English LCCC Newsbulletin For
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For March 05/2025
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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Bible Quotations For today
But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right
hand is doing
Matthew 06/01-04: “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of
others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father
in heaven. “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as
the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others.
Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to
the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so
that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in
secret, will reward you.
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on March 04-05/2025
Text and Video: Hezbollah, Like Its Mullah Masters, Understands Only the
Language of Force and Deterrence/Elias Bejjani/
Fasting is prayer, contemplation, repentance, forgiveness, and reconciliation
with God/Elias Bejjani
Lebanon, Syria leaders commit to managing border incidents
Lebanon and Saudi Arabia work to improve relations, call for Israeli withdrawal
Israel Kills Hamas Commander in West Bank, Suspected Hezbollah Member in Lebanon
‘New phase of Lebanese-Saudi ties’ after Riyadh talks: Aoun
Claude A. Hillar Hajjar: Open Letter to President Joseph Aoun – A Reminder of
the Aishiyeh Massacre
AMCD Condemns Expansion of HTS in Syria
"This is how you take over a nation by soft jihad./Imtiaz Mahmood/X site/March
04/2024
Aoun’s visit to Saudi Arabia revives hope for Lebanon’s economic recovery/Miguel
Hadchity/Arab News/March 04, 2025
Druze Consensus on Rejecting Becoming Embroiled in Civil War in Syria
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on March 04-05/2025
At Arab Summit, Egypt Produces Plan for Rebuilding Gaza
Arab summit draft communique adopts Egyptian plan for Gaza
Hamas welcomes Arab summit proposal for Gaza reconstruction: statement
King Abdullah holds talks with leaders at Arab summit on Gaza reconstruction
We categorically reject any violation of the rights of the Palestinian people:
Saudi FM
Jordan receives first group of Gazan children for medical treatment
Trump administration again labels the Houthis a ‘foreign terrorist organization’
Israel kills three Palestinians in continued West Bank onslaught
Israel security agency acknowledges failure in preventing October 7 attack
Israel Says It Targeted Weapons Depots in Syria’s Qardaha with Airstrikes
Syria interim president seeks pressure on Israel to withdraw from south
Suspect in deadly German car-ramming gives no information on motive and is
ordered held in custody
Iran summoned Turkey's ambassador following Ankara's warning regarding Syria
Exclusive-Russian missile experts flew to Iran amid clashes with Israel
Saudi oil giant Aramco reports $106 billion profit in 2024, down 12% on lower
energy prices
Smoke grenades tossed in Serbian parliament, lawmaker suffers stroke
Former President of Poland Lech Walesa wrote the following letter to Trump.
Titles For
The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources
on March 04-05/2025
South Africa and Its Disastrous Battle for the Congo
Nils A. Haug/Gatestone Institute/March 4, 2025
What shutdown of USAID programs means for vulnerable Arab countries/Jonathan
Lessware/Arab News/March 04, 2025
Let the world join forces, as it did in 199/Hassan bin Youssef Yassin/Arab
News/March 04, 2025
The Question That Many Shy Away From!/Hazem Saghieh/Asharq Al Awsat/March
04/2025
Mustafa Al-Kadhimi’s Return to Iraq/Nadim Koteich/Asharq Al Awsat/March 04/2025
Zelensky’s ‘Trap’ in the White House… a Dangerous Message to the World/Eyad Abu
Shakra/Asharq Al Awsat/March 04/2025
The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on March 04-05/2025
Elias Bejjani/Text and Video: Hezbollah, Like Its Mullah
Masters, Understands Only the Language of Force and Deterrence
March 02, 2025
Whoever raises the slogan of reconciliation with Hezbollah—the cancerous entity
occupying Lebanon—is unfit to be a politician. Those who lack the understanding,
culture, and courage to confront the jihadist-Iranian terrorist militia must
step aside, resign, and spare the Lebanese people from their ignorance,
cowardice, and Dhimmitude.
This message is directed at the majority of the Lebanese politicians who are
nothing but slanderers, merchants of war, profiteers masquerading as resistance
figures, hypocritical contractors of so-called liberation, and puppet officials.
Enough with the humiliation, the servitude, the stupidity, and the disgrace of
licking the boots of occupiers! Hezbollah, like its Iranian mullah masters,
understands only the language of force and deterrence.
In this context, MP Sami Gemayel, the new government, President Joseph Aoun, and
Nawaf Salam must fully grasp the ideology, schemes, and culture of Iran’s
religious dictatorship under "Wilayat al-Faqih" (Guardianship of the Jurist).
The same applies to every politician, cleric, and activist who continues to
indulge in humiliating compromises and self-inflicted defeats.
Every Lebanese—whether in Lebanon or the Diaspora—must comprehend Hezbollah’s
true nature: its extremist doctrine, its absolute subordination to Iran, and its
role as a mere tool of the mullah regime. Those who remain ignorant of
Hezbollah’s mission, education, and the sectarian obligations imposed by "Wilayat
al-Faqih" religious doctrine have no business in politics and should resign
immediately.
Meanwhile, extending a hand to the Shiite community is an essential
national-human priority, but it must be done with clarity—supporting the true
victims: the Shiite population that has been hijacked, terrorized, and taken
hostage by Iran’s occupying Hezbollah. The Lebanese people must stand with the
oppressed, The Shiites community, not with their oppressors, Hezbollah and its
masters the Iranian Mullahs.
Fasting is prayer, contemplation, repentance, forgiveness, and reconciliation
with God
Elias Bejjani/March 02/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/03/83444/
The Lenten (Fasting) period
begins with the Holy Miracle at the Wedding of Cana and culminates in the
glorious celebration of Easter. In the Maronite Church, Lent starts on Ash
Monday, with the preceding Sunday known as Al-Marfah Sunday (أحد المرفع) or
Forgiveness Sunday (أحد الغفران).
Lent is a sacred season meant to be dedicated to deep contemplation,
self-humility, repentance, penance, forgiveness, prayer, and reconciliation with
oneself and others. It is a privileged time of interior pilgrimage toward Jesus,
the fountain of all love, mercy, and salvation. During this spiritual journey,
Christ Himself accompanies us through the desert of our human frailty,
sustaining us as we move toward the profound joy of Easter.
Lent is a spiritual battle, a conscious choice to resist bodily desires and
earthly temptations, striving instead for purity in thought and deed. It is a
time to fortify our faith and hope, resisting the snares of Satan and keeping
far from the despair and corruption of sin. Through prayer and contemplation, we
affirm that Almighty God is our protector, guiding our steps throughout this
sacred period.
By fasting and praying, we carve out time for God, embracing His eternal truth:
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” (Mark
13:31). In this sacred practice, we enter into profound communion with Jesus,
ensuring that no force can shake our faith and hope.
Fasting is a spiritual discipline through which we seek to emulate Christ, who,
during His time of fasting in the wilderness, overcame Satan’s temptations.
Inspired by His victory, we endeavor to purify our hearts, minds, and souls,
striving for holiness and unwavering devotion.
With trust in the Lord as our Shepherd, we hold firm to the words of Psalm
23:4:”Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no
evil: for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff comfort me.”
Reading the Holy Bible and engaging in deep prayer immerse us in the divine Word
of God, strengthening our souls and minds with His truth. By meditating on His
teachings and listening attentively to His voice, we nourish the faith that was
instilled in us at Baptism.
Through fasting and prayer, we gain a renewed understanding of time, redirecting
our steps toward boundless hope, divine joy, and eternal salvation.
Lebanon,
Syria leaders commit to managing border incidents
AFP/March 05, 2025
CAIRO: Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun held talks Tuesday with his Syrian
counterpart Ahmed Al-Sharaa on the sidelines of an Arab summit in Cairo, during
which the pair agreed on containing incidents along their shared border. Syria
shares a 330-kilometer (205-mile) border with Lebanon, with no official
demarcation at various points, rendering it porous and prone to smuggling. Syria
and Lebanon have a fraught history of conflict and violence, with the ouster in
December of Assad after five decades of rule by his clan, offering an opening
for a new start. Aoun’s January 9 election ended a two-year-long presidential
vacuum in Lebanon, after Hezbollah, long the country’s dominant force, suffered
staggering losses in a war with Israel. Hezbollah also lost its key supply route
from backer Iran through Syria after Sharaa’s Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) rebels
ousted Assad. Sharaa then became Syria’s interim president. “President Aoun and
Syria’s President Sharaa tackled several issues,” the Lebanese presidency said
on X Tuesday, adding that they agreed on “the need to control the border between
the two countries.”While Aoun and Sharaa had spoken by phone in February,
Tuesday marked their first in-person meeting. Syria’s new authorities announced
last month the launch of a security campaign in the border province of Homs,
aimed at shutting down arms and goods smuggling routes. They accused Hezbollah
of launching attacks, saying it was sponsoring cross-border smuggling gangs.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor, the security
campaign targeted drug smugglers and operators from the area with links to
Hezbollah. Hezbollah fought side by side with Assad’s troops after intervening
in the Syrian civil war, which the ousted leader sparked by cracking down on
democracy protests in 2011.
Lebanon and Saudi Arabia work to improve
relations, call for Israeli withdrawal
Bassem Mroue/The Associated Press/March 4, 2025
Lebanon’s president ended a visit to Saudi Arabia Tuesday where he discussed
regional affairs with the kingdom’s crown prince after which both countries said
Israeli troops should withdraw from south Lebanon and only the Lebanese state
should have weapons. The visit by Joseph Aoun, the first by a Lebanese head of
state to the oil-rich kingdom in eight years, improves ties between the two
countries that have been cold for years over Iran’s influence in Lebanon. Aoun
visited Saudi Arabia several times when he was army commander, and many in
Lebanon hope that his visit as president will open the way for lifting a ban on
imports from Lebanon as well as allowing Saudi citizens to travel to Lebanon.
Aoun was received Monday night by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at
Yamama Palace in the capital, Riyadh, where they discussed the situation in
Lebanon and boosting relations between the two countries, according to the
state-run Saudi Press Agency. Aoun’s visit comes after the Iran-backed Hezbollah
suffered severe blows during a 14-month war with Israel that left many of its
top political and military officials dead and ended with a U.S.-brokered
ceasefire in late November. Israel withdrew many of its troops from Lebanon in
mid-February but left five posts inside Lebanon, which Lebanese officials have
described as a violation of the ceasefire deal. A joint statement issued after
the summit said that only state institutions in Lebanon should have the right to
have arms and that the Lebanese army should be supported. It added that Israel
should withdraw from all parts of Lebanon. Aoun last week told Saudi Arabia’s
Asharq News that Riyadh would reactivate a $3 billion package for the Lebanese
army. In 2016, Saudi Arabia announced it was halting deals aimed at equipping
and supporting the Lebanese army and police forces in retaliation for the tiny
country’s siding with Iran amid the Sunni kingdom’s spat with the Shiite power.
The statement added that both sides agreed to study the obstacles that are
facing the resumption of Lebanese imports to Saudi Arabia and measures needed to
allow Saudi citizens to visit Lebanon again. They also agreed that the Lebanese
economy should come out of its historic crisis and that Beirut should implement
reforms demanded by the international community. It said Aoun invited the Saudi
crown prince to visit Lebanon, adding that Crown Prince Mohammed welcomed the
invitation.
Aoun was elected in January after more than two-year vacuum in the country’s top
post, while diplomat and former head of the International Criminal Court Nawaf
Salam was named prime minister. Both Aoun and Salam have said they will work on
improving relations with Arab countries and implementing reforms. The election
of Aoun and Salam was seen as major blow to Hezbollah.
Israel Kills Hamas Commander in West Bank, Suspected
Hezbollah Member in Lebanon
Asharq Al Awsat/March 04/2025
Israeli forces killed a Hamas commander in the West Bank city of Jenin on
Tuesday as they pushed ahead with a weeks-long operation against armed groups in
the area that has sent tens of thousands of Palestinians fleeing their homes.
The military said it had mounted a raid to arrest Aysar al-Saadi, the
head of the Hamas network in the area and killed him in a gunfight in which
another Hamas operative was also killed. Three other Hamas members were
arrested, it said. The Gaza-based group, which has
also built up a powerful presence in the occupied West Bank, confirmed the death
of al-Saadi but said it would not affect its commitment to fight Israel. The
West Bank operation, which began in January as fighting was halted in Gaza
following a ceasefire agreement brokered by Qatar and Egypt, has been one of the
biggest mounted in the area in years and followed a surge in violence since the
start of the war in Gaza in 2023. Thousands of Israeli troops have swept through
refugee camps in Jenin and other cities in the northern part of the West Bank,
including Tulkarm and Tubas, demolishing houses and infrastructure and forcing
tens of thousands to leave taking only what they could carry with them. On
Tuesday, the military pushed out of the now-deserted Jenin refugee camp and into
eastern areas of the city of Jenin itself, cutting off power supplies and
digging up roads. The military says it does not forcibly evacuate Palestinians
but has allowed residents who want to leave combat areas to go out through
designated crossings. Palestinians say the Israeli operations, which have cut
water and electricity supplies and demolished dozens of houses, leave them no
choice but to leave. In Lebanon, an Israeli drone
strike in the country’s South killed one person, the state-run National News
Agency reported. Local media outlets said the victim of the strike was a member
of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force. Israel has killed several Hezbollah officials
in drone strikes in different parts of Lebanon since the 14-month
Israel-Hezbollah war ended in late November.
‘New phase of Lebanese-Saudi ties’ after Riyadh talks:
Aoun
NAJIA HOUSSARI/Arab News/March 04, 2025
BEIRUT: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said his talks with Saudi Crown Prince
Mohammed bin Salman have “laid the solid foundations for a new phase of
relations” with the Kingdom. The two countries agreed to develop cooperation
across all sectors, Aoun said after Monday’s landmark meeting — the first
official Lebanese visit to the Kingdom in eight years.
