English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For May04/2025
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news

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Bible Quotations For today
Jesus Appears to Two Of The Disciples On the Road to Emmaus & Explaines For Them The Scripture
Luke 24/13-35/Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him. He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?” They stood still, their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?”
“What things?” he asked. “About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.” He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.0 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on May 03-04/2025
Official Statement Issued by the Friends of Monsignor Mansour Labaky/Lebous El-Jardy/May 03/2025
Municipal Elections in Mount Lebanon: 68 Wins by Acclamation on Election Eve
Mount Lebanon municipal and mukhtars elections kick off—A walkthrough of the voting process
Israeli Drone Strikes Target Various Locations in South Lebanon
Israeli drone targets vehicle in Khartoum in Sidon district, two injured
Hezbollah condemns Israeli airstrikes on Syria
Qassem promises reevaluation and cooperation
Municipal and mukhtars elections postponed in Naameh and Haret El Naameh to ensure smooth voting process
Walid Joumblatt condemns Israeli strikes on Syria
From rocket launch to arrests: How Lebanon traced attackers to Hamas network
Lebanon Issues Official Warning to Hamas, Movement Vows Compliance
Security Forces Given Free Rein to Pursue Hamas Military Wing
Mossad Agents Behind Deadly 'Pager Operation' in Lebanon Publicly Honored During Independence Ceremony
Disarming Hezbollah: A Time-Sensitive Approach
When The Virgin "Turns," The Whole World Turns With Her!
Lebanese Information Center Statement in Support of the American University of Beirut

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on May 03-04/2025
Over 20 Israeli airstrikes target Syria amid Sunni-Druze tensions
UN chief condemns Israeli strikes on Syria
UN envoy condemns intense wave of Israeli airstrikes on Syria
Syria detains Damascus-based leader of prominent Palestinian faction
Israel's footprints in Syria: Push for 'Druze Republic' resurfaces as military advances in Syria
Israeli PM Netanyahu postpones upcoming visit to Azerbaijan
Iran says ‘has every right’ to enrich uranium, dismissing US concerns
Syria detains head of Palestinian group based in Damascus: Faction officials
Sudani: Syrian President’s Presence at Baghdad Summit Important for All
Seven killed in South Sudan hospital and market bombing, charity says
Hamas armed wing releases video of apparently injured Israeli hostage
Israel intercepts missile, Houthis claim attack
Gaza rescuers say three babies among 11 killed in Israel strike
Jordan, UK explore deepening trade ties under partnership agreement
Eurovision lifts ban on Palestinian flags as scrutiny of Israel’s participation grows
Yemen government names finance minister as new PM
US gives initial approval for $3.5 billion missile sale to Saudi Arabia before Trump's planned visit

Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sourceson on May 03-04/2025
President Trump: How You Can Be the Greatest Leader of the 21st Century/Dr.Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone Institute/May 3, 2025
Justin Trudeau was bad, but Mark Carney will be far worse/John Mac Ghlionn, opinion contributor/The Hill/May 03/2025
Trump must not repeat Bush’s Iraq mistakes in Iran/Reza Nasri, opinion contributor/The Hill./May 03, 2025
NATO’s potentially constructive role in Syria/Dr. Abdel Aziz Aluwaisheg/May 03, 2025
Remembering the victims of war is a first step toward peace/Yossi Mekelberg/Arabic News/May 03, 2025
A chronicle of collapse and international neglect in Sudan/Hafed Al-Ghwell/Arab News/May 03, 2025
Why boards must take the lead on sustainability to ensure long-term success/Majed Al-Qatari/Arab News/May 03, 2025
Beyond a Leaked Audio Recording of Nasser/Hazem Saghieh/Asharq Al-Awsat/May 03/2025

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on May 03-04/2025
Official Statement Issued by the Friends of Monsignor Mansour Labaky
Lebous El-Jardy/May 03/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/05/142981/
We, the friends and supporters of Monsignor Mansour Labaky, strongly denounce the vile campaign of slander and false accusations being spread against him. We consider this a malicious and unjust attack on a respected spiritual and national figure who has dedicated his life to serving Christ, the Gospel, and the Church.
Monsignor Labaky, like his spiritual forefather Saint Paul the Apostle, knows Jesus only as crucified. Despite the crushing weight of lies and pressure, he has stood tall like the cedars of Lebanon, because he is a man of honor and purity. Who, other than the pure in spirit, would endure such defamation in defense of a dignity that was assaulted by slanderers?
No matter how loud the vile howls of certain corrupt media voices grow, and no matter how far the fabricated and malicious rumors spread, the truth remains radiant like the sun—solid, unshaken, and entitled to defend itself, to expose lies, and to uphold justice.
Let us ask honestly:
Are those who falsely accused him and sealed their attacks truly Christians?
Are these the teachings of the Gospel they claim to follow?
We say it clearly:
Shame on such defamation, and shame on those who recklessly slander the great minds and souls of our Church—those who have excelled in knowledge, virtue, and sacred art.
We’ve heard the whispers and read the words of paid misinformation, echoed by mindless pawns who bleat like sheep, attacking a towering figure in the Maronite Catholic Church out of ignorance and malice.
So we ask:
Who are you, you mangy, bitter, foul-mouthed cur, to dare attack Monsignor Labaky?
Who gave you the right to insult men of God? This is not the conduct of a true Christian, especially when targeting a man of Monsignor Labaky’s stature and spiritual legacy.
You are not even worthy to polish his shoes, yet you attack him through your media platforms.
Shame on you—learn manners and humility from the man you defame, you who lack both decency and origin.
Who is this grotesque creature given space by the media to attack one of the sacred symbols of our Church?
This satanic, paid, disgraceful so-called journalist is devoid of faith in our message and our messengers.
Enough of your lies, arrogance, and poison!
To this hated, crooked, and soulless voice of corruption—and to all the Judas-like who share his wickedness—we say:
Do not ever again mention our priests and monks with your venomous tongues.
We demand a public apology, followed by silence and genuine repentance.
And let it be known:  We, the friends of Monsignor Labaky, will pursue legal action against all who participated in this campaign of defamation and slander, to ensure they face just punishment, in accordance with all applicable laws regarding libel, slander, and attacks on religious figures.
Enough is enough. We will respond through the law, through truth, and with unwavering determination—defending the dignity of a man who devoted his life to God and to the service of humankind.

Municipal Elections in Mount Lebanon: 68 Wins by Acclamation on Election Eve
This is Beirut/May 03/2025
The number of municipalities won by acclamation in Mount Lebanon now stands at 68 out of a total of 333, according to information obtained by al-Jadeed on Saturday. In these localities, only one list of candidates was submitted per municipality, making voting unnecessary and automatically guaranteeing their election. The last official figure, communicated by the authorities on Thursday, April 24, was 62 municipalities. Candidates had until April 28 to withdraw. In addition, it was decided on Saturday to postpone the elections in Naameh and Harat al-Naameh in order to ensure the electoral process runs smoothly. This decision comes after recent attempts to separate the two localities – which had previously been combined into a single municipality – by creating a separate entity for each.

Mount Lebanon municipal and mukhtars elections kick off—A walkthrough of the voting process
LBCI/May 03/2025
The first round of Lebanon’s municipal elections is set to begin within hours, covering towns and villages across the Mount Lebanon governorate. Upon arriving at polling stations, voters must first confirm their names on the electoral list, which determines the specific polling room in which they are to vote. At the polling room, the head officer verifies that the voter has not already cast their ballot by checking for ink on their fingers. Voters must present a valid ID or passport, after which their names are called out loud so list delegates can log their participation. The head officer then signs an official envelope—white for municipal elections and brown for mukhtars municipal seats. In the voting booth, voters write the names of their preferred candidates on a blank sheet, or they may use a pre-prepared list. As the voting system is based on a majoritarian and not proportional law, voters have the right to cross out names or add candidates from other lists, provided they do not exceed the number of seats allocated to the specific municipality. Any additional names beyond the seat limit will be disregarded. Voters must also ensure their ballot contains no identifying marks that could invalidate it.
After placing the completed ballot in the envelope, voters return from the voting booth, place their vote into the ballot box, sign next to their name, dip their fingers in indelible ink, and collect their identification documents.

Israeli Drone Strikes Target Various Locations in South Lebanon
This Is Beirut/May 03/2025
s targeting the outskirts of the towns of Markaba and Tallousseh, located in the caza of Marjeyoun, South Lebanon, on Saturday afternoon. In the late afternoon, an Israeli drone fired two guided missiles at a car in the village of Qabrikha, within the same caza. Another Israeli drone carried out a targeted airstrike earlier on Saturday afternoon against a Nissan Sunny vehicle near the old mosque in the village of Khartoum, in the Saida district. Rescue and Civil Defense teams promptly arrived at the scene to provide assistance. Two people were injured, one of them critically. Additionally, an Israeli drone equipped with a loudspeaker flew over the al-Majidiye area and its plain, threatening farmers and ordering them not to move around on motorcycles.

Israeli drone targets vehicle in Khartoum in Sidon district, two injured
LBCI/May 03/2025
An Israeli drone strike targeted a vehicle in the town of Khartoum in Sidon district, local sources reported on Saturday. However, the attack resulted in two people injured.

Hezbollah condemns Israeli airstrikes on Syria
LBCI/May 03/2025
Hezbollah strongly condemned what it described as a "cowardly Zionist aggression" following Israeli airstrikes on Syria, calling the attack a blatant violation of Syrian sovereignty. In a statement, the group accused Israel of hiding behind "false pretexts and empty slogans" to advance expansionist and divisive agendas aimed at destabilizing and fragmenting Syria. Hezbollah said the strikes were an apparent attempt to weaken the Syrian state and undermine its stability. "This aggression is part of the same pattern of continuous Israeli attacks on Lebanon and Gaza," the group said.
Reaffirming its support for Syria's territorial integrity and sovereignty, Hezbollah expressed confidence that the "honorable people of Syria" would stand firm against what it called suspicious schemes. The group also urged the international community, particularly Arab countries, to take immediate action to stop what it labeled as continued Israeli aggression targeting the stability, sovereignty, and security of nations in the region.

Qassem promises reevaluation and cooperation
Naharnet/May 03/2025
Hezbollah chief Sheikh Naim Qassem has said that Hezbollah “cannot continue with the same pace in all the security, military, political and cultural fields,” promising “a comprehensive evaluation of the previous period.”“We will work on facing these challenges with the continuation of the resistance as a liberation project and rejecting all forms of occupation, naturalization and normalization according to our available capabilities, while improving what we can, along with our allies, to confront these challenges in various ways,” Qassem added, in an interview with the pro-Hezbollah Eqtidar news portal. “Hezbollah is a capable and influential party in Lebanon on all levels, along with the Amal Movement and the allies and what they represent. We will work according to our national project to preserve Lebanon's sovereignty and independence and cooperate with the partners from the forces, parties and sects to achieve country's economic rise, rebuild what Israel destroyed, return the depositors' money, confront corruption and corrupts, and build a state of law," Qassem added. "There is a lot of work for the sake of this generation of men, women and children and for the future generations. We will confront the cultural, political, social and economic challenges with calculated and effective work, and our participation in the first government of President Joseph Aoun's tenure is in this context," Hezbollah's leader went on to say.

Municipal and mukhtars elections postponed in Naameh and Haret El Naameh to ensure smooth voting process
LBCI/May 03/2025
Authorities have decided to postpone municipal and mukhars elections in the towns of Naameh and Haret El Naameh to guarantee the proper conduct of the electoral process.

Walid Joumblatt condemns Israeli strikes on Syria
LBCI/May 03/2025
Former Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) leader Walid Joumblatt condemned the latest Israeli airstrikes on Syrian territory, including areas around the capital, Damascus, Friday night.Joumblatt described the repeated Israeli attacks as a blatant violation of Syria's sovereignty, warning that such actions undermine efforts to advance the political solution being pursued in coordination with President Ahmed Al-Sharaa. He called on Arab countries and the international community to extend full support to Syria in its efforts to rebuild the state, secure its future, and protect both its territory and citizens. Joumblatt also urged intense pressure on Israel to halt its ongoing violations by air and land and to end its occupation of parts of Syrian territory.

From rocket launch to arrests: How Lebanon traced attackers to Hamas network
LBCI/May 03/2025
Lebanese security agencies have identified members of Hamas as being behind the recent rocket attacks launched from South Lebanon on March 22 and 28, which Israel used as a pretext for retaliatory airstrikes on South Lebanon and Beirut that killed several people. According to security sources, four suspects have been arrested, and four others remain at large, reportedly hiding in the Palestinian refugee camps of Ain al-Hilweh, Rashidieh, and El-Buss. All eight individuals are believed to be affiliated with Hamas. Despite earlier attempts by Lebanon's military intelligence to secure their handover, the group did not cooperate until recently. Sources said Hamas acknowledged the group's affiliation but claimed the rocket attacks were conducted independently and did not represent an official decision by the movement. Following the Supreme Defense Council's recommendations, the Director General of General Security, Major General Hassan Choucair, summoned Hamas representative in Lebanon, Ahmad Abdel Hadi, to a meeting attended by Army Intelligence Chief Brigadier General Tony Kahwaji. Abdel Hadi was formally notified that Hamas must cease all military or security operations on Lebanese territory. Abdel Hadi pledged Hamas' full commitment to Lebanon's sovereignty, laws, and national security. He assured authorities that the four fugitives would be handed over within 48 hours. Security officials detailed how the suspects were apprehended. After the rocket launches, General Security detained a man whose fingerprints matched those found on one of the launch pads recovered by the Lebanese Army. Subsequent joint operations led to the arrest of two more suspects. The investigation expanded when army intelligence foiled a third rocket launch attempt during a raid on an apartment in the Zahrani area near Sidon.
During the operation, several rockets and launchers were seized. The arrested suspects later confessed to the involvement of four others hiding in refugee camps, all allegedly linked to Hamas.

