English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For April 24/2020
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani

The Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
http://data.eliasbejjaninews.com/eliasnews19/english.april24.20.htm

News Bulletin Achieves Since 2006
Click Here to enter the LCCC Arabic/English news bulletins Achieves since 2006

Bible Quotations For today
Jesus expels out Merchants From The Temple
John 02/13-25: “The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money-changers seated at their tables. Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. He told those who were selling the doves, ‘Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father’s house a market-place!’ His disciples remembered that it was written, ‘Zeal for your house will consume me.’ The Jews then said to him, ‘What sign can you show us for doing this?’Jesus answered them, ‘Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.’The Jews then said, ‘This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?’But he was speaking of the temple of his body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken. When he was in Jerusalem during the Passover festival, many believed in his name because they saw the signs that he was doing. But Jesus on his part would not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people and needed no one to testify about anyone; for he himself knew what was in everyone.

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on April 23-24/2020
MoPH announces six news COVID-19 cases
Lebanon Records Six New Coronavirus Cases
3,000 Palestinians under Lebanon lockdown after first camp virus case/Najia Houssari/Arab News/April 23/2020/
Lebanon's currency crashes amid financial turmoil, coronavirus/The New Arab & agencies/April 23/2020
Protesters Block Highways, Roads as Lira Continues Downward Spiral
Aoun Meets Central Bank Governor and Education Minister
Aoun tackles monetary situation with Central Bank Governor, fate of academic year and official exams with Education Minister
Diab chairs coronavirus committee meeting
UN chief: Pandemic is fast becoming 'human rights crisis'
Berri Urges Govt. to Stop Lira Fall instead of 'Standing Idly By'
Lebanese PM Complains About BDL’s Lack of Cooperation
Lebanon PM: Government 'not consulted' on central bank policy/Timour Azhari/Aljazeera/April 23/2020
Nasrallah Describes Lebanon's Coronavirus Situation as 'Good'/Naharnet/April 23/2020
FPM Files Lawsuit over Billions of Dollars Sent Abroad
Lebanon detains man over ‘appalling’ killing of 10 including 2 children
Ministry of Information launches joint initiative with WHO, UNICEF, and UNDP/TK Maloy/Annahar/April 23/2020
Lebanon still searching for perpetrators of Baakline shooting/Timour Azhari/Al Jazeera/April 23/2020
Hezbollah’s Gambling and the Forthcoming Wars/Charles Elias Chartouni/April 23/2020
Warning Shots: Israel Spares Hezbollah Fighters to Avert a War/Ben Hubbard and Ronen Bergman/The New York Times/ April 23 2020
Lebanon arrests suspect for putting Nigerian worker up 'for sale'/Timour Azhari & Fidelis Mbah/Al Jazeera/April 23/2020

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on April 23-24/2020
Coronavirus: The UK says it will create COVID vaccine by autumn – but is it possible?
China did not hide coronavirus information: Chinese envoy
Oxford University Pushing Science to the Limit in Vaccine Hunt
Spain’s coronavirus death toll surpasses 22,000
Italy Launches Antibody Tests for Virus Immunity
Divided EU Leaders Bicker over Virus Recovery Plan
Oil prices rebound amid rising US-Iran tension/DEBKAfile/April 23/2020
Iran’s History of Naval Provocations/USA
Iran summons Swiss ambassador as US representative in Tehran over Gulf tensions: IRIB
Iran will destroy US warships if they threaten Iran in the Gulf: IRGC head
As COVID-19 Death Toll Rises, Iran Demands US be Held to Account for 'Cruel' Sanctions
Iraq: Four Brigades Break Away from PMF Command
Iraq’s Caretaker PM Warns against 'Vacuum, Stalemate'
Syrian activists condemn execution of teenager for 'criticising HTS leader'
Trial of Syrian officers in Germany to shed light on Assad reign of terror: Lawyers
Egypt Supports a Political Solution that Preserves Syria’s Unity
Abbas Vows Not to Stand Idle if Israel Annexes Land in West Bank

Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on April 23-24/2020
World leaders need to start making tough decisions/Abdulrahman Al-Rashed /Arab News/April 23, 2020
Perpetual bonds can help the EU win its fight for survival/George Soros/Arab News/April 23/2020
Are the international oil benchmarks in danger?/Faisal Faeq/Arab News/April 23/2020
Iran's Ayatollahs Will Struggle to Survive the Oil Slump/Con Coughlin/Gatestone Institute/April 23/2020
Iran using pandemic propaganda to push its agenda/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab News/April 23/2020
Turkey: Erdoğan Is Getting Coronavirus Dancing to His Tune/Burak Bekdil/Gatestone Institute/April 23/2020
Venezuela: Maduro's Cuban Army/Lawrence A. Franklin/Gatestone Institute/April 23/2020
Iranian Regime Circles Criticize Supreme Leader Khamenei: Release The Billions Of Dollars In Funds You Control To The Desperate Iranian Public/MEMRI/April 23, 2020

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on April 23-24/2020
MoPH announces six news COVID-19 cases
NNA/April 23/2020
Six new cases of Covid-19 have been recorded within the last 24 hours, taking Lebanon's tally to 688, as indicated by the Ministry of Public Health in its daily report on Thursday.

Lebanon Records Six New Coronavirus Cases
Naharnet/April 23/2020
Lebanon on Thursday confirmed six more COVID-19 coronavirus cases, which raises the country's tally to 688, the Health Ministry said. Five of the cases were recorded among residents and one among the Lebanese expats who were repatriated in recent days, the Ministry added in a statement. It said four of the five local infections have been traced to identified cases. No deaths were recorded over the past 24 hours as the death toll stands at 22 and the number of recoveries at 140. The Ministry added that 1,357 laboratory tests were carried out over the past 24 hours and that 69 infection clusters have been identified to date, including 13 that have been active over the past two weeks. It said an infection cluster involves the presence of two or more related cases. Lebanon has been observing a lockdown since March 15 in a bid to stem the spread of the virus.

3,000 Palestinians under Lebanon lockdown after first camp virus case
Najia Houssari/Arab News/April 23/2020
BEIRUT: A refugee camp in Lebanon was sealed off and under lockdown on Wednesday after a Palestinian woman from Syria tested positive for the coronavirus. The woman, who lived in the Wavel camp in Baalbek, known locally as the Jalil or Galilee camp, was taken to Rafik Hariri Hospital in Beirut for treatment. A medical team from the UN refugee agency UNRWA and hospital staff tested 146 people at the camp, home to about 3,000 people, including all those who had recent contact with the woman. Lebanon hosts tens of thousands of Palestinian refugees and their descendants, mostly in squalid camps with no access to public services and limited health care. There are also more than 1 million refugees from the conflict in Syria. Wednesday’s virus case is the first inside one of the camps, but aid workers have warned for months that if the COVID-19 pandemic reached the camps it could cause carnage.
“There is always concern of an outbreak in a crowded place like the camps ... but we hope that the measures we are taking with the ministry and others concerned will help us avoid an outbreak,” said Huda Samra, communications adviser for UNRWA in Lebanon. The Popular Committee inside the Wavel camp urged people to stay at home, close shops, and sanitize neighborhoods, houses and cars. Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported five new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, including two in Rayak in the Bekaa Valley, raising the total to 682. One patient with underlying health issues died, raising the death toll to 22.
Dr. Iman Shankiti, the World Health Organization (WHO) representative in Lebanon, urged patience, and said measures taken to prevent the spread of the virus should continue. The US Embassy offered $13.3 million to help stop the spread of COVID-19 in Lebanon, including an $8 million donation to UNHCR.
Saudi Arabia recorded 1,141 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, bringing the total to 12,772. Six patients died, raising the death toll to 114. In the Middle East’s worst-hit country, Iran, 94 more people died, raising the total 5,391 from 85,996 confirmed cases. Egypt’s parliament on Wednesday amended the state of emergency law to give President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi power to ban public and private meetings, protests, celebrations and other forms of assembly, suspend classes at schools and universities, and quarantine people returning from abroad. Egypt has recorded nearly 3,500 cases of the virus, with 264 deaths. Jordan eased movement restrictions on Wednesday in the large and sparsely populated southern districts of Karak, Maan and Tafileh, where no coronavirus cases have been reported. In Karak city, 120 km south of Amman, heavy traffic clogged the streets. Jordan has recorded 428 positive cases of the virus and seven deaths. Worldwide, the number of people infected with the coronavirus passed 2.6 million, and the death toll rose to more than 182,000.

Lebanon's currency crashes amid financial turmoil, coronavirus
The New Arab & agencies/April 23/2020
Lebanon's currency continued its downward spiral against the dollar on Thursday, reaching a new low amid financial turmoil in the crisis-hit country compounded by the coronavirus outbreak.
The currency crash came as hundreds of Lebanese – most of them wearing face masks but few keeping a safe distance - crowded outside money transfer offices on Thursday, the last day that authorities allowed dollars to be dispensed in cash to customers following new Central Bank rules. The new rules, detailed in a bank circular released this week, require banks and money transfer offices to convert foreign currency transfers and cash withdrawals from foreign currency bank accounts to the local currency, the Lebanese pound, at market rates determined daily by the bank.The new rules, detailed in a bank circular released this week, require banks and money transfer offices to convert foreign currency transfers and cash withdrawals from foreign currency bank accounts to the local currency, the Lebanese pound, at market rates determined daily by the bank.
The change is meant to ease demand on the dollar but has instead caused panic among the Lebanese, who have relied on a stable national currency that has been pegged to the dollar for nearly 30 years. The tiny Mediterranean country of about 5 million people has a large diaspora that sends foreign currency home or relies on transfers from here to students abroad. Also, many Lebanese keep their savings in foreign currency.The Lebanese pound traded between 3,500 and 3,700 to the dollar on Thursday, a sharp jump amid general currency depreciation that began in March. It had been pegged to the dollar at 1,500 pounds since 1990, the end of the country's civil war. Lebanon is facing its worst economic crisis in decades, including unprecedented unemployment levels and a severe liquidity crunch. The crisis has been compounded by a nationwide general lockdown, in place for over a month, to combat the spread of coronavirus. Since late last year, banks have taken various measures to stop a run on deposits, including closing for two weeks last year, limiting withdrawals and money transfers abroad.
But the latest measure, announced by the Central Bank, allowing only cash withdrawals in the local currency, appears to have deepened the panic. Lebanese have been taking to the streets since October denouncing the government and banks for their inability to address the liquidity crunch and the general economic malaise, and accusing them of corruption. The coronavirus pandemic has only intensified the economic slump. "It is a game," said Youssef Abdel-Al, who stood in line outside a money transfer office in Beirut, accusing the banks and the political class of ignoring people's rights.

Protesters Block Highways, Roads as Lira Continues Downward Spiral
Associated Press/Naharnet/April 23/2020
Anti-government protesters on Thursday blocked the vital Dbaye and Jiye highways and the road outside the central bank in Hamra and started gathering in Tripoli's al-Nour Square, as Lebanon's currency continued its downward spiral against the dollar and reached a new low.
“Down with the Rule of the Bank”, chanted the protesters outside the central bank and demanded the sacking of Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh. Protesters in Tripoli and Jiye were also denouncing the deterioration of the Lebanese lira's value. The Dbaye highway was swiftly reopened according to the Traffic Management Center.The currency crash came as hundreds of Lebanese -- most of them wearing face masks but few keeping a safe distance -- crowded outside money transfer offices Thursday, the last day that authorities allowed dollars to be dispensed to customers following new Central Bank rules.
The rules, detailed in a bank circular released this week, require banks and money transfer offices to convert foreign currency transfers and cash withdrawals from foreign currency bank accounts to the local currency, the Lebanese pound, at market rates determined daily by the bank.
The change is meant to ease demand on the dollar but has instead caused panic among the Lebanese, who have relied on a stable national currency that has been pegged to the dollar for nearly 30 years. The tiny Mediterranean country of about 5 million people has a large diaspora that sends foreign currency home or relies on transfers from here to students abroad. Also, many Lebanese keep their savings in foreign currency.
The Lebanese pound traded between 3,500 and 3,700 to the dollar on Thursday, a sharp jump amid general currency depreciation that began in March. It had been pegged to the dollar at 1,500 pounds since 1990, the end of the country's civil war. The Central Bank measure allowing only cash withdrawals in the local currency appears to have deepened the panic.
Maha Yahya, director of the Beirut-based Carnegie Middle East Center, said the new rules are an effective float of the currency but it is not yet clear how the banks will implement them. "Practically they are admitting the market rate. The problem is when you do it on its own without a broader financial package, and not part of a larger financial and economic rescue package, you are basically triggering a rapid inflation," Yahya said. "It is catastrophic for the Lebanese on multiple fronts. They are seeing their income disappear as well as their pensions at a much faster rate. This is at a time when the cost of living is increasing tremendously."
Lebanon is facing its worst economic crisis in decades, including unprecedented unemployment levels and a severe liquidity crunch. The crisis has been compounded by a nationwide general lockdown, in place for over a month, to combat the spread of coronavirus. Prices of basic goods have soared -- sugar for instance has gone up by nearly 67 percent. Consumer groups recorded a general 58% price increase on basic commodities since October.
The dollar is expected to continue to rise "so everybody now is hedging their bets and waiting," Yahya said.
Lebanese have been taking to the streets since October denouncing the government and banks for their inability to address the liquidity crunch and the general economic malaise, and accusing them of corruption. The coronavirus pandemic has only intensified the economic slump. "It is a game," said Youssef Abdel-Al, who stood in line outside a money transfer office in Beirut, accusing the banks and the political class of ignoring people's rights. Banks have taken other measures to stop a run on deposits, including closing for two weeks last year, limiting withdrawals and money transfers abroad. The Cabinet is expected to meet on Friday to discuss an economic and financial rescue plan that has sparked a political debate. Lebanon, which has recorded 22 deaths from 688 reported coronavirus cases, has been in lockdown since mid-March, a measure that will likely be extended. The national airport and the country's borders have been shut, as well as public institutions, restaurants and schools.

Aoun Meets Central Bank Governor and Education Minister
Naharnet/April 23/2020
President Michel Aoun met Thursday in Baabda with Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh and Education Minister Tarek al-Majzoub. The National News Agency said Aoun and Salameh discussed “the monetary situations in the country and the central bank's measures to address them.”With the education minister, the president tackled “the educational situations in the country in light of the general mobilization measures and the future of the academic year and the exams.”Following the talks the minister announced that successive meetings will be held with the parents' committees, school unions and the public sector to reach an acceptable solution regarding the academic year. “We must take a middle ground decision that suits parents and schools as to the issue of installments,” he said. He added that the decision on the official exams will be taken soon.