Before leaving Saudi Arabia for Cairo on Tuesday, Aoun sent a telegram to the
crown prince, conveying “the Lebanese people’s deep appreciation for King
Salman’s historic stances toward Lebanon and its people.”
Extensive discussions between the crown prince and Aoun were held on Monday
evening at Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh. The meeting
was attended by, on the Saudi side, Minister of State and Cabinet member Prince
Turki bin Mohammed bin Fahd; Riyadh Deputy Gov. Prince Mohammed bin Abdulrahman
bin Abdulaziz; Sports Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal; Minister of
Interior Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif; National Guard Minister Prince
Abdullah bin Bandar; Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman; Foreign
Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan; National Security Adviser Musaid Al-Aiban;
Minister of Commerce Majid Al-Qasabi; Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Walid
Al-Bukhari; and adviser to the foreign minister on Lebanese Affairs Prince Yazid
bin Mohammed bin Fahd Al-Farhan. On the Lebanese side,
the meeting was attended by Foreign Minister Youssef Raji and Lebanese
Ambassador to the Kingdom Fawzi Kabbara, among others
The talks “fell within the framework of enhancing bilateral relations between
the two countries and paving the way for the signing of several agreements in
various fields,” a statement said. Aoun and the crown prince held a 45-minute
private meeting, “during which they continued discussions on issues of mutual
interest to both countries and their brotherly peoples.”In a joint statement
issued after the talks, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon “emphasized the importance of
strengthening Arab cooperation and coordinating positions on key regional and
international issues.”The Saudi Press Agency said that both sides highlighted
“the importance of the full implementation of the Taif Agreement, the
implementation of relevant international resolutions and the extension of the
Lebanese state’s sovereignty over all its territory, as well as the exclusive
possession of arms by the Lebanese state, the national role of the Lebanese army
and the importance of supporting it and the need for the Israeli occupation’s
army to withdraw from all Lebanese territory.” The two
sides agreed on working to ease restrictions on trade and travel.
They also highlighted the importance of implementing the principles laid
out by Aoun in his inaugural speech. Aoun and the crown prince agreed on “the
urgent need for Lebanon’s economic recovery and to address the crisis” and that
Lebanon must “begin the internationally demanded reform, based on the principles
of transparency and the enforcement of binding laws.”
The Lebanese leader invited the crown prince to visit his country, a gesture
that was met with “appreciation and a warm reception” from the Saudi leader, the
statement said.
A source familiar with the Riyadh talks told Arab News: “There was a shared
understanding of the necessity for reforms in Lebanon to enable the needed
support.
“The resumption of exports from Lebanon to the Kingdom requires a thorough
review, which may take up to three months.”The source added: “Everything is on
track, and the outcomes of the visit were excellent. This is what truly
matters.”Rabih El-Amine, chairman of the Lebanese Executives Council, said:
“This visit stands out as exceptional. Lebanon has a remarkable opportunity to
reshape its relations with Arab nations, with Saudi Arabia as the essential
gateway.” He added: “We expect the resumption of Saudi
tourism and investment in Lebanon. However, this requires a stable environment,
with a strong state capable of ensuring security, an independent and impartial
judiciary to protect investments, and the revitalization of the banking sector
in Lebanon to restore international market confidence.”Aoun left Riyadh on
Tuesday morning to attend an Arab League summit on Gaza in Cairo, where he also
held several meetings with Arab and UN officials. He
met UN chief Antonio Guterres along with several officials from international
organizations in the Egyptian capital. Aoun said: “The presence of Israelis on
several Lebanese hills, coupled with the absence of the Lebanese army in those
areas, could hinder the achievement of stability and the implementation of
Resolution 1701 and the ceasefire agreement."A Lebanese statement said that
Guterres expressed his “astonishment at the continued presence of Israeli forces
in several areas of southern Lebanon, considering that this situation does not
contribute to stability in the region.”
Aoun also discussed the issue of returning Syrian refugees in Lebanon to their
homeland with the UN chief. In a statement, Guterres said: “Lebanon is committed
to an effective reform policy aimed at revitalizing its economy and society, and
it is essential to respect the sovereignty of Lebanon, with no foreign forces
remaining on its territory except for UNIFIL.”Aoun met Yemeni leader Rashad
Mohammed Al-Alimi and emphasized the importance of “solidarity among Arab
nations and the necessity for a unified Arab entity.”Iraqi President Abdul Latif
Rashid told Aoun that his country “places great importance on the situation in
Lebanon and looks forward to continuing cooperation.”In response, Aoun
highlighted energy cooperation with Iraq, and called for a strengthening of ties
in the field. Separately, Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Raji discussed
Lebanese-Syrian relations with his Syrian counterpart, Asaad Al-Shibani.
Meanwhile, Israel ramped up its violations of Lebanese sovereignty, striking a
car in the Tyre district with a drone, killing the driver. Israel claimed that
the target was a “key figure” in Hezbollah’s Radwan Force. The Lebanese Ministry
of Health confirmed the death of a citizen without disclosing his name, while
media reports from the south named the deceased as Khadr Hashim.
Claude A. Hillar Hajjar: Open Letter to President Joseph
Aoun – A Reminder of the Aishiyeh Massacre
March 4, 2025
Mr. President, General Joseph Aoun,
We heard your speech yesterday at the Arab Summit, and without a doubt, the
Gazan Palestinians must have been immensely proud. No one could have represented
them better than you. As for us, the Lebanese, we expected much more. We
expected you to stand before the Arab leaders and demand that they lift the
Palestinian burden off Lebanon’s shoulders and take them to their vast, empty
lands. We expected you to remind them of the massacres, rapes, and kidnappings
they inflicted upon the Lebanese people—atrocities that stained every village
and city with innocent blood. At the very least, we expected you to tell them
about your own town, Aishiyeh—how it suffered under Palestinian occupation, how
its people were brutally slaughtered, and how you and your family barely
escaped.
If you have forgotten, allow me, Mr. President, to remind you—because we have
neither forgotten nor forgiven:
Between October 19 and 21, 1976, the Palestinian militants launched a barbaric
attack on Aishiyeh in South Lebanon, committing mass murder and unspeakable
atrocities. Most of the victims were women, children, and the elderly. Women and
girls were raped, then butchered inside the church. Newborns were torn apart.
Children were decapitated with hatchets. Homes were set ablaze. The few who
survived fled to nearby villages for safety. One of the most horrifying crimes
was the murder of Francis Alfred Nasr, who was burned alive in front of his
father’s eyes.
The Victims Included:
1. Francis Alfred Nasr (burned alive).
2. Alfred Youssef Nasr
3. Fouad Gerges Najem (plus his wife and
four children).
4. Elias Fouad Najem
5. Amale Fouad Najem
6. Therese Fouad Najem
7. George Fouad Najem
8. Georgette Fouad Najem
9. Loutfallah Youssef El Chaar
10. Joseph Loutfallah El Chaar
11. Attallah Youssef El Chaar
12. Philippe Sleiman Chedid
13. Albert Chahine Milane
14. Ibrahim Ephrem Nasr
15. Sleiman Ephrem Nasr
16. Tony Ibrahim Nasr (14 years old).
17. Jamil Elias Nasr
18. Nassim Jamil Nasr
19. Selim Jamil Nasr (16 years old).
20. Youssef Selim Nasr
21. Youssef Nasr Nasr
22. Antoinette Nasr Nasr
23. Simon Youssef Nasr
24. Fouad Youssef Nasr (newborn).
25. Toufic Nasr (70 years old).
26. Melhem Ephrem Ephrem (45 years old).
27. Sleiman Ephrem (25 years old).
28. Ibrahim Selim Aoun
29. Raymond Ibrahim Aoun (15 years old).
30. Melhem Mansour Aoun (73 years old)
31. Soldier Youssef Elias Abu Kheir (executed in the church).
32. Sleiman Ajjaj El Hajj (15 years old,
33. Pierre Naamtallah Jabbour (13 years old, executed in the church).
34. Therese Fayez Najem
35. Najat Fayez Najem
36. Fayez Najem and his two daughters (five and three years old).
37. Mountaha Rizk Najem
38. Karim Selim Najem
39. Youssef Tannous Abu Eid
40. Tannous Youssef Abu Eid
41. Ibrahim Elias Aoun
42. Jean Khalil Aoun
43. Gerges Maroun Aoun
44. Sleiman Ajjaj Aoun.
45. Tammam Abu Kheir Aoun
46. Assaad Melhem Anid
47. Elias Youssef Anid
48. Aziz Youssef Anid
49. Boulos Anid
50. Elias Assaad El Kesserwani
51. Youssef Assaad El Kesserwani
52. Boutros Fares Fares
53. Gerges Ibrahim Nasr
54. Ibrahim Selim Nasr
55. Joseph Farid Nasr
56. Khalil Gergi Nasr
57. Khalil Sleiman Nasr
58. Salwa Youssef Mezher
59. Philippe Toufic Afif
60. Majid Elias Afif
61. Melhem Chekkri Honeiny
62. Nemr Rashid Abu Samra
63. Youssef Elias Noura executed in the church).
Mr. President, when you stood before the Arab world yesterday, did these voices
echo in your mind? Did their cries reach your conscience? What could be seen
more valuable than the truth?
Lebanon has bled enough. Its people have suffered enough. If you will not speak
for them, then step aside for those who will.
Mr. President, the past will never fade, and our scars are eternal.
Long Live Lebanon Phoenicia
Claudia Hillar Hajjar, We, the Free People
AMCD Condemns Expansion of HTS in Syria
March 3, 2025
The American Mideast Coalition for Democracy condemns the attempts of the HTS
regime in Damascus, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) to march towards areas inside
Syria opposing the Jihadi regime in order to annex them by military force to the
regime in power
AMCD calls on the United States and the international coalition to pressure HTS
militia to maintain the status quo after the fall of Assad and to prevent the
involvement of its forces from invading areas outside its control, such as the
Kurdish areas under the command of the SDF in the northeast or the Druze areas
in southern Syria, and also to withdraw from the Alawite zones in the northwest
after crimes and massacres were perpetrated against the Alawite community that
are still taking place at the hands of HTS while claiming these are “individual
acts.”. HTS is an extremist jihadist militia that originally operated under the
name of al-Nusra and is ideologically linked to al-Qaeda. We, as American
citizens of Middle Eastern origin, ask our administration to send a strong
message to the ruling militia in Damascus not to move against communities and
sects that are protecting themselves at this stage until a comprehensive
solution is found through referendums and elections. We warn that the attempts
of the HTS militia to invade areas especially in the south, including Druze
towns, does not mean that there is an exclusive Druze problem with this regime,
as HTS does not represent Sunnis at all, and it had killed many more Sunnis in
Syria during its rule of Idlib throughout the years before the fall of the Assad
regime, and imprisoned thousands of young Sunnis in its prisons known as “Iqab”
(Jihadi punishment jails), as well as fighting the moderate factions that were
facing the fallen Syrian regime, and tightening the noose on Christians which
prompted the vast majority of them to leave. The coalition declares that the
Syrian state with its current borders is still the one recognized
internationally until an appropriate solution to the crisis in Syria is reached,
and this solution will be decided by the major Syrian parties and communities in
the country, Therefore we call on US and the international community to reach a
solution that guarantees the participation of all Syrian parties and region
because the current “Syrian government” is a militia regime that defeated Assad
in December 2024, but does not represent the majority of the Syrian people.
Hence, what is required is a mechanism to establish a body supervised by the
United Nations that includes the current regime, representatives of moderate
Sunnis, the SDF, the Druze, Christian communities, the Alawites and all
minorities to run the country in a federal form, before a referendum is
organized to be held for these parties to decide on the future of Syria. And
based on the results of the referendum, general elections will be held based on
a federal project for Syria.
Syria has the recognized borders but the new regime in Damascus does not
represent the majority of a multiethnic Syria, yet.
"This is how you take over a nation by soft jihad.
Imtiaz Mahmood/X site/March 04/2024
The Mayor of London is a Muslim.
The mayor of Birmingham is a Muslim.
The Mayor of Leeds is Muslim.
Mayor of Blackburn - Muslim.
The mayor of Sheffield is a Muslim.
The mayor of Oxford is a Muslim.
The mayor of Luton is a Muslim.
The mayor of Oldham is Muslim.
The mayor of Rochdale is Muslim.
All this was achieved by only 4 million Muslims out of 66 million people in
England:
Today, there are over 1800 mosques in England.
There are over 80 sharia courts.
There are more than 50 Sharia Councils.
78 percent of Muslim women do not work, receive state support + free
accommodation.
A large percentage of Muslims do not work and receive state support + free
housing.
State-supported Muslim families with an average of 3 to 8 children receive free
accommodation.
Now, every school in the UK is required to teach lessons about Islam."
- Johann P
@JohannPbooks
Aoun’s visit to Saudi Arabia revives hope for Lebanon’s economic recovery
Miguel Hadchity/Arab News/March 04, 2025
Beirut seeks to further strengthen ties with a key regional ally
RIYADH: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun’s visit to Saudi Arabia has revived hopes
for Lebanon’s economic recovery and political stability amid the ongoing
financial crisis and governance challenges. The trip, his first official visit
abroad since taking office in January, signals a fresh attempt to strengthen
ties with a key regional ally and unlock much-needed investment and diplomatic
support. With both nations reaffirming their commitment to cooperation and
reform, many see this meeting as a crucial step toward Lebanon’s long-overdue
recovery. The Lebanese Executives Council, a private sector body promoting
cross-border professional relations, hailed the visit as a pivotal step in
restoring ties between the two countries. “This visit stands out as exceptional.
