English LCCC Newsbulletin For
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For February 23/2025
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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Bible Quotations For today
Parable Of Lazarus The Poor Man, & The Rich Man Who Was
dressed In Purple & Fine Linen
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke
16/19-31/:”‘There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and
who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus,
covered with sores, who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the
rich man’s table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores. The poor man died
and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died
and was buried. In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw
Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side. He called out, “Father Abraham, have
mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my
tongue; for I am in agony in these flames.” But Abraham said, “Child, remember
that during your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus in like
manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony. Besides
all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who
might want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from
there to us.” He said, “Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father’s house
for I have five brothers that he may warn them, so that they will not also come
into this place of torment.” Abraham replied, “They have Moses and the prophets;
they should listen to them.” He said, “No, father Abraham; but if someone goes
to them from the dead, they will repent.” He said to him, “If they do not listen
to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises
from the dead.” ’
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on February 22-23/2025
Elias Bejjani/Text & Video: With Hassan Nasrallah's Burial, the
Iranian Occupation Scheme in Lebanon is Buried/Elias Bejjani/February 22, 2025
Narallah's Funeral is for for a terrorist & Criminal/Elias Bejjani/February 21,
2025
The culture of terrorism (sahsouh) forced a Lebanese newspaper to deny the
content of a scandalous report it published/Elias Bejjani/February 21, 2025
Text & Video: Iranian Sympathizer's Theatrics at Beirut Airport: A Hezbollah
Production Aimed at Mobilizing Participation in Nasrallah's Funeral/Elias
Bejjani/February 21, 2025
500 Billion Euros in Funding to Lebanon Depends on Banking Restructure
Hezbollah Pressures its Supporters to Attend Nasrallah Funeral
Lebanese army and ISF raise readiness to 100 percent for Hassan Nasrallah's
funeral in Beirut
Final touches in place: Lebanon readies for funeral of Hezbollah's former
leaders
Lebanon's labor minister to represent PM Nawaf Salam at funeral of former
Hezbollah leaders
Iran parliament speaker, foreign minister to attend Nasrallah funeral
Thousands fly into Beirut for Nasrallah's funeral
US team tells Aoun: ‘We want to see a new phase of stability in Lebanon’
US lawmaker slams Lebanese politicians who intend to attend Nasrallah funeral
Senator Ronny Jackson Calls for a Security Monopoly by the Lebanese Army
Israeli Strikes on Lebanon-Syria Border on the Eve of Nasrallah's Funeral
Lebanon's President Aoun urges US pressure on Israel to comply with ceasefire
agreement
Lebanese-American found guilty of trying to kill Rushdie
French-Lebanese architect to redesign British Museum galleries
14 Billion Dollars: The Devastating Losses of the Hezbollah-Israel Conflict/Christiane
Tager/This Is Beirut/February 22/2025
Reconstruction in the Hands of the State and Hezbollah/Bassam Abou Zeid/This Is
Beirut/February 22/2025
BIA Held Hostage: Sunday Flights to Be Suspended/Maroun Chahine/This Is
Beirut/February 22/2025
APECL in Search of Greater Pastoral Efficiency/Fady Noun/This Is Beirut/February
22/2025
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on February 22-23/2025
Vatican Says Pope Francis Is in Critical Condition
Macron Says Knife Attack in East France Was 'Terrorism'
Rubio says Hamas will be ‘destroyed’ if fails to free all Israeli hostages
Trump says ‘not forcing’ Gaza resettlement plan
Hamas Frees 6 Hostages but Questions Cloud Gaza Ceasefire’s Future
Hamas Says It Is Investigating Possible Error over Hostage Body
Israel says forensics show Bibas children killed by captors
Israel's PM says to act 'decisively' to bring back remaining Gaza hostages
Yemen's Houthis launched missile at US fighter jet, missed
Syria’s Northeast Begins Supplying Oil to Damascus, Oil Ministry Says
Syrian suspect in Berlin Holocaust Memorial stabbing wanted to kill Jews,
investigators say
Dancing in Damascus: Syrians cling to culture under Islamists' rule
US offers UN resolution on Ukraine that stops far short of competing European
statement
Trump-Putin Summit Preparations Are Underway, Russia Says
Zelensky and Putin Must "Get Together", Says Trump
Zelensky 'Not Ready' to Sign Minerals Deal with US
Trump Says Wants Musk to Be 'More Aggressive' in Federal Cuts
Trump fires chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and two other military
officers
Titles For
The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources
on February 22-23/2025
Iranian Regime: Playing the Same Old Game Again/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone
Institute/February 22/2025
An international municipal authority for Gaza/Zaid M. Belbagi and James
Arnold//Arab News/February 22, 2025
First step toward a balance between society and technology/Yossi Mekelberg/Arab
News/February 22, 2025
Adapting the African Union for a changing world/Hafed Al-Ghwell/Arab
News/February 22, 2025
Europe’s tears betray its weakness/Khaled Abou Zahr/Arab News/February 22, 2025
The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on February 22-23/2025
Elias
Bejjani/Text & Video: With Hassan Nasrallah's Burial, the Iranian Occupation
Scheme in Lebanon is Buried
Elias Bejjani/February 22, 2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/02/140491/
Tomorrow, Sunday, February 23, 2025, Beirut will witness the funeral of Hassan
Nasrallah, the criminal, terrorist, and notorious Iranian mercenary.
Hassan Nasrallah, throughout his life, was a mercenary soldier in the army of
the Iranian "Velayat-e Faqih," whose sole loyalty was to the rulers of Tehran
and who acted only under the orders of its mullahs. Hassan Nasrallah is the
greatest enemy of Lebanon and a traitor who sold out Lebanon, its people, as
well as its present and future in exchange for implementing the Iranian agenda
of destruction.
Nasrallah was never Lebanese, even if he held Lebanese citizenship. He polluted
the sacred land of the cedars, insulted the Lebanese identity, and drowned
Lebanon in the quagmire of subservience and dependency. He was the spearhead of
Iran's plan to occupy Lebanon and turn it into a terrorist base, from which
destruction would be launched across the entire region.
Lebanon has never known, throughout its history, a figure who held Lebanese
citizenship in a formal way, while betraying his people and working to destroy
them as Nasrallah did.
This butcher was the mastermind behind the assassination of many patriotic
Lebanon's leaders and politicians. He and his gang killed thousands of Lebanese
in general, including members of his Shiite community, whom he kidnapped and
took hostage in Lebanon The Shiites), Syria, Iraq, and Yemen in the mullahs'
satanic, savage and criminal wars.
He embarked on bloody adventures under direct orders from the Iranian
Revolutionary Guard. He sowed havoc, opened borders for weapons and drugs, and
turned Lebanon into a den for terrorist operations and money laundering until
the reputation of the homeland of the cedars became synonymous with militias and
international terrorism.
Below is a short list of the many crimes committed by Nasrallah and his gang,
blasphemously called Hezbollah:
*Hostility against the Gulf States: Destabilizing the
Gulf States, especially Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, carrying out
assassinations and terrorism operations there, and recruiting the Houthis and
other mercenaries to carry out these criminal missions.
*Assassinations: He was behind the assassinations of Lebanese figures opposed to
the policies of Hezbollah and Iran.
*Destabilizing political and economic stability: He worked to undermine the
political system and security in Lebanon and many countries in the region,
especially Syria.
*Intervention in Syria: Nasrallah led Hezbollah, under orders from Iran, to
intervene militarily in the Syrian civil war, where its members fought alongside
the criminal regime of Bashar al-Assad, leading to the killing of thousands of
Syrians and the displacement of millions, in addition to the deaths of more than
4,000 Lebanese Shiites whom he recruited into his army, along with the wounding
and disabling of 15,000 others.
*Supporting terrorism: Hezbollah, led by Nasrallah, has been classified as a
terrorist organization by many countries and international and Arab
organizations due to its involvement in terrorist operations around the world.
*Drug smuggling and manufacturing: Hezbollah was involved in manufacturing and
smuggling drugs, money laundering, and trading in all types of prohibited items,
including weapons, to finance its terrorist activities.
*Undermining Lebanon's sovereignty: Nasrallah and his criminal thugs worked to
undermine the sovereignty of the Lebanese state, establishing a state within a
state by force and terrorism, and possessing a huge arsenal of weapons used in
Lebanon and abroad in Iranian-mullah terrorist and criminal operations.
*Involvement in the Gaza war: He and the Iranian rulers dragged the Palestinians
into the devastating Gaza war and launched a war on Israel that resulted in the
killing of 11,000 Lebanese, most of whom were from his Shiite environment, and
led to the near-complete destruction of all Shiite residential areas.
With his death, part of the Iranian criminal and occupational plots in Lebanon
are buried with his body, but the danger is not over yet.
The funeral of this terrorist will not only be a farewell to him but also a
burial of Iran's terrorist schemes and its occupation of Lebanon, as well as a
test for those who still blindly bear loyalty to him and the mullahs' regime.
Hence, everyone who participates in his funeral tomorrow is participating in the
crime and declaring their partnership in all the blood that was shed because of
him and in service of the Iranian occupation, sectarianism, and expansionist
evil schemes.
In conclusion, Nasrallah does not deserve mercy, nor does he even deserve a
curse, as he is a black page in Lebanon's history and must be erased and folded
forever.
However, the battle with his mullah masters and his gang of mercenaries,
killers, and terrorists has not ended, and the Lebanese and Arabs still have a
major battle ahead of them to eradicate all remnants of his black legacy and the
mullahs' satanic legacy and to liberate Lebanon and all Arab countries from the
ambitions and plans of the devilish mullahs.
Narallah's Funeral is for for a terrorist & Criminal
Elias Bejjani/February 21,
2025
The funeral of a criminal and terrorist, and therefore Lebanese who are
patriotic and opposes Hezbollah-Iran occupation of Lebanon, their crimes, their
destructive and hostile project MUST not participate in the funeral by any means
Jan Fghali to Voice of Lebanon: The is an okay and a green light from Israel to
carry on the funeral of Nasrallah and Hashem/Lebanese full readiness of all
elements of the armed forces.
The culture of terrorism (sahsouh)
forced a Lebanese newspaper to deny the content of a scandalous report it
published
Elias Bejjani/February 21,
2025
Before and after terrorism threats (sahsouh): A well-known Lebanese newspaper
apologized after publishing a report that slandered 99% of corrupt politicians..
The culture of terrorism (sahsouh) does not change the facts
Text & Video: Iranian Sympathizer's
Theatrics at Beirut Airport: A Hezbollah Production Aimed at Mobilizing
Participation in Nasrallah's Funeral
Elias Bejjani/February 21, 2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/02/140401/
Investigations by Lebanese media,
intelligence, and security sources, both Lebanese and Arab, have revealed that
the Lebanese woman, a Hezbollah sympathizer, who carried a picture of Hassan
Nasrallah in a Beirut Airport hall upon her arrival from Iran, performed a
pre-planned theatrical role. This production was written, produced, and directed
by what remains of Hezbollah's diminished media apparatus. Every word and
gesture of the boastful woman was scripted as part of this farcical play. The
performance aimed to manipulate the emotions of the Shia community because,
according to reliable sources, the number of people Wafiq Safa and his
associates managed to mobilize for Nasrallah's funeral was disappointingly
small. This theatrical stunt was therefore staged to compensate. The woman
declared loudly, provocatively, condescendingly, and theatrically that they were
the ones who had made sacrifices, and that anyone who takes orders from Israel
and the United States should emigrate, as the country belongs to them.
500 Billion
Euros in Funding to Lebanon Depends on Banking Restructure
Beirut: Asharq Al Awsat/February 22/2025
A visiting EU official said Friday that disbursing half a billion euros in
funding to Lebanon was conditional on a banking sector restructure and reaching
an agreement with the International Monetary Fund. In May last year, the
European Union announced one billion euros ($1 billion) in aid for Lebanon to
help stem irregular migration to the bloc, with the assistance designed to
strengthen basic services including education and health, after five years into
an economic and financial crisis in the country. The EU Commissioner for the
Mediterranean Dubravka Suica on Friday said that of the allocated funds, “500
million (euros) was already adopted in August last year, and another 500 million
will come soon, but there are some conditions,” according to AFP. “The main
precondition is the restructure of the banking sector... and a good agreement
with the International Monetary Fund,” she told a press conference after meeting
with President Joseph Aoun. “Once these conditions are fulfilled, we will
continue of course with disbursing” the funds, she added. The international
community has long demanded Lebanon enact reforms to unlock billions of dollars
to boost the economy after a financial crisis widely blamed on mismanagement and
corruption took hold in 2019. Lebanon last month elected a new president after a
more than two-year vacuum. This month it formed a government, replacing the
previous administration that had been operating in a caretaker capacity. This
week, the IMF said it was open to a new loan agreement with Lebanon following
discussions with its recently appointed finance minister. Suica also said she
discussed with Aoun a “new pact for the Mediterranean” which means “we will
start bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership agreements with countries
including Lebanon,” without providing details. She and Aoun also discussed
issues including a ceasefire in the recent war between Israel and Hezbollah, as
well as Lebanon's army and the Syria crisis, she added. During her visit to
Beirut, Suica also met with other senior officials, including Prime Minister
Nawaf Salam and parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. The EU is desperate for
stability in the Middle East and the Mediterranean region as it hopes to avoid
major flows of migrants to Europe.Lebanon says it hosts some two million
Syrians, the world's highest number of refugees per capita, and has also been a
launchpad for Europe-bound migrants.
Hezbollah Pressures its Supporters to Attend Nasrallah
Funeral
Beirut: Paula Astih/Asharq Al Awsat/February 22/2025
Hezbollah has for over a month been preparing to hold a mass funeral for its
slain leaders Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine, who were killed by Israel
in 2024 in its last war with the Iran-backed party. Hezbollah is aiming to use
the funeral into a sort of referendum over its popularity and demonstrate that
its supporters continue to stand by it after its heavy losses in the war and
after it has been weakened politically in Lebanon. The party has been calling on
supporters in Lebanon and abroad to show up en masse to the funeral that will be
held on Sunday. The government had recently suspended flights from Iran to
Beirut due to security concerns, which had left Hezbollah scrambling to find
alternative routes to fly its supporters from Iran to Lebanon. The Iranians have
turned to Baghdad and flights from the Iraqi capital to Beirut have been fully
booked for days. Informed sources said Iran’s proxies in Iraq have worked on
sending droves of people to the funeral. Beirut’s Rafik Hariri International
Airport has been the scene of a number of disputes between travelers over the
insistence of funeral attendees to brandish Nasrallah posters and chant slogans
in support of the party. Nasrallah’s son Mohammed Mehdi has also joined efforts
to rally supporters. In an instagram post, he accused “enemies of working
against us to prevent the funeral from happening.”He called on those who can
attend to do so and to ignore concerns about traffic and the poor weather.
Meanwhile, security agencies are on alert for any clashes that may erupt on the
day of the funeral between Hezbollah supporters and its opponents. President
Joseph Aoun chaired on Friday a security meeting attended by the ministers of
defense and interior and heads of security agencies to discuss the measures in
place for the funeral. A security source told Asharq Al-Awsat that the agencies
are on their highest alert level throughout the country in anticipation of the
funeral. All precautions and plans are in place to confront any development, it
added. The funeral will likely leave Lebanon at a standstill as Hezbollah
supporters flock to Beirut from across the country. Authorities have already
suspended flights from Beirut airport on Sunday between 12 and 4 pm. Hezbollah
officials have called on the people to attend the funeral, revealing that
travelers and officials from 79 countries are confirmed to be there.
Politically-motivated
Political activist and editor-in-chief of Janoubia website Ali al-Amine said the
intense rallying of supporters for the funeral is purely politically-motivated
and has nothing to do with the burials. Hezbollah is using every means at its
disposal to rally and pressure supporters to attend the event. Anyone failing to
show up will be viewed as a traitor to its cause and will face criticism, he
told Asharq Al-Awsat. Hezbollah is trying to impose a “new internal equation” to
stand against the wave of change that has swept the country following the
party’s defeat in the war, Aoun’s election and the formation of a new government
that does not include Hezbollah ministers. The party wants to act against the
state building project, Amine warned. Hezbollah is working on rallying its
Shiite popular base because it believes it offers it “protection and immunity,”
he went on to say. Inciting Shiite sectarian sentiments and spending millions of
dollars on Nasrallah’s funeral is an attempt to “sanctify” him and turn his
burial site into a shrine similar to the Shiite ones in Iraq, Syria and Iran, he
said. Officials from the Iran-backed Houthi militias are also attending the
funeral and Information Minister in Yemen’s legitimate government Moammar al-Eryani
has called on Lebanese authorities to arrest them on charges of war crimes and
human rights violations. Former Minister Dr. Rashid Derbas told Asharq Al-Awsat
that Beirut cannot arrest them without a warrant, which it does not have.
