Bundle Of English Reports, News and Editorials For December 19-20/2019 Addressing the On Going Mass Demonstrations & Sit In-ins In Iranian Occupied Lebanon in its 64th Day
Compiled By: Elias Bejjani
December 20/2019
Tites For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News published on December 19-20/2019
Hezbollah-backed professor to form new Lebanese government
Lebanese president asks professor to form government
Lebanon’s PM-designate Hassan Diab vows to form government quickly
Hassan Diab Garners 69 Votes in Binding Parliamentary Consultations
Diab Says to Communicate with All Parties, Protesters to Form Govt.
Protesters Rally near Diab’s Residence, Block Roads across Lebanon
Hariri Urges Supporters Not to Block Roads, Calls for Calm
Jumblat Criticizes Mustaqbal, LF for Not Naming Nawaf Salam
Lebanon’s Deputy Speaker Ferzli gives first nomination for Diab as PM
Report: Khalil Invites IMF for ‘Talks’ on Crisis
Ali Al-Amin Snaps Back at Hezbollah over Iran
German governing parties vote on ban of Lebanon’s Hezbollah in Europe
German Parliament Calls for Full Ban of Hizbullah Activities
Israeli Army Expects Hezbollah Border Infiltration
The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News published on December 19-20/2019
Hezbollah-backed professor to form new Lebanese government
Associated Press/December 19/2019
Diab, 60, faces the daunting task of forming a government to tackle the country’s worst economic crisis since the 1975-90 civil war.
BEIRUT: Lebanon’s president Thursday asked a university professor and former education minister supported by the militant Hezbollah group to form a new government, breaking a weeks-long impasse amid nationwide mass protests against the country’s political elite.
But prime minister-designate Hassan Diab’s efforts to form a government will almost certainly hit snags in a deeply divided country facing its worst economic and financial crisis since the 1975-90 civil war.
In his first public address, Diab said he would work quickly to form a government that represents a wide array of people following consultations with political parties and representatives of the protest movement.
Diab said he is committed to a reform plan and described the current situation as “critical and sensitive” and requiring exceptional efforts and collaboration.
“I felt that your uprising represented me,” Diab said, addressing protesters on the streets. “We are facing a national crisis that doesn’t allow for the luxury of personal and political battles but needs national unity.”
President Michel Aoun named Diab prime minister after a day of consultations with lawmakers in which he gained a simple majority of the 128-member parliament. Sixty-nine lawmakers, including the parliamentary bloc of the Shiite Hezbollah and Amal movements, as well as lawmakers affiliated with Aoun, gave him their votes.
Diab, a 60-year-old professor at American University of Beirut, faces the daunting task of forming a government to tackle the crippling financial crisis in one of the most indebted countries of the world.
In Lebanon’s sectarian-based political system, the prime minister has to be from the Sunni Muslim community.
Although gaining the majority of votes, Diab failed to get the support of the country’s major Sunni leaders, including former Prime Minister Saad Hariri. That makes it difficult for him to form an inclusive Cabinet able to gain the international community’s trust and unlock badly needed assistance for the tiny Mediterranean country. Friendly nations, including France, have made clear they will not support Lebanon before a reform-minded Cabinet is formed.
U.S. Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs David Hale was expected to arrive Thursday in Beirut, the most senior foreign diplomat to visit the country since the crisis. U.S. diplomats have said they support the quick formation of a government that can effectuate reform.
Support from Iran-backed Hezbollah guarantees Diab a thorny path, potentially inviting push-back from Western and Gulf nations that had supported the outgoing Hariri. The Shiite group is designated a terrorist organization by the U.S., some Gulf Arab countries and a few Latin American nations. The European Union considers only Hezbollah’s military wing to be a terrorist group.
Following Diab’s appointment, protesters began gathering in central Beirut’s Martyrs’ Square, the epicenter of the protests. They rejected Diab’s appointment and cast him as part of the old class of politicians they are revolting against. Supporters of Hariri also began taking to the streets.
“We want a prime minister from outside the ruling class,” read a banner unfurled in the square.
The leaderless protests have for two months been calling for a government made up of specialists that can work on dealing with the economic crisis. The protests have recently taken a violent turn, with frequent clashes between security forces and protesters. Supporters of Hezbollah and Amal have also attacked the protest camp site in Beirut on several occasions. The most recent came over the weekend when they set fire to cars and pelted security forces with stones and firecrackers for hours.
Diab, who served as education minister in 2011, gained attention after caretaker premier Hariri withdrew his name from consideration following weeks of haggling and deep divisions between the various factions over naming him again. Hariri resigned Oct. 29 in response to the unprecedented mass protests and as an already dire economic crisis quickly deteriorated.
Since then, efforts to agree on a new prime minister and the shape of government kept running into a dead end. Hariri had insisted he would head a Cabinet made up of specialists to deal with the economic and financial crisis — a key demand of the protest movement. The Iran-backed Hezbollah, which initially backed him, demanded a government that includes all major political factions.
On Thursday, Hezbollah said it backed Diab for prime minister and Mohammed Raad, spokesman for the group’s parliamentary bloc, said before the vote the group would cooperate in tackling the political and economic crisis.
Diab served as minister of education from 2011-2014 when Hezbollah and its allies overturned a former Cabinet headed by Hariri at the time.
Diab was in the United Kingdom when Lebanon’s civil war broke out. There, he received undergraduate and graduate degrees in Communications and Computer Engineering from the universities of Leeds Metropolitan, Surrey and Bath.
Lebanese president asks professor to form government
Associated Press/December 19/2019
BEIRUT: Lebanon’s president Thursday asked a university professor and a Hezbollah-backed former minister to form a new government, breaking a weeks-long impasse. Michel Aoun named Hassan Diab as prime minister after a day of consultations with lawmakers in which he gained a simple majority of the 128-member parliament. Sixty-nine lawmakers, including the parliamentary bloc of the Shiite Hezbollah and Amal movements as well as lawmakers affiliated with President Michel Aoun gave him their votes. Diab, 60, faces the daunting task of forming a government to tackle the country’s worst economic crisis since the 1975-90 civil war. He also failed to get the support of the country’s major Sunni leaders, including former Prime Minister Saad Hariri, which will make it difficult for him to form a new government. Diab arrived at Baabda palace later Thursday to meet with Aoun who summoned him for the appointment. It was not immediately clear whether the appointment would satisfy people in the streets who have been protesting for over two months, calling for a government made up of specialists.
