English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For August 09/2020
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani

The Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
http://data.eliasbejjaninews.com/eliasnews19/english.august09.20.htm

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Bible Quotations For today
Chief tax-collecto, Zacchaeus receives Jesus in His House, Repents and offers the Penances
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 19/01-10/:”He entered Jericho and was passing through it. A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax-collector and was rich. He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycomore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way. When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today.’So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. All who saw it began to grumble and said, ‘He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner.’ Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, ‘Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.’Then Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham.For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.’”.”

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on August 08-09/2020
A Message From Dr.Walid Phares/
Hezbollah leader Nasrallah hanged in effigy by Lebanese protesters
Lebanese Hezbollah Select Worldwide Activities Interactive Map and Timeline/Matthew Levitt/Washington Institute/August 2020
Canada launches matching fund to respond to Beirut explosion
Trump to Join Beirut Donor Conference Call Sunday
Trump Says He Will Join International Aid Conference Call for Lebanon
Lebanese President Rejects Int’l Probe in Beirut Blast to ‘Protect Country’s Sovereignty’
Lebanon Reports Daily Record of Coronavirus Cases
Health Ministry: More Than 60 Still Missing after Beirut Blast
Lebanon PM to Introduce Bill Proposing Early Elections
Lebanese Protesters Storm Foreign Ministry
Shots, Tear Gas Fired as Protests against Beirut Explosion Grow
Arabs, Britain Ready to Help Lebanon after Beirut Blast
More than 60 Still Missing after Beirut Mega-blast
Diab Says to Propose Early Elections, Ready to Stay in Post for 2 Months
Protesters Occupy Foreign Ministry in Ashrafieh
Beirut Blast Tore Up Thousands of Homes
Kataeb Bloc, Other MPs Resign from Parliament after Beirut Blast
Kataeb Bloc, Yaacoubian Resign after Beirut Blast
Turkey Offers Help Rebuilding Ruined Beirut Port
Abul Gheit: Will Mobilize Arab Assistance for Lebanon after Beirut Blast
Dutch Diplomat among Dead in Beirut Blast
Lebanese Man, Daughter Shot Dead in Iran's Capital
Officials Long Warned of Explosive Chemicals at Beirut Port
'Execute Them': Lebanon Protesters Demand Revenge after Blast
Israel's Lebanon Aid Offer Unlikely to Find a Taker
Disaster-Hit Beirut Braces for Protests amid Grief and Anger
Scholar presents global map of Hezbollah terrorist operations/Benjamin Weinthal/Jerusalem Post/August 08/2020
Why doesn’t Iranian media and regime care about Lebanon’s disaster?/Seith J. Frantzman/Jerusalem Post/August 08/2020
Destroying Lebanon’s Kidnapped Heart!/Rajeh Khoury/Asharq Al Awsat/August 08/2020
Macron told Trump that US sanctions on Lebanese groups counterproductive: Official

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on August 08-09/2020

Tensions Rise between Sadrists, Protesters in Iraq’s Nasiriyah
Netanyahu Seeks Forming New Right-Wing Party
Trump to Meet Iraqi PM this Month
Poland’s border guards detain 34 people from Middle East found in a lorry
Sudan ‘regrets’ tone of US travel advisory, says foreign ministry
Indian Consulate in Dubai sets up helpline for Air India Express plane crash

Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on August 08-09/2020

The Odds of Catching Covid on a Flight Are Slim/Faye Flam/Bloomberg/August 08/2020
Economics Needs New Theories About Stimulus and Inflation/Noah Smith/Bloomberg/August 08/2020
Trump Blew Up More Than Just TikTok and WeChat/Tim Culpan/Bloomberg/August 08/2020

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on August 08-09/2020

A Message From Dr.Walid Phares

August 08/2020
My message to the friends of Lebanon in the US, France & the Arab Coalition:
Sending humanitarian aid via Hezbollah's Government is wrong
Sending humanitarian aid to the Lebanese people via pro Government NGOs is wrong. Aid must be sent directly to the Lebanese people via zones free from Hezbollah, under UNSCR 1559.

Hezbollah leader Nasrallah hanged in effigy by Lebanese protesters
Jerusalem Post/August 08/2020
Thousands protest in Beirut, target parliament and foreign ministry as police wound more than 100 with tear gas amid clashes after massive explosion.
Large protests broke out in Lebanon on Saturday demanding accountability after the massive explosion on August 4 that killed more than 130 and has left thousands homeless and injured. They are the latest popular anger over the disaster and apparent government irresponsibility that led to the destruction of Beirut. Political leaders have been absent since the explosion, with the president and politicians close to Hezbollah spreading rumors that the explosion was caused by “foreign” interference and Hezbollah denying it has responsibility. Protesters hanged an effigy of the Hezbollah leader during protests Saturday.
However it appears many in Lebanon are outraged. People have had to clean their own streets as government workers are absent. While France’s President came to Lebanon on August 5 to meet people, many politicians didn’t seem to bother. While some port officials have reportedly been detained, there are questions about how an investigation will unfold.  Thousands gathered on Saturday in the afternoon with Lebanese flags to protest. Some targeted the foreign ministry. Police fired tear gas as the protesters tried to get to the parliament building.
Tear gas was poured into the crowd for hours, protesters said. A truck was burned. Rubble and debris seemed to flood the streets after clashes. One woman shouted “if I die, keep going.” Some were wounded and blood was strewn on their clothes. 142 were wounded the Red Cross said. 32 were taken to hospitals that are already crowded from the disaster. Protesters hanged effigies of not only the Hezbollah leader but also President Michel Aoun and Nabih Berri, a politician and Speaker of Parliament. Five members of parliament have resigned and at least one leading diplomat who was representing Lebanon in Jordan has also resigned in the wake of the bombing.
 

Lebanese Hezbollah Select Worldwide Activities Interactive Map and Timeline
Matthew Levitt/Washington Institute/August 2020
https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/lebanese-hezbollah-select-worldwide-activities-interactive-map-and-timeline

https://youtu.be/0Ac2-rom_hs
Access a groundbreaking, comprehensive interactive map and timeline of Hezbollah's global terrorist activity from the group's founding through 2020.
Hezbollah is a global organization engaged in overt social and political activities in Lebanon, military activities throughout the Middle East, and covert militant, criminal, and terrorist activities around the world. While highly public about its social and political work, the group goes to great lengths to conceal its illicit pursuits. As a result, no single repository of the collected, open-source information about Hezbollah’s worldwide activities is yet available. This deficit has hindered the emergence of a fully informed public debate on the totality of Hezbollah’s activities.
The Lebanese Hezbollah Select Worldwide Activity Interactive Map aims to fill this knowledge gap. A multimedia tool, the map is searchable by numerous modes, and includes photographs, videos, event summaries, linkages among entries, and primary-source documents. This project—easily the most ambitious and comprehensive of its kind—illuminates the full range of Hezbollah’s activities, from travel routes and aliases to larger themes related to the organization’s founding, development, and relationship with key state sponsors.''

Canada launches matching fund to respond to Beirut explosion
August 8, 2020 - Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada
Canada is deeply saddened by the devastating toll of the tragic explosion in Beirut, Lebanon, on August 4, 2020. The generosity of Canadians when a crisis strikes is always remarkable, and their efforts in times of need make a difference.
The Government of Canada is setting up the Lebanon Matching Fund to help Canadians mobilize resources to assist those affected by the explosion.
The Honourable Karina Gould, Minister of International Development, today announced that the Government of Canada will match every donation made by individual Canadians to the Humanitarian Coalition and its members between August 4 and 24, 2020, up to a maximum of $2 million. The Matching Fund, created in collaboration with the Coalition, is an important mechanism that will help Canada deliver life-saving assistance.
The situation on the ground in Beirut is critical. Concerted humanitarian action is required to meet the immediate needs of people impacted by the blast, including health care, food, shelter and water.
Canada continues to monitor the situation and remains in close contact with humanitarian partners to determine the best way to respond to this crisis.
Quotes
“The situation in Beirut remains critical, and coordinated humanitarian action is required to respond to this terrible tragedy. Canada is known for its efficient humanitarian work and we have trusted aid organizations already working in the country. I encourage Canadians to donate to the Lebanon Matching Fund to help save lives and meet the urgent, immediate needs of the affected Lebanese communities.”
Karina Gould, Minister of International Development
“As emergency services and humanitarian partners continue their work on the ground, the full extent of the crisis is becoming clear. In the past few days, there has been an amazing outpouring of support from Canadians looking to help however they can. That is why, today, we are announcing that we will support Canadians who wish to help by matching their generous donations. We are proud to stand by the people of Lebanon every step of the way from emergency response, to reform and reconstruction.”
François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Foreign Affairs
Quick facts
Canada’s Humanitarian Coalition brings together leading humanitarian organizations to provide Canadians with a simple and effective way to help during international humanitarian disasters.
The Humanitarian Coalition members are Action Against Hunger, Canadian Foodgrains Bank, Canadian Lutheran World Relief, CARE Canada, Doctors of the World, Humanity & Inclusion, Islamic Relief Canada, Oxfam Canada, Oxfam Québec, Plan International Canada, Save the Children Canada and World Vision Canada.
Members of the Humanitarian Coalition actively participate in established UN-led humanitarian coordination processes to ensure that aid is disbursed effectively.
The Government of Canada quickly responded to the tragic explosion that occurred in Beirut with an August 5, 2020, announcement of up to $5 million in humanitarian assistance, which includes its contribution to the Lebanon Matching Fund and $1.5 million to the Lebanese Red Cross.
 

Trump to Join Beirut Donor Conference Call Sunday
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/August 08/2020
President Donald Trump said Friday that he would take part in an international conference call for donors organizing aid for Lebanon after the giant explosion in Beirut. Trump, who talked with his Lebanese counterpart as well as the conference's organizer French President Emmanuel Macron, tweeted that "everyone wants to help!""We will be having a conference call on Sunday with President Macron, leaders of Lebanon, and leaders from various other parts of the world," he said. A White House statement later said that Trump had "expressed his deepest condolences to the people of Lebanon" in the phone call with his counterpart Michel Aoun, in which he "vowed to continue United States support in providing critical emergency supplies to meet health and humanitarian needs during this difficult time."The two leaders also discussed recovery efforts and Trump "affirmed continued United States assistance to the people of Lebanon."The blast at Beirut's port killed more than 150 and devastated swaths of the city, as rescuers continue to desperately comb the rubble for survivors. Officials have said a huge shipment of hazardous ammonium nitrate had languished for years in a warehouse at the port and somehow caught fire, leading to Tuesday's earth-shaking blast. Lebanon's hospitals, already strained by rising coronavirus cases and a severe economic crisis, were heavily damaged by the blast and overwhelmed by casualties. The World Health Organization has called for $15 million to cover immediate health needs. The United Nations said up to 100,000 children are among the 300,000 people made homeless, including many who have been separated from their families. Relief flights from Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates landed in Lebanon on Friday, following others from France, Kuwait, Qatar and Russia. Trump said three US planes loaded with supplies were on the way to Lebanon, as were first responders and medical workers.