Lebanese army and ISF raise readiness to 100 percent for
Hassan Nasrallah's funeral in Beirut
LBCI/February 22/2025
This is one of the rare occasions when the Lebanese army and Internal Security
Forces (ISF) raise their security and military readiness to 100 percent for the
funeral of Hezbollah's former Secretary-General, Hassan Nasrallah. All military
personnel in their units, brigades, and regiments are prepared to secure this
event. A joint operations room at Henry Chehab barracks, led by the Lebanese
army, will include participation from other security institutions, civil
defense, and the Red Cross. From the Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium to the
tomb, the area will be a military-controlled and security-controlled zone.
The Lebanese army will isolate the area along
with the ISF and secure broader areas toward Beirut's southern suburbs, Hadath,
the old Sidon road, and Tayouneh, extending to the heart of the capital by
deploying security checkpoints and military barriers. The deployment will be
reinforced at all "sensitive points" on the roads from Bekaa or the south to the
north to prevent any friction during outbound or return journeys. "Sensitive
points" refer to any location that could lead to sudden friction for political
or non-political reasons. The military deployment will be accompanied by
proactive intelligence work in specific sensitive areas to prevent any attempts
at escalation. The Lebanese army has banned the use of drones over Beirut and
its surroundings due to concerns about potential targeting. Military and
security sources warn participants of the need to act calmly and avoid tension
in case of any violations, such as the Israeli army breaking the sound barrier.
The Internal Security Forces will deploy their units on main roads and
"sensitive points," establishing checkpoints as part of a coordinated plan with
the Lebanese army and other agencies. In addition to military and security
operations, the security forces will also implement traffic measures and prevent
vehicles from parking on roads according to clear schedules and an issued map.
Internal Security Forces units will also close roads in the event area and guide
citizens toward the correct routes.
Final touches in place: Lebanon readies for funeral of
Hezbollah's former leaders
LBCI/February 22/2025
In a few hours, specific areas within Beirut will be filled with mourners coming
from all regions to bid farewell to Hezbollah's former secretaries-general,
Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine. Intensive preparations that lasted for
months, involving more than 18,000 participants, have reached their conclusion.
The final day was dedicated to putting the finishing touches and informing the
media about all the procedures and arrangements to ensure organized and smooth
coverage of the event. The scene is now complete at the Camille Chamoun Sports
City Stadium, where the main platform has been installed, images have been
raised, and seats are ready to welcome official figures from Lebanon and more
than 79 countries attending the funeral ceremony. Outside the stadium, final
touches are also being made on all routes that will be crowded with mourners.
Screens have been set up along the roads so that thousands who cannot fit in the
stadium can follow the funeral ceremony. Images have also been displayed along
all roads. Hassan Nasrallah's resting place is prepared, and has already begun
to see gatherings of mourners ahead of the funeral. At the conclusion of a tour
during which guidelines were provided to journalists preparing for the event,
Sheikh Ali Damoush, deputy chairman of Hezbollah’s executive council and head of
the higher committee for the funeral ceremony, spoke at the press center,
offering several recommendations for the upcoming day. Preparations are
complete, and all eyes are on the funeral day, which is expected to be
exceptional in terms of attendance.
Lebanon's labor minister to represent PM Nawaf Salam at
funeral of former Hezbollah leaders
LBCI/February 22/2025
Minister of Labor Mohammad Haidar has been assigned to represent Lebanon's Prime
Minister Nawaf Salam at the funeral ceremony for Hezbollah's former
Secretaries-General, Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine, on Sunday.
Iran parliament speaker, foreign minister to attend Nasrallah funeral
Agence France Presse/February 22/2025
Iran's parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, will travel to Lebanon
for the funeral of long-time Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Sunday,
Iranian media reported. Tens of thousands of people are expected to turn out in
Beirut to farewell the Iran-backed group's leader. An Israeli air strike killed
Nasrallah on September 27 last year at the start of an all-out war between his
group and Israel after roughly a year of lower-level conflict. The massive air
strike on Hezbollah's south Beirut stronghold also killed Abbas Nilforoushan, a
senior commander in Iran's Quds Force -- the foreign operations arm of its
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.Hezbollah is part of Iran's "Axis of
Resistance", a loose alliance of forces united in their opposition to Israel. In
October 2023 Hezbollah began firing rockets at Israel in solidarity with fellow
axis member Hamas during the Gaza war.
Those exchanges escalated into more than two months of full-scale war before a
ceasefire came into effect in November last year. Ghalibaf "along with a number
of parliamentarians and state officials will leave on Sunday for Lebanon to
attend Nasrallah's funeral," member of parliament Alireza Salimi told the
official IRNA news agency on Saturday. On Friday evening, the Fars news agency
reported that Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi would also attend the ceremony.
Nasrallah led Hezbollah for more than three decades and was a major figure in
Middle Eastern politics.
In retaliation for his killing, Iran fired around 200 missiles at Israel in
October.
In response, Israel struck several military sites in Iran.
Thousands fly into Beirut for Nasrallah's funeral
Associated Press/February 22/2025
Nearly five months after he was killed in an Israeli airstrike, thousands of
supporters of the longtime leader of Hezbollah Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah have
flown into Beirut for his funeral on Sunday. Nasrallah was killed on Sept. 27
when Israel's air force dropped more than 80 bombs on Hezbollah's main
operations room in Beirut's southern suburbs. It was the biggest and most
consequential of Israel's targeted killings in years. The death of Nasrallah,
one of the Iran-backed Shiite group's founders and Hezbollah's leader of more
than 30 years, was a huge blow to the group he had transformed into a potent
force in the Middle East.Hezbollah suffered significant losses in the latest war
with Israel, including the killing of several of its most senior military and
political figures. His cousin and successor Sayyed
Hashem Safieddine, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike on a Beirut suburb a
few days later, will be laid to rest in his hometown in southern Lebanon. The
two had temporarily been buried in secret locations. Hezbollah earlier this
month announced plans for their official funerals.
Crowds are expected to gather on Sunday at Beirut's main sports stadium for a
funeral ceremony before Nasrallah's interment.
Flights from Iraq, where Hezbollah has a huge following among Iraqi Shiites,
have been full for days on end. According to an Iraqi transportation ministry
official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the flights, up to
6,000 people have flown to Beirut over the past days. Among those who arrived
from overseas was also American commentator Jackson Hinkle. "I am honored to be
attending the funeral," Hinkle posted on the social media platform X after
arriving this week in Beirut. Hinkle posted a photo of
himself visiting a war-wrecked southern Lebanese border village, waving a
Hezbollah flag. Nasrallah, idolized by his supporters and with large followings
among Shiites in the Islamic world, held the title of Sayyed, an honorific meant
to signify the Shiite cleric's lineage dating back to the Prophet Mohammad, the
founder of Islam. However, Lebanese authorities have revoked permission for a
passenger plane from Iran, leaving dozens who had wanted to attend the funeral
stranded in Tehran and triggering protests by Hezbollah supporters in Lebanon.
The ban came after the Israeli army accused Iran of smuggling cash to
Hezbollah by way of civilian flights, leading some in Lebanon to allege that
their government had caved in the face of a threat from Israel. Some of those
who were expected to fly in from Iran were now coming to Lebanon via Iraq. Also,
members of Iran-backed groups in the region also were traveling to Beirut to
attend Nasrallah's funeral.Kazim al-Fartousi, spokesman for the Iran-backed
Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada group in Iraq, arrived on Friday. He said Nasrallah was
"the father, commander and the book that we read every day to learn about
freedom."
US team tells Aoun: ‘We want to see a new phase of
stability in Lebanon’
NAJIA HOUSSARI/Arab News/February 22, 2025
BEIRUT: The US “wants to witness a new era of peace and stability in Lebanon and
the Middle East amid the many changes happening in the region,” US Congressman
Ronny Jackson said in Beirut on Saturday. His
assurance came during a meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun as US
diplomatic efforts toward Lebanon continued with government leaders seeking US
intervention to pressure Israel into withdrawing from the five strategic hills
it still occupies. President Aoun received US Congressman Darrell Issa and his
delegation on Friday evening. Following the meeting, Darrell said that UN
Resolution 1701 had taken years to reach the stage where it was at today.
“However, in less than 60 days, we witnessed a quasi-full cooperation
between both the Lebanese and Israeli sides.”He added that the Israelis withdrew
from most Lebanese territories, except for five areas. The Lebanese Army has
strengthened its control over the Lebanese lands. “However, what has not yet
happened, and what I discussed with President Aoun and other leaders this week,
is the destruction of large weapon depots. “Every day, there are explosions due
to the destruction of weapons and the discovery of new tunnels full of firearms.
“Therefore, there will be a longer transitional period to eliminate the arms,”
Issa said. “Both sides understand that the full
implementation of resolution 1701 will eventually take place, which includes
Israel’s return to historically recognized borders, ensuring both Lebanese and
Israeli sides can live without the fear of crossing each other’s borders with
weapons.”Amid the diplomatic drive, Lebanese Army Command requested to “retain
the majority of military personnel of all ranks on duty on Sunday, Feb. 23.”The
military move is in parallel with the funeral proceedings of former Hezbollah
chiefs Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine, five months after their
assassination in Israeli raids on Beirut’s southern suburbs.
The Lebanese state has officially become involved in the funeral
proceedings of Nasrallah and Safieddine through the direct supervision of the
security leadership.
The security chiefs attended Friday’s meeting led by President Aoun.
The army command has also moved to suspend all drone permits issued in Beirut
and its surrounding areas. It had previously announced that there would be a
temporary freeze on all firearm permits, while Hezbollah “strictly prohibited
its supporters from firing shots during the funeral proceedings.”The Israeli
threat remained a key concern for both the organizers and participants in the
funeral proceedings, especially since Israeli violations of the ceasefire
agreement have not ceased. The Israeli army opened fire at a car on the
outskirts of the border village of Houla, setting it ablaze.
An Israeli military drone launched a stun grenade near a citizen on a farm on
the outskirts of Kfarchouba. The General Directorate of Internal Security
implemented special traffic measures ahead of the funeral of Nasrallah and
Safieddine, which began on Friday night and will continue until the end of the
funeral, “as large numbers of citizens are expected to attend.”Hezbollah’s
higher committee for the funeral (of Nasrallah) finalized the arrangements for
the proceedings, scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. and conclude at 4 p.m. at the
Camille Chamoun sports stadium at the southern entrance to Beirut.
The procession will then reach the old airport road, where Nasrallah will be
laid to rest. Hussein Fadlallah, the head of the committee, described the
funeral as an “exceptional event that the world would not forget.”
Meanwhile, information about official attendees continued to surface.
It was confirmed on Saturday that Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri would attend
the funeral in person. An Iranian official said Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi
would also attend. Al-Masirah TV, affiliated with Yemen’s Ansar Allah movement,
reported that “a high-level delegation departed from Sanaa International Airport
to attend the funeral, led by Yemen’s Grand Mufti Shams Al-Din Sharaf Al-Din.”A
security source told Arab News: “Delegations from Tehran will arrive in Beirut
via a third country. This is due to Lebanon’s suspension of flight permissions
for Iranian planes to land at Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport,
following Israeli threats to target the airport.”The source said: “The news
circulating among Hezbollah’s supporters about 400,000 travelers arriving at the
airport for Nasrallah’s funeral is highly exaggerated. This number requires at
least 2,000 planes to transport them from abroad. “We estimate that the number
of arrivals from abroad until Friday night does not exceed 40,000, half Lebanese
citizens.”Lebanese citizens holding French citizenship received a text message
from the French Consulate in Beirut urging “all its (French) nationals in
Lebanon to refrain from using the airport road and limit their movements on
Sunday.”Hezbollah invited numerous social media influencers, both Arab and
foreign, to cover the funeral. These include Americans such as Jackson Hinkle,
as well as Europeans, Latin Americans, Iraqis, Yemenis, Palestinians, Algerians
and Bahrainis.
Media coverage was organized for them in the southern suburbs of Beirut and
several southern border towns, providing them with materials, images and
statements that were made available to various journalists, focusing on
resistance and the devastation caused by the Israeli enemy. Social media
platforms witnessed the emergence of pages dedicated to the occasion,
encouraging people to participate in the funeral, which is regarded as a “day of
farewell.”This call to action comes amid challenging weather conditions,
particularly as a polar storm has affected Lebanon since Saturday. The storm has
resulted in road closures from the Bekaa and southern regions toward the capital
due to snow and ice accumulation, with temperatures dropping to unprecedented
levels. Wounded members of Hezbollah, who sustained injuries to their eyes and
limbs from pager explosions, participated in these calls to the public.
US lawmaker slams Lebanese politicians who intend to attend
Nasrallah funeral
Associated Press/February 22/2025
U.S. Republican Representative Joe Wilson has criticized Lebanese politicians
who are planning to attend the funeral of slain Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan
Nasrallah on Sunday. "Any Lebanese politician who attends the funeral of the
murderous terrorist Hasan Nasrallah is standing with the Iranian Regime," Wilson
said on X.
Senator Ronny Jackson Calls for a Security Monopoly by the
Lebanese Army
This Is Beirut/February 22/2025
A delegation from the US Congress, led by Senator Ronny Jackson, met on Saturday
with the President of the Republic, Joseph Aoun, at the Presidential Palace in
Baabda, in the presence of the US Ambassador to Lebanon, Lisa Johnson.
At the end of the meeting, Jackson expressed the United States’ desire to see a
new phase of peace and stability in Lebanon and the Middle East. He also
stressed that security in Lebanon, particularly at the borders, should be
"exclusively and entirely in the hands of the army." "We refuse to let Hezbollah
play this role," he added.For his part, Aoun reaffirmed Lebanon’s "firm and
definitive" stance on the situation in South Lebanon, reiterating the necessity
of an Israeli withdrawal and the release of Lebanese prisoners held by Israel.
"Israel is violating the ceasefire agreement, and the guarantor countries,
particularly the United States, should exert pressure to ensure full
compliance," he stated. Finally, regarding the funerals of Hassan Nasrallah and
Hashem Safieddine to be held on Sunday, Jackson stated that it "is preferable to
let this event pass and move forward.” “This occasion should be an opportunity
to close a chapter and write a new one," he added.
Israeli Strikes on Lebanon-Syria Border on the Eve of
Nasrallah's Funeral
This Is Beirut/February 22/2025
On the eve of former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah’s funeral, Israel struck
a border area near Janta, in the Bekaa, accusing Hezbollah of smuggling weapons
into Lebanon. On his part, Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee announced
Saturday night that Israeli airstrikes targeted "transport routes on the
Lebanon-Syria border through which Hezbollah attempts to transfer weapons into
Lebanon." He called these attempts a "blatant violation" of agreements between
Israel and Lebanon and reaffirmed Israel's commitment to preventing Hezbollah
from strengthening its positions. Israeli ceasefire violations continued
throughout Saturday in several Lebanese regions. The Israeli army opened fire on
a car on the outskirts of Hula in Marjayoun without causing injuries. An Israeli
aircraft reportedly dropped a sound grenade near Kfarchouba, while Israeli
drones flew at low altitude over the Bekaa, then over eastern Baalbek and Beirut
in the evening.
French Military Support for the Lebanese Army
Earlier Saturday, the French army reaffirmed its military engagement alongside
Lebanon to reduce tensions and implement Resolution 1701. "We are assisting the
Lebanese army in identifying prohibited military equipment in the south," it
told the pan-Arab channel Al Arabiya. According to the same media outlet, France
highlighted its role in the ceasefire monitoring committee between Lebanon and
Israel, facilitating mediation between two "difficult-to-reconcile" parties.
