English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese
Related, Global News & Editorials
For
April 26/2020
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
The Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
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Bible Quotations For today
Jesus Appears to Two Of The Disciples On the
Road to Emmaus & Explaines For Them The Scripture
Luke 24/13035/Now that same day two of them were going to a village called
Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other
about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things
with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were
kept from recognizing him. He asked them, “What are you discussing together as
you walk along?” They stood still, their faces downcast. One of them, named
Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know
the things that have happened there in these days?”
“What things?” he asked. “About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a
prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief
priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they
crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem
Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. In
addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning
but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of
angels, who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and
found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.” He said to
them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have
spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his
glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what
was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. As they approached the
village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going
farther. But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening;
the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.0 When he was at the
table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to
them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared
from their sight. They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us
while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” They got
up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with
them, assembled together and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has
appeared to Simon.” Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how
Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese
Related News & Editorials published on April 25-26/2020
Lebanon Confirms New Coronavirus Deaths, Eight New Cases
Lebanon Reports 2 Coronavirus Deaths
Hariri Hospital: 3 new infections, 2 recoveries, no critical conditions
Minister of Health: We avoided the bad scenario, and the safe return to normal
life requires extreme caution
Hassan from Riyak: We are at an advanced stage of response and preparedness at
field level, but we must be careful
Lebanon's Central Bank under International Control/Dr.Walid Phares/April 25/2020
Attackers lob explosive at Lebanon bank amid currency crisis
Grenade Hurled at Bank Branch in Sidon
Mashnouq: I Hope Diab Isn’t Part of the Plot against Sunnis
Diab visits ISF headquarters: State does not physically exist in the minds of
people
Diab receives two calls from his Kuwaiti, Qatari counterparts
Bassil meets with French Ambassador
Geagea says financial auditing is necessary, but should extend to all
departments, officials
Roukoz says prosecution should entail all those under suspicion, otherwise let
the resounding slogans end!
Derian sponsors “Coalition of Aid Campaign” at Dar Al Fatwa to collect donations
to face the crisis
Enough tampering with the future of the Lebanese, says Sami Gemayel
Cooperation agreement between CBRN, French Embassy
Nehmeh: Most insurance companies adhere to official exchange rate
Hariri: Putschist mentality that wants to destroy Lebanon’s liberal economic
system
Lebanese must wear face masks despite coronavirus lockdown transition period/Najia
Houssari/Arab News/April 25/2020
Report: France Advises Against ‘Laying-Off’ Salameh
Lebanon on Verge of Social Explosion
Ain-Ebel Kaak bi Tamr/Where the Gods of Fertility and Creation
The genocide of Mount Lebanon’s Inhabitants during WWI/By Dr. Amine Jules
Iskandar
Le génocide des habitants du Mont-Liban pendant la Première Guerre mondiale/PAR
DR AMINE JULES ISKANDAR
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on
April 25-26/2020
WHO Warns against Idea of 'Immunity Passports'
WHO added that tests for antibodies of the new coronavirus also “need further
validation to determine their accuracy and reliability.”
Iran's Coronavirus Death Toll Rises by 76 to 5,650
WHO: No evidence patients become immune
Coronavirus: concerns over a "fresh outbreak" in Iran as the country reduces
restrictions
Rouhani says Iran should draw up long-term plans for worst-case coronavirus
scenario
Russia Criticizes American Presence East of Euphrates
Europe Calls for Humanitarian Truce in Libya
Safadi, Maliki Warn Against ‘Killing 2-State Solution’
New Decision to Seize Rami Makhlouf’s Assets in Syria
Iraq’s Ansar Al-Marjaiya Splits from PMF, Urges Other to Follow
Israel: Thousands demonstrate against Israeli coalition deal
Political Row Hits UK Govt as Virus Death Toll nears 20,000
Virus Toll nears 200,000 as UN Pushes for Global Vaccine Effort
Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources published on
April 25-26/2020
Coronavirus: China Continues to Flood
the World with Defective Medical Supplies/Soeren Kern/Gatestone Institute/April
25, 2020
On UN's Int’l Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace, G20/Ahmed Al
Sayegh/Asharq Al-Awsat/April 25/2020
Amid The Pandemic, U.S. Militia Groups Plot ‘The Boogaloo,’ AKA Civil War, On
Facebook/Christopher Mathias, HuffPost US/April 25/2020
Woes compounded by pandemic, economic crisis in war-stricken Syria as holy month
begins/Sami Moubayed/The Arab Weekly/April 25/2020
Turkey's increased involvement in Libya raises regional alarm/Ahmed Megahid/The
Arab Weekly/April 25/2020
Why King Abdullah Is King/Robert Satloff/American Interest/The Washington
Institute/April 25/2020
State of Jurisdiction: The International Criminal Court and the ‘Situation in
Palestine’/Alexander Loengarov/The Washington Institute./April 25/2020
Armenians across coronavirus-hit Middle East commemorate 105th genocide
anniversary with vigils and online ceremonies/Gasia Ohanes/The New Arab/April
25/2020
Why Do Democrats Want to Save Iran's Theocracy?/A.J. Caschetta/The Hill/April
25/2020
Kim, dead or alive? Why that’s the wrong question/Hafed Al-Ghwell/Arab
News/April 25/2020
Pandemic problem on a plate/Cornelia Meyer/Arab News/April 25/2020
Merkel back on top thanks to her handling of virus crisis/Ranvir Nayar/Arab
News/April 25/2020
The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News &
Editorials published on April 25-26/2020
Lebanon Confirms New Coronavirus Deaths, Eight New Cases
Naharnet/April 25/2020
Lebanon confirmed two new deaths from the coronavirus on Saturday, and eight new
infections from the COVID-19. Reports said one of the deceased was an elderly
male in his 80s who suffered from chronic diseases. The Health Ministry also
announced eight new cases of coronavirus raising the total to 704 people
infected since February 21. Health Ministry reports show there have been 140
recoveries since the first case of the COVID-19 pandemic was detected on Feb 21.
Health Ministry teams and Lebanese municipalities have been conducting random
PCR tests across the country. “Preventive measures are obligatory now that
Lebanon is gradually opening,” after the outbreak of the virus, said Health
Minister Hamad Hassan Saturday from the municipality of Ghobeiry where he was
touring hospitals in the area.
“People must continue to wear their face masks,” he stressed. On Friday, the
Cabinet endorsed a five-phase plan to reopen the country and end the coronavirus
lockdown, following a recommendation from the Higher Defense Council and
directions from Lebanon's anti-coronavirus committee.
Lebanon Reports 2 Coronavirus Deaths
Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 25 April, 2020
Lebanon reported on Saturday two deaths from the novel coronavirus in the past
24 hours, taking its tally to 24. The health ministry registered eight new
infections, taking the country’s count to 704. Lebanon on Friday extended its
coronavirus lockdown by two weeks until May 10, but Prime Minister Hassan Diab
said the economy would be reopened in gradual phases over the coming weeks. He
said the government had done a risk assessment on what sectors could be slowly
relaunched in the coming weeks, without specifying which ones would come first.
The higher defense council laid out a five-stage timetable for reopening the
economy, with the first beginning on April 27 and the last on June 8. The
government shortened the curfew by one hour to start at 9 pm.
Hariri Hospital: 3 new infections, 2 recoveries, no
critical conditions
NNA/Saturday, 25 April, 2020
In its daily report on the latest developments of the Corona virus, the Rafic
Hariri University Hospital announced that out of 266 laboratory tests conducted
on Saturday, 3 new infected cases with the emerging Covid-19 virus were reported
while the remaining tests came out negative. It added that the total number of
laboratory-confirmed cases infected with the virus that are currently present in
the hospital's isolation area has reached 14 cases, noting that it had admitted
8 cases suspected to be infected with the virus who were transferred from other
hospitals. Meanwhile, the Hospital indicated that two cases have recovered from
the virus after the results of their PCR examinations came out negative in both
times, thus bringing the total number of complete recoveries to-date to 118
cases. “All those infected with Coronavirus are receiving the necessary care in
the isolation unit and their condition is stable, and there are no critical
cases in intensive care,” the Hospital reassured. In conclusion, it stated that
more information on the number of Corona infected cases in all Lebanese
territories can be found in the daily report issued by the Ministry of Public
Health.
Minister of Health: We avoided the bad scenario, and the
safe return to normal life requires extreme caution
NNA/Saturday, 25 April, 2020
“The Lebanese government, headed by PM Hassan Diab, was able, through
cooperation and collaboration between the ministries concerned, to be a united
front, immune and deterrent, in the face of the Corona epidemic,” said Public
Health Minister Hamad Hassan on Saturday. “Lebanon has succeeded in avoiding the
bad scenario and the large number of infected cases and deaths, due to its
careful monitoring of the existing field data, which can be described as modest,
and with great self-confidence and betting on our society that has shown high
readiness in fighting the epidemic,” Hassan added. The Public Health Minister’s
words came in his address today during a medical symposium on the Corona virus
in Lebanon, in which he participated along with Foreign Affairs and Emigrants
Minister Nassif Hatti, through video conferencing. The symposium was organized
by the Lebanese International Medical Association (ILMA), in cooperation with
the Diaspora Energy Association in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (LDE), with
the participation of 25 lecturers of Lebanese origin from various countries of
the world, to exchange experiences regarding the emerging Covid-19 epidemic and
to discuss ways to collaborate with the Ministry of Public Health. “Lebanon must
make every possible effort to preserve what it has achieved so far, since it has
shown an ability to absorb the epidemic, despite its financial and catastrophic
condtions, while the experiences of other countries with advanced
hospitalization performance and sophisticated equipment have shown that they
have not been able to cope with the widespread of the disease…This leads us not
to be lenient and to take great care in the procedures during the transit phase
of facing the virus, on the path to a safe return to normal life," stated
Hassan.
He continued to indicate that “the historical and mutually reinforcing scene in
the face of the epidemic shared by the resident and emigrant Lebanese, has
reflected the spontaneous and innate desire for a safe return to the homeland.
This cooperation is not the first of its kind, for the Lebanese have
demonstrated this in many stages in their history, especially in the years of
war.” Addressing the Lebanese expatriates, Hassan stressed that "everyone has
the right to return to their nation, but it is our duty to ensure the safety of
this return in parallel with the safety of the resident community." In turn,
Minister Hitti highlighted “the importance of the medical symposium in these
difficult circumstances in the history of Lebanon and the world, in which
scientific contributions are a priority."
He considered that "the Lebanese Diaspora represents a fundamental force for
Lebanon in all sectors and fields, whether intellectual, scientific or
economic." “You are a bridge of communication for us with the countries in which
you live, and what you do, whether individually or collectively, has our great
appreciation, because you are promoting constructive communication in the
service of the Lebanese society in all fields," Hitti said in a word of
gratitude to the Lebanese emigrants.
Hassan from Riyak: We are at an advanced stage of response
and preparedness at field level, but we must be careful
NNA/Saturday, 25 April, 2020
Public Health Minister, Hamad Hassan, indicated during an inspection visit to
the town of Riyak - Haoush Hala on Saturday that at the field level, the country
is at an advanced phase of preparedness and response and is currently in the
second stage of returning to normal life; however, he reiterated the need to
maintain caution and alertness. “We were able to contain the spread of the Covid
19 virus, and in Riyak today, the tests that were collected resulted in no cases
of the spread of the epidemic,” Hassan said. His words came during a meeting
held at the Riyak-Haoush Hala Municipality building hall, where he had a closer
look at the measures undertaken to combat the Corona virus after the emergence
of infections inside the town. Attending the meeting were: "Strong Republic"
bloc member, MP George Okais, “Loyalty to Resistance" bloc member, MP Anwar
Joumaa, Municipality Head Jean Maacaron and members of the Municipal Council, as
well as the Head of Eastern Zahle Municipalities Union Ibrahim Nasser, Hrawi
Governmental Hospital Board Chairman Nicola Maacaron, alongside representatives
of private hospitals, physicians and dignitaries from region.
Hassan considered that the cabinet has presented an “atypical image” of the
common performance of the state in its confrontation of the Corona virus,
referring as well to the international praise for the state’s performance in the
respect.
Nevertheless, he reminded that “we ought to remain careful since this virus
spreads rapidly and has a lot of mystery,” adding that “the drugs have good
results, but we are waiting for the vaccine to be completely reassured.” “In
Singapore, the results were disastrous after the ban was quickly lifted…We are
working according to specific Lebanese data, and we are dealing realistically
with matters in the hope that we will reach a happy ending,” the Health Minister
affirmed.
Lebanon's Central Bank under International Control
Dr.Walid Phares/April 25/2020
Since the current management of the Central Bank of Lebanon has failed to
provide solutions to the country's financial problems for years, regardless of
the reasons, and since any change of management by the current pro Hezbollah
Government will lead automatically to the control of Lebanon's public finances
by Hezbollah and Iran fully. Therefore we recommend to put the Central Bank of
Lebanon under international control to reform it, provide massive loans and
protect the banking accounts of Lebanese citizens. So that these accounts are
not disappearing under corruption or fall under the control of the Iranian
Revolutionary Guard.
Attackers lob explosive at Lebanon bank amid currency
crisis
AP/April 25/2020
The attack took place while the branch of the private bank was closed
The value of Lebanon’s local currency has been in free fall, losing over 60% of
its value against the dollar in recent weeks
BEIRUT: Unknown assailants lobbed an explosive device at a private bank branch
in southern Lebanon on Saturday, damaging its facade and roof, the country’s
state news agency reported. The assault on a branch of Fransabank in the
southern city of Sidon came at a time of rising public anger against banks in
the small country facing its worst economic and financial crisis in decades.
There was no immediate comment from the bank late Saturday, a weekend in
Lebanon. The attack took place while the branch of the private bank was closed.
The National News Agency said a police investigation was underway. NNA later
reported that cameras in the area showed two people outside the bank at the time
of the explosion. It didn’t elaborate. The value of Lebanon’s local currency has
been in free fall, losing over 60% of its value against the dollar in recent
weeks. The downward spiral was accelerated by the central bank’s decision to
halt the withdrawal of dollars from foreign currency accounts or transfer
bureaus. The central bank requires private banks to convert withdrawals into the
local currency at a market rate set daily. The decision brought back protests to
the streets of Lebanon earlier this week, as demonstrators criticized the
central bank governor and private banks and accused them of sequestering their
savings in foreign currency. In a sign of the deepening crisis, Lebanon’s prime
minister accused the longtime central bank governor of orchestrating the local
currency’s crash on Friday, and criticized what he called his “opaque” policies
that he said covered up major banking sector losses and capital flight. Lebanon
is one of the world’s most indebted countries and has been grappling with a
liquidity crunch, an economic recession and rising unemployment. The country has
a large diaspora that sends foreign currency home — an income that was already
dwindling since last year — and relies on transfers to Lebanese students
studying abroad. Many Lebanese keep their savings in foreign currency.
Grenade Hurled at Bank Branch in Sidon
Naharnet/April 25/2020
A hand grenade was hurled Saturday evening at a bank branch in the southern city
of Sidon, the National News Agency said. "Unknown individuals threw a hand
grenade at Fransabank's branch on the city's Riad al-Solh Street, which smashed
its glass facade and false ceiling," NNA said. "Security forces arrived on the
scene and launched an investigation to identify the perpetrators," the agency
added.
Mashnouq: I Hope Diab Isn’t Part of the Plot against Sunnis
Naharnet/April 25/2020
MP Nouhad al-Mashnouq on Saturday criticized PM Hassan Diab’s latest statement,
pointing to “conspiracies” against the “Sunni community and Sunni
politicians.”“There is a conspiracy against Sunni politics and the Sunni
community and we hope that Diab is not part of it,” said Mashnouq in remarks he
made from Dar el-Fatwa. Mashnouq said Diab’s latest criticism and accusation
fired at the Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh were “unacceptable,” and that
the support he enjoys from the ruling authority of President Micehl Aoun is
“evident.” “It is unacceptable that a general employee gets condemned by the
head of the governmnet. The (presidential) term clearly and evidently supports
Diab,” said Mashnouq. The MP added hitting out at the PM saying “It is normal
that he hits a wall because he is like someone driving a car while looking
behind him.” Mashnouq concluded pinning high hopes on Speaker Nabih Berri to
alleviate the tension. “There is only one wise man in Lebanon capable of calming
this down, he is Speaker Berri.”
Diab visits ISF headquarters: State does not physically
exist in the minds of people
NNA/April 25/2020
Prime Minister Hassan Diab considered Saturday that ‘the state does not
physically exist in the minds of people, and has lost their confidence because
it broke away from them.”
“The State has lost its identity when the idea of a merger between politics,
power and ruling powers took root,” he said.
“Today, there is a need for the State’s disengagement from the interests of the
ruling class and for establishing a direct link between the State and the
citizen,” Diab underlined, adding that through this disengagement “the State can
regain its prestige and image, and this is how we begin to purify the idea of
the State from the concept of authority.
PM Diab’s words came in his address today before high-ranking officers and heads
of units during his visit this morning to the Directorate General of the
Internal Security Forces, accompanied by his advisors Khodr Taleb and Hussein
Kaafarani, where he was received by the Minister of Interior Mohammad Fahmi and
Major-General Imad Othman, Director General of the Internal Security Forces.,
where an took place.
Following the official welcome ceremony, Prime Minister Diab held a meeting with
Minister Fahmi and Major-General Othman, in the presence of PM advisor M. Taleb,
before heading to the conference hall to address ISF officers.
In his welcoming remarks, the Director General of the Internal Security Forces
said:
First of all, I have the honor, in my name, and on behalf of the Internal
Security Forces’ Command Council, officers, non-commissioned officers, and
staff, to welcome you here to the headquarters of the most prestigious
establishment in the Lebanese state, to an institution that is more than a
century and a half old, and to the first institution to raise the Lebanese flag
on its buildings.
The ISF’s 159 years of life have witnessed many events, situations, and
difficulties that have hindered its work. Nevertheless, it has remained at the
same level of responsibility in terms of development and of keeping pace with
the global security institutions and services, especially those in civilized
countries.
The Internal Security Forces’ mandate is to protect citizens’ rights, security,
movements and properties, and it was established to maintain order, consolidate
security, ensure the implementation of laws and protect public freedoms within
its scope of work.
It is also entrusted with the mission of carrying out multiple tasks in the
field of administrative and judicial police, under the supervision of the
judiciary, as well as various tasks including escorts, prison administration and
traffic control.
The law, on the other hand, has granted the Internal Security Forces multiple
rights and coercive powers, to secure legal protection for its staff while
carrying out their duties, according to specific rules stipulating that it is
imperative to avoid resorting to violence when necessity does not dictate so.
Excellencies,
Internal Security Forces’ personnel are committed to perform their duties within
the limits of the legal texts governing their work and tasks.
ISF officers and non-commissioned officers are doing their best to implement
laws, maintain order and establish security.
From October 17 to date, the Internal Security Forces are keeping forces at a
high state of readiness to respond to every new event, and they carry out their
tasks with distinct professionalism and ultimate neutrality that put them at
equal distance from everyone.
Our institution that fought the fiercest battle against terrorism and espionage
and worked tirelessly to counter them, in addition to combating all types and
forms of crime, did not and will not find it difficult to perform the assigned
tasks, depending on unfolding events in the country.
Your Excellency,
The Internal Security Forces appreciate your clear support, which we also felt
from His Excellency Minister Mohammad Fahmi, son of the military institution,
who is standing firmly by our institution, based on your conviction of the
effective and pivotal national role played by the Internal Security Forces; we
now feel that Minister Fahmi has become one of ours.
Excellencies,
Your presence here today comes inevitably as a result of your appreciation for
the work of this institution, for its staff carrying out sensitive duties with
full responsibility, without equivocation and with remarkable transparency,
especially after embedding the approach of serious and transparent
accountability.
There is no doubt that we were the first State institution to have initiated the
fight against corruption, starting from ourselves, and this has renewed
citizens’ confidence in us and has created an effective partnership with the
community that has become slanted towards security just like security forces.
Your Excellency,
In conclusion, I welcome you again, and I solemnly repeat my pledge that I will
pursue my career path in leading this institution in a way that restores the
prestige of the State and its institutions and the citizens’ trust in them.
This is not a favor from us, but rather a duty and a fulfilment of the oath we
made when we have joined this institution.
This country needs all of us, and all of its citizens, to be rebuilt in a way
that enables it to be classified among fine and civilized countries.
Our country and its good people deserve the best.
Next, the Minister of Interior made the following remarks:
Your Excellency,
Welcome to this national institution whose first organizational nucleus was
established in 1860 and that is, today, undoubtedly at par with most important
security institutions in developed countries, thanks to its efforts and
sacrifices in terms of maintaining order, strengthening security, protecting all
Lebanese from All Lebanese regions and preserving all kinds of property, in
addition to protecting and implementing relevant laws and regulations.
The blood of the martyrs and casualties of this institution and of other
security institutions have generated many accomplishments, mainly field and
security achievements, particularly in terms of pre-emptive security carried out
by the General Directorate of the Internal Security Forces, especially the
Information Department. It has also contributed significantly to protecting
Lebanon and ensuring its survival, turning into a place of encounter for all
Lebanese from various affiliations.