Trump Says He Will Join International Aid Conference Call for Lebanon
Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 8 August, 2020
US President Donald Trump said on Friday that he will join a conference call with Lebanon’s president and other world leaders on Sunday to discuss aid to Lebanon in the wake of this week’s devastating Beirut port explosion. Trump said on Twitter that he spoke separately with Lebanese President Michel Aoun and French President Emmanuel Macron, who also will join the call. “We will be having a conference call on Sunday with President Macron, leaders of Lebanon, and leaders from various other parts of the world. Everyone wants to help!” Trump tweeted. He said he told Aoun that three large US aircraft were en route to Lebanon to deliver supplies and personnel. At a news conference at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, Trump said the United States was working with Lebanese officials to identify health and humanitarian needs and “we will provide further assistance in the period to come”.
Trump and Macron spoke by phone and “expressed their deep sadness over the loss of life and devastation in Beirut,” White House spokesman Judd Deere said in a statement. The explosion in the Lebanese capital’s port on Tuesday killed at least 170 people and injured 5,000. France and other countries have rushed emergency aid to Lebanon, including doctors, and tons of health equipment and food. The US Agency for International Development on Friday said it would provide more than $15 million in assistance, including food aid for 50,000 people for three months. It said it had also asked the US military to transport enough medical supplies and pharmaceuticals to support up to 60,000 people for three months. Senior Trump administration officials have been meeting to hammer out additional assistance, a senior administration source said, adding continued concern about the underlying governance issues plaguing Lebanon. On Thursday, Macron visited Beirut and assured angry crowds that aid to rebuild the city would not go to “corrupt hands.”The cause of the blast is being investigated. Initial Lebanese probes have pointed to an ammonium nitrate cargo, which was abandoned in Beirut, as the source of the blast. US agencies are considering both the possibility that it was an accident and the possibility that it was somehow deliberately triggered, intelligence sources said.

Lebanese President Rejects Int’l Probe in Beirut Blast to ‘Protect Country’s Sovereignty’
Beirut – Nazeer Rida/Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 8 August, 2020
Lebanese President Michel Aoun announced Friday his rejection of an international investigation into the Beirut port blast, sparking a new round of political disputes in the beleaguered country that has been devastated by the explosion.
He pledged "swift justice", but rejected widespread calls for an international probe, telling a reporter he saw it as an attempt to "dilute the truth".
"There are two possible scenarios for what happened: it was either negligence or foreign interference through a missile or bomb," he said, the first time a top Lebanese official raised the possibility that the port had been attacked.
Aoun also denied that he had discussed an international probe with French President Emmanuel Macron, who had paid a visit to Lebanon on Thursday in wake of the blast. Macron also met with the main political leaders during his trip.
Lebanon is already divided between parties that support an international probe and those who reject it. The first camp includes the Mustaqbal Movement, led by former Prime Minister Saad Hariri, the Lebanese Forces, led by Samir Geagea, Progressive Socialist Party, led by Walid Jumblatt, and the Kataeb party, led by Sami Gemayel. The other camp includes the Free Patriotic Movement, which was founded by Aoun and now headed by his son-in-law MP Gebran Bassil, and the Hezbollah party.
Sources informed on the talks Macron held with top politicians on Thursday said the officials who were part of what was known as the March 14 alliance all advocated an international probe, explaining that Lebanon does not have an effective state.
Geagea urged Macron to spearhead efforts to launch such a probe, the sources told Asharq Al-Awsat. The Lebanese are banking on France to meet such a demand, he was quoted as saying.
Head of Hezbollah’s Loyalty to the Resistance parliamentary bloc, MP Mohammed Raad, who was also present at the meeting, said the party opposes such a probe because it could be “breached” by Israel.
Speaking to reporters at the Baabda presidential palace, Aoun vowed that justice will prevail in the Beirut blast, saying minor and major officials will appear in court for their role. On the international investigation, he said: “If we cannot govern ourselves, then no one can. Lebanon’s sovereignty will not be undermined during my term.”He said attention is being focused on how the explosive ammonium nitrate entered Beirut port and how it was stored there for six years while official warnings over it were ignored. He did not rule out an attack sparking the blast, revealing that he had requested from Macron aerial footage, if available, of the site to determine whether it was caused by an attack or negligence. On Macron’s call for the formation of a national unity government in Lebanon, Aoun said: “The necessary conditions for this must be available. We cannot call for such a cabinet and reach the same division and stalemate witnessed by such governments.”The president’s remarks are signs of imminent political disputes that will aggravate the already tense situation in the country, said political sources.
A Lebanese Forces source told Asharq Al-Awsat that the party supports an international investigation because it does not trust any local probe. “How can local forces that are responsible for storing and neglecting the dangerous material also carry out the probe? Will they indict themselves?”
“The truth cannot be uncovered due to the rampant corruption in Lebanon and therefore, the truth cannot be reached by the Lebanese authorities,” it continued. “A serious and transparent probe can only take place through international sides.”

Lebanon Reports Daily Record of Coronavirus Cases
Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 8 August, 2020
Lebanon’s health ministry reported on Friday a new daily record of 279 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total 5,951. An additional 70 deaths were confirmed. The surge comes three days after Beirut was hit by a massive explosion that killed at least 154 people, wounded thousands, left many people missing and damaged large parts of the city. There have been concerns that the crowding at hospitals overwhelmed with the huge casualties from the blast could lead to a surge in COVID-19 cases in the coming weeks. Virus cases in Lebanon have been increasing since early July, when the country’s only international airport reopened and a lockdown was eased. Firas Abiad, head of the city’s Rafik Hariri University Hospital, urged the international community to send medical aid to Lebanon. He said there is no doubt “our immunity in the country” is less than before the explosion. Relief flights from many countries have already landed in Lebanon.

Health Ministry: More Than 60 Still Missing after Beirut Blast
Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 8 August, 2020
More than 60 people are still missing in Beirut, four days after a massive explosion at the port left more than 150 people dead, a health ministry official said Saturday. "The number of dead is 154, including 25 who have not yet been identified," the official told Agence France Presse. "In addition, we have more than 60 people still missing."The health minister said on Friday that at least 120 of the 5,000 people who were injured on Tuesday are in critical condition. At least 10 times over the past six years, authorities from Lebanon’s customs, military, security agencies and judiciary raised alarm that a massive stockpile of explosive chemicals was being kept with almost no safeguard at the port in the heart of Beirut, newly surfaced documents show. Yet in a circle of negligence, nothing was done — and on Tuesday, the 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate blew up, obliterating the city’s main commercial hub and spreading death and wreckage for kilometers around. French and Russian rescue teams with dogs searched the port area on Friday, pulling more bodies from the rubble. Women cried nearby as they waited for news about missing relatives. France has sent a team of 22 investigators to help investigate the cause of the blast. Based on information from Lebanon so far, France’s No. 2 forensic police official, Dominique Abbenanti, said Friday the explosion “appears to be an accident” but that it’s too early to say for sure. In an interview with the AP, he predicted that the death toll would grow.

Lebanon PM to Introduce Bill Proposing Early Elections
Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 8 August, 2020
Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab announced Saturday he will introduce a draft bill proposing early elections for the crisis-stricken country. In a televised speech, he called on all political parties to put their disagreements aside and work together.He said he is ready to stay in the post for two months to allow for politicians to work together on implementing reforms, saying he was not to blame for the country's deep economic and political woes. On the devastating Beirut blast, he said everyone involved will be held accountable.The investigation will uncover the truth and it will bring those responsible to justice, he added “Holding early elections is key to resolving the country’s problems,” Diab stressed.“It is unacceptable to stand against structural reforms, rather the country must be allowed to stand up on its feet,” he continued.
“I share the Lebanese people’s aspirations for change,” said the premier.

Lebanese Protesters Storm Foreign Ministry
Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 8 August, 2020
A group of Lebanese protesters including retired army officers have stormed the Foreign Ministry building in the capital Beirut as part of protests following the massive explosion this week. The protesters said Saturday the Foreign Ministry would be the headquarters for a “revolution” and called on the current government to resign. Retired army officer Sami Ramah read a statement on the building's steps after dozens of protesters pushed their way into the building. “This authority must step down,” he said. Protesters raised flags with the image of a fist that has come to symbolize nationwide anti-government protests. Some of the nearly 200 protesters entered the building and burned a few documents and pictures of Lebanese President Michel Aoun, representative for many of a political class that has ruled Lebanon for decades and which they say is to blame for its deep political and economic crises. “We are staying here. We call on the Lebanese people to occupy all the ministries,” a demonstrator said by megaphone. Rage against the government spiked after the Beirut port explosion Tuesday that killed nearly 160 people and injured 6,000 while leaving much of the coastline mangled. Protesters gathered in central Beirut clashed with security forces. At least 100 were wounded.

Shots, Tear Gas Fired as Protests against Beirut Explosion Grow
Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 8 August, 2020
At least 100 people were wounded on Saturday during demonstrations in central Beirut in wake of this week’s devastating blast at the capital’s port. The Lebanese Red Cross said 110 people were wounded and 32 people taken to hospital as Lebanese riot police fired tear gas at protesters tried to break through a barrier to get to the parliament building. Thousands gathered in Martyrs’ Square in the city center, some throwing stones. The protesters chanted “the people want the fall of the regime”, a popular chant during the so-called Arab Spring uprisings of 2011, and “Revolution, Revolution”. They held posters saying “Leave, you are all killers”.Soldiers in vehicles mounted with machine guns patrolled the area amid the clashes. “Really the army is here? Are you here to shoot us? Join us and we can fight the government together,” a woman yelled. Tuesday’s blast, the biggest in Beirut’s history, killed 158 people and wounded 6,000, the health ministry said. Twenty-one people were still reported as missing. The government has promised to hold those responsible to account. But few Lebanese are convinced. Some set up nooses on wooden frames as a warning to Lebanese leaders.“Resign or hang,” said a placard.
Riot police fired dozens of tear gas canisters at protesters who set a fire and hurled stones. Some residents, struggling to clean up shattered homes, complained that the government they see as corrupt - there had been months of protests against its handling of a deep economic crisis before this week’s disaster - had let them down again. “I wish the United Nations would take over Lebanon,” said university student Celine Dibo as she scrubbed blood off the walls of her shattered apartment building. Several people said they were not surprised that French President Emmanuel Macron had visited this week while Lebanese leaders had not. “We are living in ground zero. I hope another country would just take us over,” said psychologist Maryse Hayek, 48, whose parents’ house was destroyed in the explosion. Kareem, an aid worker, said protesting was the only thing for the people to do.“We helped people, we cleaned houses, we mourned and we cried a lot, a lot, a lot,” he said. “But today it’s the time to show them again that we’re here. This is why I’m here today.”Lebanon’s Kataeb Party, a group that opposes the government backed by the Iran-aligned Hezbollah, announced on Saturday the resignation of its three lawmakers from parliament. “I invite all honorable (lawmakers) to resign so that the people can decide who will govern them, without anybody imposing anything to them,” said party chief Sami Gemayel. Macron promised angry crowds that aid to rebuild Beirut would not fall into “corrupt hands”. He will host a donor conference for Lebanon via video-link on Sunday. Macron told US President Donald Trump that US sanctions targeting Hezbollah are playing into the hands of those they are meant to weaken, an Elysee official said. The United States should “reinvest” in Lebanon to help rebuild it instead.
The Lebanese prime minister and presidency have said 2,750 tons of highly explosive ammonium nitrate, which is used in making fertilizers and bombs, had been stored for six years without safety measures at the port warehouse.
President Michel Aoun said on Friday an investigation would examine whether the blast was caused by a bomb or other external interference, negligence or an accident. Twenty people had been detained so far, he added.