Lebanon Issues Official Warning to Hamas, Movement Vows Compliance
This is Beirut/May 03/2025
Based on the recommendations of the Supreme Defense Council and a decision by the Lebanese government, General Security Director General Major General Hassan Shaker, in the presence of Army Intelligence Director Brigadier General Tony Qahwaji, summoned the Hamas representative in Lebanon, Ahmad Abdel Hadi. During the meeting, Abdel Hadi was formally informed of Lebanon’s official warning to Hamas, stressing the need to refrain from any actions that may threaten Lebanon’s national security. He was also reminded of the need to abide by Lebanese laws, residency conditions, and to refrain from any military or security activity on Lebanese territory. According to MTV, Abdel Hadi acknowledged the warning and declared Hamas’s full commitment to the Defense Council’s recommendations and the government’s decisions. He assured the authorities that Hamas would not engage in any activity undermining Lebanese sovereignty or national stability and would respect the agreements signed by the Lebanese state. Furthermore, Abdel Hadi pledged on behalf of the Hamas leadership to hand over the four individuals involved in the recent rocket attacks to Army Intelligence within a maximum of 48 hours.

Security Forces Given Free Rein to Pursue Hamas Military Wing
Bassam Abou Zeid/This is Beirut/May 03/2025
The Lebanese authorities—through the Higher Defense Council—have initiated a confrontation with the Palestinian movement Hamas, following the latter’s involvement in supporting Gaza from Lebanese territory under the full sponsorship of Hezbollah. While Lebanon has yet to address Hezbollah’s own weapons arsenal, it appears to be using the issue of Palestinian arms to signal to the international community its seriousness about asserting sovereignty, enforcing state authority, and reclaiming control over matters of war and peace. That said, international observers are acutely aware that the real test of Lebanese state authority lies in its ability—or willingness—to deal with Hezbollah’s armaments. Following a direct warning issued by the Higher Defense Council to Hamas and other factions over recent rocket launches from Lebanese soil, Hamas sources responded by denying the presence of formal military bases in Lebanon. They noted that arms can be easily obtained on the black market by anyone with means, often exceeding what Hamas itself possesses locally. These sources added that restoring relations with Lebanese authorities would require mutual cooperation and understanding, especially given the shifting geopolitical landscape—which, in their view, does not negate Israel’s continued ambitions in the region. According to security sources, Lebanese authorities have taken a decisive step: Hamas will be formally asked to cease any and all military operations from Lebanese territory, dismantle its armed infrastructure, surrender all weapons in its possession, and hand over suspects allegedly involved in launching rockets from Lebanon toward Israeli settlements. The Higher Defense Council has reportedly granted security agencies full authority to prevent any further rocket fire by any actor and to pursue Hamas’s military wing—the Ezzeddin al-Qassam Brigades. Security forces have been ordered to raid any site outside Palestinian refugee camps where Hamas fighters or military equipment may be located. The presence of armed Palestinian factions in the camps is expected to be a key topic during the upcoming visit of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to Beirut on May 21.Palestinian sources say the PA is currently drafting a proposal to address the weapons issue within the camps, which will be finalized next week for discussion with Lebanese officials. The plan aims to establish a coordination mechanism with Lebanese security forces—particularly the Lebanese Army—to manage all factions operating in the camps. However, implementation could prove difficult: several militant groups inside the camps operate independently of the PA, most notably Hamas and Islamic Jihad, along with more extreme groups such as Jund al-Sham and Asbat al-Ansar, especially in Ain al-Helweh camp. Moreover, there is growing concern that military confrontations may erupt if these factions resist Lebanese state decisions.

Mossad Agents Behind Deadly 'Pager Operation' in Lebanon Publicly Honored During Independence Ceremony
This Is Beirut/May 03/2025
During Israel’s 77th Independence Day torch-lighting ceremony on Mount Herzl last Wednesday, three masked Mossad operatives identified only by the initials “R,” “D” and “N” appeared publicly for the first time. Israeli media reported that these individuals led the covert “Killer Pager Operation” targeting Hezbollah members in Lebanon and Syria. “R,” a 49-year-old operations commander from central Israel, oversaw the entire mission within the Mossad’s operational division. Her responsibilities included managing agents, establishing fake infrastructure and companies and synchronizing field operations with technological, intelligence and logistical support. During the ceremony, “R” stated: “I am ‘R,’ an operations commander in the Mossad, a proud mother of three—including a daughter currently serving in Gaza and Lebanon. I light this torch on behalf of the men and women of Mossad operations in Israel and around the world. Through bold initiatives and relentless determination, we carry out missions that shatter the enemy’s spirit and build a strong, secure future for Israel.”According to Israeli intelligence sources, the Mossad’s operation, codenamed “Deadly Call,” took place on September 17, 2024. It involved distributing pager devices containing hidden explosives in the batteries. These were later detonated remotely, followed by another wave of detonations using booby-trapped walkie-talkies. The dual attack reportedly killed 27 Hezbollah members and wounded hundreds.
Mossad Director David Barnea previously described the pager operation as a turning point in Israel’s shadow war with Hezbollah, claiming it dealt a major blow to the group’s morale. “With this operation,” Barnea said, “we proved that ingenuity and deception can be mightier than brute force.”

Disarming Hezbollah: A Time-Sensitive Approach
Amal Chmouny/This Is Beirut/May 03/2025
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun's statement that Beirut will not forcibly disarm Hezbollah is reverberating through Washington, sparking debates about Lebanon's political future and the role of the heavily armed militia. Aoun aims for a dialogue-driven strategy, attempting to persuade Hezbollah to relinquish its arms instead of engaging in a potentially violent confrontation. However, this approach has not come without its critics. Former Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, David Schenker, voiced concerns regarding Aoun's strategy, stating that this strategy is likely "unacceptable" to the US and may hinder Lebanon's "sovereignty" efforts. Schenker's comments underline the challenges facing the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), which, while successfully addressing Hezbollah's weapons along Israel's border, seem hesitant to confront the militia's significant arsenal north of the Litani River.
No Disarmament, No Money
As discussions intensify regarding the disarmament of Hezbollah in Washington, analysts indicate that the ongoing debate is essential for maintaining momentum. The Trump administration, known for its maximum pressure policy, seeks to send a clear message through the visits of US officials to Lebanon: "The window of opportunity for change is closing, and stagnation is detrimental to Lebanon's interests." One source said that "the message from Washington is clear and simple: no disarmament and no reforms mean no money and investments."
Despite the criticism, sources close to the White House indicate that communication with President Aoun remains strong, suggesting continued support for his administration as it addresses these complex challenges. In this context, Hanin Ghaddar, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, told This is Beirut that "these discussions do not amount to pressure on Lebanon as much as they are pressure on Lebanese individuals within Hezbollah's orbit."
Control Lebanon
The “debate” approach reflects the urgency of the Hezbollah disarmament issue. Analysts suggest that Lebanon cannot afford to delay action on disarming militias, with shifting US interests in the Middle East increasingly focusing on Iranian, Gulf, and Israeli issues. Deputy US Special Envoy to the Middle East, Morgan Ortagus, who recently visited Beirut, underscored the necessity of asserting control across the entire country rather than merely along the Lebanese southern border. Aram Nerguizian, a senior associate with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, articulated the complexities inherent in this situation, emphasizing that the Lebanese must strike a "delicate balance" regarding disarmament. He cautioned that a "too slow" process could risk losing internal momentum and international legitimacy. Conversely, if disarmament moves "too fast", it could provoke accusations from Hezbollah's predominantly Shia community of acting as an Israeli proxy. Despite Hezbollah's purported openness to dialogue, Schenker cautioned that such overtures may be tactical rather than sincere. He warned that Hezbollah could be maneuvering for time to regroup following recent losses. As he asserted, the vital path to achieving Lebanon's sovereignty hinges on President Aoun and his government taking definitive steps toward disarming all militias. Political observers noted that for the US, the issue extends beyond simply disarming Hezbollah. The interests of America's regional allies, especially Israel and Gulf states, rest on curbing the militia's threat and its financial networks operating globally. As political dynamics continue to unfold, the strategies devised in Washington could have profound implications not only for US-Lebanese relations but for Lebanon's future sovereignty and stability. The unfolding scenario presents challenges and opportunities for the Aoun administration as it navigates the rocky terrain of Hezbollah's influence and the international community's expectations.

When The Virgin "Turns," The Whole World Turns With Her!
Fadi Noun/This Is Beirut/May 03/2025
The month of May has, for centuries, been dedicated to Mary. In Lebanon, the feast of Our Lady of Lebanon is celebrated on the first Sunday of May. On May 13, 1917, the Blessed Virgin appeared to three shepherd children in Fatima, entrusting them with messages—once considered "secrets"—that, though now revealed, continue to stir the conscience of the world. Shot in Saint Peter’s Square on that same date in 1981, Pope John Paul II understood the weight of those revelations in his flesh and spirit. According to the Virgin’s message, after great trials—of which Lebanon has had a painful foretaste for more than half a century—peace, the highest good imaginable, will be granted “for a time.” Yet this promise is not unconditional. In Christianity, there is no fatalism. Mary's words to the children of Fatima began with a warning: "If people do not listen to me..." Everything with God is conditional, and therefore, rooted in freedom—the freedom to give oneself to Him or to turn away. Had Pope Francis done nothing else but strive to make the Church a listening Church, as he sought to do in the final three years of his life, that alone would have been a monumental achievement.
Historians, poets, and theologians have long suggested that the biblical village of Cana—where Jesus performed his first public miracle at Mary’s prompting—might be located in southern Lebanon, near Tyre. Regardless of the site's true location, it remains that the Christians of Lebanon have embraced Mary with singular devotion. And in return, she has wrapped Lebanon in her protective mantle—as one would a beloved homeland.
One of her lesser-known yet extraordinary visits took place during Easter of 1970 and went largely unnoticed by the Eastern apostolic Churches. Only the Syriac Orthodox Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Mousseitbé retains memory of that spectacular nocturnal apparition—no less remarkable than her well-documented appearances in Zeitoun, Egypt, in 1968. This event is commemorated each year on the first Sunday after Easter, known in the Eastern Churches as the feast of Saint Thomas the Apostle—the one who believed only after seeing—and in the Latin Church, after John Paul II, as Divine Mercy Sunday.
The marvels accomplished by the Virgin Mary in Lebanon defy enumeration. Who can question, even for a moment, the role she played in the life of Saint Charbel and other towering figures of holiness—luminaries who continue to guide us through the darkness of doubt? Among these figures, the Church has yet to fully recognize one of the most remarkable women of our time: Mathilde Riachi, an illiterate woman who deciphered the Trinitarian structure embedded in the Arabic alphabet, and whose insight inspired the great Lebanese Christian philosopher Kamal Youssef el-Hage to write some of his deepest works.
"Come down from the cross so that we may believe in you," they mocked Jesus on the Cross. In much the same way, the prayer ministry of this visionary woman was initially dismissed with scorn. Her warnings of Lebanon’s descent into war were largely ignored—and tragically, only partially heeded.
From East to West, the Virgin Made Herself Known. During Lebanon’s civil war, the Blessed Virgin spared no effort to be present to tens of thousands of her children—most notably through the mystic Mathilde Riachi. Her hospitality, memory, prayers, and sacrifices still await proper recognition and investigation by the Melkite Greek Catholic Church. At a time when Lebanon's borders are again vulnerable, who could forget the extraordinary gesture she made in the 1970s—burying a barrier of small tin crosses throughout the land? Discreet yet enduring, they are believed to shield the nation through both tangible and mysterious means.
"Lebanon belongs to me!"—these bold words were spoken by Mathilde, in the name of the Blessed Virgin. And they are echoed in the silent presence of her great statue in Harissa, towering above the Mediterranean, at the sanctuary founded in 1908 in honor of the Immaculate Conception. There is nothing the Virgin would not do to preserve her homeland from destruction. Ask the cloistered Carmelite sisters of Harissa about one of the most astonishing events of that era—a motherly visit they received during the “war of liberation,” as Syrian artillery rained down from the heights of Ouyoun el-Simane.
It was May 6, 1989. Around 2:00 PM, the sound of machine-gun fire echoed through Jounieh. The sisters, sheltered in their convent and hesitant to approach the terraces, thought, “It must be a wedding... or perhaps a funeral.”
Then, around 4:00 PM, the phone rang unexpectedly. On the line, a woman’s voice called out to the Carmelite superior: “Mother, don’t you see that the Virgin is turning?”—an Arab idiom meaning the statue of the Virgin at Harissa was moving, turning her gaze in various directions. Mother Teresa of Jesus, a Spanish Carmelite, answered gently but hesitantly. The woman, however, insisted, her voice rising with conviction: “Yes, yes, Mother, I assure you! She’s been turning for two hours! Didn’t you hear the machine guns announcing her?”The superior, unaware that in Lebanon such mystical events could be heralded by gunfire, responded with charity and curiosity. “The Virgin is turning… really, what suffering,” she muttered to herself. Seeing nothing at first, and knowing it was the first Saturday of the month, she suggested the sisters gather at a window with a clear view of the statue and begin praying the rosary for peace.
No sooner had they begun than the unimaginable occurred: the statue of the Virgin, normally fixed atop the Harissa tower, appeared to come alive. She turned toward the monastery like a living person, and began to draw near. What followed was an outpouring of awe—prayers, tears, hymns, and cries of wonder. The vision hovered there, smiling, for a few precious minutes, before returning silently to her place above the sanctuary. "It was something beyond words—floating, alive, smiling..." Mother Teresa of Jesus would later recount. "We only saw her upper body, as in a medallion. She was about four meters from the window. It wasn’t stone. Her veil moved. It was Her—not a cloud. Something alive. What captivated us most was her smile. We sang. She didn’t speak, but we felt, deep in our hearts: ‘Do not be afraid. I am here.’ She was at ease—and we were even more so. But it’s something that cannot be explained.”Indeed, let us not burden such grace with unnecessary explanations. Let us simply recognize that in Lebanon, when the Virgin "turns," the whole world turns with her. Her intercession is all-powerful, and the key to peace rests in her hands—if only we are willing to listen.
(*) The full account of this wartime episode is recorded in the book Devastation and Redemption: A Chronicle of the Virgin’s Apparitions in Times of War, published by the Institute of Islamic-Christian Studies at Saint Joseph University, with a foreword by René Laurentin (currently out of print; a reprint is in progress).