Lebanon has a remarkable opportunity to reshape its relations with Arab nations,
with Saudi Arabia as the essential gateway,” Rabih El-Amine, chairman of the
council, told Arab News. “Given Saudi Arabia’s crucial influence both regionally
and globally, along with its vibrant economic changes under Vision 2030, this
moment marks a pivotal turning point for Lebanon,” he added.
Economic agreements and Saudi investments
Aoun’s visit included discussions on 22 agreements spanning trade, agriculture,
transport, finance, education, and cultural exchange. “These agreements include
cooperation in exhibitions, intellectual property, consumer protection, the
grain sector, civil aviation, banking, defense, and combating terrorism,”
El-Amine said. Saudi banks and financial institutions could play a role in
stabilizing Lebanon’s financial system, but El-Amine emphasized that this would
depend on Lebanon’s implementation of key reforms. “Saudi support might take the
form of financial assistance, investment, and regional coordination. However,
Lebanon’s capability to execute credible economic reforms remains a crucial
factor,” he added.
Long-term goals vs. immediate impact
While the visit has been hailed as a positive step, El-Amine cautioned that
immediate economic relief is unlikely. “This visit will likely be a strategic
step toward rebuilding Saudi-Lebanese ties rather than yielding immediate
economic relief. Lebanon’s economic recovery depends on reforms, International
Monetary Fund negotiations, and restoring investor confidence — factors that
require long-term engagement rather than quick diplomatic wins,” he said.
Discussions also emphasized the necessity of Lebanon regaining control over its
political and security landscape. A joint statement highlighted the importance
of confining arms to the Lebanese state and reaffirming the Lebanese army’s role
as a stabilizing force.
The way forward
Despite optimism surrounding the visit, El-Amine warned that internal Lebanese
challenges could hinder progress. “The primary concern is whether Lebanon’s
political and economic system can genuinely carry out the reforms and
commitments necessary to convert diplomatic goodwill into tangible progress,” he
said. Key obstacles include political gridlock, sectarian divisions, lack of
institutional reform, and financial instability. “The
visit could reopen diplomatic channels and create opportunities for future
cooperation, but unless Lebanon’s leadership takes bold steps to reform
governance, stabilize the economy, and restore confidence, any potential Saudi
support may remain conditional or limited,” El-Amine added. Aoun’s visit
reaffirmed longstanding ties between Beirut and Riyadh, with both sides
expressing their commitment to regional stability and cooperation. Following his
visit to Saudi Arabia, Aoun and his delegation traveled to Cairo to attend the
extraordinary Arab summit. His presidency, which began in January after a
prolonged political deadlock, carries significant expectations as Lebanon
struggles with an economic crisis and the devastation left by the
Hezbollah-Israel war, which left most parts of the country in ruins.
Druze Consensus on Rejecting Becoming Embroiled in Civil
War in Syria
Asharq Al Awsat/March 04/2025
Druze Sheikh Aql in Lebanon Sami Abou al-Mona stressed on Monday that the Druze
community is committed to integration in society and will "not be protected by
an enemy."Prominent Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblatt warned that "danger is
lurking against the essence of our creed and Arab heritage" in Lebanon and
beyond. The leaders made their remarks at a large
Druze gathering in Beirut in wake recent developments in Syria and Israeli
stances related to the Druze in Damascus. The gatherers, which included senior
Druze clerics and figures, were in agreement in rejecting civil war in Syria.
"Despite the changes and no matter how great the challenges, we are dedicated to
preserving existential principles and the sect will not abandon them," declared
Abou al-Mona. For his part, Jumblatt said he will pay a new visit to Damascus
soon. The former MP was among the first Lebanese officials to travel to Syria
after the collapse of the former Assad regime in December. He met with interim
President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus. Jumblatt said
on Monday: "Zionism is using the Druze as soldiers and officers to oppress the
Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank. Today, they want to pounce on
Jabal al-Arab." Jabal al-Arab is a predominantly Druze region in Syria’s
southern Sweida province. "This phase is far more dangerous than the situation
we were in on May 17 and the days of the Israeli occupation of Beirut," warned
Jumblatt. "The danger is threatening the essence of our creed and Arab heritage
in Lebanon to Jabal al-Arab. The Palestinian cause is another issue and we will
leave it up to its people to decide whatever they want," he added. Furthermore,
Jumblatt underlined the need to take the "right stance" during this phase,
warning of a "major plot" to drag "the weak willed to a civil war."
"Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif [the Druze leader in Israel] claims to represent the Druze
in the region in cooperation with the Zionists. This is not true," he went on to
say.
Tensions in Syria
Tensions have been high between the Druze and the Syria’s new rulers, leading to
clashes between the two parties and Israel’s threat to intervene to protect the
former. Last week, the Britain-based Syrian
Observatory for Human Rights reported that "one person was killed and nine
others from Jaramana were injured during clashes between security forces
affiliated with the new authority and local gunmen tasked with protecting the
area."It could not specify whether the killed person was a civilian or a local
fighter. Tensions began on Friday when a dispute led
to the killing of one security forces member and the wounding of another in a
shooting at a checkpoint in Jaramana in Damascus, according to the Observatory.
Syria's official news agency, SANA, quoted Colonel Hossam al-Tahhan, the local
head of security, as saying the checkpoint had stopped Ministry of Defense
personnel as they entered the area to visit their relatives.
After surrendering their weapons, they were assaulted and "their vehicle was
directly targeted by gunfire," resulting in the casualties, Tahhan said.
He warned such incidents could have repercussions on "Syria's security,
stability, and unity."Tahhan said security forces have since started to deploy
in the area.
Jaramana's Druze said in a statement that they would "withdraw protection from
all offenders and outlaws" and pledged to hand over anyone proven responsible to
"the relevant authorities to face justice."Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz
on Saturday warned Syria's new rulers not "to harm the Druze", adding the
military has been ordered "to prepare and to send a firm and clear warning: if
the regime harms the Druze, it will suffer the consequences." An Israeli defense
ministry statement said the military has been instructed to prepare to defend a
Druze settlement in the suburbs of Damascus, asserting that the minority it has
vowed to protect was "under attack" by Syrian forces
The Latest English LCCC
Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on March 04-05/2025
At Arab Summit, Egypt Produces Plan for Rebuilding Gaza
Asharq Al Awsat/March 04/2025
Egypt has published a detailed, 112-page plan for rebuilding the Gaza Strip by
2030 without removing its population. The ambitious, $53 billion plan is a
counter to President Donald Trump’s call to remove Gaza’s around 2 million
Palestinians permanently so the US can develop the territory as a tourist site
for others. Arab leaders meeting in Cairo on Tuesday are set to endorse the
counterproposal even as the continuation of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire is
uncertain. The summit hosted by Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi included
the emir of Qatar, the vice president of the United Arab Emirates and the
foreign minister of Saudi Arabia. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also
attended. The first phase of the Egyptian plan calls for starting the removal of
unexploded ordnance and clearing the more than 50 million tons of rubble left by
Israel’s bombardment and military offensives. Hundreds of thousands of temporary
housing units would be set up where Gaza’s population could live while
reconstruction takes place. The rubble would be recycled, and some of it would
be used as infill to create expanded lands on Gaza’s Mediterranean coast. In the
following years, the plan envisages completely reshaping the strip, building
“sustainable, green and walkable” housing and urban areas, with renewable
energy. It renovates agricultural lands and creates industrial zones and large
park areas.
It also calls for opening an airport, a fishing port and a commercial port. The
Oslo peace accords in the 1990s called for the opening of an airport and
commercial port in Gaza, but the projects withered as the peace process
collapsed.
Israel has embraced what it says is Trump’s alternative US proposal for the
ceasefire itself and the release of hostages taken in Hamas' attack on southern
Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which triggered the war. Israel has blocked the entry of
food, fuel, medicine and other supplies to Gaza to try to get Hamas to accept
the new proposal and has warned of additional consequences, raising fears of a
return to fighting. The suspension of aid drew widespread criticism, with human
rights groups saying that it violated Israel's obligations as an occupying power
under international law.The new plan would require Hamas to release half its
remaining hostages — the group’s main bargaining chip — in exchange for a
ceasefire extension and a promise to negotiate a lasting truce. Israel made no
mention of releasing more Palestinian prisoners — a key component of the first
phase.
Under Egypt's plan, Hamas would cede power to an interim administration of
political independents until a reformed Palestinian Authority can assume
control. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, head of the authority and an
opponent of Hamas, was attending the summit. Israel has ruled out any role for
the Palestinian Authority in Gaza and, along with the United States, has
demanded Hamas’ disarmament. Hamas, which doesn't accept Israel's existence, has
said it's willing to cede power in Gaza to other Palestinians, but won't give up
its arms until there is a Palestinian state.
Addressing the summit, Sis said that the plan “preserves the right of
Palestinian people in rebuilding their nation and guarantees their existence on
their land.”
He said there is a need for a parallel path for peace to achieve a
“comprehensive, just and lasting settlement” to the Palestinian cause. “There
will be no true peace without the establishment of the Palestinian state,” Sisi
said. “It’s time to adopt the launching of a serious and effective political
path that leads to a permanent and lasting solution to the Palestinian cause
according to the resolutions of international legitimacy.”An early draft of the
statement endorsing the plan called for a “permanent and just solution” for the
Palestinian cause, and for the UN Security Council to deploy international
peacekeepers in Gaza and the Israeli-occupied West Bank. The mention of
peacekeepers was dropped from a later draft. Israel has vowed to maintain
open-ended security control over both territories, which it captured in the 1967
Mideast war and which Palestinians want for their future state. Israel’s
government and most of its political class are opposed to Palestinian statehood.
Trump shocked the region last month when he suggested Gaza’s roughly 2 million
Palestinians be resettled in other countries. He said the United States would
take ownership of the territory and redevelop it into a Middle Eastern
“Riviera.”Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu embraced the proposal, which
was roundly rejected by Palestinians, Arab countries and human rights experts,
who said it would likely violate international law.
Arab summit draft communique
adopts Egyptian plan for Gaza
Arab News/March 04, 2025
DUBAI: An Arab summit draft communique on Tuesday adopted an Egyptian plan for
Gaza's future and called on the international community and financial
institutions to provide support for the plan quickly. Organized by Egypt, the
summit aims to respond to US President Donald Trump’s proposals to take control
of Gaza and resettle Palestinians, as well as to address the Israeli Prime
Minister’s stance on ending the ceasefire and resuming hostilities in Gaza. The
summit set to take place this evening will focus on creating a unified Arab
response that protects Palestinian rights and makes Gaza habitable again. Saudi
Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah will head the
Kingdom's delegation participating in the Arab Summit.
Egypt has yet to release the full proposal but some details have emerged Tuesday
ahead of the summit. The Arab counterproposal consists of three phases to be
implemented over five years to fully rebuild Gaza. The first phase, which will
take two years, will cost $20 billion. This phase includes the building of
200,000 housing units in the strip. The plan also states that early recovery
will take six months, and will consist of removing ruble and installing
temporary housing. The second phase, which should take two and a half years,
will include the building of another 200,000 housing units and an airport in
Gaza. The overall building process shall take five years, and the total cost of
reconstruction is estimated at $53 billion. Under the Egyptian plan, a
Governance Assistance Mission would replace the Hamas-run government in Gaza for
an unspecified interim period and would be responsible for humanitarian aid and
for kick-starting reconstruction of the enclave, which has been devastated by
the war. Egypt and Jordan will train Palestinian
police personnel in preparation for deployment in the strip. The plan will also
demand that Israel stops all settlement activities, annexation of lands and
demolition of Palestinian homes. It will also address the issue of factional
weapons through a clear framework and credible political process. Experts have
raised concerns over the plan’s financing, with the UN estimating the cost of
rebuilding Gaza at over $50 billion. But a draft communique read on television
said the participatants will call for holding an international conference for
the reconstruction of Gaza, to be held in Cairo later this month. The summit
will propose a plan that aims to counter US President Trump’s statement last
month, in which he proposed taking control of Gaza and resettling Palestinians
in Egypt and Jordan.
Hamas welcomes Arab summit proposal for Gaza reconstruction:
statement
AFP/March 04, 2025
DOHA: Hamas on Tuesday said it welcomed a plan adopted by Arab leaders for the
reconstruction of Gaza and the creation of a committee to oversee rebuilding and
governance in the war-battered Palestinian territory. “We welcome the Gaza
reconstruction plan adopted in the summit’s final statement and call for
ensuring all necessary resources for its success,” the Palestinian militant
group said in a statement, also expressing its “support for the formation of the
Community Support Committee to oversee relief efforts, reconstruction and
governance in Gaza,” referring to a temporary administrative body outlined by
the Arab League summit in Cairo.
King Abdullah holds talks with leaders at Arab summit on Gaza reconstruction
Arab News/March 04, 2025
CAIRO: Jordan’s King Abdullah II held high-level talks on Tuesday with Iraqi
President Abdul Latif Rashid and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in Cairo, on the
sidelines of the Extraordinary Arab Summit hosted by Egypt. The discussions
focused on pressing regional developments, including efforts to sustain the
ceasefire in Gaza, accelerate humanitarian aid, and support reconstruction
efforts without displacing the Palestinian population, the Jordan News Agency
reported. The leaders also addressed escalating tensions in the West Bank,
emphasizing the need for coordinated regional responses to maintain stability.