Arabs, Britain Ready to Help Lebanon after Beirut Blast
Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 8 August, 2020
Arab League Chief Ahmed Aboul Gheit said on Saturday he would seek to mobilize Arab efforts to provide support to Lebanon after this week's catastrophic explosion in Beirut destroyed parts of the capital. Speaking to reporters after a meeting with Lebanese President Michel Aoun, he also said the Cairo-based league of Arab states was ready to assist the investigation into the blast. "We are ready to help with all our means," he said, adding that he would take part in an international conference call to be organized by France on Sunday to discuss aid for Lebanon.
Also speaking after meeting Aoun, Turkish Vice-President Fuat Oktay said his country is ready to help rebuild the port. Turkey's Mersin port, on the Mediterranean, is ready to help Lebanon with customs clearance and warehousing services of large shipments until the Beirut Port is reconstructed, he added.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Aoun on Saturday discussed Lebanon’s urgent humanitarian, medical and reconstruction needs following the Beirut port.
“President Aoun thanked the UK for the support provided to date, including the release of 5 million pounds ($6.5 million) in emergency funding and deployment of HMS Enterprise,” Johnson’s office said in a statement. “With Lebanon facing threats from a financial crisis, coronavirus and the effects of this tragic blast, they agreed to work with international partners to ensure the country’s long-term recovery and rehabilitation.”The explosion killed more than 150 people, injured 5,000 and left up to 250,000 without habitable homes. The blast occurred at a port warehouse containing 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate, used in fertilizers and explosives.The disaster struck as Lebanon is struggling with a deep economic crisis.
The president and prime minister of Lebanon have promised that a government investigation would net the culprits but, more than a mere case of negligence, many Lebanese see the blast as a direct result of their leaders' corruption.
"After three days of cleaning, removing rubble and licking our wounds... it is time to let our anger explode and punish them," said Fares Halabi, a 28-year-old activist planned to join a protest scheduled for the afternoon. However, some of Lebanon's leaders seemed to consider the outpouring of international solidarity as an opportunity to break the government's diplomatic isolation. A virtual international donor conference launched by Macron, and in which US President Donald Trump and other top leaders will take part, is scheduled for Sunday. Lebanon defaulted on its debt earlier this year and the current leadership has so far consistently failed to address the economic emergency and agree on an international rescue package despite intense Western pressure. Speaking on Friday evening, Aoun said "the explosion has led to the lifting of the isolation." Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah also said the disaster had created "an opportunity" to get the world to work with Lebanon again. Analyst Nasser Yassin of the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs, said Lebanon's reviled leaders were clearly seeking to take advantage of the situation. "The fear is that the authorities will benefit from this great disaster and from the international and Arab attention they are getting," he said. Activist Hayat Nazer said the current crisis should not turn into a chance for the political elite to get a new lease of life but instead give fresh impetus to a drive for change. "I think it's the last wake-up call for people," she said.
"We need to save each other, we need to clean our country, to rebuild it, and to completely disregard that we have politicians," Nazer said. "It's not just about protesting in the streets. We can make a change on a daily basis, the revolution is part of our lives, we can apply it every day."

More than 60 Still Missing after Beirut Mega-blast
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/August 08/2020
More than 60 people are still missing in Beirut, four days after a massive explosion at the port left more than 150 people dead, a health ministry official said Saturday. "The number of dead is 154, including 25 who have not yet been identified," the official told AFP. "In addition, we have more than 60 people still missing." The health minister said on Friday that at least 120 of the 5,000 people who were injured on Tuesday are in critical condition.

Diab Says to Propose Early Elections, Ready to Stay in Post for 2 Months
Associated Press/Naharnet/August 08/2020

Prime Minister Hassan Diab said Saturday he will introduce a draft bill proposing early elections for the crisis-stricken country. In a televised speech, Diab called on all political parties to put their disagreements aside and work together.
He said he is ready to stay in the post for two months to allow for politicians to work together on implementing structural reforms. He added that he will propose early elections during a Cabinet session on Monday.

Protesters Occupy Foreign Ministry in Ashrafieh
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/August 08/2020
A group of protesters led by retired Lebanese army officers stormed the foreign ministry in Beirut Saturday and declared it the headquarters of the revolution.
The takeover, which was aired live on local TV, happened as most of the security forces' attention was focused on a tense demonstration against the ruling elite a few hundred meters down the road. "We are taking over the foreign ministry as a seat of the revolution," said Sami Rammah, a retired officer who spoke through a loudspeaker from the ministry building's front steps. "We call on all the anguished Lebanese people to take to the streets to demand the prosecution of all the corrupt," he said. An explosion at Beirut port Tuesday that is widely blamed on the incompetence and corruption of the ruling elite killed at least 158 people, wounded 6,000 and made hundreds of thousands homeless. Rammah, who stressed the protest camp was "not against one specific person but against a system that destroyed the country", urged the international community to boycott the government. "We call all our Arab allies and other allied nations and the Arab League and the United Nations to consider our revolution as the real representative of the Lebanese people," he said. His call came amid intense diplomatic activity in solidarity with disaster-struck Lebanon and on the eve of an international donor conference.
Four days since the blast, grief gave way to rage, with a large demonstration Saturday that was reminiscent of the unprecedented nationwide and cross-sectarian protest movement that erupted in October. Around 200 people occupied the foreign ministry compound, which lies on an upmarket street in central Beirut. Their entry into the ministry appeared to have been facilitated by the damage the historical building sustained in Tuesday's monster explosion. Some of the protesters pulled the portrait of President Michel Aoun off the wall and smashed it on the ground, an AFP correspondent there said.

Beirut Blast Tore Up Thousands of Homes
Associated Press/Naharnet/August 08/2020
The gigantic explosion in Beirut on Tuesday tore through homes, blowing off doors and windows, toppling cupboards, and sent flying books, shelves, lamps and everything else. Dozens were trapped under the wreckage and those who survived still cannot believe that they did. Within a few tragic seconds, more than a quarter of a million people of the Lebanese capital's residents were left with homes unfit to live in. Around 6,200 buildings are estimated to be damaged. When the first blast hit, Mona al-Shami and her sister hid under a table in their apartment in Qarantina, near the center of the explosions at Beirut port. Then came the second massive explosion. "Everything flew, everything exploded," al-Shami said. The sisters were both knocked unconscious for a few moments, before they woke up again to an apocalyptic scene. "Thank God we are alive, but everything's gone, our home, car, everything," she says, breaking into tears as she stood in the middle of a bedroom littered with debris. Said al-Assaad, 24, stands amid the destruction in his family home — a beautiful ground-floor traditional house in the historic district of Mar Mikhail facing the port. He was in the mountains when the explosion happened. His family survived. But the neighborhood, buildings, shops, restaurants and balconies are all destroyed. "Destruction like you never saw and will never see in your life. I never expected to see something like this, not even in a video game," he said. "It is beyond words, something that cannot be described. "

Kataeb Bloc, Other MPs Resign from Parliament after Beirut Blast
Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 8 August, 2020
Lebanon’s Kataeb Party resigned Saturday in protest at the Beirut blast widely blamed on government negligence and corruption, bringing to five the number of MPs to quit since the disaster. In an emotional speech during a funeral service for one of his top party officials who died in Tuesday's blast, MP Sami Gemayel announced his resignation and that of the two other MPs, Nadim Gemayel and Elias Hankash, from his bloc. "Your comrades took the decision to resign from parliament," Gemayel said, addressing Kataeb secretary-general Nazar Najarian, one of the 154 confirmed victims of the explosion at Beirut port. “The Kataeb MPs have decided... to move to confrontation for the sake of a free, sovereign, independent Lebanon,” he said. “I invite all honorable (lawmakers) to resign so that the people can decide who will govern them, without anybody imposing anything to them.”
Gemayel criticized the reactions of several top politicians who argued the international aid effort following the disaster would be an opportunity to break the diplomatic isolation of Lebanon. "A new Lebanon must be born on the ruins of the old one, which you represent," he said, addressing the authorities at large and their clan leaders.The party's three resignations from the 128-seat parliament come after those of Marwan Hamadeh from the party of Druze leader Walid Jumblatt and independent MP Paula Yacoubian. Yacoubian told the CNN news channel that she was urging the entire parliament to stand down.
"As the MP of Beirut, I took the decision of resigning because I feel I'm a false witness in this parliament," she said. "There's nothing we can do, the decision-making is outside the parliament," she said. "Everyone should resign."
Hezbollah, the only group which has kept its weapons since Lebanon’s 1975-90 civil war, and its allies hold a majority in the current 128-seat parliament, elected in 2018.Lebanon's ambassador to Jordan also resigned in the aftermath of the blast, caused when fire spread to a depot where a huge amount of ammonium nitrate had been stored for years, unsecured. Days before the blast, Nassif Hitti quit as foreign minister over a lack of political will to enact reforms to halt a financial meltdown which he warned could turn Lebanon into a failed state. “I took part in this government to work for one boss called Lebanon, then I found in my country multiple bosses and contradictory interests,” Hitti wrote in his resignation statement. “If they do not come together in the interest of rescuing the Lebanese people, God forbid, the ship will sink with everyone on it.”Early evidence shows top officials knew of its presence at the port and that safety procedures were knowingly and repeatedly violated. The government has promised a swift and thorough enquiry but public trust is low that an investigative committee chaired by top officials will uncover the real culprits.

Kataeb Bloc, Yaacoubian Resign after Beirut Blast
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/August 08/2020
Kataeb party chief MP Sami Gemayel announced on Saturday that his three-member parliamentary bloc decided to resign from parliament in protest at the Beirut blast widely blamed on government negligence and corruption. Gemayel made the announcement during an emotional speech during a funeral service for Kataeb's Secretary-General Nazar Najarian who died in Tuesday’s blast. The resignation brings to five the number of MPs to quit since the disaster. "Your comrades took the decision to resign from parliament," Gemayel said, addressing Najarian, one of the 154 confirmed victims of the explosion at Beirut port. Gemayel criticised the reactions of several top politicians who argued the international aid effort following the disaster would be an opportunity to break the diplomatic isolation of Lebanon. "A new Lebanon must be born on the ruins of the old one, which you represent," he said, addressing the authorities at large and their clan leaders. The Christian party's three resignations from the 128-seat parliament come after those of Marwan Hamade from the party of Druze leader Walid Jumblat and independent MP Paula Yacoubian. Yacoubian told the CNN news channel that she was urging the entire parliament to stand down. "As the MP of Beirut, I took the decision of resigning because I feel I'm a false witness in this parliament," she said. "There's nothing we can do, the decision-making is outside the parliament," she said. "Everyone should resign." Lebanon's ambassador to Jordan also resigned in the aftermath of the blast, caused when fire spread to a depot where a huge amount of ammonium nitrate had been stored for years, unsecured. Early evidence shows top officials knew of its presence at the port and that safety procedures were knowingly and repeatedly violated. The government has promised a swift and thorough enquiry but public trust is low that an investigative committee chaired by top officials will uncover the real culprits.