Lebanese Information Center Statement in Support of the American University of Beirut
May 3, 2025
Washington, D.C. – The Lebanese Information Center (LIC) unequivocally condemns the recent smear campaign and threats of violence launched by Al-Akhbar newspaper against the American University of Beirut (AUB) and its leadership.
This vicious and politically motivated campaign - driven by Al-Akhbar’s allegiance to Hezbollah and its broader attempt to stifle American and Western-affiliated institutions in Lebanon - is an attack on academic freedom, civil discourse, and Lebanon’s intellectual heritage. In targeting AUB, Al-Akhbar continues its reckless pattern of intimidation, seeking to suppress any institution that embodies pluralism, free expression, and independence from the Iranian-led axis. The LIC stands in full solidarity with AUB, an institution whose legacy is inseparable from Lebanon’s modern history. Since its founding in 1866, AUB has been a beacon of academic excellence and enlightenment, producing generations of Lebanese thinkers, scientists, leaders, and reformers. Countless Lebanese Americans, including many within our own community, are proud alumni of AUB and continue to contribute to the global Lebanese diaspora with the values and education instilled by this world-class university.
We reject Al-Akhbar’s false narratives and incitement, and we call on all democratic forces in Lebanon to oppose this ongoing campaign of defamation and intimidation. Protecting institutions like AUB is essential not only for safeguarding Lebanon’s educational future but also for upholding the foundational principles of liberty and human dignity. The LIC reaffirms its unwavering commitment to supporting Lebanon’s sovereign institutions and defending the freedoms that define an open, democratic society.
Copyright © 2025 Lebanese Information Center, All rights reserved.

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on May 03-04/2025
Over 20 Israeli airstrikes target Syria amid Sunni-Druze tensions
Agence France Presse/May 03, 2025
Israel launched more than 20 air strikes inside Syria late Friday, a war monitor said, following up an attack near the presidential palace in Damascus which was condemned as a "dangerous escalation" by the country's Islamist rulers.
The strikes came amid Israeli warnings to the Damascus government not to harm the Druze minority, following recent sectarian clashes. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said more than 20 new strikes hit military targets across Syria in the "heaviest" assault carried out by Israel on its neighbor this year. Syria's state news agency SANA reported Israeli airstrikes near Damascus and in the west, at Latakia and Hama, as well as in Daraa in the south. It said one civilian was killed at Harasta near Damascus and four people were wounded near Hama. An Israeli military statement said its forces had "struck a military site, anti-aircraft cannons and surface-to-air missile infrastructure in Syria" but gave no further details. The Israeli strikes came after Druze clerics and armed factions reaffirmed their loyalty to Damascus, following clashes between Druze fighters and Syrian forces, including government-affiliated groups, in Jaramana and Sahnaya near Damascus and in Sweida province. The Observatory monitor said more than 100 people were killed in the fighting. Sweida is the heartland of the Druze religious group and an apparent drone strike killed four Druze fighters at a farm there Friday, the Observatory said. SANA said it was an Israeli attack.
Israel sends 'message'
An early morning blast in the presidential palace area of Damascus was heard across the city and sparked international concern. Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee said "warplanes attacked... the area near Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa's palace in Damascus", referring to the interim president. In a joint statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz called it a "clear message" to Syria's rulers who ousted president Bashar al-Assad in December. "We will not allow forces to be sent south of Damascus or any threat to the Druze community," they said. Syria's presidency called the strike "a dangerous escalation against state institutions", and accused Israel of destabilizing the country. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the Israeli strike as a violation of Syria's sovereignty, his spokesman said. The U.N.-mandated Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria expressed concern at the "deadly clashes with sectarian dimensions", and said Israeli airstrikes increased the risk to civilians. After this week's clashes a de-escalation deal was agreed between Druze representatives and the government, prompting troop deployments in Sahnaya and tighter security around Jaramana. Syrian officials said the agreement also included the immediate surrender of heavy weapons. An AFP photographer saw troops taking over checkpoints from Druze gunmen in Jaramana, although no handover of weapons was witnessed.
'Outlaw groups' -
Qatar, a backer of Syria's new rulers, and Saudi Arabia condemned Israel's "aggression". A German foreign ministry statement said: "Syria must not become the venue for regional tensions to be played out."Israel has attacked hundreds of military sites since Islamist-led forces deposed Assad. It has also sent troops into the demilitarized buffer zone that used to separate Israeli and Syrian forces on the Golan Heights. Israel launched strikes near Damascus on Wednesday and threatened more if violence against the Druze continued. The unrest was sparked by the circulation of an audio recording attributed to a Druze citizen and deemed blasphemous. AFP was unable to confirm its authenticity. Syria's government said "outlaw groups" were behind the violence, but the Observatory and Druze residents said forces affiliated with the new authorities attacked Jaramana and Sahnaya and clashed with Druze gunmen.
'Genocidal campaign' -
In Sweida, religious authorities and military factions said after a meeting that they are "an inseparable part of the united Syrian homeland", and rejected "division, separation or secession".SANA said security forces were being sent to Sweida to "maintain security". That move came after Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, a Druze spiritual leader, on Thursday condemned what he called a "genocidal campaign" against his people. Syria's new authorities have roots in the al-Qaida jihadist network. They have vowed inclusive rule in the multi-confessional, multi-ethnic country, but must also contend with internal pressures from radical Islamists. On Friday, Sharaa met Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, who has urged the minority community in Syria to reject "Israeli interference".The latest violence follows massacres of Alawites in March, when the Observatory said the security forces and their allies killed more than 1,700 civilians. That was the worst bloodshed since the overthrow of Assad, who is from that minority community. The government accused Assad loyalists of sparking the violence.

UN chief condemns Israeli strikes on Syria
Caspar Webb/Arab News/May 03, 2025
NEW YORK CITY: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday condemned repeated Israeli airstrikes on Syria as well as growing sectarian violence around Damascus and Suwayda. The condemnation came after more than 100 people were killed in clashes in the Syrian Arab Republic over the past week. The violence has taken place in two predominantly Druze suburbs of the capital, Jaramana and Ashrafiyat Sahnaya, as well as in the southern Druze stronghold of Suwayda. Guterres “has been monitoring with alarm the reports of violence in the suburbs of Damascus and in the south of Syria, including reports of civilian casualties and assassination of local administration figures,” UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Friday. The secretary-general condemned “all violence against civilians” and acts that “could risk inflaming sectarian tensions.”Amid the sectarian clashes, Israel launched a series of airstrikes on Syrian targets, in what it described as an attempt to protect the country’s Druze minority. Early on Friday, it bombed an area near the Presidential Palace in Damascus. Later that day, it targeted the Damascus, Hama and Daraa countryside, killing one civilian in the former and injuring four people in Hama, Syrian state news agency SANA reported. Israel acknowledged the strikes, which it claimed targeted “a military site, anti-aircraft cannons and surface-to-air missile infrastructure.”It followed a warning by Tel Aviv earlier this week that it would attack sites controlled by Syria’s new government if further sectarian clashes involving the Druze minority did not stop. Guterres condemned Israel’s violation of Syria’s sovereignty and said it was “essential” that the attacks stop. He called on all parties to “cease all hostilities, exercise utmost restraint and avoid further escalation.”Syria’s interim authorities under the government of President Ahmad Al-Sharaa must “transparently and openly” investigate all violations of peace in a bid to uphold their commitment to “dialogue and cooperation within the framework of national unity,” Guterres added. On Friday, experts appointed by the UN Human Rights Council on the Commission of Inquiry on Syria described the surge in sectarian violence as “deeply troubling.”The commission was established in 2011, and its three commissioners serve in an independent capacity. “The spread of discriminatory incitement and hate speech, including through social media, is fueling violence and risks threating Syria’s fragile social cohesion,” the commission said on Friday. “While the situation remains fluid and an agreement has reportedly been reached between prominent leaders in Suwayda and the authorities in Damascus, the commission underscores that the interim government remains responsible for ensuring the protection of all civilians in areas under its control. Impunity for grave violations has in the past been a consistent driver of Syria’s conflict and must not be allowed to persist.”The commission also highlighted the risk posed by Israeli airstrikes, as well as Tel Aviv’s continued expansion of its occupation in the Golan Heights. Israel’s attempts to “divide various Syrian communities risks further destabilizing Syria,” it said. “Syria’s recent history should serve as a reminder that external interventions have often led to increased violence, displacement and fragmentation.”

UN envoy condemns intense wave of Israeli airstrikes on Syria
Omar Sanadiki And Ghaith Alsayed/AP/May 3, 2025
HARASTA, Syria — The United Nations special envoy for Syria condemned Saturday an intense wave of Israeli airstrikes as Israel said its forces were on the ground in Syria to protect the Druze minority sect following days of clashes with Syrian pro-government gunmen.The late Friday airstrikes were reported in different parts of the capital, Damascus, and its suburbs, as well as southern and central Syria, local Syrian media reported. They came hours after Israel’s air force struck near Syria’s presidential palace after warning Syrian authorities not to march toward villages inhabited by Syrian Druze.
Israel’s military spokesperson Avichay Adraee wrote on X the strikes targeted a military post and anti-aircraft units. He also said the Israeli troops in Southern Syria were “to prevent any hostile force from entering the area or Druze villages" and that five Syrian Druze wounded in the fighting were transported for treatment in Israel. Syria’s state news agency, SANA, reported Saturday that four were wounded in central Syria, and that the airstrikes hit the eastern Damascus suburb of Harasta as well as the southern province of Daraa and the central province of Hama.
U.N. Special Envoy for Syria, Geir O. Pedersen, denounced the strikes on X. “I strongly condemn Israel’s continued and escalating violations of Syria’s sovereignty, including multiple airstrikes in Damascus and other cities,” Pedersen wrote Saturday, calling for an immediate cease of attacks and for Israel to stop “endangering Syrian civilians and to respect international law and Syria’s sovereignty, unity, territorial integrity, and independence.”Four days of clashes between pro-government gunmen and Druze fighters have left nearly 100 people dead and raised fears of deadly sectarian violence.
The clashes are the worst between forces loyal to the government and Druze fighters since the early December fall of President Bashar Assad, whose family ruled Syria with an iron grip for more than five decades. Israel has its own Druze community and officials have said they would protect the Druze of Syria and warned Islamic militant groups from entering predominantly Druze areas. Israeli forces have carried out hundreds of airstrikes since Assad’s fall and captured a buffer zone along the Golan Heights. The Druze religious sect is a minority group that began as a 10th-century offshoot of Ismailism, a branch of Shiite Islam. More than half of the roughly 1 million Druze worldwide live in Syria.Most of the other Druze live in Lebanon and Israel, including in the Golan Heights, which Israel captured from Syria in the 1967 Mideast War and annexed in 1981. In Syria, they largely live in the southern Sweida province and some suburbs of Damascus, mainly in Jaramana and Ashrafiyat Sahnaya to the south.

Syria detains Damascus-based leader of prominent Palestinian faction
Bassem Mroue/The Associated Press/May 03/2025
BEIRUT — Syria on Saturday detained a prominent Damascus-based Palestinian official whose group was close to the government of ousted president Bashar Assad. Talal Naji, 79, the leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command, or PFLP-GC, was detained Saturday morning shortly after he left his house with a driver and two guards, a Palestinian official told The Associated Press. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, added that shortly after Naji was detained near his home in the Mazze neighborhood, security officials came to his home and questioned two unarmed guards for about an hour. A Syrian government official told the AP that Naji was taken for questioning and should be released later. The official spoke anonymously because he was not authorized to speak to the media. The PFLP-GC became known for dramatic attacks against Israel, including the hijacking an El Al jetliner in 1968 and the machine gunning of another airliner at Zurich airport in 1969. In 1970, it planted a bomb on a Swissair jet that blew up on a flight from Zurich to Tel Aviv, killing all 47 on aboard. Naji’s arrest comes nearly two weeks after Syrian authorities detained two members of the Iran-backed Palestinian Islamic Jihad group. The group identified the two officials arrested at the time as its leader in Syria Khaled Khaled and another senior official Yasser Zafari. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad took part in the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on southern Israel that triggered the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. Under Assad, several Palestinians factions were based in Syria and some of them remained after the fall of his 54-year Assad family in December.