Lebanon’s PM-designate Hassan Diab vows to form government quickly
Reuters, Beirut/Thursday, 19 December 2019
Lebanon’s newly-named prime minister Hassan Diab vowed on Thursday to form a government quickly that works to pull the country out of economic crisis and reassures people who have protested against the political class for two months. Diab, a little-known academic and former education minister, was designated premier on Thursday with backing from Lebanese Hezbollah and its allies. Support from the Iran-backed group guarantees a thorny path for any candidate, potentially inviting push back from Western and Gulf nations that had supported the outgoing Prime Minister Saad Hariri. “All our efforts must now focus on stopping the collapse and restoring confidence,” he said from the presidential palace, after meeting with President Michel Aoun, who summoned him for the appointment. Diab, 60, faces the daunting task of forming a government to tackle the crippling financial crisis in one of the most indebted countries of the world. While gaining the majority of the votes, he failed to get the support of the country’s major Sunni leaders, including Hariri, which will make it difficult for him to form a new government. Diab, who served as education minister in 2011, gained attention after caretaker prime minister Hariri withdrew his name from consideration following weeks of haggling and deep divisions between the various factions over naming him again. Hariri resigned Oct. 29 in response to unprecedented mass protests against the entire political class while an already dire economic crisis was quickly deteriorating.
Hassan Diab Garners 69 Votes in Binding Parliamentary Consultations
Naharnet/December 19/2019
Lebanese academic and former minister Hassan Diab on Thursday received 69 votes in the binding parliamentary consultations to name a new PM, as former Lebanese ambassador to the U.N. Nawaf Salam received 13 votes and 42 MPs refrained from naming anyone. MP Paula Yacoubian meanwhile named civil society figure Halima Qaaqour. The Presidency later announced that Diab was invited to the Baabda Palace to be “tasked with the formation of the new government.”Diab, 60, faces the daunting task of forming a government to tackle the country’s worst economic crisis since the 1975-90 civil war.
A professor of computer engineering, Diab served in the government formed in 2011 when Hizbullah and its allies overturned a former Cabinet headed by Saad Hariri. He was education minister for three years.
The international community has made the formation of a serious, reform-minded government a condition for releasing assistance to the country.
It was not immediately clear whether the appointment would satisfy people in the streets who have been protesting for over two months, calling for a government made up of specialists.
Activists on social media have however blasted Diab, accusing him of corruption, and calls have been made for protesting outside his residence in Beirut’s Tallet al-Kkhayat area. Protesters meanwhile blocked the Taalabaya and al-Marj roads in the Bekaa and the al-Beddawi road in the north following the end of the consultations.
Protesters in al-Marj said that they reject the designation of a former minister who belongs to the reviled political class.
Some protesters in Tripoli and Beirut also said that they are opposed to the designation of Diab. The first to arrive at Baabda Palace for consultations with President Michel Aoun was Hariri, who refrained from making any political statement to reporters on his candidate for the prime minister post. He only looked at them and smilingly wished them “happy holidays and good luck.”
Ex-PMs Najib Miqati and Tamam Salam said they did not nominate anyone for the post. “In light of the over two-months political dispute over parliamentary consultations and the drastic economic conditions in Lebanon as a result of mismanagement, I find myself today obliged not to name anyone for the premiership post,” said Salam.
For his part, deputy Speaker MP Elie Ferzli Ferzli said: “I would have preferred to name Hariri for the post, but due to the current difficult circumstances I named Hassan Diab as the next PM.”
Diab, an AUB professor, has emerged on Wednesday as the favorite to be nominated as the next prime minister.
Hariri’s al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc also did not name anyone for the PM post. “As you are all aware we have called for the formation of a technocrat government, and our bloc will name no one for the post,” said MP Samir al-Jisr speaking on behalf of the bloc.
For its part, Hizbullah’s Loyalty to the Resistance bloc named Hassan Diab for PM. The National Coalition bloc led by MP Farid al-Khazen named Hassan Diab for PM.
“As we have all seen that Hariri decided not to stay as PM, he also did not name anyone for PM. Therefore our bloc has seen it necessary to take action in light of the difficult circumstances and have decided to name a clean and honorable figure, AUB professor Hassan Diab,” announced Khazen after meeting Aoun.
The Democratic Gathering bloc of ex-MP Walid Jumblat named Nawaf Salam for PM. “We surely hope the government is formed as soon as possible to address the current crisis,” said Taymour Walid Jumblat in remarks after meeting Aoun. MP Jean Obeid told reporters that their Independent Center bloc did not name anyone for PM. “We wish the new PM luck,” said Obeid adding that “abstention from naming anyone for PM does not mean abstention from cooperation,” said Obeid.
The parliamentary bloc of the Syrian Social Nationalist Party named Diab. “Discussions touched on the worrisome situation in Lebanon. We are eager to deflate the tense political rhetoric in Lebanon,” said MP Asaad Hardan after meeting with Aoun.
“Proceeding from the will of the Lebanese people who want a change and a new nation. We warn against the return of political alignments. We consider the most appropriate figure to head the new government is Nawaf Salam, the Kataeb bloc said.
The Lebanese Forces bloc and independent MP Fouad Makhzoumi meanwhile did not nominate anyone for the post as the Consultative Gathering bloc and independent MP Jamil al-Sayyed named Diab.
“Sixty days after (the eruption of the popular uprising), some are still seeking ways to split shares,” MP George Adwan of the LF said.
“If the mentality and approach do not change, we will not be able to move forward and the country will sink further,” Adwan warned.
Al-Sayyed said he voted for Diab seeing as “he is an academic and a technocrat figure and someone who does not belong to the traditional circle of prime ministers.”
“But nomination is something and confidence is something else, especially if the government’s structure does not meet the demands of the people,” al-Sayyed added.
Independent MPs Fouad Makhzoumi, Osama Saad, Chamel Roukoz and Neemat Frem meanwhile refrained from nominating anyone, as independent MP Paula Yacoubian voted for civil society figure Halima Qaaqour and independent MP Nouhad al-Mashnouq voted for Nawaf Salam. “The uprising has the right to have a say in the naming of a premier and the formation of a government,” Mashnouq said.
“The nature of the designation indicates that authorities have downplayed the 62 days of popular protests,” he warned.
Frem meanwhile warned that the 1943 National Pact of coexistence was not respected in the nomination of Diab.
Later on Thursday, Speaker Nabih Berri’s Development and Liberation bloc said it nominated Diab for the PM post in order to “avoid vacuum.”