Turkey Offers Help Rebuilding Ruined Beirut Port
Naharnet/August 08/2020
Turkey's Vice President Fuat Oktay says Ankara is ready to help Lebanon rebuild Beirut's port and send ambulance planes to evacuate some of the wounded for treatment in Turkish hospitals. Oktay spoke on Saturday to reporters after meeting Lebanese President Michel Aoun. He added that a Turkish search team is working at the port that was destroyed in a massive explosion on Tuesday. Oktay said Turkey has already sent two field hospitals, 400 tons of wheat and food products. He added that his government is ready to use the Turkish port of Mersin to receive products that can be later sent to Lebanon in smaller ships. Oktay arrived earlier in the day with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu. A huge blast at Beirut port on Tuesday rocked and devastated major parts of the capital and its surroundings. The reverberations of the explosion were felt as far away as Cyprus. At least 154 people were killed and around 5,000 others injured in the tragic incident.

Abul Gheit: Will Mobilize Arab Assistance for Lebanon after Beirut Blast
Naharnet/August 08/2020
Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmed Abul Gheit arrived in Beirut on Saturday in a show of solidarity and to discuss assistance for Lebanon after the devastating mega-blast in Beirut that left many dead and tens of families homeless.
“The Lebanese are strong in spite of the mega catastrophe that hit your country. The Arab League is ready to mobilize Arab efforts to provide assistance to Lebanon after the Beirut port explosion,” Abul Gheit told President Michel Aoun during a meeting at Baabda Palace after his arrival. The official said he will take part in Sunday’s international conference call, organized by French President Emmanuel Macron, for donors organizing aid for Lebanon after the giant explosion in Beirut. In remarks to reporters upon his arrival at the airport, Abul Gheit stressed that “solidarity” between Lebanon’s senior officials and between the Lebanese is necessary during this difficult time. He said “the Lebanese must stand firm together to face the situation and the Arab League is here to help.”"You cannot imagine the sorrow and interaction of the Arab world with Lebanon in the last three days,” noted Abul Gheit.

Dutch Diplomat among Dead in Beirut Blast
Associated Press/Naharnet/August 08/2020
The Dutch foreign ministry says that the wife of the Netherlands' ambassador to Lebanon has died of injuries she sustained in the massive blast that hit Beirut earlier this week. Hedwig Waltmans-Molier died Saturday morning at age 55. She worked for the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs alongside her husband, Jan Waltmans. The couple had two adult children. The ministry says that Waltmans-Molier, who worked in the human resources department of the embassy, "was standing in the living room next to Jan and by sheer bad luck was hit by the explosion." The family had recently returned to Beirut after a holiday. Minister of Foreign Affairs Stef Blok and Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Sigrid Kaag expressed their condolences to the family and paid tribute to Waltmans-Molier in a joint statement.

Lebanese Man, Daughter Shot Dead in Iran's Capital
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/August 08/2020
A Lebanese man and his daughter were shot and killed in northern Tehran by an unknown assailant on Friday night, Iran's Mehr news agency reported. The two were "Habib Dawoud, 58 years old and his daughter Maryam, 27, who were murdered around 9:00 pm (1630 GMT) by an unidentified motorcyclist," the agency said on Saturday. They were shot on Tehran's uptown Pasdaran street, it added. Quoting a source in Tehran's police, Mehr said the two were in a vehicle and were "shot four times from the driver's side". The source said Dawoud was a history teacher. The police are yet to issue an official statement.

Officials Long Warned of Explosive Chemicals at Beirut Port
Associated Press/Naharnet/August 08/2020
At least 10 times over the past six years, authorities from Lebanon's customs, military, security agencies and judiciary raised alarm that a massive stockpile of explosive chemicals was being kept with almost no safeguard at the port in the heart of Beirut, newly surfaced documents show.
Yet in a circle of negligence, nothing was done — and on Tuesday, the 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate blew up, obliterating the city's main commercial hub and spreading death and wreckage for miles around. President Michel Aoun, in office since 2016, said Friday that he was first told of the dangerous stockpile nearly three weeks ago and immediately ordered military and security agencies to do "what was needed." But he suggested his responsibility ended there, saying he had no authority over the port and that previous governments had been told of its presence. "Do you know how many problems have been accumulating?" Aoun replied when a reporter pressed whether he should have followed up on his order.
The documents surfacing in social media since the blast underscore the corruption, negligence and incompetence of Lebanon's long-ruling political oligarchy, and its failure to provide its people with basic needs, including security.
Investigators probing the blast have focused on personnel at the Port of Beirut, Lebanon's main port, so well known for corruption that its common nickname is Ali Baba's Cave.
So far, at least 16 port employees have been detained and others questioned. On Friday, investigators questioned and then ordered the detention of the head of the port, Hassan Koraytem, the country's customs chief, Badri Daher, and Daher's predecessor.
But many Lebanese say the rot permeates the political system and extends to the country's top leadership.
The explosion of the ammonium nitrate, after apparently being set off by a fire, was the biggest in Lebanon's history. The known death toll reached 154, including bodies recovered from the rubble Friday, and more than 5,000 people were wounded. Billions of dollars in damage was caused across the city, where many are too impoverished by Lebanon's financial crisis to rebuild. Aoun's comments were the most senior confirmation that top politicians had been aware of the stockpile.
"The material had been there for seven years, since 2013. It has been there, and they said it is dangerous and I am not responsible. I don't know where it was placed. I don't even know the level of danger. I have no authority to deal directly with the port," he told a news conference.
He said that when he was told of the stockpile on July 20, he immediately ordered military and security officials "to do what is needed."
"There are ranks that should know their duties, and they were all informed. ... When you refer a document and say, 'Do what is needed,' isn't that an order?" he added.
He said the explosion may have been caused by negligence, but the investigation would also look at the possibility that it could have been caused by a bomb or other "external intervention." He said he had asked France, which has close ties to its former colony, for satellite images from the time of the blast to see if they showed any planes or missiles. President Donald Trump said Friday that he had spoken by telephone with Aoun and French President Emmanuel Macron. He did not mention the investigation, but noted that medical supplies, food and water were being sent from the U.S., along with emergency responders, technicians, doctors and nurses. The ammonium nitrate, a chemical used in fertilizers and explosives, originated from a cargo ship called MV Rhosus that had been traveling from the country of Georgia to Mozambique in 2013. It made an unscheduled detour to Beirut as the Russian shipowner was struggling with debts and hoped to earn some extra cash in Lebanon. Unable to pay port fees and reportedly leaking, the ship was impounded. The first known document about it came on Feb. 21, 2014, three months after the ship's arrival. Col. Joseph Skaff, a senior customs official, wrote to the customs authority's anti-smuggling department warning that the material still on board the ship docked at port was "extremely dangerous and endangers public safety."
Col. Skaff died in March 2017 in unclear circumstances. He was found near his house in Beirut after allegedly falling from a big height. Medical reports at the time gave different explanations, one saying it was an accident, the other saying there was unusual bruising on his face.
On June 27, 2014, Jad Maalouf, a judge for urgent matters, wrote to the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation, warning that the ship was carrying dangerous material and could sink. He said the ministry should deal with the ship, remove the ammonium nitrate and "place it in a suitable place that it (the ministry) chooses, and it (the material) should be under its protection."
Soon after that, the shipment was moved into Warehouse 12 at the port, where it remained until it exploded. It is unclear if it was officially under the ministry's control.
Lebanon's LBC TV station reported that in October 2015, the army intervened after learning of delays in dealing with the shipment. Military intelligence sent an expert who tested the material and found that the nitrogen levels were 34.7%, considered a highly explosive level, LBC said.
The army reported to the customs department that the material should be quickly removed, suggesting it be exported. Customs referred the report back to the judge of urgent matters, LBC said.
Three military and security officials did not respond to calls and messages from The Associated Press to comment or confirm the report on LBC.
Daher, the customs department head, told the AP before his detention that between 2014 and 2017, he and his predecessor sent six letters to the judge warning that the stockpile was dangerous and seeking a ruling on a way to remove or sell it.
Daher said it was his duty to alert authorities of the danger but that was the most he could do. He said he never got a reply.
Earlier this year, State Security, after investigating the stockpile, issued a five-page report saying the material must be gotten rid of. It said the ammonium nitrate could explode and warned terrorists could steal it, saying one wall of the warehouse had a hole in it and a gate was open.
Throughout this period, Lebanon had four prime ministers, including the current one — Hassan Diab, who came to office earlier this year — as well as multiple government reshuffles. In 2013, when the ship docked, Michel Suleiman was president, followed by two years without a president as political factions wrangled, before finally electing Aoun in October 2016.
For decades, Lebanon has been dominated by the same political elites, many of them former warlords and militia commanders from the civil war. The ruling factions use public institutions to accumulate wealth and distribute patronage to supporters. A blind eye is often turned to corruption, and little development is put into institutions. As a result, power outages are frequent, trash is often uncollected and tap water is largely undrinkable.
The leader of the Iran-backed Hizbullah group, whose allies dominate the government, said in a speech Friday that "negligence, corruption, nepotism" had a role in the explosion and must be dealt with.
Hassan Nasrallah warned that if no one was held accountable, "we are basically saying to the people there is no state." He also said Hizbullah's domestic opponents were trying to use the blast to stir public opinion against it but would fail. He denied any role by Hizbullah in the disaster.
Both Nasrallah and Aoun rejected calls for an international investigation.
Since last October, the Lebanese people have held mass protests denouncing the country's entire ruling elite, including Nasrallah. The demonstrations achieved only a rearranging of the names in the government, and largely faded amid the coronavirus pandemic and Lebanon's financial collapse.
In a sign of how the public has largely come to expect government inaction, thousands of volunteers have cleaned up streets in the neighborhoods worst hit by the blast. They swept broken glass and reopened roads, helped restaurants and shops clear debris, and salvaged merchandise. They separated rubble into piles of broken glass and mangled metal. Others volunteered to go into destroyed homes to look for medicine, valuables and essential documents for the residents who fled in panic.
French and Russian rescue teams with dogs searched the port area on Friday, pulling more bodies from the rubble. Women cried nearby as they waited for news about missing relatives.
France has sent a team of 22 investigators to help investigate the cause of the blast. Based on information from Lebanon so far, France's No. 2 forensic police official, Dominique Abbenanti, said Friday the explosion "appears to be an accident" but that it's too early to say for sure.
In an interview with the AP, he predicted that the death toll would grow.