Lebanon's President Aoun urges US pressure on Israel to comply with ceasefire
agreement
LBCI/February 22/2025
President Joseph Aoun has declared that Israel is in violation of the ceasefire
agreement, urging the sponsoring nations, particularly the United States, to
apply pressure for full compliance. In a meeting at Baabda Palace with a U.S.
delegation led by Congressman Ronny Jackson, Aoun stressed that achieving
stability in the south and along the border necessitates the withdrawal of
Israeli forces and the release of Lebanese detainees. Jackson reinforced Aoun's
concerns, highlighting the need for collaboration with President Donald Trump
and the U.S. administration to secure essential financial and logistical support
for the Lebanese army. "We want to see Lebanon, [...] and the entire Middle East
enter a new era of peace and prosperity," Jackson stated.
Lebanese-American found guilty of trying to kill Rushdie
Agence France Presse/February 22/2025
A Lebanese-American man has been found guilty of attempting to kill novelist
Salman Rushdie when storming a stage and repeatedly plunging a knife into the
"Satanic Verses" author. Hadi Matar faces up to 25 years in prison and will be
sentenced in April after being convicted of attempted murder and assault charges
over the 2022 attack. Matar's legal team had sought to prevent witnesses from
characterizing Rushdie as a victim of persecution following Iran's 1989 fatwa
calling for his murder over perceived blasphemy in "The Satanic Verses." Rushdie
had told jurors of Matar "stabbing and slashing" him during an event at an
upscale cultural center in rural New York. "It was a stab wound in my eye,
intensely painful, after that I was screaming because of the pain," Rushdie
said, adding he was left in a "lake of blood." He said it "occurred to me I was
dying" before he was helicoptered to a trauma hospital. Jurors heard closing
arguments from both prosecutors and defense lawyers before retiring briefly to
consider their verdict Friday. They deliberated for less than two hours. Matar
was found guilty of stabbing Rushdie about 10 times with a six-inch blade that
had been shown to witnesses and the court. The defendant shouted pro-Palestinian
slogans on several occasions during the trial.
Free speech v. blasphemy
Matar, from New Jersey, previously told media he had only read two pages of "The
Satanic Verses" but believed the author had "attacked Islam."After the novel was
published in 1988, Rushdie became the center of a fierce tug-of-war between free
speech advocates and those who insisted that insulting religion, particularly
Islam, was unacceptable in any circumstance. Books and bookshops were torched,
his Japanese translator was murdered and his Norwegian publisher was shot
several times. Rushdie lived in seclusion in London for a decade after the 1989
fatwa, but for the past 20 years -- until the attack -- he lived relatively
normally in New York.
Last year, he published a memoir called "Knife" in which he recounted the
near-death experience. The optical nerve of Rushdie's right eye was severed, and
he told the court that "it was decided the eye would be stitched shut to allow
it to moisturize. It was quite a painful operation -- which I don't recommend."
Asked to describe the intensity of the pain over the attack, he said it was "a
10" out of 10. His Adam's apple was also lacerated, his liver and small bowel
penetrated, and severe nerve damage to his arm left him paralyzed in one hand.
"The first thing I said on regaining the ability of speech was 'I can speak',"
he said to stifled laughter from jurors. British-American Rushdie, now 77, was
rescued from Matar by bystanders. Venue employee Jordan Steves had told the
court how he launched himself "with my right shoulder with as much force as I
could manage" to help others subdue the suspect. He pointed to Matar, sitting
just feet away in the ornate courtroom, when asked to identify the attacker.
Iran-backed Hezbollah endorsed the fatwa on Rushdie, the FBI has said, and Matar
faces a separate prosecution in U.S. federal court on "terrorism" charges. Iran
has denied any link to the attacker and said only Rushdie was to blame for the
incident.
French-Lebanese architect to redesign British Museum galleries
Agence France Presse/February 22/2025
The British Museum said Friday it had chosen French-Lebanese architect Lina
Ghotmeh to redesign a third of the venue's gallery space -- including a section
housing the disputed Parthenon Marbles. The museum, one of London's biggest
tourist draws, received more than 60 entries after launching a competition last
year for a remodeling of its Western Range galleries. Judges were won over by
Ghotmeh's "deep understanding and sensitivity towards the museum," it said in a
statement, while British Museum director Nicholas Cullinan said Ghotmeh was "an
architect of extraordinary grace and gravitas." Her previous work includes the
Hermes Leather Workshop in Louviers, France, the Estonian National Museum in
Tartu and Stone Garden Housing in Beirut, the city where she was raised. Ghotmeh
said she looked forward to "transforming this section of the museum into an
extraordinary space." Abstract models of her designs showed a pared-back layout,
with artifacts surrounded by wide spaces and archways.The museum's Western Range
galleries house ancient Roman, Egyptian, Middle Eastern and Greek objects --
including the Parthenon Marbles which Greece has long campaigned to have
returned to Athens. The 2,500-year-old sculptures once adorned the Parthenon
temple in Athens in honor of the city's patron goddess Athena.
Greek authorities maintain the sculptures were looted in 1802 by Lord
Elgin, British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire. London insists the sculptures
were "legally acquired" by Elgin and then sold to the British Museum. One of the
models for the redesigned galleries appears to show friezes resembling the
ancient marbles set snugly against the museum walls. The museum did not address
the marbles in its statement, which said Ghotmeh's team would work to develop
the designs over the coming years.
14 Billion Dollars: The Devastating Losses of the
Hezbollah-Israel Conflict
Christiane Tager/This Is Beirut/February 22/2025
According to an almost final estimate by the World Bank (WB) revealed earlier
this week during a meeting at the Grand Serail dedicated to this issue, the
damage caused by the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel is estimated at
approximately $14 billion. A colossal sum for Lebanon, already struggling with a
crippled economy. $14 billion! That is the historic
and no less colossal amount of damage caused by the conflict between Hezbollah
and Israel. This sum includes both material damage and economic losses. The
reconstruction costs are estimated at around $12 billion.
For Nassib Ghobril, chief economist at Byblos Bank, economic losses
amount to at least $3 billion. He points out that the reconstruction method will
be completely different from that of 2006, which began as soon as the war ended.
“There was more liquidity circulating in the country,” he says, “and financial
aid was flowing more easily.” This time, the destruction is much greater than
the one caused by Hezbollah’s 2006 war against Israel, and the funds allocated
for reconstruction will no longer go through traditional channels.
Ghobril underlines that the villages in the South are entirely destroyed;
therefore, the focus is on development plans (roads, water, electricity,
telecommunications) rather than rebuilding buildings. Regarding the
reconstruction of the southern suburbs, he believes an urban plan is necessary.
Researcher at Information International Institute, Mohammad Chamseddine,
provides precise figures on the extent of the damage. He states that, according
to statistics, 51,000 residential units have been completely destroyed,
distributed as follows: 9,000 units in the southern suburbs, 1,200 in the Bekaa,
22,000 in the coastal villages of the South, and approximately 12,000 in other
southern regions. According to him, the initial estimate of damage costs is at
least $8 billion, potentially reaching $10 billion in maximum cost scenarios, “a
sum that no party is capable of covering.” Additionally, damage to
infrastructure is estimated at $700 million.
Regarding the agricultural sector, Abdallah Nasreddine, adviser to former
Minister of Agriculture Abbas Hajj Hassan, states that Israeli bombings have
left deep scars. Agricultural lands intended for wheat, vegetables, and fruit
cultivation have been devastated, leading to the total loss of crops that should
have provided income to farmers. Irrigation networks have also been destroyed,
disrupting the water supply needed for agriculture. Moreover, the land has been
contaminated by bombings, with detrimental effects on soil quality. Traces of
chemicals and toxic substances such as white phosphorus have been found, posing
a significant threat to future agricultural production.
Mines have also been scattered, further complicating agricultural
activities in certain areas. Most agricultural installations, including
greenhouses, storage silos, and processing facilities, have been annihilated.
The South and Bekaa regions have suffered significant losses in livestock,
impacting meat and dairy production. Olive groves, a pillar of Lebanese
agriculture, have been severely damaged, with around 60,000 olive trees
destroyed, resulting in substantial economic losses. He notes that the
contamination of surface water with toxic substances has affected the wildlife
and flora of the impacted regions, particularly in the 54 border localities with
Israel. Regarding the private sector, the CEO of
Sacotel and president of the Family Business Network (FBN), Ricardo Hosri,
estimates that the losses resulting from the war-induced revenue shortfall
amount to over $50 billion in the long term, considering businesses that could
not operate, those that lost contracts, and those that relocated abroad.
Reconstruction Based on International Aid
“Finding the necessary funds for reconstruction will be a challenge,” says
Ghobril. Indeed, to finance reconstruction, “Lebanon will have no choice but to
rely on the international community. The World Bank can lend a certain amount,
but it cannot lend billions to Lebanon.” In this regard, Finance Minister
Yassine Jaber confirmed that the World Bank has already allocated $250 million,
stating that the rehabilitation of basic services (roads, water, electricity) in
destroyed regions was the priority. Meanwhile, the World Bank has proposed
creating a transparent reconstruction fund. During the recent meeting at the
Grand Serail, members of the WB delegation emphasized the need to establish a
dedicated fund for reconstruction, coupled with reforms to ensure transparency
in the use of funds. This key message aims to restore confidence and solicit
international aid. For its part, the European Union
(EU) has announced, via European Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka
Šuica, aid amounting to half a billion euros “if the criteria are met.” This
amount is the remainder of the €1 billion package already approved by European
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the first half having already been
disbursed last August. Ghobril indicates that Lebanon
will therefore “have to rely on donations from Gulf countries, which have
expressed their support and willingness to provide financial assistance, though
conditioned on concrete changes in Lebanon’s foreign policy.” He noted that
these countries are waiting for Lebanon’s reconstruction plan, which is being
developed in collaboration with the World Bank.
Reconstruction in the Hands of the State and Hezbollah
Bassam Abou Zeid/This Is Beirut/February 22/2025
With Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s funeral set to conclude this Sunday, Hezbollah
will soon face pressing challenges it has sought to evade — both within its own
ranks and across Lebanese society. The Hezb urgently
needs a massive influx of Iranian funds to fulfill its long-standing
reconstruction promises. However, recent developments indicate a stark reality:
Iranian flights carrying cash are no longer permitted to land in Lebanon, and
Hezbollah’s efforts to overturn this restriction have so far failed.
In the aftermath of the funeral, Hezbollah may intensify its attempts,
potentially deepening internal divisions. While some factions advocate for
diplomatic engagement with the government, others push for escalations in the
streets, even at the risk of clashes with security forces. For them, Hezbollah’s
very survival is at stake, making any compromise unacceptable.
Beyond this, Hezbollah faces another critical challenge: Lebanon’s
government, alongside the international community and Arab states, insists on
full transparency regarding the source and allocation of reconstruction funds.
Any financial aid must comply with international standards and be distributed
through official Lebanese institutions under state supervision.This requirement
comes with stringent conditions. The World Bank has outlined several key
reforms, including structural changes in the banking sector, public
administration and the establishment of a dedicated fund to manage
reconstruction resources. Lebanese authorities are thus calling for an
international donor conference to assess global willingness to support the
country’s recovery. The initial phase — clearing war debris — alone demands an
estimated $1 billion. The World Bank has pledged $250 million in loans,
potentially unlocking additional contributions from donors to cover the full
cost. Preliminary estimates put Lebanon’s direct and
indirect war-related losses at $14 billion, while full reconstruction is
projected to require around $12 billion. The Lebanese government now faces a
dual challenge: securing urgent funding while ensuring strict oversight and
transparency in how these resources are managed and allocated. According to
informed sources, reconstruction will not be possible without political and
security stability, which necessitates full implementation of UN Resolution 1701
and related agreements. This includes preventing Hezbollah mainly from
undermining internal security. In this context, there is little room for
tolerance regarding Hezbollah’s arsenal or its potential use within Lebanon,
given the devastating consequences such a scenario could have on both war
victims and the country as a whole. From a political standpoint, these same
sources assert that Lebanon’s reconstruction is now inextricably linked to the
gradual dismantling of Hezbollah’s military infrastructure and the severing of
its political, military and security ties with Iran.
BIA Held Hostage: Sunday Flights to Be Suspended
Maroun Chahine/This Is Beirut/February 22/2025
Lebanon's sole airport will suspend all flights on Sunday, February 23, from
12:00 PM to 4:00 PM during the funeral of Hezbollah’s former Secretary-General,
Hassan Nasrallah, according to a statement from the Directorate General of Civil
Aviation at Beirut International Airport (BIA).
Beirut’s airport has served not only as a transit hub for flights and cargo but
has also become a disruptive tool, negatively impacting both the nation’s
aviation industry and its economy. Economics professor and researcher Maroun
Khater explains, “While exact figures on the losses during these 4 hours of
closure are unavailable, a report from Middle East Airlines (MEA) indicates
that, during the first week of the 2024 Israel-Hezbollah conflict, the airline
incurred losses exceeding $8 million due to a six-day airport shutdown. However,
the real issue extends beyond these 4 hours; it lies in the deeper loss—the
erosion of trust in the airport from both the international community and
expatriates.”During Lebanon's economic crisis, exacerbated by a liquidity-driven
monetary policy, the airport became a vital channel for Lebanese people to bring
cash into the country. Khater pointed out, “In 2024, expatriates injected
between $5 and $7 billion in remittances into Lebanon.”Airports reflect the
essence of a nation, and countries worldwide heavily invest in modernizing their
airport infrastructures to ensure seamless travel. Yet, Lebanon’s sole airport
remains held hostage by a specific faction. A hub that should remain operational
is frequently paralyzed for various reasons. In 2006, the Lebanese-Israeli war
led to the airport’s closure for over a month, inflicting heavy economic and
financial losses. Many foreign embassies had to evacuate their citizens by sea.
Repeatedly, Hezbollah has leveraged its control of the airport as a political
tool, blocking roads or causing disruptions in airspace. Most recently, during
the 2024 conflict involving Hezbollah’s support for Gaza, Lebanon once again
faced the threat of war, with the airport remaining vulnerable due to
Hezbollah’s control over the surrounding area.
However, these closures have significant repercussions for the country.
Professor Khater highlights, “The closure of an airport is one of the clearest
indicators of political and security instability, directly eroding foreign
investors' confidence. It harms trade, disrupts the flow of imported and
exported goods, and weakens the tourism sector— a cornerstone of Lebanon's
economy. Furthermore, as a vital transit hub for many Arab countries, Lebanon
faces significant delays in airline schedules due to these disruptions.”
On February 23, two airlines, including Air France and Emirates, had already
suspended their flights. Given that the funeral will take place at the Camille
Chamoun Stadium in Beirut, located close to the airport, the measure was taken
as a precaution against the risks of riots or celebratory gunfire—incidents
often seen during such events. Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Public
Works and Energy, MP Sajih Atiyeh, explained to This is Beirut: “This decision
was made to ensure the safety of passengers and aircraft due to the potential
danger of stray bullets from Nasrallah's supporters, which could damage planes
or put passengers at risk. While we do not expect a riot during the funeral, as
witnessed recently near the airport with the Shiite public, the security forces
are fully prepared and the flight suspension will not exceed the stated
duration.”To this day, the Lebanese people continue to pay the price for a weak
state. Khater emphasizes, “The frequent airport closures and daily flight
suspensions between Lebanon and other countries disrupt airline schedules.
Furthermore, due to the ongoing instability at BIA, insurance companies increase
their premiums for flights landing in the Lebanese capital. This increase in
costs directly impacts ticket prices, potentially limiting the ability of
expatriates to travel.”The recurring closures of roads leading to the airport
and Hezbollah’s interference in matters of war and peace pose a significant
challenge to the authority of the Lebanese State. BIA is not the only
infrastructure under the influence of the Iran-backed group. This situation
underscores the urgent need for Lebanon, a country with a crucial tourism
sector, to establish a second airport, as many smaller states have done. It also
highlights the critical necessity for the government to regain full control over
the country's territory to ensure both political and social stability, not only
for the airport but for Lebanon as a whole.