King Abdullah reaffirmed the strong ties between Jordan and Iraq during the
meeting with Rashid, and expressed his commitment to deepening cooperation
across various sectors. Both leaders stressed the importance of continued
coordination on shared regional security concerns. The king stressed Jordan’s
steadfast support for Lebanon’s efforts to maintain its security and stability
during his talks with Aoun. The two leaders explored ways to further enhance
cooperation and strengthen relations.
The meetings were also attended by Jordanian Prime Minister Jafar Hassan, Deputy
Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, and Director of the Office of
His Majesty Alaa Batayneh. The focus of the summit was on mobilizing financial
and logistical support for reconstruction efforts in Gaza, and ensuring that the
Palestinian population stays in their homeland, in opposition to the proposal
put forward by US President Donald Trump last month.
We categorically reject any violation of the rights of the
Palestinian people: Saudi FM
Arab News/March 04, 2025
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia categorically rejects any infringement on the rights of the
Palestinian people, the Kingdom’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said
on Tuesday. During a speech that he delivered at an extraordinary Arab League
summit in Cairo on countering US President Donald Trump’s widely condemned plan
for Gaza, Prince Faisal stressed the rejection of Israeli settlements and
attempts to displace Palestinians. “We stress the need for international
guarantees and UN resolutions that impose the sustainability of the truce in the
Gaza Strip,” Prince Faisal told the gathering of Arab leaders. He added that the
Kingdom supported the two-state solution and the Palestinian people’s right to
self-determination. The reconstruction of Gaza must be
carried out while its people remain in the territory and the Kingdom supports
measures taken by the Palestinian Authority to ensure security and stability,
Prince Faisal added. “The unprecedented suffering that
the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip have been subjected to requires the
international community to work together to restore life to normal in the
territory, rebuild it, and enable the Palestinian people to live in dignity on
their land without trying to change the reality in Palestinian territories.
“We hope that this summit will contribute to achieving tangible results
to end the disastrous repercussions of this war, protect innocent civilians in
Palestine, and create a new reality in which the region enjoys security,
stability, and prosperity,” the minister said. The final statement adopted by
the summit called for the deployment of an international protection and
peacekeeping force in the Palestinian territories. It condemned the recent
Israeli decision to stop the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip and
close the crossings used for relief work. It adopted
the plan submitted by Egypt with regard to Gaza, in full coordination with
Palestine and Arab countries. It also emphasized the achievement of a just and
comprehensive peace that fulfils the rights of the Palestinian people.
Jordan receives first group of Gazan children for medical
treatment
Arab News/March 04, 2025
CAIRO: Jordan has received the first group of sick Gaza children for medical
treatment, according to state-run Petra news agency. Jordan's King Abdullah II
announced last month that his country would take in some 2,000 sick children
from war-torn Gaza to receive treatment. The batch will include cancer children
who are in a very ill state.
Trump administration again labels the Houthis a ‘foreign
terrorist organization’
Reuters/March 04, 2025
WASHINGTON: The State Department on Tuesday reinstated the “foreign terrorist
organization” designation for Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi group, fulfilling an
order announced by President Donald Trump shortly after he took office.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the department had restored the
designation, which carries with it sanctions and penalties for anyone providing
“material support” for the group. “Since 2023, the
Houthis have launched hundreds of attacks against commercial vessels in the Red
Sea and Gulf of Aden, as well as US service members defending freedom of
navigation and our regional partners,” Rubio said in a statement. “Most
recently, the Houthis spared Chinese-flagged ships while targeting American and
allied vessels.”The Houthis have targeted more than 100 merchant vessels in the
critical trade corridor with missiles and drones since the Israel-Hamas war in
the Gaza Strip started in October 2023. In January, the group signaled that it
will limit its attacks in the Red Sea corridor to only Israeli-affiliated ships
after a ceasefire began in the Gaza Strip but warned wider assaults could resume
if needed. Trump’s first Republican administration had
similarly designated the Houthis in its waning days, but the designation had
been revoked by President Joe Biden’s Democratic administration over concerns it
would badly affect the delivery of aid to Yemen, which was considered to be
facing one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
The United Nations said last month that it suspended its humanitarian operations
in the stronghold of Yemen’s Houthi rebels after they detained eight more UN
staffers. The rebels in recent months have detained
dozens of UN staffers, as well as people associated with aid groups, civil
society and the once-open US Embassy in Sanaa, Yemen’s capital. None of the UN
staffers has been released. The Iranian-backed Houthis
have been fighting Yemen’s internationally recognized government, which is
backed by a Saudi-led coalition, since 2014, when they descended from their
stronghold in Saada and took control of Sanaa and most of the north.
Israel kills three Palestinians in continued West Bank onslaught
AFP/March 05, 2025
RAMALLAH: The Israeli military said on Tuesday it killed three Palestinians as
it expanded its offensive in the occupied West Bank, currently in its 43rd day,
to new parts of the northern city of Jenin. Israeli forces “expanded the
counterterrorism operation in northern Samaria to additional areas in Jenin,”
the military said, using the Biblical name for that part of the West Bank,
adding a local Hamas leader was among those it killed in the overnight raid. The
military said that in an exchange of fire, troops killed “the leader of the
Hamas terrorist network in the area” along with another Palestinian militant,
and arrested three more. It said during a further inspection of the premises
where the militants were, troops killed a third armed militant “who posed an
immediate threat.”The Palestinian Health Ministry identified the alleged Hamas
leader as Aser Saadiya, adding that his body was taken away by Israeli troops
after he was shot dead in an eastern neighborhood of Jenin. In the early hours
of Tuesday, the Palestinian Red Crescent said Israeli forces had handed over the
body of another man in his 20s killed in east Jenin. The head of Jenin’s
government hospital, Wisam Baker, said that a third man he identified as Jihad
Alawneh was declared dead on arrival at the hospital early on Tuesday. He said
the 25-year-old had bled out after being shot in the thigh by Israeli troops.
The Israeli military launched a major offensive in the northern West Bank on
Jan. 21, deploying tanks in the territory for the first time in 20 years.
Dubbed “Iron Wall” by the Israeli military, the operation came days after
a ceasefire took effect in Gaza. It has involved raids in multiple refugee camps
near the cities of Jenin, Tulkarm and Tubas, regarded as bastions of Palestinian
militancy.
Israel security agency acknowledges failure in preventing October 7 attack
AFP/March 05, 2025
JERUSALEM: Israel’s domestic security agency Shin Bet acknowledged on Tuesday
its failure in preventing Hamas’s attack on October 7, 2023, saying that if it
had acted differently the deadliest day in Israel’s history could have been
averted. The Internal Security Agency, as it is
formally known, said that an internal probe “reveals that if the Shin Bet had
acted differently, both in the years leading up to the attack and on the night
of the attack... the massacre could have been prevented.”The acknowledgement
comes days after an Israeli military investigations noted similar failings to
protect Israelis during the attack, which left hundreds dead and sparked a
devastating war in the Gaza Strip, where tens of thousands of Palestinians have
been killed. In the opening lines of the summary of
findings from the Shin Bet investigation, the agency’s chief Ronen Bar takes
responsiblity for failures, saying that “as the head of the organization, I will
bear this heavy burden on my shoulders for the rest of my life.”However, he
added that in order to truly understand how the unprecedented attack was not
stopped, there needed to be a broader probe into the role of Israel’s security
and political elements and the cooperation between them.
According to the summary, the investigation focused on two key areas —
the direct reasons that led to the Shin Bet failing to recognize the immediate
threat from Hamas, and the developments preceding the attack. It noted that “the
investigation found no indication that the Shin Bet underestimated the enemy,”
Palestinian militant group Hamas. “On the contrary,
there was a deep understanding of the threat, initiatives, and a desire to
neutralize the threat, particularly targeting Hamas leadership,” the summary
said. The investigation found that prior knowledge of
a Hamas attack plan was not treated as an “actionable threat” and there was an
overarching assessment that Hamas was more focused on “inciting violence” in the
occupied West Bank. Additionally, the investigation
found that “a policy of quiet had enabled Hamas to undergo massive military
buildup,” with financial aid from Qatar going directly to Hamas’s military wing.
In conclusion, the agency said in its summary, “the Shin Bet failed to
provide a warning regarding the scope of the attack and the large-scale raid by
Hamas” that sparked months of war in Gaza. “The warning issued on the night of
October 7 was not translated into operational directives, and the response given
by the Shin Bet... was insufficient to prevent or thwart the large scale
attack.”In the military inquiry, which includes 77 separate investigations into
what transpired in communities, army bases and multiple confrontation points
around the Gaza periphery, the army noted flaws in its intelligence assessments
of Hamas, including the group’s military capabilities and overall intentions.
“We did not even imagine such a scenario,” said an army official who had briefed
the media ahead of the probe’s release on Thursday. The official said the army
had not maintained “a comprehensive understanding of the enemy’s military
capabilities” and that it was “overconfident in its knowledge.”“We were addicted
to precise intel,” a second senior military official said at the same briefing,
explaining that despite signs Hamas was preparing to attack, the army was too
focused on what it believed was accurate information. Also following the
publication of the findings of the army’s investigation, the outgoing chief of
staff, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, said that he took full responsibility for failing
to predict or stop the attack. In addition to Halevi, the head of the military’s
southern command, Major General Yaron Finkelman, and military intelligence chief
Major General Aharon Haliva have both stepped down.
Israel Says It Targeted Weapons Depots in Syria’s Qardaha with
Airstrikes
Asharq Al Awsat/March 04/2025
Israeli forces on Monday struck a military site where arms belonging to the
previous Syrian government were stored in Qardaha, in the mountains of Latakia
province, northwest Syria, the military said in a post on its Telegram channel.
Syrian sources said the raids struck three former Syrian army assets, a
radar station north of the city, weapons depot and a berth near Syria's
Mediterranean port of Tartous, which is a driving distance away from Latakia.
Syrian state news agency SANA also confirmed the strikes in the vicinity of
Tartous, which it said caused no casualties. Israel has been carrying out
extensive airstrikes on Syrian military bases including in Latakia in the wake
of former President Bashar al-Assad's ouster and has moved forces into a
UN-monitored demilitarized zone within Syria.
Syria interim president seeks pressure on Israel to
withdraw from south
AFP/March 04, 2025
CAIRO: Syria’s interim President Ahmed Al-Sharaa on Tuesday called on the
international community to pressure Israel to “immediately” withdraw its troops
from the south, as he attended his first Arab summit since assuming office.
Since Sharaa’s Islamist group Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) spearheaded an
offensive that toppled longtime Syrian president Bashar Assad on December 8,
Israel has deployed troops to a UN-patrolled buffer zone that has separated
Israeli and Syrian forces on the strategic Golan Heights since 1974. Israel has
occupied much of the Golan Heights since 1967 and later annexed the area
abutting Syria’s southeast in a move not recognized by the United Nations.
Beyond ground incursions, Israeli forces have also carried out repeated air
strikes against Syrian military sites in recent days. “We urge the international
community to uphold its legal and moral commitments by supporting Syria’s rights
and pressuring Israel to immediately withdraw from southern Syria,” Sharaa told
a summit of Arab leaders in Cairo. The “hostile (Israeli) expansion is not only
a violation of Syrian sovereignty, but also a direct threat to security and
peace in the entire region,” he said. Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last month demanded “the complete demilitarization
of southern Syria” and said his country would not accept the new Syrian
authorities to be present there. Sharaa was in Cairo for an Arab League summit
on Gaza, his first such meeting since ousting Assad nearly three months ago.
The Syrian presidency published images of Sharaa meeting with senior
officials including United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres,
Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas and European Union chief Antonio Costa on the
sidelines of the summit. Guterres and Sharaa
“exchanged views about the historic opportunity to chart a new course for Syria
as well as the challenges facing the country,” according to the UN.
The United Nations envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen in a statement strongly
condemned Israel’s “military escalations” including air strikes” on its northern
neighbor. Under Assad, Syria was suspended from the
Arab League over his deadly 2011 crackdown on pro-democracy protests which
spiralled into a devastating civil war. In 2023, Syria
under Assad was allowed to return to the bloc after years of regional isolation.
A UN Security Council committee approved a travel ban exemption for Sharaa,
enabling him to visit Egypt for Tuesday’s summit despite his inclusion on a
sanctions list. The meeting was called in response to
a widely criticized proposal by President Donald Trump for the United States to
take over Gaza and force its Palestinian inhabitants to relocate to Egypt or
Jordan. Sharaa has called Trump’s proposal “a very
huge crime that cannot happen.”
Suspect in deadly German car-ramming gives no information
on motive and is ordered held in custody
AP/March 04, 2025
MANNHEIM, Germany: The suspect in a car-ramming in the German city of Mannheim
that killed two people gave no information about his motive Tuesday as he
appeared before a judge who ordered him held pending a possible indictment,
investigators said.
The 40-year-old German man was arrested shortly after the car-ramming Monday at
around noon on a busy pedestrian street in downtown Mannheim in southwestern
Germany. Eleven people were injured, five of them seriously, and the latter were
still being treated in hospitals on Tuesday. Mourners laid flowers in the city
center to honor the victims. Mannheim prosecutors and state police said a
district court in the city ordered the man kept in custody pending possible
formal charges on suspicion of two counts of murder, five of attempted murder
and 11 of bodily harm.
The investigators said in a statement that the suspect gave no information in
his appearance before a judge, “so that his motive for the act is still
unclear.” A search of his apartment in nearby Ludwigshafen also turned up no
clues as to a motive.