I will not speak too long; in my name and on behalf of officers, we thank you
for your continuous support, and we promise you that this institution will
remain, as it was since its establishment, at the service of Lebanon and
Lebanese people.
Long live Lebanon
Subsequently, PM Hassan Diab delivered the following speech:
Good morning,
I wish you a blessed month!
I extend my greetings to you for the great effort you are deploying to maintain
security and public order and implement the provisions of the general
mobilization, as well as the sacrifices you have made to protect the freedom of
expression in the streets, and to face riots that attempted to derail and
distort people's demands. You have been subject to many injuries amidst attacks
that have targeted security forces and government institutions.
Hence, I have come today to encourage you and to commend the wise leadership of
the Internal Security Forces, led by Director General Imad Othman, for having
dealt with these events out of national responsibility, to protect the
demonstrators, freedom of expression as well as public and private property.
Indeed, the State’s image is bleak in the eyes of the Lebanese. The State does
not really exist in the minds of people. The State has sagged, as a result of
practices that have snubbed its role. The state has lost its prestige for being
deeply stabbed in the heart. The State has lost people's confidence because it
broke away from them. The State has lost its identity when the idea of a
merger between politics, power and ruling powers took root.
Actually, we do not have what is called a "deep state" that represents the idea
of the state, and is not affected by a change in power except in terms of
performance, but there is a deep system that represents power with all its
components, even if the persons present at its table change.
Today, there is a need for State’s disengagement from the interests of the
ruling class and for establishing a direct link between the State and the
citizen.
In practice, you represent the State’s frontage, and you should not be under any
circumstance, and at any time, the ruling power’s arm over people.
Thus, the State can regain its prestige and image, and this is how we begin to
purify the idea of the State from the concept of authority.
I know that you are facing many challenges, and you have succeeded, over the
last period, in overcoming many minefields, with remarkable wisdom that I must
acknowledge, owing to all the efforts exerted by officers, non-commissioned
officers and staff.
In this context, I cannot help but praise His Excellency the Minister of the
Interior, who provided an excellent picture of the Ministry of Interior with all
its departments and who directly supervises all the details.
We are putting the country in your hands; you are responsible for preserving
order, and I am confident that you are up to this national responsibility. For
that reason, I am here today to shake your hands, for your protection is a
necessity to perpetuate the idea and prestige of the State. May God protect you
so that you protect people and the country.
Long-live Lebanon! [PM Diab’s Press Office]
Diab receives two calls from his Kuwaiti, Qatari
counterparts
NNA/April 25/2020
Prime Minister Hassan Diab, on Saturday, received two phone calls from his
counterparts of Kuwait and Qatar, Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah and Khalid
bin Khalifa bin Abdul Aziz Al Thani, on the occasion of the beginning of the
Holy month of Ramadan.
Talks touched on latest developments on the local and regional scenes, bilateral
relations with both countries, and means to consolidate them. [Premiership Press
Office]
Bassil meets with French Ambassador
NNA/April 25/2020
Free Patriotic Movement Chief, MP Gebran Bassil, held a two-hour meeting today
at his Laqlouq residence with French Ambassador to Beirut, Bruno Foucher.
Geagea says financial auditing is necessary, but should
extend to all departments, officials
NNA/April 25/2020
Lebanese Forces Party Chief, Samir Geagea, issued a statement on Saturday, in
which he confirmed that “financial auditing is greatly required, but it must
cover all departments and officials.”Geagea indicated that definitely there are
loopholes, errors, and possibly “sins” in the work of the Lebanese Central Bank
which necessitate financial scrutiny, recalling that financial audit has been
one of the Party’s main demands in the recent years. In parallel, he considered
that there remains a set of issues which ought to be addressed at this stage,
namely the need for financial auditing to be extended to all state departments
and officials at the monetary, administrative and political levels. Geagea
cautioned that “any selective or partial financial audit applied to target
individuals will have a negative outcome.” He stressed that financial auditing
is crucial and greatly needed not only at the Central Bank, but also in the
sectors of electricity, telecommunications, customs, port and other public
institutions, reiterating the need to apply an administrative, financial and
legal audit in these sectors. Consequently, Geagea affirmed that, alongside the
financial audit that is to start at the Central Bank as per the government’s
decision, there are very basic reform steps that can begin simultaneously in
other areas as well, so that the issue does not appear to be selective or
targeting any particular team, department or individual. He referred herein to
the need to address the issue of illegitimate employees in state departments,
illegal border crossings, the customs management that requires complete change,
to many other pressing reform steps required, which can be accomplished in a
short time frame and yield immediate results in terms of restoring people's
confidence in the state, both locally and abroad.
Roukoz says prosecution should entail all those under
suspicion, otherwise let the resounding slogans end!
NNA/April 25/2020
“We support accountability, disclosure and auditing, and prosecutions according
to the law for those involved...and we consider the draft law that the Prime
Minister mentioned regarding political, administrative, military, judicial, and
banking officials as an important prelude to recovering the transferred money,
and also to uncover the scale of illicit enrichment," said MP Shamil Roukoz via
Twitter on Saturday. However, he added that "this is not enough because the
senior officials cover businessmen and shopkeepers who have contributed to
concluding deals that have exhausted the state’s finances...Either all those who
have question marks hovering above them are prosecuted, or else the resounding
slogans ought to end…Let the trial and accountability begin!"
Derian sponsors “Coalition of Aid Campaign” at Dar Al Fatwa
to collect donations to face the crisis
NNA/April 25/2020
Grand Mufti of the Republic, Sheikh Abdul-Latif Derian, sponsored this morning
at the Dar Al-Fatwa the launching ceremony of the "Unified Humanitarian Campaign
for Fundraising in Support of Needy Families and Helping them in the Time of
Corona", organized by the Coalition of Relief Institutions in Lebanon,
consisting of 17 charitable, social and pastoral societies. In his delivered
word on the occasion, Mufti Derian said: “With the help of the Lord Almighty, we
are meeting today in this holy Ramadan day to launch a fundraising campaign for
the poor, the needy and the underprivileged, in the name of a coalition of
relief, pastoral, social and charitable institutions.” “The social and economic
conditions have greatly deteriorated in Lebanon, especially in recent times, and
we are commanded by our religion, by our morals and our humanity, to stand
besides our people in difficult and challenging times,” he added, wishing the
coalition all success in its human endeavor, while urging all those who are able
to contribute to donate “because e our calamities and crises are many and
huge…and we are ‘one’ in the face of crises.” “I ask God Almighty, in this holy
morning, to bless our effort in seeking goodness for our people and our loved
ones, and our societies in dear Beirut and in all of Lebanon,” prayed Derian. It
is to note that a number of prominent political officials and dignitaries visted
Dar Al-Fatwa this morning to make a donation to the coalition, including former
Prime Ministers Fouad Siniora and Tamam Salam, Minister of Interior and
Municipalities, Brigadier General Mohamed Fahmi, and Deputies Nohad al-Machnouk,
Nazih Najm and Rola al-Tabsh.
"Enough tampering with the future of the Lebanese," says
Gemayel
NNA/April 25/2020
"Stop playing with the future of the Lebanese! Stop wasting time that is not
available in the first place! We hear about an economic plan, yet we only see
leaks and settling of accounts,” tweeted Kataeb Party Chief, MP Sami Gemayel, on
Saturday.
“Lebanon has lost since the year’s outset, according to PM Diab, 7 billion US
dollars or 70 million LBP for each stalling day… Stop the politics of defamation
and interests and turn to the rescue before the huge anger!" he cautioned.
Cooperation agreement between CBRN, French Embassy
NNA/April 25/2020
The Internal Security Department at the French Embassy and the Chemical,
Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Commission at the Presidency of the
Council of Ministers, signed on Saturday a cooperation agreement, in the
presence of First Counselor, Mrs. Salina Gronet-Catalano and other senior
officials. The memorandum was signed on the sidelines of the regular meeting of
the Commission, keeping abreast of developments related to the response of
biological emergencies, especially at the level of the novel Covid-19, in the
presence of head of the commission Dr. Bilal Nassouli, and representatives of
the Lebanese army, internal security, public security, state security, civil
defense, the Beirut Fire Brigade and the Red Cross, in addition to local and
international experts.
Nassouli and Gronet-Catalano signed the memorandum, which noted that an in-kind
donation was given to the security and military services and the relevant
departments according to their urgent and necessary needs, within their role and
responsibilities in case of emergencies linked to the spread of the Covid-19.
The donation included biological materials, as well as crew tools used for the
immediate detection of Covid-19 virus.
During the ceremony, Nassouli delivered a word, in which he briefed attendees
about "the cooperation between the commission and the embassy in the past years,
in order to increase the readiness and enhancement of the capacities of the
Lebanese apparatuses and departments concerned with the CBRN system."He also
praised "the results of the project being implemented in cooperation with
experts from the specialized French departments for the benefit of the relevant
national apparatuses and departments."
Finally, he thanked "the people who worked hard to secure supplies and reagents
very quickly." For her part, Mrs. Grone Catalano spoke of the "fruitful
cooperation that has existed for years between the Commission and the French
embassy", stressing the importance of French assistance and the cooperation of
the embassy since the beginning of the Corona pandemic in Lebanon. The Counselor
listed the various assistances provided by France to Lebanon in this regard, in
particular donations of medicines and necessary medical supplies, in addition to
assisting the French Contingent operating in the framework of the UNIFIL for 17
municipalities in southern Lebanon, biological protection supplies and equipment
for the security and civil protection services, and immediate Coronavirus
detection tools for the benefit of the Lebanese army, assistance to UNRWA to
enhance the health capabilities of the Palestinian refugee camps and support the
International Committee of the Red Cross to strengthen the capabilities of the
Rafic Hariri University Hospital.
Finally, she pointed out that "the equipment and supplies will be delivered to
the relevant authorities through the Commission during the next week," praising
"the efforts made by the commission and those concerned in the French embassy to
determine what equipment and supplies are needed.
Nehmeh: Most insurance companies adhere to official exchange rate
NNA/April 25/2020
Minister of Trade and Economy, Raoul Nehmeh, maintained Saturday that most
insurance companies adhere to the official state-set US dollar exchange rate.
"The Supervisory Bodies Control Committee carried out field auditing reviews
with a number of insurance companies, and it was found that most companies apply
insurance contracts according to the texts signed with their clients, and they
are committed to the official exchange rate till the moment," Nehmeh said via
his Twitter account.
Hariri: Putschist mentality that wants to destroy Lebanon’s liberal economic
system
NNA/April 25/2020
Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri issued the following statement:
- Despite the noise that accompanied my return to Beirut and filled the social
media and media outlets with analysis, predictions and wishes that were mostly
unsuccessful, I chose to approach the situation based on the necessities of the
public interest in facing the imminent danger of the coronavirus epidemic.
- Today, there is no longer any justification to remain silent after the first
Iftar of the Lebanese at the government table in Baabda Palace.
- A meal that doesn’t take into account what comes after and announces the coup
in a military language, and was preceded by a visit to Yarze and a governmental
parade in front of high-ranking officers, as if the one who launched it was a
general playing the role of Prime Minister.
- Dangerous words that manipulate people's emotions, socio-economic anxiety and
their fear for their livelihood, to disavow the clear failure of the government,
from head to toe.
- It is the stage of revenge, which they opened against a whole period, and
assigned the prime minister to assume the attack.
- They drowned the Premiership in phrases loaded with threat and intimidation.
What is more dangerous is that the Premiership will bear, without knowing it,
the responsibility of drowning the Lebanese pound which is already reeling, as a
result of the virtues of the Strong Mandate, on the brink of the great collapse.
- Bravo Hassan Diab. You did well. Here you are fulfilling their dreams of
liquidating the liberal economic system. They are clapping for you in the Palace
and find in you ideal for the Strong Mandate.
-How can you overlook the side that caused half the public debt through
subsidizing electricity and turn a blind eye to seven years of disrupting
constitutional institutions, and not ask about the policies that harmed
Lebanon’s Arab and international relations and not pay attention to the
responsibilities that the new guardians assume over Premiership. Were they all
made by the Central Bank Governor?
-There is a Lebanese proverb that says that faces and doorsteps bring either
good or bad luck. It seems that the faces that are ruling the country were
sufficient to bring the country into a monetary and economic hell and they
completed the steps in today’s cabinet session. And the Mandate, which we
unfortunately participated in bringing, has hit the record in the monetary and
financial collapse since the establishment of the independent state.
- There is a putschist mentality that is working on throwing the responsibility
of the collapse in the direction of the Central Bank governance and specific
political parties. It is also inciting the public opinion to adopt this
approach, and mobilizing it in order to create chaos and expand the patch of
monetary chaos, from which the government is washing its hands to throw it in
the arms of others.
- There is no description to everything that is going on except that it is a
flounder in the abyss of experimental ideas and the search for victims in
politics, economics and administration before moving on to the theory of the
last resort.
- The truth that must not be absent to the Lebanese in this field is that the
continued confusion puts Lebanon on the brink of falling into a severe ordeal,
with worse economic, financial and livelihood damages, losses and repercussions
than the coronavirus epidemic.
- Responsibility requires honesty, frankness, and not hiding behind the slogans
of the season. It also requires alerting the Lebanese of the blind rush towards
this fall, riding the waves of despair and the calls for self-revenge, leading
to the destruction of an economic and social construction that served as a model
for growth and prosperity for many decades.
- There are profound mistakes in the various aspects of political and economic
management that cannot be covered or continue. But what is being discussed in
the decision rooms relates to changing the identity of Lebanon at all levels.
The most dangerous aspect of this scheme is the use of popular anger as a fuel
to burn down the democratic, economic and social identity of Lebanon.
- Lebanese, beware of the political and partisan trading of your pains,
livelihood and withering incomes, and do not give the temple merchants an
opportunity to attack the liberal economic system.
-The stances and work papers prepared by the government and those ruling the
country are an invitation for the wolf to take care of the herd or an innovative
method of giving the accused the authority to investigate the charges against
him.
- The collapse occurred as a result of the delay in defining the paths of rescue
since the first government of the mandate. The collapse progressed over the past
months, reaching what we saw in the last hours, as the dollar hit an
unprecedented level even during the worst conditions of the civil war.
-The presidency along with the government, chose the paths of traditional
maliciousness and the tools of the year 1998 to manage the political vengeance
episodes.
- It would have been better if the government followed in this difficult period
the instructions of doctors to adhere to social distancing and confinement, and
apply political distancing and governmental quarantine away from infested
thoughts and poisoned advices coming from the new theorists, and from throwing
accusations right and left to cover up their roles in the series of obstruction
and lost opportunities.
-The statement issued after the cabinet session in Baabda came to confirm the
government's involvement in the revengeful approach that prevailed since the
late 1990s, and which we believed that the changes and reconciliations witnessed
in recent years could succeed in stopping and eliminating the inherent rancor of
some souls.
- In this regard, we do not stop at the words of Dr. Hassan Diab, because it
falls within the circle of stances that we have become accustomed to since the
nineties, and he chose to adhere to after the Premiership was brought down on
him unexpectedly. But we stop at the words issued by the Premiership, which is a
central position in the national equation and it is not permissible to be a
foothold for the consultants planted in the halls of the Serail to settle some
political and personal accounts.
-The government is trying to beg popular movements with populist temptations and
practices the policy of whitening the page of this Mandate and its symbols in a
way similar to laundering faces, money and stolen goods. It then resorts to
riding the wave of demands without being able to meet them and then blames its
incapacity on previous governments.
- They brought the government for a mission that the guardianship monsters were
unable to achieve at the peak of their control. Once again they go out of their
holes, making the Premiership a bridge to announce the war on a bright period of
Lebanon’s history that restored respect to the state after the generals of
absurd ward tried to break it.
- We warn the Premiership of slipping into the abyss of political maliciousness
that has been dug by those specialized in sabotage since the tutelage era. There
is neither credibility nor political eligibility for any official who enters the
Grand Serail with the aim of challenging the dignity of great figures who
occupied this national post.
- As for those who bet on turning the Premiership into a trench where they
gather to take revenge of the legacy of the past years, they know well that the
heavy inheritance includes them all and their black record in repression,
squander, bullying the state, disrupting it and impeding its interests, do not
go well with the allegations of integrity and transparency and the daily shows
on screens ... and we will be watching them. [Former PM Hariri Press Office[
Lebanese must wear face masks despite coronavirus lockdown
transition period
Najia Houssari/Arab News/April 25/2020
BEIRUT: Lebanese people must wear face masks despite the country entering the
transitional phase of its anti-coronavirus measures, Health Minister Hamad
Hassan said.
A further eight cases were recorded in Lebanon on Saturday, raising the total
number of cases to 704. Two further deaths have raised the death toll to 24. The
Matn region is still recording the highest number of infections, with the number
of cases in this area rising to 141. It is followed by Beirut, where the number
of cases stands at 115.
The Ministry of Health is carrying out random laboratory PCR tests in various
regions and the government is scheduled to ease its coronavirus measures,
despite an extension of the general mobilization for another two weeks. Hassan
said during his tour to the southern suburbs of Beirut and the Bekaa that the
transitional phase had started. “It is still necessary for the Lebanese to use
face masks. They should continue to take precautions.”There were a further two
deaths, raising the death toll to 24. One of them was a male in his sixties
being treated at the Center Hospitalier Universitaire Notre Dame des Secours. He
was from the town of Tula in Batroun District.
Lebanon’s Grand Mufti opened the doors of Dar Al-Fatwa, which is Lebanon’s
religious authority for the Sunni community, on the second day of Ramadan due to
the increase of people in need and public figures made donations at the
headquarters.
The charity drive also provided an occasion for former heads of government to
respond to a speech from Prime Minister Hassan Diab in which he slammed the
governor of the Central Bank of Lebanon and his political opponents. Former
Prime Minister Fouad Siniora stressed the need for restoring the status of the
constitution, the Taif Agreement which ended the civil war in Lebanon,
“efficiency and merit” in bearing responsibility, and to subject everyone to
accountability under constitutional frameworks. He added: “How can the
confidence of people be restored if we have not solved the file of judicial
formations, and how can we win the trust of the Lebanese people if we have not
implemented the electricity law that has been in place for 18 years?”
He said that the International Monetary Fund was the only way for countries to
restore credibility.
Another former prime minister, Tammam Salam, said there needed to be awareness
among officials who should avoid confrontation that only led to political
uncertainty and speculation.
Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri, who blames Diab for the economic crisis, said
what was going on was “floundering in the abyss of experimental ideas and
searching for victims in politics, economy and administration.”The collapse
occurred as a result of the delay in defining the paths of rescue since the
first government of the present administration, he added, with the collapse
continuing throughout the past few months.
“In the decision-making rooms, it is proposed to change the identity of Lebanon
at all levels, and the most dangerous thing in this scheme is the use of popular
anger as fuel to burn the democratic, economic and social identity of Lebanon,”
he warned.
Report: France Advises Against ‘Laying-Off’ Salameh
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/April 25/2020
France reportedly advises Lebanon against any “reckless” move after allegations
the “authority” plans to dismiss the country’s central bank governor from his
post over the deteriorating financial conditions, al-Joumhouria daily reported
on Saturday.
According to information obtained by the daily, France made a “direct”
intervention on the issue of “dismissing the governor of the Central Bank (Riad
Salameh),” advising Lebanon against “such an impulsive” move.
The information however did not make clear whether the French position
exclusively expresses its own, or whether it reflects the positions of other
countries as well, namely the United States of America, added al-Joumhouria.
Reports emerged lately that the Cabinet could look into laying off Salameh, amid
accusations he contributed to Lebanon's endless borrowing and ballooning
sovereign debt, leading to the country's first ever default in March. On Friday,
PM Hassan Diab criticised the central bank and called on Salameh to "come
forward to announce the honest truth to Lebanese". He urged the governor, who
has held the post since 1993, to explain his plans and when the exchange rate
would stop rising. Central bank losses from the start of the year to mid-April
have reached $7 billion, including $3 billion in the past four weeks alone, Diab
said. The premier said a "neutral international company" had been tasked to
audit the central bank's books, without giving a name. Salameh's supporters
credit him for stabilising the Lebanese pound for more than two decades, in the
wake of the country's 1975-1990 civil war. But his detractors accuse him of
having contributed to Lebanon's endless borrowing and ballooning sovereign debt.
In recent months, the Lebanese pound has plummeted in value from around 1,500
pounds against the US dollar to almost 3,800 on the parallel market.
Lebanon on Verge of Social Explosion
Beirut – Caroline Akoum/Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 25 April, 2020
Stifling economic conditions, which were exacerbated by the outbreak of the
novel coronavirus, have put Lebanon on the verge of a social explosion. After
long months of economic suffering, which was translated in the sharp devaluation
of the local currency against the US dollar in the parallel market and severe
restrictions on deposits withdrawals, the 50-day-old confinement added a
compounded burden, especially to the most vulnerable segments of society. The
World Bank had warned at the end of 2019 that 50 percent of the Lebanese people
would fall below the poverty line. On Friday, Minister of Industry Imad Haballah
announced that the poverty level in Lebanon reached 55 percent based on the
World Bank’s estimates, emphasizing a high unemployment rate, liquidity crisis
and deficit in the trade balance. The country’s authorities, meanwhile, have so
far failed to set a clear plan to prevent an implosion. Sociology Prof. Mona
Fayad said that the Lebanese people would not hold out much and would return to
the street even before the end of the coronavirus confinement measures, after
losing any hope for change. “While the coronavirus crisis had a negative impact
on the economies of the world, we have been witnessing the downfall before the
spread of the epidemic that came to deepen our crises, while the government is
watching idly,” she noted. In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, the director of the
Levant Institute for Strategic Affairs, Sami Nader, said: “Lebanon has entered
the stage of economic collapse… The fall into the abyss has become inevitable.