APECL in Search of Greater Pastoral Efficiency
Fady Noun/This Is Beirut/February 22/2025
APECL remains committed to restructuring its organization and strengthening the
management of its assets—a challenging but necessary step forward, as
underscored during its 57th ordinary session at the Bethania Retreat House. ©Al
Markazia
Founded in 1967, the Assembly of Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops in Lebanon (APECL)
is undergoing structural renewal to enhance pastoral efficiency and improve the
management of its assets. This ambitious goal was the focus of its 57th ordinary
session, held at the Bethania Retreat House (Harissa, February 17–20), after
being postponed from the fall due to the war. A progress review was deemed
necessary to ensure that APECL had not grown complacent and that the drive for
collaboration among the Eastern Catholic Churches remained as strong as at its
inception, according to an anonymous ecclesiastical source.
While reflection committees and initiatives exist within these Churches, some
far-sighted bishops questioned whether they were sufficient. They argued that
APECL must rethink its approach and rediscover the essence of working together.
Originally created as a platform for ecclesial communion through consultation,
coordination and cooperation, APECL now faces the challenge of improving its
effectiveness. Bishops have attempted, with varying degrees of success, to
address overlapping structures that render some commissions ineffective,
rivalries between programs and individuals, administrative inertia and
institutional shortcomings.
A Distinguished Visitor
The Holy See chose to coincide the session with the arrival of a distinguished
guest: Canadian Jesuit Cardinal Michael Czerny, S.J., President of the Dicastery
for Promoting Integral Human Development. Observers see this visit as part of
the Vatican’s increasing pastoral engagement with Eastern Churches at a pivotal
time when they must consolidate their efforts to confront the wars that are
emptying the Middle East of its Christian population. Conducted discreetly,
without official ceremony, such visits allow the Holy See to gauge the country’s
reality firsthand and to assist Church hierarchies—often mired in formalism—in
better understanding and addressing the needs of young people drawn to
emigration. This initiative is not new. Indeed, the
call for unity in action and purpose among Eastern Churches dates back to the
Synod on Lebanon in 1996, a call reiterated by the 2013 Synod on the Middle East
and consistently reinforced by Popes Benedict XVI and Francis during their
visits to the region.
A Call for Sobriety and Integrity
It is worth recalling Pope Francis’ words in 2013 when he addressed Eastern
Church leaders during a day of prayer and reflection at the Vatican:
“For our testimony to be credible, we are called to (...) a sober way of life,
(...) to a charity that is both fraternal and paternal, which bishops, priests
and the faithful—especially those who live alone and are on the margins—expect
from us.”
He added, “I especially think of our priests, who need understanding and
support, even on a personal level. They have the right to receive our good
example, both in matters of faith and in all ecclesiastical affairs. They ask us
for transparency in the management of Church assets and for care toward all
weaknesses and needs. All of this must be exercised with the utmost sincerity,
in the authentic synodal spirit that defines Eastern Churches.”
Social Teaching and Church Assets
Another key topic on the session’s agenda was the importance of upholding Church
teaching while ensuring the responsible management of its resources. The vast
land holdings of Eastern Churches, often a source of scandal among the faithful,
remain underutilized due to favoritism inherited from the past. According to
episcopal sources, the Apostolic Nuncio proposed the creation of a “National
Common Fund for Lebanon’s Churches” to redistribute financial resources based on
needs. While some dioceses have abundant assets, others lack the means to
support essential ministries and institutions. The Vatican representative also
urged a more professional approach to managing Church properties, which are
frequently mismanaged. “Some ecclesiastical institutions don’t even know what
they own,” the Nuncio reportedly stated during the session’s opening. “As a
result, their assets enrich everyone except the Church and the poor, creating
scandals within the Christian community.”
A Visit to Jamhour Cemetery
Alongside his participation in the APECL session, Cardinal Czerny made several
pastoral visits. Notably, he traveled to Tripoli, where he met with the city's
mufti, Sheikh Mohammad Imam. One of his most moving visits took place at Collège
de Jamhour, where he paid tribute at the grave of Hans-Peter Kolvenbach, who led
the Society of Jesus for 25 years and considered Lebanon his spiritual home.
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Vatican Says Pope Francis Is in Critical Condition
Agencies/Asharq Al-Awsat/February
22/2025
Pope Francis was in critical condition Saturday after he suffered a long
asthmatic respiratory crisis that required high flows of oxygen, the Vatican
said. The 88-year-old Francis, who has been hospitalized for a week with a
complex lung infection, also received blood transfusions after tests showed a
condition associated with anemia, the Vatican said in a late update. “The Holy
Father continues to be alert and spent the day in an armchair although in more
pain than yesterday. At the moment the prognosis is reserved,” the statement
said. Earlier, doctors said that Francis was battling pneumonia and a complex
respiratory infection that doctors say remains touch-and-go and will keep him
hospitalized for at least another week. The Vatican carried on with its Holy
Year celebrations without the pope on Saturday. In a brief earlier update on
Saturday, Francis slept well overnight. But doctors have warned that the main
threat facing Francis would be the onset of sepsis, a serious infection of the
blood that can occur as a complication of pneumonia. As of Friday, there was no
evidence of any sepsis, and Francis was responding to the various drugs he is
taking, the pope’s medical team said in their first in-depth update on the
pope’s condition. “He is not out of danger,” said his personal physician, Dr.
Luigi Carbone. “So like all fragile patients I say they are always on the golden
scale: In other words, it takes very little to become unbalanced.”Francis, who
has chronic lung disease, was admitted to Gemelli hospital on Feb. 14 after a
weeklong bout of bronchitis worsened. Doctors first diagnosed the complex viral,
bacterial and fungal respiratory tract infection and then the onset of pneumonia
in both lungs. They prescribed “absolute rest” and a combination of cortisone
and antibiotics, along with supplemental oxygen when he needs it. Carbone, who
along with Francis' personal nurse Massimiliano Strappetti organized care for
him at the Vatican, acknowledged he had insisted on staying at the Vatican to
work, even after he was sick, “because of institutional and private
commitments.” He was cared for by a cardiologist and infectious specialist in
addition to his personal medical team before being hospitalized. Dr. Sergio
Alfieri, the head of medicine and surgery at Rome’s Gemelli hospital, said the
biggest threat facing Francis was that some of the germs that are currently
located in his respiratory system pass into the bloodstream, causing sepsis.
Sepsis can lead to organ failure and death. “Sepsis, with his respiratory
problems and his age, would be really difficult to get out of,” Alfieri told a
news conference Friday at Gemelli. “This is the real risk in these cases: that
these germs pass to the bloodstream.”“He knows he's in danger,” Alfieri added.
“And he told us to relay that.”Deacons, meanwhile, were gathering at the Vatican
for their special Jubilee weekend. Francis got sick at the start of the
Vatican’s Holy Year, the once-every-quarter-century celebration of Catholicism.
This weekend, Francis was supposed to have celebrated deacons, a ministry in the
church that precedes ordination to the priesthood. In his place, the Holy Year
organizer will celebrate Sunday’s Mass, the Vatican said. And for the second
weekend in a row, Francis was expected to skip his traditional Sunday noon
blessing, which he could have delivered from Gemelli if he were up to it. “Look,
even though he's not (physically) here, we know he's here,” said Luis Arnaldo
Lopez Quirindongo, a deacon from Ponce, Puerto Rico who was at the Vatican on
Saturday for the Jubilee celebration. “He's recovering, but he's in our hearts
and is accompanying us because our prayers and his go together.”Beyond that,
doctors have said Francis' recovery will take time and that regardless he will
still have to live with his chronic respiratory problems back at the Vatican.
“He has to get over this infection and we all hope he gets over it,” said
Alfieri. “But the fact is, all doors are open.”
Macron Says Knife Attack in East
France Was 'Terrorism'
Agencies/Asharq Al-Awsat/February 22/2025
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Saturday a knife attack that killed one
and injured three in eastern France on Saturday was "Islamist terrorism", after
France's anti-terrorism prosecutor's office confirmed it was investigating the
case.A man attacked local police officers in the city of Mulhouse on Saturday
afternoon, the PNAT prosecutor's office said in a statement.A passer-by was
killed trying to intervene, while three police officers were injured, the
prosecutor's office added. "It is without any doubt an act of Islamist
terrorism," Macron told reporters on the sidelines of the annual French farm
show, adding that the interior minister was on his way to Mulhouse. The suspect
has been arrested, the prosecutor's office said.
Rubio says Hamas will be
‘destroyed’ if fails to free all Israeli hostages
AFP/February 23, 2025
WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Saturday that Hamas will be
“destroyed” if it does not release all remaining hostages held in Gaza, as he
condemned the deaths of members of an Israeli family held by the group.
“Hamas’ treatment of hostages, including its brutal murder of the Bibas family,
further illustrates their savagery and is yet another reason why we are saying
these terrorists must release all of the hostages immediately or be destroyed,”
Rubio wrote on X.
Trump says ‘not forcing’
Gaza resettlement plan
Arab News/February 22, 2025
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has appeared to soften his plan to take
control of war-torn Gaza and relocate its more than two million residents to
nearby countries, saying he was only recommending the idea. Trump triggered
shock earlier this month when he presented his plan, in which Washington would
take over the territory and rebuild it while pressuring Egypt and Jordan to
accept displaced Palestinians. But in an interview Friday, the Republican
president conceded that the leaders of Jordan and Egypt had rejected the plan,
calling the displacement of Palestinians against their will unjust.
“I was a little surprised they’d say that, but they did,” Trump told Fox News
Radio’s “The Brian Kilmeade Show,” adding that the United States was paying
those countries “billions of dollars a year” in aid. “The way to do it is my
plan. I think that’s a plan that really works, but I’m not forcing it,” Trump
said. “I’m just gonna sit back and recommend it.” Trump’s comments came as Arab
leaders met in Riyadh on Friday to craft a proposal for Gaza’s post-war
reconstruction to counter Trump’s plan.
Hamas Frees 6 Hostages but
Questions Cloud Gaza Ceasefire’s Future
Asharq Al-Awsat/February 22/2025
Hamas on Saturday released the last six living hostages expected under the first
phase of its ceasefire with Israel with a week remaining, as growing questions
over the next phase clouded the fragile deal 's future.
The hostages included three Israeli men seized from the Nova music festival and
another taken while visiting family in southern Israel when Hamas-led fighters
stormed the border in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that triggered Israel’s 16-month
military campaign in Gaza. The two other hostages were held for a decade after
entering Gaza on their own. Five were handed over in staged ceremonies that the
Red Cross and Israel have condemned as cruel and disrespectful, escorted by
masked, armed Hamas fighters in front of hundreds of Palestinians. Omer Wenkert,
Omer Shem Tov and Eliya Cohen were posed alongside Hamas fighters. A beaming
Shem Tov kissed two gunmen on the head and blew kisses to the crowd. Cohen’s
family and friends in Israel chanted "Eliya! Eliya! Eliya!" and cheered. "You’re
heroes," Shem Tov told his parents as they later embraced, laughing and crying.
"You have no idea how much I dreamt of you."
Earlier Saturday, Tal Shoham, 40, and Avera Mengistu, 38, were freed. Mengistu,
an Ethiopian-Israeli, entered Gaza in 2014. His family told Israeli media he has
struggled with mental health issues. Later, Israel's military said Hisham Al-Sayed,
36, was released. The Bedouin Israeli entered Gaza in 2015. His family has told
Israeli media he was previously diagnosed with schizophrenia. The release of
over 600 Palestinians imprisoned by Israel — the largest one-day prisoner
release in the ceasefire’s first phase — was delayed, apparently for Israeli
security consultations on Saturday evening. The hostage release followed a
heartrending dispute sparked when Hamas on Thursday handed over the wrong body
for Shiri Bibas, an Israeli mother abducted with her two young boys. The remains
were determined to be those of a Palestinian woman. Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu vowed revenge for "a cruel and malicious violation," while
Hamas suggested it was a mistake. On Friday, the small militant group believed
to have been holding Bibas and her sons — the Palestinian Mujahedeen Brigades —
handed over a body that Bibas’ family said Israeli forensic authorities
confirmed was hers. "Now that it’s here, it brings no comfort, though we hope it
marks the beginning of closure," the family said.Hamas on Saturday denied
Israeli claims it was responsible for the Bibas children's deaths, calling them
lies aimed at justifying Israeli military actions against civilians in Gaza.
Difficult likely ahead
The ceasefire deal has paused the deadliest and most devastating fighting ever
between Israel and Hamas, but there are fears the war will resume after the
first phase ends. Hamas has said it will release four bodies next week,
completing the first phase. After that, Hamas will hold about 60 hostages —
about half believed to be alive. Talks on the ceasefire’s second phase are yet
to start, but negotiations are likely to be more difficult. Hamas has said it
won’t release the remaining captives without a lasting ceasefire and full
Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Netanyahu, with the full backing of the Trump
administration, says he’s committed to destroying Hamas’ military and governing
capacities and returning all hostages, goals widely seen as mutually exclusive.
An Israeli official said Netanyahu would meet with security advisers on Saturday
evening about the ceasefire's future. The official, who spoke on condition of
anonymity because the meeting had not been formally announced, said discussions
would focus "on the goal of returning all our hostages, alive and dead."
Freed hostages bring relief
Cohen, Shem Tov and Wenkert were brought out wearing fake army uniforms, though
they were not soldiers when abducted. "This is an unforgettable moment, where
all emotions are rapidly mixing together," Shoham’s family said, calling for a
deal to free all still held. "There is a window of opportunity; we must not miss
it." Shoham, who also holds Austrian citizenship, was visiting his family in
Kibbutz Be’eri when Hamas stormed in. His wife and two young children were freed
in a November 2023 exchange. Mengistu’s family and friends broke out in song as
they saw him for the first time in a decade. "Do you remember me?" one brother
asked as they embraced. Niva Wenkert, Omer’s mother, told Israel's Channel 12
that "on the surface, he looks OK, but there’s no telling what’s inside."As
concerns grew over the remaining hostages, Ilan Gilboa Dalal, the father of
captive Guy Gilboa-Dalal, told Israeli public broadcaster Kan the family had
received the first sign of life in eight months from a newly freed hostage who
had been held with him.
Hundreds of Palestinian prisoners set for release
The 620 Palestinian prisoners to be freed include 151 who were serving life or
other sentences for violent attacks against Israelis. Almost 100 will be
deported, according to the Palestinian prisoners' media office. A Palestinian
prisoner rights association said they include Nael Barghouti, who spent over 45
years in prison for an attack that killed an Israeli bus driver. Also being
released are 445 men; 18 children aged 15 to 17, and five aged 18 to 19; and a
woman, all seized by Israeli troops in Gaza without charge during the war.
Israel’s military offensive has killed over 48,000 Palestinians, mostly women
and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which doesn’t distinguish
between civilians and combatants. Israel says it has killed more than 17,000
fighters, without providing evidence. The offensive destroyed vast areas of
Gaza, reducing entire neighborhoods to rubble. At its height, the war displaced
90% of Gaza’s population. Many have returned to their homes to find nothing left
and no way of rebuilding. The Oct. 7 attack killed about 1,200 people, mostly
civilians. Hundreds of Israeli soldiers have died in the war.
Hamas Says It Is Investigating Possible Error over Hostage Body
Asharq Al-Awsat/February 22/2025
Hamas said on Friday it was investigating a possible error in identifying human
remains handed to Israel under a ceasefire deal as Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu threatened retaliation for failing to release the body of hostage
Shiri Bibas. Hamas was due to hand over the bodies of Shiri Bibas and her two
sons Kfir and Ariel on Thursday, along with the remains of a fourth hostage
under the ceasefire deal that has halted fighting in Gaza since last month. Four
bodies were delivered and the identities of the Bibas boys and the other
hostage, Oded Lifshitz, were confirmed. But Israeli specialists said the fourth
body was that of an unidentified woman and not Bibas, who was kidnapped along
with her sons and her husband, Yarden, during the Hamas attack on Israel on
October 7, 2023. Basem Naim, a member of the Hamas political bureau, said
"unfortunate mistakes" could occur, especially as Israeli bombing had mixed the
bodies of Israeli hostages and Palestinians, thousands of whom were still buried
in the rubble. "We confirm that it is not in our values or our interest to keep
any bodies or not to abide by the covenants and agreements that we sign," he
said in a statement. Hamas said separately that it would investigate the Israeli
assertions and announce the results. The failure to hand over the body and the
staged public handover of the four coffins on Thursday, caused outrage in Israel
and drew a threat of retaliation from Netanyahu. "We will act with determination
to bring Shiri home along with all our hostages - both living and dead - and
ensure Hamas pays the full price for this cruel and evil violation of the
agreement," he said in a video statement, accusing Hamas of acting "in an
unspeakably cynical manner" by placing the body of a Gaza woman in the coffin
instead of Bibas. Hamas said in November 2023 that the children and their mother
had been killed in an Israeli air strike and Ismail Al-Thawabta, director of the
Hamas-run Gaza government media office, said Netanyahu "bears full
responsibility for killing her and her children."But the Israeli military said
intelligence assessments and forensic analysis of the bodies of the Bibas
children indicated that they were deliberately killed by their captors. Chief
military spokesperson Daniel Hagari said the boys were killed by the militants
"with their bare hands", but gave no details.Netanyahu gave no details of a
possible Israeli response, but the incident underscored the fragility of the
ceasefire agreement reached with US backing and with the help of Qatari and
Egyptian mediators last month.