The investigation so far points to mental illness, the statement added. The
suspect is believed to have acted alone. Prosecutors and police said that
objects the man had in his car and his home — including a blank gun and written
documents — were being evaluated. The suspect tried to kill himself by shooting
himself in the mouth before he was arrested, Tuesday’s statement said. He was
initially taken to a hospital but subsequently handed over to police. Officials
said on Monday that they had no indication of an extremist or religious
motivation. Prosecutors have said the man, whose identity was not revealed in
line with German privacy rules, has previous convictions.
He served a short prison sentence for assault more than 10 years ago and
was convicted for drunken driving. He had also been investigated for a hate
speech offense on Facebook in 2018, for which he was fined, prosecutors said
without giving further details.Cars have been used as deadly weapons in other
acts of violence in recent months in Germany. Last month, a 2-year-old girl and
her mother died two days after they were injured in a car-ramming attack on a
union demonstration in Munich. A 24-year-old Afghan man who came to Germany as
an asylum-seeker was arrested. Prosecutors said he appeared to have an Islamic
extremist motive. In December, six people were killed
and more than 200 injured when a car slammed into a Christmas market in the
eastern city of Magdeburg. The suspect is a 50-year-old doctor who had expressed
anti-Muslim views and support for the far-right, anti-immigrant Alternative For
Germany party.
Iran summoned Turkey's ambassador following
Ankara's warning regarding Syria
Reuters/March 4, 2025
Iran's foreign ministry summoned Turkey's ambassador, state TV reported on
Tuesday, after Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan warned Tehran against
undermining Syria's stability. The Iranian foreign ministry published a
statement saying that a meeting took place on Monday between ambassador Hicabi
Kırlangıç and Mahmoud Heydari, the Iran foreign ministry's Director General for
the Mediterranean and Eastern Europe. "The common interests of the two countries
and the sensitivity of regional conditions require avoiding wrongful comments
and unreal analyses that could lead to differences and tensions in our bilateral
relations," Heydari said. Fidan last week gave an interview to Qatar's al
Jazeera in which he said Iran's foreign policy relying on militias was
"dangerous" and needed to change. "If you are trying to cause anxiety in a third
country, other countries can also disturb you by supporting groups in your own
country," Turkey's foreign minister added. Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson
said earlier on Monday that Tehran and Ankara disagreed over some issues. "We
highly value our bilateral relations with Turkey. Unfortunately, the words
repeatedly heard (from Turkey) were highly unconstructive, and it was necessary
for Iran to decisively and clearly state its position in that regard," Esmaeil
Baghaei said. "Perhaps it is necessary for our Turkish friends to think more
about the Zionist regime's (Israel) policy in Syria and the region."
Exclusive-Russian missile experts flew to Iran amid clashes with Israel
James Pearson, Polina Nikolskaya, Anton Zverev and Parisa Hafezi/LONDON
(Reuters)/March 4, 2025
Several senior Russian missile specialists have visited Iran over the past year
as the Islamic Republic has deepened its defence cooperation with Moscow, a
Reuters review of travel records and employment data indicates. The seven
weapons experts were booked to travel from Moscow to Tehran aboard two flights
on April 24 and September 17 last year, according to documents detailing the two
group bookings as well as the passenger manifest for the second flight. The
booking records include the men's passport numbers, with six of the seven having
the prefix "20". That denotes a passport used for official state business,
issued to government officials on foreign work trips and military personnel
stationed abroad, according to an edict published by the Russian government and
a document on the Russian foreign ministry's website. Reuters was unable to
determine what the seven were doing in Iran. A senior Iranian defence ministry
official said Russian missile experts had made multiple visits to Iranian
missile production sites last year, including two underground facilities, with
some of the visits taking place in September. The official, who requested
anonymity to discuss security matters, didn't identify the sites. A Western
defence official, who monitors Iran's defence cooperation with Russia and also
requested anonymity, said an unspecified number of Russian missile experts
visited an Iranian missile base, about 15 km (9 miles) west of the port of
Amirabad on Iran's Caspian Sea coast, in September.
Reuters couldn't establish if the visitors referred to by the officials included
the Russians on the two flights. The seven Russians identified by Reuters all
have senior military backgrounds, with two ranked colonel and two
lieutenant-colonel, according to a review of Russian databases containing
information about citizens' jobs or places of work, including tax, phone and
vehicle records. Two are experts in air-defence missile systems, three
specialize in artillery and rocketry, while one has a background in advanced
weapons development and another has worked at a missile-testing range, the
records showed. Reuters was unable to establish whether all are still working in
those roles as the employment data ranged from 2021 to 2024. Their flights to
Tehran came at a precarious time for Iran, which found itself drawn into a
tit-for-tat battle with arch-foe Israel that saw both sides mount military
strikes on each other in April and October. Reuters contacted all the men by
phone: five of them denied they had been to Iran, denied they worked for the
military or both, while one declined to comment and one hung up. Iran's defence
and foreign ministries declined to comment for this article, as did the public
relations office of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, an elite force that
oversees Iran's ballistic missile program. The Russian defence ministry didn't
respond to a request for comment. Cooperation between the two countries, whose
leaders signed a 20-year military pact in Moscow in January, has already
influenced Russia's war on Ukraine, with large numbers of Iranian-designed
Shahed drones deployed on the battlefield.
ROCKETS AND ARTILLERY
The flight booking information for the seven travellers was shown to Reuters by
Hooshyaran-e Vatan, a group of activist hackers opposed to the Iranian
government. The hackers said the seven were travelling with VIP status.Reuters
corroborated the information with the Russian passenger manifest for the
September flight, which was provided by a source with access to Russian state
databases. The news agency was unable to access a manifest for the earlier
flight, so couldn't verify that the five Russian specialists booked on it
actually made the trip. Denis Kalko, 48, and 46-year-old Vadim Malov were among
the five Russian weapons experts whose seats were booked as a group on the April
flight, the records showed. Kalko worked at the defence ministry's Academy for
Military Anti-Aircraft Defence, tax records for 2021 show. Malov worked for a
military unit that trains anti-aircraft missile forces, according to car
ownership records for 2024.Andrei Gusev, 45, Alexander Antonov, 43, and Marat
Khusainov, 54, were also booked on the April flight. Gusev is a
lieutenant-colonel who works as deputy head of the faculty of General Purpose
Rockets and Artillery Munitions at the defence ministry's Penza Artillery
Engineering Institute, according to a 2021 news item on the institute's website.
Antonov has worked at the Main Rocket and Artillery Directorate of the Defence
Ministry, according to car registration records from 2024, while bank data shows
Khusainov, a colonel, has worked at the Kapustin Yar missile-testing range. One
of the two passengers onboard the second flight to Tehran in September was
Sergei Yurchenko, 46, who has also worked at the Rocket and Artillery
Directorate, according to undated mobile phone records. His passport number had
the prefix "22"; Reuters was unable to determine what that signified though,
according to the government edict on passports, it isn't used for private
citizens or diplomats. The other passenger on the September flight was
46-year-old Oleg Fedosov. Residence records give his address as the office of
the Directorate of Advanced Inter-Service Research and Special Projects. That is
a branch of the defence ministry tasked with developing weapons systems of the
future. Fedosov had previously flown from Tehran to Moscow in October 2023,
according to Russian border crossing records viewed by Reuters. On that
occasion, as he did for the September 2024 flight, Fedosov used his passport
reserved for official state business, the records showed.
Saudi oil giant Aramco reports $106 billion profit in 2024,
down 12% on lower energy prices
JON GAMBRELL/DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) / March 4, 2025
Saudi Arabia's state-owned oil giant Aramco reported a $106.25 billion profit in
2024 on Tuesday, down 12% from the prior year as lower energy prices now squeeze
the kingdom's multi-trillion-dollar development plans.
Already, Saudi's de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been
digging a straight-line city in the desert for his $500 billion project at NEOM
in Saudi Arabia’s western desert on the Red Sea. He also will need to build tens
of billions of dollars’ worth of new stadiums and infrastructure ahead of the
kingdom hosting the 2034 FIFA World Cup. Meanwhile, he's also pledged
potentially $600 billion in U.S. investments to President Donald Trump to entice
him to the kingdom on his first foreign trip as president. Saudi Arabia is also
the possible venue for a meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir
Putin over Moscow's war on Ukraine. All that and OPEC+
moving toward increasing production means Saudi Arabia likely will need to take
on new debt to fund the crown prince's vast ambitions.
Earnings stung by lower oil prices
A filing on Riyadh's Tadawul stock exchange showed Aramco, formally known as the
Saudi Arabian Oil Co., had revenues of $436 billion in 2024. That compares to
$440.88 billion in 2023. Aramco reported a $121 billion annual profit in 2023,
down from its 2022 record due to lower energy prices as well.“The decrease was
primarily driven by lower revenue and other income related to sales, higher
operating costs, as well as lower finance and other income,” Aramco said in its
filing. Stock in Aramco traded around $7.33 a share Tuesday, down from a high
over the last year of $8.71. It has fallen over the past year as oil prices have
dropped. Benchmark Brent crude is at $73 — down 10% this year. Aramco has a
market value of $1.74 trillion, making it the world’s sixth-most valuable
company behind Apple, Microsoft, NVIDIA, Amazon and Alphabet, which owns Google.
Aramco will pay dividends of $21.36 billion for the fourth quarter, which
includes a far-smaller performance dividend of $220 million. The company expects
to pay dividends of $85.4 billion this year, which is far lower and will further
erode cash that Saudi Arabia's monarchy can expect for the year. “Our strong net
income and increased base dividend illustrate Aramco’s exceptional resilience,"
Aramco CEO and President Amin H. Nasser said in a statement.
Geopolitical headwinds squeeze kingdom's coffers
The Aramco results come as OPEC+, an alliance of the oil cartel and other
energy-producing states, met online Monday and agreed to proceed with an
increase in oil production starting in April. It's the first oil production
increase by the group since 2022 and likely will push down oil prices further.
The OPEC+ decision follows criticism by Trump of the cartel as well. Saudi
Arabia’s vast oil resources, located close to the surface of its desert expanse,
make it one of the world’s least expensive places to produce crude. For every
$10 rise in the price of a barrel of oil, Saudi Arabia stands to make an
additional $40 billion a year, according to the Institute of International
Finance. The Saudi government owns the vast majority
of the firm’s shares. Saudi Aramco publicly listed a sliver of its worth back in
late 2019 and has weighed offering more shares publicly.
Smoke grenades tossed in Serbian parliament, lawmaker suffers
stroke
Reuters/March 04, 2025
BELGRADE: Serbian opposition lawmakers threw smoke grenades and used pepper
spray inside parliament on Tuesday to protest against the government and to
support demonstrating students, with one legislator suffering a stroke during
the chaos. Four months of student-led demonstrations,
sparked by the deaths of 15 people when a railway station roof collapsed, have
drawn in teachers, farmers and others to become the biggest threat yet to
President Aleksandar Vucic’s decade-long rule, with many denouncing rampant
corruption and incompetence in government. At the
legislative session, after the ruling coalition led by the Serbian Progressive
Party (SNS) approved the agenda, some opposition politicians ran from their
seats toward the parliamentary speaker and scuffled with security guards.
Others tossed smoke grenades and used pepper spray. A live TV broadcast
showed black and pink smoke billowing inside the parliament, which has seen
brawls before, in the decades since the introduction of multi-party democracy in
1990. Vucic later said authorities would hold all
those deputies involved in the fracas to account, calling it “hooliganism.”
Under Serbian law, parliamentary deputies enjoy immunity from prosecution
but can lose it if they commit serious crimes.
POLITICIAN HURT
Speaker Ana Brnabic said three lawmakers were injured and one, Jasmina Obradovic
of the SNS party, had suffered a stroke and was hospitalized.
Zlatibor Loncar, the Health Minister later said Obradovic was in a
serious condition. As the session continued, ruling
coalition politicians debated while opposition lawmakers whistled and blew
horns. Opposition deputies also held signs reading “general strike” and “justice
for those killed,” referring to those who died when the station roof collapsed
in the city of Novi Sad last November. Outside parliament hundreds of protesters
stood in silence to honor those killed. Protest leaders called for a major rally
in the capital Belgrade on March 15. The ruling coalition says Western
intelligence agencies are trying to destabilize Serbia and topple the government
by backing the protests.
“We have a proposal ... to have a transitional government,” Radomir Lazovic of
the opposition Green-Left Front told supporters in front of the parliament.
The opposition says a transitional government should secure conditions
for free and fair elections, but Vucic and his allies have so far rejected that
demand.“This was a failed attempt of the ruling coalition to show it is in
control ..., and (there’s) a potential for an escalation,” Radivoje Grujic, a
Warsaw-based consultant told Reuters, commenting on the parliamentary session.
Parliament was due to adopt a law increasing funds for universities — one of the
main demands of protesting students. But other items
put on the agenda by the ruling coalition including the one about noting the
resignation of Prime Minister Milos Vucevic angered the opposition.
The session has been adjourned and is due to resume on Wednesday.
The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources
on March 04-05/2025
Former President of Poland
Lech Walesa wrote the following letter to Trump.
Your Excellency, Mr. President,
We watched the report of your conversation with the President of Ukraine,
Volodymyr Zelensky, with fear and distaste. We find it insulting that you expect
Ukraine to show respect and gratitude for the material assistance provided by
the United States in its fight against russia. Gratitude is owed to the heroic
Ukrainian soldiers who shed their blood in defense of the values of the free
world. They have been dying on the front lines for more than 11 years in the
name of these values and the independence of their homeland, which was attacked
by Putin’s russia.
We do not understand how the leader of a country that symbolizes the free world
cannot recognize this.