The MPs of the Free Patriotic Movement, the Mountain Guarantee bloc and the bloc of Armenian MPs meanwhile voted for Diab as MP Michel Mouawad voted for Nawaf Salam.
Outgoing PM Saad Hariri on Wednesday said he would not seek to stay on as prime minister.
The consultations for a new cabinet had been postponed twice already.
Diab Says to Communicate with All Parties, Protesters to Form Govt.
Naharnet/December 19/2019
In his first public address on Thursday, Prime Minister-designate Hassan Diab said he would work quickly to form a government that represents a wide array of people following consultations with political parties as well as representatives of the protest movement.
He said he is committed to a reform plan and described the current situation as “critical and sensitive” and requiring exceptional efforts and collaboration. “I deeply thank the President and the MPs for their confidence,” Diab said in a statement following a meeting with President Michel Aoun and Speaker Nabih Berri in Baabda. “I will vigorously work to form the government as soon as possible through communicating with the ex-PMs, blocs, MPs, parties and the protest movement,” he added. “As an independent, I believe that the uprising has corrected the course of the Lebanese political life and I feel that it represents me and the Lebanese won’t allow a return to the pre-October 17 era,” Diab went on to say. Noting that “everyone will be represented in the government,” the PM-designate said “specialists will have the priority.”“I have asked the president to begin the formation consultations on Saturday,” he added.
Speaking later in the day outside his residence, Diab stressed that the upcoming government will not be a “confrontational government.”
Protesters Rally near Diab’s Residence, Block Roads across Lebanon
Naharnet/December 19/2019
Protesters rejecting the appointment of the academic and ex-minister Hassan Diab as PM-designate on Thursday took to the streets in several regions to denounce the designation.A number of angry young men who said they came from Tariq al-Jedideh rallied outside Diab’s residence in Beirut’s Tallet al-Khayat area.Some of them shouted insults against Diab as others chanted slogans supportive of caretaker PM Saad Hariri. The protesters added that Diab does not enjoy the support of the Sunni community. Other protesters meanwhile blocked the Beirut-South highway in Naameh and Khalde and several key roads in the Bekaa and the North as well as the Qasqas, Sports City and Verdun roads in Beirut. Anti-government protesters were meanwhile gathering in downtown Beirut and the northern city of Tripoli, voicing rejection of Diab’s appointment. Protesters in Bekaa’s al-Marj area said that they reject the designation of a former minister who belongs to the reviled political class as premier. Diab’s efforts to form a government will almost certainly hit snags in a deeply divided country facing the worst economic and financial crisis since the 1975-90 civil war.
President Michel Aoun named Diab as prime minister after a day of consultations with lawmakers in which he gained a simple majority of the 128-member parliament. In his first public address, Diab said he would work quickly to form a government that represents a wide array of people following consultations with political parties as well as representatives of the protest movement. He said he is committed to a reform plan and described the current situation as “critical and sensitive” and requiring exceptional efforts and collaboration. Diab, 60, faces the daunting task of forming a government to tackle the crippling financial crisis in one of the most indebted countries of the world. While gaining the majority of the votes, he failed to get the support of the country’s major Sunni leaders, including caretaker PM Hariri, which will make it difficult for him to form a new government. Support from Hizbullah guarantees a thorny path for any candidate, potentially inviting a push back from Western and Gulf nations that had supported the outgoing Hariri. People on the streets have been protesting for over two months, calling for a government made up of specialists. The leaderless protest movement has differing views on the criteria for the next prime minister. The protests have recently taken a violent turn, with frequent clashes between security forces and protesters.
Supporters of Hizbullah and the AMAL Movement have also attacked the protest camp site in Beirut on several occasions. Diab, who served as education minister in 2011, gained attention after caretaker prime minister Hariri withdrew his name from consideration following weeks of haggling and deep divisions between the various factions over naming him again. Hariri resigned Oct. 29 in response to unprecedented mass protests against the entire political class while an already dire economic crisis was quickly deteriorating.
Since then, efforts to agree on a new prime minister and the shape of government have kept hitting a dead end. Hariri, who is aligned with the West and Gulf countries, has insisted he would head a Cabinet made up of specialists to deal with the economic and financial crisis — a key demand of the protest movement — while the Iran-backed Hizbullah, which initially backed him, has demanded a government that includes all major political factions. On Thursday, Hizbullah said it backed Diab for prime minister. Mohammed Raad, the head of the group’s parliamentary bloc, said he hoped Diab receives enough votes and for him to “succeed in his national duties,” and vowed to cooperate in tackling the current crisis.
Hariri Urges Supporters Not to Block Roads, Calls for Calm
Naharnet/December 19/2019
Caretaker Prime Minister and al-Mustaqbal Movement leader Saad Hariri on Thursday urged his supporters not to take to the streets or block roads, in the wake of the appointment of the academic and ex-minister Hassan Diab as PM-designate.“I call on all supporters and enthusiasts to reject any call for taking to the streets or blocking roads,” Hariri tweeted, after his supporters blocked roads in several Lebanese regions and rallied outside Diab’s house in Tallet al-Khayat. “Calm and national responsibility are our priority and the crisis that Lebanon is facing is dangerous and does not allow for any tampering with stability,” Hariri added. Diab served as minister of education from 2011-2014 when Hizbullah and its allies forced the collapse of a former Cabinet headed by Hariri at the time.
Jumblat Criticizes Mustaqbal, LF for Not Naming Nawaf Salam
Naharnet/December 19/2019
Progressive Socialist Party chief Walid Jumblat took a swipe Thursday at his former March 14 allies al-Mustaqbal Movement and the Lebanese Forces for refraining from voting for Lebanon’s former envoy to the U.N. Nawaf Salam in the binding parliamentary consultations to name a new PM. “It is not strange for the March 8 forces to choose their candidate and succeed in doing so, seeing as they at least have a project,” Jumblat tweeted. “But when the future forces disguised with technocracy, as if they are Sillicon Valley graduates, let down Nawaf Salam out of fear of change, this highlights their futility and bankruptcy,” Jumblat added, in an apparent jab at Mustaqbal and the LF, who did not name anyone for the PM-designate post. Referring to his bloc’s support for Salam, Jumblat said: “We were a minority and will remain so and this is much comfortable.”