Israel's footprints in Syria: Push for 'Druze Republic' resurfaces as military advances in Syria
LBCI/May 03/2025
The Israeli army ramped up its military deployment along the Syrian border, bolstering its air force's list of potential targets in the region and granting soldiers stationed in southern Syria immediate authorization to respond to any infiltration attempts. According to Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, the deployment is intended to prevent what Israel labels as "hostile organizations" from entering areas inhabited by Druze communities, which Tel Aviv now considers a semi-military zone. Following a wave of heavy airstrikes on Saturday night, Israel's air force resumed targeting military facilities, including arms and missile depots, in a continued effort to undermine the capabilities of groups it accuses of planning attacks against Israel. Multiple military scenarios are reportedly under consideration in Tel Aviv, with the most prominent echoing a long-discussed concept of a "Druze Republic" in southern Syria—an idea initially proposed by former Israeli military and political figure Yigal Allon. According to Israeli analyst Israel Shapira, Syria's ongoing fragmentation presents an opportunity for Israel to push this vision, potentially expanding its control over Druze-populated southern towns as a geographical extension of the occupied Golan Heights.
Another proposed scenario involves relocating former members of the pro-Israel South Lebanon Army—who fled to Israel after its withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000—into areas near Druze towns in Syria. However, sources suggest this plan faces significant challenges, particularly due to resistance within segments of the Druze population who oppose integration with Israel. The scenario deemed most likely by Israeli security and political analysts involves creating a semi-autonomous Druze entity in southern Syria. This move would align with earlier discussions between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former U.S. President Donald Trump about dividing Syria into federated regions. Analysts believe that the Israeli army's current deployments and operational posture in southern Syria appear to be aimed at setting the groundwork for such a long-term territorial and political transformation.

Israeli PM Netanyahu postpones upcoming visit to Azerbaijan
Reuters/May 03/2025
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has postponed next week's visit to Azerbaijan, his office announced on Saturday, in part due to recent developments in Gaza and Syria. The prime minister's office also cited "the intense diplomatic and security schedule" and said that the visit would be rescheduled, without announcing a new date. Netanyahu was to visit Azerbaijan from May 7-11 and was expected to meet with President Ilham Aliyev. Israel and Azerbaijan maintain close security and energy ties.

Iran says ‘has every right’ to enrich uranium, dismissing US concerns
AFP/ 03 May ,2025
Iran defended on Saturday its “right” to enrich uranium despite growing Western concern that Tehran may be seeking nuclear weapons and as talks with the United States were delayed. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a post on X that “Iran has every right to possess the full nuclear fuel cycle,” citing Tehran’s long-standing membership of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). “There are several NPT members which enrich uranium while wholly rejecting nuclear weapons,” Araghchi said. Under the NPT, signatory states are obliged to declare their nuclear stockpiles and place them under the supervision of the UN’s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The United States and other Western countries have long accused Iran of pursuing nuclear weapons — a claim Tehran denies, insisting that its atomic programme is solely for civilian purposes. Iran and the United States have engaged in nuclear talks since April 12, their highest-level contact since Washington withdrew from a landmark deal with Tehran in 2018, during Donald Trump’s first term as US president. A fourth round of talks initially scheduled for Saturday has been postponed, mediator Oman said earlier this week, citing “logistical reasons.”In a Thursday interview with Fox News, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on Iran to “walk away” from enrichment, saying that “the only countries in the world that enrich uranium are the ones that have nuclear weapons.”Iran currently enriches uranium to 60-percent purity — far above the 3.67-percent limit set in the 2015 deal with the United States and other world powers, but below the 90 percent needed for weapons-grade material.The stockpile remains a concern for Western powers. On Monday French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said Iran was “on the verge of acquiring nuclear weapons” and said UN sanctions could be reimposed if Tehran’s actions threatened European security. Iran rejected the comments from France — a signatory to the 2015 nuclear deal — as “simply absurd.”Araghchi has previously called Iran’s right to enrich uranium “non-negotiable.”IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said on Wednesday that the enriched material “can be easily dissolved” or “shipped out” of Iran. Last month, Iranian government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani described the transfer of enriched material as a “red line.”Rubio said Iran should allow inspections of its nuclear facilities, including by US experts. He also called on Tehran to cease its support for Yemen’s Huthi rebels, whose attacks targeting Washington’s ally Israel and Red Sea shipping have prompted retaliatory US strikes. Tehran has insisted that the talks with Washington be solely focused on the nuclear issue and the lifting of sanctions, ruling out negotiations on its regional influence and military capabilities. Last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that a credible deal must “remove Iran’s capacity to enrich uranium for nuclear weapons” and prevent the development of ballistic missiles. Araghchi responded by accusing Netanyahu of “dictating” US policy.

Syria detains head of Palestinian group based in Damascus: Faction officials
Al Arabiya English/03 May ,2025
Officials of a small Palestinian militant group that was close to ousted Syrian president Bashar al-Assad said their leader was arrested Saturday by the country’s authorities. The arrest of the leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC) came after the armed wing of another Palestinian militant group, Islamic Jihad, said last month that the new authorities had detained two of its officials on unspecified charges. The United States, which blacklists both Palestinian the PFLP-GC and Islamic Jihad as “terrorist” organizations, has said it will not ease Assad-era sanctions on Syria until it has verified progress on priorities including acting against “terrorism.” Speaking on condition of anonymity because of sensitivity of the issue, a PFLP official told AFP that “secretary general Talal Naji was arrested” in Damascus. A second official confirmed the arrest, while a third said: “Naji was asked... to report to one of the security branches and has not returned. Most likely he was arrested.”The first official said the faction had contacted Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas and senior Hamas official Khaled Meshaal “to request their urgent intervention.”Last month, a statement from Islamic Jihad’s military wing said that the group’s Syria representative Khaled Khaled and organizing committee member Yasser al-Zafri had been detained in Syria for days “without explanation.”It expressed hope “that our brothers in the Syrian government” would release the pair, noting their detention came as the group is “fighting the Zionist enemy” in Gaza alongside its ally Hamas. Syria hosted Palestinian rejectionist factions for decades under the Assad family’s rule when it was part of the Iran-backed “axis of resistance” against Israel and the United States. In late March, US State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said Syria’s new authorities should “fully renounce and suppress terrorism, exclude foreign terrorist fighters from any official roles (and) prevent Iran and its proxies from exploiting Syrian territory.”with AFP

Sudani: Syrian President’s Presence at Baghdad Summit Important for All
Baghdad: Hamza Mustafa/Asharq Al-Awsat/May 03/2025
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani has stressed the importance of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s participation in the upcoming Arab League summit, calling it a key step toward announcing a “new vision” for Syria. Baghdad will host the 34th Arab League Summit on May 17, amid converging views over al-Sharaa’s invitation. Speaking in an interview with US journalist Tim Constantine, Sudani said the summit represents more than a ceremonial gathering. “Iraq is not just a host - we’re taking the initiative to offer solutions to the region’s crises,” he said. Sudani described his invitation to al-Sharaa as in line with the Arab League’s established protocol. “Regardless of the political dynamics or nature of the transition in Syria, al-Sharaa is the official representative of the Syrian state. His presence is crucial to express Syria’s perspective on its future,” he stated. “Syria is a cornerstone for Arab security and stability,” he added. “We are committed to supporting its recovery, political stability, and reconstruction.”While some factions in Iraq’s Coordination Framework political alliance initially objected to al-Sharaa’s invitation - especially after Sudani met him in Doha in the presence of Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad - opposition appears to be softening. The alliance has since declared its support for the summit, stating that attendance by Arab leaders is a government matter. With just weeks until the summit, Sudani sought to shift international perceptions of Iraq. “Iraq is not a war zone,” he said. “The situation on the ground is far more stable - people in Baghdad are out late at night, and over $88 billion in investment has flowed in, including a major oil deal with British Petroleum in Kirkuk.”He further pointed that tourism, too, was on the rise. “I’ve seen visitors at historic sites like Hatra near the Syrian border and in Ur, a pilgrimage site for Christians. This is not the Iraq often portrayed in the media,” he noted. However, Sudani acknowledged the challenges ahead. “The government’s biggest task is to restore public trust in state institutions after two decades of setbacks and widespread corruption.”On US-Iraq relations, Sudani stressed that ties extend beyond security. “We have strong economic partnerships with major American firms, and we import $4 billion worth of US vehicles. Recent tariff changes under President Trump affect us indirectly through third-party countries.”

Seven killed in South Sudan hospital and market bombing, charity says
Will Ross - Africa regional editor and Natasha Booty - BBC News/May 03, 2025
Fire burns following an aerial bombardment that resulted in casualties at the medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières run facility destroying the last remaining hospital and pharmacy in the northern town of Old Fangak in Fangak county, South Sudan May 3, 2025. MSF shared a picture which showed part of the hospital on fire [Médecins Sans Frontières/Reuters]. At least seven people have been killed after a hospital and market were bombed in South Sudan, a medical charity has said, as fears grow of a return to civil war. Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said helicopter gunships dropped a bomb on the pharmacy of the hospital it runs in Old Fangak, Jonglei state, burning it down, before firing on the town for 30 minutes. A drone then bombed a local market, MSF said. The hospital is the only one in Fangak county, which has a population of more than 110,000 people, MSF said, and all its medical supplies were destroyed.
The charity called the attack, which left 20 people injured, a "clear violation of international humanitarian law". MSF spokesman Mamman Mustapha told the BBC's Newshour programme the charity was still trying to establish the facts, but local witnesses had said the aircraft were "government forces helicopters".
"The hospital is clearly marked as 'hospital' with our logo," he said. "We have shared also our coordinates for all the warring parties in the area so the hospital should be known to both parties as a hospital."There was no immediate comment from South Sudan's government. The BBC has contacted the foreign affairs ministry. In recent weeks, Nicholas Haysom, who leads the UN mission in South Sudan, has warned the country is "teetering on the brink of a return to full-scale civil war".Those worries have been stoked by an escalating feud between President Salva Kiir and Vice-President Riek Machar. Hours before the bombing, the head of the army, Paul Majok Nang, promised punitive strikes after several barges on a river were hijacked. He blamed those attacks on a militia linked to Vice-President Machar, who has not commented on the claim. Machar was arrested in March along with several of his associates, and accused of trying to stir up a rebellion. The government has recently listed counties it considers to be hostile - in other words allied to Machar. That increased the suspicion that South Sudan could be headed for another conflict involving the country's two largest ethnic groups.
South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in 2011 but two years later, a civil war erupted when President Kiir dismissed Machar as vice-president, accusing him of plotting a coup. The ensuing conflict, largely fought along ethnic lines between supporters of the two leaders, resulted in an estimated 400,000 deaths and 2.5 million people being forced from their homes – more than a fifth of the population. A peace deal was reached in 2018 and a unity government forged with the same two men at the helm, but elections that were supposed to have been called since then have not happened. The peace deal was also meant to see the end of all the militias and the formation of one united army – but that has not happened and many armed groups are still loyal to different politicians. The current crisis was sparked earlier this year when the White Army militia, which was allied to Machar during the civil war, clashed with the army in Upper Nile state and overran a military base in Nasir.Then, in March, a UN helicopter attempting to evacuate troops came under fire, leaving several dead, including a high-ranking army general.
*Rights groups have been calling for the military to stop bombing civilian areas.

Hamas armed wing releases video of apparently injured Israeli hostage
AFP/May 03, 2025
JERUSALEM: The armed wing of Hamas, the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, released a video Saturday showing an Israeli-Russian hostage who appeared to have been injured in a strike on the Palestinian territory. In the undated four-minute video, the hostage, wearing bandages on his head and left arm spoke in Hebrew, implying he had been wounded in a recent Israeli bombardment. AFP and Israeli media identified the hostage as Russian-Israeli Maxim Herkin, who turns 37 at the end of May. His family urged media not to disseminate the video. He referred to himself only as “Prisoner 24” in the footage and was not identified by Hamas. He was shown lying on the ground and referred to Israel’s Independence Day celebrations on Thursday as upcoming, suggesting the video was filmed shortly beforehand. AFP was unable to determine the health of Herkin, who gave a similar message to other hostages shown in videos released by Hamas, urging pressure on the Israeli government to free the remaining captives. Militants in the territory still hold 58 hostages seized in Hamas’s October 2023 attack on Israel. The army says 34 of them are dead. Hamas is also holding the remains of an Israeli soldier killed in a previous war in Gaza in 2014. Herkin also appeared in a previous video released by Hamas in early April, wearing a small bandage on his right wrist and a bandage on his cheek and ear. In that video, he appeared alongside a second hostage Israeli media identified as soldier Bar Kuperstein. Palestinian militants had abducted the two men from the Nova music festival during the Hamas attack which resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. A truce in Gaza between Israel and Hamas came into force on January 19, largely halting more than 15 months of fighting. During the six-week ceasefire militants handed over 33 hostages, eight of them dead. Israel resumed major operations across Gaza on March 18 amid deadlock over next steps in the ceasefire. The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said on Saturday that at least 2,396 people have been killed since Israel resumed its campaign in Gaza, bringing the overall death toll since the war broke out to 52,495. The Israeli government says its renewed offensive aims to force Hamas to free the remaining captives, although critics charge that it puts them in mortal danger. Since the end of the truce, Hamas has released several videos of hostages. The latest images come as efforts by mediators to broker a new truce have stalled. Herkin, had emigrated to Israel from Ukraine with his mother.Before being taken from the Nova festival, Herkin, father of a young girl, had written to his mother: “All is well. I’m coming home.”