Our alarm was also heightened by the atmosphere in the Oval Office during this
conversation, which reminded us of the interrogations we endured at the hands of
the Security Services and the debates in Communist courts. Prosecutors and
judges, acting on behalf of the all-powerful communist political police, would
explain to us that they held all the power while we held none. They demanded
that we cease our activities, arguing that thousands of innocent people suffered
because of us. They stripped us of our freedoms and civil rights because we
refused to cooperate with the government or express gratitude for our
oppression. We are shocked that President Volodymyr Zelensky was treated in the
same manner.
The history of the 20th century shows that whenever the United States sought to
distance itself from democratic values and its European allies, it ultimately
became a threat to itself. President Woodrow Wilson understood this when he
decided in 1917 that the United States must join World War I. President Franklin
Delano Roosevelt understood this when, after the attack on Pearl Harbor in
December 1941, he resolved that the war to defend America must be fought not
only in the Pacific but also in Europe, in alliance with the nations under
attack by the Third Reich.
We remember that without President Ronald Reagan and America’s financial
commitment, the collapse of the Soviet empire would not have been possible.
President Reagan recognized that millions of enslaved people suffered in Soviet
russia and the countries it had subjugated, including thousands of political
prisoners who paid for their defense of democratic values with their freedom.
His greatness lay, among other things, in his unwavering decision to call the
USSR an “Empire of Evil” and to fight it decisively. We won, and today, the
statue of President Ronald Reagan stands in Warsaw, facing the U.S. Embassy.
Mr. President, material aid—military and financial—can never be equated with the
blood shed in the name of Ukraine’s independence and the freedom of Europe and
the entire free world. Human life is priceless; its value cannot be measured in
money. Gratitude is due to those who sacrifice their blood and their freedom.
This is self-evident to us, the people of Solidarity, former political prisoners
of the communist regime under Soviet russia.
We call on the United States to uphold the guarantees made alongside Great
Britain in the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, which established a direct obligation
to defend Ukraine’s territorial integrity in exchange for its relinquishment of
nuclear weapons. These guarantees are unconditional—there is no mention of
treating such assistance as an economic transaction.
Signed,
**Lech Wałęsa, former political prisoner, President of
Poland
South Africa and Its Disastrous Battle for the Congo
Nils A. Haug/Gatestone Institute/March 4, 2025
It turns out that while the South African soldiers were fighting for their lives
in what might now be considered a "suicide mission", their military leaders were
busy playing golf thousands of kilometers away.
Unfortunately, the ineptitude of South Africa's top military echelon and
ministers of defense is only a symptom of abysmal political rule by the ANC,
governing the country for the last 30 years. It seems that almost every decision
they make is a catastrophe.
Added to this systemic incompetence is wide-spread corruption among politicians.
It is so bad that many ANC ministers have periodically been accused, charged, or
faced allegations of it.
White farmers are murdered at a rate four times the national average – one every
five days. In 2019, for instance, more than 1,000 individual farmers were
attacked. Some political parties allege that farm killings "can justifiably be
viewed as genocide" and have accused the police of suppressing official figures
that indicate a "drastic increase" in farm assaults and murders.
In criticizing Trump publicly, it is not exactly clear which planet Ramaphosa
and the ANC believe they live on. Adopting that attitude, as the world witnessed
last week during the US president's meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr
Zelenskyy, might be self-destructive and highly detrimental to the people of
South Africa.
South Africa's defiant attitude escalated further when the ANC indicated an
intention to increase its nuclear power capacity and permit Iran and Russia to
tender for the project – in blatant violation of US law.
It turns out that while the South African soldiers were in the Democratic
Republic of the Congo, fighting for their lives in what might now be considered
a "suicide mission", their military leaders were busy playing golf thousands of
kilometers away. Unfortunately, the ineptitude of South Africa's top military
echelon and ministers of defense is only a symptom of abysmal political rule by
the ANC, governing the country for the last 30 years. It seems that almost every
decision they make is a catastrophe.
"Nearly 3,000 people have been killed in Goma in recent days" reported Vivian
van de Perre, Deputy Head of the UN mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo
(DRC), in central Africa. Goma is the capital and largest city of the DRC's
North Kivu Province.
In the final week of January, 17 South African National Defence Force (SANDF)
soldiers in the Congo were killed, and many more wounded, in battle with the
rebel group M23 (which is backed by Rwanda), when the M23 captured Goma from DRC
government's forces. It is believed that "M23 seeks to set up an administration
to govern Goma as it has in other areas under its control in the eastern DRC."
This was no local skirmish. It was, rather, a geopolitical confrontation. The
South African soldiers had formed part of a multilateral UN and Southern African
Development Community (SADC) peacekeeping force. Their mission was to prevent
the M23 rebels from occupying and permanently controlling large areas of the
Congo -- known for rich deposits of vital minerals, essential for the global
electronics industry. M23's progress has "strengthened the group's control over
critical mineral resources in eastern DRC and its supply lines to Rwanda,"
reported Liam Karr of the Critical Threats website.
The conflict has potential to become a fully-fledged central African war.
Burundi actively supports the DRC government, while Rwanda and Uganda stand
behind the M23 rebels, hoping to benefit from the rich spoils. Meanwhile, the
war continues, causing "a humanitarian crisis for hundreds of thousands of
Congolese refugees in the eastern DRC" – yet another crisis overlooked by the
rest of the world.
M23 has lofty ambitions. It pledges to compel a regime change in the DRC. To
achieve this, the groups aims to "continue the march of liberation" to DRC's
capital city, Kinshasa. US President Donald Trump has described the crisis as a
"very serious problem."
The deadly outcome of the battle for Goma indicates a catastrophic failure in
political and military leadership. It turns out that while the South African
soldiers were fighting for their lives in what might now be considered a
"suicide mission", their military leaders were busy playing golf thousands of
kilometers away.
While some of their men lay dying and injured during the desperate week-long
combat in the Congo -- and the remainder surrounded by the enemy and running
short of supplies, including food and water -- South Africa's Army chief
Lieutenant-General Lawrence Mbatha and the Air Force chief, Lieutenant-General
Wiseman Mbambo, enjoyed leisure-time back home. The generals' celebration of the
scheduled "Air Force Week" continued during a horrific time for their soldiers
on the battlefield in an alien land, and for a somewhat uncertain cause.
Chris Hattingh, spokesman of South Africa's Democratic Alliance opposition
party, called upon President Cyril Ramaphosa, as commander-in-chief, to cancel
the ongoing festivities. Ramaphosa, however, remained silent, possibly dependent
like most African leaders for their precarious positions, upon the military's
goodwill. Hatting wrote:
"Not only is the President silent, but he is also allowing a military festival
to take place at a time when our military is facing a catastrophic crisis....
While our soldiers are risking their lives in a foreign conflict, senior
officers are celebrating and enjoying festivities. High-ranking officers
reportedly even traveled to the event in Air Force transport."
Darren Olivier, a military expert at African Defence Review commented in a
similar vein
"For the chiefs of the air force and army, the two services most directly
connected with the fate of the beleaguered South African troops in the DRC, to
be spending most of a day laughing and joking around a golf course while
soldiers call desperately for support from home is beyond callous and tone-deaf.
"This is a moment where we needed the President, minister of defence, and the
most senior military staff officers to stand up and show leadership, but they
failed both that test and our soldiers."
The deadly outcome of the battle at Goma highlights a catastrophic failure in
leadership, equipment and training.
South Africa's Minister of Defence Angie Motshekga – transferred from the
Ministry of Education in mid-June 2024 – has no training or expertise in
military matters at all, and likely minimal knowledge whatsoever of defence
affairs. Race-based DEI initiatives continue to thrive in South Africa's
dominant party, the African National Congress (ANC). Motshekga approves of the
Congo mission, which was hastily commissioned in 2023, and will endure for the
foreseeable future.
Although South Africa has sent peacekeeping troops to the DRC for more than 20
years, the website News24 reports that political commentator Sikonathi
Mantshantsha "asks why are they dying in a perpetual conflict in an open-ended
deployment of no obvious strategic gain". "No obvious strategic gain" is a valid
point, as nothing concrete has resulted from the long-term deployment of
peacekeeping forces in a region that has "seen decades of conflict involving
multiple armed groups." Many peacekeeping force members have needlessly been
killed by rebel groups during this period.
South Africa's military authorities would be well advised to recall
Major-General John F.C. Fuller's (1899–1933) criticism of poor leadership at
times of war:
"In the World War nothing was more dreadful to witness than a chain of men
starting with a battalion commander and ending with an army commander sitting in
telephone boxes, improvised or actual, talking, talking, talking, in place of
leading, leading, leading."
Unfortunately, the ineptitude of South Africa's top military echelon and
ministers of defense is only a symptom of abysmal political rule by the ANC,
governing the country for the last 30 years. It seems that almost every decision
they make is a catastrophe.
The conditions of the country are ruinous. Once-bustling country towns are now
relegated to ghost towns; sewage flows everywhere, water shortages proliferate
even in major cities along with power shortages and the total failure of all
state-owned entities to function effectively or at all. The dangerous levels of
unemployment with youth joblessness exceeds 50%.
Journalist Malcolm Libera last month described the condition of Johannesburg:
"South Africa's most important city collapsing in front of everyone's eyes...
"Professor Mark Swilling of Stellenbosch University has highlighted entrenched
corruption, particularly within Gauteng's Department of Health, as a key
contributor to the province's financial instability.
"He described the department as controlled by a "syndicate" deeply embedded in
state structures, draining public coffers.
"Finance leaders have proposed strategies to stabilise Johannesburg's finances,
including improved tax collection and investment initiatives.
"However, experts warn that these efforts will not be enough to prevent a
full-scale collapse without addressing corruption, mismanagement, and
infrastructure decay.
"The effects of this crisis are most evident in three critical areas: road
infrastructure, electricity supply, and water provision."
Added to this systemic incompetence is wide-spread corruption among politicians.
It is so bad that many ANC ministers have periodically been accused, charged, or
faced allegations of it. In 2024, for instance, the previous Minister of Defence
Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula was charged with corruption relating to defense
contracts. Other high-ranking defense officials were also charged. Moreover, the
ANC regime still retains a blatant racist program against minorities,
particularly the white citizens –- most of whose families settled there more
than 300 years ago, and the wretched social, political, and economic condition
of the "new" South Africa continues to deteriorate dramatically.
Trump, apparently aghast at the South African situation, places the blame firmly
at the door of the ANC. He has, accordingly, suspended aid to the country and
recognized the precarious plight of white farmers who suffer ongoing murderous
racial attacks, in which hundreds have been brutally murdered over the last 30
years.
White farmers are murdered at a rate four times the national average – one every
five days. In 2019, for instance, more than 1,000 individual farmers were
attacked. Some political parties allege that farm killings "can justifiably be
viewed as genocide" and have accused the police of suppressing official figures
that indicate a "drastic increase" in farm assaults and murders.
Trump now plans to offer these farmers refugee status and an opportunity to find
safe haven in the US. Under terms of his February 2025 executive order, the US
"cannot support the government of South Africa's commission of rights violations
in its country" and will withhold assistance "as long as it continues these
unjust and immoral practices."
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote last month:
"I will NOT attend the G20 summit in Johannesburg. South Africa is doing very
bad things. Expropriating private property. Using G20 to promote 'solidarity,
equality, & sustainability.' In other words: DEI and climate change."
The crucial importance of South Africa's immense trade benefits granted by the
US under the African Growth and Opportunity Act comes under close scrutiny, and
jeopardy, as the September renewal deadline looms. In the current atmosphere, it
is possible the US may not renew the current agreement. South Africa's economy
will be severely impacted by the loss of these lucrative trade advantages. Even
so, the ANC echelon does not seem to be particularly concerned. Instead, it is
irrationally demanding to "engage as equals" over the issue with Trump's team.
Along these lines, in his February 6th State of the Nation address, Ramaphosa
declared:
"We will not be bullied. We will stand together as a united nation. We will
speak with one voice in defence of our national interest, our sovereignty and
our constitutional democracy."
However, there is no "one voice" supporting him. The ANC at the last election
received only roughly 40% of the national vote, and is ruling the country in a
fragile coalition. In criticizing Trump publicly, it is not exactly clear which
planet Ramaphosa and the ANC believe they live on. Adopting that attitude, as
the world witnessed last week during the US president's meeting with Ukrainian
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, might be self-destructive and highly detrimental
to the people of South Africa.
South Africa's defiant attitude escalated further when the ANC indicated an
intention to increase its nuclear power capacity and permit Iran and Russia to
tender for the project – in blatant violation of US law. "We can't have a
contract that says Iran or Russia must not bid," South Africa's Minister of
Mineral and Petroleum Resources Gwede Mantashe explained; "we can't have that
condition. If they are the best in terms of the offer on the table, we'll take
any [country]."
David May, a Senior Research Analyst of the US-based Foundation for Defense of
Democracies, wrote in a response on February 18:
"South Africa's corrupt ruling party is determined to plunge the country further
into the abyss of alliances with autocrats. The African National Congress has
drawn the country closer to Russia, China, and Iran and doubled down on serving
as Hamas's lawyer on an international stage."
Welcome to an increasingly dysfunctional and fervently socialist South Africa –
not a nation the world anticipated after the end of apartheid, and certainly not
a friend to the West.
**Nils A. Haug is an author and columnist. A Lawyer by profession, he is member
of the International Bar Association, the National Association of Scholars, the
Academy of Philosophy and Letters. Dr. Haug holds a Ph.D. in Apologetical
Theology and is author of 'Politics, Law, and Disorder in the Garden of Eden –
the Quest for Identity'; and 'Enemies of the Innocent – Life, Truth, and Meaning
in a Dark Age.' His work has been published by First Things Journal, The
American Mind, Quadrant, Minding the Campus, Gatestone Institute, National
Association of Scholars, Jewish Journal, James Wilson Institute (Anchoring
Truths), Document Danmark, and others.