Aoun tackles monetary situation with Central Bank Governor, fate of academic year and official exams with Education Minister
NNA/Thursday, 23 April, 2020
President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, received Education Minister, Dr. Tarek Al-Majzoub, today at Baabda Palace, and discussed with him educational conditions in light of Corona spread and public mobilization. After the meeting, Majzoub told reporters:
"I had the honor to visit His Excellency, President Michel Aoun, and the discussion was prolonged about the reality of education, the fate of official exams and the return of school work, in light of public mobilization. Education is the basis for a promising state. I will not talk too much, and I hope that things will be clearer for you and for us".
Questions & Answers:
Question: parents are also concerned about school tuition, are there any solutions?
Answer: "We in the Education Ministry hold successive meetings with family committees, school and teacher unions, and the main goal is to reach an acceptable solution in a triangular relationship. We hope the process will be positive. Neither parents like to destroy the school, nor the school likes to lose its students or teachers. We are talking about a group of around 100,000 between administrators and teacher in the public and private sectors. These are helping the Lebanese economy. If this industry is good, then we have a good citizen, which helps establish the state".
Question: is there a clear decision regarding the fate of the school year and official exams?
Answer: "The clear decision will not be announced today, and we have made it in the last phase to announce it. We have an equation which contains a basic variable, the Corona pandemic which is a two-dimensional variable, the temporal, i.e. the date of its elimination, and the other dimension related to its implications for humans, and how to sterilize and repair damages. Therefore, we are in a clear study of these issues, and we consult those concerned with the educational process daily, and sometimes we communicate and meet with them late at night. The main goal is to preserve the lives of every Lebanese student and we hope that we all succeed in our endeavor, because we face a hidden global pandemic that we do not know how it developed. We hope to help everyone, and to be united".
Question: How can the official exams be conducted if distance learning is not at the same level for all students?
Answer: "Distant learning has never been said to be the alternative, it is only to keep the student in his study environment. In all countries of the world, the student reads a book or a story at home. As for us, unfortunately, in our daily culture, the book is only imposed in schools. We had 3 methods of treatment available, either traditional, or via television or via internet, knowing that there are problems of power outages and weakness of internet. We tried, and if the attempt was not 100% complete, we will work to reform it, but we have to put it in the framework that this experience has not been matched in Lebanese history. Note that we preceded other countries despite our modest means, and the professors who provide lessons on televisions are mostly volunteers".
Question: When will the decision be announced on the fate of the academic year and official exams?
Answer: "Very soon, because the goal is to relieve people. All scenarios have been set, and all concerned have been involved in the matter, to reach a result that most people would be satisfied".
Question: Is the option of giving testimonies to students offered?
Answer: "This option is the most hated".
Question: But in the past some statements were given to students.
Answer: "This happened after the students completed their academic year. Currently, we are in circumstances that we have not seen before, and a certain formula must be reached to produce an intellectual and educated generation. The process is not easy, but if we can, we can".
Central Bank Governor:
President Aoun had also met Central Bank Governor, Riad Salameh, and discussed with him financial and monetary conditions, Central Bank measures, and circulars issued in this context. ------Presidency Press Office

Diab chairs coronavirus committee meeting
NNA/Thursday, 23 April, 2020
Prime Minister, Dr. Hassan Diab, on Thursday chaired the Coronavirus Committee meeting. Attending the meeting were Ministers of Defense, Zeina Akar, Public Health Hamad Hassan, Foreign Affairs Nassif Hitti, Public Works and Transport Michel Najjar, Education Tarek Majzoub, Energy Raymond Ghajar, Agriculture Abbas Mortada, Industry Imad Hoballah, Social Affairs Ramzi Musharrafieh, Economy Raoul Nehme, Information Manal Abdel Samad, and Labor Lamia Yammine, as well as Secretary General of the Higher Defense Council, Major-General Mahmoud Al-Asmar, PM Advisor for health issues, Petra Khoury, Secretary General of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers Mahmoud Makkieh, and Secretary General of the Presidency of the Republic Antoine Choukair. Talks touched on the current general mobilization measures and on establishing a roadmap for the upcoming phase to examine the possibility of gradually decreasing those measures.
*PM Press Office

UN chief: Pandemic is fast becoming 'human rights crisis'
NNA/Thursday, 23 April, 2020
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned the global community on Thursday about the potential for the coronavirus pandemic to become a "human rights crisis."In a video message posted on his Twitter account, Guterres said that while the coronavirus does not discriminate, its impacts do. The UN chief pointed to existing discrimination in the delivery of public services to tackle COVID-19 and the "structural inequalities that impede access to them."Guterres released a UN report that is meant to be a human-rights blueprint to respond to the health, social and economic crisis gripping the world, stressing that "human rights cannot be an afterthought in times of crisis." "We see the disproportionate effects on certain communities, the rise of hate speech, the targeting of vulnerable groups, and the risks of heavy-handed security responses undermining the health response," Guterres said. The UN report also called on governments to act to mitigate the worst impacts of COVID-19 on jobs, livelihoods, access to basic services and family life.
Rising 'authoritarianism'
Guterres expressed concern about what he saw as "rising ethno-nationalism, populism, authoritarianism and a push back against human rights in some countries," as a result of the pandemic."The crisis can provide a pretext to adopt repressive measures for purposes unrelated to the pandemic," he added. The UN chief's remark comes as governments around the world carry out extraordinary measures to deal with the pandemic and as activists have denounced state violence, threats to press freedom, arrests and smartphone surveillance, as many of the alleged abuses regimes have implemented to fight COVID-19. Guterres said governments must be "transparent, responsive and accountable," stressing that press freedom, civil society, the private sector and ''civic space'' are essential. The UN chief added that emergency measures must be "legal, proportionate, necessary and non-discriminatory, have a specific focus and duration, and take the least intrusive approach possible to protect public health.""Heavy-handed security responses undermine the health response and can exacerbate existing threats to peace and security or create new ones," Guterres said. "The message is clear: People and their rights must be front and center." ----Agencies

Berri Urges Govt. to Stop Lira Fall instead of 'Standing Idly By'
Naharnet/April 23/2020
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri on Thursday called on the government to “practice its legal and procedural authorities to halt the dramatic collapse of the Lebanese lira exchange rate.”“This would be a real social safety umbrella for the Lebanese,” he said. “The government should not remain standing idly by in the face of the ongoing financial chaos while claiming that it is keen on people's food security,” Berri added. The Speaker's stance comes after the dollar exchange rate crossed the LBP 3,700 mark at a number of money exchange shops on Thursday. Tensions have surged since Wednesday between Berri, Prime Minister Hassan Diab and several ministers after quorum was lost during parliament's debate of a draft law that grants the government LBP 1,200 billion for its coronavirus economic aid plan. Berri dismissed a request by Diab to hold an evening session to pass the draft law, telling him: "Neither you nor anyone else can set the session's time or impose on parliament what it can or should do."Separately, Berri called for a joint session for several parliamentary committees on Wednesday to discuss the general amnesty draft laws.

Lebanese PM Complains About BDL’s Lack of Cooperation
Beirut - Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 23 April, 2020
A parliamentary session on Wednesday lost the legal quorum when the government submitted a request to earmark LBP1,200 billion (USD 800 million based on the official exchange rate) for a social aid plan. Meanwhile, parallel criticism by the government and the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) targeted the governor of Banque du Liban, Riad Salameh, over recent decisions pertaining to withdrawals. “There should be more coordination by the Central Bank (BDL) with the government,” Diab said, at the end of the session. Commenting on a recent BDL circular regarding LBP withdrawals from USD accounts, the prime minister said: “The government was not informed about this… The central bank does not coordinate with the executive authority on the decisions it issues, and I will have a say on that after the cabinet session on Friday.” In remarks, Former Minister and FPM Leader Gebran Bassil asked: “How can the central bank issue circulars that lead to the collapse of the LBP exchange rate (against the USD)?”Diab noted that the political attack on the government was expected, hoping that it would not affect social and food security. He expressed regret over the postponement of discussions on the social aid plan due to lack of quorum. “The LBP1,200 billion loan is in the form of bonds. The issue was postponed because quorum was lost,” he said. Wednesday’s session also witnessed a sharp debate over a draft law to take ministers to trial at ordinary courts. Al-Mustaqbal bloc deputies underlined the need to achieve the judiciary’s independence before passing this bill. “There are those who want to blame one political party for all the crises in the country and want to hold Rafik Hariri accountable in his grave… We demand a law that defines the responsibilities and guarantees an independent judiciary,” al-Mustaqbal MP Mohammed al-Hajjar remarked.

Lebanon PM: Government 'not consulted' on central bank policy
Timour Azhari/Aljazeera/April 23/2020
Economists warn central bank decision to allow US dollar withdrawals in Lebanese pounds could trigger hyperinflation.
Beirut, Lebanon - Lebanon's Prime Minister Hassan Diab said Wednesday that the Banque du Liban, the country's central bank, was going against government policy by allowing all depositors to withdraw money from foreign currency-denominated accounts in the rapidly depreciating local currency.
"We were not consulted on this matter," Diab told Al Jazeera, following a parliament session. He added in remarks to reporters that he would have "strong words" about the issue after a Friday Cabinet session. Lebanon's central bank said on Tuesday that all depositors with foreign currency stuck in the Lebanese banking system due to harsh capital controls could withdraw their money in local currency, at "a market exchange rate" to be determined by banks. Monetary policy in the economically ravaged nation has been very fluid of late, and the process surrounding major changes is opaque, which can and does sow confusion. Adding to the chaos - Lebanon has at least four exchange rates. There's an official rate that hasn't changed for 23 years and generously values the Lebanese pound at 1,500 pounds to $1. There's also a legal but parallel market rate that values the Lebanese pound at a far less forgiving but more realistic 3,200 or 3,300 to $1. Then there's a black market rate that's even more punishing toward the Lebanese pound. And finally, a rate of 2,600 Lebanese pounds to $1 set by the central bank for small depositors who want to withdraw money from their foreign currency-denominated accounts under $3000.
Tuesday's decision by the Banque du Liban or central bank is significant because prior to it, depositors were forced to withdraw US dollars in Lebanese pounds at the official exchange rate, which effectively left half the value of their savings on the table.
The central bank's new policy now gives all depositors a potential way to unlock their foreign currency deposits at a rate that more accurately reflects the true value of the Lebanese pound. However, that rate will be set by banks, and could still value the Lebanese pound more favourably than prevailing parallel market rates. But many depositors could seize the opportunity to unlock savings they have not been able to withdraw. That leads to a real sting in the tail, say analysts, because when a wave of depositors suddenly converts foreign exchange savings into a rapidly depreciating local currency, it could feed speculative attacks on the Lebanese pound, resulting in hyperinflation.
'Hyperinflation is knocking'
Omar Tamo, a Lebanese foreign exchange specialist, told Al Jazeera that the central bank's Tuesday decision could indeed "decrease the hidden haircut" depositors were forced to endure when forced to convert savings at the official exchange rate. But the new directive also pushes Lebanon's economy towards full-blown liraficaiton (The Lebanese pound is also referred to as the Lebanese lira) - the process of effectively forcing the conversion of US dollars into local currency."Hyperinflation is knocking on our doors," Tamo said. Lebanon is grappling with its worst-ever financial crisis rooted in decades of corruption, mismanagement and faulty policies. Banks have few real dollars left to match over $110bn in dollar-denominated deposits, having lent the money to the Banque du Liban and successive governments, while a portion is also tied up in nonperforming loans to the private sector. A draft government rescue plan estimates banks have $83bn in losses and calls for a "haircut" or loss borne by large depositors to help fill the gap. Diab said last week that 98 percent of depositors would not be affected. This roughly equates to anyone with an account under $500,000.
But the central bank's policy change on Tuesday effectively puts Diab's promise in peril.
Big needs, little aid
Diab said that his government would finalise its rescue plan by next week.
Meanwhile, protests are growing in defiance of a nationwide lockdown over coronavirus as people struggle to make ends meet. Thousands of Lebanese have lost their jobs since last year as businesses crumbled along with the economy. That process accelerated in the wake of COVID-19 containment measures, and few of the jobless have received any government aid. A number of MPs warned during Wednesday's Parliament session that Lebanon may soon face a social catastrophe, but so many had left the chamber by the end of the session that quorum was lost.
This meant that a vote could not be held on the government's proposal for 1,200 billion Lebanese pounds ($400m) in aid for farmers, vocational workers, industrialists and small to medium-sized businesses.
"This is necessary so that Lebanese society can keep going for the next months," Diab said to the remaining MPs.

Nasrallah Describes Lebanon's Coronavirus Situation as 'Good'
Naharnet/April 23/2020
Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Wednesday said “Lebanon's situation in the anti-coronavirus fight is good due to the efforts of the government, the Health Ministry and people's respect for the measures.” “Confronting coronavirus is a religious duty and abiding by the measures is a religious duty,” said Nasrallah in a televised speech on the eve of the holy month of Ramadan. “Commitment to the measures must continue and through patience we can triumph over coronavirus,” he added. The daily rate of Lebanon's coronavirus cases has declined in recent days. Five cases were confirmed on Wednesday, taking the total to 682.

FPM Files Lawsuit over Billions of Dollars Sent Abroad
Naharnet/April 23/2020
The Free Patriotic Movement on Thursday filed a lawsuit over “the billion of dollars that were sent abroad in 2019, especially after October 17.”“As part of the continuation of its battle for recovering the funds that have been smuggled to outside the country and after carrying out several steps towards the central bank and in parliament, MP Ziad Aswad tasked by the FPM and its head Jebran Bassil has filed a lawsuit with State Prosecutor Ghassan Oueidat,” the FPM said in a statement. The lawsuit relates to “the transfer abroad of billions of dollars in 2019 in a selective manner, especially after October 17,” the FPM added, noting that the transfers have continued to date, which has “burdened the economy and harmed depositors especially small ones.”

Lebanon detains man over ‘appalling’ killing of 10 including 2 children
AFP, Beirut/Thursday 23 April 2020
Lebanon has detained a man over the killing of 10 people including his wife, two brothers and two Syrian children, a judicial source said Thursday, in a crime that shocked the country. The case has stirred public opinion since the discovery on Tuesday of the first nine bodies near the village of Baakline in the Chouf area southeast of Beirut, in what Prime Minister Hassan Diab described as an “appalling crime.”“Police found the perpetrator at 2 am hiding in the garden of a home in the area of Ainbal near Baakline and detained him,” the judicial source said. “He admitted that he suspected his wife was cheating on him with his brother, so he decided to stab her to death in the marital home,” the source added. The wife’s family has denied accusations against her, in a statement published by local media. The man then invited his brother to join him on a hunting trip to the Baakline river, the judicial source said, where he killed him with a hunting rifle. His body was the 10th to be discovered. In a subsequent rampage, the man killed anyone in his path, including six Syrians -- including a man and his two boys -- and another brother, the source said. Local media said another Lebanese man was also killed.
On social media Thursday, the hashtag #Baakline was trending, with users condemning the mass killings. “Down with disgusting male excuses. He is a criminal and a killer,” women’s rights activist Hayat Mirshad wrote on Twitter.
The grisly events come as Lebanon is under lockdown to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus, and grappling with its worst economic crisis since the 1975-1990 war.