Israel intercepts missile, Houthis claim attack
AFP/May 03, 2025
JERUSALEM: The Israeli military said on Saturday it intercepted a missile launched from Yemen, the third such attack claimed by the Houthis in two days. The Houthis, who control swaths of Yemen, have launched missiles and drones targeting Israel and Red Sea shipping throughout the Gaza war, saying they act in solidarity with Palestinians. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree, in a video statement on Saturday, said the group had targeted a military installation in central Israel “using a Palestine 2 hypersonic ballistic missile.”An Israeli military statement earlier said that “a missile that was launched from Yemen was intercepted” after air raid sirens sounded in several areas of the country. A journalist in Jerusalem said sirens were heard in the city. The latest missile fire comes a day after Israel said it had intercepted two missiles in 12 hours — both claimed by the Houthis.The Houthis had paused their attacks during a recent two-month ceasefire in the Gaza war. But in March, they threatened to resume attacks on international shipping over Israel’s aid blockade on the Gaza Strip. The move triggered a response from the US military, which began hammering the militia with near-daily airstrikes starting March 15 in a bid to keep them from threatening shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. US strikes on the Houthis began under former President Joe Biden, but intensified under his successor, Donald Trump. Since March, the US says it has struck more than 1,000 targets in Yemen. The Houthi-run Saba news agency said that US strikes hit the capital Sanaa and the neighboring districts of Bani Hashish and Khab Al-Shaaf.

Gaza rescuers say three babies among 11 killed in Israel strike
AFP/May 03, 2025
GAZA CITY: Gaza’s civil defense agency said Saturday that an overnight Israeli strike on the Khan Yunis refugee camp killed at least 11 people including three babies up to a year old. Civil defense spokesman Mahmud Bassal reported 11 killed “after the bombardment of the Al-Bayram family home in the Khan Yunis camp” in southern Gaza at around 3:00 am (0000 GMT). Bassal told AFP that eight of the dead had been identified and were all from the same extended family, including a boy and girl, both one-year-olds, and a month-old baby. Contacted by AFP, the Israeli military did not immediately comment on the strike. Israel resumed its military offensive in Gaza on March 18 after a two-month truce in its war against Hamas that was triggered by the Palestinian militant group’s October 7, 2023 attack. On Friday the civil defense agency said Israeli strikes killed at least 42 people across the war-ravaged territory, which has been under a total Israeli blockade since March 2.Israel halted aid deliveries to Gaza, saying Hamas had diverted supplies. Israel says the blockade is meant to pressure the militants into releasing hostages held in the Palestinian territory. UN agencies have urged Israel to lift restrictions, saying that Gazans were experiencing a humanitarian catastrophe and warning of famine.

Jordan, UK explore deepening trade ties under partnership agreement
Arab News/May 03, 2025
AMMAN: Jordan and the UK have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening economic and trade cooperation under the framework of their 2021 bilateral partnership agreement, the Jordan News Agency reported. During talks in Amman on Saturday, Minister of Industry, Trade, and Supply Yarub Qudah met with British Trade Envoy to Jordan, Kuwait, and Palestine, Iain McNicol, to discuss progress made under the deal and explore further avenues of collaboration. Philip Hall, the British ambassador to Jordan, also attended the meeting. According to a statement from the Jordanian Ministry of Industry, the discussions touched on efforts to streamline rules of origin and the development of mechanisms to monitor the agreement’s implementation; chief among them the launch of a Partnership Council and technical committees. Qudah highlighted several ongoing challenges, including the complexity of the rules of origin, and the comparatively high costs of compliance and export for Jordanian producers. He stressed the need to review the terms of the current agreement to ensure Jordanian products are granted preferential access to UK markets— particularly in light of the United Kingdom’s Developing Countries Trading Scheme, which offers more favorable terms to other nations. McNicol affirmed Britain’s “keenness” to deepen trade ties with Jordan and expressed support for improving the Kingdom’s investment environment. He also emphasized the UK’s commitment to sustainable trade initiatives, including support for small and medium-sized enterprises, and stimulating British investment in Jordan’s “vital” productive sectors. Looking ahead, both sides agreed to accelerate preparations for the upcoming Jordanian-British Business Forum, which they said would provide a key platform to strengthen private-sector ties and explore new areas of economic cooperation.

Eurovision lifts ban on Palestinian flags as scrutiny of Israel’s participation grows
Arab News/May 01, 2025
LONDON: Organizers of the Eurovision Song Contest have lifted a ban on Palestinian flags for audience members, but maintained restrictions for participating artists, as pressure over Israel’s inclusion in this year’s event increased. The change, confirmed by Danish broadcaster DR, marks a shift from the European Broadcasting Union’s longstanding rule prohibiting flags from non-competing countries and territories. That policy led to Palestinian flags being banned in previous years. According to updated guidelines obtained by DR, fans will now be allowed to bring and display any flag that does not contain “racist and/or discriminatory content,” or symbols thought to incite hatred, violence, or linked to banned organizations. In a statement to CNN, the EBU said the update seeks to “strike a balance to ensure that our audiences and artists can express their enthusiasm and identities,” while offering greater clarity for national delegations. However, the relaxed policy applies only to the audience. Participating artists will still be restricted to displaying official national flags in all official Eurovision spaces, including the stage, green room, and Eurovision Village. Artists may show only the flag of the country they represent.
The revised policy comes amid growing criticism of Israel’s participation in this year’s contest to be held in Basel, Switzerland, with semifinals on May 13 and 15 and the final on May 17. Officials in countries including Slovenia, Spain and Iceland have questioned Israel’s inclusion. Icelandic Foreign Minister Porgerour Katrin Gunnarsdottir told a local outlet she found it “strange and actually unnatural that Israel is allowed to participate,” accusing the country of committing “war crimes” and “ethnic cleansing” in Gaza. Despite these objections, the EBU has confirmed that Israel’s entry meets the competition’s rules. As with last year, large-scale protests are expected in Basel against Israel’s participation. Despite pressure from pro-Israel organizations, Swiss authorities said demonstrations are permitted in principle, including those opposing Israel’s presence, provided they comply with public safety regulations.

Yemen government names finance minister as new PM
AFP/May 03, 2025
DUBAI: Yemen’s internationally recognized government named finance minister Salem bin Buraik as its new prime minister on Saturday, after his predecessor quit saying he was unable to fully exercise his powers. Outgoing premier Ahmed Bin Mubarak had disputed for months with Rashad Al-Alimi, who heads the Presidential Leadership Council, two ministers and a member of the PLC told AFP. Alimi named Bin Buraik prime minister in a decision published by the official Saba news agency. No other ministerial changes were announced. Analyst Mohammed Albasha, of the US-based Basha Report Risk Advisory, posted on X that Bin Buraik is seen as non-confrontational — “a sharp contrast to his predecessor, with whom much of the cabinet, and even the president, had fallen out.”After Iran-backed Houthis seized the capital Sanaa in 2014, Yemen’s government withdrew to Aden in the south.The militia went on to control most population centers in the impoverished Arabian Peninsula country. Bin Mubarak earlier posted on X that he had handed Alimi his letter of resignation. In it he said: “I could not exercise my constitutional powers and take the necessary decisions to reform government institutions or implement rightful governmental changes.”The changes come as the Houthis who control much of Yemen wage fire missiles at Israel and target shipping in key waterways in what they say is a show of solidarity with Palestinians over the war in Gaza. In his resignation letter, Bin Mubarak said that despite the obstacles he had achieved “many successes,” citing fiscal and administrative reforms and an anti-corruption drive. However, Albasha told AFP Bin Mubarak had been “in constant friction with the Presidential Leadership Council.”“Bin Mubarak wanted to be more than Prime Minister — he wanted the powers of the presidency. That aspiration isolated him politically,” Albasha said. The three Yemeni official sources, who spoke to AFP requested anonymity in order to speak freely, said Bin Mubarak had suspended the budgets of several ministries including defense, citing corruption, further fueling tensions.“His drive for greater power — viewed by many as fueled by personal ambition — led to repeated confrontations with key ministers and most Council members,” Albasha said. Yemen’s former ambassador to the US and envoy to the UN, Bin Mubarak is a staunch adversary of the Houthis, who abducted him in 2015 and held him for several days. He became foreign minister in 2018 and prime minister in February last year. His departure should “ease internal tensions and reduce the deep divisions that have plagued Yemen’s internationally recognized government — a necessary and positive step toward restoring cohesion,” Albasha said. The conflict in Yemen has caused hundreds of thousands of deaths and triggered one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, although the fighting decreased significantly after a UN-negotiated six-month truce in 2022. Since the Gaza war erupted in October 2023 after Hamas attacked Israel, the Houthis have repeatedly targeted Israel and ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden that they say are linked to it. They paused their attacks during a two-month Gaza ceasefire, but in March a threat to resume attacks over Israel’s Gaza aid blockade triggered a renewed and sustained US air campaign targeting areas in Yemen they control.

US gives initial approval for $3.5 billion missile sale to Saudi Arabia before Trump's planned visit
Associated Press/May 03, 2025
The United States has given initial approval to sell $3.5 billion worth of air-to-air missiles for Saudi Arabia's fighter jets, the latest proposed arms deal for the region ahead of President Donald Trump 's planned trip to the region later this month. The sale, announced early Saturday, likely will be one of several heralded by Trump on his visit to the kingdom. Saudi Arabia has already said it wants to invest $600 billion in the United States over the next four years, likely as a way to woo Trump to again pick the kingdom for his first formal trip as president. Trump traveled to Italy briefly for Pope Francis' funeral. Trump's 2017 trip to Saudi Arabia upended a tradition of modern U.S. presidents typically first heading to Canada, Mexico or the United Kingdom for their first trip abroad. It also underscored his administration's close ties to the rulers of the oil-rich Gulf states as his eponymous real estate company has pursued deals across the region. The arms sale involves 1,000 AIM-120C-8 advanced medium range air-to-air missiles, guidance sections and other technical support. The missiles will be built by RTX Corp of Tucson, Ariz. The Royal Saudi Air Force has the world's second-largest fleet of F-15 fighter jets after the U.S. "This proposed sale will support the foreign policy goals and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a partner country that contributes to political stability and economic progress in the Gulf Region," the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a statement. The proposed sale now goes to the U.S. Congress. Lawmakers typically weigh in on such sales and, in some cases, can block them. Saudi Arabia has faced intense Congressional scrutiny for years, first for launching a war on Yemen's Houthi rebels back in 2015 that saw the kingdom's airstrikes kill civilians. Then a Saudi assassination team killed Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul in 2018. The U.S. intelligence community concluded the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who likely will meet Trump on his visit this month and met with President Joe Biden in his term, ordered the operation against Khashoggi. The kingdom insists the prince was not involved in the killing. Trump maintained close ties to the Gulf states after leaving office. His second administration has already given initial approval for the energy-rich Mideast nation of Qatar to buy eight armed MQ-9B Reaper drones for its military, a purchase estimated to be worth nearly $2 billion.

