English LCCC Newsbulletin For
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For October 02/2025
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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Bible Quotations For today
You brood of vipers! How can you speak good things, when you are evil? For out
of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 12/33-37
“‘Either make the tree good, and its fruit good; or make the tree bad, and its
fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers! How can you
speak good things, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the
mouth speaks. The good person brings good things out of a good treasure, and the
evil person brings evil things out of an evil treasure. I tell you, on the day
of judgement you will have to give an account for every careless word you utter;
for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be
condemned.’”
Titles For The Latest English
LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on October 01-02/2025
The Targeting of Sheikh Abbas Yazbek by the Politicized Judiciary
Subjugated to the Terrorist Hezbollah Militia Is Rejected and Condemned/Elias
Bejjani/September 30/2025
Washington Considers Eliminating
"Hezbollah's" Capabilities a Priority... Ortagus in Lebanon Soon, and
Anticipation for the Army's First Report
Hezbollah's Relationship with Aoun is
Indirect, and with Salam, it's Severed
The Maronite Archbishops Call for Parliamentary Elections on Schedule, Express
Regret over Violations of State Orders: "The Nation Needs Salvation and
Everyone's Contribution to its Reconstruction"
Mikati, Siniora, and Tammam Salam: The Supreme Goal is to Preserve the Unity of
Authority in Managing State Affairs, Especially in Implementing Measures that
Uphold the Rule of Law
Larijani: Hezbollah "Capable of Tipping the Scales in Lebanon"
Graham: Not possible for Mideast to be normalized until Hezbollah taken off the
table
Army intervenes after UNIFIL patrol intercepted in south
Leftover rocket kills one and wounds two on Lebanon-Syria border
1 killed in Israeli drone strike on car in southern town of Kafra
Search warrants issued for two involved in Raouche Rock illumination
No tension between Aoun and Salam despite disagreement, report says
Aoun and Salam stress commitment to timely parliamentary elections
UK supports launch of landmark study on women’s political participation in
Lebanon
Lebanese Judiciary Pursues Two Individuals Close to Hezbollah over Raouche Rock
Lighting... Issued "Search and Investigation Warrants" After They Refused to
Appear
Israel Has Killed More than 100 Civilians in Lebanon Since Ceasefire, UN Says
Lebanon: Dispute Over Electoral Law Halts Legislative Sessions
"The International Is watching closely": No
Vote... No Reconstruction/Tony Attieh/Nidaa Al-Watan/October 2, 2025
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
Miscellaneous Reports And News published on October 01-02/2025
Faisal bin Farhan and Al-Shaibani Discuss Efforts to Support Syria's
Security and Economy
Report: SDF Targets Syrian Army Positions East of Aleppo with Artillery and
Drones
Syrian Democratic Forces, in turn, accuse Syrian government-affiliated militants
of shelling Tishreen Dam with heavy weapons
Israel issues ‘last’ warning for Gaza City residents to flee
46 Palestinians Killed in Israeli Strikes in Gaza Strip
Trump Administration Tightens Sanctions on Iran's "Ballistic" Program/Sanctions
target 21 entities and 17 individuals and reinforce UN "Snapback" procedures
Qatari Foreign Ministry Welcomes Trump’s Signing of a Decree to Guarantee its
Security: A Significant Step to Bolster the Close Defense Ties Between the Two
Countries
Historic Decision: Washington Integrates Qatar's Security into its National
Security
Pentagon Says Iraq Mission Being Scaled Back
Yemen's Houthis Claim Missile Attack on Dutch-flagged Ship in Gulf of Aden
Druze seek Sweida autonomy and turn toward Israel, adding new twist to Syria’s
tensions
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on October 01-02/2025
Should Comey Be Convicted?/Alan M.
Dershowitz/Gatestone Institute/October 01/2025
Tom Barrack’s Diplomacy of Optics: Fast Deals, Fragile Peace/Gadeer
Kamal-Mreeh/Middle East Forum/October 01/ 2025
Granting Qatar a Security Guarantee Is a Strategic Mistake...With Trump’s
Executive Order, America Has Allied Itself Not with a Partner for Peace, but an
Agent for Instability/Gregg Roman/Middle East Forum/October 01/ 2025
Is This Really the End of the War in Gaza?/Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed/Asharq
Al-Awsat/October 01/ 2025
Before and After Lighting Up the Raouche Rock/Hazem Saghieh/Asharq
Al-Awsat/October 01/ 2025
Gaza… 20 Points and a Definite Answer! /Tariq Al-Homayed/Asharq Al-Awsat/October
01/ 2025
The Left/Right Political Spectrum Is a LIE/Raymond
Ibrahim/The Stream/October 01/2025
The Latest English LCCC Lebanese &
Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on October 01-02/2025
The Targeting of Sheikh Abbas Yazbek by the
Politicized Judiciary Subjugated to the Terrorist Hezbollah Militia Is Rejected
and Condemned
Elias Bejjani/September 30/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/09/147777/
The arbitrary and degrading detention of Sheikh Abbas Yazbek — a Shiite cleric
opposed to the terrorist Hezbollah — is categorically rejected and condemned in
the strongest terms.
On September 26, 2025, at Beirut International Airport, Sheikh Yazbek was banned
from travel, and his passport, identification papers, and phone were confiscated
— a blatant violation of the law and of the most basic human rights.
This incident is yet another chapter in the systematic campaign of intimidation
targeting anyone within the Shiite community who dares to raise their voice
against Hezbollah. It once again proves that the Lebanese judiciary,
particularly the Military Court, remains nothing more than a tool in Hezbollah’s
hands, deployed to silence opponents and fabricate charges against them, while
the militia continues to control vital state institutions.
What happened to Sheikh Abbas Yazbek is not merely a personal assault but a
deliberate warning to every free Shiite: opposing Hezbollah comes at the cost of
humiliation, assassination, or judicial persecution. Although his personal
documents were returned to him today after a superficial investigation, the
political and moral damage was already inflicted. That was the real objective —
to tarnish the image of dissenters and break their resolve.
There must be no illusions or appeals to the so-called Lebanese state to restore
Sheikh Yazbek’s rights, for there is no state in Lebanon today. What exists is
nothing more than a system entirely occupied and subjugated to the will of the
Hezbollah terrorist militia.
Patriotic Lebanese — at home under occupation and in the Diaspora — have a
national duty to rally around Shiite opponents of Hezbollah, supporting them by
every available means. They must not be left as easy prey for Hezbollah’s
security and judicial machinery of intimidation. Equally, Lebanese patriots must
call upon international human rights organizations and all defenders of freedom
to expose these practices and denounce the weaponization of the judiciary and
security agencies for political oppression.
Today, the Shiite community in occupied Lebanon is fully hijacked by Hezbollah.
Its people live as hostages in a suffocating environment where dissent is met
with humiliation, fabricated charges, or outright assassination. Yet it is
abundantly clear: these repressive policies will never silence the free voices,
nor will they break the will of honorable men and women who resist Hezbollah’s
tyranny.
Freedom for Sheikh Abbas Yazbek and for every free Lebanese voice.
Shame and disgrace to those who turned the Lebanese judiciary into Hezbollah’s
weapon.
Washington Considers Eliminating "Hezbollah's"
Capabilities a Priority... Ortagus in Lebanon Soon, and Anticipation for the
Army's First Report
Al Markaziya/October 2, 2025
American diplomatic sources indicated to MTV that "Washington has set a clear
plan that considers eliminating 'Hezbollah's' capabilities a priority after
targeting 'Hamas' capabilities," and this direction is accompanied by increasing
pressure within Congress. According to a diplomatic source, "Lebanon is
anticipating a visit by Ortagus on the 14th of this month to participate for the
third time in the meeting of the ceasefire monitoring committee scheduled for
October 15, and there is anticipation for the answers she obtained from Israel."
The source noted that "American aid to the Army, which is close to $200 million,
was under threat, but an effort was made to bring it back on track for approval,
and Ortagus contributed to that."The source indicated that "the Americans wish
for progress to be demonstrated more clearly by announcing Army operations south
of the Litani or even north of it, but this has its considerations and
constraints on the Lebanese side." He also pointed to "an international, and
specifically American, desire for the Army to automatically execute any
operation requested by the 'mechanism,' even if it requires raiding homes and so
on, but the Army understands the nature of its work."According to the diplomatic
source, "a session is expected to be scheduled for the Army to present its first
monthly report to the ministers, and Lebanon will try to benefit from the
three-month period to complete work in the South with the ambition that Israel
will withdraw at that time." He confirmed "the continuation of necessary
contacts to hold the conference to support the Army in Saudi Arabia in the
second half of October, as Lebanon hopes."
Hezbollah's Relationship with Aoun is Indirect, and with
Salam, it's Severed
Nidaa Al-Watan/October 2, 2025 (Translated from Arabic)
Everyone is calling for the parliamentary elections to be held on time, but
under what law? What will be the fate of the expatriate vote? If Speaker of
Parliament Nabih Berri sticks to his position of refusing to allow expatriates
to vote where they are located, who will be responsible for being recorded as
depriving emigrants of one of their sacred rights: participating in Lebanese
political life?
Aoun Emphasizes Timely Elections
The President of the Republic, General Joseph Aoun, stressed the "necessity of
holding the parliamentary elections on time next May, and completing all related
arrangements within the legal deadlines." President Aoun's position came during
his reception of Interior Minister Ahmad Al-Hajjar, who briefed him on the
"ongoing preparations in the various units of the Ministry of Interior and
Municipalities for conducting the elections."
Salam: Secure Safe and Transparent Electoral Conditions
The position of Prime Minister Nawaf Salam emphasized the government's and his
"personal constants" regarding securing safe and transparent electoral
conditions that allow Lebanese citizens to participate freely, especially "for
our people in the South, where those who lost their homes and villages cannot be
punished by being deprived of their right to vote." He also stressed the
principle of consecrating a quota of no less than 30% for both genders on the
lists, to ensure more equitable representation for all components of society,
while encouraging and supporting women to engage in the electoral process at all
levels: supervision, organization, voting, and candidacy.
Expatriate Registration Platform Launches Today
On the preparation front, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants is
launching the special platform for the registration of expatriates abroad today.
Registration will begin this morning via the ministry's website, along with the
necessary explanations for the required documents.
Next Thursday's Cabinet Session
Governmentally, the next Cabinet session will be on Thursday at Baabda, chaired
by Aoun. So far, the agenda includes fourteen items, which could increase based
on urgent matters. During the session, the issue of the Raouche Rock will be
discussed. The purpose of this session is to demonstrate ministerial solidarity
and prevent the executive branch from disintegrating, as any ministerial
disagreement will affect Lebanon's image in discussions with the Western, Arab,
and international communities. It is also expected that the army's monthly
report regarding the exclusivity of weapons will be presented during the
session.
According to information obtained by Nidaa Al-Watan, there has been no direct
communication between President Joseph Aoun and "Hezbollah" up to this moment,
especially following the Raouche incident. Head of the Loyalty to the Resistance
bloc, MP Mohammed Raad, was scheduled to visit Baabda before President Aoun's
trip to New York. This meeting would fall within the framework of the dialogue
Aoun is leading to confine weapons, as the President insists that the year 2025
is the year for confining weapons to legitimate state hands. Currently,
communication is limited to indirect means through intermediaries and advisors.
Salam: Relationship with Aoun Moving Towards Resolution
Nidaa Al-Watan also learned that President Nawaf Salam informed the MPs he met
that the relationship with President Aoun is moving towards resolution, and he
does not want to cause a disruption in the executive authority. Meanwhile, the
relationship with "Hezbollah" is severed following the breach of licensing
commitments, and communication is only maintained with Speaker Berri. Salam
indicated to the MPs that he is in contact with security leaders and does not
wish to create a security gap, but he is committed to the logic of
accountability and will not backtrack. He stressed that this will happen because
no one is above the law. Salam emphasized his commitment to the rule of law and
its application, and to fulfilling the government's commitment in the August 5
and 7 sessions, which is the continuation of confining weapons to the state's
hands—an issue he will not retreat from.