Things went out of control, and the evidence of that is the exchange rate of the
dollar, which reached almost LBP 4,000.” He continued: “The government is still
unable to set up a reform plan. They dealt with the situation as if they had
plenty of time while the Lebanese anxiously search for their livelihood and fear
the spread of the epidemic, which in turn wiped out the remaining jobs and
institutions and led to the dismissal of thousands of employees.” Nader warned
that food products would soon become scarce as a result of the sharp rise of
prices. “The Lebanese people, who have broken the barrier of fear for their
health, will ignore the general mobilization measures and move against the
authority. They will not remain silent for long and will take back to the
street, rejecting this reality,” he remarked.
Ain-Ebel Kaak bi Tamr/Where the Gods of Fertility and
Creation
Thomas' Bakeshop Food Site
Ain-Ebel… the name of the village derives from the names of two gods, Aon,the
God of Fertility and Abel, the God of Creation, thus Aon-Abel, which by the
passing of centuries and the change of languages that the region experienced was
corrupted into Ain-Ebel.
…. others believe that the name of Ain-Ebel derives from two words, “Ain” and “Ibl”.
The first means spring as many places in Lebanon are named, and the second word
means irrigation. Combined in one (Ain-Ebel) the two words mean the spring of
irrigation.
What we do know is, that these cookies come from Ain Ebel. These are “Kaak bi
Tamr” from Ain Ebel, or “Cookies with Dates” from Ain Ebel. Simmilar to Ma’amoul.
Usually prepared right around the Easter holidays.
Ma’amoul are small shortbread pastries filled with dates, pistachios or walnuts.
They are popular in Levantine cuisine and in the Gulf countries. They may be in
the shape of balls or of domed or flattened cookies. They can either be
decorated by hand or be made in special wooden moulds. (My post “delicious
opulence and comfortable luxury“)
This box of “Kaak bi Tamr” was an Easter offering from my brother in law’s
mother in law. Easter, like every easter this box comes into our home. Yes,
mother in law is from Ain Ebel … Thank You Cleo …
Arousset el Jnoub, Ain-Ebel, is known for its beautiful scenery, amiable people,
and jovial atmosphere. Situated in the heart of the South of Lebanon, Ain-Ebel
occupies several hills with elevations ranging from 750 to 850 meters above sea
level.
Round biscuit like cookies filled with a filling of dates. Crisp on the outside,
and chewy on the inside …. not to sweet, …. a peppery taste to it, …. the
perfect companion to a morning-cup of jawa on the terrace.
First I was playing with them, got out my camera and took a couple of shots.
Playing with food in one of my things …. taking pictures …. and playing some
more …
Research did not reveal any recipes or instructions …. not even a faint hint of
an idea. I will try to get behind it …. for another blog ….
قصة ابادة الدولة العثمانية لسكان جبل لبنان خلال الحرب العالمية الأولى
The genocide of Mount Lebanon’s Inhabitants during WWI
By Dr. Amine Jules Iskandar
Facebook: Amine Jules Iskandar
Please note: for the readers, I do not own the content of this article, the
author’s name and page will be mentioned at the end. My purpose is to shed light
on it.
During WWI, Between 1914 and 1915, Lebanon witnessed a genocide, rarely ever
spoken of.
Unfortunately, our schools always taught that the famine that decimated about
half of the Lebanese population, was due to an “unfortunate coincidence of
disparate factors”. According to official history, it’s about the maritime
blockade of the allies, the land blockade of the Ottomans and the locusts’
invasion.
The French have rejected any responsibility by claiming that the majority of
cereals and other food usually came from the Bekaa side and Hauran, and that
imports on the maritime side were very secondary. However, the land blockade on
Lebanon remains strategically inexplicable and with no convincing reason.
All data proves that the famine of Mount Lebanon was planned, organized,
instigated and well-desired by the Ottomans. It all began in 1914, with the
abolition of the signed agreements between the Christian powers and the Ottoman
Porte which guaranteed the security of Christians in the Ottoman empire.
Followed by the elimination of Mount Lebanon’s autonomy, a series of excessively
harsh measures began to take place.
Enver Pasha delegated Jamal Pasha with the task of exterminating the Ottoman
Empire’s Christians. Since then he had the nickname of “Jamal Pasha Al-Safah” (Safah,
an Arabic word, meaning butcher). It was no question for Jamal Pasha to recommit
the error of 1860, the “sword” used in the Armenian, Syriac/Assyro-Chaldean
regions, could not be used in Lebanon without risking a new French landing.
Lesson was learned in 1860, Lebanon was too close to Europe, the massacres of
1860 led to the military intervention of Napoleon III and the recovery of the
Lebanese autonomy. Getting to Mount Lebanon’s population now necessitated ways
differing from those used against other Christian areas of the empire.
Jamal Pasha began by preparing the frame of his mission. Contrary to Armenia and
Upper-Mesopotamia, Lebanon was very connected to Europe. It was necessary to
isolate it from the media and also diplomatically, before imposing any physical
isolation, like the food blockade. For this reason, Jamal Pasha established
general censorship on the press. However, “a window always open to Europe” was a
character of Lebanon. That window was formed by the Church and especially by the
Catholic Missionaries, their monasteries and their schools. Many of these places
were transformed into barracks or military deposits. The missionaries could no
longer serve as witness after getting exiled. There were some Maronite Bishops
left, as well as some Greek Orthodox and Melkite ones, the most active ones
would get exiled. Some Maronite bishops were even taken to court, and hanged to
death.
Now that all communications with the outside world were eliminated, the genocide
could successfully take its course.
Despite the Locusts’ invasion in 1916, a considerable amount of wheat was still
available but it was burned by the order of Jamal Pasha. Jamal seized all the
wheat, kerosene, workhorses, poultry and livestock claiming it was for military
needs, yet, every time the Ottomans couldn’t take away all the available
quantities, they would set it on fire. German soldiers also threw the wheat in
the sea before escaping. Pharmacies and medicine of any kind were confiscated,
*always for the needs of the Ottoman troops*. In 1916, Ottomans even attacked
plantations, orchards and forests, while even seizing construction material and
wood. The Hills of Lebanon were fully stripped under the excuse of “refueling
for coal trains”. The old Sepia photos of Lebanon still show these once desolate
regions, that are covered with forests today.
How can we still teach in Lebanese schools that the Mount Lebanon famine was due
to an exceptional invasion of Locusts?
Mount Lebanon’s dominantly Christian inhabitants were dying of hunger, they sold
their furniture, their clothes, the families found themselves in the streets
without even anything on their body. Skeletons roamed here and there in the mud
and in the snow. We were barely able to distinguish the living from the dead.
From all the dead bodies around, and from the cold, malnutrition and lack of
hygiene, devastating diseases came to add to the disastrous situation of the
Lebanese, such as Typhus, Cholera, plague and others.
Do we need more evidence to recognize that this famine was not accidental? There
are Diplomatic mails between western chancelleries. The atrocities are described
in all these mails. All have reached the same conclusion: a military
intervention in the Levant would be fatal for the Christians of Lebanon. It
could push the Ottomans to speed up their work and, might also, push them to
move on to use “the sword”. As for food aid, it was systematically confiscated
by the ottomans.
It was then agreed to send financial aid, especially in gold. The Syrian island
of Arwad was in the hands of the French, under the command of Albert Trabaud.
The aid of the Lebanese diaspora was then channeled to the island and
transported by night to the Lebanese coast. The first part of the course was
made in boat, while the second ended at swimming. The Gold was handed over to
the envoys of the Maronite patriarch, Elias Peter Hoayek. The sums gathered in
Bkerké were then used to buy quantities of food to distribute to the people in
order to limit the carnage as much as possible.
On a Lebanese population of 450,000 people, about 220 000 died, and half of the
survivors took the path of exile. We are the descendants of the little quarter
remaining. What have we transmitted to the following generations of the heroism
of their ancestors? More than 200 000 harmless, disarmed victims, and whose only
crime was to be Christian. What did we keep from the memory of Albert Trabaud
who contributed to the survival of our ancestors? A street in Achrafieh? What
did we do for our 200 000 martyrs? A Museum, a monument, a public place, a
national day, any mention in the history books?
Dr. Antoine Boustany, author of the history of the great famine in
Mount-Lebanon, is wondering what happened to the Christians of Mount-Lebanon and
why are they adopting this weird behavior. He wonders where this cowardice could
come from, because for him, not asking for account is a crime itself. He then
quotes Marshal Foch when he said “a people without memory is a people without
future”, he then resumed by quoting Elie Wiesel, survivor of Auschwitz, who
wrote: “The genocides kill twice, the second time by silence.”
Today we have a duty, it’s cultural resistance, as respect for our ancestors who
poured their blood. We are the descendants of the quarter who survived and
stayed in Lebanon. And from this group also three quarters emigrated so we only
represent the quarter of the quarter. Let us be aware of all this legacy that we
now bear responsibility for.
The genocide of the Christians of the orient, “tseghaspanutyun” for Armenians,
“Seyfo” (the sword) for the Assyro-Chaldeans of Upper-Mesopotamia, and “Kafno”
(famine) for the Christians of Lebanon. You can’t assassinate a people twice;
first by death, then by silence and oblivion. It is a national duty to take this
into account at the state, religious and cultural institutions’ level.
By Dr. Amine Jules Iskandar
Facebook: Amine Jules Iskandar
President of the Syriac Maronite Union, TUR LEVNON
You can find the original article here in French:
https://www.lorientlejour.com/article/1170291/kafno.html
Le génocide des habitants du Mont-Liban pendant la Première Guerre mondiale
PAR DR AMINE JULES ISKANDAR
OLJ14/05/2019
Le Liban a connu entre 1914 et 1918, lors de la Première Guerre mondiale, un
véritable génocide. Il est cependant toujours enseigné dans nos écoles que la
famine qui décima à l’époque la moitié du peuple libanais était due à la
fâcheuse coïncidence de facteurs disparates. Il s’agit, selon l’histoire
officielle, du blocus maritime des alliés, du blocus terrestre des Ottomans et
de l’invasion des criquets.
Et pourtant, les Français qui contrôlaient le large ont rejeté leur
responsabilité en précisant que la majorité des céréales et autres aliments
provenaient habituellement du côté de la Békaa et du Hauran. Les importations du
côté maritime étaient très secondaires. De plus, le blocus terrestre sur le
Liban demeurait stratégiquement inexplicable et sans raison convaincante.
En 1916, malgré l’invasion des sauterelles, il restait d’importants dépôts de
blé qui furent détruits et brûlés sur ordre de Jamal Pacha. Toutes les données
prouvent qu’il s’agissait d’une famine voulue et provoquée. Elle était
recherchée, planifiée, organisée et exécutée avec minutie. Tout commença avec
l’abolition, en 1914, des capitulations signées entre les puissances chrétiennes
et la Sublime Porte, et qui garantissaient la sécurité des chrétiens de
l’empire. Puis l’autonomie du Mont-Liban fut supprimée. Dès lors, une série de
mesures draconiennes allaient s’enclencher ouvrant inexorablement les portes de
l’enfer.
Enver Pacha délégua alors Jamal Pacha qui eut pour tâche d’exterminer les
chrétiens de l’empire. Il porta dès lors le surnom de Jamal Pacha al-Saffah.
Pour cet homme habile et machiavélique, il n’était pas question de refaire
l’erreur de 1860. L’épée employée dans les régions arméniennes, syriaques ou
assyro-chaldéennes ne pouvait pas être utilisée au Liban sans prendre le risque
d’un nouveau débarquement français. L’expérience était faite en 1860 dans ce
Liban beaucoup trop proche de l’Europe. Les massacres d’alors aboutirent à
l’intervention militaire des troupes de Napoléon III et au rétablissement de
l’autonomie libanaise garantie par les cinq puissances. Il fallait désormais
procéder différemment au Mont-Liban par rapport aux autres régions chrétiennes
de l’empire.
Jamal Pacha commença par préparer le terrain et le cadre de sa mission.
Contrairement à l’Arménie et à la Haute-Mésopotamie, le Liban était très
connecté à l’Europe. Il fallait l’isoler médiatiquement et diplomatiquement
avant que d’y imposer l’isolement physique, le blocus alimentaire. Pour cela, le
pacha instaura immédiatement la censure générale.
Mais une fenêtre toujours ouverte sur l’Europe était un caractère propre au
Liban. Elle était constituée par l’Église et surtout par les missionnaires
catholiques, leurs monastères et leurs écoles. Ces biens et lieux furent tous
réquisitionnés, transformés en casernes ou en dépôts militaires. Expulsés, les
missionnaires ne pouvaient plus servir de témoins et d’observateurs. Il restait
donc les évêques maronites, mais aussi roums (grecs-orthodoxes) ou melkites. Les
plus actifs d’entre eux furent alors exilés, certains évêques maronites furent
même traduits en cours martiale et pendus.
Toutes les communications avec l’extérieur étant coupées, le génocide pouvait
prendre son cours. Jamal Pacha fit réquisitionner tout le blé, le kérosène, les
bêtes de somme, la volaille et le bétail. En 1916, la soldatesque ottomane
s’attaqua même aux plantations, aux vergers et aux forêts. Les collines du Liban
furent entièrement mises à nu sous prétexte de ravitaillement des trains en
charbon. Les vieilles photos sépia du Liban montrent encore ces régions jadis
désolées, et aujourd’hui couvertes de forêts.
Le blé et autres céréales étaient également saisis sous prétexte de besoins
militaires. Et pourtant, chaque fois que les Ottomans ne pouvaient pas emporter
les quantités disponibles, ils y mettaient le feu. C’est ce que fit Jamal Pacha
en 1916. Les soldats allemands aussi, durant leur dernière débâcle, jetèrent le
blé à la mer avant de prendre la fuite.
Peut-on encore enseigner dans les écoles libanaises que la famine était due à
une invasion exceptionnelle de sauterelles ?
Jamal Pacha réquisitionna les matériaux de construction, le bois et même les
forêts. Les chrétiens mourant de faim et ayant déjà vendu leurs meubles, puis
leurs habits, finirent par vendre les poutres de leurs maisons. Les toitures
s’effondrèrent et les familles se retrouvèrent à la rue sans rien sur le corps.
Des squelettes vivants erraient ici et là dans la boue et dans la neige. On
distinguait à peine les vivants des morts. Les charrettes déversaient dans les
fosses communes une centaine de corps par jour rien que dans la ville de
Beyrouth. Dans ces conditions de froid, de malnutrition, de non-nutrition et de
manque absolu d’hygiène, les épidémies firent leurs ravages. Typhus, choléra,
peste et autres maladies d’un autre âge vinrent s’ajouter aux malheurs des
Libanais.
C’est là que le génie ottoman vint faire ses preuves. Les pharmacies furent
dévalisées, les médicaments de tout genre réquisitionnés, toujours pour les
besoins de la troupe. La Sublime Porte ayant besoin de médecins pour soigner ses
soldats sur les fronts, on mobilisa alors les médecins de toutes les villes et
de tous les villages. La cruauté de l’envahisseur n’avait plus de limite.
La corruption à l’ottomane battait son plein. Même certains chrétiens y
participèrent. Le gouverneur du Liban, Ohannès Kouyoumjian, beaucoup trop
honnête et intègre, fut remplacé par Ali Mounif. Ce dernier est arrivé au Liban
sans le sous pour y repartir avec deux millions de francs or.
Avons-nous besoin de plus de preuves pour reconnaître que cette famine n’était
pas accidentelle ? Les courriers diplomatiques entre chancelleries occidentales
en regorgent. Ce sont tantôt les jésuites qui écrivent pour dénoncer le crime
qu’ils qualifient comme étant « dans le sillage du génocide arménien ». Tantôt,
c’est l’ambassadeur de France au Caire, Defrange, proche de la communauté
libanaise d’Égypte, qui écrit à Brian du ministère français des Affaires
étrangères. Ce dernier partage alors les renseignements et les nouvelles
alarmantes avec Barrère, son ambassadeur à Rome, mais aussi avec le Saint-Siège,
avec Washington (le 16 mai 1916) et avec le roi très chrétien d’Espagne. Les
atrocités sont décrites dans tous ces courriers. Tous sont arrivés à la même
conclusion : une intervention militaire au Levant serait fatale pour les
chrétiens du Liban. Elle pourrait pousser les Ottomans à accélérer leur besogne
et, pourquoi pas, à passer à l’épée. Quant aux aides alimentaires, elles étaient
systématiquement confisquées et détournées par les Ottomans.
Il fut alors convenu de faire parvenir des aides financières, notamment en pièce
d’or. L’île syrienne d’Arwad était aux mains des Français, sous le commandement
d’Albert Trabaud. Les aides de la diaspora libanaise étaient alors acheminées
vers l’île et transportées de nuit vers les côtes libanaises. La première partie
du parcours se faisait en barque, alors que la seconde s’achevait à la nage.
L’or était remis aux envoyés du patriarche des maronites. Les sommes rassemblées
à Bkerké servaient alors à acheter des quantités de nourriture à distribuer au
peuple pour limiter autant que possible le carnage.
Sur une population libanaise de 450 000 personnes, environ 220 000 succombèrent.
Et la moitié des survivants prit les chemins de l’exil. Nous sommes les
descendants du petit quart restant. Qu’avons-nous transmis aux générations
suivantes de l’héroïsme de leurs ancêtres morts dans d’atroces souffrances. Plus
de 200 000 victimes inoffensives, désarmées et dont le seul crime était d’être
chrétiennes. Qu’avons-nous gardé de la mémoire d’Albert Trabaud qui contribua à
la survie de nos ascendants ? Une rue à Achrafieh ? Mais pour combien de temps
encore ? Qu’avons-nous fait pour nos 200 000 martyrs chrétiens ? Un musée, un
monument, une place publique, une journée nationale, une mention dans les
manuels d’histoire ?
Le Grand Liban leur préféra les 40 martyrs de la place des Canons qui porte
désormais leur nom. En effet, leurs origines multiconfessionnelles satisfont
mieux l’image recherchée pour le jeune État. Mais leur mémoire aussi noble
soit-elle peut-elle occulter, voire sacrifier, celle de nos 200 000 victimes
innocentes ? Quand auront-elles droit à une place publique et à une journée
nationale ? Nos aïeux avaient un tel respect pour leurs martyrs qu’ils leur
dédièrent le plus haut sommet du Liban : Qornet Sodé (en syriaque : la Cornette
des martyrs). Mais là aussi, transcrite en arabe qui ne connaît pas les voyelles
« o » et « é », elle devint Qornet al-Sawda. C’est comme si le sort s’acharnait
sur nos héros. Où sont leurs monuments ? Où sont donc les tribunaux et les
demandes de dédommagements ?
Le Dr Antoine Boustany, auteur de l’Histoire de la grande famine au Mont-Liban,
se demande ce qui s’est passé chez les chrétiens du Mont-Liban pour avoir adopté
ce comportement bizarre. Il se demande d’où pourrait venir une telle lâcheté,
car pour lui, ne pas demander des comptes constitue un crime en soi. Il cite
alors le maréchal Foch lorsqu’il dit qu’un peuple sans mémoire est un peuple
sans avenir. Et il reprend aussitôt Elie Wiesel, rescapé d’Auschwitz, qui
écrivait : « Le génocide tue deux fois, la seconde par le silence. »
Un peuple, qui se désiste de tout ce qui le constitue dans toutes ses
spécificités humaines et culturelles, peut-il trouver sa place dans l’histoire ?
Qu’avons-nous choisi de faire en 1920 et surtout en 1943 ? Pour bâtir le Grand
Liban, il n’était nullement nécessaire de sacrifier le Liban historique.
Celui-ci aurait dû constituer l’âme du nouvel État et non être considéré comme
une entrave. Il n’était pas nécessaire d’abandonner sa langue syriaque et son
identité, ni d’occulter son histoire chrétienne faite du sang de ses martyrs.
Nous ne pouvons pas nous construire et évoluer en tant que peuple, ni bâtir une
nation sur le dénigrement de l’essentiel, de l’existentiel. Nous avons considéré
les différences entre les habitants du Liban historique et ceux des régions
périphériques comme des obstacles au vivre ensemble. Ces différences
culturelles, historiques et linguistiques qui auraient pu composer notre
richesse ont été sacrifiées sur l’autel de l’unité nationale.
Les constituantes de l’identité ne peuvent pas faire partie des concessions et
des compromis. Il s’agit de l’essence même de ce que nous sommes. On ne bâtit
pas une nation sur le mensonge, encore moins sur l’amnésie.
