billion to $20 billion and slashed science spending by nearly 50 percent.
The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, scheduled for launch in 2026 and hailed
as a key astrophysics mission, is among the casualties. Geophysics and Earth
science programs would also be gutted.
The cuts have alarmed the space community, scientists and lawmakers alike.
Bhavya Lal, a former NASA associate administrator, warned against the sidelining
of science, because of the damaging effect this would have on the long-term
objectives of lunar exploration.
“It is not just about getting to the moon, it’s about staying there,” she said.
Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen said cutting funding is “not only shortsighted,
it’s dangerous,” and raised particular concerns about the effect of the cuts on
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in his state, Maryland. Democratic Rep. Zoe
Lofgren argued that the cuts could erode America’s technological edge while
China accelerated its space program. Most alarmed of all was the scientific
community, which warned that the cuts would erode American leadership in all
aspects of science, not only space. The Planetary Society said the proposed
reductions in funding “would plunge NASA into a dark age.”
Isaacman, a 42-year-old, high-flying entrepreneur who left school at the age of
16 to start a company in his parent’s basement and later founded a private air
force, is an unconventional choice to head NASA. Unlike previous agency
administrators, he is not a scientist and has never worked at NASA. He presented
this as a strength. He is no stranger to space, however. In 2021 he commanded
Inspiration4, the first all-civilian space flight to orbit Earth. In September
2024 he teamed up with Musk’s SpaceX to lead the private Polaris Dawn mission,
which flew farther into space than any astronaut had ventured since Apollo 17 in
1972, and carried out the first civilian spacewalk. For many lawmakers,
Isaacman’s ties to Musk and his prioritization of Musk’s Mars agenda remain a
concern even though he said he could focus on both the moon and Mars at the same
time.
But the wider debate is not only about the Trump administration’s priorities for
exploration of space, it is about America’s global leadership in space. The
Artemis program was designed as a geopolitical counter to China’s International
Lunar Research Station and its ambitions in space. A change in the US strategy
for the moon could give China, and others (the research station is a joint
project with Russia), uncontested access to lunar resources and the strategic
high ground.
The presence at Isaacman’s confirmation hearing of four astronauts who will
orbit the moon next year as part of the Artemis program’s next mission was a
poignant reminder of what is at stake. NASA, as Cruz put it, is “at a
crossroads.” The direction it takes, and the future of space exploration,
including science issues, will depend on what course the next administrator
sets. Isaacman, if confirmed, must prove he can navigate the political gravity
that is pulling NASA in opposite directions, even if that means reaching for the
stars without Musk charting the celestial course for him.
** Dr. Amal Mudallali is an international affairs adviser for Think and a former
Lebanese ambassador to the UN
Iran and the Unresolved Dilemmas
Charles Elias Chartouni/Face Book/April 16, 2025
Political observers are taken aback while trying to make sense of the Iranian
regime shifting postures. The first striking features are the ostensible
cleavages amongst the Iranian concentric circles of power, moderates are
deliberately engaging the negotiations, while extremists are still jockeying.
The second feature relates to the substance of negotiations and their impact on
the scope and future of peace making; the third feature is the relationship
between international normalization and and domestic liberalization. Manifestly,
the Iranian regime is equivocal on the three accounts and doesn’t seem inclined
to dispel the ambiguities. The negotiations were basically motivated by the
compounded economic crises, the shredded societal compact and the inability of
the regime to earn back the trust of an alienated civil society. He has no other
means but pursue the politics of terror and savage repression on the inside,and
the politics of destabilization on the outside. Para