© 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.
What shutdown of USAID programs means for vulnerable Arab
countries
Jonathan Lessware/Arab News/March 04, 2025
LONDON: The impact of the Trump administration’s decision to slash $60 billion
in aid funding and cancel 90 percent of contracts by the US Agency for
International Development is being felt by millions of the most vulnerable
people in the Middle East and North Africa. In countries like Iraq, Syria and
Yemen, lifesaving aid programs to feed and provide healthcare for huge
populations affected by conflict have halted. In Jordan, hundreds of development
projects to boost the economy face an uncertain future and thousands of jobs may
disappear. The widespread halt in aid was confirmed just as countries across the
region started to mark the holy month of Ramadan. In an internal memo and
filings in federal lawsuits, the US administration said it is eliminating more
than 90 percent of USAID’s foreign aid contracts and $60 billion in overall
assistance around the world. The memo said officials were “clearing significant
waste stemming from decades of institutional drift. More changes are planned in
how USAID and the State Department deliver foreign assistance, it said, “to use
taxpayer dollars wisely to advance American interests.”Many Republican lawmakers
believe USAID has been wasteful and harbors a liberal agenda. President Donald
Trump has also promised to dramatically reduce spending and shrink the federal
government. USAID’s supporters say the agency not only provides vital assistance
around the world, but for less than one percent of the federal budget, it is
also America’s greatest soft power tool. The crisis first arose on Jan. 20 when
Trump signed an executive order halting all foreign assistance for a 90-day
review period because the aid industry was “not aligned with American
interests.”Within days, Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency was
homing in on USAID programs, and by last week termination letters had been sent
to nongovernmental organizations around the world.
Nearly 5,800 of USAID’s 6,200 multi-year contracts worth $54 billion were cut.
The State Department also cut $4.4 billion in foreign aid-related grants.
Much of the agency’s vast array of work, from providing food to the
starving, healthcare programs and economic development initiatives, has been
stopped. Many promised waivers for lifesaving programs
have reportedly failed to materialize. More than 6,000
of USAID’s 10,000 staff have been placed on administrative leave or fired, and
tens of thousands of people working around the world have also lost their jobs.
Control of USAID has been moved to the State Department, which is locked in
legal battles over the cuts. The department did not respond to a request for
comment. The MENA region received $3.9 billion from
USAID in 2023. The sudden removal of the agency’s support could cause further
suffering and instability in the region, Yossi Mekelberg, associate fellow of
the MENA Program at Chatham House, told Arab News. “We’re talking about budgets
of billions, which goes to projects between humanitarian and development,” he
said. “The minute you take it away, you make people either suffer from
humanitarian crises or you stop the development of these countries.
“If you want to maintain stability in the Middle East, which is important
to the United States, you need economic development.”Below are details of how
the shuttering of USAID has affected people and projects across the region.
IRAQ
In a country where more than 1 million people have still not returned to their
homes after the war with Daesh extremists ended in 2017, USAID provided vital
support to vulnerable populations. Since the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled
Saddam Hussein, the agency has spent billions trying to help Iraq rebuild. USAID
funded clean water supplies, food aid, healthcare and support for women victims
of violence. The agency also provided grants to grow
businesses and boost local economies and funded development projects to improve
water supplies and food production. The amount spent
in Iraq in 2023 was more than $220 million, but many of the long-term projects,
which have now stopped, were based on spending commitments over many years. One
USAID officer working on Iraq told Arab News that he could not imagine what
would happen to Iraq’s displaced population without the agency’s funding.
“It’s heartbreaking,” he said. “I shudder to think of the human impacts
of this, the lives lost, the time … it will take to ever recover from this. The
whole sector is destroyed.”Before the widespread canceling of contracts last
week, he said some UN agencies and NGOs continued with essential assistance as
they tried to interpret Trump’s executive order and the promised waivers. Now
everything related to USAID funding had stopped, said the officer, whose
decade-long career with the agency was also terminated with 15 days’ notice.
This included assistance to the 100,000 displaced people in 21 formal camps in
the northern Kurdish region. The USAID officer said the halt was particularly
bitter for Iraqis given the recent history of US foreign policy in the country.
He said the halting of aid risks plunging Iraq back into chaos by opening the
way for extremist ideologies to regain traction. “We are pulling the rug out
from under what the US would consider a critical ally in this region.”
SYRIA
The humanitarian community was just getting to grips with a new Syria after the
fall of President Bashar Assad in December. The approach to delivering aid to
the country during its 14-year civil war was hampered by the division of
territory under the warring parties, along with international sanctions against
the Assad regime. Finally, it seemed, a coordinated surge of humanitarian
operations could take place with new rulers in Damascus in control of much of
the country. “It was the opportunity in Syria for the first time in 14 years to
really do an ‘all of country’ response,” Imrul Islam from the Syria
International NGO Regional Forum told Arab News. The war had left more than 16
million Syrians needing humanitarian aid, according to the UN. Islam estimates
that USAID paid for at least a quarter of the entire humanitarian funding in
Syria, with the northern parts of the country particularly reliant on NGOs to
deliver essential aid. When the “stop work” orders were sent in January from
USAID to the NGOs they funded, it was a bitter blow. Aid organizations in Syria
were left in limbo as most projects ground to a halt almost overnight. The
waivers granted for lifesaving aid failed to deliver a release of funds, so
organizations continued essential deliveries by running up debt. Last week’s
blanket termination of contracts means that almost everything previously funded
by USAID has now stopped, including operations considered lifesaving. NGO
coordination forums in Syria are assessing the scale of the fallout, but already
Islam warned that “people will die” as a result. Several international NGOs rely
on USAID for 95 percent of their funding and are now deciding whether they will
have to leave Syria altogether. As of February, NGOs estimate that at least
300,000 people would be affected by the halting of water and sanitation
projects, and around 600,000 are not receiving food assistance. In just
northeast Syria, at least 2,800 per month would lose access to surgical
procedures. “Thousands and thousands” of people are losing their jobs, Islam
said. Millions of people, he added, would lose access to assistance in the north
of the country.
GAZA
The USAID freeze has jeopardized aid supplies to Gaza, where Israel’s ongoing
war with Hamas and other militant groups has left the entire population of more
than 2 million reliant on humanitarian assistance. It also risks undermining the
ceasefire agreed in January that halted the devastating 15-month conflict. USAID
has provided $2.1 billion in humanitarian assistance in Gaza since October 2023,
when Hamas attacked Israel, triggering the war. The agency said in November it
would provide an additional $230 million for economic recovery and development
programs in the West Bank and Gaza.
Staff working for USAID on Palestine have been laid off. The organizations that
deliver aid inside Gaza have also stopped working, their contracts have been
terminated, and local Palestinian employees have lost their jobs.
“It’s a very bleak picture,” Dave Harden, a former USAID mission director
for Gaza and the West Bank, told Arab News. “There’s no people, there’s no
officers, there’s no staff, there’s no budget, there’s no (Washington) D.C. back
office and there’s no active agreements.”He agreed that it placed extra pressure
on an already fragile ceasefire that relies on a massive aid delivery operation
to alleviate the suffering. “The risks are higher if there is any reduction in
food,” he said. So far, he believed UN reserves of food and other aid have
filled the gap left by USAID, but this will start to run out.Harden said the
loss of USAID was not only devastating for Palestinians but also bad for Israel,
which often used the agency as a communication channel.
JORDAN
As a long-term, reliable and stable US ally in the region, Jordan was the third
largest recipient of USAID funding globally. In 2023, the kingdom received $1.2
billion from the agency with much of it being used to support economic
development. While not suffering the scale of the humanitarian struggles in
other countries in the region, the USAID funding supported businesses and
government projects. The funding was so entwined in Jordan’s economy that it
accounted for more than 2 percent of the country’s gross domestic product in
2024, Reuters reported, citing JPMorgan. The cuts in funding have rippled
through the economy, leading to thousands of job losses according to some
reports. Rana Sweis spent a year going through an
extensive application process to secure funding for a project for her
Amman-based media and marketing company, Wishbox Media.She then waited more than
four months before approval came for an $81,000 grant from USAID’s Makanati
project, which encouraged women into work in Jordan.
The year-long project started in May 2024 with money released in monthly
increments in line with regular progress reports.When she was told in January
that funding would be frozen, her company was more than 80 percent through the
promised work on empowering women in the workforce. This included a 25-minute
documentary, social media campaigns, infographics and other multimedia
production. Sweis said they now expect to lose nearly half of the grant but
still hope to receive two pending payments left outstanding. She had to let one
staff member go and cancel the company’s internship program. “It’s a big loss
for a small company, but what can I do?” she told Arab News.
“People are losing their jobs in Washington, people are not getting all
these humanitarian lifesaving vaccines in Africa, and that’s how I deal with the
loss we had.”While she may be putting the impact on her company in perspective,
hundreds of businesses across Jordan would have been taking similar or even
greater financial hits in recent weeks. “It’s a shock for Wishbox, but it’s a
shock for me personally because USAID is such an integral part of Jordan and the
development of Jordan,” she said. “It’s in every sector, in education, in water
and in every level, from the government to civil society.”
YEMEN
Yemen is considered one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with half of
the country’s population requiring assistance, according to the UN. With
one-third of the money to pay for that aid coming from the US — mostly through
USAID — there is deep concern about the impact the agency’s cutbacks will have
on the country. The US announced $220 million in
additional aid, including nearly $200 million through USAID, in May 2024.
Yemen’s civil war began in 2014 when the Houthi militia, backed by Iran, took
control of the capital and largest city, Sanaa, demanding a new government.
Since the eruption of the war, the US has spent nearly $5.9 billion on the
humanitarian response, according to a US Embassy statement last year. One aid
worker in Yemen told Arab News that projects across the country helping feed
families, providing critical healthcare and improving water sanitation had been
halted. The worker said the cuts had come at a particularly difficult time with
the start of Ramadan.
Let the world join forces, as it did in 1991
Hassan bin Youssef Yassin/Arab News/March 04, 2025
On Nov. 29, 1990, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 678, empowering a
US-led coalition to use “all necessary means” to remove Iraqi troops from Kuwait
had they not left by Jan. 15, 1991. It was a historic vote in the UNSC, with
neither China nor the Soviet Union resorting to their veto power. China
abstained and the Soviet Union voted for the resolution. This ultimately led to
a 42-country coalition enforcing the UN resolution militarily and with success.
Just as in 1991, the world order is today shifting and there are new
opportunities for the world to come together to end disputes and foster a new
atmosphere of cooperation. There is no denying that US
President Donald Trump is upending old methods and alliances, forcing a new
world order. While we may not all be fans of the new president or his
impulsiveness, there is clearly an opportunity to contribute to a new world
order that can be focused on ending disputes and promoting greater cooperation
worldwide. On a geostrategic level, President Trump is moving from confrontation
to greater dialogue and cooperation with the great powers that are Russia and
China. The US remains the world’s most influential power and has the capacity to
provide an impulse similar to that which led to a global coalition removing
Saddam Hussein from Kuwait.
There is an opportunity to contribute to a new world order that can be focused
on ending disputes and promoting cooperation.
An American reconciliation and enhanced cooperation with Russia and China can
set the stage for a more peaceful and collaborative world order. If President
Trump can push Russia and Ukraine to end their conflict and embark upon an era
of peace, then I believe we can get Israel to do the same in the Arab world. The
US has the ability to make this age-old dispute a conflict of the past. It is
clear to everyone that Israel and the Arab world must coexist peacefully, with
major gains available to all in terms of stability, trade and a regional economy
that could really take off. President Trump also realizes that Israel cannot
occupy Palestine and areas of Lebanon and Syria indefinitely. As a result, a
great play for peace is there for him to seize. If
these objectives are within the reach of a new world order of coexistence and
cooperation, perhaps those who currently oppose Trump should give him a chance,
encourage him and allow him to claim credit for achieving the objectives of
global peace and stability. We once lived in an age of mutually assured
destruction; let us at least try an age of mutually advisable cooperation. Just
as the war in Ukraine can be ended through cooperation and innovative solutions,
so can the Arab-Israeli conflict, as well as the crisis that is facing our
planet and our environment. Mother Nature could also be a win for President
Trump, if he is given the right reasons and motivations. There should be no red
zone or black zone anymore, just one single zone of cooperation.
Perchance President Trump is onto something. Perhaps we can all give him
the benefit of the doubt and do what we can to help him achieve goals that will
benefit us all. Medicine does not always taste good, but if it is effective then
we should all be open to it to usher in a new era of peace, stability and
cooperation.
*Hassan bin Youssef Yassin worked closely with Saudi petroleum ministers
Abdullah Tariki and Ahmed Zaki Yamani from 1959 to 1967. He headed the Saudi
Information Office in Washington from 1972 to 1981 and served with the Arab
League observer delegation to the UN from 1981 to 1983.
The Question That Many Shy Away From!
Hazem Saghieh/Asharq Al Awsat/March 04/2025
Many people avoid posing a pressing- or rather burning- question, and their
avoidance sometimes even leads them, whenever this question looms, to hurriedly
deflect or swallow it. As for the question, it is this: How did the “Al-Aqsa
Flood” disaster trigger that other disaster which the Israelis have inflicted
and are inflicting on the Palestinian people, with Hamas leading figure Musa Abu
Marzouq recently admitting that, if he had known what the consequences would be,
the operation would have never happened in the first place? And how, on the
other hand, did the fallout from this same operation bring good tidings to the
peoples of Syria and Lebanon, with the fall of a criminal regime that had
survived in Damascus for decades, and the incapacitation of Hezbollah, which had
almost seemed eternal, in Beirut?