Before a delegation from Beirut residents, Salam explained the background of the
circular he issued, which stressed the necessity of adhering to the laws
regulating the use of public property and national landmarks, particularly the
illumination of the Raouche Rock with the image of Hezbollah's
Secretary-General, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. He asserted that "this circular was
issued to avert strife and protect civil peace amidst the prevailing tension in
the country."
He recalled that the country has gone through more difficult crises than the
Raouche Rock issue, particularly the closure of the airport road, where security
agencies intervened and worked to reopen it multiple times, as well as the armed
presence during the commemoration of Ashura, where security forces also
intervened and arrested the gunmen. He stressed that the era of armed presence
is over.
Council of Maronite Bishops: Elections on Time
Bkerke, through the monthly statement of the Council of Maronite Bishops,
affirmed the imperative of "preparing for the parliamentary elections on time."
The statement implicitly criticized what happened opposite the Raouche Rock,
stating: "The Fathers regret what transpired in recent days in violation of
state orders and laws, and hope that political occasions will be an endeavor to
unite words and repair national unity. They wish for the parties to revert to
the judgment of reason, prioritize national sentiment and the supreme national
interest, rise above wounds, and maintain mutual respect, because the nation
needs rescue and the contribution of everyone to its reconstruction."
Two Search and Investigation Warrants
Judicially, the State Prosecutor General, Judge Jamal Al-Hajjar, issued two
search and investigation warrants against two individuals whose names were made
available as those responsible for illuminating the Raouche Rock last Friday.
This measure was reportedly taken after the two individuals were summoned for
questioning and refused to appear.
Hezbollah Member Killed
The escalation in the South continues, as Israeli drone aircraft launched two
raids yesterday afternoon on the town of Kafra in the Bint Jbeil district,
targeting a Range Rover SUV, resulting in the death of one Hezbollah member and
the injury of five others.
UNIFIL Patrol Obstructed
Concurrently, a number of young men obstructed a patrol belonging to UNIFIL
forces while it was conducting a routine patrol on the Tafahia-Srifa road.
Lebanese Army personnel intervened, allowing the patrol to continue its route.
Army Commander: The Army is Carrying Out Its Missions
"The Army is carrying out its missions across the Lebanese territories, from
maintaining security and stability domestically, to monitoring and controlling
the northern and eastern borders, and continuing the comprehensive campaign to
fight terrorism, combat smuggling and drugs, and extend the state's authority
over all its territories." These were the words of Army Commander, General
Rudolph Hekal, at a ceremony held at the Beirut Naval Base.
The Maronite Archbishops Call for Parliamentary
Elections on Schedule, Express Regret over Violations of State Orders: "The
Nation Needs Salvation and Everyone's Contribution to its Reconstruction"
NNA/October 01, 2025
(Translated from Arabic)
The Council of Maronite Archbishops held their monthly meeting at the
Patriarchal Seat in Bkerke, presided over by His Beatitude Cardinal Mar Bechara
Boutros al-Rai, the Patriarch. A statement was issued, read by the Patriarchal
Vicar, Bishop Antoine Aoukar, which included the following:
"On Wednesday, October 1, 2025, Their Excellencies the Maronite Archbishops held
their monthly meeting at the Patriarchal Seat in Bkerke, presided over by His
Beatitude and Eminence, the Most Blessed Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros al-Rai,
the Patriarch, and with the participation of the Heads General of the Maronite
Orders. They discussed ecclesiastical and national affairs.
At the conclusion of the meeting, they issued the following statement:
The Fathers are following the actions of the state and government on the Arab
and international levels, especially the visit of President of the Republic
General Joseph Aoun to New York, his speech before the UN General Assembly, his
meetings with heads of state, and his gathering with the Lebanese diaspora. They
consider this activity to be of utmost importance in restoring Lebanon's global
presence, which greatly helps in the desired national renaissance.
The Fathers regret the recent violations of state orders and laws and hope that
political occasions will be an effort to unite the word and restore national
unity. They wish for all parties to return to reason, prioritize the supreme
national interest and national sentiment, rise above grievances, and practice
mutual respect, because the nation needs salvation and everyone’s contribution
to its reconstruction.
The Fathers hope that political parties adopt dialogue and wise methods leading
to the normal and democratic conduct of legislative work in Parliament, to the
preparation of parliamentary elections on their schedule, and to addressing
critical national issues.
The Fathers believe that, given the last annual opportunity available for the
work of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in South Lebanon,
the concerned local, regional, and international parties must sense the gravity
of this situation and take the initiative to accelerate the handover of
authority to the legitimate Lebanese state in the border area, in accordance
with Resolution 1701, to spare Lebanon the negative repercussions of any delay
or neglect in this regard.
The Church dedicates this month to honoring the Virgin Mary, Our Lady of the
Rosary. The Fathers invite their sons and daughters to participate in the
celebrations and pastoral activities held on this occasion with a spirit of
sincere filial faith and piety, asking God, through her intercession, to grant
our people and the peoples of the region the grace to end wars and strive to
spread harmony and peace."
Mikati, Siniora, and Tammam Salam: The Supreme Goal is to
Preserve the Unity of Authority in Managing State Affairs, Especially in
Implementing Measures that Uphold the Rule of Law
NNA/October 1, 2025 (Translated from Arabic)
Former Prime Ministers Najib Mikati, Fouad Siniora, and Tammam Salam convened in
light of the developments taking place at various levels to discuss and
deliberate on them. They condemned "the continued aggression by the Israeli
enemy against South Lebanon and most of its areas, disregarding the
understandings reached regarding the implementation of UN Resolution 1701 to
cease hostilities. It is imperative to oblige Israel to stop its aggression
against Lebanon and end its occupation of all Lebanese territories, including
its withdrawal from the five points and hills it occupied in South Lebanon."
They also condemned "the perpetuation of the war of extermination waged by
Israel against the Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, alongside its
persistent attempts to liquidate the Palestinian issue," and commended the
efforts of "many friendly countries to recognize the State of Palestine as a
good indicator that the international community will not succumb to the policy
of fait accompli that the Netanyahu government is trying to impose."They saw
that "US President Donald Trump's plan stipulated an 'immediate' end to the war
ongoing since October 7, 2023, and a phased withdrawal of the Israeli army from
Gaza. The plan also includes the release of all hostages and a large number of
Palestinian prisoners. In this regard, they considered that while awaiting the
clarification of the Palestinian position on this plan, ending the war on Gaza
supports the position of the Lebanese state, which seeks Lebanon's recovery and
salvation from the many dangers surrounding it."They reiterated their "praise,
support, and adherence to the two Cabinet decisions issued on August 5 and
September 5 last, which stipulate confining arms to the hands of the Lebanese
state and the necessity of their application, insisting on pursuing this goal
without any retreat or hesitation, in accordance with the provisions of the
Constitution and the Taif Agreement." They stressed that the "supreme national
interest requires everyone to comply with the exclusivity of arms to the
legitimate Lebanese forces. This decision must be implemented quickly so that
the Lebanese state alone is responsible for the security of the country and its
citizens."They concluded by emphasizing that "the supreme and most important
goal in these circumstances is to preserve the unity of the country and the
unity of authority in managing state affairs, especially in implementing
measures that ensure adherence to and application of the Constitution, the Taif
Agreement, and the rule of law. It is hoped that this will materialize through
the cooperation and solidarity of the constitutional authorities to achieve
these goals and consolidate confidence in the unity of the nation and the
governance of state affairs. The former Prime Ministers also look forward to
moving forward with economic, financial, and administrative reforms, and
persistent efforts to begin the reconstruction of what was destroyed by Israeli
aggressions against Lebanon, enabling the state to secure more Arab and
international support to enhance the capabilities of the Lebanese Army and
security forces, and allowing Lebanon to move forward in the reconstruction
process, achieve the recovery of the Lebanese economy, exit its crises, and
dedicate itself to building its sovereign, free, and independent state."
Larijani: Hezbollah "Capable of Tipping the Scales in Lebanon"
Asharq Al-Awsat/October 1, 2025 (Translated from
Arabic)
The Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani,
stressed today, Wednesday, that Hezbollah remains militarily strong and capable
of tipping the scales, but is currently observing silence in the face of
ceasefire violations, according to the Mehr News Agency. He stated: "If
[Hezbollah] is not moving now, it is because it does not want to violate its
commitment with Israel to the Lebanese ceasefire; otherwise, it possesses the
ability to change the course of events."Larijani indicated that recent
assassinations—including the killing of leaders and nuclear scientists—have
neither destroyed Hezbollah nor Iran's scientific and technological
capabilities. He added that during his visit to Lebanon, he witnessed Hezbollah
"rebuilding itself rapidly and continuing the resistance."He affirmed that the
experience of reconstruction and continued resistance in the region is valuable,
stressing that these movements do not disappear with the loss of individuals.
Larijani also touched upon the issue of the assassination of Iranian nuclear
scientists, saying: "Iranian nuclear scientists were assassinated, and [US
President Donald] Trump says that I bombed Iran's nuclear facility! But he must
realize that Iran has trained a large number of scientists, and its nuclear
technology will not be destroyed." The Secretary of
the Supreme National Security Council addressed the US military behavior in the
region, saying: "If America wants to see daily body counts, it should attack
various countries."
Graham: Not possible for Mideast to be normalized until
Hezbollah taken off the table
Naharnet/October 01, 2025
Hardline Republican U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham has hoped that Hamas “will say
yes” to U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal to end the conflict in Gaza.
“As to a new Middle East that embraces normalization between Israel and
the region, I also hope that day will come. However, it is not possible for the
Middle East to be normalized until Hezbollah is taken off the table,” Graham
added in a post on X. “A Middle East with Hezbollah
cannot be normal because Hezbollah is a fanatical, religious terrorist group
with American blood on its hands and it is dedicated to the destruction of
Israel,” Graham warned. “To the region: If you want normalization, disarm
Hezbollah one way or another,” he added.
Army intervenes after UNIFIL patrol intercepted in south
Naharnet/October 01, 2025
A number of young men on Wednesday intercepted a UNIFIL patrol as it was
conducting a routine patrol on the al-Tuffahiyeh-Srifa road in south Lebanon,
the state-run National News Agency reported. The interception prompted an
intervention by Lebanese Army troops who worked on pacifying the situation, NNA
added. Such incidents have become frequent in recent
months, with residents insisting that any UNIFIL patrol should be accompanied by
Lebanese Army troops. UNIFIL had recently called on
Lebanon to "ensure that UNIFIL peacekeepers can carry out their mandated tasks
without threats or obstruction." Hezbollah supporters
in Lebanon frequently accuse the U.N. mission -- which was created to oversee
the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon after Israel’s 1978
invasion -- of collusion with Israel. Israel meanwhile accuses the peacekeepers
of turning a blind eye to alleged Hezbollah military activities in southern
Lebanon.
Leftover rocket kills one and wounds two on Lebanon-Syria
border
Naharnet/October 01, 2025
A member of Syria’s General Security was killed and two people were wounded when
a war remnant rocket exploded on the Lebanese-Syrian border, Al-Jadeed TV
reported on Wednesday. Lebanon’s National News Agency said the blast went off
near the Joussiyeh-Qaa border crossing inside Syrian territory, adding that
there is a Syrian school nearby. Heavy smoke bellowed from the explosion site
according to NNA.
1 killed in Israeli drone strike on car in southern town of Kafra
Naharnet/October 01, 2025
An Israeli drone fired two missiles Wednesday at a car in the southern town of
Kafra, killing one person, the National News Agency said. Despite a November
ceasefire that ended over a year of hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel,
the latter has kept up regular strikes on Lebanon and still has troops
positioned at five border points inside Lebanon.Hezbollah, meanwhile, is under
intense pressure to hand over its weapons, with the Lebanese Army having drawn
up a plan to disarm it, beginning in the south.