Backed by Hizbullah, the AMAL Movement, the Free Patriotic Movement and their allies, the academic and ex-minister Hassan Diab garnered 69 votes in the consultations. Salam meanwhile received 13 votes – 11 from Jumblat’s bloc and those of the MPs Nouhad al-Mashnouq and Michel Mouawad. Forty-two MPs, including those of al-Mustaqbal and the LF, meanwhile did not name any candidate, as MP Paula Yacoubian voted for civil society figure Halima Qaaqour.
Lebanon’s Deputy Speaker Ferzli gives first nomination for Diab as PM
Reuters, Beirut/Thursday, 19 December 2019
Lebanon’s Deputy Parliament Speaker Elie Ferzli, an ally of the Iran-backed Hezbollah, said on Thursday he had nominated former minister Hassan Diab as prime minister, indicating the Shia group and its allies had agreed on him for the position. President Michel Aoun is due to hold formal consultations with Lebanon’s 128 lawmakers on their choice for prime minister throughout the day, and must designate the candidate with the greatest support. Diab emerged as a candidate for the position at the last minute when outgoing Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri withdrew his candidacy for a job that must be filled by a Sunni Muslim in Lebanon’s sectarian system. As things stood on Thursday morning, Shia groups Hezbollah and Amal, in addition to Hezbollah’s biggest Christian ally, the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), will all nominate Diab, three senior sources familiar with each group’s position said. With Hezbollah and its political allies holding more than 70 of the seats in parliament, Diab should emerge with the largest amount of support. Hariri’s Future Movement will not nominate any candidate for the post of prime minister, Lebanese television station al-Jadeed reported. Hariri resigned on Oct. 29, prompted by protests against a ruling elite accused of overseeing rampant state corruption.
Report: Khalil Invites IMF for ‘Talks’ on Crisis
Naharnet/December 19/2019
Caretaker Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil reportedly invited IMF officials for talks on potentials to secure a “safe landing” for a worsening economic crisis in Lebanon, Nidaa al-Watan daily reported on Thursday. Western diplomatic sources said the minister contacted IMF officials and told them “let us talk.” They explained that the aggravating economic and financial crisis and a sharpening dispute between political parties to resolve the government stalemate have made Khalil take that move, according to the daily. The sources said it was necessary to explore prospects for cooperation between the Lebanese state and IMF in a framework that aims to open communication channels between the two to explore opinions and perhaps invite IMF experts to visit Lebanon to assess the situation and suggest studies on ways to secure the ground for “safe landing” of Lebanon’s national economy. Lebanon’s economy has been sliding towards default in recent weeks, but the main political parties have so far failed to respond to calls from the street and international partners by forming a credible cabinet capable of undertaking key reforms.
Ali Al-Amin Snaps Back at Hezbollah over Iran
Beirut – Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 19 December, 2019
Anti-Hezbollah Shiite cleric Ali Al-Amin rebuffed accusations of normalization with Israel, saying that recent campaigns against him were the result of his rejection of the Iranian project that Hezbollah was importing to Lebanon and the region. “Treason campaigns against me by Hezbollah are not new and are due to my rejection of the Iranian project they carry to Lebanon and the region,” Amin said during a press conference on Wednesday. The Shiite cleric participated in a conference of religions in Bahrain attended by Jewish clerics from the occupied land, as he said. His participation prompted the Supreme Islamic Shiite Council in Lebanon to take a decision to isolate him from the Jaafari Fatwa department because he “sought to inflame internal strife among the Lebanese, and because of his normalization vision with the occupation.”Hezbollah also denounced the participation of Amin in the forum, which the movement said was attended by “Zionist figures”. It also accused the cleric of seeking to “normalize” ties with Israel. “I took part in the forum without knowing the participants’ names,” Amin said, noting the event was also attended by Lebanon’s ambassador to Bahrain. He stressed that he didn’t hold any meetings with Jewish figures who attended the second day of the conference. “I was not aware of their presence in advance,” he underlined. “I will remain opposed to Hezbollah’s policy of oppression and domination.”The policies of Hezbollah and Amal movement “only bring harm to the Shiite community,” he told reporters. “My disagreement with Hezbollah and Amal is not new, and I will remain supportive of the Lebanese people’s uprising,” Amin added.
German governing parties vote on ban of Lebanon’s Hezbollah in Europe
The Associated Press, Berlin/Thursday, 19 December 2019
German governing parties voted to pass a law to ban the Lebanese Hezbollah group in Europe, saying it should be put on the European Union’s terrorist list. Mathias Middelberg, the spokesman for Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives in parliament, said a joint resolution with the junior coalition Social Democrats would be introduced for debate Thursday. “It is unacceptable that Hezbollah is waging a terrorist fight against Israel in the Middle East, which is being financed through worldwide criminal activities, among other things,” he said in a statement.
“In view of Germany’s special responsibility toward Israel, we call on the government to ban all activities for Hezbollah in Germany.” At the moment, the EU lists Iran-backed Hezbollah’s military wing as a banned terrorist group, but not its political wing, which has been part of Lebanese governments in recent years.
German Parliament Calls for Full Ban of Hizbullah Activities
Associated Press/Naharnet/December 19/2019
Germany’s parliament passed a resolution Thursday calling for a national ban on the activities of Hizbullah and for the Lebanese Iran-backed group to be put on the European Union’s “terrorist” list.
Mathias Middelberg, the spokesman for Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives in parliament, said the joint resolution was agreed upon with the junior coalition Social Democrats, as well as the opposition Free Democrats.
“It is unacceptable that Hizbullah is waging a terrorist fight against Israel in the Middle East, which is being financed through worldwide criminal activities, among other things,” he said in a statement. “In view of Germany’s special responsibility toward Israel, we call on the government to ban all activities for Hizbullah in Germany.”
The EU now lists IHizbullah’s military wing as a banned “terrorist” group, but not its political wing, which has been part of Lebanese governments in recent years.
“The separation between a political and a military arm should be abandoned, and Hizbullah as a whole should be placed on the EU terrorist list,” Middelberg said. “This could freeze Hizbullah’s funds and assets in Europe more extensively than before.”
However, other member nations have opposed broadening the scope of the EU’s Hizbullah ban.
The parliamentary resolution in Germany was approved with a majority show of hands by members of Merkel’s bloc, the Social Democrats and the Free Democrats. Other parties represented in the German legislature all abstained.
The Left Party said it could not vote for the resolution because adding Hizbullah to the EU terrorist list could complicate relations with Lebanon. Members of the Greens said they agreed with almost all of the resolution but objected to a point that they said could lead to “military intervention” in the Mideast.