Rémy de Gourmont écrivait justement : « Quand un peuple n’ose plus défendre sa
langue, il est mûr pour l’esclavage. »
C’est comme si nous avions tout abandonné, jusqu’à nos aspirations les plus
profondes, jusqu’à notre volonté d’hommes libres. Mais l’histoire est
impitoyable avec les faibles. Nous avons aujourd’hui un devoir qui est celui de
la résistance culturelle, par respect pour nos ancêtres qui ont versé leur sang.
Cette résistance s’élabore sur plusieurs fronts. Celui du patrimoine naturel et
architectural, celui de la culture et de l’histoire, de la langue et de
l’identité, de la mémoire et de la spiritualité. Nous sommes les descendants du
quart qui a survécu et qui est resté au Liban. Et de ce groupe ont aussi émigré
les trois quarts. Nous ne représentons donc plus que le quart du quart. Soyons
conscients et modestes face à tout ce legs dont nous avons aujourd’hui la
responsabilité.
Le génocide des chrétiens d’Orient, « tseghaspanoutioun » pour les Arméniens,
seyfo (l’épée) pour les chrétiens de Haute-Mésopotamie, et kafno (famine) pour
les chrétiens du Liban, est un devoir de mémoire. On ne peut assassiner un
peuple deux fois ; d’abord par la mort, puis par le silence et l’oubli. C’est un
devoir national à prendre en compte au niveau des institutions étatiques,
religieuses et culturelles.
Dr Amine Jules ISKANDAR/Président de l’Union syriaque maronite TUR LEVNON
The Latest English LCCC
Miscellaneous Reports And News published on
April 25-26/2020
WHO Warns against Idea of 'Immunity Passports'
Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 25 April, 2020
The World Health Organization warned against the idea of “immunity passports,”
saying there is currently no evidence that people who have recovered from
COVID-19 and have antibodies are protected against a second infection. The
concept of “immunity passports” or “risk-free certificates” has been floated as
a way of allowing people protected against reinfection to return to work. But
the Geneva-based UN health agency said in a scientific brief released Saturday
that more research is needed. “At this point in the pandemic, there is not
enough evidence about the effectiveness of antibody-mediated immunity to
guarantee the accuracy of an ‘immunity passport’ or ‘risk-free certificate,’” it
added. It argued that people who assume they are immune to reinfection may
ignore public health advice, and such certificates could raise the risks of
continued virus transmission.
WHO added that tests for antibodies of the new coronavirus also “need further
validation to determine their accuracy and reliability.”
Iran's Coronavirus Death Toll Rises by 76 to 5,650
Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 25 April, 2020
Iran's death toll from the new coronavirus rose by 76 during the last 24 hours
to reach a total of 5,650, a Health Ministry spokesman said on state TV on
Saturday. The total number of people diagnosed with the virus is 89,328, of whom
3,096 are in a critical condition, the spokesman Kianush Jahanpur said.Deputy
Health Minister Iraj Harirchi said the country's daily death tally had fallen by
about 70% from its peak, while the number of coronavirus patients in hospital
had fallen by about half. Iran is the region’s country worst-affected by the
COVID-19 respiratory disease and has one of the world's highest death tolls.
WHO: No evidence patients become immune
The National/April 25/2020
The World Health Organisation said on Saturday that there was currently "no
evidence" that people who have recovered from Covid-19 and have antibodies are
protected from a second coronavirus infection.
In a statement, the United Nations agency warned against issuing "immunity
passports" or "risk-free certificates" to people who have been infected, saying
the practice may actually increase the risk of spread as they may ignore
standard advice.Chile said last week it would begin handing out "health
passports" to people deemed to have recovered from the illness. Once screened to
determine if they have developed antibodies to make them immune to the virus,
they could immediately rejoin the workforce. It came as the virus death toll
neared 200,000 on Saturday, and passed 50,000 in the United States, where there
is now more than 905,000 confirmed cases. The UAE announced a further 525 new
coronavir
Coronavirus: concerns over a "fresh outbreak" in Iran as
the country reduces restrictions
The National/April 25/2020
Tehran's anti-coronavirus coordinator criticised the "hasty reopenings"
UAE aid going to Iran. It was second batch of aid to be sent to Iran from the
UAE this month. All images courtesy Wam
Iranian health officials on Saturday raised fears of a "fresh outbreak" of
coronavirus cases in their country, which has paid the deadliest price in the
Middle East from the pandemic.
As the predominantly Shiite country marked the start of the Islamic holy month
of Ramadan, a day later than much of the Muslim world, another 76 fatalities
were declared, raising Iran's official death toll to 6,650.
The spread of the disease has slowed since the start of April, but Alireza Zali,
the anti-coronavirus coordinator for the capital, on Saturday criticised "hasty
reopenings". President Hassan Rouhani said on Saturday that Iran should draw up
economic plans based on a worst-case scenario of nearly a year of disruptions
due to the coronavirus. "Our first request is that we should plan production
long-term based on a pessimistic view that we might face this virus ... for
months," Mr Rouhani said in a meeting with heads of Iranian private companies
carried live on state TV. "Maybe (we will face this) till the end of the year,
we do not know," he added, referring to the Iranian calendar year which ends in
March 2021.
Iran has allowed the phased reopening of a number of businesses that were closed
as part of measures to curb Covid-19. This could "create new waves of sickness
in Tehran and complicate efforts to bring the epidemic under control", Mr Zali
said, quoted by the official news agency IRNA. Health ministry spokesman
Kianoush Jahanpour said Iran has now recorded 89,328 cases of Covid-19,
including 1,134 over the past 24 hours, since its first case in February. The
number of Iranian casualties is widely thought to be much higher, however. Mr
Jahanpour reiterated that social distancing and hygiene measures to guard
against the novel coronavirus needed to remain in place. The ministry's
infectious diseases department head, Mohammad Mehdi Gouya, warned of "signs of a
fresh outbreak" in provinces such as Gilan and Mazandaran in the north and Qom
in central Iran "where we made great efforts to control the epidemic". Iran,
already weakened by tough US sanctions, has struggled to contain the virus
outbreak since reporting its first cases on February 19.
Rouhani says Iran should draw up long-term plans for
worst-case coronavirus scenario
Reuters/Saturday 25 April 2020
Iran should draw up economic plans based on a worst-case scenario of nearly a
year of disruptions due to the coronavirus, President Hassan Rouhani said on
Saturday, as the death toll from the disease rose by 76 to 5,650. “Our first
request is that we should plan production long-term based on a pessimistic view
that we might face this virus ... for months,” Rouhani said in a meeting with
heads of Iranian private companies carried live on state TV. “Maybe (we will
face this) till the end of the year, we do not know,” Rouhani added, referring
to the Iranian calendar year which ends in March 2021. Earlier, a Health
Ministry spokesman said the total number of people diagnosed with the virus had
reached 89,328, of whom 3,096 were in a critical condition. Deputy Health
Minister Iraj Harirchi said the country’s daily death toll had fallen by about
70% from its peak, while the number of coronavirus patients in hospital had
fallen by about half. Iran is one of the Middle Eastern countries worst affected
by the COVID-19 respiratory disease and has one of the world’s highest death
tolls.
Russia Criticizes American Presence East of Euphrates
Moscow - Raed Jaber/Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 25 April, 2020
Russia has launched a campaign of criticism against US forces in northeastern
Syria and said there were reports of an “explosive spread” of the COVID-19
disease among American soldiers there. “There are reports about an explosive
spread of coronavirus infection among US troops, and that this is being hushed
up,” said Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. “The US military
presence in Syria is qualified as occupation in accordance with international
humanitarian law. This means that Washington bears full responsibility for the
civilian population and meeting its humanitarian needs in the areas controlled
by it south of the Euphrates River and in al-Tanf, which is home to the
notorious Rukban IDP camp,” she said. The Rukban camp is located within a
“deconfliction zone” set up by US forces in al-Tanf military base. Zakharova’s
remarks came as the Russian Defense Ministry announced that the Syrian army is
seeking to establish field centers for suspected coronavirus cases, in addition
to deploying Syrian virus experts on major checkpoints set up on the country’s
main highways in order to detect cases. Russian media also quoted the
spokesperson for the UN's humanitarian coordination office, David Swanson, as
saying that the world body was concerned over the humanitarian situation in
Rukban. Its residents are no longer able to reach the UN-backed medical clinic
on the other side of the Jordanian border, which was closed in March as part of
measures taken by Jordan’s government to fight the coronavirus pandemic, he
said. But Swanson stressed that there were no COVID-19 cases in the camp.
Europe Calls for Humanitarian Truce in Libya
Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 25 April, 2020
The foreign ministers of Germany, France and Italy and the EU's top diplomat
made a joint call on Saturday for a humanitarian truce in Libya, saying all
sides must resume peace talks. "We want to unite our voices to those of UN
Secretary-General (Antonio) Guterres and his Acting Special Representative for
Libya, Stephanie Turco Williams, in their call for a humanitarian truce in
Libya," the statement said. "We call on all the Libyan actors to get inspired by
the spirit of the Holy Ramadan, engage in resuming talks for a genuine
ceasefire," said the statement, signed by the EU's Josep Borrell, France's
Jean-Yves Le Drian, Italy's Luigi di Maio and Heiko Maas of Germany.Libya's
conflict escalated sharply this month, with fierce fighting on several different
fronts in the west of the country despite urgent calls from the UN and aid
agencies for a truce to tackle the coronavirus crisis.
Guterres has renewed his pleas for a ceasefire as the Islamic holy month of
Ramadan began on Friday. Williams raised the alarm at a press conference on
Thursday about the “horrible, intense shelling” of Tripoli’s densely populated
neighborhoods.
Safadi, Maliki Warn Against ‘Killing 2-State Solution’
Amman - Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 25 April, 2020
Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman al-Safadi and his Palestinian counterpart, Riyad
al-Maliki, have warned that any Israeli annexation of territories in the West
Bank would kill the two-state solution and hamper the chances for peace. In a
joint statement issued by the Jordanian foreign ministry, Safadi and Maliki
urged the international community to act to prevent Israel from annexing
occupied Palestinian territories. They also warned during a meeting in Amman
that such annexation “would kill the two-state solution and consequently hamper
the chances for peace, which is an Arab strategic option and an international
necessity.” Any such Israeli move would also be considered “a blatant violation
of international law,” which should be rejected by the international community,
they said. Nickolay Mladenov, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace
Process, warned Thursday that “the dangerous prospect of annexation by Israel of
parts of the occupied West Bank is a growing threat.”“If such a move were
implemented, it would constitute a serious violation of international law, deal
a devastating blow to the two-state solution, close the door to a renewal of
negotiations, and threaten efforts to advance regional peace,” he said.
New Decision to Seize Rami Makhlouf’s Assets in Syria
Damascus - London - Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 25 April, 2020
The Finance Ministry has seized the assets of a company owned by Rami Makhlouf,
the cousin of Syrian President Bashar Assad, media sources revealed Friday. A
Syrian website published the Ministry’s decision to seize the assets of the
“Abar Petroleum Service SAL offshore” company, which is registered in Beirut and
manages the transfer of shipments of petroleum products, diesel, gasoline, and
liquefied gas. Makhlouf is on the list of US sanctions for supporting the
Damascus regime. The Ministry said Makhlouf violated the import rules by
smuggling products worth 1.9 billion Syrian pounds without paying the charges
and fees. Makhlouf denies links to the company. In December 2019, the general
directorate of Syrian customs issued a decision to place the movable and
unmovable property of Makhlouf and each of Baher al-Saadi, Mohammed Kheir al-Amrit,
Ali Mohammed Hamzah and their wives, under preventive seizure.
Iraq’s Ansar Al-Marjaiya Splits from PMF, Urges Other to
Follow
Baghdad - Fadhel al-Nashmi/Asharq Al-Awsat/April 25/2020
Ansar al-Marjaiya on Friday called on other militias operating in Iraq, to
follow its example in splitting from the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), in a
clear sign of their rejection of the behavior of some factions loyal to Iran’s
Wilayet al-Faqih. This week, Ansar al-Marjaiya, the Imam Ali, Ali Al Akbar and
Abbas brigades split from the PMF and are now operating under supreme commander
of the armed forces, a position occupied by outgoing Prime Minister Adel Abdul
Mahdi. The brigades are all loyal to Iraq’s top Shiite religious authority, Ali
al-Sistani, signifying his clear rejection of the behavior of some PMF factions’
total loyalty to Tehran. In a statement Friday, Ansar al-Marjaiya announced it
was studying the possibility of allowing other factions to join. It will make
the decision based on national and legal standards and their respect of the
constitution. It said it will coordinate with the PMF over the transition of the
factions to its new grouping. It said it was acting with the nation’s interests
at heart, stressing it does not harbor any grudges against any other side,
regardless of their behavior, adding that it wanted to “correct some courses.”
Divisions within the PMF deepened in wake of differences over the appointment of
a successor to deputy leader, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, who was killed in a US
drone strike in January. The strike also killed Iranian top commander Qassem
Soleimani. Earlier this week, Abdul Mahdi had addressed a letter to PMF chief
Faleh al-Fayyad to inform him of his order to bring in the four brigades under
his command, revealing that more will follow. Ansar al-Marjaiya said the process
of splitting from the PMF was overseen and completed under President Bahram
Salih and Abdul Mahdi, as well as representatives of the religious authority,
Sheikh Abdul Mahdi al-Karbalai and Sayyed Ahmed Safi.
A source told Asharq Al-Awsat on Friday that Ansar al-Marjaiya’s move
effectively means the isolation of the pro-Iranian wing inside the PMF,
particularly if other brigades decide to follow in its footsteps.
Israel: Thousands demonstrate against Israeli coalition
deal
AFP/April 25/2020
The protesters oppose having Netanyahu as prime minister as long as he is a
criminal suspect
Demonstrators maintained distance from each other in line with health
regulations in place for weeks meant to halt the spread of the coronavirus
TEL AVIV, Israel: Several thousand Israelis on Saturday demonstrated against a
unity government deal reached last week that leaves Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu in power as he prepares to go on trial for corruption charges.
The protesters oppose having Netanyahu as prime minister as long as he is a
criminal suspect. The protesters say the unity government agreement, which gives
Netanyahu influence over the appointment of judges and legal officials, “crushes
democracy” and is meant to rescue Netanyahu from his legal troubles.
Netanyahu is scheduled to face trial next month on charges of fraud, breach of
trust and accepting bribes. He denies the charges. The protest filled central
Tel Aviv’s Rabin Square, although demonstrators maintained distance from each
other in line with health regulations in place for weeks meant to halt the
spread of the coronavirus. Protesters, wearing face masks, waved Israeli flags
and signs calling out Netanyahu for corruption. Netanyahu and former military
chief Benny Gantz, leader of the Blue and White party, signed the power-sharing
agreement after weeks of negotiations for what they termed a “national
emergency” government meant to steer the country through the coronavirus
outbreak. The agreement delivered Netanyahu a significant boost as he fought to
hold on to power while fending off the corruption charges. His party will gain
influence over judicial appointments, which could help Netanyahu if his case
reaches the Supreme Court. The deal requires the approval of both parties on key
appointments, including the attorney general and the state prosecutor, granting
Netanyahu veto power over the officials who hold sway over his legal fate.
Political Row Hits UK Govt as Virus Death Toll nears 20,000
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/April 25/2020
Boris Johnson's government on Saturday was embroiled in a political row after it
emerged his chief advisor attended meetings of the main scientific group
advising ministers on the coronavirus pandemic in Britain. Downing Street was
forced to deny that Dominic Cummings and another advisor, Ben Warner, were
members of the politically independent Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies
(SAGE). However, following reports in The Guardian newspaper, the government
admitted that Cummings had sat in on group meetings, prompting the opposition
Labour Party to ask for "answers" over his exact role.
The row emerged as the government's general COVID-19 approach came under
increasing scrutiny and the official death toll approached 20,000 in one of the
countries worst hit by the pandemic. In a statement, a Number 10 spokesman said:
"It is not true that Mr Cummings or Dr Warner are 'on' or members of SAGE. "Mr
Cummings and Dr Warner have attended some SAGE meetings and listen to some
meetings now they are all virtual. "They do this in order to understand better
the scientific debates concerning this emergency and also to understand better
the limits of how science and data can help government decisions."The statement
added that it was "factually wrong and damaging to sensible public debate" to
suggest the committee's advice was affected by the government.
Concern over political influence
Until now, membership of the committee, which is a key body in shaping the UK's
response to the pandemic, has not been made public. Labour's health spokesman,
John Ashworth told BBC radio on Saturday that his "concern" was "that political
advisers have influenced the debate.
"The way to clear this up is for all the minutes to be published; we've called
on the government to do this," he said. The UK government has come under
increasing pressure on a number of fronts in recent weeks, including criticism
over shortages in personal protective equipment and a lack of widespread
testing, particularly of frontline health and social care workers. Questions
have also been asked why it was slow in enforcing a nationwide lockdown to
enforce social distancing measures. There are also growing demands for a
government exit strategy from the current lockdown, first imposed on March 23,
extended on April 16 and due for review on May 7, as concerns grow over the huge
impact the crisis is having on the economy. Meanwhile, a new website to offer
testing for up to 10 million key workers and their families has been
overwhelmed.
On Saturday, health officials announced that as many as 5,000 severely ill
coronavirus patients could be treated with plasma from people who have recovered
from the illness as part of a new approach. Figures expected later on Saturday
could push Britain's official death toll past 20,000.
The number of deaths for COVID-19 in hospital currently stands at 19,506. In
March, the UK's chief scientific advisor, Sir Patrick Vallance, said keeping the
number of UK fatalities to less than 20,000 would be "a good outcome".
Virus Toll nears 200,000 as UN Pushes for Global Vaccine
Effort
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/April 25/2020
The global coronavirus death toll approached 200,000 on Saturday as the United
Nations launched an international push for a vaccine to defeat the pandemic.
Governments around the world are struggling to limit the economic devastation
unleashed by the virus, which has infected nearly 2.8 million people and left
half of humanity under some form of lockdown.
The scale of the pandemic has forced medical research on the virus to move at
unprecedented speed, but effective treatments are still far away and the United
Nations chief said the effort will require cooperation on a global scale.
"We face a global public enemy like no other," Secretary-General Antonio
Guterres told a virtual briefing on Friday, asking for international
organizations, world leaders and the private sector to join hands.
"A world free of COVID-19 requires the most massive public health effort in
history." The vaccine should be safe, affordable and available to all, Guterres
stressed at the meeting, which was also attended by the leaders of Germany and
France.
But notably absent from the meeting were the leaders of China, where the virus
first emerged late last year, and the United States, which has accused the UN's
World Health Organization of not warning quickly enough about the original
outbreak. The UN chief's vaccine appeal came a day after US President Donald
Trump prompted outcry and ridicule with his suggestion that disinfectants be
used to treat coronavirus patients.
"Is there a way we can do something like that, by injection inside or almost a
cleaning?" Trump mused during a televised briefing. "It sounds interesting to
me." As experts -- and disinfectant manufacturers -- rushed to caution against
any such dangerous experiment, the president tried to walk back his comments,
saying he had been speaking "sarcastically."
The United States is the hardest-hit country by far in the pandemic, recording
more than 51,000 deaths and over 890,000 infections.
The world's biggest economy has been hammered by the pandemic, with 26 million
jobs lost since the crisis began, and American leaders are under pressure to
find ways to ease social distancing measures.
Despite criticism from Trump, the governor of Georgia allowed some businesses,
including nail salons and bowling alleys, to reopen on Friday, sparking both
criticism and relief. The mayor of the state's capital Atlanta condemned the
"irresponsible" move, telling ABC News: "There is nothing essential about going
to a bowling alley or giving a manicure in the middle of a pandemic." But some
in the city cherished the opportunity to re-engage with society. "I actually had
a great time," beamed Tili Banks, 41, as she and a friend left a bowling alley.
"I was just so happy to be out that I didn't even realize that I had these
people's bowling shoes on when I walked outside."
Early stages
Global COVID-19 deaths have climbed past 195,000, according to an AFP tally, but
new reported cases appear to have leveled off at about 80,000 a day. The daily
death toll in Western countries seems to be falling, a sign hopeful
epidemiologists had been looking for, but the WHO has warned that other nations
are still in the early stages of the fight.
The unprecedented situation has left the world staring at its worst downturn
since the Great Depression, and world leaders are trying to balance public
health concerns with economic needs.
Some countries have already started loosening restrictions.
Sri Lanka said it would lift a nationwide curfew on Monday after more than five
weeks, as Belgium became the latest European nation to announce an easing from
mid-May.
On the other side of the world in Australia and New Zealand, people held vigils
from the isolation of their own driveways to pay tribute to their war veterans
on Anzac Day.
Official memorials were held behind closed doors.
"We (usually) go away to our various watering holes, pubs or clubs, and we enjoy
our mates... you talk about the old times, whilst you were serving and you talk
about someone who's missing this year that was there last year," said Ray James,
an Australian veteran of the Vietnam War.
"It's going to be sad this year because we won't be able to do that."
- Mecca's Grand Mosque deserted -
Across the Muslim world, hundreds of millions of faithful opened the Ramadan
holy month under stay-at-home conditions, facing unprecedented bans on prayers
in mosques and on the traditional large gatherings of families and friends to
break the daily fast.