Search warrants issued for two involved in Raouche Rock illumination
Naharnet/October 01, 2025
State Prosecutor Jamal al-Hajjar on Wednesday issued search and investigations
warrants for two people involved in Raouche Rock’s illumination after they
refused to appear before interrogators, the state-run National News Agency
reported. Hezbollah supporters have projected images
of slain leaders Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and Sayyed Hashem Safieddine onto the
iconic rock in Beirut despite government opposition and the party's lack of
official authorization. The move stirred controversy
and division in recent days, with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam urging local
authorities to prevent any unauthorized usage of landmarks.A Lebanese official
told AFP on condition of anonymity that Hezbollah had "obtained the
authorization" of the local authorities for the gathering on the Raouche seaside
corniche "but without illuminating the rock."In a statement Thursday, Salam said
the organizers had "clearly violated the accord" with the local authorities,
adding that he had requested the perpetrators' arrest. A Hezbollah
representative confirmed to AFP that the organizers had only requested
permission for the gathering. He said it was unclear
which agency had authority to give permission for the light show on the rock and
that they considered it was covered by "freedom of expression" under Lebanon's
constitution. The event was a show of force by the Shiite militant group and
political party, which suffered serious blows in last year's war with Israel and
has been under domestic and international pressure to give up its remaining
arsenal since then. Interior Minister Ahmad al-Hajjar has said that it was not
possible to halt the rock illumination activity due to the huge number of
Hezbollah supporters who attended the event.
No tension between Aoun and Salam despite disagreement, report says
Naharnet/October 01, 2025
There is no tension between President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf
Salam, sources close to the Prime Minister told al-Jadeed after a meeting
between the two leaders. The sources told al-Jadeed Wednesday that the meeting
between Salam and Aoun the previous day was "calm". On Tuesday, the two leaders
discussed the Raouche incident -- when Hezbollah’s supporters projected images
of the group’s former longtime leader on the iconic Raouche rock despite a
circular by Salam that objected to the planned light show. Pro-Hezbollah
al-Akhbar newspaper had reported that the controversy over Hezbollah’s
illumination of the Raouche Rock and the inability of the security forces to
prevent the activity had caused a rift between Salam and Aoun, whith the latter
throwing his full support behind the army and security forces. Aoun said that
the army is a red line and that "national peace is above all considerations" and
that it is the duty of the army and security forces to preserve it. "It is
unacceptable for anyone to criticize the army and the security forces," he added
in a speech Monday. The president reiterated his support to the army and
security forces, telling Salam again that "the army is a red line" during
Tuesday's meeting, the sources said, while Salam insisted on arresting the
perpetrators and referring them for investigation.
Aoun and Salam stress commitment to timely parliamentary elections
Naharnet/October 01, 2025
President Joseph Aoun on Wednesday discussed with Interior Minister Ahmad
al-Hajjar the ongoing preparations for the upcoming parliamentary elections,
stressing “the need to hold them on time in May.”Prime Minister Nawaf Salam for
his part emphasized “firm commitment to holding timely elections, without any
postponement or delay.”He added that he vows to “guarantee the right of all
Lebanese, including expats, to fair and transparent voting” and to “provide a
safe electoral environment that allows the Lebanese to participate freely,
especially our people in the South, where those who lost their homes and
villages cannot be punished through depriving them of their right to vote.”
UK supports launch of landmark study on women’s political
participation in Lebanon
Naharnet/October 01, 2025
The British Ambassador to Lebanon, Hamish Cowell, joined Prime Minister Nawaf
Salam’s representative Minister Haneen El Sayed, U.N. Women Representative
Gielan El Messiri, Canadian Ambassador to Lebanon Gregory Galligan and Lebanese
political leaders at a high-level conference to launch a landmark study on
women’s political participation within political parties in Lebanon. The study,
conducted by U.N. Women Lebanon in partnership with the Office of the United
Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon (UNSCOL), provides the first
comprehensive assessment of women’s roles in eight political parties, examining
their participation as members, candidates, and leaders. It also identifies key
challenges and opportunities for advancing gender equality within party
structures. Speaking at the event, Ambassador Cowell said: “The UK is proud of
its partnership with U.N. Women to advance women’s representation in politics in
Lebanon. Building on the success of female candidates during the last municipal
elections, we hope to see further female representation in the results of the
May 2026 parliamentary elections. This conference is an important step towards
more inclusive political representation in Lebanon.”
Lebanese Judiciary Pursues Two Individuals Close to
Hezbollah over Raouche Rock Lighting... Issued "Search and Investigation
Warrants" After They Refused to Appear
Asharq Al-Awsat October 1, 2025
(Translated from Arabic)
The Lebanese judiciary, on Wednesday, issued two search and investigation
warrants against two individuals close to Hezbollah, whose names were made
available as being responsible for the lighting of the Raouche Rock last week.
They allegedly violated a Lebanese government decision that prohibited lighting
the rock on the first anniversary of the assassination of the former
Secretary-General of the "Party," Hassan Nasrallah. Lebanese authorities pledged
to prosecute those responsible for violating the government decision and
lighting the Raouche Rock last week. Following the demand of Prime Minister
Nawaf Salam to the Ministries of Defense, Justice, and Interior to pursue the
culprits, the State Prosecutor General, Judge Jamal Al-Hajjar, tasked the
security agencies with "identifying the parties or individuals who lit the
Raouche Rock, arresting them, and bringing them to justice." The security
agencies began "gathering information and tracking down those behind this act
without any leniency."Judicial sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that the State
Prosecutor General, Judge Jamal Al-Hajjar, had summoned the two individuals a
few days ago, as their responsibility for lighting the rock during the
commemoration was established, but they refused to appear. The sources did not
disclose their identities but said they were close to Hezbollah and not members
of the group. After they refused to appear, Judge Jamal Al-Hajjar issued the two
search and investigation warrants against them. They are "among those whose
names were available as being responsible for lighting the Raouche Rock last
Friday," according to the official National News Agency (NNA). According to
judicial procedures, security forces are expected to arrest them and bring them
in for interrogation, in execution of the search and investigation warrants
issued against them.
The Governor of Beirut had granted a license to an association called the
"Lebanese Association for the Arts" to hold a symbolic vigil that included the
playing of the Lebanese national anthem and other chants, but the license did
not include a request for political speeches or the lighting of the Raouche
Rock. The organizing association committed to holding a symbolic vigil at the
site. However, the organizers violated their commitments and lit the rock
despite the legal prohibitions. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam had issued strict
instructions on the necessity of "taking legal measures against those behind
this action," while Parliament members representing the capital, Beirut,
considered that the activity organized by the "Party" "constitutes an assault on
one of the tourist symbols (Raouche Rock) and an attempt to drag national
landmarks into political and sectarian division conflicts."
Israel Has Killed More than 100 Civilians in Lebanon
Since Ceasefire, UN Says
Asharq Al-Awsat/October 01/ 2025
An Israeli drone strike on southern Lebanon killed one person and wounded five
on Wednesday as the UN rights chief said that Israeli strikes on its northern
neighbor have killed more than 100 civilians in 10 months. Volker Türk called
for renewed efforts to bring a permanent end to hostilities in Lebanon following
the 14-month Israel- Hezbollah that ended with a US-brokered ceasefire in late
November. The drone strike on a car in the southern
Lebanese village of Kafra killed one person and wounded five, Lebanon’s health
ministry said. It was not immediately clear who the dead person was. Türk’s
office said that until the end of September, they have verified 103 civilians
killed in Lebanon since the ceasefire. There have been no reports of killings
from projectiles fired from Lebanon toward Israel since the ceasefire, the
office said. “We are still seeing devastating impacts of jet and drone strikes
in residential areas, as well as near UN peacekeepers in the south,” said Türk,
who is the United Nations' high commissioner for human rights.
More than 80,000 people remain displaced in Lebanon as a result of the
ongoing violence, Türk said, adding that some 30,000 from northern Israel
reportedly remain displaced. Since the ceasefire, Israel has carried out almost
daily airstrikes on Lebanon, saying it is targeting Hezbollah members.On Sept.
21 an airstrike on the southern Lebanese town of Bint Jbeil killed five people,
including three children. Türk called for an independent and impartial
investigation into the incident, along with other incidents which raise concerns
about compliance with international humanitarian law. The most recent
Israel-Hezbollah war killed more than 4,000 people in Lebanon, including
hundreds of civilians, and caused an estimated $11 billion worth of destruction,
according to the World Bank. In Israel, 127 people died, including 80 soldiers.
The war started when Hezbollah began firing rockets across the border on Oct. 8,
2023, a day after a deadly Hamas-led incursion into southern Israel sparked the
war in Gaza. Israel responded with shelling and airstrikes in Lebanon, and the
two sides became locked in an escalating conflict that became a full-blown war
in late September 2024.
Lebanon: Dispute Over Electoral Law Halts Legislative
Sessions
Asharq Al-Awsat/October 01/ 2025
Lebanon’s parliament failed on Tuesday to approve long-delayed reform bills
after a majority of lawmakers boycotted the session in protest at proposed
amendments to the country’s electoral law. The deadlock has suspended
legislative work and raised fears of a deeper political crisis, which, according
to Deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saab, will require “a major political solution.”At
the heart of the dispute is a provision allocating six new parliamentary seats
for Lebanese expatriates. Several political blocs, led by the Lebanese Forces,
demand that overseas voters be allowed to cast ballots for all 128 members of
parliament according to their constituencies, rather than only for six
representatives. Speaker Nabih Berri rejected a fast-track proposal to amend the
law, prompting most lawmakers to walk out. On Tuesday, only 48 MPs entered the
chamber, leaving the session without a quorum. Berri later adjourned the meeting
without setting a new date. The standoff has
heightened concerns that the legislative impasse could delay parliamentary
elections scheduled for May 2026. Attempting to ease those fears, the interior
and foreign ministries issued a joint statement confirming that voter
registration for Lebanese abroad will open on October 2, 2025, and run until
November 20. Parliamentary sources told Asharq
Al-Awsat that the boycott has effectively frozen all bills on the agenda,
paralyzing legislative activity. Sources close to the Shiite duo (Hezbollah and
Amal Movement) warned the deadlock could undermine commitments to pass key
reforms demanded by the international community, including the state budget and
banking sector restructuring. The sources also noted that the suspension
threatens the work of Prime Minister Nawaf Salam’s government and its reform
agenda. Bou Saab himself acknowledged that the crisis is worsening, stressing
that boycotting parliament “means blocking critical reforms, from restructuring
banks to addressing the financial gap and passing the budget.”He warned that the
deadlock could become deliberate and entrenched: “We will not emerge from this
crisis without a major political settlement.”
Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea placed direct responsibility on Berri,
accusing him of deliberately ignoring the proposal submitted by 67 MPs to amend
the electoral law. Geagea argued that by refusing to put the bill on the agenda,
Berri was obstructing preparations for the vote and effectively jeopardizing the
elections.Gebran Bassil, leader of the Free Patriotic Movement, said that MPs
have the right to cause the suspension of parliamentary sessions. “There is
already a valid law to hold the elections on their constitutional date, along
with a joint report from the interior and foreign ministries,” said Bassil at
the parliament. “There is a systematic attempt to amend the electoral law and
delay the elections. We categorically reject any extension of the current
parliament (mandate), and there is no reason whatsoever to prevent elections
from taking place.” “Anyone who truly wants elections to go ahead should not
undermine the law that is already in force,” he added.
"The International Is watching closely": No Vote... No
Reconstruction
Tony Attieh / Nidaa Al-Watan / October 2, 2025 (Translated
from Arabic)
Emigrants cannot be punished for the "Party's" hostile policies
Since its entry into the Lebanese arena, the "Obstruction Axis" (Al-Mumana'a),
in its domestic political segment, has not been merely a faction competing for
power and influence. It is a death method that excels at paralyzing national
life. It is a complete system of rejection. The only "resistance" it masters and
has succeeded in is the resistance to constitutional deadlines/due processes. It
is "easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle" than for
parliamentary, presidential, or municipal elections to pass without the
fabrication of a "problem" (a "Mishkel") or the creation of a new "Shebaa" for
it (its names vary according to the occasion). The latest is the opposition by
the "Lost Duo" to expatriates electing all 128 Members of Parliament in their
countries of residence. The recurring refrain of the "Hezbollah" and "Amal"
teams is that they lack the capacity to fight the electoral battle politically
and in the media in the diaspora.
