LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
February 27.2020
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
The Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
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Bible Quotations For today
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.
Each day has enough trouble of its own
Matthew 06/25-34/“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your
life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not
life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the
air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly
Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you
by worrying add a single hour to your life/“And why do you worry about clothes?
See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you
that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that
is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is
thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So
do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What
shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly
Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his
righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do
not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has
enough trouble of its own.
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese
Related News & Editorials published on February 26-27/2020
President delivers speech marking launch of drilling works for first
offshore oil well in Lebanon
President Michel Aoun met US Ambassador on farewell visit
Aoun briefed on arrangements to launch drilling of first oil well in Lebanese
territorial waters, tomorrow.
Meeting at Presidential Palace in preparation for Lebanese-Cypriot-Greek
Tripartite Summit
STL Prosecutor Concludes a Working Visit to Lebanon
Lebanese Demand Flight Ban from Virus Infected Countries
Berri during Wednesday Gathering: People's bank deposits are sacred
Diab meets S. Korean ambassador, AlShawabkeh, ISF chief
Diab meets Tarraf, Army command, Total delegation
Hitti holds cooperation talks with diplomats, interlocutors
IMF Urges Lebanon to Regain World’s Confidence
Lebanese FM to Meet Le Drian in Paris as Economic Crisis Continues
Search for offshore oil and gas to begin on Thursday: Lebanon’s Aoun
Second coronavirus case in Lebanon: Health ministry
Parliament’s Joint Committee agrees to legalize medicinal marijuana
US sanctions Lebanese entities that funnel funds to Hezbollah militants'
families/Joyce Karam/The National/February 26/2020
US targets individuals, entities linked to Lebanon's Hezbollah
Moucharafieh talks general situation with ambassadors of Australia, Norway,
Germany
Hassan, Hoballah discuss activating cooperation in pharmaceutical industry, food
safety
Akar holds diplomatic talks with Ambassadors of Turkey, Spain, Belgium
Kidnapped Mohammad Ramadan set free
Sens. Cruz, Shaheen Announce Biting Sanctions Against Lebanese Officials
Complicit in the Unlawful Detention and Abuse of U.S. Citizens
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on
February 26-27/2020
Pope Francis trip to Iraq called off amid unrest in the country
U.S. sanctions 13 foreign entities for supporting Iran missile program
RSF Says Iran 'Seems to be Concealing' Coronavirus Information
Iran imposes local travel restrictions on confirmed, suspected coronavirus cases
Iran cleric urges people to visit Qom religious site despite coronavirus fears
Coronavirus panic adds insult to already injured Iranian currency
Egypt Holds Full-Honors Military Funeral for Mubarak
US has not supported Turkey in Syria’s Idlib says Erdogan: Report
Turkey will push Syrian regime forces beyond observation points: Erdogan
Syrian regime targets Turkish convoy with missiles, burns vehicle: Monitor
Russia Accuses Turkey of Bringing in Mercenaries into Libya
Iraq PM-Designate Reveals ‘Plot’ to Thwart Confidence Vote 2 Days before Session
Wearing Masks, Iraqis Protest against the Parliament
Jordan King Denies Rumors about Postponement of Elections
Abbas Supports Palestinian Committee for Interaction with Israeli Society
Palestinian Foreign Ministry Welcomes UN Support for 2-State Solution
How Iran’s regime spread coronavirus to the Middle East
Lavrov Rejects Idlib Ceasefire as 'Capitulating before Terrorists'
Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources published on February 26-27/2020
The Trump plan for Afghanistan is an
investment in America's national security/Clifford D. May/The Washington
Times/February 26/2020
U.S. Sanctions Five Members of Iran’s Guardian Council/Tzvi Kahn/FDD/February
26/2020
Insufficient missile defense funding would leave Americans vulnerable/Bradley
Bowman/FDD/February 26/2020
Iran struggles to regain control of post-Soleimani PMU/Hassan Ali
Ahmed/Al-Monitor/February 26/2020
Are Turkish Cypriots Done with Ankara?/Burak Bekdil/Gatestone Institute/February
26/2020
Sweden's Victimized Children/Judith Bergman/Gatestone Institute/February 26/2020
The Crisis Facing the Idea of 'Economic Boycott' Today/Hazem Saghieh/Asharq Al
Awsat/February 26/2020
Coronavirus Surprises Keep Getting Nastier, Costlier/Mark Gongloff/Bloomberg/February
26/2020
Markets Are Waking Up to the Virus Reality/Clara Ferreira
Marques/Bloomberg/February 26/2020