Ministry of Information launches joint initiative with WHO, UNICEF, and UNDP
TK Maloy/Annahar/April 23/2020
Verify the source and its evidence, double-check with trusted sources like the websites of the Ministry of Information, Ministry of Public Health, WHO, UNICEF, and UNDP among others.
BEIRUT: An epidemic of misinformation has been circulating through different communication channels and in Lebanese communities since the beginning of the pandemic outbreak preventing people to heed official health warnings, the Ministry of Information warned Wednesday. To counter the growing volume of fake news, the MoI is taking further steps and announced a new initiative in partnership with WHO, UNICEF, and UNDP to flood media and social media with facts and science. Minister of Information, Dr. Manal Abdel Samad stressed the risks linked to fake news: “yesterday, (Monday) the drop of the coronavirus infections was accompanied by a very dangerous rumor, which is the end of the Corona pandemic in Lebanon. This is a simple sample of misinformation that creates confusion and false hope. Today we announce a new partnership with the UN organizations: World Health Organization, UNICEF, the United Nations Development Program, to tackle the threat of fake news”. She added: “our partnership includes several phases: a media campaign that we launched today along with a rumor log and at a later stage a website will be launched to verify the information.”
COVID-19 drug security in Lebanon: Defining a post-quarantine solution
Rumors linked to COVID-19 are not only circulating in Lebanon but also across the globe. Conspiracy theories about the origin of the virus and the vaccines being developed to prevent it still arise daily. Posts or videos that promote unverified treatments and cures have collected thousands of views, the Minister noted.With the support of UNICEF, WHO, and UNDP, the Ministry of Information will develop a rumor log to record locally monitored rumors, verify them and provide neutral, accurate, trusted information to each shared rumor. A reporting website will be also available to allow people to report and fact check any news they’ve heard of. A campaign will be disseminated on media and social media widely shared fake news along with their accurate answers. “The battle against the COVID-19 outbreak is a double-fold struggle with the spread of misinformation that is harmful and could lead to serious repercussions to the health of individuals and their families,” Dr. Iman Shankiti, WHO Representative in Lebanon said. “Together with our UN partners and the Ministry of Information, we will make sure to counter any and every rumor with solid facts putting the health of the public at the forefront of the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. “Misinformation leaves children, families, and communities, unprotected and vulnerable to the disease, and it also spreads fear and stigmatization”, said Yukie Mokuo, UNICEF Lebanon Representative. “This is a time for science and solidarity. Our collaboration today with the ministry of Information is more crucial than ever to spread the correct information and make it loud and clear amongst families to always consult reliable and trusted sources”.
“As with the courageous front-line healthcare workers engaged against the spread of the virus, we can all join the fight against COVID 19 by promoting facts and science and embracing hope over despair and divisions. As part of our efforts to counter fake news, we have launched with LBCI the “Count to 10” campaign earlier last month and today’s partnership with the Ministry of Information, UNICEF and WHO marks another milestone in strengthening our collective efforts to combat misinformation, and rumors” said Celine Moyroud, UNDP Resident Representative.
The joint initiative advises, to combat misinformation related to COVID-19, think carefully before sharing any news. Verify the source and its evidence, double-check with trusted sources like the websites of the Ministry of Information, Ministry of Public Health, WHO, UNICEF, and UNDP among others.
Lebanese social media - FB, Twitter, Instagram, and WhatsApp to name several mediums - are rife with passed along rumors whose origins are murky and have no clear source of origin.
Once passed along among friends as FYI messages, this misinformation becomes viral and is perceived as facts. Experts note that the golden rule with any information is, consider the source.

Lebanon still searching for perpetrators of Baakline shooting
Timour Azhari/Al Jazeera/April 23/2020
New details emerge of crime that left nine dead, including two children, in mass shooting.
Beirut, Lebanon - Lebanese security forces and soldiers have been searching for the perpetrators of a mass shooting that left nine people, including two children, dead in the mountain town of Baakline. Two children, one woman and six men - five of whom were Syrian and four Lebanese - were killed in the attack on Tuesday, believed to be the worst non-conflict shootings in at least two decades. The state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported late on Tuesday that two brothers, identified as MH and FH, are suspected of being behind the multiple murders. The NNA said the motive was "revenge" against a Syrian man, though further details were not provided. The NNA said MH first killed his Lebanese wife before going on to kill four Syrians. The wife's brother then went to calm him down, and MH killed him too. The suspect then headed through an agricultural area with his brother where he encountered two Lebanese men ploughing a field. The NNA reported that both were killed. The two brothers then encountered a Syrian man, and MH shot and killed him too. They then drove their car to near Baakline's secondary school, parked it, and escaped to an unknown area, the NNA said, adding that 20 square kilometres (7.7 square miles) had been searched overnight in an area with rugged terrain.
'No issues' between Lebanese and Syrians
The crime occurred in a remote part of the town near a wooded area where Syrian labourers have lived for more than 10 years, according to Baakline Mayor Abdullah al-Ghussaini. He told local media at the crime scene there had been "no issues" between locals and Syrians, and said the municipality would provide land for them to be buried. Hundreds of thousands of Syrian labourers have long come to Lebanon for seasonal work, with many living in the country since the outbreak of the Syrian war nine years ago. About 900,000 Syrian refugees are registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Lebanon, though officials estimate that closer to 1.5 million actually live in the country. Tensions between some host communities and Syrian refugees have increased over the past year as the economic situation in the country deteriorates, with some parties laying part of the blame for the crisis on the large refugee presence. Tuesday's mass shooting was facilitated by widespread weapon ownership in Lebanon, with many guns left over from the country's 15-year civil war that ended in 1990. However, non-conflict mass shootings are not common. In March 2019, an off-duty soldier shot four migrant workers in the Bekaa Valley town of Zahle, killing one. In 2017, a 14-year-old boy killed four people with a pump-action shotgun during a rampage in the capital, Beirut. In 2002, an employee at Lebanon's education ministry opened fire on his colleagues, killing eight people.

Hezbollah’s Gambling and the Forthcoming Wars
Charles Elias Chartouni/April 23/2020
شارل الياس شرتوني: مقامرة حزب الله والحروب القادمة
The New York Times report on Hezbollah’s active pursuit of war preparations and impending military confrontations with Israel, is a timely warning on the hazards of its strategic script and brinkmanship. Hezbollah’s de facto takeover of the political helm in Lebanon, will provide the Lebanese government with no more excuses and blame shifting insofar as the cyclical rounds of violence with Israel. The inherent curbs on Lebanon’s territorial sovereignty set by regional power brokers ( Syria, PLO, Iran, Saudi Arabia, ... ), and the long-standing inter-Lebanese conflicts over its practical enforcement, have been at the source of an endemic instability which has questioned Lebanon’s viability and ability to run itself as an independent country. Hezbollah’s role in this regard comes on the heels of an abiding instability, State powerlessness and pliability to Arab and Islamic power brokers, and an open-ended crisis of national legitimacy and political despondency. I wonder whether Lebanon is able to deal with the destructive fallouts of the cyclical rounds of violence with Israel, and tackle the quandaries of its bankrupted financial and economic system owed mainly to the aporias of a curtailed sovereignty and its incidence on governance.
One wonders how Lebanon is capable of managing systemic financial and economic crises without a modicum of stability, integrated decision making, and a working diplomacy to deal with the imponderables of open-ended regional conflicts and their impact on its internal political dynamics. How can a subdued government operate on cumulative reform and reconstruction scenarios, if its projected plans and movements are undermined beforehand by overriding political and strategic agendas that tend to upend its scale of priorities with no further consideration, and to whichever extent can Lebanon accommodate the challenges of strategic brinkmanship and deal with its foreseeable consequences and their built-in and recurrent conflict scenarios? Retrospectively there is nothing new, Lebanon is doomed to live with the congenial defects of curtailed sovereignty, endemic instability, and their consecutive outcomes. We have to give a due consideration to the overall strategic landscape while plotting the course of a projected reconstruction phase with its cohort of paradoxical communication, contradictory premisses and non consensual reform policy plans. Otherwise, the tentative success of any projected reformist course requires an "overlapping consensus" which seems to be deliberately flouted by Hezbollah mapping of its strategic coordinates and political priorities..

Warning Shots: Israel Spares Hezbollah Fighters to Avert a War
Ben Hubbard and Ronen Bergman/The New York Times/ April 23 2020
بن هوبارد ورونين بيرجمان/نيويورك تيمز/طلقات تحذيرية: إسرائيل تتفادى مقاتلي حزب الله لتجنب الحرب
Israel and Hezbollah have adopted informal rules of engagement as both sides prepare for possible war while trying to avoid setting it off.
BEIRUT, Lebanon — When the missile exploded near the black Jeep Cherokee, three Hezbollah operatives leapt out and ran for cover.
A moment later, appearing to know they had time, they returned to get their bags, and strolled away before a second missile obliterated the SUV.
No one was killed or wounded in the Israeli attack on the Hezbollah team in Syria last week, but that was the point.
According to several current and former Israeli and Middle Eastern officials, Israel has adopted a policy of warning Hezbollah operatives in Syria before bombing their convoys to avoid killing them and risking a devastating war in Lebanon.
The attack, which was caught on closed-circuit video, exposed a new wrinkle in the informal rules of engagement between Israel and Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group, as both sides prepare for what could be the next big war while trying to avoid setting it off.
Israel’s policy of pre-strike warnings in Syria, which has not been previously reported, reflects its fear of engaging Hezbollah’s vast rocket arsenal even as it tries to draw a red line to prevent Hezbollah from acquiring and developing precision-guided missiles, which it sees as a strategic threat.
The decades-old struggle between Israel and Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran and committed to the destruction of the Jewish state, has expanded across a wider swath of the Middle East in recent years, as Hezbollah has stepped up its involvement in Syria, Iraq and elsewhere, and Israel has continued to pursue it.
But while Israel has not hesitated to kill Iranians in Syria, where the chaos of a nine-year civil war has allowed a host of powers to operate, it has largely refrained from killing members of Hezbollah.
Hezbollah operatives in Syria have received surprise phone calls from Israeli officials warning them to evacuate their bases before they are bombed, according to an official from the pro-Iran regional alliance. And the first missile fired at the Hezbollah Jeep last week was a deliberate miss, a warning shot aimed at forcing the men to flee so their gear could be destroyed, an intelligence official said. The plan failed in this case because the men retrieved their bags before the car was hit.
But the idea, a senior Middle Eastern intelligence official said, is to tell Hezbollah, “We can see you, even if we don’t kill you.”
Hezbollah, too, for all of its heated rhetoric about destroying the Jewish state, has refrained from killing Israelis in recent years, apparently also fearing a war that could destroy much of Lebanon.
Two days after the Jeep attack in Syria, Israel accused Hezbollah of cutting holes in the fence along the Lebanon-Israel border and hanging a poster of its leaders and of Qassim Suleimani, the powerful Iranian general who supported Hezbollah and who was killed in an American drone strike in January.
Amin Hoteit, a retired brigadier general in the Lebanese army who is close to Hezbollah, said the gesture was a way for Hezbollah to send a nonlethal message to Israel, thumbing its nose at Israel’s attack and demonstrating that its operatives could cross the border if they chose to.
Since the Israeli strike had killed no one, “Hezbollah’s response came without casualties,” General Hoteit said.
“This is the new warfare,” said Randa Slim, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute in Washington. “There is going to be precise targeting of individuals and key operatives in what Israel deems an existential threat to its security, which is the precision-guided missiles of Hezbollah.”
But the tactic of warning shots and efforts to strike equipment instead of people may get Israel only so far, she said.
“If the precision-guided missile project is going at the rate the Israelis are saying, eventually they are going to start killing these people.”
Israeli officials believe that Hezbollah has an arsenal of more than 100,000 missiles and rockets that can reach all corners of the Jewish state. Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system would be unable to shoot down a large volley of rockets fired simultaneously, officials say, and Israel’s defense relies in part on the fact that the rockets are not very accurate.
But Israel contends that Hezbollah is trying to build guided missiles, which could target key installations such as military bases, government buildings or power plants, and would be nearly impossible to stop. Israel has carried out numerous airstrikes in Syria on what it says were convoys of weapons bound for Hezbollah to drive home the point that it will not accept a fleet of smart missiles on its border.
Last August, Israel sent an exploding drone into the heart of a Hezbollah-dominated neighborhood in Beirut to destroy what Israeli officials described as machinery vital to the precision-missile production effort. But in order to avoid killing Hezbollah members, the attack took place before dawn when no one was around, the senior Middle Eastern official said.
The warning tactic is an extension of one that Israel pioneered in Gaza. When the Israeli military wanted to destroy weapons caches hidden in a civilian home, it would drop a nonexplosive or low-powered explosive on the roof to warn the inhabitants to leave before the building was bombed. The tactic is nicknamed “knock on the roof.”
As Hezbollah moved into Syria, first to bolster the forces of President Bashar al-Assad against the rebels and later to expand the group’s military apparatus pointed at Israel, Israel began using the technique there as well. When applied to vehicles, like the drone strike last week, it is nicknamed “knock on the bumper.”
The Jeep Cherokee that was struck last week had just crossed from Lebanon into Syria, despite the border being closed because of the coronavirus pandemic, and had no license plates.
A senior Hezbollah operative, Imad Kraimi, was in the car, according to the member of the pro-Iran regional alliance and the senior Middle Eastern official who, like other officials interviewed for this article, spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters. Mr. Kraimi works with a Hezbollah unit in charge of smuggling sophisticated weapons, the intelligence official said.
Surveillance video of the SUV, verified by The New York Times, shows it stopped alongside a highway after the first missile strike. The three passengers, including Mr. Kraimi, flee the car, leaving their doors open, but then return and unload a number of duffel bags and backpacks before shutting the doors and moving away again.
Moments later, the second missile hits and the car explodes in a cloud of smoke.
The Middle Eastern intelligence official expressed frustration that the men had managed to retrieve their gear.
“It looks as if one of them remembers he had forgotten the shopping of milk and eggs that his wife had told him to get and he even goes back for them,” the official said. “Is this the might of the strongest power in the Middle East?”
Hezbollah has not commented on the attack.
The tactic has caused a rift between Israel’s military leadership and its spy service, the Mossad.
The military brass believe that warning Hezbollah militiamen while destroying their equipment creates a balance of deterrence while avoiding a spiral into war.
“Adhering to these unwritten rules has allowed us to hit Hezbollah again and again, alongside the war against other targets across the Middle East, without being drawn into an all-out war,” a former senior military official said.
But the Mossad chief, Yossi Cohen, doubts that Hezbollah, Iran and their allies could muster a significant military threat to Israel and argues that Israel should not establish a balance of deterrence with a militia that Israel and the United States consider a terrorist organization. Terrorists, he argues, should be killed based on operational needs and not spared because of fear of a response.
The only message to send Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, “is that he must not try us,” Mr. Cohen said in a discussion with Israel’s military chiefs. “It makes no difference what he fires against Israel — extended-range Grad missiles, or M-600 rockets or anything else — the moment that happens, he and his entire organization will be totally wiped out.”
So far, the military’s caution has mostly won out, although Israel did kill two Hezbollah operatives last August in an attack that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said prevented the imminent launch of “killer drones” from Syria toward Israel. A spokesman for the Israeli military declined to comment, as well as the spokeswoman for the Israeli prime minister’s office, to which Mossad reports.
Israeli airstrikes in Syria in recent years have killed hundreds of Iranians, Syrians and Iranian-backed militiamen from Iraq and elsewhere. But these strikes have killed as few as 16 Hezbollah operatives since 2013, according to the Syria-based member of the pro-Iran axis in the region.
*Ben Hubbard reported from Beirut, and Ronen Bergman from Tel Aviv. Hwaida Saad contributed reporting from Beirut.
*Ronen Bergman is a staff writer for The New York Times Magazine, based in Tel Aviv. His latest book is “Rise and Kill First: The Secret History of Israel’s Targeted Assassinations,” published by Random House.