A diplomatic source comments on this issue, stating:
First, over 244,000 voters (according to the number of registered Lebanese
abroad for the 2022 elections) cannot be punished because of "Hezbollah's"
hostile, terrorist, and "Captagon-related" policies towards the international
and Arab communities.
Second, parliamentary elections held within the premises of embassies and
consulates—i.e., on Lebanese territory—are subject to the state's sovereignty.
Thus, no emigrant will be subjected to material or political pressure. There is
no scope there for the physical and moral political violence that the "Party"
has pursued in Lebanese districts and areas under its control, by threatening
and intimidating opposing candidates and voters. Meanwhile, no persecution or
harassment of Shiite voters based on their electoral choices or the voting
results has been recorded in the United States, the European Union countries, or
the Arab and Gulf states. The only exception has involved individuals whose
direct involvement in "Party"-related terrorist activities was proven, such as
establishing security cells, or engaging in international drug "cartels" to
which the "Islamic Resistance in Lebanon" belongs, and suspicious financing,
which has nothing to do with freedom of expression or legitimate political work.
Third: Since the emergence of social media and electronic media, direct
propaganda or meetings between candidates and voters no longer have their former
benefits. The proof is that in the 2022 elections, the "Duo" fought its battle
remotely and obtained diaspora votes, and no expatriate "Shiite" was harassed by
the authorities of the countries they reside in.
Therefore, the real reason behind the "Obstruction Axis's" rejection of the
expatriate vote has nothing to do with logistics or equality among voters, but
with the fear of successive setbacks. Following the military defeat and the
waning grip on the national strategic decision, this system realizes that the
majority of expatriates are biased toward the option of the State and sovereign
forces, not the "mini-state" (Doweila), and their environment is not subject to
the power of intimidation or blackmail. Furthermore, the election results in
embassies and consulates are difficult to manipulate or co-opt, as used to
happen in some counting centers and districts inside Lebanon. In this context,
the source warns that any attempt to torpedo or postpone the deadline will
backfire on its perpetrators. Donor entities, from the European Union to the
Gulf States and the United States, link their support for Lebanon to a series of
reform conditions, the first of which is respecting constitutional timetables.
The time for the heresies and absurdities that the "Obstruction Axis" used to
practice during the eras of security and political dominance is over.
If the "Party" equates not giving up its weapons with rejecting the expatriate
vote, considering both as existential issues, the international community views
the holding of parliamentary elections as a fundamental station on the path to
rescue. The source also confirms that the international eye is "red" (i.e.,
angry/vigilant) and watchful, and the monitoring is precise. Any attempt at
obstruction by the "Duo" will not pass without consequences, not only for the
political process but also for economic support and reconstruction. Every delay
is interpreted as a persistence in obstructing reform. The source warns that
ignoring the voices of emigrants might push them toward escalatory steps,
starting with filing complaints with UN bodies and decision-making centers in
Europe and America, in rejection of their marginalization. This would open the
door to a new crisis that Lebanon does not need. At the same time, the move to
deprive emigrants of voting exposes the "Obstruction Axis's" and Speaker Berri's
adherence to the old approach in managing the legislative authority, which no
longer aligns with the new Lebanon and international expectations.
The Latest English LCCC
Miscellaneous Reports And News published on October 01-02/2025
Faisal bin Farhan and Al-Shaibani Discuss
Efforts to Support Syria's Security and Economy
Asharq Al-Awsat/October 1, 2025 (Translated from
Arabic)
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and his Syrian counterpart,
Asaad Al-Shaibani, discussed on Wednesday the efforts being made to support
Syria's security and economy in a way that fulfills the aspirations of its
people.
The discussion took place during their meeting on the sidelines of the Munich
Security Conference Leaders Meeting, held in the AlUla governorate (northwest
Saudi Arabia), where they reviewed bilateral relations between the two
countries.
The conference proceedings in AlUla kicked off on Wednesday with the
participation of about 100 senior international leaders. Over two days, the
conference is set to discuss prominent issues, including the Iranian nuclear
file, the future of Syria, the Palestinian cause, the war in Ukraine, as well as
Red Sea security, energy, economic integration, and the corridor linking India,
the Middle East, and Europe. Saudi Arabia's hosting of the conference confirms
its commitment to the principle of international dialogue and strengthening
cooperation on regional and international issues, reflecting its support for
civilizational communication and hosting conferences and platforms in this
regard.
Report: SDF Targets Syrian Army Positions East of Aleppo with Artillery and
Drones
Syrian Democratic Forces, in turn, accuse Syrian government-affiliated militants
of shelling Tishreen Dam with heavy weapons
Asharq Al-Awsat / October 1, 2025 (Translated from Arabic)
Syrian TV announced today, Wednesday, that the Syrian Democratic Forces
(SDF/QSD) targeted Syrian Army positions near the Tishreen Dam east of Aleppo
with artillery and drones. For its part, the Syrian
Democratic Forces accused forces affiliated with the Syrian government of
targeting the Tishreen Dam and its vicinity with heavy weapons in attacks that
they said directly hit the body of the dam, which is located on the Euphrates
River in Manbij in the Aleppo governorate, as well as workers' residences and
nearby villages. The SDF reported that these strikes represent an "extremely
serious threat" to the lives of civilians and expose vital installations to
"catastrophic danger," noting that they also constitute a violation of ceasefire
agreements and an escalation that would increase tension in the region.
The SDF held the Damascus government "fully responsible for these
violations and any consequences that may result," asserting their "legitimate
right to defend civilians and forces against any threat or aggression."
The Kurdish-led SDF signed an agreement last March to join the new state
institutions and hand over key border crossings, oil fields, and an airport to
the control of the Syrian government. The agreement was expected to be
implemented by the end of the year, but Syrian President Ahmed al-Shara said
last month that there was "a kind of hindrance or slowdown in the implementation
of the agreement."The SDF controls large parts of territory in northeastern
Syria and has allied with the United States in confronting the ISIS
organization.
Israel issues ‘last’ warning for Gaza City residents to
flee
AFP/October 01, 2025
NUSEIRAT, Palestinian Territories: Israel’s defense minister issued a final
warning for Gaza City residents to flee south on Wednesday, as Hamas weighed US
President Donald Trump’s plan to end nearly two years of war in the Palestinian
territory. Witnesses reported heavy bombardment in
Gaza’s largest urban center, as Israel Katz warned the military was tightening
its encirclement of the city. “This is the last
opportunity for Gaza residents who wish to do so to move south and leave Hamas
operatives isolated in Gaza City,” Katz posted on X, adding that those who
remained would “be considered terrorists and terrorist supporters.”Katz said the
military had captured the Netzarim corridor in the central Gaza Strip through to
the western coast, a move he said cut the north of Gaza off form the south.
He added anyone leaving Gaza City for the south would have to pass
through Israeli military checkpoints. The announcement came hours after the
military said it was closing the last remaining route for residents of southern
Gaza to access the north. On the ground in Gaza City,
60-year-old Rabah Al-Halabi, who lives in a tent on the premises of Al-Shifa
Hospital, described relentless explosions.“I will not leave because the
situation in Gaza City is no different from the situation in the southern Gaza
Strip,” he told AFP by telephone. “All areas are dangerous, the bombing is
everywhere, and displacement is terrifying and humiliating,” he said.
“We are waiting for death, or perhaps relief from God and for the truce to
come.”
‘Ceasefire at any cost’
The International Committee of the Red Cross on Wednesday said that intensified
military operations in Gaza City had forced it to temporarily suspend its
activities there, warning that “tens of thousands... face harrowing humanitarian
conditions.”It came days after medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF)
said it had been forced to suspend its work there because of Israel’s offensive.
UN agencies and some aid organizations still operate in Gaza City. Meanwhile,
Hamas mulled a peace plan put forward by Trump and backed by Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu which calls for a ceasefire, the release of hostages
within 72 hours, Hamas’s disarmament and a gradual Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
A Palestinian source close to Hamas’s leaders told AFP that “no final decision”
had been made and that “the movement will likely need two to three days.”“Hamas
wants to amend some of the items such as the disarmament clause and the
expulsion of Hamas,” the source said. They added that Hamas had informed
mediators of the “need to provide international guarantees for a full Israeli
withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and guarantees that Israel will not violate a
ceasefire through assassinations inside or outside Gaza.”Gaza’s civil defense
agency — a rescue force operating under Hamas authority — reported that Israeli
strikes killed at least 13 people in Gaza City on Wednesday. When asked by AFP,
the Israeli military said it was looking into the reports. Media restrictions in
Gaza and difficulties accessing swathes of the territory mean AFP is unable to
independently verify the tolls and details provided by the civil defense and the
Israeli military. Fadel Al-Jadba, 26, said he would not leave Gaza City. He said
tanks were in the Tal Al-Hawa neighborhood and that he “would not be surprised
if they advance into Al-Rimal,” where he was sheltering.
“We want a ceasefire at any cost because we are frustrated, exhausted, and find
no one in the world standing with us.”
‘Two opinions’ in Hamas
Trump told reporters on Tuesday that Hamas had “about three or four days” to
accept his 20-point Gaza plan, later warning that the Islamist movement would
“pay in hell” if it refused. A source familiar with negotiations taking place in
the Qatari capital Doha told AFP that “two opinions exist within Hamas.”“The
first supports unconditional approval, as the priority is a ceasefire under
Trump’s guarantees, with mediators ensuring Israel implements the plan,” the
source said. “The second has serious reservations regarding key clauses,
rejecting disarmament and the expulsion of any Palestinian from Gaza. They favor
conditional approval with clarifications reflecting Hamas’s and the resistance
factions’ demands,” the source added. Hamas’s October
7, 2023 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians,
according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures. Israel’s retaliatory
offensive has killed at least 66,148 Palestinians, according to health ministry
figures in the Hamas-run territory that the United Nations considers
reliable.These figures do not specify the number of fighters killed, but
indicate that more than half of the dead are women and children.
46 Palestinians Killed in Israeli Strikes in Gaza Strip
Asharq Al-Awsat/October 1, 2025 (Translated from Arabic)
At least 46 Palestinians were killed today, Wednesday, in Israeli shelling in
several areas of the Gaza Strip, according to the Civil Defense and medical
sources. Civil Defense spokesman, Mahmoud Bassal,
confirmed to Agence France-Presse that "at least 46 martyrs have fallen since
dawn in the continuous occupation bombing on the Gaza Strip."Among the dead, 36
fell in several air raids on Gaza City, according to data from the Civil
Defense, ambulance, and emergency services. The Civil Defense confirmed the
killing of 7 Palestinians in an airstrike on Al-Thalathini Street southeast of
Gaza City, and 6 others in a raid on a house in the Al-Daraj neighborhood, where
two other people were killed in a separate raid. They
indicated the recovery of 8 bodies following an aerial bombing that targeted a
school in the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood, noting that at least 7 others were killed
in several air raids west of Gaza City.
In the central Gaza Strip, Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah announced
in a statement that it had received "6 martyrs from an Israeli drone strike on a
group of citizens in the town of Al-Zawaida in the central Gaza Strip." Al-Awda
Hospital in Nuseirat refugee camp also announced in a statement the fall of "two
martyrs and 6 injuries due to the Israeli occupation targeting" a house in the
Al-Qassam Mosque area of the Nuseirat camp in the center of the Strip.
In the south of the Strip, Nasser Medical Complex announced that it had
received "two martyrs, aid seekers, from occupation fire southwest of Khan
Yunis."
The Israeli Defense Minister issued a final warning today for residents of Gaza
City to leave the city toward the south as the army prepares to tighten the
encirclement around it. This comes as the Hamas movement studies US President
Donald Trump's plan to end the war that has lasted for nearly two years in the
besieged and devastated Strip. The International Committee of the Red Cross
(ICRC) announced, on its part, that the intense military operations in Gaza City
have forced it to suspend its activities there. It stated that "tens of
thousands (who remain there)... face appalling humanitarian conditions." This
followed days after the charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) announced that it
was forced to suspend its work due to the Israeli shelling.