SATURDAY EXCHANGE
Six living hostages are due for release on Saturday in exchange for 602
Palestinian prisoners and detainees, according to Hamas, and the start of
negotiations for a second phase of the ceasefire is expected in the coming days.
"Hamas must return the hostages as agreed in the ceasefire- the living and the
deceased," Israeli military spokesperson Nadav Shoshani said in a statement on
social media platform X. "They have to bring Shiri back, and they have to
release the 6 living hostages expected tomorrow."Netanyahu's office confirmed it
had been officially informed of the names of the six hostages to be released,
which Hamas sources said was expected at around 8.30 a.m. (0630 GMT). As the
tension over the Gaza ceasefire rose, Netanyahu ordered the Israeli military to
intensify operations in another Palestinian territory, the occupied West Bank,
after a number of explosions blew up buses standing empty in their depots near
Tel Aviv. No casualties were reported but the explosions were a reminder of the
campaign of suicide attacks on public transport that killed hundreds of Israeli
civilians during the Second Intifada in the early 2000s.
'THEY MAKE A JOKE OF US'
Both sides have repeatedly accused the other of ceasefire violations, with Hamas
threatening to delay the release of hostages over what it said was Israel's
refusal to allow housing materials and other aid into Gaza, a charge Israel
denied."It's like they make a joke of us," said 75-year-old Ilana Caspi. "We are
so in grief and this is even more, it's like you make a punch again, another one
and another one, it's really terrible."The Red Cross told Reuters it was
"concerned and unsatisfied" by the fact that the handover of the bodies had not
been conducted privately and in a dignified manner. Despite the outrage over
Shiri Bibas, there was no indication that Israel would not take part in talks
over a second phase of the ceasefire deal. The Israel Hayom newspaper reported
that Israeli negotiators were considering seeking an extension of the 42-day
ceasefire, to delay moving to a second phase, which would involve talks over
hard-to-resolve issues including an end to the war and the future of Hamas in
Gaza.
Israel says forensics show Bibas children killed by captors
George Wright - BBC News and Mallory
Moench - BBC News/February 22/, 2025
Israel has said Israeli children Ariel and Kfir Bibas, who were taken hostage on
7 October 2023, were "deliberately" killed by their captors in Gaza. Israel
Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Daniel Hagari said "forensic findings", which
have not been seen by the BBC, suggested the boys had been killed with "bare
hands". He said evidence had been shared with Israel's "partners around the
world so they can verify it". Hamas has said the children and their mother were
killed by Israeli bombing, without providing evidence. The bodies of the two
boys were returned to Israel on Thursday, alongside the body of another hostage,
Oded Lifschitz. Hamas said a fourth body handed over was that of the boys'
mother, Shiri Bibas - but Israel said forensic testing showed it was not her.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu alleged Hamas "put the body of a Gazan
woman in a coffin" instead of the body of Shiri Bibas. The IDF posted on X that
"during the identification process, it was determined that the additional body
received is not that of Shiri Bibas, and no match was found for any other
hostage. This is an anonymous, unidentified body." "This is a violation of
utmost severity by the Hamas terrorist organisation, which is obligated under
the agreement to return four deceased hostages." A Hamas spokesman, Ismail al-Thawabta,
said on X on Friday that Shiri's remains seemed to have been mixed up with other
bodies under the rubble of a structure after an Israeli air strike. The group
told Reuters news agency they would investigate what had led to the wrong
remains being sent to Israel. Israel demanded that Hamas return Shiri along with
the other remaining hostages. "Whether she is alive or not, they need to bring
back Shiri Bibas," IDF international spokesperson Lt Col Nadav Shoshani told BBC
Radio 4's Today Programme. Netanyahu said "we will act with determination to
bring Shiri home along with all our hostages - both living and dead - and ensure
that Hamas pays the full price for this cruel and evil violation of the
agreement". In a statement, Hamas said it affirmed its "seriousness and full
commitment to all our obligations" and had no interest in "non-compliance".
Shiri, Ariel and Kfir Bibas were aged 32, four and nine months when they were
kidnapped during the Hamas attacks on Israel on 7 October 2023.
They have become a symbol for many in Israel and the news that their bodies
would be returned to Israel was met with an outpouring of grief. The Hostages
and Missing Families Forum said it was "horrified and devastated" that Shiri had
not been returned, "despite the agreement and our desperate hopes".
The children's father Yarden Bibas, 34, was released by Hamas on 1 February.
Israel has confirmed that the fourth body returned on Thursday was that of
veteran peace activist, Oded Lifschitz. Israeli family mourns 'man of peace' as
body returned from Gaza. Key events that led to Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal in
Gaza. The release of hostages' bodies was agreed as part of the ceasefire deal
which came into effect on 19 January, and Israel has confirmed it expects eight
bodies will be handed over. The two sides agreed to exchange 33 hostages for
about 1,900 Palestinian prisoners by the end of the first six weeks of the
ceasefire. Talks on progressing to the next phase of the deal - under which the
remaining living hostages would be released and the war would end permanently -
were due to start earlier this month, but have not yet begun. Twenty-eight
hostages and more than 1,000 prisoners have so far been exchanged. Sixty-six
hostages taken on 7 October are still being held in Gaza. Three other hostages,
taken more than a decade ago, are also being held. About half of all the
hostages still in Gaza are believed to be alive. About 1,200 people - mostly
civilians - were killed in the Hamas attacks on 7 October 2023 and 251 others
taken back to Gaza as hostages. Israel launched a massive military campaign
against Hamas in response, which has killed at least 48,319 Palestinians -
mainly civilians - according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Also on Thursday,
three buses exploded in Bat Yam, south of Tel Aviv, in what Israeli police said
is a suspected terror attack. Devices in two other buses failed to explode, they
said. No casualties were reported. In response, Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu's office announced he had ordered the IDF to carry out an "intensive
operation against centers of terrorism" in the West Bank.
Israel's PM says to act
'decisively' to bring back remaining Gaza hostages
LBCI/AFP/February 22/, 2025
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday vowed decisive action to
ensure that all remaining hostages held in Gaza are brought back to Israel after
Hamas freed six captives earlier in the day. "The government of Israel is
committed to continue acting decisively in order to bring all of our hostages
back home -- the living to their families, and the deceased to proper burial in
their country," Netanyahu said in a statement.
Yemen's Houthis launched missile at US fighter jet, missed
Reuters/February 22, 2025
Yemen's Houthis launched surface-to-air missiles at an American fighter jet and
MQ-9 Reaper drone this week, but did not hit either, two U.S. officials told
Reuters. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, did not specify if
the attacks occurred over the Red Sea or Yemen itself. One said the incidents
could suggest the Houthis were improving their targeting capabilities. Abdul
Malik al-Houthi, who leads the Iran-backed group, said in a televised speech on
Feb. 13 that the Houthis would intervene with missiles and drones and attack
vessels in the Red Sea if the United States and Israel tried to remove
Palestinians from Gaza by force. An Israel-Hamas ceasefire took effect in Gaza
on January 19 but has appeared close to collapse recently amid mutual
accusations of violations. U.S. President Donald Trump has infuriated the Arab
world with a plan to permanently displace Palestinians from Gaza and take over
the enclave to turn it into a beach resort. The Houthis have carried out more
than 100 attacks on ships off Yemen since November 2023 in support of Gaza's
Palestinian militants fighting Israel, disrupting global shipping. The
Iran-aligned movement, which controls northern Yemen, has also frequently fired
missiles at Israel over the past year in what it says is solidarity with
Palestinians in Gaza, where the war began more than 16 months ago.
Syria’s Northeast Begins
Supplying Oil to Damascus, Oil Ministry Says
Asharq Al-Awsat/February 22/2025
Kurdish-led authorities in northeast Syria have begun providing oil from local
fields they manage to the central government in Damascus, Syrian oil ministry
spokesman Ahmed Suleiman told Reuters on Saturday. It was the first public
acknowledgement of internal oil deliveries from Syria's oil-rich northeast to
the new government installed after former leader Bashar al-Assad was toppled by
opposition factions in December. Suleiman said the oil was from fields in the
provinces of Hasakeh and Deir Ezzor and that the deliveries took place based on
an amended version of a previous arrangement between the Assad government and
Kurdish authorities. He said Syria's new leaders had changed articles in that
deal that had "served the interests of people linked to the Assad regime". A
source from northeast Syria's semi-autonomous administration told Reuters that
the deal involved sending 5,000 barrels a day of crude from the Rmeilan field in
Hasakeh and other fields in Deir Ezzor province to a refinery in Homs. Syria
exported 380,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd) in 2010, a year before protests
against Assad's rule spiraled into a nearly 14-year war that devastated the
country's economy and infrastructure - including its oil. Oilfields changed
hands multiple times, with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces ultimately
capturing the key northeast fields, although US and European sanctions made both
legitimate exports and imports difficult. The United States issued a six-month
sanctions exemption in January allowing some energy transactions and the
European Union is set to suspend its sanctions related to energy, transport and
reconstruction. In the interim, Syria is seeking to import oil via local
intermediaries after its first post-Assad import tenders garnered little
interest from major traders due to sanctions and financial risks, several trade
sources told Reuters. The internal oil trade is also a key part of talks between
the northeast region and the new authorities in Damascus, which want to bring
all regions in Syria under centralized control. Sources said the SDF would
likely need to relinquish control of oil revenues as part of any settlement. SDF
commander Mazloum Abdi said last month that his force was open to handing over
responsibility for oil resources to the new administration, provided the wealth
was distributed fairly to all provinces.
Syrian suspect in Berlin Holocaust Memorial stabbing wanted
to kill Jews, investigators say
BERLIN (AP)/February 22, 2025
The suspect in a stabbing attack at Berlin's Holocaust Memorial that seriously
injured a Spanish tourist is a Syrian refugee who apparently wanted to kill
Jews, investigators said Saturday. The 19-year-old suspect was arrested on
Friday evening, nearly three hours after the attack, when he approached officers
with blood on his hands and clothes. Police and prosecutors said in a statement
that the victim sustained life-threatening injuries to the neck when he was
attacked with a knife. The 30-year-old underwent an emergency operation and was
put into an artificial coma for a while, and his life is no longer in danger,
they added. The suspect arrived in Germany in 2023 as an unaccompanied minor and
successfully applied for asylum, investigators said. He lives in Leipzig. The
attack took place two days before a German national election in which migration
has become a top issue, pushed to the forefront by five deadly attacks involving
immigrants over the past nine months. The investigation so far points to a link
between the attack and the conflict in the Middle East, police and prosecutors
said. They added that evidence so far, particularly from what he told police in
questioning, suggests that he had decided in the last few weeks to kill Jews.
That was apparently why he chose to mount the attack at the memorial dedicated
to the 6 million Jews killed in the Holocaust. At the time of his arrest, he was
carrying a backpack containing a prayer mat, a Quran, a sheet with verses from
the Quran as well as Friday's date, and the knife apparently used in the attack.
Investigators were working to determine whether the suspect suffered from mental
illness. They said he was not previously known to police or judicial authorities
in Berlin. He is under investigation on suspicion of attempted murder and bodily
harm. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser described the attack as “an abhorrent and
brutal crime” and said that “we will use all the means at our disposal to deport
violent criminals to Syria again.”In a separate case, police in the neighboring
state of Brandenburg said they arrested an 18-year-old Russian national on
Thursday on suspicion of preparing a politically motivated attack in the German
capital. German news agency dpa, which cited unidentified security sources,
reported that the intended target was the Israeli Embassy. It said that the
suspect, a Chechen, apparently was planning to leave Germany to join the Islamic
State group. On Saturday, a suspicious object resembling explosives was found
during a related search of an apartment in Potsdam and taken away to be defused
elsewhere, police said.
Dancing in Damascus: Syrians cling to culture under
Islamists' rule
Khalil Ashawi, Kinda Makieh, Yamam Al Shaar and Tom
Perry/DAMASCUS (Reuters)/February 22, 2025
On a wintry night in Damascus, hundreds of people packed into a courtyard in the
Old City, dancing and singing during a joyful evening of music - a concert held
with the approval of Syria's new, Islamist-led authorities. It was the kind of
scene that the singer, Mahmoud al-Haddad, feared might be in jeopardy as
Islamist rebels led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a group with origins in
global jihad, were advancing on the city in December. "Everyone was afraid,"
Haddad said. "Would we be able to have a concert or not?" The downfall of
President Bashar al-Assad ended more than five decades of iron-fisted rule by
his family and their secular Baath Party, making way for HTS, which emerged from
a group that was affiliated to al Qaeda until it cut ties in 2016. Islamists
have taken different approaches to artistic expression and cultural heritage in
territories they've ruled. The Taliban in Afghanistan have been among the most
hardline, stunning the world in 2001 by obliterating the giant Buddhas of
Bamiyan. In 2024, the Taliban's morality ministry reported destroying 21,328
musical instruments over the previous year. But in Syria, following a brief
interlude after the fall of Assad, cultural life in Damascus has, for now,
flickered back to life – with a nod from the new authorities. Before resuming
his concerts in January at the Beit Jabri restaurant, Haddad first checked with
the new authorities: "The answer was surprising to us - 'You can have your
concert, and if you want protection, we will send you protection'," he said.
Anas Zeidan, an official in the interim administration responsible for museums
and antiquities, told Reuters that the government welcomed "all types and forms
of art" and encourages the preservation of cultural heritage. "The government is
not against art. The government encourages art. Art is part of humanity," he
said. Indeed, an exhibition by a prominent artist reopened last month at the
National Museum, including a large painting with images of bare skin. At the
Higher Institute of Dramatic Arts, students of contemporary dance have resumed
rehearsing. Syria's National Symphony Orchestra held its first performance since
the fall of Assad, who ran a secular police state but allowed space for art and
culture that didn't challenge his rule. HTS seized power after their fighters
burst out of their enclave in Idlib province in northern Syria, where they had
governed since 2017, and toppled Assad after more than 13 years of civil war.
The group was formally dissolved in January when its leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa,
was declared interim president.
The Islamism of Syria's new rulers has surfaced in several ways since they swept
southwards and into Damascus in December: recruits to a new police force are
being schooled in Islamic law, for example, while proposed changes to school
textbooks have emphasized Muslim identity.
More secular-minded Syrians and members of minority communities have been kept
on edge by incidents of intolerance - a Christmas tree was torched in the
western city of Hama, an attack swiftly condemned by the new ruling authorities.
Attempts to encourage conservative norms - posters have gone up encouraging
women to cover up - have also stirred concerns.
IDEOLOGICAL SHIFT
Sharaa, declared Syria's interim head of state in January, has stressed a
message of inclusivity as he has tightened his grip and sought recognition from
Western and Arab governments, who would be alarmed by any slide towards
extremism.
Andrew Hammond, a senior lecturer in Islamic Studies at the Australian National
University, said the approach suggests the authorities are ready to challenge
the hardline fringe which view the arts as a waste of a believer's time and
fuelling unwholesome behaviour, and could become a point of contention.
Such hardliners often have a particular aversion to depictions of the human form
as well as music, which they see as in competition with Quranic recitation, he
said.