Lebanon arrests suspect for putting Nigerian worker up 'for sale'
Timour Azhari & Fidelis Mbah/Al Jazeera/April 23/2020
Facebook post sparks outrage in Nigeria, with the government calling for the man's prosecution.
Beirut, Lebanon - Lebanese security forces have arrested a man suspected of putting a Nigerian domestic worker up "for sale" on a popular Facebook page used to trade everyday items such as furniture, food and shoes.
"Domestic worker of African citizenship (Nigerian) for sale with a new residency and full legal papers," an account under the name Wael Jerro posted on the page, named Buy and Sell in Lebanon. The exact date of the post remains unclear.
The suspect was arrested on Thursday by Lebanon's General Security agency, the country's leading intelligence agency, which also controls entry and exit from the small Mediterranean nation. General Security said an investigation was under way in the case, and warned that advertising people online violated the country's human trafficking laws, subjecting perpetrators to prosecution.
The arrest came after Justice Minister Marie-Claude Najem on Wednesday ordered the judiciary to follow up on the case, citing Lebanon's anti-human trafficking law. Lebanon's Ministry of Labour also released a statement saying anyone who advertises domestic workers online would be prosecuted. Najem said in a statement that the case represented a "blatant violation of human dignity".
The case has sparked fury in Nigeria, where officials requested the Lebanese authorities to investigate the incident.
"The government is very angry," said Julie Okah-Donli, director-general of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP). "The Lebanese government should prosecute him and rescue other girls that have been sold or [are] about to be sold into slavery."
Many Nigerians also took to social media to express their outrage.
'Modern-day slavery'
Some 250,000 migrant domestic workers - most from sub-Saharan African countries such as Ethiopia and Ghana, and southeast Asian countries including Nepal and the Philippines - reside in Lebanon.
Domestic workers in Lebanon are legally bound to their employers through the country's notorious kafala system, which only allows them to end their contracts with the consent of employers.
The system has led to widespread abuse, ranging from the withholding of wages, to physical and sexual assault. Camille Abousleiman, Lebanon's former labour minister, has called it "modern-day slavery".
While Lebanon's Ministry of Labour says it is working to improve protection for domestic workers by amending the contract between them and their employers, experts say the abuse will continue until the kafala system is entirely abolished.
"Adopting a revised contract which addresses shortcomings is undoubtedly a step forward, but it's not enough," Diala Haidar, a Lebanon campaigner at Amnesty International, told Al Jazeera.
"The Lebanese labour law explicitly excludes domestic workers from labour protections enjoyed by other workers such as minimum wage, overtime pay, compensation for unfair dismissal, and social security. The labour law needs to be amended to recognise domestic workers as workers and grant them full labour protections," she said.
General Security had said in 2017 that two domestic workers die every week in Lebanon. Videos often circulate of domestic workers trying to escape the homes of their employers by climbing down high buildings. Frequently, they are found dead.
Last month, the body of 23-year-old Ghanaian domestic worker Faustina Tay was found in a parking lot under the fourth-storey apartment of her employers. In the days leading up to her death, Tay had alleged repeated abuse by her employer and the agent who brought her to Lebanon and said she feared her life was in danger.
The employer has since been blacklisted, meaning he cannot hire any more domestic workers, while a criminal investigation is ongoing. The high-profile case, first reported by Al Jazeera, shed light on the conditions migrant workers face in Lebanon.
Despite the fact that most domestic workers arrive in Lebanon by legal means, the Facebook post has renewed calls in Nigeria for tougher measures to curb the activities of those involved in human trafficking - a big problem faced by a number of African countries.
"As long as traffickers are working about freely, making money, trafficking will not stop," Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, told Al Jazeera.
Last year, the Nigerian government began the repatriation of up to 20,000 girls who were trafficked to Mali.
The national agency fighting human trafficking said many of these girls ended up working as sex slaves in mining camps in Mali after they were tricked with promises of getting jobs in Europe.
In 2018, the government removed some 5,500 Nigerians from Libya following reports of abuse, slavery and torture. "We shall, after COVID-19, engage countries where human trafficking is endemic with a view to rescuing and repatriating victims of trafficking as we did in Libya a few years ago," Okah-Donli said, referring to the disease caused by the new coronavirus.
"Human trafficking is a global problem and huge all over the world because of the large profit. It's an organised criminal network that cuts across local and international boundaries. more of it is for sexual and labour exploitation and of course organ harvesting," she added.

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on April 23-24/2020
Coronavirus: The UK says it will create COVID vaccine by autumn – but is it possible?
Alicia Buller, Al Arabiya English/Thursday 23 April 2020
The UK has announced human trials for a coronavirus vaccine it says could be ready by autumn. Despite a normal development time of 18 months or more for a vaccine, an Oxford research team believes large-scale production could be underway as soon as September – about nine months after the novel coronavirus was first spotted in China. UK health secretary Matt Hancock said the new trial began on Thursday. Speaking at the British government’s daily press briefing Hancock said he is “throwing everything at” the country’s efforts to create a COVID-19 vaccine. Hancock pledged £20 million ($24.6 million) of funding for the Oxford project, and £22.5 million for clinical trials of another prototype at Imperial College London. The US, China, and now Germany, which announced clinical tests on Wednesday, are the only other countries to have begun human trials. A million doses by autumn? According to Professor Andrew Pollard, a member of the Oxford team developing the vaccine, it would be possible to develop millions of doses by autumn – assuming everything went well. “If you had a sailing wind and absolutely nothing goes wrong in all of that complex technical process and you have all the facilities available, you could have millions of doses by the autumn of this year,” Pollard told Sky News. However, he said it was unlikely that the vaccine could be rolled out on a mass scale before the end of 2020, even if no problems arose. “But to the very large scale, there’s a huge technical effort to get there and I think it’s unlikely that that could happen before the end of this year,” he told Sky News. “If the trials are successful there’s a big technical hurdle to upscale doses of the vaccine to the millions, tens of millions or even billions that would be needed for the world.”“It’s a very different manufacturing process to be able to make such large volumes of vaccine. The capacity to do that round the world is quite limited,” he added. Pollard said the Oxford project had been given a head start by work already done on the SARS and MERS coronaviruses, viruses from the same family as COVID-19 which experienced outbreaks in recent years.
“When this new virus emerged there was already work going on in Oxford on MERS coronavirus and a vaccine was being trialed on humans,” he said. “What happened was that the genetic code from the new coronavirus was discovered in January and it was possible to go back to that genetic code and make these new vaccines very rapidly.”
Global vaccine race
In America, the US government has committed to a $1 billion COVID-19 vaccine deal with Johnson & Johnson, co-financing research through the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (Barda). Human trials on the vaccine have already started in the US – breaking records for the speed with which such trials can get off the ground. Healthy volunteers in America are being given the new-generation “genetic hack” after it bypassed standard animal testing as part of a highly expedited process. It has also been reported that GSK and Sanofi have teamed up to develop a coronavirus treatment, and plan to have a vaccine ready for testing by the end of 2020. However, David Nabarro, professor of global health at London’s Imperial College, has previously warned that it may never be possible to develop a safe and effective vaccine for the disease, and that humanity may have to “find ways to go about our lives with this virus as a constant threat.”The UK’s Hancock has also conceded that the vaccine under development in Britain may not work out: “Nothing about this process is certain. Vaccine development is a matter of trial and error and trial again. That’s the nature of how vaccines are developed,” he said.
Why does it take so long to create a vaccine? The biggest hurdle for vaccine development is manufacture and distribution at scale. Health experts have warned that the virus could hit Britain in “multiple waves,” which has led to fears that some vaccines might not work on mutated strains. But Pollard said it is “not surprising” to see mutations in the virus due to its genetic makeup. He added: “So far, there haven’t been new viruses emerging, which are unable to be prevented by the types of immune responses that we expect to be generated by the vaccines being developed.”

China did not hide coronavirus information: Chinese envoy
Reuters, London/Thursday 23 April 2020
China did not cover up the novel coronavirus outbreak and so the US should not seek to bully the People’s Republic in a manner reminiscent of the 19th century European colonial wars, the Chinese ambassador to London said on Thursday. “I hear quite a lot of this speculation, this disinformation about China covering up, about China hiding something - this is not true,” Liu Xiaoming said. “The Chinese government was transparent and very quick to share data.”“Some other country - their local courts sued China - it is absurd,” he said. “Some politicians, some people, want to play at being the world’s policeman - this is not the era of gunboat diplomacy, this is not the era when China was a semi-colonial, semi-feudal society.”“These people still live in the old days - they think they can bully China, think they can bully the world,” Liu said. “China is not an enemy of the US - if they regard China as an enemy they chose the wrong target.”US President Donald Trump and members of his White House Coronavirus Task Force have accused China of circulating disinformation about the virus. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday pressed China to allow inspectors into sensitive laboratories, voicing concern about their security amid the global COVID-19 pandemic. Pompeo has refused to rule out that the deadly virus leaked out of a laboratory in the Chinese metropolis of Wuhan, a scenario strenuously denied by Beijing. “You have to remember -- these labs are still open inside of China these labs that contain complex pathogens that were being studied. It’s not just the Wuhan Institute of Virology,” Pompeo told reporters. He renewed concerns that China has not shared a sample of the initially detected virus, known scientifically as SARS-CoV-2.

Oxford University Pushing Science to the Limit in Vaccine Hunt
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/April 23/2020
Oxford University is launching a human trial of a potential coronavirus vaccine, with the daunting aim of making a successful jab available to the public later this year. Of the more than 100 research projects around the world to find a vaccine -- described by the United Nations as the only route back to "normality" -- seven are currently in clinical trials, according to the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Such trials are already underway in China and the United States and are due to begin at the end of this month in Germany, where the federal vaccine authority gave the green light on Wednesday. The British government strongly supports Oxford University's work, and the first human trials were to start on Thursday, Health Minister Matt Hancock said. He hailed the "promising development", pointing out that it would normally take "years" to reach such a stage of vaccine development.
In its first phase, half of 1,112 volunteers will receive the potential vaccine against COVID-19, the other half a control vaccine to test its safety and efficacy. The volunteers are aged between 18 and 55, are in good health, have not tested positive for COVID-19 and are not pregnant or breastfeeding. Ten participants will receive two doses of the experimental vaccine, four weeks apart. Professor Sarah Gilbert's team hopes for an 80 percent success rate, and plans to produce one million doses by September, with the aim of making it widely available by the fall if successful. But the teams carrying out this research say on their website that this timetable is "highly ambitious" and could change. The government's chief medical officer Chris Whitty acknowledged on Wednesday that the likelihood of getting a vaccine within the year was "incredibly small". "If people are hoping it's suddenly going to move from where we are in lockdown to where suddenly into everything is gone, that is a wholly unrealistic expectation," he warned.
Financial gamble
The strategy of not waiting for each step to be completed before launching production is a financial "gamble", according to Nicola Stonehouse, professor of molecular virology at the University of Leeds. But the current crisis makes it a necessary gamble, she told AFP. The Oxford vaccine is based on a chimpanzee adenovirus, which is modified to produce proteins in human cells that are also produced by COVID-19. It is hoped the vaccine will teach the body's immune system to then recognize the protein and help stop the coronavirus from entering human cells. The adenovirus vaccine is known to develop a strong immune response with a single dose and is not a replicating virus, so cannot cause infection, making it safer for children, the elderly and patients with underlying diseases such as diabetes. The government, under fire in the media over its handling of the crisis, set up a task force last weekend to coordinate research efforts and to develop capability to mass-produce a vaccine as soon as it is available, wherever it comes from. It is also supporting research at Imperial College London, which hopes to start clinical trials in June. Their research focuses on a vaccine exploiting a different principle, using RNA, the messenger molecules that build proteins in the cells, to stimulate the immune system. Finding a vaccine is the only possible way to bring the world back to "normality", U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned last week, calling for an acceleration of projects. The U.N. on Monday adopted a resolution calling for "equitable, effective and rapid" access to a possible vaccine.

Spain’s coronavirus death toll surpasses 22,000
AFP, Madrid/Thursday 23 April 2020
Spain said Thursday 440 people died in the past 24 hours from the new coronavirus, a slight increase for the third day running, bringing the overall death toll to 22,157. The country has suffered the third-highest number of deaths in the world from the pandemic after the United States and Italy, with infections now more than 213,000 cases, health ministry figures showed. Spanish health officials believe the epidemic peaked on April 2 when 950 people died over 24 hours, nearly three weeks after the government imposed a strict lockdown, effectively confining almost 47 million citizens to home to slow the spread of the virus.
“We have achieved the goal of a deceleration and slowdown for this week but we remain in a hard phase of the epidemic,” Health Minister Salvador Illa told a news conference. The March 14 lockdown has been twice extended and parliament late on Wednesday approved a fresh extension until May 9, although conditions are to be slightly eased from April 26 to allow children to spend some time outside. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez told the assembly on Wednesday he hoped Spain could begin to ease its restrictions — some of the tightest in Europe — during the second half of May but warned that “de-escalation will be slow”.

Italy Launches Antibody Tests for Virus Immunity
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/April 23/2020
Italy began conducting antibody tests in the northern region of Lombardy on Thursday, seeking information about coronavirus immunity to help guide authorities as they reopen the long locked-down country. Lombardy, the region hardest-hit by the coronavirus crisis in Europe's worst-affected country, is betting that the science about "herd immunity" derived from the blood tests will help the prosperous industrial region return to work faster and safer. Nearly 13,000 people have already died of the virus in densely populated Lombardy, whose capital is Milan -- more than half of Italy's total dead. Although Germany has already started nationwide antibody tests and countries such as Finland and Britain have announced plans to roll them out, many questions remain about how reliable data derived from the tests will be. Health authorities have said 20,000 tests would be performed every day in Lombardy. First to be tested are those in the worst-hit provinces: health workers, those under quarantine showing coronavirus symptoms and those they have been in contact with, as well as others with mild symptoms. Authorities hope to roll out the tests to the wider region after April 29. The head of Italy's National Health Council, Franco Locatelli, said last month that antibody tests would help authorities determine the spread of the coronavirus. Data would also provide "very relevant information on herd immunity" which would useful in developing strategies to help restart the country, he said, such as who could be allowed to go back to work.
Risks remain
The kits, made by Italian biotech firm DiaSorin, look for the presence of antibodies in the blood. Such antibodies indicate that the person has been exposed to the virus, pointing to some level of immunity. They differ from the more common swab tests, which test molecules from nasal secretions to determine whether a person currently has the virus. Lombardy's swab testing has revealed that 24 percent of those tested have the virus. Immunity to the virus is little understood and hopes about its efficacy possibly exaggerated. Lacking data, virologists and epidemiologists must extrapolate information from past coronaviruses, such as the SARS outbreak in 2002-2003, to make predictions. Experts believe at least 60 to 70 percent of a population must be immune to the virus in order to gradually wipe it out. But recent studies, such as one conducted in March and April by France's Institut Pasteur, have found that so-called "herd immunity" was harder to attain than believed.  At a high school in the Oise department of France, site of one of the country's first outbreaks, researchers found only 26 percent of students, teachers and their families carried antibodies. Moreover, it is not known for how long immunity to coronavirus lasts, meaning there is a risk those deemed "immune" may be re-infected and pass along the virus to others.
- 'No guarantee' -
"There's no guarantee that these antibodies protect from a new infection. We can only hope so for the moment. We'll know in the future," Guido Marinoni, president of Bergamo's surgical and dental association, told AFP on Thursday. Marinoni, who organised local testing in the badly affected province of Bergamo and plans to study results, also cautioned that a lack of antibodies might mean the disease was still its early stages and antibodies had not kicked in yet. Even more risky, a person who has developed antibodies can still carry traces of the virus, and be contagious. Therefore, experts such as Italy's Locatelli say antibody tests should be accompanied by swab testing. Immunologist Jean-Francois Delfraissy, who heads France's scientific council formed to fight coronavirus, said many doubts remain. "We're currently asking the question whether someone who has had COVID-19... is as protected as we think," he said. Scientists must wait until more reliable data is available, said Saad Omer, director of the Yale Institute for Global Health. "It's too premature," Omer told AFP. "We should be able to get clearer data very quickly -- in a couple of months -- when there will be reliable antibody tests with sensitivity and specificity."