US Treasury sanctions Hezbollah-linked Lebanese individuals, groups/Lauren
Holtmeier/Al Arabiya/February 26/2020
Expect more death sentences for young imprisoned Iranian protesters/Babak
Taghvaee/Al Arabiya/February 26/ 2020
Sacked Saudi Energy Minister Returns to Cabinet/Simon Henderson/The Washington
Institute/February 26, 2020
The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News &
Editorials published on February 26-27/2020
President delivers speech marking launch of drilling works for first offshore
oil well in Lebanon
NNA/February 26/2020
The following is an address by His Excellency President of the Lebanese
Republic, General Michel Aoun, upon
launching of the drilling works for the first offshore oil well in Lebanon:
“My fellow Lebanese ladies and gentlemen,
We are a few hours away from launching officially the drilling of the first oil
well in Lebanon, at a point of our territorial waters, facing our shores and in
front of our mountain peaks which will bear witness to the importance of this
event. Lebanon will witness indeed a historic day tomorrow, a turning point
between what came “before” and what will come “after”. It will separate between
“before” and “after”. Lebanon’s present and future will evoke it as The Day when
our nation entered officially the club of oil countries, the countries rich with
one of the most important sources of energy in the twentieth and the beginning
of the twenty-first centuries for the economies of contemporary humanity. It
gives me great pleasure that this event is taking place in the year during which
the Lebanese Republic is commemorating the centenary of the creation of the
Greater Lebanon. Since my return to Lebanon in 2005, after the years of exile, I
have been conscious that the dream of many faithful citizens must be fulfilled.
Through the “Change and Reform” parliamentary bloc that I had presided over for
years, and through the ministries that we have held, in particular the Ministry
of Energy assumed by Minister Gebran Bassil and those who succeeded him, we have
been committed to working day and night, relentlessly, in order to fulfill this
dream that I will be launching tomorrow with much pride. This event was supposed
to be kicked off in 2013 but internal and political difficulties prevented it.
How can we forget that it was sometimes hindered by the turmoil of the region
and sometimes by events that have stormed our nation? Too often did
covetousness, will and maneuvers stand in the way of its fulfilment. We must as
well avail ourselves of this occasion to express the due gratitude to all those
who contributed to this achievement.
My fellow Lebanese ladies and gentlemen,
As we are going through the toughest economic and financial crisis in the modern
history of Lebanon, I am confident that this event is of paramount importance,
not the least at the geopolitical level, and it affirms our active presence and
the elements of our strength and steadfastness.
Our destiny is not to remain exposed to crises that generate each other, making
us desperate about our nation, thus driving us to desert it, emigrate from it or
deny it. Today, more than any time before, we are determined to shoulder the
responsibility of facing wrong economic policies as well as successive and
numerous accumulations, and to put an end to them in view of stopping this
downward path that has brought us to this point decades ago. We have the will to
confront, for the sake of Lebanon’s survival and perpetuity, to revive peace of
mind and bring the cycle of life back to normal. Although the event that we will
be celebrating tomorrow comes amid circumstances of suffering that we are going
through together, it will stand out as a cornerstone to get out of the abyss,
and a decisive milestone to transform our economy from a rentier, utilitarian
economy, to a productive one to which everyone contributes and by which everyone
benefits; an economy where our young potentials are formed, with all their
enthusiasm, knowledge and strong willpower, are the engine, the foundation and
the objective; and thousands of new and promising job opportunities have been
opened for them.
My fellow Lebanese ladies and gentlemen, Our oil and gas resources belong
outspokenly to all the Lebanese. Their revenues constitute a sovereign wealth
that can neither be the object of squandering nor corruption, and can neither be
controlled by one party nor seized by anyone. It is also a trust for the present
and future of our generations, and we shall protect it with all our solidity,
tenacity and strength. We shall not squander them, and as we defended and are
defending our legitimate right to every inch of our precious soil, so shall we
defend, with the same fierceness, our right to every drop of our territorial
waters which hold our oil and gas. I promise you that this will not be the
object of concession or dependence.As we shall celebrate together launching the
drilling of the first oil well in Lebanon, I call on you all to open a window of
hope in the wall of the crisis that we are going through. I am confident that we
shall overcome it with our willpower and resolve, so that we get out of it
stronger, after ridding ourselves from its repercussions, in order to bring back
to our years and to the future of our children their well-deserved bliss.