The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on May 03-04/2025
President Trump: How You Can Be the Greatest Leader of the 21st Century
Dr.Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone Institute/May 3, 2025
If Iran can enrich a little uranium, it can at any time enrich a lot.
Iran's latest diktat to the United States openly states that the regime has no interest in compromise, no intention of abandoning its nuclear weapons program, and no fear of impotent threats from a US president.
The Iranian regime at least deserves credit for honesty. The mullahs want to preserve its uranium enrichment program: it gives the regime a loaded gun pointed at the world.
This cat-and-mouse game has been Iran's playbook for nearly 20 years. The regime pretends to comply with some dismissible Westerner, dial back enrichment slightly to satisfy desperate Western politicians who want to score short-term diplomatic victories, and in return, they extract billions of dollars in sanctions relief, economic benefits and especially political legitimacy.
One thing is certain: the minute it is clear that Iran has acquired nuclear weapons, every country in the Middle East, except for Israel, will submit to it rather than risk being bombed.
Mr. President, you have a choice. You can leave behind a legacy as the great, historic global leader who had the courage to save the entire free world from the Iranian nuclear threat. Or you can seek a meaningless political victory by signing a deal that will just paper over the crisis for twenty minutes. If you negotiate a weak agreement, history will remember you not as a success, but as a gigantic "loser" – and regard you with the same derision as Chamberlain. Chamberlain never got a Nobel Peace Prize and neither will you. But if you save the world from a nuclear Iran, you will go down in history as a second Winston Churchill.
Continuing to negotiate with an Iran that has bluntly stated that it will never give up its claimed "right to enrich uranium" is not diplomacy, it is surrender. Any agreement that allows even limited enrichment is a betrayal of everything the West stands for. We must not walk down that path again.
Mr. President, act now, decisively, and ensure that Iran's nuclear ambitions are buried forever -- and most of all that your legacy as the greatest leader of the 21st Century is enshrined forever.
Iran's latest diktat to the United States openly states that the regime has no interest in compromise, no intention of abandoning its nuclear weapons program, and no fear of impotent threats from a US president. Pictured: Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian looks on as a 'Qasem Soleimani' missile is displayed during a military parade in Tehran, on September 21, 2024. (Photo by Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images)
Iran's true intentions could not have been made any clearer: Last week, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi flatly declared the issue of uranium enrichment is "non-negotiable."
Iran has called President Donald J. Trump's bluff about bombing the country if the regime does not voluntarily dismantle its uranium enrichment centrifuges, ballistic missiles and the rest of its nuclear program. Trump immediately folded. Now the president seems to be backing down and trying to dodge: "I think we can make a deal without the attack."
Uh, no, unfortunately, he cannot. If Trump tries to persuade Iran's regime to surrender its nuclear weapons with no firm deadline, the US, perhaps at the end of Trump's term, will soon find itself either surrendering or "dragged into a war." Sadly, this assessment does not even take into account the nuclear arms race that will take place when Iran decides to uncap its centrifuges and quickly enrich uranium to a weapons-grade 90%. Based on statements last July by then Secretary of State Antony Blinken -- "it [Iran] is now probably one or two weeks away from doing that" -- it is probable that Iran already has nuclear weapons capability.
Araghchi's declaration appeared in direct response to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio's announcement that Washington was seeking a deal that would fully prevent Iran from enriching any uranium. If Iran can enrich a little uranium, it can later enrich a lot.
What one sees is that even when the United States extends an olive branch and offers diplomatic engagement, Iran, with no hesitation, doubles down on its nuclear demands. Tehran does not even pretend anymore. It openly defies the West. Iran's regime appears confident that there will always be enough naïve American presidents, politicians and negotiators willing to sign another disastrous deal, pretending to the public that they have won another victory for "diplomacy."
British Prime Minster Neville Chamberlain was tricked the same way by Hitler in 1938, but did not have the benefit of hindsight. We do. Iran's latest diktat to the United States openly states that the regime has no interest in compromise, no intention of abandoning its nuclear weapons program, and no fear of impotent threats from a US president.
The Iranian regime at least deserves credit for honesty. The mullahs want to preserve its uranium enrichment program: it gives the regime a loaded gun pointed at the world.
As with the President Barack Obama's 2015 JCPOA deal -- in which Iran, thanks to the deal's "sunset clauses," would legitimately be building as many nuclear weapons as it liked, beginning October 18, 2025 -- if enrichment is capped at a lower level, the infrastructure, knowledge, and capacity to quickly escalate to weapons-grade uranium remains firmly in Tehran's hands.
This is the Iranian regime's entire strategy: maintain just enough of the nuclear program under international legitimacy to ensure that, at a time of their choosing, they can "break out" their nuclear weapon and use it as a means of intimidation.
One thing is certain: the minute it is clear that Iran has acquired nuclear weapons, every country in the Middle East, except for Israel, will submit to it rather than risk being bombed.
This cat-and-mouse game has been Iran's playbook for nearly 20 years. The regime pretends to comply with some dismissible Westerner, dial back enrichment slightly to satisfy desperate Western politicians who want to score short-term diplomatic victories, and in return, they extract billions of dollars in sanctions relief, economic benefits and especially political legitimacy.
Once the Western politicians -- often celebrated as "peacemakers" -- who negotiated the deals have left office, Iran quietly ramps up its activities again, always ending up far stronger than before. This cycle has repeated itself so many times that it should no longer be called diplomacy; it should be called what it is: appeasement.
If you take an honest look at the past two decades, despite all the appeasement and deals one after another, and despite so-called "assurances" from the international community, Iran's nuclear program has kept on advancing.
During the early stages of its nuclear program, Iran was still years away from being able to produce enough fissile material for a bomb. Now, after decades of talks and deals, Iran could very well be a nuclear-armed state. Each round international negotiation happily gave Iran breathing room, time to develop its technology, and money to stabilize its collapsing economy. The West's obsession with political optics -- holding up pieces of paper and proclaiming "peace in our time" -- has allowed Iran to play the long game. Iran's is not a government that thinks in four- or six-year election cycles. It is a regime ruled by a "Supreme Leader" who thinks in terms of decades and is comfortably willing to wait out spineless Western leaders.
Meanwhile, in our democracies -- looked down on by the theocratic regime with righteous contempt -- politicians are focused almost exclusively on scoring a political win they can cite on the campaign trail, boosting approval ratings and getting re-elected. Western politicians look no further than the next election; Iran looks at the destination.
Tehran understands that Western leaders are desperate for "achievements" they can list on their résumés. Iran plays along just enough to let them declare hollow victories, and then resumes its nuclear conquest once the temporary "roadblock" is gone. In this way, the regime has outlasted multiple American presidents, European prime ministers, and countless negotiators. Iran just keeps steadily advancing while the West congratulates itself on meaningless accords.
That is why any new agreement permitting Iran to keep even the smallest amount of a capacity to enrich uranium is not a solution -- it is capitulation. It gives Iran precisely what it wants: the ability to break out nuclear weapons while enjoying economic recovery, international acceptance and continuing to sow international terrorism.
Worse yet, this backing down sends a dangerous signal to other rogue states -- that defiance pays off.
Allowing Iran to enrich uranium at even the lowest levels leaves the world at the mercy of a brutal, fanatical regime, it makes a mockery of the non-proliferation show, and again reveals that a supine West is unwilling to confront real danger with the seriousness it demands.
The only solution for Trump, unfortunately, is not what he wishes: the complete and total dismantlement of Iran's nuclear program with no enrichment, no centrifuges and no facilities capable of being restarted. Sadly, nothing will really work short of the full destruction of Iran's centrifuges, ballistic missile program and ability to export terrorism via its insatiable proxies.
Dear President Trump, most importantly, all this work must not be entrusted to the international community, the United Nations, or any multilateral body that has already proven incapable of dealing with Tehran's duplicitous regime. Total disarmament must be the responsibility of the United States and Israel -- which Iran calls the "Great Satan" and the "Little Satan."
America, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeatedly points out, is the country Iran's regime actually wants; Israel is standing in the way. What is it about "Death to Israel" and "Death to America" that is so difficult to understand? A coordinated effort between Washington and Jerusalem would ensure that Iran's nuclear dream is permanently crushed. Anything less, Mr. President, is destined to end up in the war you seem to be hoping to sidestep.
Mr. President, you have a choice. You can leave behind a legacy as the great, historic global leader who had the courage to save the entire free world from the Iranian nuclear threat. Or you can seek a meaningless political victory by signing a deal that will just paper over the crisis for twenty minutes. If you negotiate a weak agreement, history will remember you not as a success, but as a gigantic "loser" – and regard you with the same derision as Chamberlain. Chamberlain never got a Nobel Peace Prize and neither will you. But if you save the world from a nuclear Iran, you will go down in history as a second Winston Churchill.
It is time to stop the charade. Continuing to negotiate with an Iran that has bluntly stated that it will never give up its claimed "right to enrich uranium" is not diplomacy, it is surrender. Any agreement that allows even limited enrichment is a betrayal of everything the West stands for. We must not walk down that path again.
Mr. President, act now, decisively, and ensure that Iran's nuclear ambitions are buried forever -- and most of all that your legacy as the greatest leader of the 21st Century is enshrined forever.
**Dr. Majid Rafizadeh, is a political scientist, Harvard-educated analyst, and board member of Harvard International Review. He has authored several books on the US foreign policy. He can be reached at dr.rafizadeh@post.harvard.edu
**Follow Majid Rafizadeh on X (formerly Twitter)
© 2025 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.

Justin Trudeau was bad, but Mark Carney will be far worse
John Mac Ghlionn, opinion contributor/The Hill/May 03/2025
Justin Trudeau’s time as prime minister will be remembered as one of the most destructive eras in Canadian history. Under his watch, Canada’s national identity was diluted, civil liberties were trampled, economic competitiveness cratered and divisions between citizens deepened beyond repair.
From draconian COVID crackdowns to the reckless invocation of the Emergencies Act against peaceful protesters, Trudeau normalized authoritarianism under the guise of tolerance and progress. While smiling for Vogue covers, he reduced a proud, hard-won heritage into little more than a backdrop for photo ops and platitudes.
But if you think it can’t get worse, think again. Hell has a basement.
Enter Mark Carney.
At first glance, Carney appears to be a competent alternative to Trudeau’s ideological theatrics. But look again, and you’ll see that Carney represents something far more troubling: a globalist technician, carefully engineered for this moment. This is a man who speaks in the bland-sounding language of “stakeholders” and “transitions” while quietly planning the most radical transformation in the country’s history.
Carney’s ascent was no accident. After years operating quietly behind the scenes — as governor of the Bank of Canada, then governor of the Bank of England — he became a darling of the World Economic Forum, a fixture at Bilderberg, and a loyal lieutenant of the Trilateral Commission. His path wasn’t earned through public mandate or electoral battle. It was conferred, behind closed doors, by institutions whose interests lie not with Canadian sovereignty but with expanding technocratic control over Western democracies. He didn’t rise because of popular support. He was selected, groomed and installed.
He openly boasts about being a globalist. In a recent interview, Carney declared: “I know how the world works, I know how to get things done, I’m connected. People will charge me with being elitist or a globalist, to use that term, which is, well, that’s exactly, it happens to be exactly what we need.” In other words, he sees his elitism not as a flaw, but a qualification. That alone should set off alarm bells.
When a man auditioning to lead a country tells you outright that his loyalty lies with an international ruling class, believe him. Former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo famously said that politicians should campaign in poetry and govern in prose. Carney doesn’t bother with either. He governs in code, the sterile dialect of central bankers and global technocrats. Terms like “stakeholder capitalism” and “net-zero alignment” mask a project not of service, but submission. To Carney, Canada is not a nation to be cherished or defended. It is a laboratory. A staging ground for a larger project, one in which democracy is treated as a nuisance to be managed rather than a right to be respected.
What does that mean in practice?
It means the full deployment of Central Bank Digital Currencies, allowing the government and financial institutions to control when, how and where citizens spend their money. It means debanking political dissidents without trial, as already seen under Trudeau but set to be systematized under Carney’s colder, more organized hand. It involves reshaping Canada’s economy around Environment, Social and Governance or ESG scores. Real industries — such as oil, gas, mining and farming — will be suffocated under a mountain of climate bureaucracy designed not to “save the planet” but to entrench an elite class of corporate monopolies aligned with the new order.
In Carney’s Canada, owning a gas-powered vehicle will be viewed with suspicion, and farmers will be compelled to reduce production to meet arbitrary emissions targets. Essentially, ordinary working Canadians will likely be penalized for their way of life. At the same time, multinational corporations will be rewarded with government-financed green subsidies for pledging allegiance to ESG benchmarks they helped design themselves.
The truly unsettling part is that Carney’s political resume is nonexistent. No years spent fighting unpopular causes. No accountability to any constituency. No democratic reckoning at all. His entire career has been about bypassing democracy itself.
In a sense, Carney represents the logical next step after Trudeau’s demolition job. Trudeau destabilized Canada’s foundations. Carney is stepping in to rebuild it, not as a nation of free citizens, but as an administrative region within a larger, borderless system of corporate governance. A system where people are no longer protected by a social contract but managed like livestock: monitored, nudged and corrected under the pretext of global crises — climate, pandemics, inequality, disinformation — manufactured or manipulated to justify endless “emergency” rule. The message to Canadians is simple: You had your fun with elections. Now the grown-ups will take it from here.
Trudeau moved the furniture; Carney wants to demolish the entire structure and replace it with something unrecognizable. Millions voted for Carney because he projected calm and stood firm against Donald Trump’s rhetoric. He seemed like the man for the moment — measured, confident, in control. But buyer’s remorse is coming fast. And with Carney, there are no refunds.
*John Mac Ghlionn is a writer and researcher who explores culture, society and the impact of technology on daily life.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Trump must not repeat Bush’s Iraq mistakes in Iran
Reza Nasri, opinion contributor/The Hill./May 03, 2025
In his seminal book “The Achilles Trap,” Steve Coll offers a meticulously documented account of how mutual misperceptions, intelligence failures and institutional groupthink led to the disastrous U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003. The book traces how American policymakers, driven by domestic imperatives and regional prestige, misread Saddam Hussein’s opaque and ambiguous signals.
At the same time, U.S. intelligence services, under pressure to produce definitive assessments, often projected worst-case scenarios and failed to account for the internal logic of Saddam’s decisions.
The Iraq case demonstrates how ideology, bureaucratic momentum and political agendas within Washington created a closed information system that amplified fear, sidelined diplomacy and ultimately turned flawed assumptions into a justification for war. The title “Achilles Trap” refers to the mutual entrapment of both Saddam and the U.S. in cycles of misjudgment, with neither able to correct course.
This cautionary tale is more than a retrospective. It offers a vital lens for understanding how similar institutional blind spots continue to shape American foreign policy — particularly toward Iran.
Coll’s central thesis — that Washington can become a prisoner of its own misread narratives — resonates powerfully in the context of American policy toward Iran over the past four decades. Washington’s perception of Iran has long been shaped by a framework that privileges suspicion over understanding and maximalist demands over pragmatic diplomacy.
Iran’s complex domestic politics, layered decision-making structures and rational pursuit of national security have often been reduced to a one-dimensional threat. This flattening has been reinforced by the same forces that shaped America’s approach to Iraq in the early 2000s: intelligence oversimplification, lobbying pressures and a national security culture that rewards alarmism.
To be clear, Iran is not Iraq. The two countries differ profoundly in their histories, political systems and strategic objectives. Yet a persistent bloc within the foreign policy establishment has approached Iran with a strikingly similar mindset to that which drove the Iraq War.
Intelligence is filtered through worst-case assumptions. Iran’s deterrent posture and regional behavior are interpreted not as strategic calculations, but as proof of inherent hostility. This narrow interpretive lens has distorted threat assessments and constrained diplomacy.
This is most evident in the treatment of Iran’s nuclear program. Despite years of intrusive inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency and the absence of any conclusive evidence pointing to a weaponization effort, the program continues to be portrayed in American discourse as a covert military threat. The peaceful character of Iran’s nuclear program — rooted in energy diversification, technological development and national sovereignty — has been overshadowed by worst-case assumptions amplified by political actors and lobbying networks.
To fully grasp the origins and intent behind Iran’s nuclear efforts, it is important to recall that the foundation of this program was laid not in secrecy, but in open collaboration with Western institutions. The rationale for Iran’s nuclear energy ambitions predates the 1979 revolution and enjoys a foundation in international cooperation. In fact, during the 1970s, a study conducted by Stanford Research Institute at the behest of the U.S. government strongly recommended that Iran develop an extensive civilian nuclear program to meet its future energy needs. The report projected that, despite Iran’s vast oil reserves, domestic consumption and global energy dynamics would make nuclear energy an essential component of its long-term economic stability.
Yet over the past two decades, this historical context has been all but erased from mainstream narratives. Instead, the framing has turned a manageable nuclear proliferation issue into a crisis of perception, undermining diplomacy and reinforcing a cycle of mistrust. This is not an incidental distortion. It is systemic.
The persistent distortion of facts about Iran is driven not just by flawed analysis, but by a carefully constructed narrative designed to perpetuate conflict. Misunderstandings about Iran do not arise from intelligence failures — on the contrary, for more than 20 years, the U.S. intelligence community has consistently concluded that Iran is not pursuing nuclear weapons, a position reaffirmed in the 2025 Annual Threat Assessment Report.
Instead, these misconceptions are pushed by a deeply entrenched lobbying network that benefits from ongoing hostility. This network — neoconservative ideologues, defense industry interests and pro-Israel advocacy groups — has systematically portrayed Iran as a perpetual enemy. It has shaped policy discussions, dominated media portrayals and imposed steep political costs on those who support diplomacy. Confronting this apparatus is now a critical task for American leadership.
President Trump now faces a decisive moment. Securing a durable and balanced agreement with Iran requires overcoming this entrenched system. The narratives it promotes and the fears it cultivates must be confronted head-on. Strategic engagement must replace theatrics; diplomacy must serve national interest, not ideological crusades.
Opposing this apparatus is not a symbolic gesture. It is the essential step toward reclaiming U.S. foreign policy from the grip of obscure networks and aligning it with the preferences of the American people. In this context, a successful agreement with Iran would not only mark a diplomatic breakthrough — it would demonstrate that Trump has asserted control over the machinery that for decades has dictated the terms of war and peace in Washington.
*Reza Nasri is an international lawyer and foreign policy analyst.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