Divided EU Leaders Bicker over Virus Recovery Plan
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/April 23/2020
EU leaders are set to haggle on Thursday over a giant package to help their economies recover from the coronavirus pandemic, but bitter divisions mean little progress is expected. The situation facing the EU is dire: more than 110,000 confirmed COVID-19 deaths and the economy suffering an unprecedented collapse according to alarming fresh data.  But while the 27 members agree that a stimulus running into hundreds of billions of euros (dollars) will be needed, they are split over how it should be funded and shared. The leaders will meet by videolink to discuss the virus crisis for the fourth time in seven weeks -- a sign, one senior Brussels official said, of the "seriousness of the challenge and the importance we attach to a common solution". German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Europe's most influential leader, gave her firm backing to beefing up the EU budget, but others are looking for more novel ways to reboot the economy, including joint borrowing. The fight has reopened the wounds of the 2009 financial crisis, once again pitting northern and southern Europe against one another. Southern states like Spain and Italy, badly hit by the disease and heavily indebted, are demanding "solidarity" -- financial help -- from their richer partners far beyond what the EU budget can provide. "The countries of the south have the impression that certain states, which are currently economically stronger, will use this crisis to be even stronger," a senior European official told AFP. "And those in the north believe that the south will take advantage of the pandemic to unburden themselves of past debt," the source added. Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, has pushed the hardest for mutualized EU debt, dubbed "coronabonds". He told the Italian parliament on Tuesday he would accept "no compromises" and would not sign up to a "bargain deal".
On the other side, northern countries led by Germany and the Netherlands refuse even to entertain the idea of coronabonds and other mooted solutions. Spain has proposed the idea of "perpetual bonds", usually only used in wartime, that has already been dismissed by the north.
"The European budget has for decades been the tried and tested instrument for common tasks in the EU," Merkel told lawmakers in Berlin ahead of the crunch talks. "In the spirit of solidarity, we should be prepared to make completely different, that is to say significantly higher contributions to the European budget over a set period," Merkel said.
Ferocious slump
In a sign of how far apart they are, leaders will not even issue their usual joint statement after the videoconference, a diplomat told AFP. EU Council President Charles Michel, the nominal host of the summit, set a low bar in the invitation letter sent to leaders on Tuesday. He urged them only to "work towards" creating a European Recovery Fund to rebuild the bloc's economy after the pandemic eases. The leaders are expected to ask the European Commission, the bloc's executive in charge of the EU budget, to come back with a proposal. They will also sign off on a 540-billion-euro ($584-billion) emergency package agreed by EU finance ministers earlier this month. The summit takes place as a closely watched business survey said the eurozone economy was living an "unprecedented" collapse. "The ferocity of the slump has ... surpassed that thought imaginable by most economists," said the chief economist of IHS Markit Chris Williamson. The cost of rebuilding will be enormous and various figures have been bandied around for the recovery fund, though no decision is expected on that by EU leaders on Thursday. Mario Centeno, head of the Eurogroup of eurozone finance ministers, has suggested a range of 700 billion to 1.5 trillion euros and French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire has mooted one trillion. A senior EU official acknowledged no plan was likely before the summer but said Thursday's meeting could see progress on ways to include the recovery fund in the bloc's new seven-year budget, as wished by Berlin.
But even before the pandemic, months of negotiation of the EU's 2021-27 budget caused bitter fights among the EU leaders. A summit in February ended in acrimony with similar north-south divisions over spending priorities.

Oil prices rebound amid rising US-Iran tension
DEBKAfile/April 23/2020
Oil prices spiked from their coronavirus plunge on Wednesday, April 22, after President Donald Trump ordered the US Navy to shoot and destroy any Iranian gunboats that harassed US vessels and after Iran put a satellite in orbit.
West Texas Intermediate crude oil gained 19 percent to $13.78 a barrel, up from $11.37 ahead of the president’s threat. Brent crude was 5.38 percent higher at at $20.37. Prices had previously tanked up to 60 over lowered demand caused by the covid-19 pandemic and surging supplies deriving from the price war between Russia and Saudi Arabia. When prices dropped below zero in the US for the first time the Trump administration turned to Moscow and Riyadh to negotiate a cut in production. Smaller oil-producing nations are falling below subsistence level.
DEBKAfile’s sources cite experts as saying that the oil price rebound is likely just a flash in the pan. While Trump’s comments have provided a short-term lift, prices are unlikely to rise consistently without production cuts and/or evidence of global economic recovery from the virus. However, tensions between Washington and Tehran are a constant and ever ready to erupt even during a world pandemic. Trump’s threat came after 11 Iranian vessels last week came dangerously close to US ships in the Persian Gulf. Earlier on Wednesday, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps – which also run the threatening speed boats in the Gulf – reported the successful launch of its first military satellite into orbit, after a series of failed attempts. The two-stage satellite called “Noor” was said to have reached an orbit of 425km above Earth after taking off from an unnamed site in Iran’s Central Desert. It was put into space by a hitherto unknown system called Ghased (Messenger). Western experts have long suspected Iran’s space program as being the secret cover for its intensive development of intercontinental ballistic missiles in violation of US resolutions. Israel condemned the launch as “defiant and dangerous” and called for more international sanctions against Iran.

Iran’s History of Naval Provocations/USA
FACT SHEET/OFFICE OF THE SPOKESPERSON
APRIL 22, 2020
“I have instructed the United States Navy to shoot down and destroy any and all Iranian gunboats if they harass our ships at sea.”
-President Donald J. Trump, Twitter, April 22, 2020
Iran has long used its naval forces to terrorize the international maritime community – this is not a new phenomenon. In 2015, during negotiations of the Iran Deal and after its adoption, the U.S. Navy recorded 22 incidents of unsafe and unprofessional conduct by the IRGC Navy (IRGCN), many that risked collision. An additional 36 incidents of unsafe and unprofessional conduct were recorded in 2016.
This includes the January 2016 incident where IRGC naval forces seized two U.S. Navy riverine boats and detained ten U.S. sailors for a period of 15 hours, violating their rights under the Geneva Convention by parading them in front of their propaganda cameras.
When President Trump took office, he initiated a comprehensive review of the United States’ Iran policy in light of the Iran Deal’s failure to address the regime’s growing threats to international peace and security. During this review period, Iran continued its dangerous naval activity.
In March 2017, the USNS Invincible was forced to change course to avoid collision with multiple approaching IRGCN fast-attack small crafts.
In July 2017, an IRGCN vessel came within 150 yards of the USS Thunderbolt in the Persian Gulf, forcing it to fire warning shots.
In August 2017, an unarmed Iranian drone flew close to the USS Nimitz as fighter jets landed at night, threatening the safety of the American pilots and crew.
In October 2017, President Trump announced a new Iran policy that made clear the United States would not tolerate the status quo from Iran, nor appease their provocations. Following the President’s announcement, incidents of IRGC naval harassment sharply declined and remained depressed even after the United States withdrew from the JCPOA.
In May 2019, Iran began a panicked campaign of aggression to extort the world into granting it sanctions relief.
On May 12, 2019, IRGC naval personnel placed and detonated limpet mines on two Saudi, one UAE, and one Norwegian-registered ships while they were harbored in UAE territorial waters near Fujairah Port.
On June 13, 2019, IRGC naval personnel placed and detonated limpet mines on one Japanese ship and one Norwegian owned ship while they transited the Gulf of Oman. The U.S. later released a video showing IRGC naval personnel removing one of their limpet mines off the side of the Japanese tanker.
On June 19, 2019, IRGC personnel deployed a surface-to-air missile to shoot down a U.S. unmanned aircraft operating over international waters in the Strait of Hormuz. IRGC Commander Hossein Salami announced that Iran had shot down the drone, claiming that it was operating within Iran’s territorial waters.
On July 19, 2019, the IRGC Navy seized the British-flagged, Swedish-owned Stena Impero tanker while it was transiting the Strait of Hormuz. On the same day, the IRGC also temporarily detained the Liberian-flagged Mesdar tanker. The Stena Impero and her crew were detained in Iran for more than two months as negotiating leverage.
At the same time the Iranian regime is seeking sanctions relief, it focuses its resources and efforts to harass the international maritime community.
On April 14, 2020, the IRGC Navy forcibly boarded and detained the Hong Kong-flagged SC Taipei oil tanker in international waters, and sailed the tanker into Iranian waters.
On April 15, 2020, eleven IRGC Navy small boats disrupted five U.S. naval vessels conducting a routine exercise by repeatedly engaging in high speed, harassing approaches. The Iranian vessels repeatedly crossed the bows and sterns of the U.S. ships coming as close as to within 10 yards of a US Coast Guard Cutter.
In response to the elevated risk posed to commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, the United States spearheaded the creation of the International Maritime Security Construct (IMSC), a coalition of eight European, Middle Eastern, and Asian nations committed to ensuring freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce through the strait. Since the IMSC was stood up in August 2019, Iranian mine attacks have ceased.
President Trump will not tolerate or appease Iran’s foreign policy of violence and intimidation. Iran must act like every other normal nation, not a nation that sponsors piracy and terror.

Iran summons Swiss ambassador as US representative in Tehran over Gulf tensions: IRIB
Reuters/Thursday 23 April 2020
Iran has summoned the Swiss ambassador in Tehran, who represents US interests in the country, over recent Gulf tensions, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said on Thursday, according to the IRIB news agency. The ambassador was given a message to pass on to the United States that Iran will strongly defend its maritime rights in the Gulf and respond to any threats.

Iran will destroy US warships if they threaten Iran in the Gulf: IRGC head
Reuters, video edited by: Leen Alfaisal/Thursday 23 April 2020
Iran will destroy US warships if its security is threatened in the Gulf, the head of Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards told state TV on Thursday, a day after US President Donald Trump warned Tehran over “harassment” of US vessels. “I have ordered our naval forces to destroy any American terrorist force in the Persian Gulf that threatens security of Iran’s military or non-military ships,” Hossein Salami said. “Security of the Persian Gulf is part of Iran’s strategic priorities.” Trump said on Wednesday he had instructed the US Navy to fire on any Iranian ships that harass it at sea, but said later he was not changing the military’s rules of engagement. Earlier this month, the US military said 11 Revolutionary Guards naval vessels from the Guards navy came close to US Navy and coast guard ships in the Gulf, calling the moves “dangerous and provocative.” Iran blamed its longtime adversary for the incident.
“I am telling the Americans that we are absolutely determined and serious in defending our national security, our water borders, our shipping safety, and our security forces, and we will respond decisively to any sabotage,” Salami said. “Americans have experienced our power in the past and must learn from it.”Tensions between Iran and the United States have escalated anew since 2018, when Trump withdrew from Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal with six world powers and reimposed crippling sanctions.

As COVID-19 Death Toll Rises, Iran Demands US be Held to Account for 'Cruel' Sanctions
Asharq Al-Awsat/Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 23 April, 2020
Iran's coronavirus death toll rose by 90 in the past 24 hours reaching 5,481, while the total number of confirmed cases rose to 87,026, Health Ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur said Thursday.
The daily rise in the death toll has held below 100 since April 14 as the country's leaders have pushed to resume ordinary life. Authorities allowed shopping malls, bazaars and parks to re-open this week and also lifted a ban on inter-city travel. State TV showed footage earlier this week of highways in Tehran packed with cars and groups of people out shopping. However, Tehran called for the US to be held accountable for "cruel" sanctions that have hampered its efforts to fight a coronavirus outbreak that it said are responsible for the recent deaths. "Today, the coronavirus has spread not only in Iran but in almost all countries, and it requires serious effort and collective action to deal with it," said Iran's deputy foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi.
"In addition to fighting the virus, Iran faces illegal and inhuman American sanctions, doubling the pressure on the Iranian people," he was quoted as saying in a ministry statement, AFP reported. Araghchi added: "The United States' cruel and unilateral sanctions against Iran constitute a clear violation of Security Council Resolution 2231, and the United States must therefore be held accountable by the international community."
In Iran, medicines and medical equipment are technically exempt from the US sanctions but purchases are frequently blocked by the unwillingness of banks to process purchases for fear of incurring heavy US penalties.
Iran's coronavirus outbreak, which first emerged in the city of Qom on February 19, is one of the deadliest in the world. Separately, Iran's Revolutionary Guards chief on Thursday warned the US of a "decisive response" after President Donald Trump said he instructed the US Navy to "shoot down" Iranian boats that harass US ships in the Gulf.
"We declare to the Americans that we are absolutely determined and serious... and that all action will be met with a decisive response that will be efficient and quick," Major General Hossein Salami told state television.
"We have also ordered our naval units to target (US boats and forces) if they try to endanger the safety of our ships or boats of war." Trump took to Twitter on Wednesday after Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they had launched the country's first military satellite. The US president said he had "instructed the United States Navy to shoot down and destroy any and all Iranian gunboats if they harass our ships at sea".

Iraq: Four Brigades Break Away from PMF Command
Baghdad - Fadhel al-Nashmi/Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 23 April, 2020
Iraqi caretaker Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi ordered taking control of four Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) combat brigades that fall under the religious authority in Najaf and Karbala. The four brigades will now fall under the “command and management” of the commander-in-chief of the armed forces and no longer under the direct command of the Iran-allied PMF board. The four brigades include the 2nd, 11th, 26th, and 44th brigades of the PMF, which are all loyal to Iraq’s highest Shiite religious authority. The four brigades were created in June 2014 following a fatwa, or religious call to action, from Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, in response to the ISIS insurgency. In mid-March, a delegation representing the four brigades met with the Minister of Defense Najah Al-Shammari, stressing their keenness on "the unity of Iraq and the independence of its decision." It was reported at the time that the four brigades were willing to join the Ministry of Defense. There are frequent reports on Sistani’s concern with the nature of tasks undertaken by the PMF after the war with ISIS has come to an end. Many divisions have risen in the 60-paramilitary umbrella as some factions have pledged their loyalty to Iraq’s highest religious authority and others to the Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. In the past years, several differences have emerged between the PMF and religious authorities in Iraq. Many of the divisions involve financial and military issues. Iraqi political expert Hisham al-Hashemi sees that Abdul-Mahdi’s decision to take over the four brigades is part of the great disputes between PMF leader Abdulaziz al-Mohammedawi , also known as Abu Fadak, and the PMF factions loyal to Iraq’s religious authority.
“This settlement means the administrative and operational disengagement of the four brigades from the PMF,” AL-Hashemi told Asharq Al-Awsat.

Iraq’s Caretaker PM Warns against 'Vacuum, Stalemate'
Baghdad/Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 23 April, 2020
Iraqi outgoing Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi issued an ultimatum to the political forces who failed to form a government five months after his resignation and warned that he could not remain in his position in light of the current "vacuum and stalemate."
Abdul Mahdi sent an open letter to the Iraqi president, speaker, and political parties expressing his dissatisfaction with the delay in government formation. He “unequivocally” rejected attempts of several political and influential figures who said they were ready to facilitate his resumption of duties as PM. “My government, with the current political dynamics, is no longer able to properly manage the country,” Abdul Mahdi said. This comes amid disputes over the sharing of portfolios in the government of PM-designate Mustafa al-Kadhimi, who seeks to get the country out of the economic crisis. A well-informed politician told Asharq Al-Awsat that Kadhimi wants to include top officials from parties and political forces to form a strong ministerial team capable of facing the challenges. However, he is facing several difficulties and pressures, some of which seem inevitable, especially in terms of maintaining balances between forces, while others appear to be attempts to limit Kadhimi’s agenda. Asked about the Kadhimi’s talks with various blocs, the politician said that the PM-designate may have determined his position with the Sunnis and the Kurds, including keeping current Minister of Finance Fouad Hussein. However, Shiite forces seem ready to radically reconsider their position regarding the PM if he insists on keeping the Finance Ministry with the Kurds. Head of Badr Bloc, MP Mohammed Salem al-Ghabban, urged the Prime Minister-designate to adhere to the principles agreed upon by the political blocs. He indicated that political forces rejected his predecessor, Adnan al-Zurfi, because he was named through a mechanism that violates the constitution and political norms. Former MP Haider al-Mulla, told Asharq Al-Awsat that Kadhimi is facing various pressures from many political blocs, namely the Shiite blocs that named him for this position. Mulla indicated that the PM is conducting serious discussions with various forces to complete and present the government’s formation to parliament as soon as possible, adding that he has a 70 percent success rate. Over the past two days, PM Kadhimi continued his meetings with the political blocs, in light of the emergence of disparities within the Shiite blocs regarding several ministries, at a time when these blocs should have granted him the freedom to choose independent ministers.