'Execute Them': Lebanon Protesters Demand Revenge after Blast
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/August 08/2020
Mock gallows nooses tied to brooms: Lebanese protesters on Saturday clamored for bloody revenge against a leadership they blame for the massive blast that engulfed their capital. "There is hatred and there is blood between us and our authorities," said Najib Farah, a 35-year-old protester in central Beirut. "The people want revenge."On a street leading to parliament, young men lobbed stones at security forces who replied with tear gas, a familiar sight in Lebanon since last October. Thousands of young men and women earlier revived the main camp of a months-long protest movement, some of them carrying portraits of blast victims and a banner bearing the names of the dead. They pinned the blame for Tuesday's mega-blast at Beirut port on leaders they say deserve nothing less than the fate of the 158 people who died as a result. "My government murdered my people," read one sign. "You were corrupt, now you are criminals," read another. The explosion that disfigured the city and shocked the world is widely perceived as a direct consequence of the incompetence and corruption that have come to define Lebanon's ruling class. After a morning of funerals, protesters marched through the wreckage caused by the monster explosion that killed over 150 people, wounded 6,000 and left an estimated 300,000 temporarily homeless. The crowds that converged on Martyrs Square breathed new life into a protest movement that started in October but was snuffed out a few months later by the coronavirus pandemic and a crippling economic crisis. "There is now an opportunity for real change, it's not like the other demonstrations since October," Farah told AFP.
'Them or us'
Demonstrators walked over shards of glass from gutted windows, chanting: "Revenge, revenge, until this regime reaches an end."Carrying a broom with a noose attached to it, Jad, a 25 year-old advertising professional, complained that the state was nowhere to be seen in the huge and ongoing cleanup effort across the city. "Everything is trashed, we have had to repair the streets for three days, while there is no government presence at all," he said. "We are walking on the rubble of our city."This compounded the boiling anger many ordinary Lebanese have felt towards authorities since the blast. "We are still under shock, but we know one thing for sure: we are going to wipe the floor with them," he told AFP. For a Lebanese public already crumbling under financial woes and beset by economic disillusionment, Tuesday's blast was the straw that broke the camel's back. Lebanon's worse political crisis in decades has plunged nearly half of the country's population into poverty, up from a third before the crisis. A coronavirus outbreak further shuttered an economy that must now contend with more than $3 billion in damages from the blast.One protester raised a poster bearing portraits of top politicians and the phrase "Execute them"."The people want to topple the regime," protesters confronting security forces yelled, eyes reddened by the tear gas. Medea Azoury, a 46-year-old demonstrator, said the fault lines have been drawn. "We can't take it anymore: we're being held hostage, we can't leave the country, we can't withdraw money from the banks, and people are dying of hunger," she said. On top of all that, "there are now 300,000 people who are homeless and Beirut has been completely destroyed," she added.
"This is the great return of the revolution and it's either them or us."

Israel's Lebanon Aid Offer Unlikely to Find a Taker
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/August 08/2020
For some it's a gesture of goodwill, to others sheer hypocrisy: Israel's offer of humanitarian aid to Lebanon after the massive Beirut blast is unlikely to be taken up. The two neighbours are still technically at war, have no diplomatic ties and mutual suspicion, even animosity, defines their relations.
As Beirut reeled Tuesday after the monster blast at the port ripped across the city, many eyes were on Israel. The military initially offered a traditional "no comment" to queries about the possible source of the explosion, until later a government source added: "Israel has nothing to do with this incident".
Hours later the government offered humanitarian aid to Lebanon. "Israel has turned to Lebanon through international security and political contacts to offer humanitarian and medical aid to the Lebanese government," a statement said. As Beirut hospitals became overwhelmed by the influx of thousands of injured, Lebanon's government did not comment. Aid has been streaming in from elsewhere, including from former power France and Iran, an ally of Lebanon's powerful Hizbullah movement and key Israeli rival. Israel and Hizbullah last fought a 33-day war in the summer of 2006 that devastated parts of the Lebanese capital and killed hundreds. Government and diplomatic sources in Jerusalem say Israel has tried unsuccessfully since Tuesday to send medical equipment to Lebanon via the United Nations, which monitors a buffer zone between the two countries.
Israel even sought to dispatch medical personnel to Cyprus, where Beirut victims could be treated, according to the sources. "It is a very human gesture," Amos Yadlin, former head of Israeli military intelligence, told reporters. "It is a gesture that can bring the two nations together."
Bitter war memories
Yadlin blamed Hizbullah's backers in Tehran for the continuing air of hostility between Israel and Lebanon, insisting there was "no real dispute" between the neighbours. "The only reason that there is no peace between Israel and Lebanon is the fact that Iran took over this small country through its proxy Hizbullah and they are inventing excuses to keep the conflict going," he claimed. In Beirut, many have bitter memories of Israel's invasion of Lebanon in 1982, its occupation of the country's south until 2000 and the 2006 war that killed 1,200 people, most of them civilians.
The fate of hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees stuck in Lebanon for decades after fleeing or being driven out of their homes in waves following Israel's creation in 1948 is another thorny issue. Longstanding demands for their return has remained a sticking point. Traumatised by the blast that devastated their capital killing more than 150 people, injuring at least 5,000 and leaving some 300,000 homeless, the Lebanese paid little attention to Israel's offer, other than to ridicule it. "Israel should stop exploiting this catastrophe to whitewash its crimes against Lebanon," one tweeted in English.
'Humanity before conflict'
Tension between the two countries spiked after Israel fired artillery across the border last month in what it said was a response to a Hizbullah incursion into its territory.
"Israel has fought terrorism from Lebanon for decades, but we have nothing against the Lebanese people," said Israeli businessman Erel Margalit. He said he asked French President Emmanuel Macron to reiterate the Israeli offer during his snap visit to Beirut on Thursday to discuss an aid plan. With Lebanon facing its worst economic crisis since the 1975-1990 civil war, Israeli officials have backed an international aid plan for Beirut conditional on changes that diminish Hizbullah's influence. While Israel's offer of aid failed to win approval in Beirut, a rare gesture by Tel Aviv to light up its city hall in the colours of the Lebanese flag was also not applauded by many in Israel where some consider that Lebanon, not just Hizbullah, is the enemy. "It is possible and necessary to provide humanitarian aid to civilians who were hurt in Lebanon, but waving an enemy flag in the heart of Tel Aviv is moral confusion," tweeted Raffi Peretz, minister for Jerusalem affairs and member of the far-right Jewish Home party. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's son Yair, a strident right-wing user of social media, went further. "It is insane. Lebanon is formally an enemy country and it is a crime to fly the enemy flag," he commented. Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai defended his initiative. "Humanity comes before any conflict and our hearts are with the Lebanese people following the terrible disaster that struck them," he tweeted. Veteran commentator Gideon Levy, of the left-wing Haaretz daily, said given Israel's history in Lebanon such sentiment was a "sickening show of hypocrisy".

Disaster-Hit Beirut Braces for Protests amid Grief and Anger
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/August 08/2020
Thousands of Lebanese prepared Saturday for a major protest against a political leadership they blame for a monster explosion that killed more than 150 people and disfigured the capital Beirut. Two days after a landmark visit by French President Emmanuel Macron, diplomatic activity intensified in Beirut to organise international support for the disaster-hit country ahead of a Sunday aid conference. For the fourth day running, Beirut woke up to the sound of broken glass being swept on the streets, its inhabitants still taking stock after one of the biggest blasts of its kind in recent history. A fire at Beirut port on Tuesday ignited a stock of ammonium nitrate and triggered an explosion that was felt in neighbouring countries and destroyed entire neighbourhoods of the city. Spectacular videos of the disaster show a mushroom-shaped shockwave that drew comparisons with the 1945 atomic bombs on Japan while foreign rescue teams compared the devastation with earthquake scenes. Saturday could be the last day anybody buried under rubble has any chance of being found alive and according to the health ministry, more than 60 people are still missing. The Netherlands announced Saturday that its ambassador's wife was among the 154 people confirmed to have died in the tragedy. Solidarity for the victims of the blast, from inside and outside Lebanon, has been impressive but this disaster was man-made and residents want heads to roll.
'Punish them'
The president and prime minister of Lebanon have promised that a government investigation would net the culprits but, more than a mere case of negligence, many Lebanese see the blast as a direct result of their leaders' corruption.
"After three days of cleaning, removing rubble and licking our wounds... it is time to let our anger explode and punish them," said Fares Halabi, a 28-year-old activist who planned to join a protest on Saturday afternoon. Some people erected a mock gallows for Lebanon's top politicians on Martyr's Square, the epicentre of a protest movement that briefly rattled the country's hereditary ruling class. The lack of political change combined with a stinging economic crisis and the coronavirus pandemic all but snuffed out the revolutionary movement -- until this week. "Today is the first demonstration since the explosion, an explosion in which any one of us could have died," said Hayat Nazer, an activist who has contributed to solidarity initiatives for blast victims. "This is the biggest warning for everyone now that we don't have anything to lose anymore. Everyone should be in the streets today, everyone," she told AFP. However some of Lebanon's leaders seemed to consider the outpouring of international solidarity as an opportunity to break the government's diplomatic isolation.
Foreign support
A virtual international donor conference launched by Macron, and in which US President Donald Trump and other top leaders will take part, is scheduled for Sunday. Lebanon defaulted on its debt earlier this year and the current leadership has so far consistently failed to address the economic emergency and agree on an international rescue package despite intense Western pressure. Speaking on Friday evening, President Michel Aoun said "the explosion has led to the lifting of the isolation". Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah also said the disaster had created "an opportunity" to get the world to work with Lebanon again. Three senior diplomats were in Beirut Saturday in a show of solidarity with the disaster-hit city, where 300,000 people were made temporarily homeless by the port explosion. The first to meet top officials was Arab League chief Ahmed Aboul Gheit. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu was also expected, as was the president of the European Council, Charles Michel. "You are not alone," Michel said after meeting Aoun, promising tangible assistance to the country but also stressing the need for more transparent governance.
High-stakes probe
Aoun however rejected calls backed by Macron for an international and independent investigation into the blast. A total of 21 people have been detained so far, including Badri Daher, director-general of Lebanon's customs authority.
Christian MP Samy Gemayel announced Saturday during a funeral service for his Kataeb party's secretary general, who was killed in the explosion, that he and his two colleagues in parliament were resigning. That brought to five the number of lawmakers who quit since the blast. Few Lebanese seemed to have any trust that the leadership would incriminate its own in an investigation chaired by some of the country's top officials. Analyst Nasser Yassin of the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs, said Lebanon's reviled leaders were clearly seeking to take advantage of the situation. "The fear is that the authorities will benefit from this great disaster and from the international and Arab attention they are getting," he said. Activist Hayat Nazer said the current crisis should not turn into a chance for the political elite to get a new lease of life but instead give fresh impetus to a drive for change. "I think it's the last wake-up call for people," she said.

