LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
February 03.2020
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani

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Bible Quotations For today
I pray therefore that you may not lose heart over my sufferings for you; they are your glory
Letter to the Ephesians 03/01-13/:”This is the reason that I Paul am a prisoner for Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles for surely you have already heard of the commission of God’s grace that was given to me for you, and how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I wrote above in a few words, a reading of which will enable you to perceive my understanding of the mystery of Christ. In former generations this mystery was not made known to humankind, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: that is, the Gentiles have become fellow-heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. Of this gospel I have become a servant according to the gift of God’s grace that was given to me by the working of his power. Although I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to me to bring to the Gentiles the news of the boundless riches of Christ, and to make everyone see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things; so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was in accordance with the eternal purpose that he has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have access to God in boldness and confidence through faith in him. I pray therefore that you may not lose heart over my sufferings for you; they are your glory.”

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on February 02-03/2020
Al Raei Is The Wrong Man In The Wrong Position/Elias Bejjani/February 02/2020
Drunk Driver Runs Over Lebanese Children in Sydney, Kills Four
Diab expresses deep sympathy over Sydney road crash tragedy
Najm on Australia's tragedy: I pledge to follow up on investigations
Ministerial Panel to Finalize Policy Statement Monday
Protest in front of American Embassy against US Middle East Plan
Skirmishes as Protesters Rally in Awkar against Trump Plan
Protesters Outside US Embassy in Lebanon Reject Trump's Plan
Protesters March in Beirut, Tripoli to Reject New Govt.
Lebanon's Salameh Seeks to Legitimize Banks’ Measures to Prevent Prosecution
Protesters March in Lebanon to Reject New Government
Lebanon protesters renew rallies rejecting new government
Rahi criticizes "Deal of the Century"
Several artists partake in Lebanon's "Creativity Day” in Martyrs Square
Lebanese Cultural League offers condolences over Australian accident victims
Mortada says no poultry problem, necessary tests will be performed tomorrow

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on February 02-03/2020
Report: Militants bomb gas pipeline between Israel, Egypt in northern Sinai
EU top diplomat Josep Borrell due in Tehran for nuclear talks
Haniyeh Settles in Qatar, Has No Plans to Return to Gaza
Who Is Iraq’s Newly Appointed Prime Minister?
Iraq: Sadr Urges Followers to End Sit-ins After Allawi's Appointment
Washington: Iraq Needs Government That Meets the Needs of Its People
Iraqi Protesters Dig in Heels despite new PM-Designate
Fierce Clashes Near Aleppo as Turkey Sends Border Reinforcements
Egypt Prepares to Issue Death Sentences Against 37 Facing Terror Charges
France to Send Hundreds of Troops to Fight Sahel Terrorists
Japanese Warship Departs for Gulf of Oman to Protect Oil Tankers
Algeria Seeks Sending African Military Troops to Enforce Libya Ceasefire
Man Shot by Police after 'Terrorist-Related' London Stabbing
Chinese Army to Oversee Virus Hospital
New Chinese City Locked Down over Virus, First Foreign Death


Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on February 02-03/2020
A Global Catastrophe: "260 Million Christians Experience High Levels of Persecution"/Raymond Ibrahim//Gatestone Institute/February 02/2020
Sweden: Hijab is 'Look of the Year'/Judith Bergman/Gatestone Institute/February 02/2020
Tehran's Chinese Dream Can't Replace its Nightmare/Amir Taheri/Asharq Al Awsat/February 02/2020
Euro-Area Economy Sees Worst Quarter Since 2013/William Horobin/Bloomberg/February 02/2020
Don’t Be Fooled by the Friendly Brexit Goodbyes/Lionel Laurent/Bloomberg/February 02/2020
This ‘Deal’ Is a Consequence of the Region’s Condition/Elias Harfoush/Asharq Al Awsat/February 02/2020
Abbas: Hard Line Language and Moderate Behavior/Nabil Amr/Asharq Al Awsat/February 02/2020
Iranian regime increasing its human rights abuses/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab News/February 02/2020
Forget two states, Trump’s plan prescribes apartheid/Baria Alamuddin/Arab News/February 02/2020

Details Of The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorial published on February 02-03/2020
Al Raei Is The Wrong Man In The Wrong Position
Elias Bejjani/February 02/2020
Alraei sadly has no specialised and neutral educated advisers and accordingly all his stances and rhetoric unstudied statements are impulsive, very superficial, questionable and lacks all that is common sense, wisdom and a vision to secure the interstates of Lebanon as a free and independent state. He is detached from all that is logic and reason. I strongly believe that he is the wrong man in the wrong position... He has a very poor vision and apparently his tongue always is distanced from his mind.

Drunk Driver Runs Over Lebanese Children in Sydney, Kills Four
Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 2 February, 2020
A drunk driver ran his four-wheel driver over a group of Lebanese children in Sydney killing four of them. Two sisters, their brother and a cousin were killed while three others were seriously injured, Australian and Lebanese authorities said on Sunday. The 29-year-old driver who was not named should stand trial on Sunday facing 20 charges, including manslaughter and high-range drink driving following the incident late Saturday in the Oatlands suburb of western Sydney, according to AFP. The children were on a footpath when the four-wheel drive struck them. Three girls aged 8 to 12 and a 13-year-old boy died at the scene, while two other girls and a boy were injured and taken to hospital, where they were in a stable condition on Sunday, police said. The dead included two sisters and their brother. Daniel and Leila Abdallah has lost 3 of their children in this tragedy. "Yesterday I lost three of my children. I had a cousin, Bridget, she lost her daughter as well," Daniel Abdallah told reporters on Sunday morning. "I'm numb, probably that's how I feel at the moment," he stressed. "All I just want to say is, please, drivers be careful. These kids were just walking innocently, enjoying each others' company and this morning I woke up, I have lost three kids."

Diab expresses deep sympathy over Sydney road crash tragedy
NNA/February 02/2020
Prime Minister, Hassan Diab, expressed his deep sorrow for the four Lebanese children who died in a tragic car accident in Oatlands, Sydney, and said through his Twitter account: "The tragedy our people in Australia suffered with the loss of 4 Lebanese children, including 3 brothers, has pained us a lot and it is a catastrophe that has struck Lebanon and not just the families of the victims.He added: "All of Lebanon is in pain....May the Lord have mercy on the victims and grant their families solace and patience to endure."

Najm on Australia's tragedy: I pledge to follow up on investigations
NNA/February 02/2020
Justice Minister Marie-Claude Najm tweeted Sunday on the tragic car accident that led to the death of 4 Lebanese children in Australia, saying: “As a mother, I share the sorrow and pain of the bereaved Abdullah family over the loss of the four children who were run over by a car in Australia…As Minister of Justice, I pledge to follow-up, in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants, on the investigations carried out by the competent judicial authorities until the truth is unveiled.”

Ministerial Panel to Finalize Policy Statement Monday
Naharnet/February 02/2020
The ministerial panel drafting the new government’s Policy Statement will hold a “final reading” session on Monday after the draft was distributed to all ministers, media reports said. “After the finalization of the draft in Monday’s meeting, a cabinet session will be scheduled to be held at the Baabda Palace under President Michel Aoun to approve the statement in its final version,” An-Nahar newspaper reported on Sunday. As for the content, the panel has opted to use the same clauses contained in the statement of Saad Hariri’s government regarding “the sensitive political topics related to the resistance and the dissociation policy,” the daily added. The bulk of the statement will meanwhile be dedicated to the financial and economic crises. “The government will commit itself to a three-stage integrated economic and reformist vision with timeframes ranging from a 100-day short-term stage to mid- and long-term stages that would be implemented over several years with each entailing specific steps and measures,” An-Nahar said. It also noted that parliament is not expected to hold a session to debate the statement before February 10.

Protest in front of American Embassy against US Middle East Plan
NNA/February 02/2020
A number of protesters are currently observing a sit-in outside the U.S. Embassy in Awkar against the Middle East ‘peace plan’ announced by US President Donald Trump, amid strict security measures, National News Agency correspondent in Metn reported on Sunday.
The correspondent added that the number of demonstrators within the Embassy’s vicinity increased with the morning hours, and some of them managed to bypass the barbed wire and reach the iron door blocking the way to the Embassy, on which they banged using stones amid tight security measures by the riot police squad. Some protesters threw stones at the security forces, who in turn responded by using pepper spraying materials that led to cases of fainting and suffocation among the demonstrators.

Protesters outside US Embassy in Lebanon decry Trump plan
Associated Press/February 02/2020
Protesters waving Palestinian flags gathered on a road leading to the embassy northeast of Beirut amid tight security by Lebanese troops and riot policemen.
BEIRUT: Hundreds of Lebanese and Palestinians held a protest Sunday near the U.S. Embassy in Lebanon against a White House plan for ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Protesters waving Palestinian flags gathered on a road leading to the embassy northeast of Beirut amid tight security by Lebanese troops and riot policemen. “Death to America! Death to Israel! We will die and Palestine survive,” some of the demonstrators chanted. The U.S. plan would grant the Palestinians limited self-rule in parts of the occupied West Bank, while allowing Israel to annex all its settlements there and keep nearly all of east Jerusalem, which Palestinians claim as the capital of a future Palestinian state. Around noon the protesters removed the barbed wire and reached a metal fence set up by security forces. Police used what appeared to be pepper spray to hold back some of the demonstrators, with at least three protesters being carried away. On Saturday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas threatened to cut security ties with both Israel and the U.S. in a speech at an Arab League meeting in response to the U.S. plan. Arab foreign ministers there joined in blasting the plan and calling it a setback to Mideast peace efforts.
Lebanon is home to tens of thousands of Palestinian refugees and their descendants. There have been protests in the country’s 12 refugee camps since U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled the proposal in Washington.

Skirmishes as Protesters Rally in Awkar against Trump Plan
Associated Press/Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 02/2020
Several protesters were injured Sunday as security forces used pepper spray against stone-throwing demonstrators rallying against U.S. President Donald Trump’s Mideast peace plan near the U.S. embassy in Awkar. The protesters were treated for fainting and suffocation injuries. The demo, organized by mainly leftist Lebanese and Palestinian groups, was held under the slogan “Down with the Deal of Shame”. Security forces had deployed heavily in the area and installed security barriers hundreds of meters away from the embassy premises. A force from the army’s Commando Regiment meanwhile deployed on balconies around the demo site. "Death to America! Death to Israel! We will die and Palestine survive," some of the demonstrators chanted. The U.S. plan would grant the Palestinians limited self-rule in parts of the occupied West Bank, while allowing Israel to annex all its settlements there and keep nearly all of east Jerusalem, which Palestinians claim as the capital of a future Palestinian state. Around noon the protesters removed the barbed wire and reached a metal fence set up by security forces. Police used pepper spray to hold back some of the demonstrators, with at least three protesters being carried away. "I came here to defend my rights and those of my children as Palestinians," said Etab, a Palestinian refugee living in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley. "We will not accept handing over our land," she told AFP. Abdullah Mahmoud, an 18-year-old Palestinian, criticized the "failed" plan. "It won't pass as long as the Palestinian people are still standing," he said. "The right to return is an individual and collective right," another protest sign read. Later in the day, the protesters dispersed from the area without any serious clashes. On Saturday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas threatened to cut security ties with both Israel and the U.S. in a speech at an Arab League meeting in response to the U.S. plan. Arab foreign ministers there joined in blasting the plan and calling it a setback to Mideast peace efforts. Lebanon is home to tens of thousands of Palestinian refugees and their descendants. There have been protests in the country's 12 refugee camps since Trump unveiled the proposal in Washington.