In the Islamic holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia, the Grand Mosque, usually
packed with tens of thousands of people during Ramadan, was deserted. "We are
used to seeing the holy mosque crowded with people during the day, night, all
the time... I feel pain deep inside," said Ali Mulla, the muezzin who gives the
call to prayer at the Grand Mosque.
Despite the coronavirus threat, clerics and conservatives in some countries
including Bangladesh, Pakistan and Indonesia -- the world's largest
Muslim-majority nation -- have pushed back and refused to stop gatherings in
mosques.
The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources
published on April 25-26/2020
Coronavirus: China Continues to Flood the World with
Defective Medical Supplies
Soeren Kern/Gatestone Institute/April 25, 2020
More than a dozen countries on four continents have recently disclosed problems
with Chinese-made coronavirus tests and personal protective equipment. The
problems range from test kits tainted with the coronavirus to medical garments
contaminated with insects.
Chinese authorities have refused to take responsibility for the defective
equipment and in many instances have cast blame on the countries that purchased
the material. They have also called on nations of the world to stop
"politicizing" the problem.
Slovakian Prime Minister Igor Matovič disclosed that more than a million
coronavirus tests supplied by China for a cash payment of €15 million ($16
million) were inaccurate and unable to detect Covid-19. "We have a ton of tests
and no use for them," he said. "They should just be thrown straight into the
Danube."
U.S. Senator Kelly Loeffler from Georgia accused China of holding up shipments
of test kits: "Testing is core to opening our country back up. I'm concerned
that China's holding up test kits. They're playing games with trade policy to
prevent us, the United States, from getting the testing that we need."
"[W]e should not lose sight of the foundational strategic challenge confronting
the West in the emerging post-globalization era: We are in a long twilight
competition with the Chinese communist regime, a struggle we cannot escape,
whether we like it or not." — Andrew Michta, George C. Marshall European Center
for Security Studies.
More than a dozen countries on four continents recently disclosed problems with
Chinese-made coronavirus tests and personal protective equipment. The problems
range from test kits tainted with the coronavirus to medical garments
contaminated with insects. Defective Chinese face masks, purchased by Spain's
Ministry of Health, were distributed to hospitals and nursing homes across the
country, and more than 100 healthcare workers who used them tested positive for
Covid-19. Pictured: A shipment from China of 8.6 million protective face masks
and 150 tons of sanitary equipment arrives at Paris-Vatry Airport in France, on
April 19, 2020. (Photo by Francois Nascimbeni/AFP via Getty Images)
Gatestone Institute recently reported that millions of pieces of medical
equipment purchased from China by European governments to combat the coronavirus
pandemic are defective and unusable.
Since that report, more than a dozen countries on four continents have disclosed
problems with Chinese-made coronavirus tests and personal protective equipment.
The problems range from test kits tainted with the coronavirus to medical
garments contaminated with insects.
Chinese authorities have refused to take responsibility for the defective
equipment and in many instances have cast blame on the countries that purchased
the material. They have also called on nations of the world to stop
"politicizing" the problem — at the same time that Chinese President Xi Jinping
and his Communist Party have sought to leverage the pandemic to assert a claim
to global leadership.
Spain, the epicenter of the coronavirus crisis in Europe, has experienced the
greatest number of problems with medical equipment purchased from China. After
the epidemic hit Spain, the Spanish government purchased medical supplies from
China in the amount of €432 million ($470 million). Chinese vendors demanded
they be paid up front before making any deliveries. It now appears that much of
the material being supplied by China is substandard.
In late March, for instance, the Spanish Ministry of Health revealed that more
than a half million coronavirus tests it had purchased from a Chinese vendor
were defective. The tests, manufactured by Shenzhen Bioeasy Biotechnology, a
company based in China's Guangdong Province, had an accurate detection rate of
less than 30%. Bioeasy had claimed, in writing, that its tests had an accurate
detection rate of 92%.
After the swindle made international headlines, Bioeasy agreed to replace the
tests. On April 21, however, the Spanish newspaper El País reported that all
640,000 replacement tests were also useless. The Spanish government is now
seeking a refund.
The Chinese Embassy in Madrid blamed the Spanish government for purchasing the
tests from an unauthorized vendor. Bioeasy, apparently, does not have a license
to sell coronavirus tests. Spain, however, has also reported problems with
material purchased from vendors that are authorized by the Chinese government.
On April 15, Spain's Ministry of Health recalled 350,000 so-called FFP2 masks
after laboratory tests determined that they were substandard. The defective
masks were manufactured by Garry Galaxy Biotechnology, a company included on the
Chinese government's list of approved manufacturers of personal protective
equipment. FFP2 masks are required to filter at least 94% of aerosols, but those
delivered to Spain filtered only between 71% and 82% of aerosols.
The defective masks were purchased by the Spanish Ministry of Health and
distributed to hospitals and nursing homes across the country. After the
defective masks were recalled, more than a hundred healthcare workers who had
used them tested positive for coronavirus disease (Covid-19). In the
northeastern Spanish region of Catalonia, local health officials on April 18
recalled 180,000 Covid-19 antibody tests — also known as serological tests —
because of their low rate of detection. The tests, produced by the Chinese
manufacturer Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech, were purchased by the central government
in Madrid and distributed to regional health authorities to detect Covid-19 in
two priority groups: healthcare personnel and elderly people in nursing homes.
The Wondfo tests reportedly gave negative results to people who had previously
tested positive for Covid-19, and also failed to distinguish between two types
of antibodies, including those that confer immunity.
In the eastern city of Alicante, the General Hospital recalled 640 disposable
medical garments after one of the boxes from China contained cockroaches. The
hospital said that it had received a total of 3,000 garments in 75 boxes and
that it found two insects inside one of the boxes. It added that given the
shortage of medical supplies, the garments would be sterilized, not destroyed.
Other countries — in Europe and beyond — have also criticized the quality of
Chinese medical supplies:
Australia. On April 1, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported
that the Australian Border Force (ABF) had seized nearly one million
Chinese-made faulty face masks and other protective clothing that was exported
to Australia to help halt the spread of coronavirus. The material was valued at
A$1.2 million (US$760,000). "We started seeing this stuff arriving roughly three
weeks ago when news of the pandemic was really taking off," an ABF official told
ABC. "The dodgy material is coming via air cargo because there is a backlog of
sea freight at Australian ports."
Austria. On April 6, the Ministry of Economic Affairs confirmed that 500,000
masks ordered from China for use in South Tyrol were "completely unusable"
because they did not meet safety standards: "The result of the quality control
check showed that the masks do not meet an FFP standard. When putting on the
masks, it is impossible to obtain a tight fit in the area of the chin and
cheeks." Minister of Economics Margarete Schramböck complained that
international providers of the urgently needed FFP2 and FFP3 masks had not
delivered the required quality in nine out of ten cases. On April 9, Austrian
media reported that the defective mask problem was far greater than initially
thought. The Austrian Red Cross ordered 20 million masks from the same Chinese
manufacturer that made the defective masks for South Tyrol.
Belgium. On March 31, the University Hospital of Leuven rejected a shipment of
3,000 masks from China because the equipment was substandard.
Canada. On April 7, the City of Toronto recalled more than 60,000 surgical masks
made in China. The masks, valued at more than $200,000, were provided to staff
at long-term care facilities. Toronto health authorities were investigating
whether caregivers were exposed to Covid-19 while wearing the equipment. The
masks represented around 50% of Toronto's inventory of surgical masks, according
to Matthew Pegg, Toronto's fire chief and general manager of emergency
management.
Czech Republic. On March 23, the Czech news site iRozhlas reported that 300,000
coronavirus test kits delivered by China had an error rate of 80%. The Czech
Ministry of Interior had paid $2.1 million for the defective kits. Finland. On
April 10, the Managing Director of Finland's National Emergency Supply Agency,
Tomi Lounema, resigned after he admitted to spending €10 million ($11 million)
on defective protective equipment from China.
Georgia. On March 27, Health Minister Ekaterine Tikaradze cancelled an order for
200,000 coronavirus tests manufactured by the China-based Shenzhen Bioeasy
Biotechnology Company. The move came after Spain reported that 640,000 tests
that it purchased from the company were defective. She said: "Georgia had a
contract with this company, but today it has been canceled. The money has not
been transferred. We are negotiating with another company and at first, they
will send two thousand tests. If the reliability of those is approved by us, we
will purchase an additional quantity."
India. On April 16, the Mumbai-based Economic Times reported that 50,000 pieces
of personal protective equipment donated by China were defective and unusable.
Ireland. On April 6, the Health Service Executive (HSE) revealed that a large
portion of the €200 million delivery of personal protective equipment supplied
by China was found to be unusable for health care workers. The HSE told the
Chinese company responsible for the delivery that unless the quality of the
equipment being sent is guaranteed, there will not be any more deals between the
two nations with regards to PPE. The government said that it was seeking a
refund.
Malaysia. On April 16, Malaysian authorities approved the use of coronavirus
test kits from South Korea after similar kits from China were found to be
defective. A senior official in the Ministry of Health, Noor Hisham Abdullah,
said that the accuracy of the Chinese tests was "not very good." He expressed
optimism over the South Korean tests: "Now that we have a test kit that is fast,
portable and is cheap, that will make the difference."
Netherlands. On March 28, the Netherlands recalled 1.3 million face masks
produced in China because they did not meet the minimum safety standards for
medical personnel. The so-called KN95 masks are a less expensive Chinese
alternative to the American-standard N95 mask, which currently is in short
supply around the world. The KN95 does not fit on the face as tightly as the
N95, thus potentially exposing medical personnel to the coronavirus.
Philippines. On March 29, the Department of Health apologized for comments it
made a day earlier that two batches of coronavirus test kits provided by China
were substandard. Undersecretary for Health Maria Rosario Vergeire had said that
kits made by Chinese manufacturers BGI Group and Sansure Biotech were only 40%
accurate in diagnosing Covid-19 and that some of them would have to be
discarded. The Chinese Embassy in Manila rejected those accusations and claimed
that the kits complied with standards established by the World Health
Organization. "The Chinese Embassy firmly rejects any irresponsible remarks and
any attempts to undermine our cooperation in this regard," a spokesman tweeted.
Slovakia. On April 1, Prime Minister Igor Matovič disclosed that more than a
million coronavirus tests supplied by China for a cash payment of €15 million
($16 million) were inaccurate and unable to detect Covid-19. "We have a ton of
tests and no use for them," he said. "They should just be thrown straight into
the Danube." China accused Slovakian medical personnel of using the tests
incorrectly.
Turkey. On March 27, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said that Turkey had tried
Chinese-made coronavirus tests but authorities "weren't happy about them."
Professor Ateş Kara, a member of the Turkish Health Ministry's coronavirus task
force, added that the batch of testing kits were only 30 to 35% accurate: "We
have tried them. They don't work. Spain has made a huge mistake by using them."
United Kingdom. On April 6, the London-based newspaper The Times reported that
17.5 million coronavirus antibody tests supplied by China were defective. The
Chinese manufacturers of the tests blamed British officials and politicians for
misunderstanding or exaggerating the utility of the tests. The British
government, which reportedly paid at least $20 million (£16 million) for the
tests, said that it was seeking a refund. Meanwhile, other coronavirus tests
destined for the UK were found to be tainted with coronavirus.
United States. On April 17, the director of the Missouri Department of Public
Safety, Sandy Karsten, revealed that 3.9 million KN95 masks manufactured in
China were defective. The State of Missouri had signed a $16.5 million contract
with an unidentified vendor for the masks and paid half in advance. The vendor
is refusing to return the $8.25 million. Missouri Governor Mike Parson said: "We
got cheated here in this state and we are going to go out there and try to get
our money back and hold people accountable." In neighboring Illinois, Governor
J.B. Pritzker said that the state had spent $17 million on KN95 masks that may
be unusable: "You know things come in shipments of a million — you can't go
through one mask at a time and so you try to take samples from the shipments
that come in, make sure you got what you are paying for." In Washington State,
12,000 coronavirus testing kits produced in China were recalled after some of
them were found to be contaminated with the coronavirus.
On March 30, China urged European countries not to "politicize" concerns about
the quality of medical supplies from China. "Problems should be properly solved
based on facts, not political interpretations," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua
Chunying said.
On April 1, the Chinese government reversed course and announced that it was
increasing its oversight of exports of coronavirus test kits made in China.
Chinese exporters of coronavirus tests must now obtain a certificate from the
National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) in order to be cleared by
China's customs agency.
On April 16, the Wall Street Journal reported that millions of pieces of medical
equipment destined for the United States were being held in warehouses in China
due to the new export restrictions imposed by the Chinese government. "We
appreciate the efforts to ensure quality control," the U.S. State Department
said. "But we do not want this to serve as an obstacle for the timely export of
important supplies."
U.S. Senator Kelly Loeffler from Georgia accused China of holding up shipments
of test kits: "Testing is core to opening our country back up. I'm concerned
that China's holding up test kits. They're playing games with trade policy to
prevent us, the United States, from getting the testing that we need."
The coronavirus pandemic has exposed the flaws of globalization by laying bare
how the West has allowed itself to become dangerously dependent on Communist
China for the supply of essential health care and medical products.
Andrew Michta, Dean of the College of International and Security Studies at the
George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies, explained:
"The Wuhan Virus and the attendant misery that the Chinese communist state has
unleashed upon the world (very much including its own people) has laid bare a
core structural flaw in the assumptions underpinning globalization. It turns out
that the radical interweaving of markets — which was supposed to lead to the
'complex interdependence' that international relations theorists have been
predicting for the better part of the century would lead to an increase in
global stability... has instead created an inherently fragile and teetering
structure that is exacerbating uncertainty in a time of crisis....
"If there is any good to come from the devastating impact on our nation of this
pandemic brought about by the Chinese communist regime through its malice and
incompetence, it will be the likely demise of enthusiasm for globalization as we
know it across the West. After three decades of intellectual gymnastics aimed at
convincing Americans that the off-shoring of manufacturing and the attendant
deindustrialization of the country are good for us, the time has come for a
reckoning.
"Since the end of the Cold War, Western elites seem to have been in thrall to
the idea that various 'natural forces' in the economy and politics were
propelling us forward to a digitally interconnected brave new world, one in
which traditional considerations of national interest, national economic policy,
national security, and national culture would soon be eclipsed by an emergent
peaceful global reality. This virus crisis is a wake-up call, and while some
argue we are waking up too late to effectively counter current trends, my money
is on the ability of the American people to rally in a crisis and on the
resilience of Western democratic institutions.
"Today, while battling the Wuhan Virus consumes the attention of our government
agencies and health care systems, we should not lose sight of the foundational
strategic challenge confronting the West in the emerging post-globalization era:
We are in a long twilight competition with the Chinese communist regime, a
struggle we cannot escape, whether we like it or not. Now is the time to wake
up, develop a new strategy for victory, and to move forward."
*Soeren Kern is a Senior Fellow at the New York-based 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.
On UN's Int’l Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for
Peace, G20
Ahmed Al Sayegh/Asharq Al-Awsat/April 25/2020
With governments around the world grappling with COVID-19 and the implications
it poses for their people and economies, the need for international cooperation
is clearer than ever. The Group of Twenty, or G20, is the only forum which
brings together some of the key international organizations involved in the
response, such as the World Health Organization and the United Nations, with the
world’s largest and most advanced economies, who need to bring their financial,
technology, and strategic firepower to the table to assist the world during this
crisis.
Forged in the depths of the 2008 Global Financial Crisis, when it was agreed to
upgrade what was then a relatively unknown finance ministers meeting into a
high-level heads of government summit, the G20 now undoubtedly faces the
greatest challenge since its creation. Now is its moment to shine. The G20
brings together not just world leaders, but also central bank governors and
ministers representing foreign affairs, finance, education, health, agriculture,
employment, environment, energy, tourism, anti-corruption, trade, and the
digital economy. As a grouping that comprises over 75 percent of world trade and
two-thirds of the world’s population, the G20’s resources should now be utilized
in combatting COVID-19 and its implications for us all.
In light of this, Saudi Arabia – in its capacity as 2020 G20 host – convened the
first-ever Extraordinary Virtual G20 Leaders’ Summit, which took place at the
end of March. As G20 leaders were not originally due to meet until the Riyadh
Summit in November, this action alone – combined with their pledge to convene
again as the situation requires – is a testament to the world that G20 members
are aware of the severity and urgency of the crisis, and stand ready to assist.
In their declaration following their virtual summit, G20 leaders recognized the
need for coordinated action to overcome the consequences of the COVID-19
pandemic, and agreed on a number of joint initiatives on the health, economic
policy, and international trade fronts. They committed to working together to
resource and support the WHO’s COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund, the Coalition
for Epidemic Preparedness and Innovation (CEPI), and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
Similarly, they called upon the WHO to explore the possibility of establishing a
global initiative on pandemic preparedness and response. On the back of these
commitments, Saudi Arabia, just a few days ago, showcased its leadership by
pledging USD500 million to support these institutions, and other regional and
international organizations, in their efforts to combat COVID-19.
My own country, the United Arab Emirates, was among the attendees to the
Extraordinary Virtual G20 Leaders’ Summit. We are very fortunate to participate
in this year’s G20 at the invitation of Saudi Arabia, and in our capacity as
Chair of the GCC. This provides us with an opportunity to be involved in
deliberations at the highest level and help shape the world’s response to
COVID-19 as we share our own experiences combatting the virus.
As His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan – Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi
and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces – remarked recently, many
developing countries do not have access to the same level of health care or
preventative measures as wealthy industrialized nations to help protect them
from the virus. African and small island states in particular need our special
attention. Economic success is only secondary to our responsibility in
protecting humanity and saving lives when a crisis strikes.
The UAE has been among the first nations to reach out and lend a helping hand.
We have provided over 270 metric tons of aid to over 25 countries in need,
supporting more than 270,000 medical professionals in the process. Those
countries include Italy, Afghanistan, Iran, China, Serbia, Croatia, Malaysia,
Greece, Ethiopia, Colombia, Sudan, Cyprus, and the Seychelles. I also personally
met with Emil Karanikolov, Bulgarian Minister of Economy, to discuss bilateral
cooperation between the UAE and Bulgaria in light of challenges presented by the
COVID-19 pandemic.
By April 19, the UAE had succeeded in conducting 86 land and air evacuations to
repatriate UAE citizens and residents, including 2,286 UAE citizens and their
companions to the UAE and 22,900 foreigners to their home countries.
We have also flown missions for others in need. The UAE opened the doors of its
Humanitarian City in Abu Dhabi to citizens from our fellow Arab countries it
helped evacuate from the Chinese province of Hubei; contributed to the
evacuation of a number of South Korean nationals and their companions from Iran;
and received two aircraft from the United Kingdom carrying about 400 students of
various nationalities.
The UAE has led by example at home, too. In the early days of the crisis, we
mobilized a rapid response team to deal with any suspected cases, closed all
schools, universities and nurseries, and activated remote schooling for all
students.
We implemented temporary international travel restrictions for all UAE citizens
and suspended the issuing of all new visas, which quickly escalated into a
complete suspension of all inbound and outbound passenger flights.
Recent, innovative measures include a country-wide intensive nightly sanitation
effort, a series of ‘drive-through’ COVID-19 testing stations, and a trial of
video-based court proceedings. The UAE has been at the forefront of testing for
the virus, completing more than 765,000 tests – among the most in the world.
Dubai airline Emirates recently became the first airline to conduct on-site
rapid COVID-19 tests for passengers, with test results available within ten
minutes.
As an invited guest to this year’s G20, the UAE is also contributing to crisis
response through its domestic actions. For example, as of 5 April, the UAE has
provided a stimulus package worth USD70 billion; this is consistent with the G20
Leaders’ pledge to inject over USD5 trillion into the global economy.
Similarly, in line with the mandate given by leaders at their Extraordinary
Virtual Summit, a wide range of G20 Ministers and Working Groups have been
meeting regularly to discuss ways to combat this crisis – most recently, G20
Ministers responsible for finance, health, and agriculture, as well as the
Infrastructure Working Group and the International Financial Architecture
Working Group.
Finally, the UAE – one of the world’s major logistics hubs – has maintained the
operations of its national carriers of freighters in order to keep imports,
exports, and international humanitarian relief supplies moving. This aligns with
the pledge recently made by G20 Trade and Investment Ministers to ensure the
smooth and continued operation of logistics networks as well as the essential
movement of health and business professionals across borders where possible.
The UAE has always been a strong believer in and advocate for a multilateral
approach to address global issues. We believe the power of this approach is now
stronger than ever as the world is confronted by what UN Secretary-General
Antonio Guterres has described as the most challenging crisis since World War
II.
We must work together to educate our citizens about the dangers this disease
poses while also providing hope for a positive resolution as early as possible.
While we do not yet know when that will be, we do know that the more coordinated
and resolute our response, the better the outcome will be for the world.
*His Excellency Ahmed Al Sayegh is a Minister of State in the UAE Government. He
is also the UAE’s Sherpa for the G20.
Amid The Pandemic, U.S. Militia Groups Plot ‘The Boogaloo,’
AKA Civil War, On Facebook
Christopher Mathias, HuffPost US/April 25/2020
Extremists are promoting anti-government violence on Facebook during the
coronavirus pandemic. The social media giant appears to be doing little about
it.