Trump Administration Tightens Sanctions on Iran's "Ballistic" Program/Sanctions
target 21 entities and 17 individuals and reinforce UN "Snapback" procedures
Washington: Ali Barada/Asharq Al-Awsat/October 01/2025 (Translated from Arabic)
The United States imposed a new series of sanctions on Iran, including 21
entities and 17 individuals, for their involvement in networks that facilitate
the Iranian Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL)'s access to
sensitive technology for the production of missiles and military aircraft. US
Treasury Secretary Scott Pissent described this as an additional attempt to deny
the Iranian regime the "weapons it might use to pursue its malign objectives" in
the region.
The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) stated that it
placed these entities and individuals on the sanctions list because they are
"involved in networks that facilitate the procurement of sensitive goods and
technologies for MODAFL, as well as its missile and military aircraft production
efforts."It added that these networks "have contributed to activities including
the procurement of advanced surface-to-air missile system technology and the
illicit procurement of a US-made helicopter." OFAC considered that "Iran’s
ballistic missile and conventional weapons capabilities, supported by the
networks designated today, pose a significant threat to US service members in
the Middle East, US commercial vessels transiting international waterways, and
civilians."US Treasury Secretary Scott Pissent said, "The Iranian regime’s
support for terrorist proxies and its pursuit of nuclear weapons threaten the
security of the Middle East, the United States, and our allies around the
world," adding that "under the leadership of President [Donald] Trump, we will
deny the regime the weapons it might use to pursue its malign objectives."
The US Treasury Department framed the new sanctions in the context of supporting
the re-imposition of UN sanctions on Iran on September 27. It added that all UN
member states must "accelerate the implementation of UN restrictions on Iran’s
nuclear, missile, and other weapons programs, including the arms embargo, export
controls, travel bans, asset freezes, and other restrictions on individuals and
entities, including banks, involved in Iranian nuclear and missile activities."
It affirmed that the activation of the "snapback" mechanism to re-impose UN
restrictions was a "direct result of Iran’s failure to meet its nuclear
commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action [JCPOA]," which is the
official name for the nuclear agreement reached in 2015. It added: "This
Security Council resolution demonstrates the international community’s resolve
to protect the global non-proliferation regime from Iranian attempts to
undermine it through nuclear threats and escalation."
Across Continents
The new sanctions targeted Iranian military support networks spanning multiple
continents. These include a network that procures weapons components on behalf
of the Aerospace Industries Organization (AIO) of MODAFL and its affiliates,
including the Shahid Bakeri Industrial Group (SBIG), which is responsible for
Iran’s solid-propellant ballistic missile program. Action was also taken against
a procurement network, mostly based in Iran, Hong Kong, and China, for its role
in the illicit supply of US-made dual-use electronics to the Shiraz Electronic
Industries (SEI) of MODAFL, which produces equipment for the Iranian military,
including radar and missile guidance technology for surface-to-air missile
defense systems.
OFAC targeted another network operating out of Iran, Germany, Turkey, Portugal,
and Uruguay, which procures equipment, including a US-made helicopter, for the
Iran Helicopter Support and Renewal Company (IHSRC) of MODAFL.
The Treasury Department announced that it is working with the Departments of
State and Homeland Security and the FBI to dismantle Iranian support networks
inside and outside the United States. Concurrently with OFAC’s designations, the
State Department is imposing sanctions on 5 Iranian individuals and one Iranian
entity "for engaging in activities that materially contribute to, or pose a risk
of materially contributing to, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction
from Iran."
Qatari Foreign Ministry Welcomes Trump’s Signing of
a Decree to Guarantee its Security: A Significant Step to Bolster the Close
Defense Ties Between the Two Countries
NNA/October 1, 2025 (Translated from Arabic)
Qatar welcomed the signing of a decree by US President Donald Trump to guarantee
its security, following the White House's publication of an executive order in
which the United States pledged security guarantees to Qatar after it was
subjected to an Israeli strike in September. A statement from the Qatari
Ministry of Foreign Affairs read: "Qatar welcomes the US President's signing of
an Executive Order affirming that any armed attack on its territory shall be
considered a threat to the peace and security of the United States."The
statement indicated that "the Executive Order is an embodiment of the strong and
historical relationship between the State of Qatar and the United States of
America, which is based on cooperation and partnership in the fields of
mediation, conflict resolution, and issues of international peace and security."
It also considered it "a significant step on the path to bolstering the close
defense relations between the two countries." Qatar expressed its "full
appreciation for the important American role in consolidating regional peace,"
and reaffirmed that "this step will contribute to enhancing bilateral
cooperation in the security and diplomatic fields." The Ministry also affirmed
the "continuation of the State of Qatar to work with the United States and its
international partners as a trusted international mediator to face common
challenges, promote conflict resolution through peaceful means, and achieve
sustainable peace in the region," according to the Qatar News Agency (QNA).
Historic Decision: Washington Integrates Qatar's
Security into its National Security
Al Modon/October 01/2025 (Translated from Arabic)
Qatar welcomed today, Wednesday, the signing of a decree by US President Donald
Trump to guarantee its security, following the White House's publication of an
Executive Order in which the United States pledged security guarantees to Qatar
after it was subjected to an Israeli strike in September.
A statement from the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs read that "Qatar
welcomes the US President's signing of an Executive Order affirming that any
armed attack on its territory shall be considered a threat to the peace and
security of the United States."
Earlier today, Wednesday, the US President signed a new Executive Order,
declaring that any attack targeting the territory of the State of Qatar, or
affecting its sovereignty or vital infrastructure, will be considered a direct
threat to the security of the United States and its strategic interests.
The White House, in an official statement, said that the Presidential Order
stipulates that the United States will take "all legal and appropriate
measures," including diplomatic, economic, and military action if necessary, to
protect its shared interests with Qatar and ensure regional stability.
The decision obligates all US executive departments and agencies, led by the
Departments of Defense and State and intelligence agencies, to coordinate to
implement this directive, thereby enhancing the existing security commitments
with Doha. The text of the Executive Order indicates that the relationship
between the United States and Qatar spans a decade of security and military
cooperation, and that Doha hosts US military bases that are central to
Washington's operations in the Middle East, reflecting the country's strategic
importance in US national security calculations.
Background of the Decision
This development comes about three weeks after the Israeli attack on the Qatari
capital, Doha, on September 9, which sparked widespread regional and diplomatic
tension. At the time, Qatar expressed its strong condemnation of the operation
and considered it an "assault on its sovereignty," while the attack prompted the
White House to demand that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apologize
to Doha.
Text of the Order
Executive Order: Guaranteeing the Security of the State of Qatar
As President of the United States of America, and by virtue of the authority
vested in me by the Constitution and the laws, and in recognition of the
enduring alliance between the United States and the State of Qatar, it is hereby
ordered as follows:
Section 1: Policy
The United States and the State of Qatar have been bound by ties of close
cooperation, shared interests, and strong relations between our armed forces
over the years. The State of Qatar has hosted US forces, enabled vital security
operations, and stood as a steadfast ally in the pursuit of peace, stability,
and prosperity, both in the Middle East and beyond, including its role as a
mediator that has assisted the United States in its attempts to resolve major
regional and international disputes.
In recognition of this history, and in light of the continuous threats facing
the State of Qatar as a result of external aggression, it is the policy of the
United States to guarantee the security and territorial integrity of the State
of Qatar against any external aggression.
Section 2: Commitment
a) The United States considers any armed attack on the territory, sovereignty,
or vital infrastructure of the State of Qatar to be a threat to the peace and
security of the United States.
b) In the event of such an attack, the United States shall take all legal and
appropriate measures, including diplomatic and economic, and, if necessary,
military, to defend the interests of the United States and the State of Qatar,
and to restore peace and stability.
c) The Secretary of War, in coordination with the Secretary of State and the
Director of National Intelligence, shall maintain joint contingency planning
with the State of Qatar to ensure a swift and coordinated response to any
foreign aggression against it.
d) The Secretary of State shall re-affirm this guarantee to the State of Qatar
and coordinate with allies and partners to ensure complementary support measures
are taken.
e) The Secretary of State shall continue partnership with the State of Qatar as
appropriate in the fields of conflict resolution and mediation, in recognition
of the State of Qatar's extensive expertise in diplomacy and mediation.
Section 3: Implementation
All executive departments and agencies shall take appropriate steps, consistent
with law, to implement this order.
Section 4: General Provisions
a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
The authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head
thereof; or
The functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to
budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to
the availability of appropriations.
c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit,
substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against
the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers,
employees, or agents, or any other person.
d) The Department of State shall bear the costs of publishing this order.
Pentagon Says Iraq Mission Being Scaled Back
Asharq Al-Awsat/October 01/ 2025
The Pentagon recommitted itself in a statement on Tuesday to scaling back its
military mission in Iraq, a process that a US official said will see Baghdad
command efforts to combat remnants of the ISIS group inside its own country.
Under the plan, the US and its coalition allies would instead focus on combating
ISIS remnants in Syria and shift most of their personnel to Iraq's Kurdistan
region to carry out that mission, the official said, speaking on condition of
anonymity according to Reuters. The US had
approximately 2,500 troops in Iraq at the start of 2025 and more than 900 in
neighboring Syria as part of the coalition formed in 2014 to combat ISIS as it
rampaged through the two countries. Once the transitions are completed, the
total number of US forces in Iraq will number fewer than 2,000, and the majority
of them will be in Erbil, the official said. A final number has yet to be
determined, the official added, without offering a timeline. US troops remaining
in Baghdad will focus on normal bilateral security cooperation issues, not the
counter-ISIS fight. "ISIS is no longer posing a
sustained threat to the government of Iraq or to the US homeland from Iraqi
territory. This is a major achievement that enables us to transition more
responsibly to Iraq leading efforts for security in their own country," a senior
defense official said. The agreement is a boost for the government in Baghdad,
which has long worried that US troops can be a magnet for instability,
frequently targeted by Iran-aligned groups.The US agreed last year with Iraq to
depart the Ain al-Asad airbase in western Anbar province and hand it over to
Iraq. The US official said that transition was still "in progress," and declined
to offer further information. Although the Trump
administration has outlined plans for a drawdown in Syria as well, the official
said that was conditions-based and "we remain in kind of a status quo situation"
at the moment. The US is concerned about the persistent presence of ISIS
fighters in Syria, and the risk that thousands being held in prisons could be
freed. Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa led
opposition forces that overthrew Bashar al-Assad's government last year. US
President Donald Trump met him in Riyadh in May. Middle East leaders and their
Western allies have been warning that ISIS could exploit the political
instability in Syria to stage a comeback there.
Yemen's Houthis Claim Missile Attack on Dutch-flagged Ship
in Gulf of Aden
Asharq Al-Awsat/October 01/ 2025
Yemen's Houthi militias early Wednesday claimed the attack that left a
Dutch-flagged cargo ship ablaze and adrift in the Gulf of Aden. The attack
Monday on the Minervagracht was the most serious assault in months by the
Iranian-backed Houthis in the Gulf of Aden, which is some distance from the Red
Sea where they have sunk four vessels since November 2023. The militias fired a
cruise missile that targeted and struck the Minervagracht, Houthi military
spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree said. Saree accused
the ship's owners, Amsterdam-based Spliethoff, of violating “the entry ban to
the ports of occupied Palestine.”Initially, the US Navy-overseen Joint Maritime
Information Center said the Minervagracht had no ties to Israel, but a note
Tuesday said the center was “reviewing vessel affiliations for possible links to
Israel.”The attack wounded two mariners on board the Minervagracht. The crew
were forced to evacuate the ship after the strike inflicted substantial damage.