The Palestinians have been stripped, with cruel brutality, of any empowerment
and capacity to act in both the present and the foreseeable future- the exact
opposite outcome of the fickle, rash projections that “Al-Aqsa Flood” had placed
the Palestinian cause “on the table.” As for Syria and Lebanon, we find, albeit
in principle, a real opportunity to empower the two peoples, regardless of how
they and their societies ultimately engage with this opportunity.
This is an extremely sensitive question for several reasons. Crucially, it has
implications for inherited assumptions made by a succession of ideologies that
convinced us we share a “single fate-” a national destiny shared by all Arabs, a
religious one shared by all Muslims, or the Left’s version, the destiny we share
with all who toil, both in the region and the world. The Resistance Axis is
probably the only heir to this myth, as it considers the outcomes in each of the
three countries to be equivalent, either in the sense that they were all
victorious or in that they were all equally defeated, whereby we are reunited in
this defeat, our “single fate.” However, those who present the Assad regime’s
collapse as a tragedy merely demonstrate the degeneracy of this narrative in its
coherent form. That is precisely the reason for some Axis affiliates’ pitiful
attempts at pretending, far too late, to have been overjoyed by Bashar
al-Assad’s fall.
The first, almost automatic, answer to the question, is that the series of
events that actually unfolded in each of these countries have affirmed that each
is independent of the others, both in how it receives events and in terms of the
event's implications for it. While none of this is news to anyone who does not
see things through the lens of these ‘’unity’’ myths, it has just been shown to
be true so emphatically and glaringly that even the blind cannot fail to see it.
The emergence of a different, even opposite, state of affairs in each of these
countries was, of course, among the many eventual outcomes that had never been
considered by those who committed the “Al-Aqsa Flood” and deluded themselves
into believing that “millions would rise” either to pray in Al-Aqsa Mosque or
for some other religious or worldly purpose.
The second answer, however, adds a layer of complexity to the simplicity of the
first. It is linked to the Palestinian cause as it was manufactured by the
resistance before catastrophically culminating in “Al-Aqsa Flood.” In addition
to dealing with it as something transcendental and sacred but never possible to
resolve politically, the resistance pitted the Palestinian cause against the
interests and freedoms of entire populations, including the Palestinians
themselves. In this sense, and in light of constant Iranian backing, a regime
like the Assad’s and a militia like Hezbollah came to occupy leading roles in
representing the cause and speaking for it.
However, it seems that the resistance had not been aware that manufacturing the
cause in this way would accelerate the shift toward independent national causes,
even if they needlessly added a bitter, sometimes chauvinistic, flavor to it.
Moreover, they themselves were the first to be crushed by this shift, and it
continues to grind them down. The extreme demands of these countries’ peoples
exceeded the latter’s capacities, going very far in their push against deep
societal trajectories, national sovereignty, and youths’ shifting aspirations.
However, the harm of the cause did not end there. As a result of the cause
having dragged the countries behind it for decades, the great opportunity now
available to the Syrians and Lebanese has arrived diminished and blunted. In
Lebanon, some positions on the border remain occupied, and in Syria, recently
occupied territory was added to the land that had been occupied in 1967. Thus,
the two countries could well find themselves compelled to make concessions that
could have been avoided. One fear is that Israel could compel the two countries
and their new political orders to pay a high cost, but one that is nonetheless
lower than that of following the cause and continuing to pursue it; or Israel
could perpetuate, for a period that is difficult to estimate, the hindrances to
their new liberation and leave it stagnant. It is not far-fetched to think that,
in the meantime, Tel Aviv will be betting on our internal tensions adding a card
to its negotiating deck. In any case, the state of
affairs looming over Syria and Lebanon, as they grapple with a catastrophic
situation, could be summed up as having to pay, if they are to keep moving
forward, a large number of bills that have piled up and are now due. However,
this looming state of affairs is also a test of our ability to engage in
politics responsibly.
Mustafa Al-Kadhimi’s Return to Iraq
Nadim Koteich/Asharq Al Awsat/March 04/2025
Former Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi is returning to Iraq as a
geopolitical earthquake shakes the Middle East, depriving Iran of its strategic
footholds in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria.
The first conclusion we can draw is that Tehran does not set the tempo any
longer. Meanwhile, the factions in Iraq that take their marching orders from
Iran are confronting existential challenges as calls for restoring the state's
authority and sovereignty, liberating it from the dominance of militias, are
growing louder. However, the irony is that Iran’s weakness adds to the
significance of Iraq, as Al-Kadhimi returns, in Iran’s calculations.
Within the span of just ten weeks from - September 27 to December 8, 2024 -
Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah’s assassination crowned the
collapse of Hezbollah’s leadership, and the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime
ended the strategic framework that Iran had been operating through to take its
influence to historically unprecedented levels. In addition, Hamas was destroyed
and almost all of Gaza has been turned to dust.
As a result, Baghdad has become Iran’s most suitable alternative to compensate
for losses in Syria, Gaza, and Lebanon. On the other hand, increasing numbers of
Iraqis are now calling for the "liberation of Iraq’s decision-making from
Iranian hegemony" amid growing pressure, both domestically and globally, on the
government to rein in armed factions and remove the threat they pose to
internal, regional, and global stability.
Therefore, it is difficult to view Kadhimi’s return as merely a footnote in a
shifting regional landscape or to dismiss it as just one of many signs pointing
to an opportunity for Iraq to redefine its relationship with its neighbor based
on new rules dictated by the changing regional balance of power and Iran’s
evolving position within it.
If it is true, as his opponents claim to undermine his popular legitimacy, that
Al-Kadhimi did not become prime minister (2020–2022) through democratic
elections, it is also true that he left a strong mark on the political
landscape. His government made progress on several issues that matter to Iraqi
citizens, taking unprecedented steps to contain the armed factions that had long
dominated governance, and it balanced Iraq’s foreign policy, recalibrating its
relations with regional and international powers.
The assassination attempt he survived in November 2021 is concrete evidence of
the deep resentment that his policies left and their impact on Iran’s agenda in
Iraq.
Al-Kadhimi is part of a broad segment of Iraq’s Shiite political forces that
seek to reinforce Iraq’s independence from Iran, going against the other faction
that maintains strong allegiance to Tehran. His return will invigorate a
political agenda that prioritizes dissolving the armed factions into the regular
security forces, which Iran’s proxy militias see as a direct threat to their
influence.
His return to Baghdad also coincides with the growing influence of Arab state
actors, particularly Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and with the continued presence
of the United States. Recent months have seen an increase in Gulf investment, as
well as indications from Washington that it is willing to help Baghdad rebuild
its armed forces - on the condition that the latter curbs the influence of
Iran-backed militias.
The fact is that Al-Kadhimi is not merely a controversial politician of
post-Saddam Iraq returning to power. His comeback is not just part of his
personal trajectory, it is closely tied to the resurgence of the narrative
advocating the independence of the Iraqi state, among both politicians and the
public, as well as the growing momentum behind the push to reshape relations
with Iran on new terms that respect Iraq’s sovereignty.
At the same time, Iran has room to maneuver. It understands that the domestic
shifts in Iraq will not necessarily cost it all of its influence. Iran may see
the political formula in Iraq to alleviate US pressure, especially with
President Donald Trump’s administration now in power. In contrast to what
happened in Syria, where the regime collapsed entirely, developments in Iraq are
likely to redistribute power within the current framework, giving Iran the
option to adapt instead of gambling away its influence all at once.
After Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria, there is now an opportunity for an Iraqi
political alliance that includes Al-Kadhimi, who can leverage his symbolism and
ties to patriotic and non-ideological Shiite factions, the Kurds, with their
political and geographic weight, and the Sunnis, with their weight in the Arab
world. This coalition could exploit Iran’s frailty and render it a steppingstone
on the path to reinforcing Iraq’s national sovereignty.
It would be no surprise if, in the upcoming elections, this alliance’s campaign
revolves around containing the militias’ influence, integrating them into state
institutions, strengthening ties with Gulf states as an economic and strategic
alternative to Iran, rebalancing Iraq’s relations with international powers so
that its foreign policy serves national in isolation of regional conflicts, and,
ultimately, advancing a new political vision centered on the notion of "Iraq
First" that ends Baghdad’s dependence on foreign axes.
Iraq will not remain immune to the political shifts precipitated by the October
7, 2023, attack and the military and political upheaval in the Arab Levant that
followed. Despite the challenges, Iraq is now in a better position than ever to
reclaim its sovereignty and go from being a passive recipient of Iranian
pressure to an active player that shapes its policies in line with its national
interests.
Zelensky’s ‘Trap’ in the White House… a Dangerous Message
to the World
Eyad Abu Shakra/Asharq Al Awsat/March 04/2025
Much has been said about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s controversial
meeting at the White House, and it generated many images, if not “conspiracy
theories.”
Nonetheless, the scene was a message to the world, a lesson to those who remain
captive to outdated conceptions of former US President Donald Trump’s mindset,
value system, understanding of political processes, how he defines friends and
enemies, and his commitment to respecting institutions, traditions, and
historical relationships. The cameras and microphones
captured something of a “trap” the Trump administration set for the Ukrainian
leader, not serious political dialogue between “allies,” regardless of the
disparity between them. While Zelensky had likely already been aware that
today’s Washington is not the Washington of yesterday, I doubt he expected the
“firing squad” to come at him in this public and dramatic fashion.
It is common knowledge that since 2014, Democratic administrations- under Barack
Obama (2009–2017) and Joe Biden (2021–2025)- made and reinforced most of the
United States’ commitments and pledges to Ukraine. On the other hand, Trump has
consistently demonstrated (during his presidency, on the campaign trail, and in
his public statements) that he cut from a different cloth, breaking not only
with his Democratic predecessors but also the approach of most American
presidents and leaders since the end of World War II in 1945.
One could argue that the man has an independent bent that allows him to “think
outside the box.” Of course, others believe that times have changed, and with
them visions of politics and risks. Major emerging challenges require a
different approach “liberated” from the constraints of the traditional alliances
and considerations that limit the president’s options and restrict his room for
maneuver.
All of that is valid. It has even been applied to the coexistence of two schools
of conservative thought that gradually came to dominate the Republican Party
since the early 20th century at the very least.
Historically, the party was home to a broad spectrum of right-wing and
center-right factions, as well as centrist and even progressives. A small list
of 20th and 21st-century figures who left their mark on the Republican Party
could include hardline conservatives like Senator Robert Taft, Senator Joseph
McCarthy, former presidential candidate Senator Barry Goldwater, former
California Governor, and President Ronald Reagan, and later, Governor and
President George W. Bush. These pre-Trump figures rose to prominence within the
Republican Party, as well as national politics, through rigid ideological
movements like McCarthyism, the “clash with the East,” the “Moral Majority”
(Evangelical Christian values), and later, the neoconservative movement born of
an alliance between the Christian right, Likudism, and the gun lobby.
Alongside those figures, the party was also home to realist and center-right
figures, notably former President and General Dwight Eisenhower, as well as
former Presidents and Governors Richard Nixon and George H.W. Bush; added to
them are many governors, senators, and presidential candidates like Thomas
Dewey, Robert Dole, John McCain, and Mitt Romney.
Finally, former President Theodore Roosevelt (who would be considered leftist by
today’s standards) was among the most prominent liberal and progressive centrist
presidents in US history. Other key figures included former Vice President
Nelson Rockefeller, along with senators such as Jacob Javits, Charles Percy,
John Chafee (who also served as Secretary of the Navy), and James Jeffords.
The pluralism that once defined the Republican Party had largely disappeared by
Donald Trump’s second presidential term. In fact, the hardline movements
mentioned before (despite their fanaticism relative to their own time) seem to
have been committed to respecting the foundations of American democracy, its
institutions, and traditions, particularly the principle of separation of
powers. They were also more open to a form of cohabitation of opposing views.
Despite their ideological rigidity, these movements were ultimately less prone
to "personalization" and "hero worship" than the MAGA. Make America Great Again
is not only Trump’s populist political base, it has become a de facto
replacement for the long-standing political traditions that had long been upheld
by both the Republican and Democratic parties in all their iterations.
MAGA and, behind it, President Trump, does not care for the separation of
powers, the peaceful transfer of power, or judicial independence. It refuses to
recognize the legitimacy of any election that its candidate fails to win. It did
not bat an eye before storming the US Capitol, the ultimate “sanctuary” of
democratic legitimacy in the US, to achieve its goals. In cooperation with the
unelected financial elite billionaires, it is currently gutting what remains of
the “New Deal” that was passed in the 1930s to provide American citizens with a
safety net after the Great Depression.
That sums up the domestic front. Abroad, every taboo has fallen: traditional
enemies have become friends, long-standing allies have been reduced to economic
competitors, and neighbors’ territory has become tempting and is now seen as
lawless space ripe for annexation, occupation, or forced purchases, while
undesirable populations are to be walled off.
The political culture in Washington inherited from the Cold War era has
collapsed- with the only exception, of course, being its unwavering support for
the ambitions of Israel’s far-right settler movement.
While mixed signals have been sent to allies and adversaries since January 20,
the most misguided and dangerous signal that Donald Trump has sent to the world
was his humiliation of the Ukrainian president.
Washington’s allies in East Asia and Western Europe cannot feel secure after
this episode. It has no viable vision for a stable Middle East, no safeguards
against a nuclear catastrophe in South Asia, and no reassurances, in Latin
America, against reckless populist regimes that refuse to accept limits.