Protesters Outside US Embassy in Lebanon Reject Trump's Plan
Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 2 February, 2020
Hundreds of Lebanese and Palestinians protested Sunday near the US Embassy in Lebanon against a US President Donald Trump's plan to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Palestinian flags were waved amid tight security by Lebanese security forces and riot policemen. Around noon the protesters removed the barbed wire and reached a metal fence set up by security forces. Police used what appeared to be pepper spray to hold back some of the demonstrators, with at least three protesters being carried away. On Saturday, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas threatened to cut security ties with both Israel and the US in a speech he delivered at an Arab League meeting in response to the US plan. Trump's deal would grant the Palestinians limited self-rule in parts of the occupied West Bank, while allowing Israel to annex all its settlements there and keep nearly all of east Jerusalem, which Palestinians claim as the capital of a future Palestinian state. Lebanon is home to tens of thousands of Palestinian refugees and their descendants, the Associated Press reported.

Protesters March in Beirut, Tripoli to Reject New Govt.

Associated Press/Naharnet/February 02/2020
Hundreds of Lebanese marched on Saturday through the streets of the capital and the main northern city to reject a new government named to deal with an economic crisis, which they say lacks a popular mandate. The new government named in January came after weeks of political stalemate and amid nationwide protests while Lebanon grappled with an unprecedented economic crisis. Backed by the two main blocs in parliament, the government is awaiting a vote of confidence, which it is likely to get. But protesters say the government is an extension of traditional political parties they have denounced as corrupt. "We are here today and every day ... to say no confidence," a protester who read a joint statement for the rallies said. It said the protesters won't give another chance "to those who robbed them of their dreams, impoverished them, forced them to migrate, and humiliated them." They vowed to keep up the pressure against a ruling class "that controls decision-making and resources." Lebanon's nationwide protests broke out Oct. 17 after a summer of discontent over a slumping economy and an austerity budget. The protests, sparked by proposals for new taxes, snowballed into demands for the ruling elite to step aside. Lebanon's ruling class has been in power since the end of the 1975-90 civil war, including some of its warlords. Protesters accuse them of mismanaging Lebanon's wealth and of widespread corruption. The new 20-member government of Prime Minister Hassan Diab was announced in late January but protests continued. In recent weeks, demonstrations have turned violent as frustration rose. Security forces and protesters clashed outside the country's parliament and the central bank in pitched street battles that left hundreds injured. Rights groups denounced the security forces' use of rubber bullets to disperse the crowds. Over the last week, security forces erected blast walls around parliament and other government buildings, sealing them off from protesters and turning central Beirut into a fortified security zone. On Saturday, protesters marched through the streets of Beirut and Tripoli, in the north, carrying banners against corruption and declaring "no confidence" in the new government. They stopped at the central bank, the Finance Ministry and the Banks Association before reaching central Beirut. The protesters gathered by the blast walls outside the parliament and the government building before dispersing peacefully. Lebanon has one of the world's highest public debts, standing at more than 150% of gross domestic product. Growth has plummeted and the budget deficit reached 11% of GDP in 2 018 as economic activities slowed and remittances from Lebanese living abroad shrank. The national currency, which has been pegged to the dollar since 1997, lost about 60% of its value in recent weeks, sparking a run on banks which responded with limits on cash withdrawals and transfers.

Lebanon's Salameh Seeks to Legitimize Banks’ Measures to Prevent Prosecution

Beirut – Mohammad Shoukair/Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 2 February, 2020
Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab, Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh and Chairman of Association of Banks Salim Sfeir failed to quell the fears of Lebanese depositors amid an escalating liquidity crunch facing the Middle Eastern country. Unless Lebanon receives international financial support that would push towards the restoration of its financial and banking institutions the country will continue to suffer. Salameh, for his part, is currently seeking to “legitimize” coercive measures that banks resorted to and which inflicted prejudice and injustice on depositors. Asharq Al-Awsat learned from banking and judicial sources that the lack of "legalization" of these measures would open the door to prosecution of banks due to their violation of the monetary and credit laws. More so, many banks did not comply with the circular issued by Salameh regarding the right of depositors to obtain cash on transfers received from abroad after October 17. Salameh said that the circular related to regulating relationships between banks and their customers at the current phase was submitted to Diab and Finance Minister Ghazi Wazni ten days ago.
Salameh also noted that “if they agreed on it, it will be issued in the usual way and will not include any exceptional measures."
“Operations will continue in the banks as usual,” he added.
Salameh concluded by saying that the aim was finding an "equal and fair treatment among all customers.”It is noteworthy that the expected circular will provide banks with protection to prevent their prosecution with a retroactive effect. According to sources, Salameh intends to take some “important” measures in agreement with local banks, and under a political cover, within the exceptional powers granted to him by the Monetary and Credit Law / Article 174.

Protesters March in Lebanon to Reject New Government
Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 2 February, 2020
Hundreds of Lebanese marched on Saturday through the streets of the capital and the main northern city to reject a new government named to deal with an economic crisis, which they say lacks a popular mandate.
The new government named in January came after weeks of political stalemate and amid nationwide protests while Lebanon grappled with an unprecedented economic crisis. Backed by the two main blocs in parliament, the government is awaiting a vote of confidence, which it is likely to get. But protesters say the government is an extension of traditional political parties they have denounced as corrupt. “We are here today and every day ... to say no confidence,” a protester who read a joint statement for the rallies said, according to The Associated Press. It said the protesters will not give another chance “to those who robbed them of their dreams, impoverished them, forced them to migrate and humiliated them.” They vowed to keep up the pressure against a ruling class “that controls decision-making and resources."Lebanon's nationwide protests broke out October 17 after a summer of discontent over a slumping economy and an austerity budget. The protests, sparked by proposals for new taxes, snowballed into demands for the ruling elite to step aside. Lebanon's ruling class has been in power since the end of the 1975-90 civil war, including some of its warlords. Protesters accuse them of mismanaging Lebanon's wealth and of widespread corruption. The new 20-member government of Prime Minister Hassan Diab was announced in late January but protests continued.
In recent weeks, demonstrations have turned violent as frustration rose. Security forces and protesters clashed outside the country's parliament and the central bank in pitched street battles that left hundreds injured. Rights groups denounced the security forces' use of rubber bullets to disperse the crowds. Over the last week, security forces erected blast walls around parliament and other government buildings, sealing them off from protesters and turning central Beirut into a fortified security zone. On Saturday, protesters marched through the streets of Beirut and Tripoli, in the north, carrying banners against corruption and declaring “no confidence” in the new government. They stopped at the central bank, the Finance Ministry and the Banks Association before reaching central Beirut. The protesters gathered by the blast walls outside the parliament and the government building before dispersing peacefully.
Lebanon has one of the world's highest public debts, standing at more than 150% of gross domestic product. Growth has plummeted and the budget deficit reached 11% of GDP in 2 018 as economic activities slowed and remittances from Lebanese living abroad shrank. The national currency, which has been pegged to the dollar since 1997, lost about 60% of its value in recent weeks, sparking a run on banks which responded with limits on cash withdrawals and transfers.

Lebanon protesters renew rallies rejecting new government
The New Arab & agencies/February 02/2020
Hundreds marched on Saturday through the streets of the Lebanese capital and the northern city of Tripoli to reject a new cabinet tasked with dealing with an economic crisis, claiming it lacks a popular mandate.
The new set of ministers were named in January after an unprecedented economic crisis and weeks of political stalemate sparked by months of nationwide protests. Backed by the two main blocs in parliament, the government is awaiting a vote of confidence, which it is likely to get. But protesters say the government is an extension of traditional political parties they have denounced as corrupt. “We are here today and every day ... to say no confidence,” a protester who read a joint statement for the rallies said. It said the protesters won't give another chance “to those who robbed them of their dreams, impoverished them, forced them to migrate, and humiliated them.”They vowed to keep up the pressure against a ruling class ”that controls
Lebanon's nationwide protests broke out on 17 October after a summer of discontent over a slumping economy and an austerity budget. The protests, sparked by proposals for new taxes, snowballed into demands for the ruling elite to step aside.
Lebanon's ruling class has been in power since the end of the 1975-90 civil war, including some of its warlords. Protesters accuse them of mismanaging Lebanon's wealth and of widespread corruption.
The new 20-member cabinet of Prime Minister Hassan Diab was announced in late January but protests continued.
In recent weeks, demonstrations have turned violent as frustration rose. Security forces cracked down on protesters outside the country's parliament and the central bank, leaving hundreds injured. Rights groups denounced the security forces' use of rubber bullets to disperse the crowds. Over the last week, security forces erected blast walls around parliament and other government buildings, sealing them off from protesters and turning central Beirut into a fortified security zon. On Saturday, protesters marched through the streets of Beirut and Tripoli, in the north, carrying banners against corruption and declaring “no confidence” in the new government. They stopped at the central bank, the Finance Ministry and the Banks Association before reaching central Beirut. The protesters gathered by the blast walls outside the parliament and the government building before dispersing peacefully.
Lebanon has one of the world's highest public debts, standing at more than 150% of gross domestic product. Growth has plummeted and the budget deficit reached 11% of GDP in 2 018 as economic activities slowed and remittances from Lebanese living abroad shrank.
The national currency, which has been pegged to the dollar since 1997, lost about 60% of its value in recent weeks, sparking a run on banks which responded with limits on cash withdrawals and transfers.

Rahi criticizes "Deal of the Century"
NNA/February 02, 2020
Maronite Patriarch, Cardinal Beshara Boutros Rahi, criticized on Sunday Donald Trump's peace plan saying: "The deal of the century is a slap in the face of the Palestinian cause and international resolutions since 1948."
Rahi, who presided over Sunday Mass in Bkirki this morning, also indicated that the Lebanese authorities have no right to confront peaceful and popular demands by violence. He deemed as well that the protesters had no right to bypass constitutional rules.

Several artists partake in Lebanon's "Creativity Day” in Martyrs Square
NNA /February 02/2020
A number of artists from different regions participated in the "Lebanese Creativity Day", which was held today at Martyrs’ Square in Central Beirut.
The works of art included paintings sketched with a national theme and in support of the people’s movement, in addition to crafts and sculptures that symbolize the uprising and its goals. Lebanese folklore dances to traditional music also took place with the participation of a significant number of citizens, who showed great enthusiasm in supporting these artworks that embody their aspirations "towards an advanced Lebanon, free from corruption and thieves."

Lebanese Cultural League offers condolences over Australian accident victims

NNA/February 02/2020
In an issued statement Sunday following the tragic accident that occurred in Australia and led to the death of four innocent Lebanese children, the Lebanese Cultural League in the World expressed its sincere condolences and deepest regret for their loss. "A very painful accident has shaken the Lebanese entity, and added to the huge costs paid by our families living abroad in every corner of the vast world,” the statement said. The League expressed its sorrow for this huge loss, offering deepest condolences in the name of its President Abbas Fawaz, its governing body, councils and branches to the bereaved Abdullah and Geagea families, asking the Lord Almighty to grant them patience, comfort and solace. The League also appreciated the rapid movement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants, by asking Lebanon’s Ambassador in Australia to follow up on the sorrowful incident and provide all possible assistance to the families of the victims.

Mortada says no poultry problem, necessary tests will be performed tomorrow
NNA/February 02/2020
Agriculture and Culture Minister, Abbas Mortada, commented Sunday on the recent article published by a newsdaily on farmers injecting chicken with “cholestine”, saying: “We are very keen on consumer and food safety…and we assure all citizens that there is nothing certain about this subject."“We called for an emergency meeting at 10:00 a.m. on Monday at the Ministry’s office, in the presence of all concerned sides, after which committees of specialists and veterinarians will set out to take samples from most farms, and carry out the necessary laboratory tests," Mortada asserted.
The Minister reassured the Lebanese on this matter so that things are not blown out of proportion, urging the media to exercise caution when publishing news and calling on anyone with information to inform the Agriculture Ministry for proper verification. Mortada’s words came during his meeting today with Baalbek and Deir Al-Ahmar’s Maronite Archbishop Hanna Rahmeh, who visited him at his residence in the town of Temnine Tahta on the head of a delegation from the region.