A European naval force operating in the region, known as Operation
Aspides, said Tuesday the Minervagracht was “on fire and adrift” after the
crew’s rescue. “Upon receipt of an urgent distress
request from the vessel’s master, EUNAVFOR ASPIDES initiated an immediate
response to save all 19 crew members (Russian, Ukraine, Philippines, Sri Lanka)
among which are two seriously wounded,” it said. The
Houthis have launched missile and drone attacks on over 100 ships and on Israel
in response to the war in Gaza, saying they were acting in solidarity with the
Palestinians. However, some of the group’s targets have had tenuous links or no
connections at all to Israel. The Houthi campaign against shipping has killed at
least eight mariners and seen four ships sunk.
Druze seek Sweida autonomy and turn toward Israel, adding
new twist to Syria’s tensions
AP/October 01, 2025
BEIRUT: Syrian government fighters entered the city of Sweida over the summer in
an apparent bid to assert control over the enclave of the Druze minority that
for years had operated in semiautonomy. It backfired. Sectarian attacks on Druze
civilians during the ensuing fighting have hardened Sweida’s stance against the
government, pushed it toward Israel, and led some in the minority sect to go as
far as calling for secession. Now Druze groups have set up a de facto military
and governmental body in Sweida, similar to the Kurdish-led authorities in the
country’s northeast. It is a major setback for Damascus struggling to exert its
authority across the country following a 13-year civil war and win the support
of minorities. When former President Bashar Assad was brought down by
Islamist-led insurgents in December, many Druze celebrated, welcoming a new era
after over 50 years of autocratic rule. They were willing to give interim
President Ahmad Al-Sharaa, a former Al-Qaeda-linked militant who promised a
democratic and inclusive political transition, a chance.
Among them was Omar Alkontar, a 21-year-old biology student. Then his village
outside the city of Sweida was burned to the ground in July’s clashes.
Now, he said, “The main idea is that we have to separate (from Damascus) to
prevent another massacre.”
A de facto Druze administration
While many Druze were initially willing to work with the new authorities, a
notable exception was Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Hikmat Al-Hijri, a divisive
figure who had flip-flopped between support for Assad and anti-government
protests and now opposed dealing with the new government.
In July, armed groups affiliated with Al-Hijri clashed with local Bedouin clans,
spurring intervention by government forces who effectively sided with the
Bedouins. Hundreds of civilians, mostly Druze, were killed, many by government
fighters. Videos surfaced online showing armed men
killing Druze civilians kneeling in squares and shaving the mustaches off
elderly men in an act of humiliation. The sectarian
violence changed the minds of many Druze about the new authorities — and about
Al-Hijri, who has emerged as the dominant Druze figure in Syria. In August, he
established a government-like body called the Supreme Legal Council.
Dozens of armed factions originally formed to counter drug gangs and
Daesh group extremists have banded together under the National Guard. Critics
say it includes former Assad loyalists and allied militias trafficking the
amphetamine known as Captagon. It also includes former opponents of Al-Hijri,
most notably the Men of Dignity, a prominent group that had endorsed cooperation
with Damascus before the July violence. “We urge all
the honorable in the world … to stand with the Druze sect in southern Syria to
declare a separate region that keeps us protected until the end of time,”
Al-Hijri said in August, upon welcoming the Men of Dignity into the National
Guard.Al-Hijri did not respond to interview requests and it is unclear exactly
what kind of system he envisions. Many in Sweida want
some form of autonomy in a federal system. A smaller group is calling for total
partition. Local Druze figures that still back Al-Sharaa are now widely seen as
traitors. The attacks in Sweida sounded “strong alarm
bells among the Druze” as well as other minority groups, said Mazen Ezzi, a
Syrian researcher from Sweida now based in Paris. “The
Druze realized that to stay part of this new political status quo” under the new
authorities “will be extremely difficult,” he said.
Israel seizes the moment
Most of the roughly 1 million Druze worldwide live in Syria, with the rest in
Lebanon, Israel and the Golan Heights which Israel seized from Syria in 1967 and
later annexed. The Druze of Syria take pride in their
historic involvement in revolts against Ottoman and French colonial rule to
establish a secular, nationalist Syrian state.Sheikh Mowafak Tarif, Israel’s
Druze spiritual leader, was largely rejected by Druze leaders in Syria and
Lebanon, who opposed Israel and supported the Palestinians.
But what happened in July has shaken about a century of Syrian Druze
political history and driven many toward a formerly taboo ally.When violence
broke out in Sweida, Tarif called for Israeli military intervention to protect
the Druze. Israel responded, launching strikes on Syrian government forces and
on the Syrian Defense Ministry headquarters in Damascus. Syrian forces withdrew
from Sweida.
Tarif told The Associated Press that he and Al-Hijri stay in touch “all the
time,” organizing deliveries of aid to the besieged province.
Tarif also meets with senior Western politicians and diplomats and has
called for a demilitarized southern Syria and establishment of a humanitarian
corridor from Israel to deliver food and medical supplies to Sweida. Israeli
officials have also pushed for a wider demilitarized zone in Syria’s south.
Al-Hijri has thanked Israel publicly on several occasions.
The impact on the ground is apparent.
When someone hoisted an Israeli flag in Sweida in March, residents quickly took
it down. Now, in Karama Square, where people once gathered to celebrate Assad’s
downfall, portraits of Al-Hijri and Tarif appear side by side at protests
against Al-Sharaa. Most carry the Druze faith’s five-colored flag, but some also
wave the Israeli flag. It’s a sign of “a people who feel let down by their
nationalism,” Ezzi said. Alkontar, the biology
student, doesn’t believe Israel’s motives are altruistic, but says its
intervention was a lifeline for many in Sweida. “It’s
not necessarily a love for Israel. They felt safer after the strikes, which is
very sad,” Alkontar said after a attending a protest in Karama Square. “You want
the army of your own government to provide you with that security, not a foreign
country.”
Damascus struggles to change course
Al-Sharaa has tried to appeal to the Druze community since the July fighting and
warned that Israel is trying to exploit the tensions.
“Mistakes were made by all sides: the Druze community, the Bedouins, even the
state itself,” he said in an interview with state television. “Everyone who
committed wrongdoing, made mistakes, or violated people’s rights must be held
accountable.”The president then formed a fact-finding mission. Last month,
Damascus alongside the United States and Jordan announced a road map to return
displaced Druze and Bedouins, deliver aid to Sweida, and bring about
reconciliation. Both moves were widely dismissed in
Sweida.A Sweida resident, whose fiance and members of his family were killed by
gunmen who raided their village, accused Damascus of “covering the attacks up.”
She spoke on condition of anonymity after previously receiving threats for
speaking out. “When the (Assad) regime fell, we were
the first people to celebrate … but I think Ahmad Al-Sharaa is a murderous
extremist,” she said.Alkontar is disheartened as he walks past another long
breadline in a small bakery near ruined buildings after visiting a displaced
family.He believes some Druze “could have a change of heart ... if the
government changes its ways and extends a hand.” But many will not.“As long as
this government in Damascus stays, people will lean toward partition or
independence,” Alkontar said. “I prefer we stay part of Syria without this
ruling group. But as long as they’re there, I don’t know if even federalism will
keep us safe.”
The Latest English LCCC
analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on October 01-02/2025
Should Comey Be Convicted?
Alan M. Dershowitz/Gatestone Institute/October 01/2025
Lawfare and selective prosecution are fundamentally wrong. It would be best if
neither side misused the legal system to "get" their enemies. The Trump
administration obviously believes that asking nicely is not likely to work, and
that those who distort the legal system by turning it into "lawfare" must be
held to account in order to stop it.
The ink was not even dry on the US Department of Justice's hastily drafted
two-count indictment of former FBI Director James Comey when partisans chose
sides.
Most on the "left" insisted that this was a revenge lawfare indictment with no
basis in law or fact. Many on the "right" saw nothing amiss, arguing that the
defendant did in fact lie to Congress.
The nonpartisan reality is that it is too early to make a full assessment of the
merits or demerits of the case. The other reality is that the indictment raises
several distinct if overlapping issues.
First and foremost is whether it properly alleges crimes. Put another way, if
there is evidence to establish the allegations, would that evidence be
sufficient for a conviction? In order to convict, the government must prove
beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant intentionally and under oath lied
or deceived legislators about a material fact. So if a jury were to conclude
that Comey knew that he had authorized an FBI assistant to leak material, his
negative answer to a material question from Senator Ted Cruz might well be found
to be a crime. Complicating matters, the assistant apparently referenced now
denies that Comey was aware of the leak. Perhaps someone else was involved, such
as a law professor through whom Comey allegedly laundered leaks. In any event,
factual issues are for juries to resolve.
Second, Comey's lawyers are sure to argue that even if Comey did cross the line
into criminality, he would not have been indicted if he had not alienated
President Donald J. Trump.
The defense of selective or targeted prosecution is generally difficult to
establish in the courts of law because of its inherently speculative nature, as
distinguished from the courts of public opinion. But Trump's statement demanding
that Comey be prosecuted might make it somewhat easier in the eyes of a
sympathetic judge.
Third is whether Trump's statement so poisoned potential jury pools that a fair
trial is impossible in northern Virginia.
Fourth is whether the trial should be held in Virginia rather than in the
District of Columbia. The crimes charged are geographically complex. They
involve an answer, which took place in Virginia, to a question asked in DC.
Comey was home with COVID and was answering remotely. The constitution requires
that the trial be conducted in "the state and district wherein the crime shall
have been committed." The crimes alleged here were not committed by the general
answer alone -- essentially a simple denial -- that was given in Virginia, but
required the more specific question asked in DC, indicating what he had
illegally done. Comey would almost certainly prefer a DC jury to a northern
Virginia jury, but the district court is likely to rule that enough of the crime
was committed in Virginia to justify it being tried there.
Before the case reaches a jury, the judge must make several critical rulings. To
begin with, the defendant will probably seek a bill of particulars specifying
the precise nature of the alleged lies, leaks and testimony comprising the
alleged crime. The indictment itself is bare-bones, obviously rushed to beat the
statute of limitations, which was imminent. There is also likely to be a
superseding indictment that will provide more specificity.
Beyond all these important legal and constitutional issues lies the overriding
ethical issue of whether this case would have been brought if the shoe were on
the other foot -- if the same acts had been committed by a friend rather than an
enemy of the administration. The same question can be asked of the prosecutions
that targeted Trump, especially the Manhattan prosecution regarding hush money
payments. There was simply no crime there. The prosecutor had to make one up.
With Comey, there is a claimed crime. The question is, did he commit it?
Lawfare and selective prosecution are fundamentally wrong. It would be best if
neither side misused the legal system to "get" their enemies. The Trump
administration obviously believes that asking nicely is not likely to work, and
that those who distort the legal system by turning it into "lawfare" must be
held to account in order to stop it.
Alan M. Dershowitz is the Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law, Emeritus at
Harvard Law School, and the author most recently of War Against the Jews: How to
End Hamas Barbarism, and Get Trump: The Threat to Civil Liberties, Due Process,
and Our Constitutional Rule of Law. He is the Jack Roth Charitable Foundation
Fellow at Gatestone Institute, and is also the host of "The Dershow" podcast.
**Follow Alan M. Dershowitz on X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook
© 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.
Tom Barrack’s Diplomacy of Optics: Fast Deals, Fragile
Peace
Gadeer Kamal-Mreeh/Middle East Forum/October 01/ 2025
For decades, the Middle East has been a stage for both careful diplomacy and
costly miscalculations. The region’s complex interplay of politics, identity,
and security requires patience, cultural awareness, and credibility. Tom
Barrack, longtime US envoy and business figure, offers a case study in how
high-profile approaches can carry both opportunities and risks.
Barrack approaches Middle East diplomacy like a business deal. As Ambassador to
Turkey and Special Envoy to Syria, he has sought quick announcements and visible
results. That style may work in real estate, but in Syria, Lebanon, and Turkey,
it risks deepening instability. Prioritizing optics over messy realities, he
overlooks local dynamics, and communities like the Druze in Sweida pay the
price.
As Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy to Syria, Barrack has sought quick
announcements and visible results.