NATO’s potentially constructive role in Syria
Dr. Abdel Aziz Aluwaisheg/May 03, 2025
More than two decades after the launch of the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative, NATO and its partners are assessing the progress they have made and looking for new ways to solidify their partnership and encourage new members to join.
To attract new partners, NATO needs to become more relevant to the region’s concerns. One of those concerns is the fragile situation in Syria, and NATO is well suited to play an effective role there. Success in the country will have positive spillover effects throughout the region.
NATO has taken a number of steps to strengthen its ties to the region. At its Vilnius summit in 2023, the organization launched a comprehensive reflection on threats, challenges, and opportunities in the South.
At its 2024 summit in Washington, during which NATO celebrated the 75th anniversary of its founding in 1949, it went further by adding more depth and a wider scope to its southern neighborhood policy, to “foster greater security and stability in the Middle East and Africa, contributing to peace and prosperity in the region.” It adopted an action plan for a “stronger, more strategic and result-oriented approach” toward its southern neighbors, and said this would be regularly updated.
To implement this more active approach, NATO’s secretary-general appointed a special representative for the southern neighborhood, who serves as the organization’s focal point for the region. It said this would “reinforce our dialogue, outreach, visibility and our existing instruments for cooperation, such as the Defense Capacity Building Initiative, the Hub for the South and the NATO-Istanbul Cooperation Initiative Regional Center in Kuwait.” As part of this focus, NATO opened a liaison office in Amman and broadened the scope of its cooperation with Iraq’s security institutions, building on the efforts of its mission in Iraq.The Istanbul Cooperation Initiative was established in 2004 during NATO’s summit in the Turkish city, hence the name, to “promote security cooperation on a bilateral basis between NATO and partner countries in the broader Middle East region.”
In 2017, the organization established a regional center in Kuwait to coordinate Istanbul Cooperation Initiative activities, including training, capacity building, defense planning, defense budgeting, combating terrorism, and preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
Four Gulf Cooperation Council member states have joined the initiative, and others take part in some of its activities without joining. Despite its name, Turkiye is not a member of the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative.
Most countries around the world have welcomed the new government in Syria, which appears determined to restore peace and security internally and play a positive role regionally. It is working to reestablish the rule of law in most parts of the country, and disband unlawful armed groups or integrate them into formal security forces with clear controls and chains of command. It has cracked down on drug trafficking, arms smuggling, and other malign activities that were quite common under the previous Assad regime. However, the new authority in Damascus faces formidable challenges which NATO is well positioned to help, starting with restoration of government authority throughout Syria. The challenge in the northeastern part of the country is complicated by the presence of Turkish and American forces, who support opposing sides in that region. Replacing them with a neutral force, such as NATO, should be acceptable to Turkiye and the US, both of whom are key members of the alliance.
A NATO deployment would have to be negotiated with Damascus, which might consider this solution better than the current chaos in which the Syrian Democratic Forces, the main militia for Syrian Kurds, is reluctant to allow government forces into the area, while Turkish-Kurdish group PKK roams freely there, causing understandable security anxieties for Ankara.
The security apparatus in Syria needs to be restructured along new principles.
There is mutual mistrust between Turkiye and the Syrian Democratic Forces, whose tolerance of the PKK presence has caused tensions between Ankara and Washington, the SDF’s patron. Damascus might find that a NATO presence would make it easier to implement agreements with the SDF on integrating northeastern Syria with the rest of the country, and the militia with the Syrian Armed Forces.
The SDF might also welcome NATO’s role in the face of uncertainty regarding the continued American presence in the area.
Fighting terrorism is the second challenge with which NATO could help. It could coordinate counterterrorism efforts in the area, which is one of the main areas cited by the organization for its engagement with the wider Middle East region.
Concerns about a resurgence of Daesh are shared by most countries, and the new Syrian government appears determined to prevent this from happening. Stopping Daesh from regrouping is the main reason for the presence of US troops in the area and is also cited by the SDF as one of its main functions, together with guarding camps holding former Daesh fighters and their families.
The Global Coalition Against Daesh is obviously there as well but it needs support. NATO could help pave the way for the Syrian government to take on the job of fighting terrorism and guarding the camps until the fate of their inhabitants is decided.
The third way in which NATO can provide assistance is by helping the new government to rebuild Syria’s security forces. They need training and equipment. Gulf Cooperation Council countries have started this process and NATO could help recruits acquire the skills they need, building on the organization’s long experience in this area.
Capacity building is one of the main functions of NATO and the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative. In the case of Syria, which has experienced decades of despotic rule during which security forces were trained to violate the human rights of citizens, killing hundreds of thousands of innocents and jailing and torturing others for exercising their basic rights of freedom of expression and association. The security apparatus in Syria needs to be restructured along new principles. NATO could help with this.
The organization is gearing up for its annual summit next month in the Hague. The issue of enhanced engagement with the Middle East is likely to be on the agenda, although the uncertainty about US President Donald Trump’s approach to the organization will likely dominate discussions, given the testy relationship NATO had with him during his first term. Experts expect both sides to be more realistic this time around, however, insofar as NATO members have accepted that they need to up their defense spending, while the Trump administration appreciates the useful role the organization fulfills.
Washington might find it is to its advantage that NATO plays a greater role in the Middle East, including Syria. This would be another example of the burden sharing that Trump is keen on. His administration has already been engaged with the Syrian government and given it a list of asks, including efforts to fight terrorism and destroy chemical weapons. NATO could engage with Damascus and help it deal with such demands.
• Dr. Abdel Aziz Aluwaisheg is the GCC’s assistant secretary-general for political affairs and negotiation. The views expressed here are personal and do not necessarily represent those of the GCC.
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Remembering the victims of war is a first step toward peace
Yossi Mekelberg/Arabic News/May 03, 2025
There are two feelings, some might say traits, that are hard to come by when countries are in a state of war: empathy and sympathy.
These constitute our ability to share in the feelings or experiences of someone else by imagining what it would be like to be in that person’s situation, or to understand and care about someone else’s suffering.
In the midst of a war there are those who condemn the harboring of such feelings as a show of weakness that interferes with the notion of that elusive goal of absolute victory and total defeat of the enemy.
Nothing could be further from the truth; such feelings are a show of humanity that delineates the horizon of where a conflict ends and peace begins, beyond the horrific bloodshed and immense suffering that wars inflict.
It is in this spirit of shared humanity that for the past 20 years thousands of Israelis and Palestinians have held a joint annual memorial ceremony to commemorate all those who have lost their lives in this never-ending conflict, always in the hope that the latest year’s victims will be the last.
This year’s ceremony took place this week in Jaffa, Israel, with a parallel event at Beit Jala, in the occupied West Bank, for Palestinians who are prevented from entering Israel even for such a commendable expression of camaraderie between people who acknowledge each other’s losses and longing for peace.
Organized by the groups Combatants for Peace and the Parents Circle — Families Forum, the event brings together bereaved families from both sides of the conflict, and their supporters, in honor of their losses and in a joint call for peace.
This year’s ceremony was broadcast live to 160 locations across Israel, the Palestinian territories and around the world. As I attended one of them, it was both a privilege and very much a humbling experience to be in the company of people who have the inner strength to rise above their personal and endless grief, and share it with people whose nations are at war and who have suffered a similar fate.
To have the ability to share this pain in a message of peace and reconciliation is not an obvious response to such suffering, especially not during these most horrendous days when tens of thousands of people on both sides, the vast majority of them Palestinians, have been added over the past 18 months to the long list of victims of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, sacrificed on the altar of distorted ideologies and failed leaderships that are becoming increasingly heartless.
Nevertheless, who can better understand what every one of these families is going through — the anguish, the pain, the constant longing for loved ones they will never see again — than those on both sides of the conflict who are experiencing the very same excruciating pain. In a cruel irony of history, they share a tragedy that crosses political and geographic borders.
This joint memorial ceremony is also referred to as the Alternative Memorial Day ceremony, because it takes place on the same evening as the official Israeli Memorial Day for soldiers, members of the security forces, and civilians killed in the conflict.
In the present environment of intolerance for any joint activities between Israelis and Palestinians, a sharing of loss and pain in a ceremony of this kind is far from being a general consensus in either society. In Israel, one of the synagogues that screened the event was attacked by mindless, right-wing hoodlums, with the support of their politicians, who violently assaulted attendees as they left the building. Comments too vile to repeat were also posted on social media.
Pleas for humanity in the midst of conflict deserve our admiration.
Among Palestinians, there are voices that mistakenly claim the event to be one that promotes “normalization” of the occupation, and so some of the harrowing stories about the experiences of entire families wiped out in Gaza, which were related alongside courageous calls for peace and coexistence, had to be delivered anonymously to protect the identities of those reading them.
Sharing one’s pain and sense of humanity is not “normalization,” it is turning one’s loss into something meaningful. The history of war teaches us that in times of conflict the slightest expression of empathy or sympathy for the opposing side is the first step toward peace and reconciliation. It also helps us to preserve our humanity.
Falling into the trap of believing that our side’s survival depends on the absolute defeat of the other side only leads to more suffering. In such circumstances, in an attempt to justify and maintain the unabated killing and devastation, the “other” is demonized and dehumanized in an attempt to justify the unjustifiable, to perpetuate a war and the losses that come with it.
We are indoctrinated and socialized to internalize our right to inflict pain for the purposes of self-defense — but in too many cases, self-defense quickly turns into revenge and punishment, generating a vicious cycle of unjustified and inexcusable violence.
Hence, there is tremendous power in gatherings of those who have suffered the agonizing pain of losing loved ones and yet are still prepared to turn such a tragic experience into a positively transformative one, as a warning to the rest of us not to be sucked into this black hole of hatred and revenge in which there can be no winners, only losers.
Or, as Martin Luther King, Jr. so boldly put it: “An eye for an eye leaves everybody blind.”
Pleas for humanity in the midst of a war, especially coming from those who have only recently lost a family member, deserve our admiration and should serve as our moral compass. The animosity faced by those voicing these pleas comes from those who are too scared to hear them, or too immersed in a cycle of violence and anger that provides them with the justification to perpetuate this same pattern.
For those involved in the conflict who are driven and motivated by extreme ideology or religious fundamentalism, appeals for them to acknowledge the humanity, let alone the mutual suffering, of “the other” will probably fall on deaf ears.
However, the vast majority of people are not like this; instead, they are motivated more by the fear and distrust that is fed to them by those more interested in prolonging the conflict than resolving it. Such fear and distrust can be overcome by people who engage with each other in normal daily activities such as working or studying together, sharing public spaces (and hopefully private spaces too), and even sharing their common grief and pain.
It is through such engagement that we start to see each other as people, as human beings, and not simply as faceless enemies.
The acclaimed American poet and activist Maya Angelou once said: “I think we all have empathy. We may not have enough courage to display it.”
The sharing of sorrows of bereavement by those on both sides who have lost loved ones represents a first, and extremely important, demonstration of courage through empathy. This is the gift that the bereaved families who commemorated their losses together are giving us.
• Yossi Mekelberg is a professor of international relations and an associate fellow of the MENA Program at Chatham House.
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A chronicle of collapse and international neglect in Sudan
Hafed Al-Ghwell/Arab News/May 03, 2025
Two years into a war that has gutted a nation and scattered its people across borders, Sudan has become the scene of the world’s largest humanitarian crisis — and perhaps its most ignored. What began as a power struggle between two generals has metastasized into a devastating civil war marked by ethnic massacres and the deliberate destruction of urban centers. As the dust settles over the ruins of Khartoum, and famine tightens its grip on Darfur, one thing is clear: Sudan is bleeding while the world watches in silence. In 2019, the ouster of President Omar Bashir after three decades of autocracy offered Sudan a brief glimmer of hope for the ascent of democracy. Those hopes were extinguished in 2021 when Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan and Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, respectively the leaders of the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, hijacked the transition and seized power for themselves. In April 2023, their uneasy alliance collapsed into open warfare. What followed was not just a military conflict but the systematic unraveling of a country of 46 million people.
The statistics read like a catalog of human catastrophe. More than 15 million people have been forcibly displaced, a figure that dwarfs the effects of the civil war in Syria and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. More than half of Sudan’s population, 30.4 million people, now requires humanitarian assistance. At least 25 million are facing a food crisis, with 750,000 on the edge of famine. In a camp outside Al-Fasher, 13 children die every day from hunger and disease.
These numbers are not projections or worst-case estimates. They are today’s reality, unfolding in real time.
The RSF, originally spawned from the Janjaweed militias that ravaged Darfur in the 2000s, has revived its genocidal tactics, with chilling precision. In West Darfur entire towns have been emptied. Men and boys, infants included, have been murdered on ethnic grounds.
Women have been systematically targeted, with survivors reporting that their attackers jeered at them, using slurs and threats of forced pregnancies to produce “enemy” children. The rampant use of gender-based violence has not been incidental; it is a tactical choice, deployed to humiliate, destabilize, and ethnically reengineer.
If the RSF has committed war crimes, the SAF has not emerged with a clean reputation either. Its strategy of recapturing territory has relied heavily on scorched-earth tactics. In Khartoum, artillery and airstrikes have reduced entire neighborhoods to rubble. The capital’s airport is unusable, hospitals have been flattened, and cultural institutions looted. In its efforts to claim control, the army effectively annihilated the very infrastructure that once made Khartoum a functioning metropolis.
Now, 80 percent of health facilities in conflict zones are out of service. At least 100 attacks on medical centers have been documented. Sudan’s health system, once one of the most developed in the region, has collapsed entirely. Water and electricity infrastructure has disintegrated. In major cities, residents go months without running water, drawing instead from the Nile or shallow wells contaminated by disease. Cholera, malaria, dengue fever, and measles are spreading unchecked. More than 15 million people now have no access to basic healthcare.
Mass displacement has emptied towns and cities.
The children of Sudan are being raised in this furnace. Nearly every school in the country has shut down. At the peak of the war, 19 million children were out of school. Before the conflict, 7 million were already missing from classrooms. Now, an entire generation has been severed from education and structure, which are key defenses against radicalization, recruitment, and despair. These children have witnessed atrocities, lost parents, and fled burning homes. They are traumatized, uneducated, and unmoored — conditions that will haunt Sudan for decades to come.
In Darfur, Kordofan, and other provinces, mass displacement has emptied towns and cities. A slow exodus continues toward Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, and South Sudan. The camps for the homeless grow by the day, yet the funding for them shrinks. Last year, the UN requested $2.6 billion in international aid for Sudan. Barely 48 percent of that amount materialized. No peacekeeping forces have been deployed. No airlifts of food or medicine have captured international attention. The silence has been deafening.
The global response has been not only inadequate but shamefully indifferent. Sudan is not without geopolitical relevance — it has gold, oil, and access to the Red Sea — but its crisis lacks the immediacy of those that stir the Western conscience.
There is no threat to NATO, no terror group making headlines, no ideological foe to defeat. When Russia invades Ukraine or war erupts in Gaza, diplomatic corridors spring to life and resources flow overnight. In Sudan, they trickle. If they arrive at all.
International diplomacy has become a theater of impotence. Multiple ceasefire agreements collapse within days. African-led peace plans were ignored, while the UN hosted meetings devoid of Sudanese representatives. A recent summit in London featured 20 foreign ministers but neither of the warring factions.
Everyone is talking about Sudan but no one is talking to the men with guns.
Sudan’s descent is not only a moral failure, it is a strategic one. A collapsed Sudan could ignite a chain reaction across an already brittle region: more refugees, more arms trafficking, more radicalization. The longer the war drags on, the more it will cost to repair, not only in dollars but in social cohesion, institutional viability, and human potential. Rebuilding a hospital is hard. Rebuilding trust between neighbors who participated in mutual atrocities could very well prove impossible.
And yet, still, no meaningful international mobilization has occurred. No coalition has emerged to enforce peace or protect civilians. Western capitals issue statements and impose boutique sanctions on individuals. There is outrage, but it is performative devoid of any follow-through, devoid of resolve.
What does this say about the international order? About lofty commitments to “never again?” If a nation of 46 million people can implode amid ethnic cleansing and famine, with hardly a diplomatic ripple, what principles are we defending?
Sudan is not invisible. It has been forgotten by choice.
• Hafed Al-Ghwell is a senior fellow and executive director of the North Africa Initiative at the Foreign Policy Institute of the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, DC.
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Why boards must take the lead on sustainability to ensure long-term success
Majed Al-Qatari/Arab News/May 03, 2025
Environmental, social and governance considerations have evolved from peripheral corporate concerns to central elements of business strategy. However, in some cases, a significant governance gap persists between commitments to sustainability and accountability at the board level.
Boards that continue to delegate sustainability to operational committees fail to fulfill their fiduciary duty to oversee it effectively. This gap in accountability at the highest levels is increasingly recognized as a key challenge for corporate governance.
A 2023 PwC survey found that 64 percent of directors recognize climate change as a significant business risk, yet only 38 percent report that their boards possess expertise in ESG matters. This gap exists despite growing investor demands for climate accountability.
Corporate sustainability pledges are often ambitious, but they are not always met. Board oversight remains insufficient. According to recent research, 71 percent of institutional investors believe most companies overstate their ESG progress, reflecting a lack of credibility in corporate sustainability governance.
Further illustrating this point, a 2024 study revealed that only 23 percent of S&P 500 companies link executive compensation to ESG metrics, and just 17 percent have a board member with significant ESG expertise. Without proper accountability at the highest levels, sustainability measures risk becoming mere greenwashing.
In response to these challenges, shareholder activism on ESG issues has surged, with climate-related proposals at S&P 500 companies increasing by 88 percent since 2020. Regulatory pressures are also mounting, with the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive and the SEC’s climate disclosure rules reshaping corporate reporting obligations. As these pressures increase, forward-thinking boards are responding by integrating sustainability into core governance structures. High-performing companies tend to have boards with dedicated sustainability panels, mandate ESG literacy as a qualification, and incorporate climate considerations into enterprise risk-management frameworks. Research shows that companies with strong ESG practices outperform financially, with top ESG performers posting annual shareholder returns 10 percent higher than bottom performers. This performance premium underscores that the role of sustainability governance extends beyond risk mitigation to creating strategic opportunities. High-performing companies have boards with dedicated sustainability panels, mandate ESG literacy as a qualification, and incorporate climate considerations into enterprise risk management frameworks.
This shift in perspective reveals sustainability as not just a defensive measure, but a driver of business growth. Unilever’s board-level sustainability leadership, exemplified by its Corporate Responsibility Committee, oversees the company’s Sustainable Living Plan. This governance structure has helped Unilever reduce carbon emissions per unit of production by 56 percent, while maintaining consistent shareholder returns. Similarly, Orsted, a Danish energy company, has seen its board-driven green transition cut carbon emissions by 87 percent and increase profits by 22 percent annually.
Given these examples, it is clear that sustainability must be viewed as more than just compliance; it must become an engine of innovation and competitive advantage. Companies with board-level sustainability oversight are approximately 2.7 times more likely to drive product innovation with environmental benefits than those without it.Just as regulatory frameworks following accounting scandals in the early 2000s mandated financial expertise on boards, regulatory bodies should now require ESG competence. This shift is necessary to ensure boards are equipped to navigate the evolving business landscape.
Despite agreeing that financial capital remains the primary tool for meeting business objectives, companies lacking sound sustainability governance can face up to 30 percent higher costs than their more sustainable peers. This is a material financial impact that boards can no longer afford to ignore.
Ultimately, sustainability governance is essential for long-term value creation. In 2024, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink positioned climate risk as investment risk. Boards that fail to lead on sustainability neglect their fiduciary duty to protect and enhance shareholder value in a rapidly evolving environment marked by environmental and social transformation.
• Majed Al-Qatari is a sustainability leader and ecological engineer experienced in advancing environment, social, governance and sustainability goals.