Johann Wadephul, a lawmaker with Merkel’s Christian Democrats, offered assurance that the resolution’s call for measures to reduce the influence of Hizbullah in the region, particularly in Syria, did not foresee military action.
“But we are all called upon to isolate Hizbullah internationally,” Wadephul told fellow lawmakers. “They threaten Israel, they threaten the peace process in the Mideast and therefore we must confront Hizbullah.”
It was not immediately clear whether the resolution would prompt the government to pursue the ban of Hizbullah’s activities. But with the governing parties and most of the opposition on board, such action seemed likely.
Several lawmakers noted that a ban would allow authorities to prevent Hizbullah supporters from staging an annual anti-Israel march in Berlin.
Britain banned Hizbullah in March following moves of other nations, including the Netherlands, the United States and Canada.
The German resolution comes as the U.S. has been increasing its pressure on Hizbullah, placing several sets of sanctions on the group and its regional backer, Iran.
In Berlin, U.S. Ambassador Richard Grenell applauded the resolution approved Thursday, saying “we stand ready to support the government’s implementation of a ban.”
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas acknowledged that with Hizbullah’s ties to Lebanese government “the political reality in Lebanon is complex,” but he said “this should not prevent us from exhausting the legal possibilities in Germany to tackle Hizbullah’s criminal and terrorist activities.”
“Hizbullah denies Israel’s right to exist, threatens violence and terror, and continues to massively increase its arsenal of missiles,” Maas said.
In Lebanon, Hizbullah was part of caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s unity Cabinet, which resigned Oct. 29 in response to mass anti-government protests amid a worsening economic crisis.
Israel and Hizbullah fought a month-long war in 2006 that ended in a U.N.-brokered cease-fire. While direct fighting has been rare since then, there has been occasional violence, most recently on Sept. 1 when Hizbullah fired a barrage of anti-tank missiles into Israel and Israel responded with artillery fire.
The barrage was fired in retaliation to an Israeli airstrike inside Syria which Hizbullah said killed two of its members. It also followed an incident in which two Israeli drones crashed in a Hizbullah stronghold in south Beirut.
Israel maintains Hizbullah has amassed an arsenal of some 130,000 rockets and missiles capable of striking virtually anywhere in Israel. More recently, it has accused the group of trying to import or develop guided missiles.
Last December, Israel announced that it had uncovered a network of tunnels that it said Hizbullah was building with the aim of infiltrating and carrying out attacks. Israel said it systematically destroyed the structures.
Hizbullah has not commented on the tunnels, though the U.N. peacekeeping force UNIFIL has said the group violated the 2006 ceasefire.
Israeli Army Expects Hezbollah Border Infiltration
Tel Aviv – Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 19 December, 2019
An Israeli military official revealed on Wednesday that a drill held on the northern front bordering Lebanon aimed to simulate ways to confront a possible infiltration of Hezbollah members into Israel. The two-day exercise, which concluded on Tuesday, focused on conducting Intelligence, combat and gathering efforts over a possible widespread attack by the Lebanese group. An Israeli army spokesman said that Hezbollah would try to infiltrate and control one or more Israeli villages in any upcoming war with Israel. He said that a commando force could head from the Lebanese village of Maroun al-Ras to Israeli border towns and could even kidnap soldiers or innocent civilians. “It is true that Hezbollah is currently busy with the protests in Lebanon, however, the Israeli army knows that Hezbollah could rely on tension with Israel to help the party limit the level of tension in Beirut,” he said. The Hebrew-language Channel 7 said the maneuver involved the use of various types of weapons. It quoted an Israeli army spokesman as saying that the maneuver was conducted to face many security and military challenges at the northern front, including how to transfer intelligence and supply during the war. Military correspondent Ron Ben-Yishai said that since 2011 “Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah speaks about invading Galilee. However, Nasrallah does not plan to infiltrate Israeli territories for more than a few kilometers.”For his part, the Israeli army’s Northern Command chief, Amir Baram, said that a strong and disproportionate strike against Hezbollah positions at the border should produce a change in the results of any upcoming war.
Titles For The Latest Lebanese LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on December 19-20/2019
Two Months of Protests in Lebanon/Agence France Presse/Naharnet/December 19/2019
Analysts: Diab Designation Risks to Deepen Sectarian Rift, Block Aid/Agence France Presse/Naharnet/December 19/2019
Lebanese President Michel Aoun nominates Hezbollah-backed Hassan Diab as new prime minister/James Haines-Young and Sunniva Rose/December 19/2019
Lebanon: Revolution against Hooligans/Hanna Saleh/Asharq Al Awsat/December 19/2019
Lebanon: Investigate alarming use of force on largely peaceful protests/Amnesty International Web Site/19 December 2019
The Latest Lebanese LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on December 19-20/2019
Two Months of Protests in Lebanon
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/December 19/2019
Lebanon has been paralysed by two months of protests demanding an overhaul of the entire political system.
Here is a recap:
‘WhatsApp tax’ anger
On October 17, the government announces a tax on messaging applications, including WhatsApp. Coming amid a looming economic crisis, many see the plan as a step too far. Thousands take to the streets in Beirut and other cities, some chanting “the people demand the fall of the regime”.
The government scraps the tax on messaging applications the same day, but protests continue.
Demos grow
On October 18, thousands of demonstrators representing different sects and political affiliations bring the capital to a standstill. They demand an overhaul of the political system, citing grievances from austerity measures and state corruption to poor infrastructure and regular electricity cuts. The army reopens some highways blocked by protesters and disperses a huge crowd in Beirut with water cannon and tear gas. Dozens are arrested. Demonstrations swell over the following days, with major gatherings in Lebanon’s second city Tripoli and other centres.
Reforms announced
On October 21, Prime Minister Saad Hariri announces his government has approved a raft of economic reforms, including halving salaries for lawmakers and ministers. But demonstrators dismiss the new measures as insufficient. On October 25, the powerful Shiite movement Hizbullah — which with its allies holds a majority in parliament — tells supporters not to take part in protests. The next day, Hizbullah mobilises counter-rallies, sparking scuffles with anti-government demonstrators.
Government resigns
On the evening of October 29, Hariri submits his resignation and that of his government, prompting celebrations in the streets. President Michel Aoun asks the government to stay on until a new cabinet is formed. Protesters regroup over the coming days, demanding a government of technocrats, independent of traditional political parties divided along sectarian lines. In a television address on November 3, Aoun announces plans to tackle corruption, reform the economy and form a civil government. But thousands of protesters stream back into Beirut’s Martyrs’ Square, chanting “Revolution!”