A local militia group is seen at a rally to protest a stay-at-home order in
Columbus, Ohio, on April 20. The man in the center is wearing a "boogaloo"
patch.
Thousands of armed right-wing militants are plotting a violent uprising against
the U.S. government during the coronavirus crisis, a new report finds, and
Facebook is providing them a platform to prepare and organize.
A report published Thursday by the watchdog group the Tech Transparency Project
found 125 Facebook groups devoted to the idea of the “boogaloo,” a far-right
term used to describe what they believe is an inevitable civil war in the U.S.
Members discuss weapons, combat medicine, and how to develop explosives, the
report says. One group even shared a document detailing how to disrupt U.S.
government supply lines and discussing the possible need to assassinate
government officials.
These groups have proliferated during the pandemic, according to the report, as
right-wing extremists grow more agitated over lockdown orders aimed at slowing
the spread of the virus, measures many militia and “patriot” groups view as the
oppressive maneuverings of a tyrannical government.
Over 60% of the groups were created in just the last three months, according to
the report. The 125 groups have nearly 73,000 members, though it’s unclear how
many individuals may belong to multiple groups.
About 50% of the groups’ members have joined within the last 30 days.
The groups have flourished despite Facebook community guidelines that prohibit
facilitating, organizing or promoting “harmful activities targeted at people.”
The guidelines also ban “statements of intent to commit high-severity violence.”
Daniel E. Stevens, executive director of Campaign for Accountability, the
umbrella organization under which TTP operates, told HuffPost in a statement
Thursday that “Facebook’s failure to stop their platform from being used as an
organizing tool for extremists is completely unacceptable.”
“There is nothing subtle about how these extremist groups are using Facebook’s
platform to advance their cause,” Stevens said. “Boogaloo proponents are not
simply discussing ideas or political views; they are directly advocating for
violent action and tactically planning how to defeat government entities.”
There are 125 anti-government extremist groups on Facebook devoted to the
There are 125 anti-government extremist groups on Facebook devoted to the "boogaloo,"
a far-right term for what they believe is a coming civil war. The groups have
proliferated during the coronavirus crisis.
Amid The Pandemic, U.S. Militia Groups Plot ‘The Boogaloo,’ AKA Civil War, On
In a statement to HuffPost Thursday, a Facebook spokesperson claimed the company
is aware of the boogaloo groups.
“We’ve removed groups and Pages who’ve used this and related terms for violating
our policies,” the spokesperson said.
None of the handful of boogaloo groups specifically named in TTP’s report
summary had been taken down as of Friday morning.
“We’re reviewing the content referenced in this report and will enforce against
any violations,” the Facebook spokesperson said.
The potential for real-world violence by these groups came into focus earlier
this week, when an Arkansas boogaloo enthusiast named Aaron Swenson
live-streamed himself on Facebook driving around Texarkana, Texas, allegedly
looking for a police officer to shoot and kill.
Comments left on the livestream showed some users endorsing attacking police
officers. Other users suggested people call 911. Swenson was eventually
arrested, according to the local police department.
A review of his Facebook page by TTP found that he “liked” over a dozen boogaloo
pages, including a prominent boogaloo page called the Thicc Boog Line.
A series of extremist Facebook pages
A series of extremist Facebook pages "liked" by Aaron Swenson, who was arrested
for allegedly attempting to attack police officers in Texas.
After HuffPost’s inquiry Thursday, Facebook appears to have removed Swenson’s
profile page.
Facebook studies and monitors new terms, including boogaloo, which extremists
may use to mask their activities, the Facebook spokesperson insisted, adding
that the company has 350 people on staff devoted to stopping people and
organizations from using its platform to plot or engage in violence.
The pandemic is proving to be a fraught period for the social media giant, as it
struggles to slow the spread of misinformation about the virus that could put
people in danger.
Facebook recently banned some pages and posts promoting anti-lockdown protests
in California, New Jersey and Nebraska that defied “government’s guidance on
social distancing.”
Many such protests, however, have still been organized on the platform,
resulting in crowds of right-wingers not observing social distancing guidelines
descending upon government buildings, demanding that lawmakers reopen local and
state economies despite the desperate warnings of public health experts.
TTP also infiltrated private boogaloo groups on Facebook where pages promoting
anti-lockdown events were shared and attendance was encouraged, including a page
for an April 24 protest in Wisconsin.
Heavily armed militiamen, some of whom have carried boogaloo signs or worn
boogaloo patches, have appeared at previous anti-lockdown rallies.
“This is not a case of extremists outsmarting Facebook,” Stevens, of the
Campaign for Accountability, told HuffPost in his statement. “By allowing these
pages to exist, Facebook is demonstrating a clear unwillingness to protect the
public from possible domestic terrorists. Unless Facebook takes substantive
action to break up these dangerous online communities, there is a very real risk
of violence spilling out into the streets.”
A screengrab from one of the
A screengrab from one of the "boogaloo" groups.
The boogaloo groups are part of a larger anti-government extremist movement in
the U.S., which includes militia and “patriot” organizations such as the
Oathkeepers and the Three Percenters, whose adherents have been implicated in
bombings, murders and armed standoffs with federal law enforcement.
There is sometimes overlap between anti-government and white supremacist
movements. TTP’s analysis of the boogaloo groups found that some members’
profiles include white supremacist content, including images of Adolf Hitler.
Many other group members, however, claimed to reject white supremacist ideology.
TTP says it identified the 125 groups in its report by searching for different
variations or abbreviations of “boogaloo,” such as “boog,” “big igloo,” “Big
Luau,” and “boojihadeen.”
One group, “BoojieBastards: Intelligence and Surveillance,” has averaged 100 new
members a day since its creation in February, and now boasts some 6,500
followers.
The largest group, the Thicc Boog Line, has gained about 30,000 followers since
its creation in October 2019. Its main page is public and is often used to hawk
boogaloo-branded clothing and accessories. The Thicc Boog Line also operates 11
private boogaloo groups that more explicitly discuss preparing for the coming
civil war.
About 89% of the groups identified in TTP’s report, or 112, are set to private.
Many take their war preparations so seriously that members are banned from
posting memes, so as the discussion stays focused on intelligence sharing.
“The groups engage in national-level coordination or act as state and local
chapters where users share tactical information and survival tips, ranging from
topographic map access to instructions for evading authorities,” the report
states.
Perhaps most concerning are the planning documents members upload to the
boogaloo groups which, according to TTP, include military manuals, a CIA
handbook, and “The Anarchist Cookbook,” a famous bomb building guide.
Another alarming, 133-page document entitled “Yeetalonians” spells out what
weapons should be used for the boogaloo and instructs members how to develop
propaganda to win over others to their cause.
A screenshot from “Yeetalonians,” which spells out what weapons should be used
for the
A screenshot from “Yeetalonians,” which spells out what weapons should be used
for the boogaloo.
The document discusses how “national guard depots, police stations and factories
that produce munitions are all very solid targets” for disrupting the U.S.
government supply chain.
It emphasizes to members that it’s deeply important “to make the enemy
(government forces) see that they are not fighting terrorists, they are fighting
their own countrymen who simply love liberty.”
The “Yeetalonian” document also mentions “target selection,” arguing that while
assassinations of public officials and figureheads are often “overrated” as a
military strategy, “some people have to go.”
Woes compounded by pandemic, economic crisis in
war-stricken Syria as holy month begins
Sami Moubayed/The Arab Weekly/April 25/2020
BEIRUT - Ramadan could not have come at a worse time for the Syrian population.
The war-torn country is already cash-strapped, after almost a decade of
crippling international sanctions that have resulted, among other things, in
major shortages of heating fuel and electricity, leading to long and dark
winters.
Six months ago, the Syrian currency witnessed its greatest devaluation in
history, now standing at 1,300 Syrian pounds (SP) to the American dollar. That
brought production to a screeching halt, as Syrian industrialists could no
longer determine their cost and profit margins.
As factories closed, workers were laid off and the price of scarce commodities
skyrocketed, devouring the funds Syrians still had in their coffers. Then came
the total lockdown that started in mid-March as a preventive measure against the
COVID-19 pandemic. That alone has led to the closure of any businesses that were
still open, sending thousands into unemployment ahead of Ramadan.
Changing Rituals
Despite the war, the holy month had traditionally been a relatively festive
period when families would gather around the supper table to break their fast.
Men would then go in groups to a nearby mosque to perform the taraweeh prayer, a
long-observed ritual throughout the Muslim world. This year, however, mosques
will remain closed throughout the month of Ramadan and families will not be able
to gather due to a strict 7:30pm curfew, which makes it illegal to go out during
or after the iftar meal. The traditional Ramadan cannon, used to signal when
Muslims can break their fast, has also been muted as authorities feared its
gunfire would be confused with real fire exchanges on the Syrian battlefield.
Soap operas, a highlight of Syrian Ramadan for six decades, will not be
broadcast this year because of filming restrictions. Syrian producers were
banned from completing the filming of their productions from mid-March as a
precaution against the spread of the virus. Those who had already completed
their works have been unable to sell them to Arab satellite channels because of
a lack of advertisers and commercial sponsors.
Daily labourers
No official statistics have yet been released as to how many people have been
laid off throughout Syria due to coronavirus, but the number is thought to be
high and it includes thousands of labourers such as waiters, construction
workers, bus drivers and shisha attendants who rely on daily wages to provide
for their families. The Syrian government briefly toyed with the idea of
compensating each of the workers with 100,000 SP (approximately US$192) but that
idea never got past the drawing board – due to a lack of surplus cash in the
Syrian treasury. There is no sign that normal life will return in Syria any time
soon; public bus services remain cancelled, construction work is on hold and all
hotels, restaurants, cinemas and cafes remain closed.
A vicious cycle
But it is not only the daily labourers who are complaining. So are those with
full-time jobs in both the public and private sectors. State employees rarely
relied on their mediocre salaries to make a living, waiting instead for
overtime, bonuses and rewards which have all been suspended. Meanwhile, although
fixed salaries are visibly higher in the private sector, Ramadan rewards have
been called off, as business owners have had no income since early March.
Previously, most private-sector employees were given a one-time bonus ahead of
Ramadan, in order for them to buy necessary food and items needed for the Holy
Month. That becomes all the more problematic with soaring prices, due to sharp
demand ahead of Ramadan. Producers cite a variety of reasons for the price
hikes, such as the crippling shortage of American dollars and frequent power
cuts.
A pack of 24 eggs has increased in price from 950 SP (7 cents) just six months
ago to a whopping 2,300 SP this Ramadan ($1.70). The price of one kilos of
lemon, vital for making salads and nearly all meals in the Syrian cuisine, has
gone from 500 SP (3 cents) in September to 1,500 SP this April ($1.1). To
appreciate what this means for Syrian salaries, we must keep in mind that the
majority of public sector employees live on a minimum wage of 48,000 SP per
month ($37).
“The Syrian supply chain is stunned, even without a large-scale pandemic” said
Karim Tabbah, a Toronto-based Syrian business expert.
Speaking to The Arab Weekly, Tabbah explained: “Any business that wants to
import products into the local market has to overcome various challenges related
to payments and shipments. Syrian businesses have now also to consider new
challenges related to the disruption of the global supply chain. They need to
compete with companies from all over the world to secure products that have
recently become scarce. They need to absorb the global increase in prices, which
has affected many food commodities.”This won’t be easy, nor will it be quick.
Long bread queues are expected this Ramadan and so are lines at the
supermarkets, where social distancing and COVID-19 prevention methods will rule
the day.
*Sami Moubayed is a Syrian historian and author of Under the Black Flag (IB
Tauris, 2015).
Turkey's increased involvement in Libya raises regional
alarm
Ahmed Megahid/The Arab Weekly/April 25/2020
CAIRO - Turkey is stepping up direct military involvement in Libya, stoking
tensions in the North African country and threatening to turn it into another
Syria, analysts said.
"Turkish interference in Libya is turning it into yet another centre of regional
rivalries," said retired Libyan diplomat Mohamed Fayez Jibril. "The same
interference is having far-reaching ramifications for regional security."Turkey
provides assistance to the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA),
which is struggling to repel the advance of the eastern-based Libyan National
Army (LNA) towards the Libyan capital.
Turkish support has so far included the dispatch of thousands of hirelings from
Syria, unmanned aerial vehicles and armoured vehicles.
The LNA recently posted videos of Syrian mercenaries it arrested that were sent
to the country by Turkey.
The mercenaries state in the videos that they were recruited by Turkish
intelligence, including at refugee camps in the north-eastern Syrian cities of
Aleppo and Idlib, before travelling to Turkey, from where they were flown to
Tripoli and Misrata. One of the mercenaries said he receives $2,000 every month
to fight side by side with the Islamist militias of the GNA against the LNA. The
LNA also posted videos showing Turkish officers in the battlefield fighting
alongside GNA forces.
The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights estimated the number of
Syrian hirelings sent by Turkey to Libya so far to be more than 5,000. Turkey,
it said, is preparing to send hundreds more mercenaries to Libya. Turkish
support for the GNA is altering the course of events in Libya, as Islamist
militias loyal to the Tripoli-based government score some victories even as the
LNA keeps shooting down Turkish drones. The LNA has downed dozens of these
drones so far.
Turkish interference in Libya is only a small part of Ankara's geopolitical
strategy in the region, analysts said. The country is also ramping up tensions
in Syria, Yemen, Iraq and in the Eastern Mediterranean, they said, keeping
regional rivals on their toes.
Ankara's policy is driven by its aim to shore up natural gas wealth in the
Mediterranean and its commitment to Islamist groups, especially the Muslim
Brotherhood. "But this is a policy that opens the door for further tensions in
the region," said Mohamed Rabie al-Dehi, an independent Egyptian specialist in
Turkish affairs. "Regional states will not likely fall silent while Turkey keeps
encroaching on their sovereign rights or threatens their national security."
The latest example of Turkish encroachment was on April 21 when its Ministry of
Defence revealed that Turkish drill ships and research vessels would maintain
their activities in the Eastern Mediterranean.
The Turkish Navy, it added in a statement, would provide security to ships and
vessels as they operate in the area. Greece condemned the move, accusing Ankara
of infringing on the exclusive economic zone of Cyprus.
"(This) confirms, once again, Turkey’s destabilising role and its standing as
the principal violator of international law in the region," The Greek Foreign
Ministry said. Nevertheless, Turkish interference in Libya is the most blatant
violation of state sovereignty and international resolutions, analysts said.
Turkey ramped up its presence in Libya after signing two deals with the GNA in
November 2019 – one on security cooperation and another on maritime boundary
delimitation.
They allow Turkey to send military reinforcements to Libya and give Turkey a say
in the exploration of minerals in the Eastern Mediterranean, according to
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
However, frequent shipments of Turkish arms to Libya and the dispatch of
mercenaries from Syria violate an arms embargo imposed on the North African
state in 2011.
"Turkey uses the ongoing global fight against the coronavirus in advancing its
agenda in Libya," al-Dehi said. "Apart from trying to come on board of the newly
found natural gas wealth in the Eastern Mediterranean, Turkey wants to gain
influence in North Africa by supporting Islamist movements, including the
Islamist-backed GNA."
Turkey appears to be preparing for even bigger moves in Libya. Earlier this
month, a number of air traffic tracking sites traced intensive Turkish aerial
activity over the Eastern Mediterranean on the road to Libya.
On April 18, Turkey received the first of six maritime patrol Leonardo ATR72-600
aircraft for testing. This came only days after Egypt had received an advanced
submarine from Germany, in what seems to be an arms race in the region.
"Turkey's regional policies are very risky because they primarily aim at causing
problems to regional states, especially Egypt and other rivals, such as Greece,"
Jibril said. "This is why war is not a far-fetched scenario, especially with
Turkish insistence to move along the same line."
*Ahmed Meghid is an Egyptian reporter based in Cairo.
Why King Abdullah Is King
Robert Satloff/American Interest/The Washington Institute/April 25/2020
His father, King Hussein, had always wanted it that way, he just never told
anybody. Except me.
Leaders around the world are enjoying a “rally around the flag” moment as they
take charge of their nations’ fight against COVID-19. Jordan’s King Abdullah is
no exception. After 21 years on the throne, he is at the height of his
popularity, buoyed by a nationwide sense that the former special forces
commander has wisely deployed the national institution with which he is most
closely associated—the Jordan Arab Army—in a no-holds-barred effort to lock down
the kingdom and prevent the pandemic from inflicting catastrophic damage. As one
journalist, usually a sharp critic of the king, wrote me: “I am sincerely
complimenting the king—and still pinching myself—but he really has been superb.”
One sign of Abdullah’s popularity is a photo circulating on Facebook and Twitter
showing him at the center of a throng of cheering Jordanian soldiers, an image
that conjures up similar pictures of his father—King Hussein—surrounded by
adoring troops at previous moments of triumph. The message is unmistakable:
Abdullah is his father’s son, acting today with the same drive, determination,
and leadership that characterized Hussein’s stewardship of the country under
pressure. For a monarchy that has to continually take the temperature of
often-restive public opinion, the visual (and hence psychological) connection
between Hussein and Abdullah is a major plus.
Eventually, though, this moment will pass and, as is the way of the world,
memories will fade and critics will again grow sharp. In the Jordanian version
of “what have you done for me lately,” many will forget how Abdullah handled the
pandemic the way they forgot how he handled other crises, from the fallout of
the September 11 attacks to America’s invasion of Iraq, from terrorism in Amman
and the subsequent rise of ISIS to the mass influx of Syrian refugees, from the
local ripples of the Arab Spring to the Trump Administration’s feared “deal of
the century.”
Instead, they will focus on his mistakes, of which he has surely had his share.
That path will inevitably lead some of them down a winding road to the original
critique against him, the two-decade-old charge that Abdullah’s reign is an
accident of history, the last, lingering side-effect of a debilitating cancer
treatment that sapped his father both of physical strength and mental acuity.
Despite more than two decades on the throne, some whisperers in Amman will still
say Abdullah’s reign—allegedly born in the fog of Hussein’s diminished
capacity—was illegitimate when it started and remains so today.
It is not my job to fight Abdullah’s political battles, but on this issue, I
have special knowledge. The whisperers, when they re-emerge, will be wrong.
Here’s why.
Some context: I first traveled to Jordan in 1985 for an Arabic language program
at Yarmouk University in the northern city of Irbid. During the course of that
eye-opening summer, I had two royal encounters: a handshake with Queen Noor,
Hussein’s fourth wife, at a meet-and-greet reception for American students at
the royal palace in Amman, and a quick hello to then-Prince Abdullah, Hussein’s
eldest son and then-captain of the Jordanian national race car team, when our
Yarmouk contingent crossed paths with the team at the pool of the Petra Hotel.
But I didn’t meet King Hussein himself until four years later, in 1989, when I
was back in Amman doing research for my Oxford doctoral dissertation. My topic
was Jordanian domestic politics in the 1950s. Specifically, I was fascinated
with how this small, nearly landlocked, resource-poor, refugee-rich country at
the center of one of the world’s leading conflict zones survived the tumultuous
years after the assassination of its founder, Hussein’s grandfather, the first
King Abdullah.
For my research, I interviewed dozens of elderly ministers, courtiers, and
generals, used my wiles to gain entry to the collection of banned books,
pamphlets, and memoirs that filled the “Forbidden Room”—al-ghurfa al-mamnua’—at
the University of Jordan, and was the first Western researcher to mine the
fascinating resources of the Jordanian national archives. I was also fortunate
to meet frequently with some of the king’s most senior palace advisors and even
to have several audiences with King Hussein himself.
Early on, I realized that the best way to ensure that meetings with Hussein were
meaningful was not to waste time on contemporary politics. I never used the
occasion to ask about the latest twist or turn in his quiet diplomacy with
Israel, the latest move in his decades-long contest with Yasser Arafat, or the
latest development in his up-and-down relations with Washington. After all,
these were the same questions famous journalists flocked to Amman to ask Hussein
and he was unlikely to tell me anything that he hadn’t already told them.
Instead, I always focused our interviews on history—his recollections of
characters, episodes, and crises from his youth. I asked Hussein about pivotal
moments, such as his decision to fire the legendary Arab Legion commander Glubb
Pasha in 1956 and then his success in putting down a coup plot from Jordanian
radicals within the same army just a few months later. And I asked about his
evolving relations with Western powers, from his dependence on the
often-domineering British to his reliance on an America that, in his view, too
naively wooed the man he viewed as his most dangerous nemesis, Egypt’s Gamal
Abdul Nasser. Most of all, I asked Hussein about his family. This wasn’t always
easy. A reserved man of military bearing, Hussein was not one to trade in family
gossip or seek to settle scores through the medium of an historian. Rather than
volunteer insights from his youth, he often fell back on stylized versions of
stories re-told a thousand times from his autobiography, ghost-written by a
British journalist. Perhaps that is because he saw and heard tragedies that no
boy, teenager, or young man should have to witness: from his grandfather’s
murder at al-Aqsa Mosque, which nearly killed him too; to his father Talal’s
public outbursts, triggered by a tragic mental illness; to the gruesome
execution of the Iraqi branch of his family during the revolution against
Hashemite rule there in 1958.