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on February 02-03/2020
Report: Militants bomb gas pipeline between Israel, Egypt in northern Sinai
Ynetnews/February 02, 2020
Al-Jazeera reports attack carried out on pipeline; Egyptian authorities confirm at least 6 militants involved in attack; energy ministry, pipeline's owners deny
Unknown militants have bombed a part of the gas pipeline between Israel to Egypt, located in the Bir al-Abd region in the northern Sinai Peninsula, Al-Jazeera reported on Sunday. The energy ministry issued a statement shortly after reports of the attack emerged, saying that the flow of natural gas in the pipeline currently continues undisturbed. The ministry examines the reports of the attack in cooperation with the pertinent sources. A statement released by the pipeline's owner-companies denied any reports of an attack and said that the flow of natural gas in the pipeline to Egypt continues as usual. This is not the first time such an attack is carried out on a gas pipeline between the two countries. A gas pipeline transferring natural gas from Egypt to Israel and Jordan had been bombed at least 15 times between the years 2011-2012 in protest of a gas deal inked by then-Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Israel. The pipeline was only launched last month after the two countries carried a new deal into effect, transferring gas from Israel's Leviathan natural gas field to its southern neighbor. This marked the first time natural gas was transported from Israel to Egypt and not vice versa. Last year, Israel's Delek Group and the American company Noble Energy – which together own 85% of the Leviathan field - completed the purchase of 39% of the Egyptian gas pipeline in partnership. The purchase was carried out in conjunction with Egypt's state-owned company EGAS for about $520 million.

EU top diplomat Josep Borrell due in Tehran for nuclear talks
AFP/February 02, 2020
DECEMBER: Top EU diplomat Josep Borrell is expected in Tehran Monday, Iran’s foreign ministry announced a day ahead of the visit, amid new tensions over the Iranian nuclear issue. Borrell “will visit Iran tomorrow for the first time since taking office (in early December). He is set to meet the foreign minister (Mohammad Javad Zarif) and other Iranian senior officials for consultations,” foreign ministry spokesperson Abbas Moussavi said in a statement. Moussavi gave no details on when Borrell would arrive or how long he would remain in the country. His visit comes amid heightened tensions between Iran and the West over the Islamic republic’s nuclear program. On January 24, Borrell called for a meeting of remaining states party to the 2015 nuclear deal in February in an effort to preserve the agreement, which has been crumbling since the United States unilaterally withdrew in 2018. All parties “have reaffirmed their determination to preserve the accord, which is in everyone’s interest,” he said at the time. In 2015, Iran agreed to drastically reduce its nuclear program in exchange for a partial lifting of international sanctions. But the withdrawal of the US from the deal and its reimposition of biting sanctions deprived Iran of expected economic benefits and prompted Tehran to announce a series of steps away from its commitments under the deal. The European parties to the agreement triggered a complaint mechanism in January in an attempt to urge Tehran to return to the full implementation of its commitments.

Haniyeh Settles in Qatar, Has No Plans to Return to Gaza
Ramallah - Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 2 February, 2020
Head of Hamas political bureau Ismail Haniyeh has decided to settle outside Gaza for a long period, extending to late 2020 or 2021, according to Hamas officials. Sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that this decision is related to internal arrangements within Hamas and others related to complications on his movement from and to the Strip. They denied claims that Egypt might have prevented Haniyeh from returning to Gaza, saying he didn't have such plans. According to the sources, Haniyeh has decided to settle in Qatar for the time being and it is not yet known whether his family will join him or not.
Hamas's affirmation that Haniyeh will remain abroad comes in light of leaks about Egyptian dissatisfaction with his visit to Iran. He has drawn Egypt's fire by traveling to Iran to take part in the funeral ceremonies for the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Quds Force Commander Qasem Soleimani, who was assassinated by US raid in Baghdad on Jan. 3, Israeli media reported. Palestinian sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that Egypt was not okay with this visit but matters were eventually settled. Meanwhile, Hamas political bureau member Khalil al-Hayya said Haniyeh’s Iranian visit had caused tensions with Egypt. “Our brothers in Egypt rebuked us for visiting Iran, but [Hamas] has its independent stance,” Hayya said. During his visit to Iran, Haniyeh delivered a speech in which he called Soleimani “the martyr of Jerusalem.”Hamas justified the visit as recognition of Soleimani's role in supporting the “resistance.”Haniyeh started a foreign tour on December 2 with a visit to Cairo. This is his first tour since he assumed Hamas' leadership in May 2017. Earlier, he visited Turkey, Qatar, Oman, Iran, and Malaysia. Haniyeh seeks to visit other countries, such as Russia, Lebanon, Mauritania, and Kuwait. “Haniyeh will remain abroad and continue to run Hamas until he has completed all the tasks and all the goals of his foreign tour,” Hamas reported.

Who Is Iraq’s Newly Appointed Prime Minister?
Baghdad – Hamza Mustapha/Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 2 February, 2020
Iraq’s newly-assigned prime minister Mohammad Tawfiq Allawi, 65, dubbed Abu Hadi, is often described as a quiet and patient man who is very religious. He belongs to Shiite aristocracy and his cousins were prime ministers, Iyad Hashem Allawi, and Ali Abdul Amir Allawi.
The prime minister-designate earned an engineering degree from the American University of Beirut in the 1980s and began his political career after the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq that toppled the longtime regime of Saddam Hussein. He became a member of the parliament in 2006 and was assigned as Minister of Communications. Former Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi also belongs to the aristocratic Shiite community, and his father, Abdul-Mahdi al-Muntafiki, was one of the education ministers between 1921 – 1958. Leader of the Iraqi National Congress (INC), Ahmed Chalabi, is also their relative and one of the most prominent leaders of the Iraqi opposition before the overthrow of the former regime. Despite his qualifications, Chalabi seemed to be the only one who did not take his chance after the regime's change. Allawi now heads the government after Abdul Mahdi, whose government failed to complete its mission and protests erupted against it. Allawi, who is praised by his opponents for his authenticity, must create his luck through which he can modify the current situation in Iraq. The popular movement, during which over 600 were killed and more than 23,000 wounded, remains unconvinced by the new figure or any other Iraqi politicians. Iraqis say they have granted the political class 16 years of governance which turned into a complete failure. However, Allawi addresses protesters and told them that he doesn't carry a magic wand, but, if anyone intervened in his work, he will inform protesters before the political blocs.

Iraq: Sadr Urges Followers to End Sit-ins After Allawi's Appointment
Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 2 February, 2020
Iraqi cleric Moqtada al-Sadr called on his followers on Sunday to help clear roads blocked during months of sit-in protests, calling for things to get back to normal following the appointment of a new prime minister. Sadr urged his supporters known as “blue hats” to also work with authorities to ensure schools and businesses can operate normally again. “I advise the security forces to stop anyone from cutting off roads and the ministry of education should punish those who obstruct regular working hours, be they students, teachers or others,” Sadr tweeted. According to Reuters, some of his supporters appeared to have helped already to clear out protest areas in Baghdad’s Tahrir Square overnight. Protesters demanding the removal of Iraq’s ruling elite and the creation of better jobs and services have regularly blocked main roads in Baghdad and southern Iraq since demonstrations erupted in October.
However, anti-government protests continued across Iraq's south on Sunday, despite the previous evening's appointment of new Prime Minister Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi. "Mohammad Allawi is rejected, by order of the people!" read a new sign hung in the city of Najaf on Sunday, AFP reported.
Demonstrators demanded a politically independent successor who had not served in government and for them, ex-communications minister Allawi doesn't meet the condition. Main highways leading out of Najaf and streets within the city were still blocked off with smouldering tyres on Sunday morning. More than 480 people have died and nearly 30,000 have been wounded since the rallies began in October. Only few have been held accountable for the bloodshed.

Washington: Iraq Needs Government That Meets the Needs of Its People
Baghdad – Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 2 February, 2020
Washington confirmed support for the newly appointed Iraqi PM Muhammad Tawfiq Allawi on Saturday and said that they will work with the new government. "Current conditions in Iraq and the region require an independent and honest government committed to addressing the needs of the Iraqi people. The nomination of Muhammad Tawfiq Allawi as a new Prime Minister must be followed up with efforts to accomplish that objective," the US embassy said on its official page on Facebook. "The US regards the security of Iraq as vital and will work with the new government once formed to foster conditions for Iraq’s stability, prosperity, and sovereignty."Earlier on Saturday, the President of the Republic, Barham Salih appointed Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi as new Prime Minister on Saturday. Allawi comes to power with the essential support of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, whose political bloc is one of the biggest in parliament. Sadr said in a tweet on Saturday that Salih’s appointment of Allawi as Iraq’s new prime minister could draw the support of people who have been demanding change in the way the country is governed. “I hope the president’s appointment of Allawi is acceptable to the people and that they have patience,” read part of Sadr’s Arabic statement on Twitter, adding, “This is a good step”. Allawi’s appointment came two months after former prime minister Adel Abdul Mahdi resigned in the face of mounting unrest and protest against corruption in Iraq. The Iraqi parliament, where Sadr’s bloc is the largest, had been supposed to name a new premier but the deadline expired on Saturday, prompting Salih to appoint Allawi.

Iraqi Protesters Dig in Heels despite new PM-Designate
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 02/2020
Furious anti-government youth held their ground in protest squares across Iraq's south on Sunday, despite the previous evening's appointment of a prime minister who insists he is an independent. Mohammad Allawi announced his own nomination as premier on Saturday, which marked exactly four months since the anti-government movement erupted and two months since outgoing prime minister Adel Abdel Mahdi resigned under growing pressure. Demonstrators had demanded a politically independent successor who had not served in government and for them, ex-communications minister Allawi did not make the cut. "Mohammad Allawi is rejected, by order of the people!" read a new sign hung in the holy city of Najaf on Sunday. Young men with their faces wrapped in checkered scarves had spent the night torching car tires in anger at Allawi's nomination, an AFP reporter in the city said. Main highways leading out of Najaf and streets within the city were still blocked off with smoldering tires on Sunday morning. Kut, about 170 kilometers (100 miles) southeast of Baghdad, saw hundreds hit the streets chanting, "If it's been tried before, it shouldn't be tried again!" In Diwaniyah, further south, protesters marched into government buildings to demand they close for the day, while students began sit-ins at schools and universities. Protesters in Hillah blocked off all roads leading into the city and chanted, "Allawi is not the people's choice!" Allawi, named as a consensus candidate after months of political paralysis, now has a month to pull together his cabinet, which will be subject to a vote by parliament. In his first formal address, he pledged to form a representative government, hold early parliamentary elections and ensure justice for protest-related violence -- all key demands of demonstrators. More than 480 people have died and nearly 30,000 have been wounded since the rallies began on October 1, but few have been held accountable for the bloodshed. The protests first demanded an end to corruption, better services and jobs for unemployed youth, but they quickly spiraled to calls for a total government overhaul.