Counter-attacks –
On November 24, supporters of Hizbullah and its ally Amal assault anti-government demonstrators in Beirut in their most serious attack on the protest movement to date. Army reinforcements intervene. At least 10 people are injured. The incident prompts the UN Security Council to call for “intensive national dialogue”.Over three consecutive nights of violence, 16 people are detained and 51 troops are wounded, the army says on November 27.
Violence intensifies –
On December 12, Hariri appeals for international funding for an emergency rescue package to resolve the crisis. Clashes that erupt late December 14 are the most violent since protests began. Security forces use tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse demonstrators, who demand a government of independent experts and that Hariri not return as premier. Hizbullah and Amal supporters also clash with riot police, who fire tear gas to prevent them breaching barricades near parliament. Dozens are hurt. Dozens more are wounded on December 17, in dawn clashes between security forces and supporters of Hizbullah and Amal.
Hariri not candidate
On December 18, Lebanon increases security around protest centres in central Beirut. Hariri says he will not seek to remain prime minister, on the eve of much-delayed consultations on a new government.
Analysts: Diab Designation Risks to Deepen Sectarian Rift, Block Aid
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/December 19/2019
Lebanese academic and former minister Hassan Diab received the backing of Hizbullah and looked set Thursday to be named the crisis-wracked country’s new prime minister. Caretaker premier Saad Hariri pulled out of the race on Wednesday and his bloc did not nominate any candidate when much-delayed consultations to form a new government got under way at the presidential palace. The nomination of Diab would yield a lopsided government that observers warn could fuel sectarian tensions on the streets and complicate efforts to secure international aid needed to pull Lebanon back from the brink of default. Hariri resigned seven weeks ago under pressure from an unprecedented wave of protests demanding a complete overhaul of the political system, leaving the country without a government to tackle its worst ever economic crisis. Diab, a professor at the American University of Beirut and a former education minister, was endorsed by Hizbullah, which with its allies holds a majority in parliament. President Michel Aoun, a Hizbullah ally, launched the twice delayed official talks to designate a new prime minister on Thursday, meeting with all parliamentary blocs. The talks were opened with a meeting between Aoun and Hariri, whose al-Mustaqbal Movement did not nominate a candidate and is now expected to be excluded from the next government. The 49-year-old prominent Sunni leader had in recent days been seen as the most likely choice to head a technocrat-dominated government, but he announced late Wednesday he was pulling out.“God bless everyone,” Hariri said after the meeting.
‘The only option’
Lebanon has been ruled by the same political clans and families since the 1975-1990 civil war and protesters have pushed for a technocratic government. Demonstrators of all sectarian backgrounds have been in the streets every day since October 17 to demand the removal of the entire political leadership, seen as corrupt and incompetent. “I have strived to meet their demand for a government of experts, which I saw as the only option to address the serious social and economic crisis our country faces,” Hariri said in a statement. But, he added, staunch opposition to his plan for a technocratic government forced him to bow out. More than five hours into the consultations, Diab had earned more nominations than the only other contender, International Criminal Court Judge Nawaf Salam, and looked on course to succeed Hariri. A career academic, he held the education portfolio from 2011 to 2014 in a government formed after Hizbullah brought down a previous Hariri cabinet. The power-sharing system that was enshrined after the end of the civil war means that the prime minister’s position should be filled by a member of the Sunni Muslim community. As the leading Sunni representative, the premier is usually backed by the community’s main leaders. But Lebanon’s heavyweight Sunni politicians stopped short of backing Diab, raising fears that the next government will be polarized and unable to tackle urgent reforms demanded by protesters and the international community.
‘Sunni-Shiite schism’
Imad Salamey, a political science professor at the Lebanese American University, said the expected appointment of Diab will only “deepen” Lebanon’s crisis. “If Diab is appointed as premier, then the coming government will be dominated by Hizbullah (and its allies) without political cover from Hariri and the Sunnis,” he told AFP. “This will drive Lebanon towards a Sunni-Shiite schism and drown the revolution in sectarian discourse,” he said. Diab describes himself on his website as “one of the rare technocrat ministers since Lebanon’s independence.”It remains to be seen how protesters will react to Diab, who is not politically affiliated and largely unknown among the public, although he has been widely criticized on social media and calls have been made for protesting outside his residence in Tallet al-Khayat. Three days after the start of the anti-government protests, he called them a “historic and awe-inspiring scene.” “The Lebanese people have united to defend their rights to a free and dignified life,” he wrote on Twitter. While the huge crowds that filled the squares of Beirut and other Lebanese cities two months ago have dwindled, the protest movement is still alive and keeping politicians in check. Tensions have been further heightened by the looming bankruptcy of the debt-ridden Lebanese state. A government dominated by Hizbullah, which has been targeted by increasingly biting U.S. sanctions, is unlikely to secure billions of dollars in frozen aid. The Lebanese pound, officially pegged to the U.S. dollar, has lost around 30 percent of its value on the black market, while companies have been paying half-salaries over the past two months as well as laying off employees.
Lebanese President Michel Aoun nominates Hezbollah-backed Hassan Diab as new prime minister
James Haines-Young and Sunniva Rose/December 19/2019
Appointment comes after Saad Hariri’s Future Movement confirmed it will not take part in next government
Lebanese academic Hassan Diab, a former minister backed by Hezbollah, accepted the position of prime minister designate on Thursday after President Michel Aoun charged him with forming a new government. The announcement came more than seven weeks after Prime Minister Saad Hariri resigned because of nation-wide, anti-government protests that have not stopped. Mr Diab, 60, a little-known professor of electrical engineering at the American University of Beirut, replaces Mr Hariri amid the worst economic crisis since Lebanon’s 1975-1990 civil war.
The former education minister received 69 votes from Lebanese MPs who met Mr Aoun to tell him of their choice on Monday. Speaking from the presidential palace in Baabda outside Beirut, Mr Diab said he requested that consultations with parties would begin on Saturday to start forming a government, the state-run National News Agency reported.
He is expected to meet with different factions to agree on the composition of the new Cabinet, which he will submit to the president. This process usually takes several months in Lebanon. Lebanon has been rocked since October 17 by nationwide anti-government protests, which pushed Mr Hariri to resign on October 29, collapsing the government. Protesters demand a government of technocrats with no links to politics to save the country from economic collapse. Mr Diab said he was “a specialist and the priority is for specialists”, but did not clarify whether his government would include politicians.