*Presidency Press Office
President Michel Aoun met US Ambassador on farewell visit
NNA/February 26/2020
President of the Republic General Michel Aoun, received the US Ambassador to
Lebanon, Elizabeth Richard, today at the Presidential Palace, on a farewell
visit to mark the end of her diplomatic missions in Lebanon. President Aoun
thanked Ambassador Richard for her efforts in enhancing Lebanese-US relations.
After the meeting, Ambassador Richard confirmed, through a statement, that the
United States stood by Lebanon’s side and considered that Lebanon is standing in
front of a turning point, and that this is the appropriate time for all Lebanese
citizens to address governance issues and economic ones. Richard also stressed
that “Tough decisions must be taken, and everyone will bear some burden”,
expressing her belief that everyone understands that the regime was not working
properly, in the past few decades, therefore this is a historic opportunity for
the Lebanese people to turn to a new page”.
Richard continued by describing the people of Lebanon as “The greatest power in
the country”.
Ambassador Richard Statement:
“Good morning, everybody.
I’m here today to talk about my departure from Lebanon. As my time in Lebanon
comes to a close, I want to thank the people of Lebanon for the kindness, the
hospitality, and the warmth that they have all shown me and the whole U.S.
Embassy team for the three and a half years that I have been here. It’s been a
privilege and an honor to represent the United States in a place where we have
such a long and historic and important relationship and interests.
We established a diplomatic presence in Lebanon in 1833, and ever since,
Americans have been by Lebanon’s side, willing and engaged as a partner for the
future. We were here to support the founding of the Lebanese American University
in 1835 and the American University of Beirut in 1866, and we continue to
support their role as beacons to Lebanon and to the entire region. Freedom of
thought and expression, creative and critical thinking, and civic responsibility
and leadership are qualities that are needed in this country, today more than
ever before.
Lebanon is at a turning point. In October, citizens from all sects and all
geographic regions went to the streets to demand better from their government.
And they are right. There is no reason a country this blessed with so many
gifts, including incredible human resources, does not have in 2020 a modern
waste management system, 24/7 electricity for everyone, a single armed force
under the control of the state, and a growing economy.
The United States has been with the Lebanese people consistently. We are active
in all eight governorates of Lebanon and in most of its 1,100 municipalities,
engaging with Lebanese citizens to identify areas of shared concern and working
to help them to find solutions.
But we as outsiders cannot alone fix what is not working. This is the time for
all Lebanese citizens to address the issues of governance and economy head on.
Difficult decisions have to be made, and everyone will bear some of the burden.
But I believe everyone recognizes that the system of the last few decades is no
longer working. So, this is a historic opportunity for the Lebanese people to
turn the page. It is a chance to chart a new course that will see this country
realize its full potential as a modern and flourishing member of the
international community. The success that so many Lebanese emigrants achieve in
countries like the United States is testament to the fact that such success is
possible here too.
The people of Lebanon are the country’s greatest strength, and we have seen them
act in remarkable unity to express legitimate concerns about their future. You
hold the power to turn these dreams for your country into reality, and the
United States stands with you in a pursuit of such a bright future. I am
confident you will find incoming U.S. Ambassador Dorothy Shea to be an
outstanding representative of the United States and a friend to Lebanon, leading
our Embassy team and working closely with all of you to nurture and build our
relationship. And I trust that you will welcome her with the same open arms
which you extended to me upon my arrival several years ago. With that, thank you
very, very much. I bid farewell to all of you. And I look forward to a very,
very bright future for Lebanon.
Thank you”.
*Presidency Press Office
Aoun briefed on arrangements to launch drilling of first
oil well in Lebanese territorial waters, tomorrow.
NNA/February 26/2020
"Tungsten Explorer” ship will start drilling the first oil well
in Lebanese territorial waters, during the next few hours, on Block No.4, on the
coast of Kesrouane-Jbeil. In preparation for this important national and
economical event, President Michel Aoun received Energy Minister, Raymond Ghajar,
Head of Lebanon's Petroleum Administration, Walid Nasr, and a delegation of
officials in Total company, which is undertaking the drilling process,
including: Middle East and Africa President, Stephen Michel, Vice President,
Elias Kassis, delegate, Emmanuel Nahas, General Manager of the company in
Lebanon, Daniel Alvarez, and General Manager of production in Lebanon, Ricardo
Darray.
The delegation briefed President Aoun on the arrangements done to start drilling
within the next few hours, and the measures taken to do so. They also thanked
the facilities provided by the Lebanese state for starting drilling, which will
last around two months. Mr. Michel affirmed that Total’s participation in this
important work underlines the depth of Lebanese-French relations.