Scholar presents global map of Hezbollah terrorist operations
Benjamin Weinthal/Jerusalem Post/August 08/2020
The map “divulges the little-known fact that in 2010, Hezbollah stored ammonium nitrate intended for making explosives in a house purchased by a French Lebanese professor."
A leading expert on the Lebanese terrorist movement Hezbollah’s operations across the globe presented last week the first-ever interactive multimedia tool chronicling the Shi’ite organization’s malign activities across the world.
“Hezbollah Is active not only along Blue Line, not only in Syria, but in other military conflicts throughout the region and in terrorist in criminal activity around the world, “ Matthew Levitt, the Hezbollah expert, told The Jerusalem Post on Friday.
"The group goes to great lengths to publicize the over activities it wants people to know about, social welfare activity and political activity for example. But it goes to still greater lengths to hide its covert, illegal activities, from terrorist operations to narcotics trafficking in money laundering,” said Levitt, who serves as the director of the Washington Institute’s Reinhard Program on Counterterrorism and Intelligence.
“This tool aims to provide a user-friendly, free, open source, location for verified information about Hezbollah’s global activities,” he added.
The US, Canada, Israel, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Arab League, and many Latin American countries have designated Hezbollah a terrorist entity.
The European Union has merely classified Hezbollah’s so-called “military wing” a terrorist organization while allowing the Shi’ite group’s political wing to function. France's government has blocked a EU proscription of Hezbollah as a terrorist entity.
Levitt said during the webinar presentation of his map that "during and following publication of my 2013 book Hezbollah: The Global Footprint of Lebanon’s Party of God, I traveled throughout Europe trying to persuade legislators to designate the group as a terrorist organization. These conversations revealed two key gaps in the existing literature: the lack of a go-to repository of Hezbollah-related information, and the dearth of unclassified source material."
He continued to say that “although the book addressed both problems to some extent, its deluge of information was neither instantly accessible nor frequently updateable. This conundrum was the catalyst for development of the new interactive project.”Levitt covered Hezbollah's use of ammonium nitrate over the years prior to Tuesday’s explosion at Beirut Port involving the deadly bomb-making chemical. Hezbollah denies its involvement with the detonation of over 2,500 tons, causing at least 135 deaths and over 5,000 injuries.
Levitt said that the map “divulges the little-known fact that in 2010, Hezbollah stored ammonium nitrate intended for making explosives in a house purchased by a French Lebanese professor who is currently under indictment. Indeed, the map’s capabilities provide an easy way of examining the connections between related data, such as the travel patterns of Meliad Farah and other operatives involved in the 2012 Burgas bombing. It also sheds light on plots that did not come to fruition, such as the joint Hezbollah/Palestinian Islamic Jihad plan to target Jewish emigres at a Warsaw synagogue and the Budapest airport in the late 1990s.”Hezbollah operatives blew up an Israeli tour bus in Burgas, Bulgaria, in 2012, murdering five Israelis and their Muslim Bulgarian bus driver. Over 30 additional Israelis were injured by the bomb.

Why doesn’t Iranian media and regime care about Lebanon’s disaster?
Seith J. Frantzman/Jerusalem Post/August 08/2020
Iran has one message: Israel is bad, Iran’s government stands by Lebanon, Hezbollah denies involvement.
On the day after the massive explosion in Lebanon, Iran’s Foreign Minister was in full solidarity mode. At least in English he was. Meanwhile in Iran little was being done for Lebanon and there appeared to be little interest in the strategy among the plethora of state and IRGC-linked media. Now, on August 8, four days after the blast that left more than 130 dead, 60 missing and thousands injured, there is still little interest. Why?
In English, Iran has one message: Israel is bad, Iran’s government stands by Lebanon, Hezbollah denies involvement. Press TV in Iran on August 4, for instance, condemns France for a “colonial-style” trip by President Emmanuel Macron to Beirut on August 5. How come there aren’t more details in Farsi on Tasnim, Fars, IRNA, ISNA and other Iranian channels? More interesting are domestic concerns. ISNA talks about distributing “basic goods” in Iran. This may explain why Iran appeared to send three flights to support Lebanon after the blast but didn’t play up its aid that much. It’s own people need the aid more than Lebanon it seems.
Tasnim news on Saturday was more concerned with US sanctions, a protest by Iran about US fighters jets intercepting an Iranian passenger plane and exchange rates. Not so much about Lebanon. Fars News also didn’t have many details about the blast. There was a report about Lebanon’s foreign minister praising Hezbollah head Hassan-Nasrallah and details about the Mozambique company that had purchased the ammonium nitrate that exploded in Beirut. There was less about how the blast might affect Iran, Iranians in Lebanon or even Hezbollah, a key Iranian ally.
So what is going on with Iran’s regime and its reaction to the blast? The regime seems more interested in a few petty details or ignoring the destruction entirely. Zarif is busy complaining that Google doesn’t translate Persian language tweets correctly, claiming that when tweets send condolences, Google translates the word to “congratulations.” Basically he is complaining that when he tries to mourn with Lebanon it is mistranslated. But why would he care, he usually tweets in English as Iran’s premier propagandist and explainer abroad. It’s odd that this is the main concern of Iran’s foreign minister after the tragedy, trying to get translations correct at a global tech giant.
Ayatollah Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran, has also been silent for days after the disaster. He tweeted sympathy on August 5 and then remained silent. Where are the usual avalanche of words. When Iran’s regime is bashing Israel, such as on its annual Quds Day, the leader and all his minions seem capable of hundreds of tweets bashing “Zionism” and the US. But when it comes to caring for the lives of Lebanese they are quiet. They seem to only tweet about Lebanon in the context of Israel and otherwise see the people as expendable. They call Hezbollah the “resistance” in Lebanon, defending the country from Israel’s supposed aggression. However when Lebanese die at the hands of an explosion, rather than Israel, for some reason their usual caring for the lives of Lebanese disappears.
The overall Iranian media and leadership reaction, while it has had some evidence of sending aid, in general has not shown much interest in what happened in Lebanon, despite the state being a key part of Iran’s system of influence in the region. In fact it was Lebanon where the Iranian Islamic Revolution fully gained a foothold in the 1980s, via groups like Hezbollah. It was in Lebanon where Iran confront the US and Israel. Ostensibly there are fraternal relations and family relations between Shi’ites in Lebanon and those in Iran. However overall affection by the regime may be lacking.

Destroying Lebanon’s Kidnapped Heart!
Rajeh Khoury/Asharq Al Awsat/August 08/2020
It was back on February 16, 2016, when Hassan Nasrallah, attempting to strike fear in Israel during a speech on “an undefeatable resistance”, declared that a few of his rockets could strike ammonium nitrate stockpiles at Haifa port. He said that the attack would produce a nuclear-like bomb and strike an area of 800,000 inhabitants and kill tens of thousands of people. Less than a week later, Israel reportedly moved these stockpiles to farther locations.
The corrupt Lebanese political system that has been in power since that time neglected or failed to remember that a similar ammonium nitrate shipment - a ticking nuclear timebomb that could demolish the capital - was lying in Beirut port.
The third most powerful blast after Hiroshima slaughtered Beirut, the city of cities. It did not just wipe out the port, but it left behind massive devastation, killing at least 170 people and wounding more than 5,000. The number of missing is still unclear. The blast created a nuclear mushroom cloud that cracked buildings kilometers away, destroyed homes and displaced 300,000 people. Horrific footage showed people being thrown hundreds of meters in the air, before plummeting to their terrible deaths.
The main question remains and that is being asked by all Lebanese, why didn’t this horrifying blast uproot the entire criminal political system? Regardless of the cause of the explosion, which is stirring much debate and will stir even more in the future, this class is responsible for this terrifying catastrophe, which has awakened the entire world to the plight of an international victim called Lebanon. This is why everyone has clamored to the immediate aid of a country that is bleeding and can no longer afford the price of bread.
The Lebanese people have been preoccupied with this question from the moment this catastrophe took place. At the same time, we witnessed what can be described as beyond scandalous a government meeting where arguments, the trading of blame and the shirking of responsibility prevailed.
To compare, just as French President Emmanuel Macron was landing in Beirut on Thursday – despite all the silly accusations made by Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab against French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, which led to the resignation of Lebanon’s FM Nassif Hitti – news was emerging that French Prime Minister jean Castex was preparing to host a meeting in Paris for concerned ministers to help Lebanon rise up from this tragedy and draft a long-term plan to aid the country. Did any Lebanese official head to the site of the disaster to inspect the scene like Macron, who made sure to visit the port and stricken capital before meeting officials?
It isn’t exaggeration to say that Macron’s visit marked a precedent in France’s history. No other French president has raced to visit the site of a disaster that had taken place outside French soil. The sole exception was late President Jacque Chirac and his wife, who traveled to Beirut for the funeral of slain Lebanese former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
Today, Lebanon has been martyred twice: The first time by the massive nuclear-like bombing that destroyed half the capital, and the second by the atrociousness that has controlled and is controlling the Lebanese state, which appears to be living on another planet.
From the moment the blast took place, Health Minister Hamad Hasan was quick to conclude that it was caused by fireworks. It was then said that Hangar 12 stored 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate, which was confiscated in 2013. The blaze in the fireworks may have caused the tragedy.
This is not viable, because ammonium nitrate needs to combine with other material for it to become explosive.
It was then said that a flame from welding operations at the hangar door reached the ammonium stacks. And many other analyses have since ensued.
It is not normal or reasonable for any state in history to confiscate such massive amounts of ammonium nitrate – 2,750 tons – and ignore repeated warnings since 2013 about the danger of keeping them there in the middle of the capital.
Some of the sources said that officials during the term of Prime Minister Saad Hariri were informed of the stockpile. He has completely denied this. Some sources confirmed that back in May, Hassan Diab was twice informed and President Michel Aoun thrice informed about the danger of keeping this material at Hangar 12. Nothing was done to address the issue.
More interesting than all of this is that Israel had just a few weeks ago released a detailed map of what it said were locations where Hezbollah was storing weapons and rockets it was receiving from Iran. Among the positions was a location near Beirut port, specifically Hangar 12 where the ammonium nitrate was stored. Moreover, the Times of Israel last year reported that the Mossad had informed European intelligence agencies that Hezbollah was storing ammonium nitrate at Beirut port to eventually use them in the manufacturing of explosives.
Back in July 2012, Hezbollah member, Hussein Abdullah, was arrested in Cyprus after eight tons of ammonium nitrate was discovered in his home. In August 2015, three Hezbollah members were arrested in Kuwait after 42,000 pounds of ammonium nitrate, as well as C4, were found in their home. In 2017, Bolivian authorities raided a large Hezbollah warehouse where they found enough explosives to produce a 2.5-ton bomb. Prior to that, German authorities raided a Hezbollah warehouse in southern parts of the country where they discovered large amounts of ammonium nitrate and they soon designated the party as terrorist. Confronted by the scale of the tragedy, which is reminiscent of the Chernobyl disaster, Israel appeared confused: First, when Benjamin Netanyahu announced an hour after the blast that Israel knows how to retaliate and later, when it oddly offered to aid Lebanon in its plight when it realized the massiveness of the destruction and that the crime is subject to international criminal law.
Of course, Hezbollah denied having anything to do with what happened. It is intriguing that dozens of stories have emerged over the catastrophe. From the farce of the fireworks to the talk about a small nuclear bomb that was fired by Israel and claims that had the shockwave not gone out to sea, Beirut would have been this age’s Hiroshima. At any rate, the traces of a Hiroshima can be seen in Beirut, which has been murdered three times: The first when it was destroyed by the blast, the second by the political class that has been destroying it for a long time, and a third and central time, when the Hezbollah statelet took over the state. This was possible after the alliance with Aoun and after the establishment of the “farcical government”, which was embroiled in arguments over decisions and jurisdiction while the Lebanese people were being blown up by the blast and crushed under the rubble.
On top of all of this, the negligent and careless authority decided to form an investigation committee comprised of officials, who had turned a blind eye to the facts that led to the tragedy. What we need is an international probe comprised of experts who know what happened and who will not try to cover up the truth as usual.
This political class should have been wiped out by the blast as it wiped out the heart of Lebanon. It is enough to remember how Macron landed in Beirut at 11 am on Thursday and headed immediately to the port and the scene of the catastrophe. He then walked among the people in the devastated neighborhoods and listened to their plight. He then met with Aoun at 4 pm, five hours after arriving, meaning that that was the time for addressing the stricken people, who as of yet have been completely ignored by members of the farcical state.
It is not at all surprising for Macron to declare from the completely devastated Gemmayze, where he embraced the people, that it is time for the political system to change and that he will propose a new pact for the murdered country. Is this what prompted Aoun to leave him alone to speak to reporters soon after his arrival at the airport? … strange.