He received the backing of parties that made up the largely defunct March 8 movement, including Hezbollah, the Amal Movement and Mr Aoun’s Free Patriotic Movement. They have called for an administration of technocrats and politicians, despite the demands of protesters.
Thirteen MPs from parties considered to be more aligned with western countries, such as the Progressive Socialist Party, nominated International Court of Justice judge Nawaf Salam for prime minister.
Forty-two MPs did not offer any name. Among them were three former prime ministers, including Najib Mikati, who led the government when Mr Diab was Education Minister in 2011. Mr Hariri’s Future Movement, the main representative of Lebanon’s Sunni Muslim community, also did not put forward a nomination. Under the country’s constitutional power-sharing system, the prime minister must always be a Sunni.
The Future Movement’s lack of support for Mr Diab puts him in a difficult position. In the past, presidents have been reluctant to select a candidate who does not have the backing of the Sunni community. “This is a big problem because a major component of Lebanese society is not part of the deal,” said Sami Nader, director of the Levant Institute for Strategic Affairs. Mr Hariri’s party said “from the beginning” that it would not be part of the next government, Moustapha Allouche, a member of the Future Movement, told The National. Mr Allouche said the 2011 administration of Najib Mikati showed that the new head of government did not need Sunni backing. “What is important now is to form a government that will be judged not on its sectarian content but on its real political and technical content,” he said. Support from Hezbollah and its allies could complicate Mr Diab’s requests for international financial, which is widely expected to resolve the crisis. “This kind of government will isolate Lebanon completely and deepen the economic crisis,” Mr Nader said. Mr Hariri again ruled himself out for the post on Wednesday evening, after a week of tense protests and clashes in Beirut as the two-month mass protest movement against the government continued. He joined the call for an administration of technocrats to work on a mandate of fixing the economic crisis, resolving long-running infrastructure issues and weeding out corruption.
Lebanon: Revolution against Hooligans
Hanna Saleh/Asharq Al Awsat/December 19/2019
Sixty-four days after it started, the revolution of dignity has dominated Lebanese spirit and has changed many traditions after it brought the majority of Lebanese social groups to the streets. These included many who had never thought of the possibility that the time will come where their first daily priority will be going to protest. They leave their houses equipped with a flag and a water bottle, some with masks as modest protection against tear gas, and all of them chanting “All of them means all of them” with female students and women on the frontlines in an attempt to separate security forces and the protest.
Despite the mass oppression suffered by the people and the lowest-income groups being burdened beyond their capacity, after more and more institutions shut down and dismissed their employees and unemployment reaching fifty percent of the working force, the squares have clung onto their enthusiasm and joy, and most importantly, hope. Hope in salvation from the sectarian farm called the state and taking back the civil state, the constitutional, legitimate, fair, and transparent state. This hope enhanced the citizens’ self-confidence, where they discovered that they no longer fear the finger raised against them, threats of civil war, or reproducing sectarian struggles. Since the revolution appeared to people as the most inclusive, powerful, and brightest of all experiences that the country has known. This is especially true after the accusations of foreign funding, treason, and conspiracies with embassies have been proven empty, and after the threats of returning to civil war have receded, with the responsibility of sectarian parties for the crisis becoming apparent. The Secretary-General of Hezbollah on December 13 revealed the regime’s confusion and the general inability to take any steps to confront the collapse, especially the worsening social crisis, he issued the beginning of a new phase in their confrontation of the peaceful revolution. His speech seemed like an order to commence the counter-revolution to take out the peaceful protesters and to end the demonstrations in the streets after he held the revolution responsible for everything the country had gone through, to the point where he claimed that the country was improving before October 16 and that the government was preparing reforms until October 17 suddenly came and interrupted the process.
There is no reason for surprise. Hezbollah seemed confused by the revolution and worried by the mass support the revolution received for its demand for an independent government that is trusted by the Lebanese people and the international community. The need for a government that stops the collapse and provides an independent judiciary to take back the peoples’ rights and sets an electoral law per the constitution that guarantees fair representation. In this context, the revolution snatched international support, as the Paris Conference called for the formation of an independent government that has a clean slate that is trustworthy and capable of implementing reforms. After they failed to hold the binding parliamentary consultations, and Hezbollah fueling hooliganism that was resisted on the 14th and 15th of this month, the response was an even more massive invasion on the 16th and 17th of December, the 15th consecutive invasion, and it reached Beirut, Saida, Nabatieh, Kfar Remen, Baalbek, and Fakha. In short, Nasrallah responded to the Lebanese people by saying, “It is up to me to decide, we will rule you as we please.”
Today, Lebanon is experiencing a vertical division between squares that have united the country and sparked a revolution promising happiness and the richness of diversity. The revolution isolated the political class accused of corruption. It broke stereotypes and boundaries that the sectarian forces wanted to impose on the Lebanese and Lebanon. The revolution is part of a second wave of Arab uprisings in Sudan, Algeria, and Iraq. It is a wave that put a Lebanese majority against the hooliganism of the broken allied forces of the past. That is, despite the strength of the mini-state that has become the fiercest defender of the sectarian regime after October 17 and the side that sponsors the regime and manages it and determines its function, and runs its looting of public funds. It is the protector of the dark economy that loots no less than a third of government revenue.
It is a moment of truth. The revolution’s goal was never to block roads nor to assemble in squares. These are all means that overthrew the government and forced it to cancel all taxes out of its 2020 budget. These are the means that closed down parliament twice, a parliament that betrays the voters’ will, that forced the withdrawal of three candidates for premiership accused of corruption, and proved to everyone that the Lebanese demands could not be met without deconstructing the sectarian regime. In a moment, the revolution put all sectarian forces under accusation: All of them means all of them. Now we see Saad Hariri, who had once promised 900,000 jobs joining Amal movement and Hezbollah duo, repeating his mantra of him being the savior. As for Samir Geagea, who spoke of a revolution that he started a long time ago in the government while confronting the revolution’s union leader Melhem Khalaf, Geagea, who did not leave the political agreement in 2016. Gebran Bassil announced that he had joined the ranks of the revolution after he had presented himself as the creator of governments. Walid Jumblatt is pretending to be outside the formula. All of this a result of the fact that the sectarian regime is starting to waver, as Hezbollah decided to take it upon themselves to return the country to before October 17, deluded that destroying a few tents would allow them to reproduce the government overthrown by the street and reproduce a corrupt regime that will make the majority of people pay for the crisis.