Fierce Clashes Near Aleppo as Turkey Sends Border Reinforcements
Ankara, London – Saeed Abdul Razzak, Asharq al-Awsat/Sunday, 2 February, 2020
The Turkish army pushed more military reinforcements to boost its units' presence on the Syrian border amid escalations in northeastern Aleppo between pro-Turkish factions and regime forces. On Saturday, armored vehicles arrived at the border state of Gaziantep and headed to the military units stationed at the border in the southern province of Hatay, at the nearest point to Aleppo and Idlib. The Turkish army sent a convoy of 15 vehicles of various military units across the country to Kirikhan, where it will head the military units on the Syrian border. Syrian armed factions loyal to Turkey launched a new front by attacking regime sites in the northeast of Aleppo. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) and sources in the Syrian opposition reported that the attack focused on an area near al-Bab, which is controlled by Turkey and the Syrian opposition factions loyal to it since 2017.
Syrian official media did not report any attack and armed opposition factions said that the Turkish forces did not participate in the attack. Backed by Russia, the regime forces advanced in Idlib and took control over the city of Maarat al-Numan, the second-largest city in the governorate. The forces continue to advance towards the strategic town of Saraqib, within the regime's attempt to regain control of another major stronghold north of the country. The Observatory reported that Russian jets targeted, with several airstrikes, al-Huda hospital in Hor village in western rural Aleppo, putting the facility out of service. Violent clashes continued between opposition factions and regime forces and their affiliates in eastern and southeastern rural Idlib. Meanwhile, Russian jets flew over the al-Bab city and the clashes left casualties on both sides, with at least seven members of the regime loyal militia and four fighters of the national army factions getting killed. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened to launch a Turkish military operation in Idlib unless the fighting stopped. Over the past few days, Erdogan repeatedly criticized Russia saying it did not abide by Astana or Sochi, adding: “the Astana process has fallen into silence now.”However, the Turkish president indicated that Turkey, Russia, and Iran should seek a way to revive it. Ankara fears a new wave of displacement from Idlib towards its southern borders, and Erdogan said his country is not ready to receive more displaced people, given that it has 3.6 million Syrians living on its soil. Erdogan announced last week a plan to establish 10,000 houses near the Turkish border with an area ranging between 20 and 25 square meters per house to accommodate the displaced inside Idlib.

Egypt Prepares to Issue Death Sentences Against 37 Facing Terror Charges

Cairo - Mohammed Nabil Helmi/Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 2 February, 2020
An Egyptian court referred the cases of 37 defendants who received death sentences, including former special forces officer Hisham al-Ashmawy, to Egypt’s top religious authority for a non-binding opinion on whether they can be executed on terrorism-related charges.
Customarily all death sentences in Egypt are sent to the Grand Mufti for his office’s advice on whether the ruling is consistent with religious law. They are among more than 200 defendants accused of carrying out more than 50 militant attacks that included killing high-ranking police officers and bombings that targeted the Egyptian capital’s police headquarters. The charges also include a 2013 assassination attempt on the Egyptian interior minister Mohamed Ibrahim. The ruling on the sentencing is set for March 2. The presiding judge may decide independently of the Mufti.
Ashmawy, a former Egyptian special forces officer, was apprehended in the Libyan city of Derna late in 2018 by forces loyal to Libyan National Army Commander Marshal Khalifa Haftar. A military court sentenced him to death in November for his participation in scores of attacks on government targets.
He has been long sought by Cairo on charges of orchestrating a deadly desert ambush on police and other high-profile attacks. Egyptian authorities say Ashmawy heads the Ansar al-Islam network, which claimed responsibility for an ambush against police in Egypt’s the Western Desert in 2017.
Ashmawy has been convicted in absentia to death for attacks in Egypt, including a 2014 raid in which 22 Egyptian military border guards were killed near the frontier with Libya. Before fleeing to Libya, he helped found Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis, a terrorist organization based in northern Sinai.
His military expertise had helped transform the tiny group into a well-organized guerrilla band that later inflicted painful blows against security forces in Sinai. He was transferred to Egypt from eastern Libya in a military aircraft in May along with two other wanted militants.

France to Send Hundreds of Troops to Fight Sahel Terrorists
Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 2 February, 2020
French Defense Minister Florence Parly said Sunday his country would deploy up to 600 additional soldiers in the African Sahel region to combat extremists. This step would bring the French troops in that area to 5,100 soldiers. Parly said most of the reinforcements to the Barkhane force will be deployed in the three borders zone between Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. "Another part of these reinforcements will be directly engaged within the G5 Sahel forces to accompany them in combat," she said, the Associated Press reported. Parly added that Chad "should soon deploy an additional battalion" within the joint force of the G5 Sahel, which brings together Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad in the three borders zone, PArly added. “The reinforcement ... should allow us to increase the pressure against the ISIS-GS... We will leave no space for those who want to destabilize the Sahel.”

Japanese Warship Departs for Gulf of Oman to Protect Oil Tankers
Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 2 February, 2020
A Japanese warship left its port near Tokyo on Sunday on a mission to protect merchant ships and oil tankers passing through the Gulf of Oman that supply 90% of Japan’s oil amid tension in the Middle East. "Thousands of Japanese ships ply those waters every year including vessels carrying nine tenths of our oil. It is Japan's lifeline," Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told the crew at Yokosuka naval base near Tokyo, before they cast off. There were up to 500 family members and representatives from the US, European nations and Middle East present at the event.Abe's government has said it is prepared to authorize force to protect ships in danger, a controversial decision because Japan's war-renouncing constitution forbids the use of military force in international disputes, Reuters reported. Tension in the Middle East has heightened as ties between Iran and the US got more strained following Washington's decision to pull the US out of a 2015 international nuclear deal with Iran and re-impose sanctions on it. The US has also blamed Tehran for several attacks on international merchant vessels, including a Japanese-owned tanker, the Kokuka Courageous. Iran, however, denies the accusation. The Takanami, which will be joined by two maritime patrol planes will operate independently. It will patrol the northern Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Aden, but will not enter the Strait of Hormuz.

Algeria Seeks Sending African Military Troops to Enforce Libya Ceasefire
Algeria - Boualem Goumrassa Algeria - Boualem Goumrassa/Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 2 February, 2020
Diplomatic sources in Algeria revealed that authorities have been urging members of the African Union AU to send forces to Libya to enforce a ceasefire. The aim of the endeavor is to limit Turkey’s direct interference in the Libyan issue, both politically and militarily. Sources accredited both Prime Minister Abdelaziz Djerad and Foreign Minister Sabri Boukadoum for working extensively on the issue, especially during the AU High Level Committee on Libya meetings, which were held in capital of the Republic of the Congo, Brazzaville. African countries, in principal, voiced their agreement to the proposal. Sources explained that the next step for Algerian diplomacy would be to lay out the proposal to conflict parties in Libya, but suggested that Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, the leader of the Libyan National Army, would reject it because of his lukewarm relationship with Algeria.
Haftar considers Algeria a "biased regional power" which backs his rival in Libya, prime minister of the Government of National Accord Fayez al-Sarraj. Meanwhile, diplomatic sources confirmed that Algeria is working on two prominent goals in Libya: ending the interference of foreign countries in the region, and accelerating a comprehensive political solution to the crisis. To achieve the two goals, Algeria believes that the dispatch of an African military force under the cover of the United Nations is the best mechanism to stop the escalation of military action in Libya. More so, Algeria had offered to host a reconciliation forum on Libya during a meeting of African leaders discussing ways to end the long drawn-out conflict. An AU statement said it “has taken note of the Algerian offer to host a forum of national reconciliation” and underscored the pressing need for “an inclusive dialogue uniting all the Libyan parties… to find a Libyan solution to the crisis.”

Man Shot by Police after 'Terrorist-Related' London Stabbing
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 02/2020
British police on Sunday said they had shot a man in Streatham in south London after several people were stabbed in a suspected "terrorist-related" incident. "A man has been shot by armed officers in #Streatham. At this stage it is believed a number of people have been stabbed," London's Metropolitan Police said on Twitter. "The circumstances are being assessed; the incident has been declared as terrorist-related."

Chinese Army to Oversee Virus Hospital
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 02/2020
China's army on Sunday was given control of a nearly-finished field hospital that will treat patients at the epicenter of a deadly virus epidemic that has severely strained medical facilities. Some 1,400 military medics will treat patients at the 1,000-bed hospital, dubbed "Fire God Mountain", which will receive its first patients on Monday -- just 10 days after construction began, according to state media. The official Xinhua news agency said many of the staff were involved in the fight against another coronavirus, SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), which killed some 650 people in mainland China and Hong Kong in 2002-2003. It is one of two makeshift medical facilities that the authorities decided to build in order to relieve hospitals swamped with patients in Wuhan, the central city at the epicenter of the national health emergency. People in the city of 11 million people, which has been under quarantine for more than a week, have complained of waiting hours in line to see a doctor. The new coronavirus, which is believed to have originated at a wild animal market in Wuhan, has killed more than 300 people and infected another 14,000. The second field hospital, "Thunder God Mountain", is set to start admitting patients on Thursday, with 1,600 beds -- 300 more than originally planned.

New Chinese City Locked Down over Virus, First Foreign Death
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 02/2020
China imposed a lockdown Sunday on a major city far away from the epicenter of a coronavirus epidemic, as its death toll from the disease soared to 304 and the first foreign fatality was reported in the Philippines.  The events added to deepening concerns about the potential for the virus to spread, as more governments around the world closed their borders to people from China. Since emerging out of the central Chinese city of Wuhan late last year, the coronavirus has infected nearly 14,500 people across China and reached 24 countries. Many of the infections overseas have been of people who had traveled from Wuhan, an industrial hub of 11 million people, or surrounding areas of Hubei province. The person who died in the Philippines was a 44-year-old man from Wuhan, according to the World Health Organization, which has declared the epidemic a global health emergency. China has embarked on unprecedented efforts to contain the virus, which is believed to have jumped to humans from a Wuhan animal market and can be transmitted among people in a similar fashion to the flu.
- Lockdowns -
Those efforts have included extraordinary quarantines in Wuhan and surrounding cities, with all transport routes out banned, effectively sealing of more than 50 million people. But 10 days after locking down Wuhan, authorities on Sunday announced similar draconian curbs on people movement in Wenzhou, 800 kilometers (500 miles) away). Wenzhou is a coastal city of nine million people in Zhejiang province, part of the eastern industrial heartland that has powered China's economic rise over recent decades. Only one resident per household is allowed to go out every two days to buy necessities, and 46 highway toll stations have been closed, authorities announced. The city had previously closed public places such as cinemas and museums and suspended public transport. Zhejiang has 661 confirmed infections, with 265 of those in Wenzhou, according to the government.This is the highest tally for any province in China after ground-zero Hebei.
- Closing borders -
Internationally, governments continued their efforts to erect virtual borders against the disease. The United States, Australia, New Zealand and Israel have banned foreign nationals from visiting if they had been in China recently, and warned their own citizens from travelling there. Mongolia, Russia and Nepal closed their land borders, while Papua New Guinea went as far as to ban anyone arriving from ports or airports across Asia. The news of the man's death in Manila on Sunday was released shortly after the Philippines said it would immediately halt the arrivals of any foreign travelers from China.
The number of countries reporting infections rose to 24 after Britain, Russia and Sweden this weekend confirmed their first cases.
- More deaths -
The death toll in China climbed to 304 on Sunday after authorities reporting 45 new deaths from the previous day. There were 2,590 new confirmed cases in China, bringing the total to nearly 14,500. The number of confirmed infections in China is far higher than the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome outbreak of 2002-03. SARS, which is caused by a pathogen similar to the new coronavirus and also originated in China, killed 774 people worldwide -- most of them in mainland China and Hong Kong.
- Holiday ending -
The emergence of the virus came at the worst time for China, coinciding with the Lunar New Year Holiday when hundreds of millions travel across the country in planes, trains and buses for family reunions. China had also cut long-distance bus routes and postponed thousands of trains trips to reduce travel across the country. The holiday was scheduled to end on Friday, then extended by three days to give authorities more time to try and deal with the crisis. With many people due back at work on Monday, people were starting to return on planes and trains over the weekend wearing face masks.
Custom authorities had ordered temperature checks at all exit-entry points in Beijing, according to state media. Returning travelers were being checked and registered at residential compounds, while fever checks were in place in subway stations, offices and cafes. One 22-year-old arriving at a Beijing train station from northeastern China said her family had urged her to delay her return. "But I was worried it would affect my job," she said. Security guard Du Guiliang, 47, said he would be starting back at work in Beijing on Sunday, after returning from northeast Liaoning province. "Many colleagues (from Hubei) couldn't come back. Now, those who work the day shift at our company have to do the night shift as well," he said. But many businesses were to remain closed for at least another week, while some major cities including Shanghai had also extended the holiday. With the Chinese economy suffering, the central bank announced it would release 1.2 trillion yuan ($173 billion) on Monday to maintain liquidity in the banking system -- the day markets reopen after the holiday.