I did my best to treat our conversations and those with his close advisors with
care and discretion. My focus was on the historical value of their remarks, not
on what might titillate palace observers. The result was that I never cited
anything about the royal family unless it helped answer the fundamental question
of my research—the source of Jordan’s political survival.
Perhaps it was that care and discretion which kept me in good stead with King
Hussein after the dissertation was completed and eventually published as a book.
We continued to meet—periodically and infrequently, I won’t exaggerate—in Amman
and at River House, his American home-away-from-home in Potomac, Maryland.
It was in River House, in June 1996, that I had my last face-to-face
conversation with Hussein. It was, in my view, the most intimate and revealing
conversation we ever had.
I remember it like yesterday. My arrival at the house corresponded with the
departure of Judith Kipper, a former television producer and fixture on the
Washington Middle East scene, who I met in the driveway. When I entered, the
house seemed almost empty—there appeared to be no one there except an aide or
two and the king. We sat in a comfortable living room, filled with plush, light-colored
armchairs and sofas and adorned with large, metal-framed family photographs.
Almost immediately, the king picked up a pack of cigarettes and lit up. That’s
what got us started.
“I see you’re still smoking, Your Majesty,” I said, implicitly questioning the
judgment of a man who had surgery to excise a cancerous tumor in his urinary
tract and remove a kidney four years earlier.
“Yes, sir,” he said—he invariably called people sir, an affectation from his
boarding school days—“but as you see, they are Marlboro LIGHTS.”
That exchange triggered a conversation we had never had before, a discussion
about fate, risk, and choices. In my (albeit limited) experience, Hussein was
not generally retrospective, not the sort to be preoccupied with second-guessing
critical decisions or revisiting doubts he may have had about choosing this or
that course of action. When you live on the edge as he did—facing multiple coups
and assassination plots, continual palace intrigue and the occasional war, plus
the calamities of his grandfather’s murder, father’s illness, and the sudden,
violent death of a wife (Alia, his third) in a helicopter crash—there is little
time to meditate on the if-onlys and what-might-have-beens. The fact that he was
willing to entertain an entire conversation on this topic was something special.
Eventually, the discussion turned more reflective than ever. I asked Hussein,
who was 60 at the time, what he considered his greatest regret. I had expected
him to say something about the loss of Jerusalem, which Jordan had ruled from
1949 to 1967 but which Israel took in the June war and was never going to cede
back to the Jordanians. But he thought for a moment and then said something
totally unexpected.
“My greatest regret is the terrible injury I did to my son, Abdullah,” said
Hussein. “Terrible injury?” I asked. Then I quickly realized what he was saying.
“Are you referring to taking the crown princeship away from him?”
“Yes,” he said. “I know how painful this was. And I vow that before I die, I
will repair this. I will correct what I did.”
Let me explain: Abdullah, born in January 1962, was Jordan’s crown prince until
he was three years old, when advisors convinced the king that it was too
dangerous to have a toddler as heir when there were so many threats on the
king’s life. It didn’t help, palace lore added, that the toddler’s
mother—Hussein’s second wife, Muna—was born Toni Avril Gardiner, the daughter of
a British officer, not a selling point at a moment of intense Arab nationalism
across the Middle East. Heeding his advisors’ counsel, Hussein had Jordanian law
amended in 1965 to name as crown prince his youngest brother, the
then-18-year-old Hassan. At the time of my River House meeting with Hussein,
Hassan had ably and loyally served as crown prince for 30 years, most recently
playing a key role in Jordan’s decision to make formal peace with Israel. But
the king had just told me, in the privacy of his living room, that the greatest
pain he carried was from stripping his son of his birthright—and it was obvious
that Hussein was the one pained by this, not the toddler. And he told me in
words that were crystal clear that he eventually planned to change the order of
royal succession and restore his eldest son to the role of future king.
I was numb. This was not some intimate detail about a royal figure from decades
past; this was a bombshell about who would serve as Jordan’s next king. My heart
raced. Still, I went on with the conversation without revealing how excited I
was to have been told Hussein’s innermost thoughts on perhaps the most important
question of his life—who would succeed him.
Unusually, it didn’t take much prompting from me for him to continue. After his
statement promising to return Abdullah to the crown princeship, he explained how
important it was to him to take care of his nephews Talal and Ghazi, sons of his
middle brother, Muhammad, who himself had served as crown prince for the decade
before Abdullah’s birth. Then, after a brief remark underscoring the importance
of preserving the unity of the family for the next generation, the king’s moment
of reflection passed and the conversation quickly came to an end.
As I got up from the couch and began to take my leave, Hussein looked directly
at me and said, “What I just told you, sir, I would be grateful if you kept to
yourself.” I gave him my word.
It wasn’t always easy to keep that promise. When Hussein ultimately changed the
line of royal succession just two weeks before his death, there were those in
Amman who claimed this was a mercurial decision influenced by the heavy dose of
medication he was taking for the pain of his advanced cancer. Some suggested the
king acted in pique at the alleged offenses of his brother Hassan and members of
Hassan’s family. The upshot was to imply that the re-appointment of Abdullah as
crown prince and, ultimately, his elevation to the throne was not only a sudden
decision but somehow illegitimate, tainted by the cloud of illness and the
intrigue of palace courtiers taking advantage of Hussein’s diminished capacity.
From my own conversation with Hussein nearly three years before his death, I
knew these rumors were wrong—they were wrong when Hussein died in 1999 and they
remained wrong two decades later. When Abdullah marked 20 years on the throne a
year ago, the time had come, I decided, to put to rest the canard that Hussein’s
shift in succession two weeks before he died was a sudden, deathbed impulse and
to explain my understanding of his intent, based on his own words to me. At the
late monarch’s request, I had kept the conversation to myself for almost a
quarter century, but I concluded that I had fulfilled my promise to Hussein and
could now, with clear conscience, tell this story. The first to know should be
Abdullah himself, so I looked for an opportunity to tell the king what his
father had told me.
My chance came last November. Just before escorting Abdullah into a New York
ballroom, I was fortunate to have nearly thirty minutes alone in a small hotel
sitting room with him, his wife Queen Rania, and their eldest son, Crown Prince
Hussein. With no courtiers or photographers present, it was just the four of us,
on modest wooden chairs, sitting close to each other, our knees almost touching.
In that intimate setting, I finally had the opportunity to tell the royal family
about the private conversation I had nearly 25 years ago with Abdullah’s father.
I explained that Hussein had long planned to change the order of succession,
that restoring his eldest son was a way to repair a painful hurt he believed had
been inflicted on Abdullah decades earlier, and that the fundamental decision
had nothing to do with Hussein’s alleged dissatisfaction with Hassan or his
family. (Indeed, never once in our conversations did Hussein utter a critical
word about Hassan; to the contrary, any reference to Hassan was animated with
big brotherly affection.) And now, at a moment when Abdullah’s popularity is
sky-high and this revelation can’t be viewed as special pleading to help him
weather some crisis or scandal, I am telling the story publicly for the first
time. In retrospect, Hussein’s decision to restore Abdullah to the position of
crown prince and heir was not very complicated. It is a story of kings and
commoners alike; it is a story as old as time itself. It is the story of a
father and his son.
*Robert Satloff is executive director of The Washington Institute. This article
was originally published on the American Interest website.
State of Jurisdiction: The International Criminal Court and
the ‘Situation in Palestine’
Alexander Loengarov/The Washington Institute./April 25/2020
The question of whether the ICC is able to proceed with cases against Israeli
and Palestinian officials may hinge on fuzzy international legal criteria and
competing arguments by sympathetic governments.
For some time, and since December in particular, the International Criminal
Court (ICC) has been weighing questions of its jurisdiction on war crimes and
other serious violations allegedly “committed in all parts of the territory of
the State of Palestine.” Israeli and Palestinian officials have expressed their
views on the matter, as have various other states, organizations, and
individuals. The ICC Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) now has until April 30 to
respond to these submissions, extending the original deadline due to the
coronavirus pandemic.
If ICC prosecutions are carried forward on these matters, any number of Israeli
and Palestinian citizens may find themselves in the dock at The Hague,
potentially including senior politicians and military officers. An in-depth look
at the court and the legal background of its pending jurisdictional questions is
therefore in order.
ABOUT THE COURT
The ICC is a permanent international tribunal established by a treaty, the Rome
Statute, on July 1, 2002. Its mandate is “to exercise its jurisdiction over
persons for the most serious crimes of international concern,” defined as “the
crime of genocide,” “crimes against humanity,” “war crimes,” and “the crime of
aggression.” Importantly, the ICC’s jurisdiction is “complementary to national
criminal jurisdiction.”
As of this writing, 123 states are party to the statute. The United States and
Israel signed it in 2000, yet both notified the UN secretary-general two years
later that they would not ratify it and are therefore not be bound by any
obligations ensuing from it. Without such ratification, they are not party to
the treaty. As for other states that are not parties to the statute, they have
the opportunity to accede to it by depositing their instrument of accession with
the UN secretary-general.
THE “SITUATION IN PALESTINE”
On January 2, 2015, Palestinian officials deposited their ICC accession
instrument with then-secretary-general Ban Ki-moon, who indicated that the Rome
Statute would “enter into force for the State of Palestine on 1 April 2015.” At
the same time, he noted that “it is for States to make their own determination
with respect to any legal issues raised by instruments circulated by the
Secretary-General.”
On May 22, 2018, Palestinian foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki referred the
“Situation in Palestine” to the OTP, requesting that the ICC prosecutor
“investigate, in accordance with the temporal jurisdiction of the Court, past,
ongoing and future crimes within the court’s jurisdiction, committed in all
parts of the territory of the State of Palestine.” According to the request,
“The State of Palestine comprises the Palestinian Territory occupied in 1967 by
Israel, as defined by the 1949 Armistice Line, and includes the West Bank,
including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip.”
As mentioned above, any future ICC prosecutions regarding the “Situation in
Palestine” could involve bringing Israeli and Palestinian citizens before the
court’s judges in The Hague. On the Israeli side, trials could be initiated
against current or former political and military figures, including top leaders
such as Binyamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz. On the Palestinian side, members of
Hamas and other militant groups may be among the accused.
Yet the ICC’s jurisdiction is limited to crimes allegedly committed either on
the territory of states that are party to the Rome Statute (including their
registered vessels and aircraft) or by nationals of these states. Since Israel
is not a party to the statute, the question currently being considered is
whether the “State of Palestine” can be considered a party.
On December 20, 2019, after conducting the mandatory preliminary examination,
ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda announced that “all the statutory criteria...for
the opening of an investigation have been met.” Given the situation’s “unique
and highly contested legal and factual issues,” however, she decided to seek an
ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I ruling “on the scope of the Court’s territorial
jurisdiction in the situation of Palestine, and to confirm that the ‘territory’
over which the Court may exercise its jurisdiction under article 12(2)(a)
comprises the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza.”
That same day, Israel published its own position on the matter, stating that the
ICC does not possess territorial jurisdiction because “Palestine” cannot be
considered a state, mainly due to its lack of effective control over the
territory it claims. The Palestinians submitted their position to the court on
March 16, 2020, pointing out the large number of countries and international
organizations for which Palestine is a state, and noting the need for the ICC to
rule on its jurisdiction in accordance with the purpose of its founding statute.
The pre-trial chamber also permitted seven states and thirty-six
organizations/individuals to submit their observations by March 16, asking the
OTP to respond by March 30; the deadline was later extended by one month.
STATES ON STATEHOOD
The seven states that submitted observations were Australia, Austria, Brazil,
Czechia, Germany, Hungary, and Uganda. All seven argued that the “State of
Palestine” does not presently satisfy the conditions to be considered a state as
intended in article 12(2)(a) of the Rome Statute. It is worth comparing this
stance to their voting patterns on Palestinian membership in the UN Educational,
Scientific, and Cultural Organization (October 31, 2011), and on the adoption of
UN General Assembly Resolution 67/19 (December 4, 2012), which established
Palestinian “non-member observer State status in the United Nations”:
Also notable is each state’s relationship with Israel. Three of the seven
states—Australia, Czechia, and Germany—had cultivated particularly strong
relations with Israel, frequently proving sympathetic to its concerns and
positions, well before the Palestinian situation was referred to the ICC. As for
the other countries, media reports have pointed out increasingly cordial
relationships between Prime Minister Netanyahu and the leaders of Austria,
Brazil, Hungary, and Uganda.
The United States and Canada, which have often shared Israel’s positions in
international forums, did not request leave from the ICC to submit amicus curiae
observations regarding the “Situation in Palestine.” In a February 14 letter to
the court, however, the Canadian Foreign Ministry repeated the position it first
expressed after the Palestinians requested accession to the Rome Statute—namely,
that Palestine “does not meet the criteria of a state under international law
and is not recognized by Canada as a state.” Netanyahu reportedly wrote to Prime
Minister Justin Trudeau explicitly asking for this show of support. Likewise, in
a December 20 statement, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reiterated the U.S.
stance that the “Palestinians [do not] qualify as a sovereign state” and should
therefore not participate in international organizations in that capacity.
The Palestinians are not alone in maintaining that the ICC possesses the
necessary jurisdiction. Their position is backed by amicus curiae submissions by
the League of Arab States, representing twenty-two countries, and the
Organization of Islamic Cooperation, representing fifty-seven countries
(Palestinian membership is included in these figures; Syria is included as well,
despite its ongoing suspension).
INTERNATIONAL LEGAL CRITERIA IN A POLITICAL CONTEXT
Although international law is sometimes characterized by black and white
concepts, neither statehood nor its recognition has proven to be neatly
definable. The Palestinian case is not the only illustration of this phenomenon
(e.g., see Kosovo), but it is among the most intricate.
According to states that back Israel’s position, ICC jurisdiction needs to be
assessed pursuant to the Rome Statute and, since that is an international
treaty, the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties. This means resorting to
the traditional criteria for statehood under international law, which normally
require effective government control over the territory in question. At present,
the Palestinian Authority exerts only a limited type of control in certain
portions of the West Bank—namely, “Areas A and B” —and none in the Gaza Strip or
East Jerusalem. Similarly, its criminal jurisdiction in these areas is limited
and does not extend to Israelis. As a result, it is difficult to determine which
“national” jurisdiction the ICC’s jurisdiction would complement in this case.
Yet the court may note the relativity that sometimes rears its head when
applying statehood criteria. For instance, Taiwan is recognized by just fifteen
states worldwide, despite largely fulfilling the traditional criteria, whereas
Somalia was still considered a state long after its central government
collapsed. A treaty’s purpose also needs to be considered when interpreting its
provisions; the ICC was established with the goal of not letting allegations of
serious crimes go unscrutinized. If the court accepts that Palestine possesses
sufficient characteristics of a state, it could rule that it has jurisdiction to
investigate alleged crimes in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza,
regardless of whether the alleged perpetrators are Israeli or Palestinian.
In light of these intricacies, it seems an onerous task to consider
international legal arguments related to the Rome Statute or Palestinian
statehood without any connection to the international political context in which
they are put forward. It does not seem coincidental that countries with good
Israeli relations tend to uphold Israel’s legal claims on these issues, while
Palestinian legal arguments are championed by countries that share the
Palestinians’ language and/or majority religion.
Two of international law’s biggest challenges are evident here. One concerns the
fact that some international legal criteria are less clear-cut than concepts
developed within domestic legal systems. The other is the lack of law
enforcement at a global level. In certain areas of international law, the
transfer of jurisdictional power to an authority above states has taken place
only partially or not at all, as illustrated by the world’s partial adherence to
the ICC.
This multilevel fuzziness is illustrated perfectly by the “Situation in
Palestine,” in which both sides claim that any ruling contrary to their position
would indicate that the ICC is politicized. It is now up to the court, and its
Pre-Trial Chamber I in particular, to satisfy itself that it can decide the
jurisdiction question on the basis of (sufficiently) legal arguments.
*Alexander Loengarov is a visiting fellow with the international and European
law program at Vrije Universiteit Brussel, and an official at the European
Economic and Social Committee. The author acts in his own name: this PolicyWatch
solely expresses his views and does not reflect in any way the opinion of the
European Economic and Social Committee and/or the European Union, which cannot
be held responsible for any use made of it.
Armenians across coronavirus-hit Middle East commemorate
105th genocide anniversary with vigils and online ceremonies
Gasia Ohanes/The New Arab/April 25/2020
كاتيا أوهانس: الأرمن في دول الشرق الأوسط يحييون الذكرى ال 105 للإبادة التي تعرض
لها شعبهم على أيد العثمانيين
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/85428/%d9%83%d8%a7%d8%aa%d9%8a%d8%a7-%d8%a3%d9%88%d9%87%d8%a7%d9%86%d8%b3-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a3%d8%b1%d9%85%d9%86-%d9%81%d9%8a-%d8%af%d9%88%d9%84-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b4%d8%b1%d9%82-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a3%d9%88%d8%b3/
As Armenia's capital Yerevan dimmed its lights on Thursday evening, paying
tribute to the victims of the Armenian Genocide, the Armenian diaspora in the
Middle East followed the country's lead, adapting commemmoration ceremonies to
adhere to coronavirus lockdown measures.
Armenians in Lebanon, Syria, Iran and Jordan lit candle vigils on their
balconies and used social media platforms to disseminate the photos, as well as
covers of traditional Armenian songs and artwork.
Every year, Armenians in the region hold an annual march on the 24th of April to
remember the genocide – in which well over a million Armenians died between 1914
and 1923 at the hands of the Ottoman Empire and thousands were displaced after
surviving death marches to Syria.
Armenians died between 1914 and 1923 at the hands of the Ottoman Empire and
thousands were displaced after surviving death marches to Syria.
Turkey, the successor state of the Ottoman Empire, denies a genocide was carried
out, despite many states around the world officially recognising it owing to
years of Armenian activism, some criminalising its denial.
Turkish officials have often justified the mass deportation and killings of
Armenians during the First World War by referring to the "rebellion" of armed
Armenian groups against Ottoman rule.
While some Armenians may have been involved in fighting against the Ottoman
Empire, most were innocent civilians, including women and children, according to
international scholars.
Historians estimate around 1.5 million Armenians were killed in what many
scholars call the first genocide of the 20th century, although Turkey disputes
this.
In annual remembrance ceremonies, diaspora Armenians close their businesses and
shops or take days off from their work to participate in the ceremonial march,
hold vigils at genocide monuments and visit the graves of their grandparents and
forefathers.
This year – with all non-essential businesses closed in Lebanon, Syria Jordan,
and Iran, home to the largest Armenian diaspora communities in the region, and
large public gatherings banned, Armenians had to adapt their commemorations and
activism to adhere to social distancing measures and other restrictions.
Lebanon's Armenians
In Lebanon, home to the most sizeable Armenian community in the Arab world as a
direct result of the exodus during the genocide – second-largest to Iran in
overall Armenian diaspora population – the Armenian church-affiliated Cilicia
TV's Facebook page broadcasted a torch-carrying tour of Lebanon on a small
motorcade.
The convoy toured Beirut's streets, passing through the predominently-Armenian
Bourj Hammoud neighbourhoods, while a man standing in the back of one vehicle
held the blazing torch.
The torch eventually reached an Armenian church, where social-distanced
traditional performances took place in the courtyard in the absence of a live
audience.
The four-hour video aired live on Thursday night showed families peeking from
balconies glimmering with candlelight to watch the torch pass.
While the yearly march gathers on average tens of thousands of Armenians in
Lebanon's capital, the experience this year was remarkably different for most of
Lebanon's Armenians who tuned in from their homes.
Despite the restriction on movement and other difficulties, Lebanese-Armenians
interviewed by The New Arab said the online ceremonies evoked a sense of a
larger-than-usual community.
Annie Tabakian, a communication coordinator at the Lebanese American University,
said she often requests a day off on the 24th of April to participate in the
march or go to church. This year, with universities closed, Tabakian's
experience was slightly different.
"I can't believe how amazing it is this year. The fact that the commemoration
started in the real world with people driving around in Beirut and putting
candles and then it continued online," Tabakian said, adding that she spotted
the symbolic 'Forget-Me-Not' flower on most social platforms.
"It's like you are marching not for an hour, but for the entire day," Tabakian
said.
Other active community groups, such as Armenians in Lebanon shared videos from
monuments and memorial sites where vigils were held for online mourners.
The group's admins – Nazareth Patchanian, Georges Tachdjian and Arine
Kabassakalian – told The New Arab that despite the coronavirus-imposed
restrictions this year, the online format of activism and remembrance drew
online crowds beyond Lebanon.
"We noticed that a lot of people from around the world are participating,
especially those from the new generation," the group said.
Arpie Minassian, a Lebanese-Armenian who now resides in the US was among those
who tuned in to see Lebanon’s commemoration activities.
"It was a very different commemoration for the 105th anniversary. While sitting
at home, we re-lived the memories of our martyrs with profound feelings of both
sadness and excitement," Minassian wrote in a comment on one of the videos.
Iconic Armenian church in Syria holds blood donation campaign
In neighbouring Syria, where around 100,000 Armenians lived before the war,
Aleppo's Armenians joined in on Thursday night's vigils, after a blood donation
event held at a church earlier in the day.