All of this makeup is no longer sufficient to cover the hideousness, despite having militias and other means of violence, they are the weakest because there are no sides that have a plan to save the country while the unemployment crisis plagues the entire country. Starvation is the hallmark of their regime that has forced a substantial number of citizens to take their own lives out of poverty and humiliation. Hezbollah’s missiles will not put money in the ATMs and will not give people back their bank deposits. Their missiles will not provide jobs for the unemployed, reaching 50% of the working force. This is a critical moment in the united political confrontation before they reproduce some agreement that blurs peoples’ vision and maintains the crisis, taking the country into degeneration.
Lebanon: Investigate alarming use of force on largely peaceful protests
Amnesty International Web Site/19 December 2019
The authorities in Lebanon must launch a thorough, independent and effective investigation into last Saturday’s violent crackdown on largely peaceful protesters – the most aggressive since nationwide anti-government demonstrations began two months ago, said Amnesty International today. Anyone found to be responsible for having used force unlawfully, including brutally beating protesters and relentlessly using teargas, must be brought to account through criminal or disciplinary proceedings, as appropriate.
On Sunday 15 December, the Lebanese Caretaker Interior Minister Raya Al-Hassan warned against “infiltrators” seeking to use protests to spark “confrontations” and asked peaceful protesters to leave the area “for their own protection.” She announced an internal “rapid and transparent” investigation into Saturday’s violence.
“While the caretaker minister of interior has announced an internal investigation, only an independent criminal investigation by the Public Prosecution can deter future excessive use of force. Otherwise protesters will continue to be unsafe on the streets,” said Lynn Maalouf, Amnesty International’s Middle East Director of Research.
“Since the beginning of the protests almost two months ago, security forces have resorted to unnecessary and excessive force against peaceful protesters on a number of occasions. But the unprovoked crackdown we witnessed on Saturday is by far the most virulent we have seen so far.”
Low-level clashes between protesters and security forces took place on the following two evenings, with police using tear gas in response to stone-throwing, water bottles and shooting fireworks by the protesters.
Only an independent criminal investigation by the Public Prosecution can deter future excessive use of force. Otherwise protesters will continue to be unsafe on the streets
Amnesty International staff observed the protests on the ground, spoke to seven eyewitnesses, including two who were wounded, and reviewed video footage and images of teargas being used to disperse demonstrators.
“Teargas canisters were falling one after the other”
On Saturday 14 December 2019 around 6pm, peaceful protesters – including men, women, elderly people and children – gathered outside the parliament in the capital, Beirut. Protesters positioned towards the front consistently told Amnesty International that at around 7pm without any provocation, riot police members barged through the crowd of peaceful protesters in large numbers, alongside men in civilian clothes armed with batons, and started chasing and beating protesters. Within minutes, they began firing extensive rounds of tear gas canisters. Dozens of people were injured as a result of the beatings and the tear gas inhalation.
Having dispersed, protesters were chased almost two kilometers further along the highway by police. One protester, Sara, told the organization: “The teargas was being shot one after the next. At first, four [canisters] at a time, and then they became like fireworks as when we were kids. People were throwing up, others saying drink water, smell onions, vinegar; no one knew what was happening.”
Another activist described to Amnesty International how he woke up the next day still coughing because of the teargas He said: “The amount of teargas was ridiculous. It was like someone shooting with a machinegun. Teargas canisters were falling one after the other.”
According to Amnesty International’s weapons expert, images of teargas cannisters found on Saturday were 56mm CM4 tear gas grenades manufactured by the French company SAE Alsetex in October 2007.
The Lebanese Red Cross told Amnesty they treated 33 cases in the field and transported 10 injured people to hospitals on Saturday night. Cases treated in the field included short breath, vomiting and coughing due to exposure to teargas. The Lebanese Civil Defense said it had treated 72 people for injuries at the scene and taken 20 others to hospital.
Since the beginning of the protests almost two months ago, security forces have resorted to unnecessary and excessive force against peaceful protesters on a number of occasions. But the unprovoked crackdown we witnessed on Saturday is by far the most virulent we have seen so far.
Amnesty International interviewed one of the emergency doctors on call at a nearby hospital attending to injured protesters. He said that approximately 25 injured protesters came in that Saturday night. The types of injuries described were mainly the result of beatings, and included bruises, broken teeth, and cuts that required stitches. One young woman had been beaten and had blood inside her lungs which caused bruises and concussion.
Three people arrived at the emergency room without any identification. According to the doctor: “They said the police took their identification papers and then they beat them up, they were beaten all around their bodies leaving them swollen from head to toe.”
Parliamentary police also dragged a number of protesters inside the square behind the barriers and subjected them to beatings, insults and threats. One injured protester described to Amnesty International how he was protecting other protesters from beatings, when he was taken by riot police behind the barriers. They tied his hands behind his back and beat him for a period of around 20 minutes until he couldn’t stand up. He said “they were beating me there behind the barriers. It’s like Guantanamo inside the Nejmeh Square.
“It is essential that any investigation into this incident, and any other incident that pertains to human rights violations committed by any of the security forces, is conducted in an independent manner and lead to accountability Peaceful protesters have a right to seek justice and redress for what they suffered through this weekend, and the only way they would be able to do so is before an independent court,” said Lynn Maalouf.
Background
Protests in Lebanon have rocked the country since 17 October. Protesters are demanding a complete overhaul of a political class they accuse of being incompetent and corrupt. They have called on the authorities to deal with a stagnant economy, rising prices, high unemployment, dire public services and rampant and systemic corruption.
The protests across Lebanon have been overwhelmingly peaceful and the response from army and security forces has been largely restrained. However, Amnesty International has documented incidents of unlawful and excessive use of force, including in one incident, the use of live ammunition against peaceful protesters. On another occasion an army personnel who had shot into the air, subsequently shot and killed a peaceful protester and father of three. Amnesty International has documented several other human rights violations by the Lebanese authorities including a failure to protect peaceful protesters, arbitrary arrests and torture and ill-treatment.
The events of Saturday resembled the first few days of the protests, when security forces used excessive force to disperse protesters firing huge amounts of tear gas into crowds and chasing protesters down streets and alleys at gunpoint and beating them.
Notice: The picture enclosed is for all the topnotch politicians that the Lebanese Revolution is calling on to retire..”All of them” is what the Lebanese are chanting in the streets.