The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on February 02-03/2020
A Global Catastrophe: "260 Million Christians Experience High Levels of Persecution"
Raymond Ibrahim//Gatestone Institute/February 02/2020
Dictatorial paranoia continues to make North Korea (#1) the worst nation. "If North Korean Christians are discovered, they are deported to labor camps as political criminals or even killed on the spot." — World Watch List 2020, Open Doors.
Otherwise, as has been the case in all statistics and reports on the global persecution of Christians, not only does "Islamic oppression" remain the chief "source of persecution" faced by Christians in seven of the absolute ten worst nations, but 38 of the 50 nations composing the list are either Muslim majority or have a sizeable Muslim population.
The targeting of Christians around the world has become more widespread than ever. Part of this is because "persecution against Christians has taken a technological turn." ....in India (#10) — where "Hindu radicals often attack Christians with little to no consequences" — "the government plans to introduce a national facial recognition system. Similarly, China (#23)...." — World Watch List 2020, Open Doors.
Perhaps the most disturbing trend is that the number of persecuted Christians continues to grow year after year....
Will this trend ever stop and reverse, or will it continue to get worse — and possibly even spill into those nations that, for now, enjoy religious freedom and equality?
Dictatorial paranoia continues to make North Korea the worst nation in the world for Christians, according to the Open Doors World Watch List 2020. "If North Korean Christians are discovered, they are deported to labor camps as political criminals or even killed on the spot."
The global persecution of Christians has reached unprecedented levels: "260 million Christians experience high levels of persecution" around the world, notes the recently published Open Doors World Watch List 2020, an annual report that ranks the top 50 countries where Christians are most persecuted for their faith.
Additionally, "2,983 Christians were killed for faith-related reasons. On average, that's 8 Christians killed every day for their faith": "9,488 churches or Christian buildings were attacked," and "3,711 Christians were detained without trial, arrested, sentenced and imprisoned." (Note: All quotes in this article are from the World Watch List 2020 report.)
Dictatorial paranoia continues to make North Korea (#1) the worst nation. "If North Korean Christians are discovered, they are deported to labor camps as political criminals or even killed on the spot."
Otherwise, and as has been the case in all statistics and reports on the global persecution of Christians, not only does "Islamic oppression" remain the chief "source of persecution" faced by Christians in seven of the absolute ten worst nations, but 38 of the 50 nations composing the list are either Muslim-majority or have a sizeable Muslim population.
The overwhelming majority of these Muslim nations are governed by some form of shari'a (Islamic law). It is either directly enforced by government or society or, more frequently, both, though societies — family members in particular — tend to be more zealous in its application. Brief summaries of the seven Muslim nations making the top ten follow:
Afghanistan (#2) is "an Islamic society where Christianity exists in secret." Not only is it "illegal for an Afghan person to leave Islam," but family members are often first to attack or kill them.
In Somalia (#3), "[c]onversion to Christianity is regarded as a betrayal"; " family members and clan leaders will harass, intimidate and even kill" converts. Al Shabaab, "the youth," an Islamic group, slaughters Christians "on the spot when discovered."
In Libya (#4), "There is no freedom of speech, no equal treatment of Christians, no recognition of the church and no churches being built."
Pakistan (#5) "is afflicted by numerous radical Islamic groups," which "regularly target" churches. More generally and in the eyes of both government and people, "Christians are regarded as second-class citizens. Also, the country's anti-blasphemy laws are disproportionately applied against the Christian minority — making it difficult and dangerous to live out one's faith in public."
In Sudan (#7), "the government has arrested or intimidated many Christian leaders, and numerous churches have been demolished. Extremists have attacked Christians, especially in the Nuba Mountain region, where thousands of Christians have been killed or displaced."
In Yemen (#8), civil "war has allowed radical Islamic groups to expand their operations in certain areas, leading to Christians being abducted and killed. Open church activities are forbidden and leaving Islam is forbidden. Muslims who decide to follow Jesus could face the death penalty."
In Iran (#9), which "is governed by Islamic law,... the rights and professional possibilities for Christians are heavily restricted.... [I]t is illegal to produce Christian literature or hold church services in Farsi. Converts from Islam face persecution from the government."
Some notable trends are also on the rise. Christians in sub-Saharan Africa are "increasingly under threat from Islamic extremist groups":
In Burkina Faso (No. 28, a rise of 33 spots from 2019), long-known for its religious tolerance, Christians say they are in a fight for survival. Dozens of Catholic priests have been killed, and Protestant pastors and their families have been killed or kidnapped by violent Islamic militants. In Mali (No. 29), the president said in late 2018 that his country's existence is under threat because of Islamic jihadists. Central African Republic (No. 25) is in constant upheaval partially due to the fighting of rebel Islamic militants, many of whom target Christians. And Cameroon (No. 48) faces violence in the north—still a stronghold of Boko Haram [which, along with Muslim Fulani herdsmen, are slaughtering Christians in Nigeria, #12].
Militant Islam has also arisen in unexpected areas. "In Sri Lanka (No. 30, up from 46 in 2019) 250 people died and more than 500 were injured in attacks on Catholic and Protestant churches and hotels on Easter Sunday." Maldives (#14)—popularly recognized as a beautiful island nation and tourist destination—is a bastion of shari'a:
The Maldives' constitution requires all citizens to be Muslim. Conversion from Islam means that someone can be stripped of their citizenship and punished under Shariah law. Even foreign workers who are Christians are closely watched, which makes church life extremely difficult and practically non-existent. Churches are outlawed, and openly carrying the Bible is illegal. The country is so tightly controlled by Islamic law that there is not even a Bible fully translated into the native language of most citizens of the Maldives.
Algeria worsened by five sports — going from #22 last year to #17 in 2020 — due to "the seemingly systemic closure of Protestant churches. In some of these cases, Christians were forcibly expelled by police in the middle of church services. Pressure from family also remains high, particularly for Christians who were previously Muslim."
Aside from "Islamic oppression," the targeting of Christians around the world has become more widespread than ever. Part of this is because "persecution against Christians has taken a technological turn." For example, in India (#10) — where "Hindu radicals often attack Christians with little to no consequences" — "the government plans to introduce a national facial recognition system. There were at least 447 verified incidents of violence and hate crimes against Christians in India... There is fear that more tracking could increase these attacks."
Similarly, China (#23) — which seeks to make all religions, including Christianity, "fall in line with their interpretation of communism" — is "rolling out a country-wide Social Credit System (SCS) by which authorities plan to reward 'good' citizenship and punish 'bad'":
Already, one community has reportedly decided to add penalties for those who "illegally spread Christianity." It's easy to see how surveillance technology could be used in tandem with the SCS to make everyday life very difficult for anyone the Chinese government deems insufficiently "Chinese" — including Christians.
Perhaps the most disturbing trend is that the number of persecuted Christians continues to grow year after year: "260 million Christians experience high levels of persecution," says the new 2020 report. This represents a 6% increase from 2019; then, 245 million Christians were persecuted — and that was a 14% increase from 2018, when 215 million was the number.
Will this trend ever stop and reverse, or will it continue to get worse — and possibly even spill into those nations that, for now, enjoy religious freedom and equality?
Raymond Ibrahim, author of the new book, Sword and Scimitar, Fourteen Centuries of War between Islam and the West, is a Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Gatestone Institute, a Shillman Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center, and a Judith Rosen Friedman Fellow at the Middle East Forum.
*Follow Raymond Ibrahim on Twitter and Facebook

Sweden: Hijab is 'Look of the Year'
Judith Bergman/Gatestone Institute/February 02/2020
Hejazipour said that she had decided "not to have a share in this horrendous lie and not to play the game of 'We love the hijab and have no problem with it anymore'... It creates many limitations for women and deprives them of their basic rights. Is this protection? I say definitely not, it is solely and merely a limitation."
"The Iranian authorities are employing the full machinery of the state to crush opposition to forced hijab, but with more than half the population against it, the tide is increasingly against them." — Hadi Ghaemi, Executive Director, Center for Human Rights in Iran, August 19, 2019
Swedish Elle readers are obviously free to choose whomever they see fit to be "look of the year". It is, however, perplexing that female readers in a self-proclaimed feminist nation who wears the hijab, when a study commissioned by Swedish authorities has shown that wearing a hijab for many women and children in Sweden is far from being a voluntary choice.
"Those of us who have fled gender apartheid dictatorships, where women risk their lives to protest the veil, know and have experienced what chastity laws mean... our feminist government chooses to prioritize collective religious rights over the human rights of children and women... As long as trendsetting journalists see gender apartheid as 'culture' .... oppression based on honor will continue". — Maria Rashidi and Sara Mohammad, human rights activists, Dagens Samhälle, December 14, 2019.
On February 1, World Hijab Day will be marked in countries all over the world, including in Sweden. Will anyone use that occasion to stand up for the many women and children who do not want to wear one?
On January 20, Iran's only female Olympic medalist, Kimia Alizadeh, defected from Iran. "I am one of the millions of oppressed women in Iran whom they've been playing for years," she wrote.
Then, last month, the Islamic Republic's female chess master, Mitra Hejazipour, 27, removed her hijab during a chess tournament in Moscow and was promptly removed from the national chess team.
Hejazipour said that she had decided "not to have a share in this horrendous lie and not to play the game of 'We love the hijab and have no problem with it' anymore..."
"It creates many limitations for women and deprives them of their basic rights. Is this protection? I say definitely not, it is solely and merely a limitation."
For years, women in Iran have been arrested and imprisoned for refusing to wear the mandatory headscarf and even for protesting its use. Between January 2018 and August 2019, at least 12 people were given prison sentences ranging from six months to 33 years for publicly removing their headscarves and other public acts of civil disobedience against compulsory hijab and 32 people were arrested for such acts, according to Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI).
According to the website:
"Millions of women who do not conform to the state's dictates regarding mandatory dress codes are stopped by the police each year for 'improper hijab,' and tens of thousands are referred to the judiciary in court cases each year... hijab protestors are... typically prosecuted under charges related to 'morality,' such as 'encouraging people to corruption and prostitution...'".
"The Iranian authorities are employing the full machinery of the state to crush opposition to forced hijab, but with more than half the population against it, the tide is increasingly against them," said CHRI's Executive Director Hadi Ghaemi.
As women in Iran protested the regime and the mandatory hijab, women in Sweden -- who are represented by "the first feminist government in the world" -- were championing the hijab on several recent occasions, illustrating the curious cultural transformations there.
In January, readers of the Swedish edition of Elle magazine picked Imane Asry, a hijab-wearing social media influencer with 150,000 Instagram followers, as winner of its "Look of the Year" competition.
"This prize is for all of us who did not see ourselves in the fashion magazines because we did not fit in... This is an acknowledgement that it is more than time that we begin to normalize the hijab in the fashion industry. Fashion is for everybody," Asry told Elle.
Swedish Elle readers are obviously free to choose whomever they see fit to be "look of the year". It is, however, perplexing that female readers in a self-proclaimed feminist nation choose a woman who wears the hijab, when a study commissioned by Swedish authorities has shown that wearing a hijab for many women and children in Sweden is far from being a voluntary choice.
As previously reported by Gatestone Institute, a 2018 study commissioned by the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency and written by researchers at the Centre for Societal Security (CTSS) at the Swedish Defence University, showed that radical Islam had spread to several Swedish cities and that this meant that in some areas, "There are parents...who put veils on their three-year-olds". The authors of the study also mentioned that schools and other local authorities did not know how to deal with the challenges created by the radical Islamists.
One example was when a Muslim schoolgirl wanted to take off her headscarf to play hairdresser with the other children, the Swedish school staff did not allow it out of respect for her parents' wishes. In an example from a Swedish preschool, a little girl did not want to wear her headscarf but the Swedish personnel forced it on her, "even though it felt wrong", because it was the parents' wish.
These are not the only examples of Swedish teachers appearing unbothered by considerations about little girls' rights not to have the hijab forced upon them. In the city of Skurup, municipal authorities recently prohibited wearing of headscarves in the city's schools. At one school, Prästmosseskolan, six female non-Muslim teachers wore hijabs to protest the decision. The headmaster said that he would never make a student remove their veil; that he considered the decision discriminatory and in contravention of the Swedish constitution, which guarantees freedom of religion. Around 250 Muslims demonstrated against the decision to ban the veil. "The ban is about taking Muslim women's rights to their bodies away and removing their democratic rights and choices. It is a racist policy", said Tasnim Raoof, chairman of the organization Malmö's Young Muslims.
"Those of us who have fled gender apartheid dictatorships, where women risk their lives to protest the veil, know and have experienced what chastity laws mean... The veil, also in the West, marks the difference between the pure (chaste) and the unclean... woman," wrote Maria Rashidi, a Swedish-Iranian human rights activist whose husband burned her face with acid when she requested a divorce, and Sara Mohammad, a Swedish-Iraqi human rights activist, who fled Iraq after her brother threatened to kill her if she did not marry the man that her family had chosen for her. The added:
"The veil signals chastity ethics that can be linked to daughters' responsibilities for the family's honor... But our feminist government chooses to prioritize collective religious rights over the human rights of children and women... As long as influential journalists see gender apartheid as 'culture' and those in power support the organizations that sanction it, oppression based on honor will continue".
Meanwhile, this fall, a new Islamic party, Nyans ("Nuance") was formed in Sweden. The party wants "Islamophobia" to be classified as a separate crime and is opposed to debates about banning the hijab.
"It isn't the veil that should be fought, but oppression. At the same time, parents have the right to raise their children according to their culture and religion," said spokesperson of the new party, Mikail Yüksel. He has reported Skurup municipality to the Justice Department and the Ombudsman for banning the veil in the municipalities' schools, by claiming that it goes against Swedish law. Yüksel was formerly a member of Swedish party Centerpartiet, but was excluded from it after he was accused of having concealed his affiliation with the far-right, ultranationalist Turkish movement the "Grey Wolves". Yüksel reportedly said that he had been open about being offered to start a Swedish chapter of the Grey Wolves in Sweden, but that he had declined.
On February 1, World Hijab Day will be marked in countries all over the world, including in Sweden. Will anyone use that occasion to stand up for the many women and children who do not want to wear one?
*Judith Bergman, a columnist, lawyer and political analyst, is a Distinguished Senior Fellow at Gatestone Institute.
© 2020 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
*Picture Encolosed: On January 20, Iran's only female Olympic medalist, Kimia Alizadeh, defected from Iran. "I am one of the millions of oppressed women in Iran whom they've been playing for years," she wrote. (Photo by Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP via Getty Images)