Syrian activists condemn execution of teenager for 'criticising HTS leader'
The New Arab/April 23/2020
The Syrian Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) executed a 19-year-old man deported from Turkey who they say was charged with "blasphemy", however, activists claim the young man was killed over phone messages criticising the group’s leader.
Mohammed Tano was first arrested six months ago at the Bab Al-Hawa border crossing between Turkey and Syria’s HTS-controlled Idlib province, according to local media. Some reported he was one of hundreds of Syrian refugees deported from Turkey last year, while others said he was returning to opposition-controlled Syria after his father fell ill. Tano had been in Istanbul for four years, and had a job at a restaurant.The group said after militants searched his mobile phone they found evidence of "blasphemy", a crime that warrants the death penalty according to the extremist group's laws.
However, others have argued that the notoriously brutal HTS security forces discovered messages between Tano and a friend denouncing the organisation’s leader, Abu Mohammed Al-Jolani.Tano was from the town of Darat Izza, an HTS stronghold in northwestern Aleppo province, close to the Turkish border.
A member of Tano’s family told the independent Syria TV channel that the teenager was killed "in cold blood". "When we asked for verification of the charges they had handed him, they told us that they burned it," the family member added, saying they had collected the body at Idlib Central Prison.
HTS, which used to be affiliated to Al-Qaeda, dominates much of Syria's rebel-held Idlib province and parts of neighbouring Aleppo province, and has its own security apparatus and courts. It has imposed draconian restrictions on the local population - many of whom opposition activists fleeing from other parts of Syria - and has arrested many who oppose its ideology. Protests against its rule have taken place on numerous occasions. Earlier this month, the group executed five people in Idlib province, four of whom were accused of murder, theft, and kidnapping, and the fifth for allegedly spying on behalf of the regime.
More than 500,000 people have been killed since the Syrian conflict broke out in 2011, the vast majority as a result of Bashar al-Assad's regime bombardment of civilian areas.

Trial of Syrian officers in Germany to shed light on Assad reign of terror: Lawyers
Lemma Shehadi, Al Arabiya English/Thursday 23 April 2020
Landmark trials of Syrian intelligence officers will reveal new information about the country’s sprawling security apparatus and its war crimes under the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, according to lawyers who say they are happy the trials are finally taking place. “The whole machine will be exposed to the public,” said Anwar al-Bunni, a Syrian human rights lawyer who will serve as an expert witness in the trials. “We will see how intelligence officers tortured detainees and hid their dead bodies. It was a systematic policy implemented by all branches of the security services, involving the police.” Syria’s intelligence services are famed for their brutality. At least 127,000 detainees have gone missing and over 14,000 are known to have died under torture, according to the Syrian Network for Human Rights. This week, two former intelligence officers will stand trial at the Higher Regional Court in the German city of Koblenz for crimes committed in Damascus’ Al-Khatib prison between 2011 and 2012. The trial will be the first to connect the Syrian government to crimes against humanity in a court of law. The main defendant, Anwar Raslan, served as a senior official at Al-Khatib and is accused of complicity in the torture of over 4,000 detainees, causing at least 58 deaths. The second defendant Eyad el-Gharib, allegedly hunted and detained demonstrators and is accused of aiding crimes against humanity. The pair were arrested in Germany last year where they were living as asylum seekers. “It is a milestone,” said Patrick Kroker a lawyer with the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights who will represent prosecution witnesses at the trial, “We are happy that these trials are finally happening.”
No more immunity
Despite the mountains of evidence of war crimes by the Syrian government, prosecuting any of its members has taken years. Attempts to launch an international tribunal in The Hague failed to gain consensus from the United Nations Security Council. Eventually, Syrian activists and former detainees got together to build cases against known criminals now living as refugees in Europe. The current case is based on hundreds of testimonials, photographs and other evidence compiled over years by Syrian activists and partner NGOs. The criminal complaint was submitted to the German Federal Prosecutor in 2017, under the principle of “universal jurisdiction.” This allows German courts to prosecute crimes committed anywhere in the world. Further cases have been submitted in Austria, Sweden and Norway under the same principle. “In Syria, officials who committed crimes had immunity from the government,” said al-Bunni. “The trial will send a message to the regime, that they cannot torture and kill with impunity.
Exposing the system
Syrians have long been terrorized by their secret police. The sprawling security apparatus was developed over decades with help from the Russian KGB and operates internally and abroad. “Before 2011, the security services tortured to get information. After the uprising, they tortured to exact revenge,” said al-Bunni, who has himself been a prisoner in Syria. The prosecution will draw on its extensive case file. Former detainees and torture victims will also come forth as witnesses. “We will show the system that is behind these crimes, and which has been in use for a long time,” said Kroker, who worked on the case.
Some of the most crucial information will come from the defendants themselves. “The defendants will likely claim that they followed orders from above,” said al-Bunni, who hopes their defense will shed led light on the chain of command.”“We want information from them about is happening in Syria and who is giving those orders,” he said. “One of the defendants was part of the security services for over 20 years. He should have very important information,” added al-Bunni.
A long road to justice
The trial faces challenges, not least from the restrictions imposed by the current coronavirus pandemic. “This trial deserves to be in the largest courtroom. We’re sorry that the audience will be limited,” said Kroker. Many other trials in Germany have been postponed. It will be a difficult time for the traumatized witnesses, some of whom still fear repercussions from the secret police on themselves or their families. “Some witnesses may not be brave enough to testify in front of the media,” said al-Bunni. It is also a long road to justice, with any decision likely to take months. “We don’t know how long the trials will last, it could be one or two years, I don’t need to hope that the transitional justice for Syria will take place here in Germany. We just need to send a message. That’s enough for now.”

Egypt Supports a Political Solution that Preserves Syria’s Unity
Cairo - Sawsan Abu Hussein/Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 23 April, 2020
Cairo is moving forward with its diplomatic efforts to boost the political process in Damascus through its membership in the "Small Group" on Syria that includes several Western and Arab countries. Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry held extensive international calls with various parties to resume the political track in Syria and activate the work of the Constitutional Committee, which would lead to presidential elections in June 2021, an Egyptian diplomatic source told Asharq Al-Awsat. Shoukry discussed in a telephone call Wednesday the latest developments in Syria with the UN Special Envoy Geir Pedersen. Foreign Ministry spokesman, Ahmed Hafez, stated that the call comes within the coordination between Cairo and the UN to support a peaceful settlement in the war-torn country. The FM asserted Egypt will continue to call for ending the war and reaching a reconciliation under UN Security Council Resolution 2254. He hoped this would be done in a way that preserves the unity of Syrian territories and achieves the aspirations of the Syrian people, which brings the country back to its natural position in the regional and international arenas. The talks also addressed Cairo’s evaluation of the latest developments in Syria as well as its efforts to push forward the political process in the country through Egypt’s membership in the Small Group, including its talks with the moderate Syrian opposition groups. The statement noted that both officials asserted that terrorist and radical organizations and their regional supporters must be stopped, adding that Syria should be supported during the coronavirus pandemic. For his part, Pedersen was briefed on the latest developments in Syria and the continuous efforts with the Syrian parties to move forward with the political process. The Special envoy expressed his appreciation for the balanced Egyptian role in supporting the reconciliation efforts and restoring security and stability in Syria. On Tuesday, Shoukry met with representatives of the Syrian Opposition High Negotiations Committee (HNC) in Cairo, to discuss recent developments and ways to boost the political reconciliation process.
The HNC delegation expressed their appreciation of the Egyptian role to reach out to all Syrian parties and political powers to end the Syrian crisis as soon as possible. In exclusive statements to Asharq Al-Awsat, HNC member Jamal Soleiman explained that the meeting with the FM was aimed at coordinating measures on recent developments in Syria, the situation of the Syrians abroad, and efforts to activate the Constitutional Committee. Soleiman said opposition forces would consult with the Syrian government through written messages exchanged via UN mediator or Egypt itself. He believes the remaining six-months period is not enough for drafting the constitution, stressing that if the constitution was not drafted before the elections, the conflict will continue and no solution will be reached.

Abbas Vows Not to Stand Idle if Israel Annexes Land in West Bank
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 23 April, 2020
A controversial decision on whether to annex much of the West Bank is the prerogative of Israel's new unity government, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Wednesday, adding that Washington would offer it its views privately. A breakthrough coalition agreement between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former military chief Benny Gantz had mentioned a role for the United States in deciding on future moves. "As for the annexation of the West Bank, the Israelis will ultimately make those decisions," Pompeo told reporters. "That’s an Israeli decision. And we will work closely with them to share with them our views of this in (a) private setting." Pompeo also said he was "happy" Netanyahu and Gantz struck the deal on Monday to form a national emergency government, saying he did not think a fourth Israeli election was in Israel's interest. "We're glad that there is a now fully formed government in Israel," he said. Pompeo's comment drew condemnation from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who said his administration would view agreements with Israel and the United States as "completely canceled" if Israel annexes land in the West Bank. "We have informed the relevant international parties, including the American and the Israeli governments, that we will not stand hand-cuffed if Israel announces the annexation of any part of our land," Abbas said on Palestine TV. US President Donald Trump earlier this year outlined a plan for the Middle East that gave Israel the green light to annex Jewish settlements and other strategic territory in the occupied West Bank. Netanyahu had heralded the Trump plan as a historic opportunity for Israel but Gantz had been more cautious. Under the coalition agreement, the Israeli cabinet can take up Trump's plan as well as annexation starting on July 1. It states that any measures would be executed "in full agreement of the United States."

The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on April 23-24/2020
World leaders need to start making tough decisions
Abdulrahman Al-Rashed /Arab News/April 23, 2020
There are many questions we might feel uncomfortable asking, or even thinking about, yet they persist in our minds no matter how much we try to ignore or dismiss them.
We hope to wake up one day soon to learn that a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine has been developed so that this nightmare can end, we can leave the relative safety of our homes, and return to our normal daily lives. So far, however, this has not happened and even the most optimistic expert analyst cannot promise that we will have a vaccine before the end of the year.
So we must rethink the issue from scratch. Frequent handwashing and isolating ourselves at home are acceptable options for one or two months, maybe even three. But it is, in effect, a form of house arrest that equally restricts the infected and the healthy.
On the positive side, this home quarantine has encouraged us all to develop new healthy habits and precautions, such as improved hygiene and social distancing, which are crucial during a health crisis such as the one we are experiencing. So, if people could continue to adhere to these less restrictive precautionary measures, it might be enough to safeguard their health without the need for people to remain under lockdown in their homes, disrupting their livelihoods.
Non-curative solutions have helped reduce the risk but have failed to end the pandemic. Take the home quarantine, for example. In theory, if everyone adhered to it, the pandemic would have ended. It has certainly contributed to reducing the number of COVID-19 cases, but it has not stopped the pandemic. Then there is testing. In theory, if the entire population was tested for the virus and those who are infected were isolated, the spread of the virus could be halted. This sounds simple, but there is not enough testing equipment. The US, for example, is carrying out more testing than any other country, yet so far only about 4 million people out of a population of 328 million have been tested.
People all around the world are frustrated and feel helpless in the face of this pandemic, which continues across borders and oceans. It has even reached the French territory of Saint Pierre and Miquelon, which is located off the west coast of Canada. The islands confirmed their first coronavirus case this month.
Many people have already lost their jobs. How many of those who are fortunate enough to still be working will be able to continue earning a living until a vaccine is available, perhaps by the end of the year or maybe months after that?
How will governments, especially in less-wealthy countries, and businesses be able to guarantee salaries for workers when there is little revenue coming in? How will bakeries work, for example? Who will grow the wheat and who will supply the flour? The same question can be asked at every step of the supply chain for every ingredient. If a single link in any of those chains is broken, we have no bread. The same is true of many other everyday foods and products.
It will be difficult, if not impossible, for global authorities to extend lockdowns for months on end while scientists work hard to develop a medical solution. In fact, governments will have to start making some hard decisions in the next few weeks. They will have to choose between allowing at least a partial return to normal life, with the awareness that this might cause a public health disaster, and keeping the lockdown in place until the end of the year, with the knowledge that this might result in an economic collapse.
Ending the lockdown means transferring responsibility for public health from the state to individuals, who would have to protect themselves. Currently, the authorities in many countries are using the force of law and their security services to protect people — or, rather, to protect people from themselves. If lockdown orders are removed, it will become the responsibility of every individual to act with the utmost caution if they want to avoid becoming infected, or infecting others. In return, the easing of restrictions would enable them to earn a living. Moreover, it would help to restart the global economy.
While the economic benefits of this suggestion may seem obvious, the billion dollar question is whether it would be a safe course of action. The available research offers contradictory answers. At one end of the scale, studies warn of the potential for deaths numbering in the tens of millions, possibly hundreds of millions, and the collapse of health care systems. A more optimistic view suggests that people are responsible enough to venture out with caution and co-exist with the danger until the pandemic ends naturally, or until scientists develop a medical solution.
When the virus emerged, very little was known about its spread and how it affected people, but researchers have now uncovered information that can help us make the correct decisions to confront it and reduce the risks.
In the beginning, given the lack of knowledge, mistaken or false information prevailed, which led many to underestimate the seriousness of the threat posed by the virus. This helped it to spread.
There were also mistakes in how the emerging outbreak was handled. One of the biggest was that China kept its borders and airports open when the first COVID-19 cases began to emerge. More than 7 million people traveled from China to other parts of the world in those early days, thousands of whom were infected with the virus. Thus an outbreak turned into a pandemic.
If lockdown orders are removed, it will become the responsibility of every individual to act with the utmost caution.
It took the world by surprise. There was not enough medical equipment available to cope with the number of infections, and health authorities were forced to isolate the majority of patients in their own homes.
Most governments were also very slow to respond to the danger. This was partly because they believed they were far enough from the outbreak source to be safe from the worst effects. Even worse than this miscalculation, however, many of them dismissed the increasingly urgent warnings of scientists as an overreaction or scaremongering, and took the view that the virus and the disease it causes were no worse than the seasonal flu.
As a result, vital days and weeks were wasted before it became apparent that the coronavirus is like a fire: When it starts, it can be extinguished by a cup of water, but if you ignore it, it will spread, and by then there may not be enough firefighters to extinguish the blaze.
*Abdulrahman Al-Rashed is a veteran columnist. He is the former general manager of Al Arabiya news channel, and former editor-in-chief of Asharq Al-Awsat. Twitter: @aalrashed