Beyond a Leaked Audio Recording of Nasser
Hazem Saghieh/Asharq Al-Awsat/May 03/2025
The release of an audio recording of a conversation between Gamal Abdel Nasser and Muammar Gaddafi has shocked and angered many, perhaps even creating a crisis of conviction. The year he died, Nasser did not hide his exasperation with the radicals calling for war, ripping into the zealots, showing contempt for them and their maximalist demands, and stressing that he preferred to avoid war and seek a peaceful resolution for the conflict.
Nonetheless, only those who had believed in the image manufactured for him should be surprised. He had long been portrayed as a living breathing blend of sanctity and insanity: he boldly defended “the Arab nation’s interests in liberation and progress,” paying no mind to the balance of power or the costs of war, and he kept the fight without regard for the humiliating lessons of the 1967 defeat. However, the real Nasser was neither of those things. It is true that he endorsed the famous “Three No’s” of the Khartoum Summit and came out with slogans like “What was taken by force can only be regained by force.” When he was not addressing “the masses,” however, he accepted United Nations Resolution 242, and later, the Rogers Plan. Both opened the door to peace, whereby the territories that had been occupied would be given back in return for the recognition of the right of every country in the region to exist, without exception.
We also know that Nasser’s reputation for militancy did not shield him from the insults and accusations of treason that roared through the armed Palestinian factions' demonstrations in Amman to denounce his “treasonous and cowardly positions.”
As for the last act of his life, it was convening an emergency Arab League Summit to end the Jordanian civil war whose eruption sufficed to convince a seasoned politician like Nasser that open warfare with Israel was futile and senseless.
Noting the Egyptian roots of this behavior could help us liberate the naïve militant narrative around the Palestinian cause from its lies. Attention to this matter provides insights into how positions on the question were often linked to broader societal and political structures in the Arab world, and by extension, to legitimacy. In other words, the Egypt Nasser governed had been more socially cohesive than any of the Levantine countries nearby, and its state traditions went back further than those of other countries in the region. This reflects a causal relationship between countries’ social and national cohesion, as well as the foundations of their regimes’ legitimacy, and their inclination to turn to realism and diplomacy when possibilities and opportunities narrow.
If a lack of legitimacy helps explain the Syrian and Iraqi Baathists’ intransigence with regard to the Palestinian cause, which they sought to make into a substitute source of legitimacy, the same cannot be said of Egyptian Nasserism. Despite establishing the model for the police state of the Arab world, it could be credited with real achievements, or it was at least successfully portrayed as deserving credit for achievements: from the nationalization of the Suez Canal and “repelling the Tripartite Aggression” (1956) to unifying with Syria (1958) to the role Nasser began playing on the global stage after the 1955 Bandung Conference. His record meant that Nasser had less of an incentive to shore up his legitimacy through the Palestinian cause than the similar regimes to his.
One cannot but notice that the two sides were not equally reliant on appropriating and "representing" the Palestinian cause. One important dimension of the Palestinian armed struggle that Fatah launched is its split from Nasserism, which was no longer seen as the “pan-Arab path” to “liberating Palestine.” Nonetheless, Nasserism did not wage a civil war against the Palestinians in response to this rupture, nor did it assassinate their leaders or establish militant groups to rival Fatah. That is precisely the course of action that Baathist regimes in Damascus and Baghdad took, creating factions to rival Fatah (like al-Saiqa and the Arab Liberation Front) and orchestrating a long list of assassinations. While in Nasserism’s “response to the defeat,” the slogan of “liberating Palestine” was replaced by that of “erasing the ramifications of aggression,” the state discourse in Syria (and Iraq) was brimming with calls for “a war for popular liberation” that Assad’s defense minister, Mustafa Tlass, excelled at. After 1973, retrieving Egyptian territory and an end to the conflict came to define the approach of Nasser’s successor, Anwar Sadat, whereas Hafez al-Assad sought to incite civil wars, both Lebanese and Palestinian, to obtain “arenas” for a frozen conflict with Israel for his regime.
We could also speak of the deeper background of Nasser’s divergence from the Syrian and Iraqi radicals, as well as some Palestinian factions. Between the forties and seventies, the “Arab nationalism” of the Asian Levant was tainted by rabid rhetoric that was crowned by the Baath Party. In Egypt, where Arab nationalism had never been at the center of traditional political culture, Nasser embraced it in pursuit of a developmental and geopolitical vision that could not afford not to weigh gains and losses. This approach was probably one factor behind Egypt’s early ventures into “clandestine diplomacy” aimed at reaching a peace deal with Israel which Syria did not do. From British MP Richard Grossman’s meeting with Nasser at Ben-Gurion’s request to the “Alpha Plan,” then the “Gamma Project,” and to the mediation efforts of Nahum Goldmann and Yugoslav President Tito in 1958, the diplomatic pursuits never stopped.
These are not reasons to shower Nasser with praise. Rather, they highlight a lack of knowledge and sentimental frivolity that the Egyptian leader had played an immensely important role in instituting.