Tehran's Chinese Dream Can't Replace its Nightmare
Amir Taheri/Asharq Al Awsat/February 02/2020
The Chinese found out that producing and exporting goods that people wanted across the globe was easier and more profitable than trying to export a revolution that no one, perhaps apart from a few students in London and Paris, thirsted for.
The Shah had promised that he would turn Iran into "a second Japan". Rafsanjani promised a "second China."
Some of Rafsanjani's close associates now tell me that he was "a bit of a coward" and lost his opportunity to do a Deng Xiaoping by being sucked into corrupt business deals. According to them, Rafsanjani didn't realize that one starts making money for himself, his family and his entourage after one has done a Deng Xiaoping, and not before.
Today, the Tehran "deciders" constitute a small, increasingly isolated minority caught in an imagined past and fearful of the future. Worse still, many "deciders" have already put part of their money abroad, having sent their children to Europe and America. Going through a who-is-who of these "deciders" one is amazed by how many are behaving as carpetbaggers, treating Iran as a land to plunder, sending the proceeds to the West. They cannot produce an Iranian "Deng" because they don't want to create a productive economy; all they are interested in is to get the money and run.
The idea of imitating the Chinese model isn't new in Iran.
Could General Qassem Soleimani's dramatic demise provide the shock therapy to persuade those who wield real power in Tehran to admit the failure of a strategy that has led Iran into an impasse? This was the question discussed in a zoom conference with a number of academics from one of Iran's leading universities.
The fact itself that the issue could be debated must be regarded as significant. It indicates the readiness of more and more Iranians to defy the rules of silence imposed by the regime and raise taboo issues more or less openly.
In the course of the discussion one participant drew a parallel between Soleimani's death and that of Marshal Lin Biao, the Chinese Communist defense minister whose demise in an air crash in 1971 opened the way for a radical change of course by Maoist China.
Lin's elimination enabled Chinese reformists, then led by Prime Minister Chou En-lai, to isolate the so-called "Gang of Four" hardliners, led by Mao's wife Jian Qing, and bring the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution to a close as prelude to a historic change of course designed to transform the People's Republic from a vehicle for a revolutionary cause into a normal nation-state. Within a few years, the People's Republic under Deng Xiaoping's leadership was building a capitalist economy with a totalitarian political frame, discarding dreams of "exporting revolution".
Having lost its revolutionary legitimacy, the Chinese Communist regime started building a new source of legitimacy through economic success and the dramatic rise in living standards for hundreds of millions across the country. The Chinese found out that producing and exporting goods that people wanted across the globe was easier and more profitable than trying to export a revolution that no one, perhaps apart from a few students in London and Paris, thirsted for.
However, the parallel isn't exact. Lin was accused of having secret ties with "Imperialism" and plotting a coup against Chairman Mao while Soleimani was regarded as "Supreme Guide" Ali Khamenei's most faithful aide. Lin had a glittering biography, having led the People's Liberation Army in numerous battles to victory with his conquest of Beijing as the final bouquet.
In contrast, even Soleimani's most ardent admirers are unable to name a single battle which he fought, let alone won. Even now his adulators only claim political successes for him, including his supposed success in preventing the fall of Bashar al-Assad in Syria and seizing control of the Lebanese state apparatus through surrogates.
Nevertheless, Soleimani's demise does provide an opportunity for a serious review of Khamenei's policy of "exporting revolution" which has cost Iran astronomical sums and countless lives with not a single country adopting the Khomeinist ideology and system of government.
The idea of imitating the Chinese model isn't new in Iran. It was first raised in 1990 by then President Ali-Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who went as far as asserting, only half-jokingly, that he would even be prepared to discard the clerical garb to adapt to the modern world. The Shah had promised that he would turn Iran into "a second Japan". Rafsanjani promised a "second China."
The Shah could not fulfill his promise because he was hit by the Islamic Revolution on the road and had to go into exile. Rafsanjani's "second China" also remained a dead dream with the would-be Iranian version of Deng Xiaoping just managing to stay alive and out of jail, barely tolerated by the real "deciders" as an embarrassing uncle.
Some of Rafsanjani's close associates now tell me that he was "a bit of a coward" and lost his opportunity to do a Deng Xiaoping by being sucked into corrupt business deals. According to them, Rafsanjani didn't realize that one starts making money for himself, his family and his entourage after one has done a Deng Xiaoping, and not before. Deng's family, including his daughter, son-in-law and hangers-on made their millions after China had been de-Maoized. In Rafsanjani's case, the millions were made without any attempt at de-Khomeinization.
At the time Rafsanjani played his "China" tune. I argued in several articles that the Deng model was not applicable to the Islamic Republic. In China, Maoism, is quirkiness notwithstanding, was a potent ideology, mixing nationalism, xenophobic resentment, and crude egalitarianism symbolized by the imposition of uniforms and collective production units. In contrast, the Khomeinist ideology was never developed into a coherent narrative while its open hostility to Iranian nationalism gave it an alien aura. Moreover, the Chinese revolution had triumphed after decades of struggle including a huge civil war involving tens of millions on opposite sides.
In contrast, the Khomeinist revolution succeeded in around four months because the Shah, unwilling to order mass repression, decided to abandon power and leave.
There are other differences between Iran today and China in the 1980s. The People's Republic was firmly controlled by the Chinese Communist Party which had at least five million trained and disciplined cadres capable of passing its message to society as a whole and mobilizing support for any change of strategy. The Khomeinist republic has no such structure and its support base, mired in corruption, finds it increasingly hard to communicate with society at large. The mass gatherings that the regime organizes should deceive no one.
Today, the Tehran "deciders" constitute a small, increasingly isolated minority caught in an imagined past and fearful of the future. Worse still, many "deciders" have already put part of their money abroad, having sent their children to Europe and America. Going through a who-is-who of these "deciders" one is amazed by how many are behaving as carpetbaggers, treating Iran as a land to plunder, sending the proceeds to the West. They cannot produce an Iranian "Deng" because they don't want to create a productive economy; all they are interested in is to get the money and run. Nor are they able to build the state institutions needed for a modern economy capable of seeking a credible place in the global market.
The machinery that Deng and his team inherited was certainly repressive and outmoded by the higher international standards. However, within its own paradigms, it worked. In contrast, the Khomeinist republic, though as outmoded and repressive as the Maoist regime, simply doesn't work. Lacking any mechanism for self-reform it resembles the blindfolded horse in ancient mills going round and round, grinding the seeds of a bitter harvest.
*Amir Taheri was the executive editor-in-chief of the daily Kayhan in Iran from 1972 to 1979. He has worked at or written for innumerable publications, published eleven books, and has been a columnist for Asharq Al-Awsat since 1987. He is the Chairman of Gatestone Europe.
© 2020 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.

Euro-Area Economy Sees Worst Quarter Since 2013

William Horobin/Bloomberg/February 02/2020
The euro-area economy barely grew at the end of 2019 as unexpected contractions in France and Italy dealt the bloc its weakest quarter in almost seven years. The surprise slump in two of the region’s biggest nations is yet another blow for their governments. President Emmanuel Macron is already under fire amid protests over controversial pension reforms, while Italy’s fragile coalition is scarred by internal skirmishes.
Output in the 19-nation region rose just 0.1% in the fourth quarter, down from 0.3% in the previous period, and underlying inflation slowed in January to the weakest in three months. The French economy shrank 0.1%, and Italy posted a 0.3% contraction. Germany has previously said it posted slight growth at the end of 2019 -- the official reading is due next month.
The economic gloom may prove to be temporary. Surveys have suggested that the rot has been stemmed for now. The European Central Bank says the risks to the outlook have become “less pronounced,” and more signs of improving momentum came Thursday when the European Commission reported a marked rise in sentiment in January, led by manufacturing and construction.
Still, the reports could revive calls for more spending by countries that have fiscal space, such as Germany. The ECB has repeatedly called for action, and the European Union’s executive arm is planning to publish a document next week asserting that the euro zone’s fiscal rules are too convoluted.
The yield on German 10-year debt has slipped in recent days and fell below -0.4% for the first time in three months. The euro was little changed at $1.1031 at 11:57 a.m. Frankfurt time on Friday.
Trade risks have returned to the fore with the US renewing threats last week to raise duties on imports of cars from the EU, and France only narrowly avoiding American tariffs on wine and cheese in a dispute over digital taxation. The US just reported the biggest drop in imports since 2009, and new concerns are emerging such as the coronavirus and the hit to Chinese and global growth.
French cognac maker Remy Cointreau has already sounded a note of caution over the impact of the virus on its business in China and ditched its guidance for the year. Airlines including Germany’s Lufthansa cut flights, and Finnish elevator-maker Kone expect a hit on bottom lines amid factory closures.
French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire blamed his economy’s poor results on disruptions in ports, the rail network and fuel deposits and highlighted resilient consumption and business investment.
“This temporary slowdown does not call into question the fundamentals of French growth,” he said. Without the curb from companies using up stocks rather than increasing production, the economy would have expanded about 0.3%. One bright spot was Spain, where the government woke up to more evidence that the economy is one of Europe’s outperformers. Faster-than-anticipated growth of 0.5% was driven by buoyant exports and a strong increase in services.