Macron told Trump that US sanctions on Lebanese groups counterproductive: Official
ReutersSaturday 08 August 2020
French President Emmanuel Macron has told President Donald Trump that US sanctions that have targeted Iran-backed Shiite group Hezbollah are playing into the hands of those they are meant to weaken, an Elysee official said on Saturday.
The official, speaking ahead of a donors conference on aid to Lebanon co-hosted by France in which Trump will take part, said Macron told Trump in a phone call on Friday that the United States should “reinvest” Lebanon to help rebuild it.
The French official also said there were sufficient elements to believe the blast that ravaged Beirut on Tuesday was accidental. The death toll from Tuesday’s catastrophic explosion at the port of Beirut has risen to 158, the Lebanese health ministry media office said on Saturday. The number of people injured exceeds 6,000 and 21 are still reported missing, it said. Meanwhile, hundreds of Lebanese protesters flocked to the streets of Beirut on Saturday afternoon to demonstrate against the government's handling of the port explosion on August 4 that killed at least 158 people.
 

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on August 08-09/2020
Tensions Rise between Sadrists, Protesters in Iraq’s Nasiriyah
Baghdad - Fadhel al-Nashmi/Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 8 August, 2020
Tensions were high in Iraq’s Nasiriyah city between anti-government protesters and supporters of the Sadrist movement, led by cleric Moqtada al-Sadr. According to activists, tensions broke out between protesters, who have been present at Al Habobi square for months, and Sadrists who arrived at the scene.
Activist Raad Mohsen said quarrels erupted between the two sides after Sadrists raised a poster of the movement’s leader during a demonstration demanding to bring the killers of protesters to justice, starting with Gen. Jamil Al Shammari. Mohsen, speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, confirmed that the protesters are used to holding at least one demonstration a week to reaffirm their demands, which include holding the killers of demonstrators accountable. The raising of Sadr’s poster at the square prompted tensions, with activists explaining that images of party and religious leaders are prohibited at the square. Moreover, Mohsen said the protesters chanted slogans that denounced Sadr and other political leaders. This led to the buildup of tensions, but security leaders and prominent protesters intervened to contain the situation. Tensions between the protesters and Sadrists have been on the rise for months. The latter has been accused of killing and using violence against the protesters, especially in Baghdad, Najaf and Nasiriyah. The tensions are also playing out on social media. Demonstrators at Al Habobi square issued a statement demanding the revelation of names of those involved in oppressing the November protests in Nasiriyah. According to Mohsen, the statement called on the central government to quit its evasiveness and reveal the names of those responsible for killing dozens of protesters.

Netanyahu Seeks Forming New Right-Wing Party
Tel Aviv - Nazir Magali/Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 8 August, 2020
With his popularity plummeting in polls Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking to form a new right-wing party for the upcoming elections. The new party will be focused on absorbing Netanyahu’s angry supporters so that they do not join a competing power. The new party would be led by a promising right-wing personality that is close to Netanyahu. A Likud source revealed that Netanyahu is very concerned with his declining popularity. The source also added that the PM seeks to regain voters he lost by forming a new and attractive party that ensures a strong right-wing represented by 61 members in Knesset or more. This will help Netanyahu form a right-wing government. The source said that Netanyahu is aware that during the last three rounds of elections, he has not succeeded in creating a sufficient bloc to form a right-wing government. Therefore, he resorts to playing behind the scenes to provide the right-wing majority and to ensure that voters who were disappointed with him do not flee due to his failures in the face of the spread of the coronavirus and keep them in the right-wing camp and prevent them from moving to centrist parties such as the Blue and White party and Yesh Atid. On Friday and Thursday evening, the Israeli media published the results of three opinion polls conducted this week on the mood of the public in the event that the election date is brought forward. The opinion polls showed that Netanyahu’s power will continue to decline, with the Likud losing seats at the Knesset. At the moment, Likud enjoys 36 seats at Knesset. The polls saw that number dropping to 31, 32 and even 29. Although the center, left and Arab parties rise slightly according to these polls, the majority of Likud's loss goes to the extreme right-wing party association headed by Naftali Bennett.

Trump to Meet Iraqi PM this Month
Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 8 August, 2020
US President Donald Trump will meet Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi in Washington later this month, the White House said Friday, highlighting a turn-around in relations since the premier came to power. The White House said the August 20 visit comes at a "critical time" in the fight against ISIS and the myriad of problems posed by the coronavirus pandemic. "As close partners, the United States and Iraq will look to expand our relations," the White House added. Tensions skyrocketed following a US strike on Baghdad in January that killed Iranian general Qasem Soleimani and Iraqi commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and prompted Iraqi lawmakers to demand the expulsion of the roughly 5,200 US troops in the country. The hostility has calmed substantially since Kadhimi took the reins as Iraq's premier in May. A Washington invite was the type of diplomatic olive branch never received by Kadhimi's predecessor Adel Abdel Mahdi, who was forced to resign by months of protests.

Poland’s border guards detain 34 people from Middle East found in a lorry
Reuters/Sunday 09 August 2020
Polish border guards have detained 34 people from the Middle East, including four women and four children, who were traveling in a trailer of the lorry that came from Turkey via Slovakia, authorities said on Saturday. They were detained on Friday night and are being held at the border guards station in Bielsko-Biala, a spokesman for the regional border guards service in southern Poland Szymon Moscicki said. He said the detainees were thought to be citizens of Iraq, Iran, Syria, and Kurds from Turkey. It was not immediately clear where they ultimately aimed to travel.
Even though migrant flows to Poland never reached the same scale as in neighboring Germany, immigration was a campaign topic ahead of the 2015 general election, helping the Law and Justice (PiS) party to take over power. The conservative-nationalist government has said it has restricted entry to refugees due to security concerns. Politicians often use the word “migrants” as a blanket term, rather than “refugees”. Last month the UN Refugee Agency urged Poland to help people fleeing war and persecution after Europe’s human rights court ruled Warsaw had broken an international convention by denying asylum procedures to refugees.Since 2016 the annual number of asylum applications has fallen to 4,000 a year from 8,000-14,000 before, according to one non-governmental organization in Poland.

Sudan ‘regrets’ tone of US travel advisory, says foreign ministry
AFP/Saturday 08 August 2020
Sudan said Saturday it “regrets” the tone of the latest US State Department advisory against travel to the country, saying it does not take into account changes of the post-Bashir era.“The ministry calls on its counterpart to show caution when warning its citizens to reconsider travel to Sudan,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.It stressed “the great change brought about by the glorious revolution of December 2018” that led to longtime leader Omar al-Bashir’s ouster, saying Khartoum “regrets” the wording of Thursday’s advisory. The country was now one of “political stability, free demonstrations, and protection of human life and the rights of Sudanese citizens, with peace negotiations underway with armed struggle movements.”In a standard advisory, the State Department called on US citizens to “reconsider travel to Sudan due to COVID-19... crime, terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping and armed conflict.”“Members of known terrorist groups continue to be in Sudan and could pose a threat,” it said. “Demonstrations can occur with no warning,” although recent protests had been “peaceful with no police response.” In contrast, Sudan’s government this week welcomed remarks from US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that he would like to delist Sudan as a state sponsor of terrorism. Pompeo has repeatedly indicated Washington hopes to remove the designation, which dents investment in Sudan, but disputes have arisen on compensation over the 1998 bombings of two US embassies in Africa. Al-Bashir had welcomed al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden and Sudan was accused of aiding extremists who blew up the embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, killing 224 people. Sudan’s new government has agreed to a compensation package but a dispute has arisen over higher payments to Americans than to Africans.

Indian Consulate in Dubai sets up helpline for Air India Express plane crash
Tuqa Khalid, Al Arabiya English/Saturday 08 August 2020
The Indian Consulate in Dubai set up a dedicated helpline to provide information related to the Air India Express plane which crashed in southern India, killing at least 16 people and injuring 123 others who were aboard the repatriation flight. “Air India Express Flight No IX 1344 from Dubai to Calicut skidded off the runway. We pray for wellbeing of passengers and crew and will keep you updated as and when we receive further updates. Our helplines 056 546 3903, 0543090572, 0543090572, 0543090575,” the consulate said on Twitter. It added in another tweet: “As per latest info from state authorities, search and rescue operation is over and all injured have been shifted to various hospitals like MIMS, Aster, etc. and in Mallapuram. Air India Dubai helpline +97142079444. CGI Dubai expresses it's deep condolences for deceased passengers.” The consulate also announced that it will be open on Saturday “to assist all who want any assistance to travel to Kerala or any information related to air crash incident.” The repatriation flight carrying Indians stranded abroad because of the coronavirus pandemic back home skidded off a hilltop runway and split in two while landing Friday in heavy rain in the southern state of Kerala
The dead included one of the pilots of the Air India Express flight, and at least 15 of the injured were in critical condition, said Abdul Karim, a senior Kerala state police officer. Rescue operations were over, he said. The 2-year-old Boeing 737-800 flew from Dubai to Kozhikode, also called Calicut, in Kerala, India’s southernmost state, the airline said. Dubai-based aviation consultant Mark Martin said that while it was too early to determine the cause of the crash, annual monsoon conditions appeared to be a factor. “Low visibility, wet runway, low cloud base, all leading to very poor braking action is what looks like led to where we are at the moment with this crash,” Martin said, calling for the European Aviation Safety Agency and the US Federal Aviation Administration to assist with the Indian government's investigation. The Air India Express flight was part of the Indian government's special repatriation mission to bring Indian citizens back to the country, officials said. All of the passengers were returning from the Gulf region, authorities said. Regular commercial flights have been halted in India because of the coronavirus outbreak. There were 174 adult passengers, 10 infants, two pilots and four cabin crew on board the aircraft, Jain said.- With The Associated Press