Kantsasar, an Armenian daily in Syria reported that 136 people – including
religious figures – donated blood to the national blood bank inside the iconic
Surp Asdvadzadzin (St. Mary) Armenian Apostolic Church of Aleppo.
In February this year, the Syrian regime's Parliament unanimously adopted a
resolution recognising and condemning the Armenian Genocide, a move that was
welcomed by Aleppo's remaining Armenians, but heavily blasted by those who had
fled Syria’s war as posturing against rival Turkey.
One Syrian-Armenian migrant, who spoke on conditions of anonymity, said the
regime's recognition was a politically-motivated tactic which was only announced
to spite Turkey after tensions soared.
According to the Times more than 15,000 Armenians from Syria have left for
Republic of Armenia since the war broke out eight years ago.
Genocide commemorations beyond Lebanon, Syria
For many Syrian-Armenians abroad, the commemoration brings back bitter memories
of having to escape Syria's war, as well as passed-down memories of the exodus
from more than the century-old genocide.
Many Armenians who lost their homes to Syria's conflict and left the country say
they were 'uprooted' yet again, often reiterating the gist in a over-simplified
phrase that makes its way into casual daily conversations: "This was a second
genocide to Armenians".
Armenians in the Islamic Republic of Iran marked the genocide's anniversary with
church ceremonies that were broadcast live on Instagram via the @armeniangenocide_nj
account, which also posted vigil photos submitted by Iranian Armenians.
A similar broadcast by the Armenian Apostilic church of Jordan was aired on
Thursday morning, while church representatives announced the ceremony was closed
to the public.
"Pandemics kill and are devastating. But so are Human Genocides,"
Egyptian-Armenian Kegham Papazian wrote in one of the Armenian community
facebook groups, calling on people to join the 'virtual march' from their homes.
While no official documentations denoting the exact number and corresponding
names of all genocide victims exists, the University of Minnesota's Center for
Holocaust and Genocide Studies has compiled figures by province and district
that show the number of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire decreased from over 2.1
million in 1914 to only about 387,800 by 1922.
The genocide carried out by the Ottoman Empire also killed scores of Assyrians
and Greeks, according to historians.
*Gasia Ohanes is a journalist with The New Arab.
Why Do Democrats Want to Save Iran's Theocracy?
A.J. Caschetta/The Hill/April 25/2020
At a time when Iran's oppressive totalitarian regime is coming under increasing
pressure from within and its grip on power is being tested daily, Democrats are
rushing in with sanctions relief plans that would shore up its control.
Ignorance, naiveté and a warped sense of priorities explains much of their
recent activity.
Since last fall, protests in Iran have become bold. Rather than "Death to
America!," the chants in Tehran increasingly are "Death to the Dictator!" and
"We don't want the Ayatollahs!" If Ali Khamenei loses control because of his
regime's inept response to Iran's COVID-19 deaths, it might be the only good
thing to come out of the pandemic. That is, unless the Democrats have their way.
On April 9, Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-Calif.) wrote to President Trump, urging him
not to block Iran's request for a $5 billion humanitarian aid loan from the
International Monetary Fund. On March 26, 11 senators wrote to Secretary of
State Mike Pompeo and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin requesting that the
Trump administration suspend sanctions on Iran.
In their letter, Sens. Christopher Murphy (D-Conn.), Tom Carper (D-Del.),
Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.),
Chris Van Hollen (D-Md. ), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Sherrod Brown
(D-Ohio), and Jeffrey Merkley (D-Ore.) argue that "U.S. sanctions are hindering
the free flow of desperately needed medical and humanitarian supplies" not only
to Iran but also Venezuela. They argue that sanctions have "exacerbated the
failing medical responses" and are increasing "anti-Americanism that is at the
heart of both regimes' hold on power."
This embarrassingly simplistic view ignores the fact that, in both countries,
anti-regime sentiments are stronger among the populace than anti-American
sentiments. Both regimes hold power in spite of their people's beliefs, not
because of them.
The senators further undercut their argument by calling attention to 2003, when
an earthquake killed 26,000 people in Iran. They applaud the Bush administration
for having "temporarily suspended sanctions to send 150,000 pounds of medical
supplies and more than 200 aid workers on military aircraft to help the people
of Iran recover." Such actions "show... that above all else, America cares about
the preservation of human life." The senators perhaps forgot that in 2012 after
another earthquake, President Obama's Treasury Department temporarily lifted
sanctions against Iran.
But if American aid diminishes anti-Americanism, why does it persist among
Iran's clerics? Why didn't it end in 2003 or 2012, after those displays of
compassion? Why haven't the mullahs realized that American philanthropy
contradicts their "Great Satan" narrative?
The gullible Democrats seem ignorant of the well-documented fact that when
relief money flows into Iran, it disappears. Pompeo revealed on March 23 that
more than 1 billion euros designated for Iran's fight against the coronavirus
reportedly have gone missing, and personal protection equipment donated to
Iranian hospitals has wound up for sale on the black market. Pompeo tweeted a
video on March 28 showing Iranian President Hassan Rouhani acknowledging a
"concerted effort to influence public opinion ... aimed at bringing back our
money seized in other countries." Pompeo says Rouhani's "concerted effort to
lift U.S. sanctions isn't about fighting the pandemic. It's about cash for the
regime's leaders."
Even Iran's chief auditor, Abdel Azar, recognizes the problem. He published a
report on April 14 charging that $4.8 billion has gone missing from the
country's budget and that some government employees are receiving "astronomical
salaries." For his work in exposing the apparent theft and corruption, he was
denounced by Rouhani.
Another Democrat urging an Iranian bailout is former vice president Joe Biden,
the party's presumptive presidential nominee. On April 2, he released a
statement on sanctions relief for Iran, bemoaning the Trump administration's
"failure [and] cruelty by inhibiting access to needed humanitarian assistance"
in spite of the fact that Trump has offered both medical aid and the assistance
of American physicians, both of which were rejected. Biden's letter acknowledges
Trump's offer, but he worries that foreign governments and organizations fear
retaliation from the U.S. His solution is for Trump to "issue comfort letters to
reassure them that they will not be subject to U.S. sanctions."
Biden calls for other extraordinary measures, such as "issuing broad licenses to
pharmaceutical and medical device companies [and] creating a dedicated channel
for international banks, transportation companies, insurers and other service
firms to help Iranians."
At a time when pharmaceutical and medical device companies are struggling to
keep up with the needs of American patients and hospitals, and while banks,
transportation companies and insurance firms are laboring to serve American
customers, Joe Biden wants to add to the burden by redirecting their efforts in
order to aid suffering Iranians.
Predictably, Obama's former vice president complains that Trump's "abandon[ing]
the Iran nuclear deal in favor of a 'maximum pressure' strategy ... has badly
backfired, encouraging Iran to become even more aggressive." Here Biden
apparently has forgotten that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) did
nothing to curb Iran's aggression. In January 2016, just months after the
agreement was signed, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) seized 10
U.S. Navy sailors in international waters and held them hostage until
then-Secretary of State John Kerry negotiated for their release and then issued
a groveling statement expressing "gratitude to Iranian authorities for their
cooperation in swiftly resolving this matter." Expect more of the same if Joe
Biden becomes president. He'll probably make Kerry secretary of state again.
Biden's defenders will say — as Democrats love to say of the JCPOA — that "at
least Obama had a deal," but they rarely acknowledge two important facts. One,
through its sunset clauses, Obama's deal only delayed Iran's illegal nuclear
program by 10-15 years, and then laundered it into a legal nuclear program. Two,
Iran cheated on the deal from day one, with its hidden nuclear sites and
research. Iran used the multibillion-dollar payout it scored on the front end of
the JCPOA to sponsor more terrorism. It now seeks more cash, and Democrats
appear all too willing to comply.
On what would Iran spend money that it gains through "sanctions relief"? It
would pay Hezbollah salaries, including Kata'ib Hezbollah, the terrorist group
attacking American forces in Iraq. It would supply missiles to its Shiite
proxies worldwide, from Houthi rebels in Yemen to Hamas terrorists in Gaza. It
would finance missile research and tests under the guise of a "space program."
It would continue sending gunboats to harass U.S. ships in international waters.
It might even create more terrorist organizations, such as the new "League of
Revolutionaries" currently threatening to bomb U.S. embassies and kidnap
American forces throughout the Middle East.
Iran's theocracy may not fall to a coronavirus coup — but, then again, it may.
The government's continued abilities to suppress protestors and pay its henchmen
are crucial to its control of power. Easing the maximum-pressure sanctions would
be like throwing a life preserver to the regime as it treads water and struggles
to survive.
Go ahead Democrats, make Iran's day.
*A.J. Caschetta is a Ginsberg-Ingerman fellow at the Middle East Forum and a
principal lecturer at the Rochester Institute of Technology.
Kim, dead or alive? Why that’s the wrong question
Hafed Al-Ghwell/Arab News/April 25/2020
Temporary disappearances by North Korean leaders are not uncommon, but they are
always fodder for analysts trying to decipher the inner workings of a regime
cloaked in secrecy. Kim Jong Un’s no-show this month at the Kumsusan Palace of
the Sun to mark the birthday of his grandfather Kim Il Sung, the country’s
founder, therefore triggered a rash of speculation about his health.
Pyongyang insists that everything is business as usual, while military and
intelligence officials in the US, China and South Korea doubt the veracity of
any reports to the contrary. Military forces across the borders in China and
South Korea have not changed their posture, nor are they preparing to do so,
which appears to confirm that Kim is still very much in charge, despite his last
appearance being nearly two weeks ago.
Nevertheless, the speculation is unsurprising; along with Kim’s failure to
appear at Kumsusan Palace, state media did not report the April 14 short-range
missile launches in honor of Kim Il Sung, or whether party officials had an
annual national meeting on the eve of the April 15 birthday. In addition, Kim
Jong Un has no clear successor; if he dies, the inevitable instability would
pose a major international risk. In the past, changes in leadership have led to
an increase in missile testing, external provocations, and internal purges to
rein in dissent and demonstrate clout.
However, all this speculation delays a much-needed reassessment of the policies
(or lack thereof) that have consistently failed to curb North Korea’s
provocative activities.
Increasingly, Pyongyang is facing fewer international costs for shunning
diplomatic overtures aimed at redressing this failure in favor of a new
trajectory that would normalize relations on the peninsula, ease tensions in the
Far East and provide sanctions relief. A resolution of the North Korea conundrum
would also temper a thorny issue that has often divided the UN Security Council
into two opposing camps, which cripples its decision making and enforcement of
the few resolutions that it can still pass concerning North Korea.
After rounds of sanctions, failed talks, futile summits and even a
first-of-its-kind “visit” by a serving US president, it is evident that
“strategic patience” is not working. China, North Korea’s patron, is still keen
on maximum enforcement of sanctions; nor will Beijing ever completely toe the
line drawn by Washington, fearing a refugee crisis and deployment of US forces
right on its borders should Pyongyang succumb to protracted instability.
Whether or not Kim Jong Un is alive or dead, it is the wrong question to be
asking.
If anything, years of strategic patience and gaps in sanctions enforcement have
allowed Kim to develop and test missiles capable of delivering nuclear payloads
to Japanese and US territory, reinforcing a deterrent that Pyongyang views as
key to its survival. As a result, North Korea has become a de facto nuclear
power, while the US and its allies continue to lose the ability to denuclearize
the Korean Peninsula. Meanwhile the airwaves hum with talk of potential
successors and what North Korea would look like without Kim at the helm, an
exercise that makes sense only if the over-arching assumptions about the rogue
state still hold.
However, widening gaps in military strength or demonstrations of swift
annihilation capabilities will not persuade Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear
ambitions. Rather, it depends on what the world collectively determines is the
right course of action, and whether North Korea makes that decision on its own.
Thus, a new framework is needed in which Pyongyang is offered a mix of
incentives to limit its capabilities and disincentives for failure to do so —
slowly establishing a new reality in which transparency and curbs are in its
best interests.
This is not wishful thinking. Pyongyang has suggested before that with the right
incentives it could freeze its nuclear programs. Trips to Beijing and Moscow and
attempts at rapprochement with Seoul signal that Pyongyang is making room for
diplomacy in place of the usual information blackouts, sudden test launches
testing and outright provocations. Beijing has also expressed willingness to
pressure Pyongyang to the negotiating table, but has not yet convincingly acted
on it.
The consequences of ramping up nuclear capabilities may finally be apparent to
Pyongyang — that is, using its nuclear weapons offensively guarantees the
regime’s annihilation. Equally, while accepting North Korea’s nuclearization
would be a bitter pill for any US administration to swallow, so would the
massive loss of life in South Korea, Japan and parts of the US that would follow
any attack, covert or otherwise, on the regime.
These are the discussions analysts and strategists should be having, instead of
latching on to the latest rumor or whiff of intrigue from the notoriously
secretive North Korean leadership. In the unlikely event that Kim Jong Un is
indeed no longer in charge, the two potential successors — his sister and key
aide, Kim Yo Jong, or his No2 Choe Ryong Hae — will probably persist with the
same policies. It is therefore best to dispense with futile exercises discussing
what-if scenarios on affairs in North Korea that are unlikely to change
significantly regardless of who is in charge. What we should be talking about is
a framework that would lead to a de-escalation in tensions and limiting further
nuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
*Hafed Al-Ghwell is a non-resident senior fellow with the Foreign Policy
Institute at the John Hopkins University School of Advanced International
Studies. He is also senior adviser at the international economic consultancy
Maxwell Stamp and at the geopolitical risk advisory firm Oxford Analytica, a
member of the Strategic Advisory Solutions International Group in Washington DC
and a former adviser to the board of the World Bank Group. Twitter: @HafedAlGhwell
Pandemic problem on a plate
Cornelia Meyer/Arab News/April 25/2020
The coronavirus pandemic has stimulated much discussion about healthcare
systems, medicines, energy, and the general state of the global economy. There
has been insufficient focus on food and how it is produced, distributed and
consumed. This problem needs addressing urgently at national, regional and world
levels. The UN World Food Programme expects the number of people in the world
experiencing hunger to double to 250 million because of the COVID-19 pandemic,
with the most vulnerable in Afghanistan, Venezuela, Syria, South Sudan, Nigeria
and Yemen. WFP director David Beasley fears that up to 300,000 people could die
of hunger every day for the next three months, and he has appealed to members to
pay their $1.9 billion contributions as a matter of urgency.
Food supply has become globalized, with an intricate supply chain. Affluent
countries have supermarkets in which everything is available at any time,
regardless of where it is produced or whether it is in season. Spoiled shoppers
put mangos, strawberries, peaches and avocados in their trolleys in the middle
of December, having lost connectivity to where and how food is produced. It was
not always thus. Our forefathers consumed what was produced locally. A century
ago, most people in Europe would never have thought of eating meat every day; it
was an expensive luxury for a privileged few. Nor did our forefathers waste
food, while these days the world throws away 1.3 billion tons of food a year, a
third of what we produce.
While globalization and food production at scale have also reduced hunger by
making food more accessible, this has been reversed somewhat in recent years by
conflict and climate change. The pandemic has magnified and accelerated this
reversal, while also exposing the fragility of globalized food systems; borders
close, transport is disrupted, and European fruit and vegetable growers cannot
hire the seasonal workers they need, creating the risk of produce rotting in the
fields. In developing countries, matters are even more grave. Many day laborers
in Nigeria, India and Bangladesh exist hand to mouth. If they live under
lockdown in city slums, they risk losing access to food altogether.
While globalization and food production at scale have also reduced hunger by
making food more accessible, this has been reversed somewhat in recent years by
conflict and climate change.
Staples such as rice or grain are often not consumed at the point of production.
The activist British farmer Patrick Holden, founder of the Sustainable Food
Trust campaign group, says the guarantor of food security is for countries to
produce a substantial amount of these staples domestically where possible, and
argues that this is resilience, not protectionism.
Supplying the world with food is both a local and a global issue, so we must
find solutions at both levels, remaining mindful of the effect our decisions
have; otherwise, hundreds of millions mainly in the developing world risk
starvation, which in turn will create more waves of refugees.
Countries tread thin lines between resilience, self sufficiency and
protectionism. If we err on the side of protectionism, choices may become
matters of war and peace in some parts of the world.
*Cornelia Meyer is a business consultant, macro-economist and energy expert.
Twitter: @MeyerResources
Merkel back on top thanks to her handling of virus crisis
Ranvir Nayar/Arab News/April 25/2020
Shops in Germany began reopening for business on Monday after being shut for
more than a month as the country battled the coronavirus disease (COVID-19)
pandemic. Though a few other nations have also begun easing lockdown
restrictions, Germany’s moves are in sharp contrast to all other large EU
countries, which continue to struggle to contain the crisis, its casualties and
its economic damage.
Germany has so far stood out with its handling of the outbreak, though initially
its response did seem to be drifting. The country registered its first case in
late January, but neither the government nor the people seemed to be too worried
at that stage and life carried on as normal for several weeks. By late February,
the government, led by Chancellor Angela Merkel, decided to impose curbs in
increments, with a complete lockdown announced only in late March.
When announcing the lockdown, Merkel took to addressing the nation — an
unprecedented move for her. Previously, Merkel had addressed the German people
only on the occasion of New Year. In her speech, instead of coming across as a
leader ordering people to stay indoors and respect the conditions of the
lockdown, Merkel said that, due to her East German origins, she understood the
value of personal liberty. She added that the crisis facing the country was
unprecedented and needed the active participation and support of the entire
German population, without which the government would not be able to win the
critical battle to contain the virus’ spread.
The message definitely hit home, and the entire country rigorously followed the
lockdown conditions, leading to a flattening of the curve in terms of the number
of new cases.
But it was not just through seeking the support of the German people that Merkel
was able to control the epidemic to a point where the country could begin taking
tentative steps toward reopening. Unlike her fellow EU leaders, Merkel has taken
a very scientific approach to tackling the disease, perhaps due to her own
professional training as a physicist. While the rest of the EU’s leaders were
still wishing the virus away, Merkel took decisive measures to arrest the spread
of the disease. Germany introduced strict border controls as early as February
in an attempt to stop infected people from bringing the virus with them into the
country. By mid-March, Germany’s borders were entirely sealed, except for German
citizens and permanent residents who had been trapped overseas.
While the rest of the EU’s leaders were still wishing the virus away, Merkel
took decisive measures.
The German government then began tackling the virus within its territory — and,
once again, the scientific inclination of Merkel’s mind and the famed German
logic came into play. The government mounted an extensive testing exercise, one
of the most aggressive in the world, seeking to zoom in on all virus carriers,
whether symptomatic or not. By April 15, Germany had conducted more than 1.7
million tests, leaving all other EU nations far behind. Italy, the
worst-affected country in the bloc, had carried out just over a million tests at
that time, while France had managed only 225,000, the UK 382,000, and Spain,
which had the second-largest number of coronavirus-related deaths, 355,000.
Germany’s superior healthcare infrastructure also played a key role, while other
nations took a hit due to decades of sustained under-investment. Germany is also
close to developing a vaccine against COVID-19.
As a result of all of the above, Germany compares favorably with its fellow
large EU nations in dealing with the pandemic, with about 150,000 infections and
5,000 deaths, as against 25,000 fatalities in Italy and more than 21,000 in both
France and Spain.
While dealing with the pandemic medically, Merkel also kept an eye on the
effects of the crisis on other aspects of German life, notably the economy. At
the time of the lockdown, Merkel announced a huge economic relief package,
putting more than €1.1 trillion ($1.18 trillion) into the battle to save the
national economy. Germany was one of the first nations to announce a coronavirus
relief package.
By dealing with this unprecedented crisis, at least so far, in a nearly
exemplary manner, Merkel has once again shown her leadership mettle. She had led
Europe almost single-handedly during the 2008 financial crisis and the
subsequent move to rescue the euro from collapse. This showed her to be a true
leader of Europe. Even during the refugee crisis in 2015, Merkel displayed bold
and decisive leadership to open Germany’s borders to millions of hapless
migrants who were fleeing war and death. Even though her policy has arguably led
to a rise of the extreme right wing in Germany, Merkel has stood by her decision
and indeed shown the way to other EU leaders. In dealing with the coronavirus,
Merkel has again led the way.
Domestically, her handling of the crisis has offered a tremendous boost to her
sagging ratings, as well as lifting the popularity of her center-right Christian
Democratic Union (CDU) party, which had been losing political terrain to the
Greens for more than a year. But the CDU is not out of the woods yet.
Merkel has already announced her decision to retire next year, when federal
elections are scheduled. She stepped down as the head of the CDU in December
2018 and was succeeded by her protege Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, with the
objective of also handing her the reins of the country in 2021.
However, Kramp-Karrenbauer could not manage the party and resigned as leader
last year, leaving Merkel’s succession plan in tatters.
Even though the elections are still more than a year away, the coronavirus
pandemic is unlikely to disappear from Europe any time soon. And Merkel’s
successful handling of the crisis may put her in a spot, as any political
transition could undo the gains that Germany has made. Merkel could be called
upon to stay on for at least another year. But will she agree?
*Ranvir S. Nayar is the editor of Media India Group, a global platform based in
Europe and India that encompasses publishing, communication and consultation
services.