Perpetual bonds can help the EU win its fight for survival
George Soros/Arab News/April 23/2020
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has announced that Europe will need about €1 trillion ($1.1 trillion) to fight the coronavirus pandemic. This money could be used to establish a European Recovery Fund. But where will the money come from?
I propose that the EU should raise the money needed for the Recovery Fund by selling “perpetual bonds,” on which the principal does not have to be repaid (although they can be repurchased or redeemed at the issuer’s discretion). Authorizing this issue should be the first priority for the forthcoming European Council summit today.
It would, of course, be unprecedented for the EU to issue perpetual bonds, especially in such a large amount. But other governments have relied on perpetual bonds in the past. The best-known example is Britain, which used consolidated bonds (Consols) to finance the Napoleonic Wars and war bonds to finance World War I. These bond issues were traded in London until 2015, when both were redeemed. In the 1870s, the US Congress authorized the Treasury to issue Consols to consolidate already existing bonds, and they were issued in subsequent years.
The EU is facing a once-in-a-lifetime war against a virus that is threatening not only people’s lives, but also the very survival of the union. If member states start protecting their national borders against even their fellow EU members, this would destroy the principle of solidarity on which the union is built.
Instead, Europe needs to resort to extraordinary measures to deal with an extraordinary situation that is hitting all of the EU’s members. This can be done without fear of setting a precedent that could justify issuing common EU debt once normalcy has been restored. Issuing bonds that carried the full faith and credit of the EU would provide a political endorsement of what the European Central Bank has already done: removed practically all the restrictions on its bond purchasing program.
Perpetual bonds have three additional advantages that make them appropriate for these circumstances.
The EU Recovery Fund is so desperately needed. Financing it with perpetual bonds is the easiest, fastest and least costly way to establish it
For starters, because perpetual bonds never have to be repaid, they would impose a surprisingly light fiscal burden on the EU, despite the considerable financial firepower they would mobilize. The EU, moreover, would not have to refinance them when they came due, make amortization payments, or even set aside money (for example, in a sinking fund) for their eventual repayment.
The EU would be obligated only to make regular interest payments on them. A €1 trillion perpetual bond with a 0.5 percent coupon would cost the EU budget a mere €5 billion per year. This is less than 3 percent of the EU’s 2020 budget.
The second advantage is more technical but almost as important. The market may not be able to absorb a €1 trillion issue all at once. By issuing a perpetual bond, the EU could raise this amount in installments, without creating a new bond each time.
The third advantage is that an EU-issued perpetual bond would be a highly attractive asset for the ECB’s bond-purchase programs. Since the maturity of a perpetual bond is always the same, the ECB would not be required to rebalance its portfolio.
The EU does not need to create any new mechanism or structure to issue the bonds, because the EU has issued bonds in the past. The proceeds should be used for investments and grants related to fighting the pandemic. The European Commission would disperse the funds either directly or through the member states and other institutions (such as municipal governments) that are directly involved in fighting the coronavirus pandemic.
The disruption caused by the pandemic should be temporary, but only if Europe’s leaders take the extraordinary measures needed to avoid long-term damage to the EU. That is why the EU Recovery Fund is so desperately needed. Financing it with perpetual bonds is the easiest, fastest and least costly way to establish it.
• George Soros, founder and chair of the Open Society Foundations, is the author, most recently, of ‘In Defense of Open Society’ (Public Affairs, 2019).

Are the international oil benchmarks in danger?
Faisal Faeq/Arab News/April 23/2020
Although Saudi Arabia is the largest oil exporter in the world, crude oil prices from the Kingdom are linked to regional international benchmarks: ASCI for the US, ICE Brent for Europe and the Average of Oman (as traded on the DME) and Dubai for the Far East.
In early 2018, China launched the Shanghai International Energy Exchange (INE) as a futures exchange priced in the Chinese yuan.
It is fair to say that the launch did not find support by the industry for spot or term crude contracts. To support its currency’s internationalization, China sought to trade the yuan-denominated crude contracts in the non-US dollar exchange to gradually take a leading role in benchmarking crude oil in Asia and worldwide.
This year, the market expects Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) to trade futures contracts of its flagship oil grade in what could eventually become a new price benchmark.
This is supposed to be done on an independent stock exchange. Seemingly, the goal of this mechanism is to make “Murban” crude oil a benchmark just like Brent (ICE) and WTI (NYMEX).
The unforeseen event of an oil contract turning negative for the first time in history like WTI did this week, will attract scrutiny
Why did the May WTI crude expire negative?
The problem occurred only (and it will only happen) in Cushing, Oklahoma (pricing point for WTI), which is a landlocked storage facility. What happened is that storage was full and people that held “May” contracts preferred to sell rather than taking delivery.
They did not want to take delivery because both storage and pipelines were full. In addition, the trucks could not be used because of the lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Producers, on the other hand, preferred to sell and not to close their production wells, because it costs about $50-60 per barrel to shut the barrel and it would cost much more than that to make the well functional again. In addition, freight rates, to store crude oil on ships, spiked and made storage at sea impractical.
In light of the current oil glut, supply got much bigger than demand and the US suffered.
However, this could never happen to the Brent benchmark as the contract does not envisage physical delivery. Brent is a seaborne crude oil and it is not landlocked like WTI.
Still, the unforeseen event of an oil contract turning negative for the first time in history like WTI did this week, will attract scrutiny and may even raise questions about the viability of some international oil benchmarks.
• Faisal Faeq is an energy and oil marketing adviser. He was formerly with OPEC and Saudi Aramco.

Iran's Ayatollahs Will Struggle to Survive the Oil Slump
Con Coughlin/Gatestone Institute/April 23/2020
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has tried to put a brave face on the latest setback to hit the regime, claiming that Iran is unlikely to suffer as much as other countries from the oil price drop because it is less reliant than others on crude exports.
If that were truly the case, then Tehran would not be asking the IMF for a bailout, and Mr Rouhani, together with Javad Zarif, Iran's Foreign Minister, would not be begging Washington to remove sanctions.
The truth of the matter is, for all the regime's attempts to claim it has everything under control, that the country is teetering on the brink of collapse, and the ayatollahs are fast running out of options to save themselves.
At a time when Iran's Islamic regime is already facing unprecedented pressure over its handling of the coronavirus outbreak, as well as its disastrous handling of the economy, the global slump in oil prices could well prove to be the final straw for the ayatollahs.
Even before this week's dramatic collapse in global oil prices, which saw the key gauge of U.S. crude prices, the West Texas Intermediate benchmark, tumble into negative territory for the first time in history, the mullahs were already under intense pressure over their catastrophic running of the country during their four decades in power.
A combination of the regime's clumsy attempts to cover up the true extent of the coronavirus outbreak in Iran, combined with the disastrous impact the US sanctions are having on the Iranian economy, have resulted in the regime facing the most sustained period of domestic dissatisfaction since the 1979 revolution.
With the collapse in the global oil market, the pressure on the ayatollahs is set to increase even further as they risk losing a vital income stream at a time when the country's economy is already on its knees.
According to recent estimates by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Iran needs global oil prices to reach the highly unlikely benchmark of $195 a barrel just in order to meet its budget requirements for 2020.
With current predictions suggesting oil prices are likely to remain around the $19 a barrel mark, the ayatollahs are facing the prospect of an economic Armageddon: the oil slump means there is little prospect of a revival in the country's economic fortunes for the foreseeable future.
With inflation running at 35%, and the country facing widespread unemployment, the ayatollahs have become increasingly dependent on the country's oil revenues to keep the economy functioning. Their ability to generate revenue from oil sales, though, has already been severely affected by the impact of US sanctions, with Iranian oil exports declining from their pre-sanctions level of two million barrels of oil per day to around 300,000 -- a decline of more than 80%. Now, following this week's slump, even that modest amount is under threat.
The scale of Iran's deepening economic crisis is reflected in the regime's recent decision to seek $5 billion in emergency funding from the IMF, its first request for outside help since the 1979 revolution.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has tried to put a brave face on the latest setback to hit the regime, claiming that Iran is unlikely to suffer as much as other countries from the oil price drop because it is less reliant than others on crude exports.
If that were truly the case, then Tehran would not be asking the IMF for a bailout, and Mr Rouhani, together with Javad Zarif, Iran's Foreign Minister, would not be begging Washington to remove sanctions.
The truth of the matter is, for all the regime's attempts to claim it has everything under control, that the country is teetering on the brink of collapse, and the ayatollahs are fast running out of options to save themselves.
One indication of the growing disconnect between the regime and ordinary Iranians is the claim by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) that it has successfully launched a military satellite into orbit for the first time, an undertaking that seems completely inappropriate for a country teetering on the brink of bankruptcy.
In times of crisis, the regime has often resorted to stirring up tensions in the Gulf, and elsewhere in the Middle East, as a means of increasing pressure on the US and its allies. To that end, Iran's IRGC have been accused of conducting a number of confrontational operations in the Gulf this month, including the temporary seizure of a Chinese tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, which proved to be deeply embarrassing for Tehran, as China is one of the few countries still buying its oil.
There has also been an increase in Revolutionary Guard patrol boats harassing US warships operating in the Gulf, a development which has prompted U.S. President Donald Trump to order the US Navy "to shoot down and destroy" Iranian gunboats if they continue with their provocative actions.
The ayatollahs may still believe they can survive the current crisis, but the reality is that their prospects of overcoming all the obstacles they face, from coronavirus to the collapse of the Iranian economy, become more challenging by the day.
*Con Coughlin is the Telegraph's Defence and Foreign Affairs Editor and a Distinguished Senior Fellow at Gatestone Institute.
© 2020 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.

Iran using pandemic propaganda to push its agenda
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab News/April 23/2020
Cases of people being infected with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) reportedly began emerging in Iran in mid-February. The virus spread rapidly across the country and the Islamic Republic became the epicenter of the region’s outbreak in early March. Instead of concentrating on charting a path and assisting the international community in addressing this grave public health crisis, Tehran and its agents appear to be spending their political and financial capital on spreading disinformation and propaganda.
One of the fake news stories that pro-Iran operatives have been propagating is linked to the narrative that the virus was deliberately created by another government. For example, when the reports of coronavirus first appeared in Iran, a pro-Tehran influencing operation, known as the International Union of Virtual Media (IUVM), began a social media disinformation campaign. It suggested that the US government created the virus in order to advance and maintain its global hegemony, according to a new report by social media analyst Graphika. The report describes the character of IUVM as “a prolific operator that is centered on websites rather than social media. Its long-running practice has been to create or copy web-based content that amplifies Iranian government narratives, then post it to social media accounts that pose as independent news outlets or journalists.”
The Iranian regime has become masterful at taking advantage of important events in order to incite antagonism toward its rivals, including the West and Gulf states. In this case, the objective of the disinformation campaign was most likely to incite anti-Americanism and hatred toward the US’ allies during these uncertain times. Graphika pointed out that, through its posts on social media, the IUVM argued that “it is no coincidence that the virus selectively goes to countries that are considered enemies of the United States, namely China, Iran, some EU countries, including Italy.”
It is unrealistic to say that the US or any other government would deliberately create this virus in order to advance its national interests. It is worth noting that America has overtaken Italy to have the world’s highest COVID-19 death toll, with more than 800,000 confirmed cases and about 50,000 fatalities. The coronavirus-related economic slowdown in the US has also seen the unemployment rate reach 13 percent, its highest level since the Great Depression of the early 1930s. And the US equities market has lost trillions of dollars in value, while some economists believe that the long-term negative impact of the virus on the US economy could be even greater.
Iran’s covert disinformation operations concerning COVID-19 are not only inciting hatred toward other countries, but are also most likely negatively impacting the international community’s efforts to fight the virus. The US’ deputy assistant secretary of defense for Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia, Laura Cooper, stressed in an April 13 statement: “These are messages that are endangering global health because they’re undermining the efforts of governments, of health agencies and of organizations that are in charge of disseminating accurate information about the virus to the public.”
This is not the first time the Iranian regime’s disinformation operations have been detected. In August 2018, a cybersecurity firm, FireEye, revealed data about Iran’s widespread misinformation campaigns. Following the report, the giant social media platforms took action and removed hundreds of accounts reportedly linked to the Iranian government. Facebook removed “652 pages, groups and accounts for coordinated inauthentic behavior that originated in Iran and targeted people across multiple internet services.” Other popular social media outlets, such as Twitter and Google owner Alphabet, have also identified and removed many “inauthentic” accounts that originated in Iran.
The Iranian regime has become masterful at taking advantage of important events in order to incite antagonism toward its rivals.
These accounts were promoting specific narratives that advanced the regime’s interests, such as arguing that Iran’s militaristic engagements in Syria, Iraq and Yemen are for humanitarian purposes; that the Islamic Republic enjoys legitimacy domestically and regionally; that some of the Gulf states should be treated as enemies; and that Iran’s nuclear program is solely for peaceful purposes.
However, whenever social media accounts or websites linked to the Iranian regime’s disinformation campaigns are exposed and removed, the Islamic Republic is able to find other outlets or create new accounts to continue spreading its propaganda. By using the latest technology and employing various methods, such as generating and disseminating fabricated headlines and videos and propagating fake news and inaccurate pictures, the regime is able to interfere in the internal affairs of other nations.
During these critical times, it is incumbent on the international community and powerful social media outlets to prevent the Iranian regime and its operatives from spreading disinformation and disseminating fake news concerning the coronavirus.
*Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is an Iranian-American political scientist. He is a leading expert on Iran and US foreign policy, a businessman and president of the International American Council. Twitter: @Dr_Rafizadeh

Turkey: Erdoğan Is Getting Coronavirus Dancing to His Tune
Burak Bekdil/Gatestone Institute/April 23/2020
One of the laws Turkey's rubber-stamp parliament passed before the recess allowed the release of tens of thousands of common criminals to ease overcrowding in jails and protect inmates from the coronavirus pandemic. The amnesty, however, excluded hundreds of political prisoners including journalists, writers, academics and social media users critical of Erdoğan's authoritarian regime
In 2020, the collective fear is the coronavirus pandemic. And just as in the previous instances based on fear, it seems to be working in Erdoğan's advantage.
"The people tend to unite behind strong leaders in times of national crisis like war, terror, security threats, disasters or pandemic." — Özer Sencar, president of Metropoll, non-partisan pollster, Hurriyet, April 16, 2020.
In 2020, the collective fear of Turks is the coronavirus pandemic. And just as in the previous instances based on fear, it seems to be working to the advantage of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Pictured: Erdoğan speaks at a press conference addressing the coronavirus crisis in Ankara, Turkey on March 18, 2020. (Photo by Adem Altan/AFP via Getty Images)
When a group of military officers attempted a putsch to overthrow Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in July 2016, the Islamist strongman replied with two reflexes: survival, and a vigorous political campaign to make political gains from the failed coup. He succeeded in both.
Most Turks, including Erdoğan's opponents, weary of decades of military coups, united behind him to resist the putsch that ended up killing 250 people and wounded more than 2,000. Erdoğan's approval rating rose sharply from 45% before the failed coup to 67.6% in its aftermath. For many observers, that was not a surprise. Only a year earlier, Erdoğan had gambled over the Turks' collective security concerns and won.
In the general elections on June 7, 2015, Erdoğan's Justice and Development Party (AKP) lost its parliamentary majority for the first time since it came to power in November 2002.
After the initial shock, and as the AKP was forced into coalition negotiations with unwanted political partners, Turkey was suddenly gripped by a wave of terror attacks, including a suicide bombing in the heart of Ankara that killed more than 100 people -- the worst single terror attack in Turkey's modern history. For a while, bombs exploding here and there became almost part of daily life. Erdoğan refused to open coalition talks with any of Turkey's adversaries and, instead, called a repeat election in November 2015. His gamble paid off: the AKP easily won a parliamentary majority by increasing its national vote by 8.5 percentage points (to 49.5%) within a span of five months. Once again, threatened by a lethal force, the Turks united behind their strong leader.
It is therefore not surprising that, other things being equal, the coronavirus pandemic has the potential to give Erdoğan a similar political boost, although the next presidential and parliamentary elections are three years away. Who else would the Turks turn to in these difficult days of quarantine and curfew?
Erdoğan recently suspended parliament for 45 days, citing a national campaign to fight the coronavirus pandemic. But he did that only after passing bills he had sponsored.
Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, leader of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), accused Erdoğan of abusing the coronavirus crisis to tamper with the legislative authority. "The suspension of parliamentary sessions is the result of Erdoğan's one-man rule," he said. "Erdoğan is mistaken if he thinks he can unilaterally resolve any problem or any crisis."
One of the laws Turkey's rubber-stamp parliament passed before the recess allowed the release of tens of thousands of common criminals, to ease overcrowding in jails and protect inmates from the pandemic. The amnesty, however, excluded hundreds of political prisoners including journalists, writers, academics and social media users critical of Erdoğan's authoritarian regime.
In 2015, Turks had a collective scare from terrorists and their bombs. In 2016, they feared their military officers who fired on civilians and bombed the parliament building. In 2020, the collective fear is the coronavirus pandemic. And just as in the previous instances based on fear, it seems to be working to Erdoğan's advantage.
Metropoll, a non-partisan pollster with no ties to the AKP, found that Erdoğan's approval rating rose from 41.1% in February (when no coronavirus cases had been detected in Turkey) to 55.8% in March (when the virus started to spread in Turkey). According to Metropoll's findings, Erdoğan's coronavirus crisis management was approved by 19.6% of (main opposition) CHP voters. Before the coronavirus, only 4.3% of CHP supporters had a favorable opinion of Erdoğan. In March, Erdoğan's approval rating from the opposition bloc was an impressive 25.8% from voters of the pro-Kurdish People's Democratic Party; 23.8% from the center-right IYI Party; and 64.7% from the Islamist Felicity Party.
Özer Sencar, president of Metropoll, explains that with a general tendency to trust Erdoğan's crisis management, "The people tend to unite behind strong leaders in times of national crisis like war, terror, security threats, disasters or pandemic."
*Burak Bekdil, one of Turkey's leading journalists, was recently fired from the country's most noted newspaper after 29 years, for writing in Gatestone what is taking place in Turkey. He is a Fellow at the Middle East Forum.
© 2020 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.