The ruling group's policy also reflect an ideological shift from its roots in
transnational jihad towards a more moderate form of political Islam based on
Syrian nationalism, in tune with the approach of Islamist groups in other Arab
states such as Egypt, Jordan and Tunisia, as well as Turkey, he added. Hammond
said he didn't expect the new administration to adopt radical policies that
could alienate Western and regional states, as well as many Syrians themselves,
meaning they wouldn't crack down on the arts. "There might be some who object to
it ... but it's not going to be stopped or banned," he said. In Idlib under HTS,
playing loud music in cars once led to a reprimand at checkpoints, water pipe
smoking was banned, and mannequin heads in shop windows were often removed or
covered, reflecting hardline aversion to depictions of the human form. HTS
relaxed efforts to enforce conservative behaviour in Idlib several years ago,
withdrawing morality police from the streets - part of what experts see as part
of its gradual shift towards the mainstream. Syrian artist Sara Shamma said some
artists had been worried that creative freedoms could be curbed with the change
of government. "They thought that some people might not accept sculptures or
figurative work," she told Reuters, referring to art based on real-life objects
like humans and animals. But nothing like that happened, said Shamma, adding she
was optimistic about the future.
'A GOOD SIGN - FOR NOW'
Her retrospective exhibition, "Sara Shamma: Echoes of 12 years", opened at the
National Museum in November before Assad was toppled. Her first exhibition in
Syria since leaving early in 2012 early in the civil war, it comprises works
from each of the years she spent outside the country.
The museum closed for a month following Assad's ouster, reopening in January
with her 27 works still on display. Aaron Zelin, an expert on HTS at the
Washington Institute for Near East policy, said the group was "trying to avoid
making waves with anyone while they're still consolidating control".In Idlib,
HTS had "come to realise they have to work within the reality of society rather
than trying to force something upon society in a way that might cause a
backlash", he said. "The question is if and when they feel comfortable enough,
whether they might reverse things or cancel certain types of activity they deem
outside of the bounds of their world view," Zelin said. "For now, it's a good
sign." Since assuming power, Sharaa has sidestepped media questions about
whether sharia law should be applied in Syria, whether women would have to wear
the hijab and whether alcohol would be permitted, saying such issues were
matters for the new constitution and not for individuals to decide. He has also
dismissed comparisons with Afghanistan, saying Syrian society was very different
and its government would fit with its culture and history.
Mustafa Ali, a prominent sculptor, also said artists' initial apprehension about
the new government had subsided. Works on display at his atelier in the Old City
include a life size horse sculpted from metal and an imposing bust carved from
wood. Ali explained how Islamic art generally tends towards abstract forms such
as geometric decoration, but also noted that figurative art had continued
throughout key phases of Islamic history, such as the Umayyad Caliphate, which
ruled the Islamic empire from Damascus from 661 to 750. Following Assad's
ouster, the Higher Institute of Dramatic Arts closed for several days, with
Islamist fighters deployed around the building and the adjacent Damascus Opera
House. Director of dance Nawras Othman said many students had feared the
Islamists would ban dance altogether but were calmed by representatives of HTS
who came to meet them in December: "They'd been worried, but afterwards they
relaxed a lot." Ghazal al-Badr, a 22-year-old in her fourth year of study, said
dancers decided to return to class within a few days to demonstrate the
importance of their art to the new authorities and their determination to
continue. "We felt a sense of responsibility – that now it's time for us to step
up, to be present," she said.
US offers UN resolution on
Ukraine that stops far short of competing European statement
Associated Press/February 22/2025
The United States has proposed a draft U.N. resolution that stops far short of a
competing European-backed statement demanding an immediate withdrawal of all of
Moscow's forces from Ukraine. Both are timed to the third anniversary of
Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which falls on Monday, when the U.N. General
Assembly will vote on the nonbinding resolutions. It sets up a clash between the
United States and Europe as the strength of the transatlantic alliance has been
called into question over the Trump administration's extraordinary turnaround on
Russia, opening negotiations with Moscow after years of isolation as the U.S.
looks to broker a rapid end to the war. European leaders were dismayed that
their officials and those from Ukraine weren't invited to preliminary
U.S.-Russia talks this week in Saudi Arabia. The very short U.S. draft
resolution offers mourning for "the tragic loss of life throughout the
Russia-Ukraine conflict" and "implores a swift end to the conflict and further
urges a lasting peace between Ukraine and Russia."Russia's U.N. Ambassador
Vassily Nebenzia told U.N. reporters about the U.S. resolution, "It's a good
move."Russia also suggested an amendment, seeking to add the phrase "including
by addressing its root causes" so the final line of the U.S. resolution reads,
"implores a swift end to the conflict, including by addressing its root causes,
and further urges a lasting peace between Ukraine and Russia."By contrast, the
draft resolution from the European Union and Ukraine refers to "the full-scale
invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation" and recalls the need to implement
all previous assembly resolutions "adopted in response to the aggression against
Ukraine." It singles out the assembly's demand that Russia "immediately,
completely and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces from the
territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders" and its
demand to immediate halt all hostilities. The General Assembly has become the
most important U.N. body dealing with Ukraine because the Security Council,
which is charged with maintaining international peace and security, is paralyzed
by Russia's veto power. There are no vetoes in the General Assembly, but its
resolutions are not legally binding — unlike Security Council actions.
Nonetheless, assembly resolutions are closely watched as a barometer of world
opinion. The dueling resolutions come as President Donald Trump has falsely
blamed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for allowing the war to start and
describing him as a "dictator" who "better move fast" to negotiate an end to the
war or risk not having a nation to lead. Zelenskyy responded by saying Trump was
living in a Russian-made "disinformation space."
Trump-Putin Summit
Preparations Are Underway, Russia Says
Asharq Al-Awsat/February 22/2025
Preparations are underway for a face-to-face meeting between US President Donald
Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russia's deputy foreign minister
said Saturday. It marked a clear departure from Western efforts to isolate
Moscow over its war in Ukraine. Speaking to Russian state media, Sergei Ryabkov
said a possible Putin-Trump summit could involve broad talks on global issues,
not just the war in Ukraine. “The question is about starting to move toward
normalizing relations between our countries, finding ways to resolve the most
acute and potentially very, very dangerous situations, of which there are many,
Ukraine among them,” he said. But he said efforts to organize such a meeting are
at an early stage, and that making it happen will require “the most intensive
preparatory work."Ryabkov added that US and Russian envoys could meet within the
next two weeks to pave the way for further talks among senior officials. Russian
and US representatives meeting in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday agreed to start
working toward ending the war in Ukraine and improving their diplomatic and
economic ties, an extraordinary about-face in US foreign policy under Trump.
Senior US officials have suggested Ukraine will have to give up its goals of
joining NATO and retaining the 20% of its territory seized by Russia. After the
meeting, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told The Associated Press the two
sides agreed broadly to pursue three goals: to restore staffing at their
respective embassies; to create a high-level team to support Ukraine peace
talks; and to explore closer relations and economic cooperation. He stressed,
however, that the talks, which were attended by his Russian counterpart, Sergei
Lavrov, and other senior Russian and US officials, marked the beginning of a
conversation, and more work needs to be done. Lavrov, for his part, hailed the
meeting as “very useful.”No Ukrainian officials were present at the Saudi
meeting, which came as their beleaguered country is slowly but steadily losing
ground against more numerous Russian troops, nearly three years after Moscow
launched an all-out invasion of its smaller neighbor. Ukrainian President
Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his country would not accept any outcome from the talks
since Kyiv didn’t take part. European allies have also expressed concerns that
they are being sidelined.
Trump appears to soften criticism of Kyiv
Trump on Friday appeared to walk back his earlier comments that falsely blamed
Kyiv for starting the war, but insisted that Zelenskyy and former US President
Joe Biden should have done more to come to terms with Putin. “Russia attacked,
but they shouldn’t have let him attack,” he said during a radio interview with
Brian Kilmeade of Fox News, referring to the Russian leader. Russia’s army
crossed the border on Feb. 24, 2022, in an all-out invasion that Putin sought to
justify by falsely saying it was needed to protect Russian-speaking civilians in
eastern Ukraine and prevent the country from joining NATO. Later on Friday, at
the Oval Office, Trump told reporters that the war “doesn’t affect the United
States very much. It’s on the other side of the ocean. It does affect
Europe.”Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, whose position on Ukraine has
differed sharply from the European mainstream, appeared to echo some of the
Trump administration's recent rhetoric on Saturday. He described Hungary's
war-ravaged neighbor as a “buffer zone” between Russia and NATO and implied
Budapest might block Kyiv's efforts to join the EU.
Ukraine's European allies
Thousands of people waving blue-and-yellow Ukrainian flags marched to the
Russian Embassy in London on Saturday, demanding Ukraine be given more support
and a place at the table in talks to end the three-year war. Protesters chanted
“Trump you’re no friend, you’re a traitor to Ukraine.” Organizers called for the
withdrawal of Russian troops and increased military aid to strengthen Kyiv’s
hand. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is due to visit Washington next week
for talks focused on Ukraine. He has stressed that no decisions about the
country’s future can be made without Kyiv’s involvement. Starmer spoke to
Zelenskyy on Saturday and reiterated “the UK’s ironclad support for Ukraine and
commitment to securing a just and enduring peace to bring an end to Russia’s
illegal war,” the prime minister’s office said. Ukraine’s EU allies also seemed
to rally around it, as the country’s foreign minister on Friday and Saturday
held a series of bilateral calls that he said aimed to coordinate diplomatic
efforts at a time of intense uncertainty over Washington's position. According
to Andrii Sybiha’s social media posts, he has been speaking with top diplomats
from France, Spain, Poland, Finland and the Baltic states, among others.
“Allowing Putin to succeed would have disastrous consequences for the stability
and common way of life of every family in Europe and the US. The cost of
appeasement will be paid by ordinary people,” Sybiha said in a post on X on
Saturday.
Zelensky and Putin Must
"Get Together", Says Trump
This is Beirut/With AFP/February 22/2025
US President Donald Trump said on Friday that Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky and
Russia's Vladimir Putin will have to "get together" to end the war between
Moscow and Kyiv.Trump's comments marked a shift from criticizing Zelensky as a
"dictator," after the Ukrainian president complained that his country -- invaded
by Russia in 2022 -- had been left out of talks between US and Russian
officials. "President Putin and President Zelensky are going to have to get
together. Because you know what? We want to stop killing millions of people,"
Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. Trump added Kyiv would "hopefully in
the next fairly short period of time" sign a deal handing Washington
preferential access to Ukraine's mineral deposits. "They're very brave, in every
way you can imagine. But we are spending our treasure on some country that's
very, very far away," Trump said of Ukraine.
Trump wants Ukraine to give US companies access to its vast natural resources as
compensation for the tens of billions of dollars of aid delivered under his
predecessor Joe Biden. In return, Ukraine is seeking security guarantees from
the United States for signing away the precious rights. Zelensky -- who had
rejected the agreement -- said Friday he hoped for a "fair result."The minerals
deal has become a major sticking point in the increasingly fraught relations
between Washington and Kyiv. In a public spat, Trump this week called Zelensky a
"dictator without elections" and falsely blamed Ukraine for starting the war.
Earlier Friday, Trump described Ukraine as at a disadvantage in the negotiations
-- further alarming allies who think he will offer concessions to Putin. "I've
had very good talks with Putin, and I've had not such good talks with Ukraine.
They don't have any cards," Trump said at the White House. His call for Zelensky
and Putin to work together came despite him saying in a Fox News interview that
it was not "very important" for Zelensky to be involved in US-Russia talks.
Trump again declined to blame Russia for the February 2022 invasion, saying that
Putin "attacked but they shouldn't have let him attack." The US president added
that Putin -- the Russian strongman for whom he has repeatedly expressed
admiration -- faced no pressure to make a deal. "He doesn't have to make a deal,
because if he wanted, he'd get the whole country," Trump said. French President
Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer -- who are both due at
the White House next week for potentially tricky discussions -- have been
accused by Trump of doing nothing to end the war. Macron said Friday he will
tell Trump that "you can't be weak with President Putin."
Zelensky 'Not Ready' to
Sign Minerals Deal with US
This is Beirut/With AFP/February 22/2025
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is "not ready" to sign a deal that would
give the United States preferential access to his country's rare earth minerals,
a Ukrainian source told AFP. US President Donald Trump wants Ukraine to give US
companies access as compensation for the tens of billions of dollars of aid
delivered under his predecessor Joe Biden. Mike Waltz, Trump's national security
adviser on Friday predicted that Zelensky would sign the deal soon, but the
contours of the proposed agreement have not been made public. "In the form in
which the draft is now, the president is not ready to accept, we are still
trying to make changes and add constructiveness," a Ukrainian source close to
the matter told AFP Saturday. "There are no American obligations in the
agreement regarding guarantees or investments, everything about them is very
vague, and they want to extract $500 billion from us." "What kind of partnership
is this? ... And why do we have to give $500 billion, there is no answer," the
source added. The source said that Ukraine had offered amendments. Ukraine is
seeking security guarantees from the United States as part of any deal signing
away its natural resources and critical minerals.
The disagreement over the deal comes amid a war-of-words between Zelensky and
Trump, who branded his Ukrainian counterpart a "dictator" in a social media post
earlier this week.
Trump Says Wants Musk to Be 'More Aggressive' in Federal
Cuts
This is Beirut/With AFP/February 22/2025
US President Donald Trump said Saturday he would like his billionaire advisor
Elon Musk to get "more aggressive" in implementing his reform agenda, cutting
back the federal government. "Elon is doing a great job, but I would like to see
him get more aggressive," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. "Remember,
we have a country to save."Trump has put the tech entrepreneur in charge of the
Department of Government Efficiency, tasking him with slashing public spending
and tackling waste and alleged corruption. Musk - the world's richest person and
Trump's biggest donor – has led the effort to fire swaths of the federal
workforce. In the latest cuts announced Friday, the US Defense Department will
cut its civilian workforce by at least five percent starting next week. Trump's
administration has already begun firing many other federal workers who are on
probationary status. A judge on Thursday denied a union bid to temporarily halt
the firing of thousands of people. The Department of Government Efficiency
(DOGE) is a free-ranging entity run by Musk, though the cost-cutting spree has
been met with pushback on several fronts and a mixed bag of court rulings.
Trump fires chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and two
other military officers
Tara Copp And Lolita C. Baldor/WASHINGTON (AP)/February 22, 2025
President Donald Trump abruptly fired Air Force Gen. CQ Brown Jr. as chairman of
the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Friday, sidelining a history-making fighter pilot
and respected officer as part of a campaign led by his defense secretary to rid
the military of leaders who support diversity and equity in the ranks.
The ouster of Brown, only the second Black general to serve as chairman, is sure
to send shock waves through the Pentagon. His 16 months in the job had been
consumed with the war in Ukraine and the expanded conflict in the Middle East.
“I want to thank General Charles ‘CQ’ Brown for his over 40 years of service to
our country, including as our current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He
is a fine gentleman and an outstanding leader, and I wish a great future for him
and his family,” Trump posted on social media. Brown’s public support of Black
Lives Matter after the police killing of George Floyd had made him fodder for
the administration's wars against “wokeism” in the military. His ouster is the
latest upheaval at the Pentagon, which plans to cut 5,400 civilian probationary
workers starting next week and identify $50 billion in programs that could be
cut next year to redirect those savings to fund Trump’s priorities. Trump said
he's nominating retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Dan “Razin” Caine to be the next
chairman. Caine is a career F-16 pilot who served on active duty and in the
National Guard, and was most recently the associate director for military
affairs at the CIA, according to his military biography. Caine’s military
service includes combat roles in Iraq, special operations postings and positions
inside some of the Pentagon’s most classified special access programs. However,
he has not had key assignments identified in law as prerequisites for the job,
including serving as either the vice chairman, a combatant commander or a
service chief. That requirement could be waived if the “president determines
such action is necessary in the national interest.”
More Pentagon firings
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, in a statement praising both Caine and Brown,
announced the firings of two additional senior officers: Chief of Naval
Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti and Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen.