Last month in Beirut, Barrack stunned journalists with an outburst: “The moment
this starts becoming chaotic, like animalistic, we’re gone. So, you want to know
what’s happening? Act civilized… because this is the problem with what’s
happening in the region.” Such sharp rhetoric reflected the impulsiveness that
has marked his tenure. Intended to advance US interests, it has instead fueled
tensions across Lebanon, Syria, and Turkey.
The violence in Sweida in July 2025 illustrates the danger. Over 1,500 Druze
civilians were killed when regime-backed militias, including Bedouin fighters
and ISIS remnants, attacked the governorate. Thousands more were displaced,
women and children abused, and services collapsed. Amid this, Barrack urged
President Ahmad Sharaa to be “quickly inclusive,” warning him not to “lose the
energy of the universe that was behind him.” A headline-friendly soundbite, it
was no substitute for guarantees to restrain militias and protect civilians.
A Reuters investigation found Syrian authorities interpreted Barrack’s rejection
of federalism and silence on troop movements as a US “green light” to storm
Sweida. When Damascus moved in, Israel struck Syrian military sites in defense
of the Druze, escalating tensions. Barrack’s desire to look like a peacemaker
had fanned the flames of conflict.
This was not an isolated misstep. In Lebanon, Barrack negotiated a phased plan
for Hezbollah’s disarmament with Beirut but failed to consult Israel. The
Lebanese cabinet endorsed the plan expecting Israeli restraint, but the same day
Israel struck a Hezbollah operative, unaware of promises made on its behalf. The
disarmament process collapsed, exposing Barrack’s lack of coordination and
undermining US credibility.
To contain the fallout, Washington dispatched Barrack and Deputy Middle East
Envoy Morgan Ortagus to Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered
cautious support, pledging to reward Lebanese steps toward disarmament. But his
limited statement fell short of Barrack’s sweeping promises, enabling
Hezbollah’s ally, Speaker Nabih Berri, to accuse the US of duplicity. Rather
than ease tensions, Barrack’s efforts deepened mistrust.
Ruling out alternative solutions isn’t pragmatism, it’s denial
Even more troubling is Barrack’s dismissal of federalist or decentralized
solutions in Syria. By insisting only centralized sovereignty can bring
stability, he ignores societies fractured by war and sectarianism. For the Druze
and other minorities, autonomy may be the only safeguard. Sweeping such options
off the table is not pragmatism; it is denial. Durable diplomacy requires
patience, accountability, and grappling with uncomfortable truths, not praise
for regimes’ “energy” or slogans about unity.
Barrack brings access, urgency, and optimism to a complex region.
Barrack’s record extends further. When Damascus demanded Kurdish militias
surrender arms, he aligned with the regime instead of negotiating, even
threatening to withdraw US troops who had been key partners in the fight against
ISIS. That risked alienating one of the few functional allies on the ground.
In Turkey, where he serves as ambassador, Barrack has lavished praise on Ankara
and romanticized the Ottoman Empire - despite his own Christian grandfather
having fled Ottoman oppression. For Syrians and Lebanese, former Ottoman
subjects who broke away in 1918, such rhetoric reopens colonial wounds. His
insensitivity to these grievances has strained relations with local populations,
who see his comments as dismissive of their struggles.
The pattern is clear: Barrack equates fast agreements with progress. But rushing
to project momentum has led him to downplay atrocities, embolden regimes, and
push formulas that collapse when tested against reality.
Barrack brings access, urgency, and optimism to a complex region. The problem is
mistaking style for strategy. His “fast peace” delivers fragile deals, and for
the Druze of Sweida, Lebanon’s fragile institutions, and US partners like the
Kurds, the toll has already been significant. Real peace in Syria and Lebanon
will not come from a dealmaker’s quick fix but from long, disciplined engagement
rooted in local realities. Anything less risks more tragedies like Sweida, where
optics triumphed over outcomes and left communities more vulnerable than before.
Granting Qatar a Security Guarantee Is a Strategic
Mistake...With Trump’s Executive Order, America Has Allied Itself Not with a
Partner for Peace, but an Agent for Instability
Gregg Roman/Middle East Forum/October 01/ 2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/10/147816/
President Donald Trump’s September 29, 2025, executive order granting Qatar a
NATO-style security guarantee is a strategic blunder built on a foundation of
fantasy. The order cites the need to protect Qatar from “continuing threats …
posed by foreign aggression.” The question is, what threats? What foreign
aggression? The State of Qatar is not a victim in the Middle East; it is a
source of the instability that plagues the region. The only “foreign aggression”
it should fear is the consequence of its own policies.
The Qatari regime has perfected a cynical and dangerous double game.
For decades, the Qatari regime has perfected a cynical and dangerous double
game. It hosts the Al Udeid Air Base, giving it the veneer of being a Western
ally while it serves as the world’s most significant financier of the Muslim
Brotherhood and its terrorist offshoots. The leaders of Hamas, the perpetrators
of the October 7, 2023, massacre, do not hide in caves; they hold press
conferences from the lobbies of luxurious Doha hotels, their lifestyles and
operations underwritten by the same monarchy the United States now swears to
protect. This security pact creates the possibility that an Israeli operation to
eliminate a Hamas leader in Doha could be officially regarded as “a threat to
the peace and security of the United States.” It is a strategic absurdity of the
highest order.
Qatar’s aggression is not limited to terror financing. It has waged a patient,
multibillion-dollar war of ideas against the West, using its state-funded
narrative machine Al Jazeera to spread antisemitic and anti-American propaganda.
It has poured billions of dollars into universities in a campaign of ideological
subversion, poisoning the well of our public discourse and creating the campus
environment where genocidal chants now become “social justice.”
This executive order cannot stand. The path to its revocation requires a new,
coordinated campaign, a coalition of the aggrieved led by the victims of Qatari
statecraft. This fight must be waged not with arms, but with the potent,
democratic weapons of truth, law, and political pressure.
First, the broad coalition of nations that have suffered from Qatar’s
destabilizing influence—including Israel, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab
Emirates, Bahrain, and Egypt—must form a diplomatic front. They must jointly
lobby the U.S. Congress, presenting a case, backed by intelligence, that this
executive order does not enhance regional stability but, rather, shields the
primary source of its decay.
Jerusalem should immediately take a series of nonviolent, democratic steps to
expose and counter the Qatari regime.
Second, Israel, as the primary target of Qatar’s Hamas proxies, must move from a
defensive posture to a proactive, political offense. The time for quiet
diplomacy is over. Jerusalem should immediately take a series of nonviolent,
democratic steps to expose and counter the Qatari regime. It should, for
example, formally recognize and host an office for the Qatari opposition.
Granting a platform and a voice to the dissidents and democrats silenced by the
monarchy would be a powerful act of political jujitsu, highlighting the
hypocrisy of a regime that funds Islamist movements abroad while crushing
dissent at home.
Furthermore, Israel should launch a global public information campaign, complete
with the names, dates, and financial records, that meticulously documents the
flow of Qatari funds to the terror groups that have murdered its citizens. This
is not about winning a public relations battle; it is about providing the
evidence necessary for legal action against Qatari assets and for Congress to
act.
Finally, the non-state victims of Qatar’s policies must be empowered. The
families of those murdered by Hamas, the journalists imprisoned by Qatar’s
allies, the moderate Muslims silenced by its extremist proxies—their stories are
powerful weapons. Congress and courts must give them a platform to make the case
that America has allied itself not with a partner for peace, but an agent for
instability.
This executive order is a sorrowful chapter in American foreign policy, the
result of a successful and cynical influence campaign. But it is not the final
chapter.
Is This Really the End of the War in Gaza?
Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Al-Awsat/October 01/ 2025
(Translated from Arabic)
More than two million Palestinians are waiting for the sun to rise and this
long, dark night—the most horrific war in the history of the Palestinian
conflict—to end. Facing this significant moment, which was announced in
Washington the day before yesterday, the near-yet-distant hope faces many
challenges.
The most prominent of these challenges is the satisfaction of both Hamas and
Israel with the plan to end the war. Will they accept it, or will they impose
conditions that prolong the implementation negotiations and abort the
opportunity?
It is understood that Hamas is not satisfied, nor is Israeli Prime Minister
Netanyahu. Hamas has no allies left to shelter it; even Qatar and Turkey have
agreed to and support the plan, and are participating with Egypt in the
negotiations. Iran is no longer in a position to help Hamas after losing its
supporting combat capabilities. As for Netanyahu, he does not dare to challenge
President Trump, who can bring him down through his connections with Netanyahu's
own political bloc, and he might even end up in prison.
It is likely that Hamas will lay down its arms and its field leaders will depart
for Algeria or Turkey, as is suggested. But it won't be that fast. Ceasefire
understandings are usually not achieved easily, as each party clings to its
interpretations and adds conditions for guarantees.
Those who drafted the plan for the ceasefire and the return of governance to the
Strip say they drew on previous experiences in Bosnia and Timor.
Hamas's expected objections will be: first, the entry of Israeli forces into the
areas it used to manage—Israel will not be satisfied with merely retrieving its
hostages and the remains of its dead. Second, it will object to being excluded
from civil participation in the administration of the Strip, and it will be
further distressed that the plan calls for handing over civil
services—municipalities, health, education, judiciary, and civil security—to the
Palestinian Authority. Third, the nature of the undertakings to be offered to
the movement is not clear, including the guarantee that Israel will not pursue
or liquidate any Hamas affiliates in the coming years. This has been Israel's
practice for decades.
Netanyahu also has his objections. The agreement deprives him of control over
Gaza, as he had promised, and prevents the displacement of its people. Even
those who are voluntarily permitted to leave have an explicit clause in the Tony
Blair plan stating they may return if they decide to, and their property will
not be confiscated. Furthermore, Israel, which believes it has cornered Hamas
and gotten close to its hideouts and tunnels after the start of the offensive on
Gaza City, must now stop and release about two thousand Palestinians, in
exchange for the release of the remaining hostages, both living and dead. This
is not the victory Netanyahu was planning for, and it may reflect negatively on
him.
The hope is great that we are witnessing the end of the war, even with the
presence of rejectionist Hamas and Netanyahu poles.
Before and After Lighting Up the Raouche Rock
Hazem Saghieh/Asharq Al-Awsat/October 01/ 2025
If we set UN Resolution 1701 aside, its various interpretations, and all the
texts around it, we could discuss a divergence in conceptions around the outcome
of the “Support War” and the Israeli counter war. In the Lebanese state’s
reading, there are “mutual obligations” and “reciprocal steps.” If the Israelis
renege on their commitments, the Lebanese have the right to do the same.
However, this reading, which might be the result of either real limited
capacities, or could be an attempt to feign such limitations, seems besieged by
the Israeli, and to a large extent the American, reading.
As far as Tel Aviv and Washington are concerned, one party was defeated and
another was victorious; accordingly, the side that lost should simply comply
with the victor’s dictates. As for talk of the two parties being equally
obligated to follow through on their commitments, it is absolute nonsense that
the Lebanese state cannot afford to engage with.
The Israelis have not hesitated to declare that they will do the job – disarm
Hezbollah - if the Lebanese authorities do not take the initiative. Given their
reading of the situation and what we know about Netanyahu and his unrestrained
and undeterred brutality, it would be best to take Israel’s threats and warnings
seriously. Pushing further in this direction are
Israelis’ claims, be they true or false, that Hezbollah is trying to rebuild its
capabilities. Naturally, its claims are more ominous if they are untrue; making
such claims mendaciously would suggest the Israelis’ uncompromising intentions
can only be deterred by actually getting rid of Hezbollah’s arms.
However, the behavior of the latter and its demands that Lebanon “not submit to
Israel and America”, entail nothing, in practice, but entrapment that leads to
suicide. We know that such an entrapment is part and parcel of Hezbollah’s DNA
and strategy. This is a party that did not stop its resistance after Israel’s
withdrawal in 2000, and then kidnapped two Israeli soldiers in 2006, summoning a
war to Lebanon.