Venezuela: Maduro's Cuban Army
Lawrence A. Franklin/Gatestone Institute/April 23/2020
The U.S. Department of Justice accuses Maduro of having served as the chief of a narcotics organization called "the Cartel of the Suns." Maduro's drug cartel is further alleged to have helped arm an extremist faction of the Colombia-based Marxist terrorist group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), in its decades-long campaign to overthrow Colombia's government. Maduro's cartel has also allegedly worked with FARC to flood the U.S. with cocaine.
The intensity of Maduro's attack against Trump may indicate a sense of panic at the possibility that the U.S. drug indictment might be setting the stage for some kind of military action against the socialist regime that will oust him from power.
Short of a U.S.-supported invasion by an international coalition, including free Latin American states, perhaps sometime after the U.S. election, Maduro will continue to wreck the formerly oil- rich country as its people continue to live in misery.
The U.S. Department of Justice accuses Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro of having served as the chief of a narcotics organization called "the Cartel of the Suns." Maduro's drug cartel is further alleged to have helped arm an extremist faction of the Colombia-based Marxist terrorist group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Pictured: Maduro speaks during a press conference in Caracas, Venezuela on March 12, 2020. (Photo by Carolina Cabral/Getty Images)
More than fifty countries in the Euro-Atlantic and Hispanic Free World consider the Venezuelan regime led by dictator Nicolás Maduro to be illegitimate. This view also seems to be shared by millions of Venezuelans, more than four million of whom have fled the country's political oppression and economic depression.
The main reason for the charge of illegitimacy stems from the view that Maduro's victory for a second six-year term as president in Venezuela's 2018 national elections was fraudulent. Opposition protests have failed to dislodge the socialist-led regime, which has so far been sustained by Chinese loans, Russian weapons and Cuban troops. The Venezuelan people, disenfranchised and disarmed, have, in addition, been bullied into submission by pro-regime neighborhood revolutionary leftist gangs called "colectivos."
Despite Venezuela's loss of democracy and rule of law, the US Administration of President Donald J. Trump has recently offered Venezuela's citizens a glimmer of hope. On March 26, U.S. Attorney General William Barr, backing a federal investigation -- in which U.S. attorneys in Washington D.C., New York, and Florida are cooperating -- unveiled an indictment of Maduro for drug trafficking, corruption, money laundering and support for terrorists.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) included in the indictment 14 officials from Maduro's inner circle. The DOJ also announced a bounty of $15 million for information leading to Maduro's arrest. The charges against Maduro and his associates have already prompted a retired Venezuelan General, Cliver Alcala, named in the indictment, to surrender to U.S. authorities. Two nephews of Maduro's wife, Cilia Flores, remain in a U.S. prison for attempting to smuggle cocaine into the United States.
The DOJ accuses Maduro of having served as the chief of a narcotics organization called "the Cartel of the Suns." Maduro's drug cartel is further alleged to have helped arm an extremist faction of the Colombia-based Marxist terrorist group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), in its decades-long campaign to overthrow Colombia's government. Maduro's cartel has also allegedly worked with FARC to flood the U.S. with cocaine.
President Trump followed up Barr's public indictment of Maduro by announcing his intention to order more U.S. warship deployments off the Venezuelan coast, to strengthen the U.S. Navy's counter-narcotic mission in the Caribbean. The increased anti-drug resources will also include an AWACS surveillance aircraft and the stationing of U.S. Special Forces in the region.
Maduro's response to the DOJ indictment was immediate, personal and vitriolic. The Venezuelan leader called Trump a "racist cowboy" and threatened that any military assault on Venezuela would be met by "the Bolivarian fury of an entire nation that will wipe them all out."
The intensity of Maduro's attack against Trump may indicate a sense of panic at the possibility that the U.S. drug indictment might be setting the stage for some kind of military action against the socialist regime that will oust him from power.
Anxiety might also have contributed to the aggressive action of a Venezuelan navy vessel that opened fire on and rammed a German cruise ship, the Resolute, in international waters on March 30, in an apparent attempt to force the ship to dock in a Venezuelan port. Ironically, the ramming did not sink the cruise ship; instead it sank the Venezuelan navy vessel. It seems that the Resolute, used for touring the Antarctic, had a reinforced hull for ice-breaking.
At the moment, according to US officials, "Cuban military advisors are mainstay of the Maduro regime." One report asserts that there are about 15,000 Cubans in Venezuela. Some are counter-intelligence officers; their job is to purge any Venezuelan Army officers whose loyalty to Maduro is found suspect. Another source claims that Maduro's personal bodyguards are also mostly Cuban.
Venezuela reportedly hosts 4,500 Cuban infantry troops, with the force commanded by two Cuban generals. Havana has reportedly also dispatched to Venezuela doctors, teachers, nurses, and engineers to shore up Cuba's depressed economy. These Cubans are presumably helping to fill the void left by Venezuela's middle class professionals who emigrated abroad.
Russia's role in helping to buttress Maduro's regime includes arms sales, joint army and air force exercises, Russian naval warship visits, and stationing Russian defense advisors inside Venezuela. In turn, Russia receives Venezuelan oil at below market prices.
China's support of the Maduro regime is financial, and has reached a figure of $60 billion. Beijing's investments in Venezuela are largely tied to the country oil industry, reportedly reaching a figure of $250 million. Some of Venezuela's debt is being serviced by deliveries of petroleum to China. As other sectors of Venezuela's economy continue to decline, the Maduro government may be forced to pay back its debts to China by transferring more of his country's sovereign assets to Beijing.
Maduro and his allies are evidently hoping that that the foreign military, intelligence and economic support extended to Venezuela's dictatorship will be enough to keep his clique in power, at least past the U.S. presidential election in November, when many of the world's less empathetic leaders are doubtless hoping to see Trump's back. Short of a U.S.-supported invasion by an international coalition, including free Latin American states, perhaps sometime after the U.S. election, Maduro will continue to wreck the formerly oil-rich country as its people continue to live in misery.
*Dr. Lawrence A. Franklin was the Iran Desk Officer for Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld. He also served on active duty with the U.S. Army and as a Colonel in the Air Force Reserve.
© 2020 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.

Iranian Regime Circles Criticize Supreme Leader Khamenei: Release The Billions Of Dollars In Funds You Control To The Desperate Iranian Public
MEMRI/April 23, 2020
In the past weeks, Iran has been pressing the international community for financial aid to help it deal with the spread of the coronavirus pandemic in the country. In March 2020 Iran appealed to the International Monetary Fund for a $5 billion emergency loan to fight the virus.
On April 7, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei approved President Hassan Rouhani's request of a $1 billion withdrawal from the National Development Fund of Iran for the fight against the pandemic. [1] The fund, established in 2011, holds Iran's foreign reserves estimated at approximately $90 billion, obtained from the country’s oil and gas exports.[2]
In light of the severe economic situation of Iranian society due to strict sanctions prompted by the regime's policy, coupled with the regime's mishandling of the coronavirus outbreak, there has been criticism within the regime itself over the failure of its charity funds, whose holdings are estimated in billions, to come to the aid of the hard-hit Iranian public. The criticism was voiced by the editor-in-chief of the Jomhouri-ye Eslami daily, Masih Mohajeri, by a former senior reformist official, Mostafa Tajzadeh, and by Majlis Member Bahram Parsaei. They urged Khamenei to immediately release the billions he controls for the benefit of Iranians and to fight the pandemic and the economic crisis. They pointed out that these funds, which are intended for the wellbeing of the poor and disadvantaged in Iranian society, do not reach them. These funds, it should be noted, benefit a small circle of Khamenei's loyalists and his project of exporting the Iranian revolution – namely of consolidating Iran's influence in the region and investing in other countries such as Syria and Iraq.[3]
This report reviews the criticism in regime circles of Khamenei's refusal to release funds under his control for the benefit of the Iranian people amid the coronavirus outbreak.
The Foundations Under Khamenei's Control
Among the foundations under Khamenei's control mentioned by Mohajeri, Tajzadeh and Parsaei are the Executive Headquarters of the Imam's Directive (SETAD), whose holdings were estimated in 2013 at about $100 billion[4], and the Mostazafan Foundation (Foundation of the Oppressed and Disabled), believed to be one of the regime's major funds, whose assets are based on seized and abandoned property. In a March 28, 2018 interview with the Tabnak website, the foundation’s head, Mohammad Saeedikia, said that it "has a strong presence in [Iran’s] industry," that "nobody knows the extent of its assets” and that "it would take two years to estimate its net worth.” He added that its annual income was 26 billion tomans (about $6 million dollars).[5] Also mentioned by the three speakers was the Astan-e Quds Razavi Foundation, which manages the assets of the Imam Reza Shrine in Mashhad, a conglomerate with holdings worth billions in Iran and abroad.
These foundations, most of which were established after Iran's Islamic Revolution in 1979 with the stated aim of redistributing wealth to the people and helping the poor and the war veterans, have effectively become tools for transferring public funds to private hands, and are entirely unsupervised. Reformist politician Behzad Nabavi, a former minister and deputy Majlis speaker and a founder of the Intelligence Ministry, told the Iranian website Alef that "in our country, there are four institutions which control 60 percent of the national wealth. They include the Executive Headquarters of the Imam’s Directive, the Khatam-ol-Anbiya Base [the IRGC’s economic organization], Astan-e Quds and the Foundation of the Oppressed and Disabled. None of these institutions are connected to the government or parliament.”[6]
Jomhouri-Ye Eslami Editor Mohajeri: "If [The Foundations] Won't Release Their Funds To Save The Oppressed, How Can They Justify Their Existence?
In an April 12, 2020 article in Jomhouri-Ye Eslami,[7] the daily’s chief editor Masih Mohajeri criticized Ali Khamenei and called on the heads of the foundations under his control to immediately release the funds to the Iranians harmed by the coronavirus crisis, saying that otherwise they were betraying their mission. He wrote:
"The point to make… is that, no matter how much aid the people receive, it cannot meet the needs created by the economic recession brought about by the pandemic. This aid can heal some of the wounds, but it cannot solve all of the problems. To fully resolve all of the problems, large economic players, whose capabilities are vast and whose wealth belongs to the public, must enter the scene. These financial authorities include SETAD, the [Executive] Headquarters of the Imam's [Directive], the Foundation of the Oppressed, and Astan-e Quds Razavi. The vast financial apparatuses and resources available to these institutions, if transferred to the sectors affected by the coronavirus [pandemic], can rapidly and fully solve the problems in these [sectors]. These [funds] belong to the people, and it is precisely in situations like these that they must be used to solve the public's problems.
"We know that the team managing the Imam Headquarters is taking steps by providing facilities and cash. These [measures] help, but they are so insignificant compared to the financial capabilities of these institutions that they don't count at all. These institutions must step forward with open hands and without restrictions, and without wasting time, to meet all the needs of the people who are in profound distress in the current dire economic situation.
"Listening to the heads of these institutions speak of the measures they are taking to help the sectors harmed [by the pandemic], we come to the conclusion that they [either] fail to fully comprehend the scope of the harm caused to the people in this situation, or else do not want to spend their money helping them. Over two thirds of Iran's population receive no financial help from the government or from these institutions and organizations. A minority of the people have the financial means to cope with the present situation, but the rest – i.e., the majority – have become destitute. Some have also lost their jobs, and this dangerous situation continues. The government, too, is unable to meet the needs of the sectors harmed by the coronavirus [pandemic], since it [itself] faces many financial problems due to the sanctions and the decline in revenues, and the vast funds it must concurrently expend to curb the [spread] of the coronavirus.
"It is the responsibility of [Rouhani's] government to defend the health and wellbeing of the citizens, and it cannot breach the limits decided upon in the framework [of the budget]. This situation [of the pandemic] is difficult to fully comprehend, and requires the powerful financial institutions, which belong to the people, to step forward and fulfill their historic mission. If they won’t release their funds to save the oppressed, how can they justify their existence?"[8]
Former Reformist Official Tajzadeh: It's Time For Khamenei To Issue Immediate Instructions To Rush To The People’s Aid
Mostafa Tajzadeh, a former reformist official who served as a minister in Khatami's government and as a Majlis member, and was even a political prisoner at one point, tweeted on April 18: "The sanctions, the coronavirus and now the plunging oil prices mean that the government is facing immense challenges with empty coffers. It is time for that the Foundation for the Oppressed, the Executive Headquarters of the Imam's Directive (SETAD) and the religious organizations' charity foundations, on the immediate order of the Leader [Khamenei], to rush to the aid of those suffering harm and deprivation who were once called the owners of the revolution and [received] the officials’ blessing.”[9]
Mostafa Tajzade's tweet
Majlis Member Bahram Parsaei: The Foundations Must Make The Money Available To The People
Similar statements were made in an April 4, 2020 Majlis session that was broadcast live on Iranian TV by Bahram Parsaei, a Majlis member representing the city of Shiraz. He said that "Institutions and organizations that have always enjoyed special privileges and exemptions [e.g., from taxes], such as the Foundation for the Oppressed, the Executive Headquarters (SETAD), the Astan-e Quds Foundation and [other] charity foundations must all serve the [Iranian] people for [the next] two months. They must all come forward and put their assets at the public's disposal."[10]
[1] Fars, April 7, 2020.
[2] Swfinstitute.org.
[3] See also Special Dispatch No. 8668 - Visions Of The Post-Coronavirus World – Part III: 100 Academics And Political Activists In Iran Tell Supreme Leader Khamenei: 'You Are The No. 1 Culprit In The National Disaster' – April 1, 2020.
[4] Reuters.com, November 11, 2013.
[5] Tabnak (Iran), March 28, 2018.
[6] Aftab News (Iran), September 21, 2019.
[7] Jomhouri-ye Eslami was owned by Hashemi Rafsanjani, who was the right-hand man of Islamic Revolution founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, served as Iran's president and head of several regime councils and was known as a critic of Ali Khamenei.
[8] Khabar Online (Iran), April 12, 2020.
[9] Twitter.com/mostafatajzadeh, April 18, 2020.
[10] Icana.ir, April 7, 2020.