The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on August 08-09/2020

The Odds of Catching Covid on a Flight Are Slim
Faye Flam/Bloomberg/August 08/2020
If you decide to fly, the odds that you will pick up Covid-19 are low, according to one expert analysis. Despite the known dangers of crowded, enclosed spaces, planes have not been the sites of so-called superspreading events, at least so far.
That’s not to say flying is perfectly safe — safety is relative and subjective. But as restrictions continue to change, the only way to move forward through this long pandemic is to start thinking in terms of risk-benefit ratios. Very little is without risk, but perhaps some risks — such as flying — are small enough to warrant taking. Arnold Barnett, a professor of management science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has been trying to quantify the odds of catching Covid-19 from flying. He’s factored in a bunch of variables, including the odds of being seated near someone in the infectious stage of the disease, and the odds that the protection of masks (now required on most flights) will fail. He’s accounted for the way air is constantly renewed in airplane cabins, which experts say makes it very unlikely you’ll contract the disease from people who aren’t in your immediate vicinity — your row, or, to a lesser extent, the person across the aisle, the people ahead of you or the people behind you.What Barnett came up with was that we have about a 1/4300 chance of getting Covid-19 on a full 2-hour flight — that is, about 1 in 4300 passengers will pick up the virus, on average. The odds of getting the virus are about half that, 1/7700, if airlines leave the middle seat empty. He’s posted his results as a not-yet-peer-reviewed preprint.
The odds of dying of a case contracted in flight, he found, are even lower — between 1 in 400,000 and 1 in 600,000 — depending on your age and other risk factors. To put that in perspective, those odds are comparable to the average risk of getting a fatal case in a typical two hours on the ground.
The numbers all sound low enough, though Barnett says they are still high compared to the 1 in 34 million odds your flight will end in a deadly crash. He told me he wouldn’t fly right now because his age, 72, puts him at higher risk than the average American, and he says you have to consider the risk of adding to the problem by getting the virus and unknowingly passing it on to others.
Other experts have been mixed on whether they, personally, would fly. The Boston Globe recently reported that of 15 epidemiologists and infectious disease experts surveyed, 13 said they would not fly at this time — however it wasn’t clear whether they had any reason to get on a plane.
University of Massachusetts biology professor Erin Bromage says he is flying every week, as he advises federal, state and district courts on how to reopen while minimizing risks. Whereas many experts are taking a zero-tolerance for risk approach, he’s trying to find a middle ground — and helping others do it in a rational way. Drawing on a background in industrial mechanics and pilot training (an injury forced him to switch career paths into biology), Bromage says that the air exchange system in planes is better than in hospitals, with the air in the cabin being completely replaced 30 times every hour. He agrees with MIT’s Barnett, though, that it’s possible to transmit the disease to or from your close neighbors.
He and Barnett both suggested that customers should, if possible, choose an airline, such as Jet Blue, that promises to keep the middle seat open. That cuts way back on the odds of getting or giving the virus. JetBlue also promises that solo travelers won’t have a neighbor in a two-seat row.
Real-world data bodes well for flying, too. Australia has been using contact tracing to investigate Covid transmission on hundreds of flights, and has found that while infected people got on planes, nobody got infected on a plane. Worldwide, there have been a couple of individual transmissions possibly linked to flights, but no superspreading-type events. Assuming we’ll be living with this disease for months to come, we will need ways to separate low-risk activities from high-risk ones. Keeping informed of relative risks can help us do that. By worrying less about the relatively safer part of a trip — the actual flight — we can pay more attention to the potentially riskier parts, such as crowds and tightly packed lines at the airport.
Of course, we’re all obligated to avoid adding to the spread of the disease, and this means taking precautions in the air, such as wearing a mask and staying home if sick, and keeping a distance from others at the airport.
What happens at your destination matters too. Traveling around and mingling with distant contacts can increase the risk of spreading the virus more than mingling with a comparable number of people closer to home. So people can help themselves and others by driving their own cars to the airport and renting cars wherever they arrive, rather than taking taxis or ride-shares.In the old normal, Bromage would wrap up his advisory duties and have dinner with the people he’s working with. Now, he just goes back to his hotel room. “It’s quite lonely,” he says. Like so much this year, it’s a compromise.

Economics Needs New Theories About Stimulus and Inflation
Noah Smith/Bloomberg/August 08/2020
The coronavirus pandemic has raised deficit spending to new heights. Federal debt held by the public is expected to reach 100% of gross domestic product this year, effectively returning to the levels of World War II.
The Federal Reserve, meanwhile, has also taken unprecedented action, increasing its total assets from about $4 trillion at the start of the pandemic to about $7 trillion now.
The big question is when, if ever, this aggressive government action starts to incur negative consequences, such as rapid inflation. Macroeconomists should be investigating this question vigorously. But so far, interest in the question has seemed strangely muted among mainstream academics.
Before the financial crisis of 2008, the dominant academic model of the business cycle held that there was a tradeoff between inflation and unemployment -- a new version of what’s known in economics as the Philips Curve. By managing interest rates, mainstream theorists argued, the central bank would navigate serenely between the rocks of inflation and the shoals of unemployment. There was not much room for government debt in that model.
The 2008 recession seemed like it might present a huge challenge for this paradigm, but most macroeconomists met the challenge by simply patching up the old models. They shoehorned in a financial sector, and allowed that when nominal interest rates approached zero, fiscal stimulus along with quantitative easing would have to be brought in.
But that still left the question of what the limits of stimulus and QE would be. Mainstream economists realized that because the government can use monetary policy to lower interest rates and even finance government borrowing directly, there would never be a real risk of sovereign default; if private investors stopped buying Treasuries and rates started to rise, the Fed could pick up the slack. The only real constraint on government action was the possibility of inflation, if the Fed created too much money.
But when would inflation kick in? Economists’ only answer was, basically, that it would happen at some point. Some economists fretted that QE was about to cause rapid inflation, even writing an open letter to former Fed chairman Ben Bernanke warning him to stop QE. But Bernanke didn’t stop, and inflation never came. The Bank of Japan engaged in an even more vigorous program, buying up an appreciable fraction of the country’s stock market. But inflation never consistently reached the bank’s 2% target.
The failure of inflation to materialize in response to enormous fiscal and monetary stimulus in the 2010s should have prompted vigorous activity among academics to try to figure out why. But oddly, it didn’t. A few scholars suggested that low interest rates were actually deflationary, but this idea never caught on. Most macroeconomists, if they bothered to address the question at all, simply assumed that at some point inflation would pick up, and that developed countries simply hadn’t reached that point yet. So far, the coronavirus pandemic looks like a repeat of the financial crisis in this respect; despite unprecedented deficits and monetary expansion, markets expect inflation to be below target for the next decade.
But inflation undeniably happens sometimes, in some places. Venezuela and Lebanon have both recently experienced hyperinflation, with the former reaching an annual rate of more than 130,000%. The economic consequences are devastating -- even worse than a sovereign default. The question is why, and where, and under what conditions hyperinflation happens, and how it can be stopped.
Instead of spinning theories that effectively just say that hyperinflation will happen at some unknown point, macroeconomists could look at countries that do experience hyperinflation, or come close but manage to avert it. They should use these historical and international examples to learn lessons about when and where and why this sort of catastrophe happens, and how it can be prevented. But the seminal work on hyperinflation continues to be economist Thomas Sargent’s 1982 paper “The End of Four Big Inflations.” This paper, in addition to being four decades old, draws all its examples from Central European economies in the aftermath of World War I -- very different circumstances than the economies of today.New work on hyperinflation is urgently needed. One key question is whether runaway inflation happens slowly enough that the government can reverse course in time, or whether it’s instantaneous and catastrophic. Another question is whether direct monetary financing of new government borrowing is a trigger for hyperinflation. A third is whether and how capital flight is involved. A fourth is how the type of government spending changes whether markets expect deficits to be temporary or permanent. There are many other important questions besides these.If academic macroeconomists continue to largely ignore this question, and focus on the models and ideas and questions that they were working on before coronavirus, it will represent a quiet but enormous failure of the discipline, just as significant as the profession’s inability to see the 2008 crisis coming. With academics AWOL on the question of how much the government can safely spend and how much the central bank can safely print, policy makers, businesspeople and financial market participants will turn to poorly articulated theories, old nostrums, political agitators, gut instincts or the raving of random Twitter users.

Trump Blew Up More Than Just TikTok and WeChat
Tim Culpan/Bloomberg/August 08/2020
US President Donald Trump’s decision to ban dealings with ByteDance Ltd., owner of video-sharing sensation TikTok, appears to codify what his administration has already been warning. A second edict targeting messaging app WeChat and its parent, Tencent Holdings Ltd., seems weirdly overdue.
The executive orders issued by the White House go beyond stopping average Americans from becoming unwitting spies for the Communist Party through their postings and data. The implications could hurt not only the Chinese targets, but the US companies they work with, including Apple Inc. and Alphabet Inc.’s Google.
Though TikTok and WeChat have been getting all the recent attention, the orders state that American companies cannot work with ByteDance or Tencent (though an unnamed US official later stated that Tencent transactions were still OK). That clarification notwithstanding, the wording of the orders does imply that regardless of intention such bans could extend further, to include Americans advertising on dozens of products offered by either Chinese company, or to selling them cloud-storage services, or perhaps the most nuclear option: distributing their apps, even within China.
The preambles address the apps in question and the security threats they supposedly present, but let’s take a look at the orders themselves. Here’s the one for TikTok:
The following actions shall be prohibited beginning 45 days after the date of this order, to the extent permitted under applicable law: any transaction by any person, or with respect to any property, subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, with ByteDance Ltd.
The order doesn’t outline actions against TikTok, just its current owner. So if Microsoft Corp. is successful in its negotiations to buy the business, we might expect things could go back to normal for the app and its millions of users in the US. But ByteDance might continue to suffer, for reasons not enunciated.
A separate edict names both Tencent and WeChat, which doesn’t have the advantage of a huge US fan base. Ubiquitous at home, the messaging service is used in America mostly by the Chinese diaspora and those who have friends or dealings with people in China. Still, the ban will impact thousands of Chinese students, visitors and workers. As an aside, it’s kind of amazing that a ban on WeChat took so long given that, according to the White House's own statement, researchers discovered security breaches almost 18 months ago. Washington seems to have become more focused on data privacy concerns stemming from Chinese apps once TikTok’s viral dance videos caught on Stateside.
It's important to remember that while TikTok is popular around the world, and WeChat is huge at home, both rely on American companies to function and get distributed.
Even though Chinese smartphone brands dominate their domestic market, iOS and Android remain the dominant platforms and Apple and Google cover almost the entire global ecosystem with their respective app stores. If they can’t do business with ByteDance, for example, even after a TikTok spin off, then the Beijing company might be unable to distribute its own apps, even within China.
Despite the days of buildup, the administration issued an order that extends far beyond what had been previously discussed. Perhaps they just botched the wording, or maybe it was deliberate overreach. Hints came a few hours after the bans were issued — and after Tencent’s stock had dropped as much as 10% — when the aforementioned US official clarified that the WeChat order related only to that app and not to other Tencent transactions.
This kind of clarification-cum-backtrack is common in Washington these days and tells us that the final result may not be so drastic. There are also various loopholes and licensing to allow the companies to function more normally. Think also of bargaining chips. Washington and Beijing are preparing for another round of trade negotiations. Still, don’t bet on a return to normalcy. However, it plays out, Trump’s orders aren’t just about stopping lip-syncing teens. They’re a whole lot bigger, and the world had better brace for the blowback.