Don’t Be Fooled by the Friendly Brexit Goodbyes
Lionel Laurent/Bloomberg/February 02/2020
The Brits are planning a Brexit celebration worthy of a downtrodden colony freed from the shackles of imperialist rule. A new coin has been minted for the occasion, trumpeting “peace, prosperity and friendship with all nations.” There will be a light show to mark the UK regaining its “independence.” Never mind that the country didn’t adopt the euro, wasn’t part of the border-free Schengen Area, and, according to its own citizenship test, was last invaded in 1066. The slogan of “take back control” has stuck.
The officials and diplomats steering the 27-member EU see things a little differently. There will be no coin, or light show, but plenty of funereal sobriety. This is the first-ever departure of a big member state, and it’s a palpable loss: Britain will take with it 14% of the EU’s gross domestic product, 40% of its military power and 13% of its population. Brexit is a “tragic geopolitical disaster,” according to Dutch Finance Minister Wopke Hoekstra. It’s a “lose-lose,” according to Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief negotiator of the divorce papers.
Both the cheers and the tears seem extreme at first glance, considering how little will change on the ground on Friday. The transition agreement struck as part of Brexit means that, for the next 11 months, the UK will be treated as if it were still part of the EU (though Britain’s official presence in Brussels will recede). Free movement of goods, capital and labor will continue as before. Talks on a new free trade agreement will likely be tough, but the reality of geography and the intertwined nature of the UK and EU economies means there will be an incentive to keep a close relationship.
And while the Brexiteers champion “Global Britain” as a free-market counterweight to a protectionist EU, we have yet to see a real divide on trade and geopolitics. On cybersecurity risks from China, both the UK and the EU have resisted pressure from Donald Trump to ban Huawei Technologies Co. from their fifth-generation mobile networks, while also refusing to give Beijing’s market power a free pass. When it comes to taxing technology companies like Facebook Inc. or Amazon.com Inc., the UK has found itself on the same side of the argument as France and Italy, proposing a national levy on digital services that has enraged Trump. And on Iran, the UK has broadly stood by France and Germany on the nuclear deal.
This entente won’t last long, however. Both the UK and the EU are trying to carve out a place for themselves on a world stage that’s dominated by the US and China. The Brits aspire to retreat from the world's biggest single market in favor of a soft-power, light-touch island economy — experts have imagined Singapore-on-Thames, the Canada of Europe, or “Belgium with nukes.”
The EU is going in the opposite direction, one that brings to mind its history during the Cold War. When the UK joined the EU’s precursor organization in 1973, along with Ireland and Denmark, continental powers like France saw it as a trade-off: Europe would mechanically become more Atlantic and more economically liberal, but it would also grow in stature and find its own voice as a world power between the US and the USSR. Today, as the UK leaves, the trade-off has been reversed. The EU is mulling a less Atlantic, less liberal, but more integrated bloc that would respond to citizens’ concerns and counterbalance the likes of Trump and China.
Brexit is therefore likely to be seen as an opportunity for closer EU integration, seen as key to achieving both geopolitical and technological sovereignty. A more concentrated bloc is precisely what the Brits fought hard to prevent. Closer euro-zone integration, for example, was one catalyst behind the UK’s departure. While the Germans will mourn the departure of a pro-market, economically liberal voice, the naturally dirigiste French can barely contain their glee. “The British have been a permanent pain in the backside since 1973,” former French minister Alain Lamassoure told Le Monde. “Brexit lifts a handbrake on Europe.”The next 11 months will be a crucial fight between these competing aspirations. The EU will seek to bind Britain close to its regulatory orbit to avoid it becoming a bridgehead for US influence; the UK, meanwhile, will be tempted to strike closer ties with the Americans to offset the loss of frictionless trade with its large neighbor. So far, there is more convergence than divergence between the two sides. But Washington and Beijing aren’t sitting still. The mood could get ugly soon.

This ‘Deal’ Is a Consequence of the Region’s Condition

Elias Harfoush/Asharq Al Awsat/February 02/2020
Much can be said about the “deal of the century” that President Donald Trump presented. He has been accused of being biased toward Israel, breaching international rules on the deal to settle the Palestinian Israeli conflict, and using this deal to improve his and Netanyahu’s chances at reelection. But this "deal", like any political or trade deal, cannot be isolated from the conditions under which it emerged.
We should admit that this deal reflects the balance of power between the Israelis and the Palestinians and between Israel and the Arabs as well. It also reflects the reality of Arabs’ priority and the place of the Palestinian cause among those priorities. More importantly, it reflects the fact that those behind the deal are aware of the inability of the Palestinian side "and its Arab allies" to refuse, confront, and "challenge", to use outdated language. In the end, it would have been difficult to announce such a "deal" if the counties of the region's conditions, interests, and priorities were different.
Let us begin with the Palestinians' situation, the people whom this cause concerns. Fatah and Hamas needed this "deal" to push them to turn the page on their dispute. Ismail Haniyeh needed it to facilitate the re-establishment of the relationship with President Mahmoud Abbas after 12 years of estrangement between the two parties. For their dispute turned the West Bank and Gaza Strip into two separate entities, and all Arab efforts to settle it failed. Farcically, the Trump plan is the only step that seems like it may reconnect them, politically through what is being said about a return to reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas and geographically through a bridge connecting the West Bank to Gaza that is included in the plan.
In addition, the Palestinian Authority failed to confront what had been known as Trump’s project even before it was announced. All the Palestinian leadership did was close the door in the face of communication with the American administration after it had been justifiably angered by Americans’ acceptance of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital moving their embassy there. No meaningful overtures were made to the Arab governments to try and cultivate a united Arab stance. Nor were any of the Israeli leaders opposed to Netanyahu’s approach contacted; these leaders exist and their opinions are well known inside Israel. The same applies to Jewish leaders of lobbies opposed to APAC, such as J Street, in the United States. In the context of a difficult struggle, like the one that the Palestinians are faced with, it is important to gain the favor of political force and leader with Israel and among the Jewish diaspora throughout the world. "They exist" and adopt positions supportive of the two-state solution and the settlement of the conflict on the basis of the principles approved by the United Nations.
This discussion leads us to one about the disintegration of Israeli political forces in favor of peace with the Palestinians and their decline in face of the advances made by the Israeli right and its successful homogenization of the political narrative, thus successfully monopolizing influence on the Trump administration. It is not an exaggeration to say, as many commentators already have, that the suicide attacks conducted by several Palestinian organizations have had a profound impact on the ability of the pro-peace Israeli political forces to harness the popular appeal needed for elections.
Having had examined the Palestinian situation, it suffices to look at the Arabs’ list of priorities, as they appeared on the day that Trump announced his plan, to see the extent to which the Palestinian cause has dropped on that list. Let us begin with the countries neighboring Palestine which are affected by the effects of this plan, if it were to see the light of day.
Lebanon is in the worst position it has been in since independence. It is a poor, bankrupt country being eaten alive by political tension. Its youth are on the road to emigration. Its leadership figures are looking for something to save them from the abyss the country has been brought to because of persistent mismanagement. Although Lebanon would be one of the country’s most negatively affected by the deal because of the large number of Palestinians on its territory, this issue seems like one its least difficult problems. On the contrary, some see that the economic inducements included in the deal, in light of the country’s accumulated debt, may "encourage" Lebanese parties to rethink their initial rejection of Trump's plan.
Northwards, we have Syria, “the beating heart of Arabism”. For nine years now, the country has been being ripped apart and stumbling towards the abyss; its civil war has claimed more lives than all the wars between Israel and the Arabs and the Palestinians combined. A country where national leadership is an illusion, with political and security decision-making being actually shared by Moscow and Tehran. On the day of the announcement of Trump’s plan, the people of Maaret Al-Numan were fleeing for their lives and carrying their luggage, joining those who had preceded them on the caravans of displacement from other cities. It is easy to guess Syrians’ position on the Palestine cause given the circumstance.
As for Iraq, once ruled by Saddam Hussein who held the Palestinian banner on his way to invading Kuwait once upon a time, it’s not in great shape. Saddam’s rule was replaced by Iranian hegemony over Iraq’s capabilities. Today, it is trying to rid itself of its vassalage, with its youths demanding the restoration of their sovereignty over decision-making in their country, and their right to choose a president for their government that is not sponsored by Iran.
Talking about the Iranian role in Iraq leads us to Iran's attempts at expanding and exporting its revolution, which is a slogan that the Iranian regime has raised since its establishment in 1979. The corollary was the reversal of priorities and interests in the region neighboring Iran, which had been, until then, both as governments and nations, natural champions of the Palestinian peoples' rights. The intensity of the reversal was compounded by the support of active Palestinian organizations for the Tehran project, without looking at the way that this would affect the Palestinian cause.
The "deal of the century", then, benefited from the conditions in which countries of the region find themselves. Does this mean that it is destined for success? It is known that the basis of this deal is to disregard controversial issues, as though they no longer exist. President Trump sees that the Jerusalem issue has become out of the question after the US embassy's relocation to it. The same is true for refugees and settlements. The idea on which the "deal" is based is that there is no need to continue digging in the past because "history begins now." That is what Aaron David Miller, who was an adviser on Middle East affairs under the Clinton and George Bush Jr administrations, quoted Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and chief architect of the "deal of the century" as saying. Miller said that Kushner was reiterating those words to anyone who discussed the background of the long conflict between Israel and the Palestinians: “don't talk to me about history. We are preparing the region for the future.”
In the past, Golda Meir used to defend her intransigent stance vis-a-vis the Palestinians by saying: "There is no such thing as the Palestinian people." However, they demonstrated their ability to impose their existence and rights. Although it is true that the region's priorities and concerns are different today, the disregard of Trump's plan for the main party in this conflict is not the best way to ensure that this "historic opportunity", as those behind the deal see it, is taken.