Strikingly, Hezbollah, which became situated in a purely defensive posture since
its defeat in the “Support War,” has ramped up the belligerence of its rhetoric,
the echoes of which can be heard in Tehran, where Parliament Speaker Mohammad
Qalibaf declared that “supplying the party with missiles is not impossible.”
From Sanaa, Abdul Malik al-Houthi informed us that the Lebanese government “is
offering services to the Israeli enemy free of charge.” The fact is, however,
that neither of these two men, who recently reared their heads out from under
the rubble, is in better shape than Hezbollah.
The people of Lebanon and Syria have not forgotten that slogan written on their
walls taunting Hafez al-Assad as an “Assad (lion) in Lebanon and a rabbit in the
Golan.” This binary is currently being replicated verbatim by Hezbollah, its
patrons, and its regional allies, and just as Hafez al-Assad had been portrayed
as “the Golan’s hero” despite having personally presided over the battle in
which it was lost to Israel, the same irrational machine has tasked itself with
making a defeated Hezbollah out to be a “party defending Lebanon” and
“protecting it.”
Its latest show of force, projecting images of Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem
Safieddine on the Raouche Rock, was a vivid physical embodiment of this binary
split. For those who expected that - on the anniversary of its two leaders’
deaths, and over a year after the calamity it had inflicted on Lebanon and on
itself - the party would grieve, reflect, and reconsider, found only
indifference to such lofty sentiments. Its sole focus is on defying Lebanon’s
state and society and supplementing this defiance with a long line of myths,
falsifications, and a pathetic laser facetiousness.
The fact is that the resistance formations, especially their Lebanese branch,
are civil war formations solely concerned with imposing their will on their
societies and ensuring that subordinate authorities - or corrupt, compliant
yes-men, the kinds of politicians who had “governed” Lebanon before the “Support
War” - are in power. Many Lebanese did not fail to notice the symbolism of the
images of Hassan Nasrallah’s index finger, which he had made a habit of raising
to threaten the “delinquent” Lebanese, being projected on the rock.
As a civil war structure, however, it seeks to prevent this latent conflict from
rising to the surface, as this would strip away Hezbollah of its last
“resistance” fig leaf. In its latency, the war necessarily transforms the
population into cheap cattle, and through its hold over the same language of
irrationality, any sheep that refuses to get in line is branded a Zionist and an
Israeli agent.
While it goes without saying that civil war is not something to wish for, and
that the overwhelming majority of the population does not wish for it, to
concede to its forces and their lust for power is to embolden them or, at the
very least, to acquiesce to their blackmail.
Unfortunately, in the event of a retreat in the face of Hezbollah, it will be
the Israelis, who are not concerned with such considerations, who would end the
latency of this civil war, turning it into a cross-border conflict and finishing
the job that the Lebanese state had failed to complete. The outcome, in this
event, would be yet another case of successful entrapment that surpasses the one
before it: leaving behind more death, more occupation, less of our South, and
less reconstruction. As for Lebanon’s negotiating position with Israel, it would
sink even further than it already has.
Accordingly, anyone seeking to tie Israel’s hands back must push for disarming
Hezbollah, the party that entraps us abroad and taunts us at home, imposing a
civil war on us, rather than indulging rhetoric - that even its proponents do
not believe - about the balance of obligations between the victor and the
vanquished who only “triumphs” in Raouche.
Gaza… 20 Points and a Definite Answer!
Tariq Al-Homayed/Asharq Al-Awsat/October 01/ 2025
US President Donald Trump’s announcement of a 20-point plan as a “peace
proposal” to end the war in Gaza presents a clear-cut opportunity that leaves
very few options to the entire region - not only Hamas or the factions, nor even
those behind them.
Either Gaza and its people are saved, or Netanyahu is given a free hand with
American cover. It would be given the green light to eliminate Hamas, Gaza, and
its inhabitants, with no guarantees about the results - though the outcome is
predictable from the lessons of Gaza, Lebanon, Iran, and Yemen.
Today, there is no room for political one-upmanship. We now have an American
plan that can be summed up as follows: an immediate ceasefire, an exchange of
Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, phased Israeli
withdrawal from Gaza, the disarmament of Hamas, and the establishment of a
transitional government led by foreign actors.
The question is not whether or not this is a good plan. The real question is
whether the goal is to save Gaza and its people or Hamas? Is the goal to protect
the population of Gaza and prevent their displacement should the fighting
continue, or to grant Netanyahu free rein to do just that?
Is the goal to end the war, begin reconstruction, and prevent the annexation of
the West Bank? Or is it an open-ended war with predictable outcomes and
consequences that ensure there is no fifth or sixth Gaza war, because by the
end, nothing will remain but barren land?
That is why there is no room for posturing. Hamas does not have space to
maneuver. This is the reality born of the facts on the ground. The balance of
power is by no means balanced. Those who want to fight “to the last Gazan” are
pursuing a different agenda entirely.
Accordingly, the ball is now in Hamas’ court: will it agree, salvaging what can
be salvaged and leaving Netanyahu to face President Trump? Or will it refuse,
handing Netanyahu a lifeline just when he must confront the extremists in his
government - extremists who are there because of his choices and policies?
President Trump regards this as his plan for Middle East peace: stopping the war
and jumpstarting the peace process, Abrahamic or otherwise. Whoever obstructs
will be his adversary for the next three years.
This is not a question for Hamas alone, nor Netanyahu and his extremist
government. It also concerns the region’s states: who wants to end the war now
in Gaza and salvage what we can, turning this plan into an opportunity amid
growing momentum for a two-state solution? Who wants to obstruct and posture
until the last drop of Gazan blood?
Accordingly, there are no options, no room to maneuver. We now have an
opportunity, for Gaza, for the Palestinian cause, and to stop the runaway war
machine in the region, particularly as international recognition of Palestine
gathers momentum.
Anyone familiar with the details and trajectory of the Palestinian question
understands the sheer number of missed opportunities, some squandered for flimsy
considerations that are worth nothing compared to saving lives and the
establishment of a Palestinian state. Will today’s opportunity be squandered
like so many before it?
True, this peace plan does not automatically lead to the creation of a
Palestinian state. But it is the most significant step in that direction, amid
genuine international momentum around Palestine and President Trump’s pursuit of
a Nobel Peace Prize. Wars sometimes break out for unexpected reasons. Who knows,
this could be an opportunity for peace that comes from unexpected sources.
The Left/Right Political Spectrum Is a LIE
Raymond Ibrahim/The Stream/October 01/2025
“The Left!”
“The Right!”
These words are shouted daily, as if their meaning were self-evident. Yet few
ever stop to ask: What do they actually mean?
Most people imagine a straight line: the center is “neutral,” the left is
“liberal,” and the right is “conservative.” But this model is not merely
simplistic — it is deliberately misleading. It conceals what is truly at stake:
not politics, but truth itself.
The False Idol of the “Neutral” Center
We must begin with the so-called “center.” It is advertised as a realm of
“objectivity,” a moderate place between extremes. In reality, it is nothing of
the sort. The center is not neutrality; it is nihilism. It is the denial that
truth exists. Those who take refuge in this middle ground are not “reasonable”
but indifferent. They neither discern right from wrong nor good from evil.
This posture may appear safe, but in a society wracked by moral upheaval, it is
dangerous. A people that refuses to take a stand for truth has already
surrendered it.
The “Ultra-Right”: Common Sense in Disguise
By contrast, those derided as the “ultra-right” are, in fact, the only ones
still somewhat moored to reality. Their supposed “extremism” consists of
believing in God and morality, defending family, honoring tradition, respecting
law and order, and taking pride in their nation and culture.
Far from radical, these values are the default everywhere outside the modern
West. In Muslim-majority countries, in India and East Asia, in Africa and Latin
America — everyone takes such convictions for granted. Nor would any Western
political commentator ever label them as “far-right” — despite the fact that the
peoples and governments of these non-Western civilizations would never dream of
compromising their culture or societal norms to accommodate minorities. Rather,
minorities (as all minorities instinctively understand until emboldened
otherwise by and only in the West) — are the ones who must learn to fit in.
Non-Western societies know what the West has forgotten (or been “groomed” into
rejecting): civilization depends on continuity; family, faith, and cultural
memory are not “ideologies” but the very fabric of survival.
Incidentally — and, again, unlike in the West — it is usually the governments of
the diverse peoples and civilizations of the non-Western world that most
zealously promote national pride, cultural values, and religious tradition.
As one slides leftward of the “ultra-right” position — even while remaining
technically “right of center” — compromises begin. “Centrist conservatives”
dilute principles to accommodate fashionable opinions. Each concession eats away
at reality until one reaches the nihilistic center, where no truths exist, and
therefore all opinions are equal.
The Left: From Nihilism to Madness
The true Left, moving beyond the supposedly “neutral” center, represents an even
more troubling departure from truth: madness fills the void made by nihilism.
Having been “neutered,” objective reality gives way to subjective narratives —
increasingly brazen claims that contradict common sense, reason, science, and/or
established knowledge. Delusions are elevated to sacred dogma.
Consider the ongoing assault on biological reality. That men and women are
distinct is obvious to reason, science, and common sense. No one outside the
West thinks otherwise. Yet “the Left” insists that “identity” — a mere assertion
— overrides biology. From a Christian perspective, such confusion is spiritual
affliction; from a secular one, it is psychological disorder. The one requires a
priest; the other a psychiatrist. Either way, the maladies being suffered by the
“left” should not be open to discussion — much less normalized or “celebrated” —
on the mere fact that they are inherently false.
And yet, by referring to them as “leftist” — and in keeping with the assumed
model of left vs right, one “liberal,” the other “conservative” — you
immediately legitimize them as valid positions that, even if you disagree with,
must be acknowledged. Instead of treating falsehood as falsehood, we pretend it
is just one more opinion deserving of recognition and debate. In doing so, we
open the door to insanity, allowing it to metastatize and masquerade as
ideology.
History and the World as Witness
When viewed historically and globally, the absurdity of the Western spectrum
becomes obvious. For most of mankind, what the West smears as “extreme right” is
nothing more than common sense. Chinese Confucianism, Hindu dharma, African
tribal custom, Latin American Catholicism, Jewish halakha, even Islamic sharia —
though wildly different in theology, all converge on the same basic principles:
the centrality of family, the sanctity of tradition, the preservation of
morality, and the priority of community over the whims of the individual.
It is only in the West that the most basic realities — sex, nation, faith, order
— have been overthrown, and those who still cling to them tarred as crazy
“far-right” extremists.
Conclusion: A War Over Truth
The conventional spectrum of left, center, and right is not neutral analysis. It
is propaganda. It smuggles falsehood into the public square under the guise of
legitimate “positions.” In reality, there is no symmetry. The so-called
“ultra-right” is simply fidelity to truth, order, and sanity. The center is
detachment — nihilism dressed as moderation. And the Left is the logical
culmination of this detachment: relativism, delusion, and eventually,
destruction.
If we are to withstand the crises of our age, we must abandon the deceitful
spectrum altogether. Some things are not political opinions. They are matters of
reality, grounded in the eternal — in reason, in nature, and in God. To pretend
otherwise, as the West does, is the road to destruction.
**Raymond Ibrahim, author of Defenders of the West and Sword and Scimitar, is
the Distinguished Senior Shillman Fellow at the Gatestone Institute and the
Judith Rosen Friedman Fellow at the Middle East Forum.
Selected X tweets For
on October 01/2025
Pope Leo XIV
God forgives, lifts up, and restores trust. This is the heart of the mission of
the Church: to communicate the joy of those who are loved precisely when they
did not deserve it. This is the strength that gave rise to the Christian
community and helped it grow: men and women who discovered the beauty of
returning to life to be able to give it to others. #GeneralAudience
https://vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/audiences/2025/documents/20251001-udienza-generale.html
Pope Leo XIV
Today, more than ever, we must return to the heart, the center of feeling and
emotion, the locus of freedom. Though it includes reason, the heart transcends
and transforms it. Only by returning to the heart can we undergo a true
ecological conversion that transforms our personal and communal style of life. #LaudatoSi
#SeasonOfCreation