Jim Slife. Franchetti becomes the second top female military officer to be fired
by the Trump administration. Trump fired Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Linda Fagan
just a day after he was sworn in. A surface warfare officer, Franchetti has
commanded at all levels, heading U.S. 6th Fleet and U.S. Naval Forces Korea. She
was the second woman ever to be promoted to four-star admiral, and she did
multiple deployments, including as commander of a naval destroyer and two stints
as aircraft carrier strike group commander. Slife led Air Force Special
Operations Command prior to becoming the service's vice chief of staff and had
deployed to the Middle East and Afghanistan. He told The Associated Press on
Friday: “The President and Secretary of Defense deserve to have generals they
trust and the force deserves to have generals who have credibility with our
elected and appointed officials. While I’m disappointed to leave under these
circumstances, I wouldn’t want the outcome to be any different." Trump has
asserted his executive authority in a much stronger way in his second term,
removing most officials from the Biden administration even though many of those
positions are meant to carry over from one administration to the next. The
chairman role was established in 1949 as an adviser to the president and
secretary of defense, as a way to filter all of the views of the service chiefs
and more readily provide that information to the White House without the
president having to reach out to each individual military branch, according to
an Atlantic Council briefing written by retired Maj. Gen. Arnold Punaro. The
role has no actual command authority. Trump acted despite support for Brown
among key members of Congress and a seemingly friendly meeting with him in
mid-December, when the two were seated next to each other for a time at the
Army-Navy football game. The firing follows days of speculation after a list of
officers, including Brown, to be fired was circulated on Capitol Hill — but
notably was not sent via any formal notification to either of the Republican
chairmen of the House or Senate armed services committees. Sen. Roger Wicker,
GOP chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, didn't mention Caine's name
in a statement Friday. “I thank Chairman Brown for his decades of honorable
service to our nation,” Wicker said. “I am confident Secretary Hegseth and
President Trump will select a qualified and capable successor for the critical
position of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.” Congressional Democratic
leaders called out the firings as a direct attempt to politicize the military.
“A professional, apolitical military that is subordinate to the civilian
government and supportive of the Constitution rather than a political party is
essential to the survival of our democracy," Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed,
ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said in a statement late
Friday. “For the sake of our troops and the well-being of every American,
elected leaders — especially Senate Republicans — must defend that enduring
principle against corrosive attempts to remake the military into a partisan
force.”
Brown risked discussing race
Brown’s future was called into question during the confirmation hearing for
Hegseth last month. Asked if he would fire Brown, Hegseth responded, “Every
single senior officer will be reviewed based on meritocracy, standards,
lethality and commitment to lawful orders they will be given.” Hegseth had
previously taken aim at Brown. “First of all, you gotta fire, you know, you
gotta fire the chairman of Joint Chiefs,” he said flatly in a podcast in
November. And in one of his books, he questioned whether Brown got the job
because he was Black. “Was it because of his skin color? Or his skill? We’ll
never know, but always doubt — which on its face seems unfair to CQ. But since
he has made the race card one of his biggest calling cards, it doesn’t really
much matter,” Hegseth wrote. As he walked into the Pentagon on his first day as
defense chief on Jan. 27, Hegseth was asked directly if he planned to fire
Brown. “I’m standing with him right now,” said Hegseth, patting Brown on the
back. “Look forward to working with him.” Brown, who spent Friday visiting
troops at the U.S.-Mexico border, drew attention to himself for speaking out
about the death of George Floyd in 2020. While he knew it was risky, he said,
discussions with his wife and sons about the killing convinced him he needed to
say something. As protests roiled the nation, Brown posted a video message to
the Air Force titled, “Here’s What I’m Thinking About.” He described the
pressures that came with being one of the few Black men in his unit. He recalled
pushing himself “to perform error-free” as a pilot and officer his whole life,
but still facing bias. He said he’d been questioned about his credentials, even
when he wore the same flight suit and wings as every other pilot. Brown’s path
to the chairmanship was troubled — he was among the more than 260 senior
military officers whose nominations were stalled for months by Republican Sen.
Tommy Tuberville of Alabama. But when the Senate vote was finally taken in
September 2023, Brown easily was confirmed by a vote of 89-8. It had been 30
years since Colin Powell became the first Black chairman, serving from 1989 to
1993. But while African Americans made up 17.2% of the 1.3 million active-duty
service members, only 9% of officers were Black, according to a 2021 Defense
Department report.
Brown’s service as chairman made history in that this was the first time that
both the defense secretary, Lloyd Austin, and the Joint Chiefs chairman were
Black.
The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources
on February 22-23/2025
Iranian Regime: Playing the Same Old Game Again
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone Institute/February 22/2025
Adding to the regime's apprehensions, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei recently repeated the need to enhance Iran's military capabilities. His
statement exposes the real intentions behind Iran's diplomatic overtures.... The
regime has absolutely no interest in abandoning its nuclear ambitions or curbing
its support for terrorist groups; rather, it seeks to buy time and resources
precisely to maintain its long-term strategic goals.
The only way to curb Iran's aggressive ambitions is through sustained economic
sanctions, military deterrence, dismantling its nuclear program, and especially
regime change. No one must ever again receive 74 lashes or prolonged
imprisonment for a song protesting women's mandatory head coverings. Girls must
be able to go to school again without fear of being gassed. People must be able
to practice the religion of their choice without being flogged or imprisoned.
And no woman or girl must ever again be murdered or flogged for declining to
wear a headscarf.... In 2024 alone, 975 Iranians were executed – a "horrifying
escalation."
The world must not make the same mistake -- leaving a fanatic regime in power to
wield its fanaticisms -- ever again.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei recently repeated the need to
enhance Iran's military capabilities. His statement exposes the real intentions
behind Iran's diplomatic overtures.... The regime has absolutely no interest in
abandoning its nuclear ambitions or curbing its support for terrorist groups;
rather, it seeks to buy time and resources precisely to maintain its long-term
strategic goals. Pictured: Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian looks on as a 'Qasem
Soleimani' missile is displayed during a military parade in Tehran, on September
21, 2024. (Photo by Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images)
In 2015, the Iranian regime successfully manipulated the West into believing
that it was ready to embrace moderation and diplomacy. Under the so-called
"moderate" president, Hassan Rouhani, Iran engaged in negotiations that led to
the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), known as the "Iran nuclear
deal." This agreement provided Iran's ruling mullahs with significant sanctions
relief, unfreezing billions of dollars in assets, allowing it to resume selling
oil on global markets, and the ability legitimately to have as many nuclear
weapons as they liked in just a few years – well after the deal's father,
President Barack "not on my watch" Obama was safely out of office -- which just
so happens to be this coming October 2025.
While Western governments portrayed the JCPOA as a diplomatic victory, the
Iranian regime saw it as a lifeline. Iran's economy had been severely weakened
by sanctions imposed during the George W. Bush administration, but the Obama
administration's eagerness to secure a deal gave Tehran exactly what it wanted:
money, legitimacy, time and a path to nuclear weapons.
The primary beneficiaries of the JCPOA were not the Iranian people. Instead, the
biggest winners were the Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the
regime's network of proxy militias and terrorist organizations across the Middle
East and beyond. With the influx of cash, Iran expanded the IRGC's operations,
funneled weapons and cash to Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, bolstered
Shiite militias in Iraq and Syria, and raced ahead with its nuclear weapons
program.
The result, unsurprisingly, was a significant increase in regional instability.
Iran-backed terrorist groups were emboldened, leading to more aggressive actions
against U.S. interests, Israeli targets, and Sunni Arab rivals. The
repercussions of the West's misguided diplomacy were laid bare on October 7,
2023, when Hamas launched a devastating invasion of Israel from the Gaza Strip.
In the gruesome massacre, more than 1,200 Israelis were murdered, with many
tortured, raped, beheaded or burned alive, and 251 Israelis were abducted, taken
to Gaza and held hostage. This attack did not happen in a vacuum; it was a
direct consequence of years of Iran funding, training and arming Hamas and its
other terrorist proxies.
Now, a decade later after the JCPOA, Iran is playing exactly the same game
again. This time, the supposed face of "moderation" is President Masoud
Pezeshkian. Just as Rouhani did in 2015, Pezeshkian is making overtures toward
the West, signaling a willingness to engage in negotiations. He has already
reached out to European leaders, while expressing Iran's ostensible interest in
diplomacy and nuclear transparency. Recent statements from other Iranian
officials also suggest that Iran is eager for talks.
This offer might seem, on the surface, a promising development. History tells us
it is not. The reality is that Iran is desperate for sanctions relief. Iran's
economy is struggling, and after the reinstatement by the second Trump
administration of its "maximum pressure" policy toward Iran, which will most
likely further restrict its access to global markets and financial resources,
the regime's concerns have deepened.
Lifting the sanctions against Iran would provide it with the financial resources
needed to rebuild its military capabilities and once again strengthen its
regional proxies, Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis, all of which have suffered
significant blows after provoking Israel's military. Iran sees an opportunity to
once again deceive the West, gain economic relief, and use the proceeds to
continue proceeding with its nuclear weapons program and destabilizing the
Middle East.
Adding to the regime's apprehensions, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei recently repeated the need to enhance Iran's military capabilities. His
statement exposes the real intentions behind Iran's diplomatic overtures. While
Iran may publicly claim to seek peace and dialogue, its leadership is
simultaneously preparing for further military escalation and expansion. The
regime has absolutely no interest in abandoning its nuclear ambitions or curbing
its support for terrorist groups; rather, it seeks to buy time and resources
precisely to maintain its long-term strategic goals.
The West must not stupidly waltz into this mousetrap again. The JCPOA deal
proved to be a catastrophic mistake for the West. It empowered Iran's Islamist
mullahs not only at the expense of regional security and freedom of the Iranian
people, but the entire Middle East. Iran's regime has shown time and again that
it will exploit diplomatic engagement to continue its malign activities. There
can be no naive assumption that Iran will act in good faith. The lesson from the
past four decades is clear: economic relief for Iran translates into more
funding for terrorism, more weapons for proxy militias, an imminent nuclear
weapons breakout and more instability in the Middle East.
The only way to curb Iran's aggressive ambitions is through sustained economic
sanctions, military deterrence, dismantling its nuclear program, and especially
regime change. No one must ever again receive 74 lashes or prolonged
imprisonment for a song protesting women's mandatory head coverings. Girls must
be able to go to school again without fear of being gassed. People must be able
to practice the religion of their choice without being flogged or imprisoned.
And no woman or girl must ever again be murdered or flogged for declining to
wear a headscarf.
Narges Mohammadi, 49, a prominent journalist, was sentenced to 80 lashes and
imprisonment for protesting Iran's torture in prison and runaway death
sentences. In 2024 alone, 975 Iranians were executed – a "horrifying
escalation."
We have seen in Afghanistan the Taliban's increasing restrictions on the
population (such as here and here) after President Joe Biden's abrupt withdrawal
of US forces. The world must not make the same mistake -- leaving a fanatic
regime in power to wield its fanaticisms -- ever again.
**Dr. Majid Rafizadeh, is a political scientist, Harvard-educated analyst, and
board member of Harvard International Review. He has authored several books on
the US Foreign Policy. He can be reached at dr.rafizadeh@post.harvard.edu
**Follow Majid Rafizadeh on X (formerly Twitter)
© 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.
An international municipal authority for Gaza
Zaid M. Belbagi and James Arnold//Arab News/February 22, 2025
This “International Municipal Authority” construct proposed for Gaza is
intriguing, if utterly alien to the baroque machinations of Middle East
diplomacy as conducted hitherto. Rather than some rote choreography of bilateral
talks under international auspices, preoccupied as we are by sectarian borders,
imagine a decisive conceptual leap — audacious, even radical, but necessary for
stalemated realities. The fundamental insight is simple: Bypass the stranded
“peace process,” ignore zealous ideologues seeking maxims without means, and
instead focus on governance in the concrete — administration, commerce,
municipal order. For a city-state with a tradition of cosmopolitan mercantilism,
this means a global consortium guaranteeing its development as an entrepot, the
charter being stability itself, underwritten multilaterally.
Precedent exists for such extraterritoriality; the Shanghai International
Settlement thrived for almost 80 years even amid China’s turmoils. Buttressed by
international investment, a Gazan iteration of the concept could eclipse that
prototype. Unlike Shanghai, enduring Gazan autonomy requires engagement with
organic leadership, even co-opting factions through mutual interest. Any
absolutist visions must be disciplined; grand bargains emerge through nuance,
not absolutism.
The paradox of order in our time demands recognition of the fact that stability
emerges not through grand diplomatic architecture, but through the patient
cultivation of practical arrangements. Such governance succeeds precisely where
ideology fails: in the quotidian machinery of commerce and administration, where
mutual interest forges stronger bonds than proclamations. Through such measured
accumulation of functional relationships, sustainable equilibrium takes root.
For the people of Gaza, an international municipal authority would raise living
standards without forsaking political identity. For radical Palestinian
militants, it bypasses the nonstarter of recognizing Israel before securing
practical gains. Indeed, by building administrative capacity from the ground up
through business cultivation, such an authority would replicate Singapore’s
success.
Crucially for Israel, it furnishes an exit from demographic nightmares via
Gaza’s de facto city-state status. If successful, the model could pave the way
for broader solutions, obviating the need for quixotic chimeras.
In geopolitics, credibility lies not in airy pronouncements but in on-the-ground
facts, forces, and interests. The essence of transformative change lies not in
sudden rupture but in the steady accretion of practical arrangements. Each
modest advance in administrative capacity creates a foundation for broader
evolution; each commercial connection strengthens the sinews of stability. Like
a Marshall Plan in microcosm, the artistry lies not in grand declarations but in
the patient cultivation of institutions that can transform theoretical
possibility into tangible reality.
In geopolitics, credibility lies not in airy pronouncements but in on-the-ground
facts, forces, and interests, hence the appeal of an international municipal
authority. By aligning investor interests and Gazan incentives, organic order
can emerge. Bolstered by multilateral guarantees, the heretofore insoluble
becomes eminently soluble. The elegance lies in the universality of the
underlying principle: Statehood derives not just from politics but practical
administration. On such foundational truths, progress builds.
Consider the economic tapestry woven in this way: free trade zones attracting
international commerce, maritime facilities reviving ancient trading routes,
technology hubs nurturing indigenous innovation. Financial systems that evolve
from basic banking to sophisticated digital platforms, while industrial zones
are transformed from assembly plants into advanced manufacturing centers.
Through such economic evolution, dependency yields to self-sufficiency.The
architecture of governance emerges through the patient accumulation of practical
arrangements, each advance strengthening the scaffolding of stability.
Administrative capacity grows not through decree but through practice.
Institutional strength builds not through proclamation but through daily
operation. When governance serves commerce, commerce in turn sustains
governance; a virtuous cycle transforming abstract possibility into concrete
reality.
The vision is imperfect, the specifics unsettled. Yet by redefining the problem,
possibilities arise. This is the essence of statecraft: imagination but rooted
in reality, elevating tension management to conflict resolution. The
international municipal authority proposal does precisely that and consequently,
despite its novelty, merits consideration. At the very least, it brings
much-needed creativity to the long, hard road ahead.
• Zaid M. Belbagi is a political commentator and an adviser to private clients
between London and the Gulf Cooperation Council.
• James Arnold is a financier and geopolitical strategist
First step toward a balance between society and technology
Yossi Mekelberg/Arab News/February 22, 2025
Tensions and feelings of unease between humans and machines are nothing new.
There has long been a love-suspicion relationship between the two. Every
generation holds some nostalgic sentiment for the time prior to the most recent
wave of technological advancements entering our lives, only to realize that
there is no reverse button to press. There is also the fear that machines have
the ability to threaten our ways of life, and indeed life itself. The French
author, Jules Verne, laid much of the foundations for modern science fiction,
and 120 years after his death his books seem all the more profound. He put it
quite succinctly when he said: “In consequence of inventing machines, men will
be devoured by them.”This is of course very much the case on the battlefield,
and even holds true for the cars on our roads. But it is also true that
technological innovations in medicine, education, industry, and even
entertainment have prolonged, improved, enriched and, in some cases, transformed
our lives for the better. The latest technological development to instill in us
both immense expectations and the fear of the unknown, is artificial
intelligence, and artificial general intelligence, which is a hypothetical type
of AI capable of matching or exceeding human cognitive abilities.The potential
of these new technologies is vast, in every walk of life, as they can improve
processing efficiency, nurture innovation, minimize errors, perform risky tasks,
and are capable of addressing complex issues more quickly and proficiently.
However, the fear that these technologies — these machines, if you like — are
being designed to eventually operate autonomously brings to the minds of many
Mary Shelley’s fictional tale of Victor Frankenstein, a scientist who dared defy
nature’s boundaries by creating life from inanimate matter, and whose story ends
in tragedy for both the monster and its creator.