Abbas: Hard Line Language and Moderate Behavior
Nabil Amr/Asharq Al Awsat/February 02/2020
The speech that Mahmoud Abbas gave minutes after the end of the speeches of Trump and Netanyahu upset many of those who expected the man, after what he had heard, to take more dramatic decisions immediately.
This expectation stemmed from the threats that prominent Palestinian figures directed at Washington before its announcement. Namely, they made threats like: Canceling Oslo, withdrawing their recognition of Israel, ending security coordination, escalating their moves towards total disengagement from Israel, replacing the state with autonomy, dissolving the Palestinian Authority and transferring its responsibilities to the PLO.
The implementation of actions like these require hundreds of political and administrative decisions, which - if they were taken - would embody a comprehensive and radical change to the status quo, without a guarantee that what would come out of it will succeed.
The Palestinian political class, which showered the world with these kinds of declarations, is unfamiliar with President Abbas and the way he thinks, even as many of them speak in his name. The facts show that what they are saying is merely false conclusions. All of them- even those who sit at the so-called leadership table- know nothing (and they say this in their private meetings).
It was necessary for Abbas’s speech to take the hard-line stance it did in response to the scene that had come out of Washington that Tuesday, which was described- purely for advertising- as the day that separates yesterday from tomorrow.
Abbas, on his part, went on to describe what Trump offered in his deal, and went as far as promising to respond to it with slaps that will come in the future. Abbas also refused to speak with Trump and refused to receive his messages. This behavior, even with the national disagreement about its utility, suits the moment according to the Palestinian tradition. Indeed it is considered an evolution of this tradition that surpasses Arafat’s response after the famous incident between him and the administration when he said: “I am the only one to have said no to America inside the White House.”
Abbas, in his heated speech, continued to send messages of moderation to the Arab and international forces that he needs, if not to achieve primary objectives- and it is not the time for that now- then to remain part of the international and regional equation, especially since this equation still has a place for the Palestinians within it, a place that is worth keeping.
The hardline nature of the speech did not hide commitment to moderation and mentioned things the world wants to hear from the Palestinians that can be summed up in the phrase: “We are for negotiations”.
It did not breach the red lines set by moderate regional and international forces, the red lines that members of the Palestinian political class had crossed, as mentioned at the beginning of this article.
Even the strong words Abbas directed at Netanyahu did not include any concrete decisions; instead, he spoke of the possibility of being forced to take such decisions if Natanyahu were to continue to breach the Oslo Accords and the “deal of century” were implemented after being accepted by one side. In this context, it is not only the Palestinians who stand to lose from the annexation of the Jordan Valley and having Israeli sovereignty forced on all settlements in the West Bank, but the Jordanians as well.
What drew my attention while analyzing President Abbas’s speech is that the man needs time to clarify his stance, which could be final. He bought himself some time, internally, by bringing up reconciliation and referring to a possible visit to Gaza, with the Arabs, by taking part in the conference of Arab foreign ministers scheduled for Saturday in Cairo, through which he can hear their real stances from them directly. However, from the early signs shown by Arabs, he knows that their stance already holds something new this time. For in addition to the consensus on supporting Palestinians’ rights and the “moderation of the Palestinians’ stance”, there is obvious disagreement on how to deal with the “deal of the century”.
The two sides with the most influence on formal Palestinian politics are Saudi Arabia and Egypt, and both of them asked Abbas to hold off any measures that lack their cover. Until now, they have agreed to advise the Palestinians to be patient and postpone any actions until they discuss them directly with the two countries.
Abbas- even if we were to simplify things and fabricate hope- faces a multifaceted crisis- for the Palestinians are still divided, and even a dramatic visit to Gaza, if it were to happen, would not end the division; indeed, the most that could be achieved from it is the commencement of a long journey. The Arab situation is even worse than divided. As for the international community, which has not endorsed the “deal of the century”, there is a wide gap between the stances it takes and the measures it is able to enforce when confronting America, and no one knows this better than Abbas.
Abbas is well aware of all this, and he knows that all Palestinians are faced with a decisive test, and there is no doubt that leaders’ talents are demonstrated when faced with a difficult situation and as they try to get out of crises.
Things are not all doom and gloom, if the Palestinians utilize the few tools available to them correctly, they can guarantee a place for themselves in the equation, which is the best they can hope for at a time that can be described- after softening the description- as lousy.

Iranian regime increasing its human rights abuses
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab News/February 02/2020
It is well known that the Islamic Republic has been committing human rights violations since the ruling clerics came to power in 1979. Nevertheless, in the last few months, the regime’s employment of brutal tactics and its disregard for human rights have increased once again.
Whenever the theocratic establishment is under significant pressure domestically, politically and economically, it resorts to hard power and excessive methods of suppression to control the population and ensure its survival. For example, in 1988, after almost eight years of devastating war with Iraq and as the regime was facing organized opposition, the hold on power of the ruling mullahs was in danger. That’s when — in what became known as the 1988 massacre — the Iranian regime began cleansing its prisons of thousands of dissidents and opposition activists. Ultimately, an estimated 30,000 people lost their lives in the brutal massacre. Many of the perpetrators of the massacre continue to serve in senior positions, including Chief Justice Ebrahim Raisi, who was the prosecutor general of Tehran in 1988 and ran for the presidency in 2017.
The Iranian regime is again facing significant pressure. Thanks to the reimposition of sanctions by the US government, as well as the regime’s widespread corruption and mismanagement of the economy, it is desperate for revenue. The Iranian currency has devalued substantially and inflation is at a record high. The regime is now running out of funds to support its network of militia groups and proxies across the region. People in Lebanon and Iraq have, meanwhile, expressed their opposition to Iran’s involvement in their internal affairs.
The latest reports point to unspeakable and brutal methods of torture being used by the authorities against detainees.
As the regime senses that the political establishment is in danger, it has once again ratcheted up its human rights violations. Thousands of people were killed in the last two waves of protests, which occurred in November last year because of a hike in gas prices and in early January over the shooting down of a Ukrainian passenger plane. During these two waves of protests, more than 10,000 people were detained across the country.
The latest reports coming out of Iran point to unspeakable and brutal methods of torture, including rape and sexual assaults, being used by the authorities against detainees. In one shocking incident, Amnesty International stated that it had received appalling reports of a sexual assault on an arrested female protester.
Another protester who was arrested by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said: “After we were arrested, they put black plastic bags over our heads and transferred us to a Peugeot 405. Then they took us to an unknown location and kept us in small 1 square meter rooms. We could hear the sounds of torture of other detainees. The room was so small that we could not spread out our legs. They kept us hungry for a long time and did not even give us one piece of bread. At nights they took us all out to somewhere outside the cells in the courtyard and forced us to take off our clothes. Then they drenched us with cold water with a hose and started beating us.”
These are just two examples of the regime’s widespread campaign to dehumanize, subjugate, torture and kill its own people. The protesters are in prison simply because of their political opinions and for conducting peaceful activities, such as taking part in demonstrations against the regime’s policies and its mishandling of their nation’s resources.
As the regime struggles to curb the protests and growing unrest linked to the disintegrating economy, the world must act to put a stop to the ongoing human rights abuses. The foundations of the current regime’s power structure, with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei as its head, were built on the 1988 massacre. The world must know that the authorities now in charge of Iran showed their true allegiance and unwavering fealty to the fundamentalist regime and its goals by having no qualms about ordering and implementing human rights violations and political crimes.
*Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is an Iranian-American political scientist. He is a leading expert on Iran and US foreign policy, a businessman and president of the International American Council. Twitter: @Dr_Rafizadeh

Forget two states, Trump’s plan prescribes apartheid
Baria Alamuddin/Arab News/February 02/2020
Taking a random district in the West Bank and calling it Al-Quds is no more a magical method for conjuring up a capital city than taking a swath of the Amazon jungle and calling it London.
Circling an area of the Negev desert on a map and writing “agricultural” over the top doesn’t miraculously make the sands bloom into irrigated gardens to eternally nourish the inhabitants of Gaza.
Boasting about state-of-the-art road systems, customs facilities, hospitals, and an underground tunnel connecting Gaza to the West Bank is all very nice. But given that these pledges rely on still-unconfirmed foreign donors, Jared Kushner could have promised gold-plated pavements and diamond-studded street lighting.
Previous peace plans necessitated that the wild-eyed Zionist fanatics in dozens of tiny settlement “outposts” would be sent packing back to Israel. Kushner’s plan not only gives them the right to remain, but Palestinian lands are dissected to accommodate roads and supporting infrastructure for even the most remote and provocative locations. The map provided with the plan is sufficiently vague to allow settlers to carve out additional kilometers of “natural growth.” It is difficult to imagine a bigger incentive for settlers to inaugurate hundreds of new sites, hoping that a future US president may give the nod to additional “facts on the ground.”
As well as announcing the severance of security contacts with Israel, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was right to respond with “a thousand no’s,” given Benjamin Netanyahu’s inflexibility over the fundamental issues. Fruitful negotiations require at least some shared consensus on the parameters for discussion. The deal was also angrily rejected in states circling Israel, where about 1.5 million Palestinian refugees reside. The cancelation of refugees’ right of return is just one of the issues that will have long-term consequences for these nations.
The deal’s promised incentives are dependent on Palestinians agreeing to the wholesale theft of their territories, and disarming of all militant groups. Based on previous precedents, even if Palestinians bent over backwards to do everything they were told, Israel could still exploit flimsy security pretexts to permanently obstruct the implementation of plans for industrial zones, connecting roads and other infrastructure.
The global media almost universally acknowledged that this deal offers Israel everything, while being a nonstarter for the Palestinians and trampling on the religious rights of the millions of Christians and Muslims who venerate the many holy sites in these territories. The Economist described Donald Trump’s deal as the “steal of the century,” noting that the new Palestinian “capital” amounted to a “few grim neighborhoods, such as Abu Dis and Shuafat, that sit on the other side of a hulking concrete separation barrier.”
It is easy to dismiss Trump’s proposals as a meaningless sideshow concocted by two deeply problematic leaders drowning in corruption allegations. The nauseating adoring gazes, back-slapping and effusive compliments with which this incestuously negotiated travesty was launched say everything we need to know about its intended beneficiaries.
However, with Netanyahu rushing to annex the immense territorial concessions carved from the occupied Jordan Valley, West Bank, Jerusalem and Golan Heights, we shouldn’t be in denial that this is a catastrophic game-changer; representing the demise of three decades of post-Oslo relative consensus over the parameters of a two-state deal. Future, more enlightened, US presidents will have to expend almost unconceivable political capital in rowing back on Trump’s sovereignty giveaways.
The deal’s promised incentives are dependent on Palestinians agreeing to the wholesale theft of their territories.
The Arab League issued a stronger-than-expected statement, unanimously rejecting Trump’s proposals, “which fail to address the bare minimum of the Palestinian people’s aspirations and rights, while violating established parameters of the peace process enshrined in international law and relevant UN resolutions.” The UN and EU have likewise emphasized the necessity of compliance with UN resolutions. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson showed none of these reservations, urging Palestinians to engage with the plan, although his foreign secretary later expressed “concerns” that Israel was rushing ahead to annex much of the West Bank.
A deal that is so fundamentally at odds with international law is only possible because of the carnage that leaders like Trump, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping have wreaked upon mechanisms of international justice and conflict resolution. Putin and Xi have gridlocked the UN Security Council, while Trump’s acolytes advocate an absolutist model of presidential power that rejects all legal constraints.
This is also visible in Narendra Modi’s heavy-handed addressing of the Kashmir question and other issues of religious and citizenship rights in India; China’s internment of more than 1 million Uighur citizens; Bashar Assad’s continued genocidal campaigns; Iran’s paramilitary expansionism; and Myanmar’s purges of the Rohingya. Nobody is awaiting serious international efforts to address these injustices and, in the absence of any reassertion of the primacy of international law, these examples will proliferate.
Nobody is happier than the likes of Daesh and Iran, which are using their many media organs to agitate against this deal. Trump and Netanyahu play into the terrorist narrative of betraying prospects for a dignified peace. Just as Al-Qaeda exploited Muslim outrage over Jerusalem, these fundamental injustices provide copious lighter fuel for the decades of violence and terrorism to come.
Kushner boasts that, for the first time, Netanyahu has committed to a two-state proposal. Why? Because this isn’t a two-state solution. The envisaged Palestinian entity (which won’t ever see daylight) lacks any trappings of statehood: Sovereignty, contiguous territories, a capital, control of borders, armed forces, etc. However, the deal also (for now) blocks the drift toward a one-state solution, in which Palestinians could enjoy fair political representation. These proposals thus represent neither a one nor a two-state solution, but instead are a recipe for apartheid.
US and Israeli experts are also describing these proposals as creating apartheid Bantustans. Israeli rights group B’Tselem warned of the consequences of Palestinians being “relegated to small, enclosed, isolated enclaves, with no control over their lives.”
Trump and Netanyahu’s blueprint for apartheid is only sustainable as long as Israel enjoys military supremacy, underpinned by billions of dollars of US support; as long as there are no sustained mass uprisings by Palestinians; and in the absence of consolidated international pressure.
Nearly 6 million Arab citizens throughout Palestine aren’t going anywhere. These proposals address neither their grievances nor their statehood aspirations. By killing off the Oslo parameters with proposals premised on ethnic cleansing and apartheid, Kushner and Netanyahu will force Palestinian national aspirations to be expressed within new guises. For those of us who have lived through multiple historic bouts of bloodletting and conflict, we can only view the future with extreme dread.
*Baria Alamuddin is an award-winning journalist and broadcaster in the Middle East and the UK. She is editor of the Media Services Syndicate and has interviewed numerous heads of state.