The Artificial Intelligence Action Summit in Paris this month convened to
prevent similar, real-life tragedies through the regulation of technology, but
within a regulatory regime that will not be an encumbrance on the development of
this fast-evolving technology.
The aim, as stated at the conclusion of the summit, is to ensure that AI is
“open,” “inclusive” and “ethical.” The meeting and its concluding statement were
both very welcome developments, because for the first time there was an
international understanding and acknowledgment of the need for global governance
to regulate revolutionary technologies capable of changing society as we know
it, but also for oversight that stops short of preventing such advances from
realizing their full potential, especially when they are employed in the service
of society.
The aim is to move forward at a fast pace, but also to create the necessary
breathing space to assess the implications for humanity of each new development
along the way; in the case of AI, we might be prompted to ask ourselves what it
means to be human, and to ponder the relationship between humanity and such
advanced technology. Some technological developments represent incremental
changes that are easier to digest and, if necessary, can be reversed. But AI is
not one of them. It already represents a paradigm shift and what we are
witnessing now is only the prelude to potentially infinite prowess.
On the one hand, AI can assist with tasks that endanger human safety or health,
such as rescue operations, bomb disposal, the management of toxic materials, or
complicated surgical procedures in the operating theater that not even the
steadiest of surgeon’s hands could perform.
Nevertheless, AI systems lack transparency or accountability, and if and when
they become completely autonomous, they could represent a rival “civilization”
to that of us humans.
Innovation and technological advances will continue and present us with new
opportunities and fresh challenges.
Lack of transparency in AI means that we do not have full knowledge of the
reasons for its decisions and actions. We require this so that we can ensure
these decisions and actions are reliable and ethical and, more importantly, that
those who are affected by them have full knowledge of the reasons behind them.
Our experience of social media, for instance, was that we believed, at least
during the early “age of innocence” of these platforms, that they were all about
building social networks, disseminating knowledge, providing entertainment,
keeping up with friends and family, and so forth.
We discovered, however, that they are really massive data-collection machines
that can be misused, in some cases to bombard us with commercial information.
Even worse, we realized they can be exploited by others — for example, foreign
governments or business interests — to manipulate our opinions, including during
election cycles. Increasingly, content on social networks is not moderated. This
is defended using the spurious argument of “freedom of speech,” while exposing
users, including children, to all sorts of unverified claims that could result
in people adopting twisted views of the world.
The big tech companies are not interested in regulation because it can limit
their profits. However, the result of unregulated progress, particularly
regarding the near-infinite power of AI, might well be to change society beyond
all recognition.
Moreover, if AI is able to make autonomous decisions, who is accountable when
things go wrong? Is it those who created those machines? Is it those who pushed
the power button to switch them on, or maybe their superiors? The data
providers? Or is it those who failed to regulate the machines?
In education, especially studies for advanced degrees in which there has been a
growing trend of moving away from exams in favor of assignments completed
outside of class, the introduction of generative AI puts at risk the trust
between students and teachers, and generally harms the learning experience and
the development of necessary skills.
In the field of medicine, many ethical questions have been raised, including
whether AI can or should be trusted to make autonomous decisions on matters of
life and death, and who would be accountable for those decisions.
In addition, there is the issue of the disturbingly high levels of energy
consumption by AI technologies; some experts have described this as catastrophic
for the continuing efforts to tackle climate change.
Between the extremes of those who are opposed to technological advancements as a
matter of principle (and AI is certainly a technological leap of faith) and
those who are equally entrenched in their opposition to any form of legislation
or regulation, for ideological reasons or out of an obsession with maximizing
profits, there lies a third option, suggested by the Paris statement.
Innovation and technological advances will continue and present us with new
opportunities and fresh challenges, but this time we should dispense with the
fantasy that the industry in which they are happening is sufficiently socially
aware or concerned about putting humanity and ethical values above their
business interests and pursuit of power. The Artificial Intelligence Action
Summit in Paris, and its conclusions, might therefore have been the first sign
of a growing recognition among governments worldwide that they have a role to
play in this new industrial revolution that is upon us.
It is a lesson they have learned from previous paradigm shifts about the
relationship between humans and machines, one of “respect and suspect,” in equal
measure, so that we can maximize the benefits of AI without losing our humanity
along the way.
*Yossi Mekelberg is a professor of international relations and an associate
fellow of the MENA Program at Chatham House. X: @YMekelberg
Adapting the African Union for a changing world
Hafed Al-Ghwell/Arab News/February 22, 2025
In 1961, US President John F. Kennedy redefined civic responsibility by urging a
nation to look beyond itself. More than six decades later, Africa faces a
parallel reckoning: A continent of 1.4 billion people must confront the question
of whether its premier political body, the African Union, can evolve from a
symbol of post-colonial unity into a decisive force amid compounding,
present-day crises. The continental union was founded in 2002 to heal divisions
and propel collective progress. Yet two decades later, its foundational
aspirations have collided with sobering realities. Conflicts once confined by
national borders have metastasized into transnational networks of insurgencies,
mercenary forces, and military regimes. Though quick to invoke the principle of
pan-African solidarity, member states often retreat into sovereignty-first
postures, underfunding of initiatives, and dilution of accountability.
Meanwhile, the world’s powers, old and new, increasingly treat Africa as a
transactional space, reviving colonial-era extractions in the guise of
partnerships.
This is not merely a test of institutional effectiveness, it is a question of
survival. The African Union’s ability to mediate crises, from the disintegration
of Sudan to the Sahel’s extremist spiral, is hamstrung by reliance on external
funding and inconsistent political will.
Donor nations, preoccupied with unrest and far-right angst at home, alongside
strategic rivalries, are scaling back long-term overseas engagements, leaving
gaps for opportunistic actors to exploit. Even the admission of the African
Union to the G20 in 2023, a symbolic victory, risks becoming a hollow gesture if
internal fissures prevent coherent negotiations on key priorities such as
climate finance, debt relief, and free trade.
The stakes are amplified by Africa’s demographic and economic trajectories. By
2050, one in four of the global population will be African. In addition, the
continent holds nearly a third of the world’s mineral reserves, which are vital
for efforts to accelerate energy transitions and power the green economies of
tomorrow.Yet these advantages are tempered by vulnerabilities: 23 African
nations are in debt distress, while conflict and climate-driven displacement are
increasing. The mandate of the African Union, to secure stability, integration
and agency, has never been more urgent. But, its current structure, still
reflective of 20th-century multilateralism, is misaligned with 21st century “polyplurality.”
It must make the transition from issuing open-ended resolutions to orchestrating
robust action: from depending on donor funding to mobilizing the continent’s
vast resources.
Top of the agenda is continental security and conflict proliferation. Recently,
security challenges in Africa have undergone a silent revolution. Gone are the
days of conventional armies clashing over obscure territorial claims. Now,
non-state actors — violent factions in the Sahel, militia networks in the Horn
of Africa, and resource-driven insurgencies in the Congo Basin — wage
asymmetrical wars that defy borders and traditional military doctrine or
security dynamics.
However, the African Union’s continued reliance on peacekeeping missions
designed for interstate conflicts falters in response to such fluid threats. In
the Sahel, for instance, well-intentioned regional initiatives have struggled
with chronic underfunding and operational delays, allowing groups linked to
Daesh and Al-Qaeda to entrench their control of smuggling routes and rural
territories across vast ungoverned spaces.
Moreover, the African Standby Force, envisioned as a continent-wide,
rapid-reaction corps, remains more theoretical than functional, crippled by
disjointed command structures and uneven contributions from member states.
The African Union’s ability to mediate crises is hamstrung by reliance on
external funding and inconsistent political will.
Such institutional inertia is compounded by political equivocation. The African
Union’s principle of “nonindifference” to conflicts clashes with the reluctance
of member states to cede sovereignty or risk entanglement in neighbors’ crises.
After the 2021 coup in Sudan, the country’s membership was suspended but the
union stopped short of imposing sanctions or deploying mediators, fearing
further destabilization. Similar hesitancy marked responses to coups in Mali and
Burkina Faso, where deadlines for democratic transitions were extended despite
minimal progress.
This pattern of symbolic condemnation without enforceable consequences erodes
the credibility of the bloc. It also creates perverse incentives: Leaders facing
internal unrest might prioritize regime survival over regional or continental
obligations, in the knowledge that any response by the African Union would
likely be measured, if there is one at all.
Meanwhile, external actors exploit this disunity. Russia-backed Africa Corps
mercenaries, for instance, now fill security voids in Mali and the Central
African Republic, trading “coup-proofing” military support for unchecked access
to resources, thereby weakening the influence of the African Union and
prolonging instability. Secondly, as the bloc moves to tackle the continent’s
challenges and assert its voice on the world stage, critical internal flaws
remain. Ironically, its greatest strength, its embodiment of continental unity,
is also its most glaring weakness. Member states champion pan-Africanism in
speeches but routinely sidestep their obligations, with only one in three
fulfilling their financial commitments. This chronic underfunding forces the
union to depend on external partners for more than half of its budget, which
distorts priorities and overshadows homegrown agendas such as industrialization
or infrastructure development.
The contradictions deepen when leaders manipulate the principles of the bloc to
serve personal or political ends. The policy of noninterference, designed to
ensure mutual respect for sovereignty, shields regimes accused of
election-rigging or human rights abuses, for example.
Conversely, collective security frameworks are selectively invoked — as in the
case of counterterrorism efforts in Mozambique — but ignored when crises demand
shared sacrifice. This duality breeds cynicism; the African Union condemns coups
yet tolerates leaders who hollow out democracies through legalized repression.
Without financial autonomy and consistent enforcement of its own charters, the
bloc risks becoming a stage for performative solidarity, on which resolutions
are a substitute for action and external actors fill the voids with
self-interested designs.
Thirdly, the strategic importance of Africa has surged in an era of fractured
geopolitics, yet the treatment it receives from external powers remains rooted
in a transactional calculus. Foreign-backed mercenaries offer security
assistance to fragile states in exchange for mineral concessions, deepening
economic and military dependencies.A backlash over unsustainable loans has
shifted the discourse on avoiding Africa’s looming debt crisis toward the
restructuring of deals that will still prioritize resource access over local
industrialization. Meanwhile, donor countries are gradually scaling back direct
aid and increasingly tying support to aggressive migration control, a pivot that
sidelines long-term development goals. On the bright side, the admission of the
bloc to the G20 is recognition of Africa’s growing demographic and economic
weight. However, it also puts pressure on the union to transcend internal
divisions and shepherd member states toward pursuit of shared interests.
Otherwise, disputes over key priorities will only cripple its negotiating power.
The bloc’s potential is also evident in initiatives such as the African
Continental Free Trade Area, which could fundamentally reshape intra-African
commerce. Yet such advances remain incremental, hampered by bureaucratic inertia
and administrative stewardship without transformative vision.
John F. Kennedy’s call for interdependence rings differently today. The
challenges Africa faces — climate migration, resource exploitation, conflict —
are global in cause and effect. If the African Union is to survive, it will
demand a serious confrontation of its contradictions: the enforcement of
democratic norms while respecting sovereignty; reducing the reliance on donors
while accelerating integration; and addressing hybrid threats with agility
rather than outdated playbooks.
The moment is here. The question is whether the bloc will seize it or be seized
by it.
**Hafed Al-Ghwell is a senior fellow and executive director of the North Africa
Initiative at the Foreign Policy Institute of the Johns Hopkins University
School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, DC. X: @HafedAlGhwell
Europe’s tears betray its weakness
Khaled Abou Zahr/Arab News/February 22, 2025
Two weeks ago, I compared the European defense posture to the “The Ant and the
Grasshopper” fable, which ends with the ant stating: “You were singing? I’m glad
to hear it. Well then, dance now.” I did not think I would see the fable play
out so clearly. Yet, after US Vice President J.D. Vance delivered a
straightforward speech to European elites at the Munich Security Conference, the
tears of the chairman of the conference during his closing speech were indeed
those of the grasshopper who had left himself unprepared for the coming winter.
Long before this speech, I had noticed across social media an obsession among
European elites, both in politics and business, with the current US
administration. It has become the evil that is abandoning Europe. As an example,
Elon Musk has become a target of criticism for his innovation in space since he
took on the role of reducing waste in the US administration and inviting
Europeans to do the same. Now, I am not dissatisfied with the conclusion that
calls for greater European responsibility when it comes to key issues such as
security, defense and space. Yet, I believe that this obsession is used by some
to avoid taking corrective steps and evading accountability for severe past
mistakes.
I am sure most Europeans would have cheered Vance’s speech. However, this is not
the case for the European elites, which are looking to deflect the blame for the
flawed defense and security policies of recent decades on to the new White
House. The theatrics are clear: “It is not our fault, it is Trump’s. Europe did
not get lazy, it is the US that is abandoning us. Europe did not underspend on
defense, it is once again that the US is abandoning us.” Yet, what is most
worrying to them is not that Donald Trump may be destroying the transatlantic
alliance, but rather that he is attempting to destroy the status quo and end
Europe’s free ride. Let’s face it, Europe’s dependency on the US forbade it from
being proactive on the geopolitical issues it faced. This is why the same
reality check and transformation that is taking place in the US needs to take
place in Europe. It is now key for Europe to act swiftly and take back control.
It is a necessity to start rebalancing transatlantic relations. There is no
escaping this reality.I am sure most Europeans would have cheered Vance’s
speech. However, this is not the case for the European elites
Everyone talks about a partnership with the US, but the reality is that when you
are dependent there is no partnership. Despite all the reports and conferences
analyzing the new geopolitical world order, the Europeans have not once thought
they should push for being stronger within the alliance and hence stronger
together. We will not cry over spilt milk, but a stronger Europe would have
stopped the war in Ukraine. It would have taken the lead to prevent it in 2022,
as well as in 2016 and 2017 to halt the escalation as it was happening.
No longer can Europe sleepwalk. Vance’s speech was truthful and balanced. He did
not waste time on the consequences of the illness but focused on the illness
itself. Hence, he briefly mentioned Ukraine, Russia and China to focus on the
lack of direction from within Europe. Indeed, you cannot fight and defend
yourself if you do not know what you stand for or what you need to defend. This
is the core of it: the abandonment of Europe’s values and their replacement with
a powerful bureaucracy that is unrealistic, along with disconnected policies in
energy, security and defense. It did not take much time for Europe’s enemies
inside and outside to take note.
This transformation needs to take place now, but it will of course take time.
And when it comes to the transatlantic alliance — which is the bedrock of
Europe’s security — Europeans need to present a strong plan that shows a true
commitment. There is no doubt that Washington will react positively if there is
a true will and adherence to this change.
Tears will not defend Europe. Tears invite aggression. It is true that the
values of the transatlantic alliance have been flouted. As we say, it takes two
to tango and the US has let Europe enjoy a free ride for too long. This is why
today there is a historic opportunity for Europe to realign its values and
recommit to the alliance as a true partner, not a subordinate. I can hear
whispers of the easy way out in European corridors: of waiting for this
presidency to end. That four years will not be enough to change policies
permanently and that this tension will pass. But this is a dangerous and
ostrich-like policy that Europe cannot afford.
You cannot fight and defend yourself if you do not know what you stand for or
what you need to defend
Hence, Europe should present a clear strategy focusing on defense and
geopolitical realignment. This should start by immediately increasing defense
spending to meet NATO targets. Moreover, a clear strategy for strengthening
European military capabilities should be put in place. And a unified stance on
Russia and China. Europeans need to take on a bigger role in global stability
efforts. This would demonstrate its willingness to share the burden of security
and economic leadership, reinforcing the transatlantic alliance. More
importantly, Europe needs to gain a voice in the decision-making process and not
just acquiesce to incorrect policies. Today, as the Europeans are acting as
spongers in terms of defense, this is impossible, but when Europe carries its
weight, Washington will listen.I am optimistic that Europe can and will rise to
this challenge, simply because we now know what needs to be done and new leaders
are willing to act. This is why Vance’s speech should not be met with the
weakness of tears, but with the strength of action and change to propel the
transatlantic alliance to new heights.
• Khaled Abou Zahr is the founder of SpaceQuest Ventures, a space-focused
investment platform. He is CEO of EurabiaMedia and editor of Al-Watan Al-Arabi.