President Aoun thanked the delegation for the contribution to achieving the
dream of the Lebanese people in extracting oil and gas from land and water,
pointing out that “This will positively affect the national economy, and limit
negative repercussions on it”.
Statement:
After the meeting, Minister Ghajar, Mr. Michel and Mr. Nasr spoke to the media.
Mr. Ghajar said: “We, along with Total Company, and the Petroleum sector’s
chairman, paid a protocol visit to His Excellency, the President of the
Republic, before starting to dig the first well in Block No. 4, which will be
taking place in the coming hours.
Then, Mr. Michel said:
“It gives me great pleasure to be in Lebanon. I came here about two years ago to
sign licenses for exploration. Today, we are witnessing the realization of all
efforts which we exerted from two years ago till today, with the arrival of the
drilling ship and the start of its work as scheduled during the coming days. I
take the opportunity to thank the Lebanese state and various departments
concerned and the ministries of energy, environment and finance, for all the
work done two years ago. And if there is an impression that the drilling process
is easy, it is not so at a depth ranging between 1500 and 2000 meters of sea
depth. This is very complicated, in addition to that we had to do in a country
where all the legal frameworks were prepared, in addition to the preparation of
multiple and complex licenses. We are proud to have helped Lebanon take this
path in an effective and expeditious manner, if I have to compare it with other
countries. We hope that things will go faster, but I bear witness that
everything that has happened has been done in a similar manner, transparent and
very effective. We will start digging and we will do our best to accomplish
everything in the best possible way. Meaning that it will be completed in a safe
way for people and the environment, because it is a complex process. We will
return after a while to you, after about two months or a little more, for the
results to show. But I will not add anything now because it remains that the
most important priority for us is to accomplish this work in the best way
possible for Lebanon, and Total. In the end, we will invest a lot of money,
believing in the results of what we are doing”.
Then, Mr. Nasr spoke: “The work carried out by the Ministry of Energy and the
Petroleum Sector Administration Authority in the past six or seven years, will
culminate tomorrow with the start of drilling in Block no.4, as a result of all
laws and decrees that have been taken and the logistical and administrative
preparations which have been completed. I take the opportunity to thank all
Ministries and departments which have followed up with us during the past year
in a very fast pace, in order to ensure that Total can reach the drilling ship,
tomorrow and start work. Also, all required environmental licenses were secured
in the required time. This is an integrated work accomplished by a very large
team from all ministries concerned in order to reach tomorrow’s date. The
authority will follow up the drilling process on a daily basis through the
presence of a working group on board the drilling ship, in addition to the
presence of members of the Lebanese Army, General Security and Customs on board
to secure all requirements for the drilling operations. A daily report on these
operations will be issued by the authority, and the public will be informed of
all developments which will take place. We hope that the result will be
positive, so we find oil or gas in preparation for the second stage by drilling
new wells and assessing the quantities which may be present. We may not find the
opportunity in the first well for a positive result, but we will continue and
learn from this well in order to dig new wells in the future in Block 4. Knowing
that the same preparations are taking place for Block No.9, which will be
drilled in year 2020 as well”.
Minister Ghajar was then asked whether the start of drilling operations in Block
9 will be at the end of summer, knowing that its location is somewhat sensitive.
Ghajar replied: “So far neither the date nor the location were determined with
respect to Block No.9, and in the coming period, Total will work with the
commission to determine the location of the well and the date, then drilling
begins. Because the ship which carries out drilling operations has a work
program distributed to several countries. To perform the operations of locating
the well and then reserving an appointment for it to come as it happened with us
now, we cannot contact the company and ask the ship to come tomorrow. From here,
according to the ship’s work program, it can come at the end of the summer, not
at the beginning”.
In response to a question about the possibility of obstacles surrounding
drilling operation in Block 4, Mr. Nasr replied: “We have made all necessary
preparations, and Total has accomplished everything necessary to carry out
drilling operations. Sometimes technical obstacles may occur during these
operations, but we hope it will not happen. She is one of the companies which
have much experience in the field of well drilling, and all preparations have
been completed. The staff knows exactly how he should complete his work. We all
hope that there will be no complications”.
Meeting at Presidential Palace in preparation for
Lebanese-Cypriot-Greek Tripartite Summit
NNA/Wednesday, 26 February, 2020
In preparation for the Lebanese-Cypriot-Greek Tripartite Summit which will be
held in Nicosia on the 3rd of March, 2020, a meeting was held today at Baabda
Palace, which included a number of general managers of concerned ministries, in
addition to representatives of the Lebanese Army and security forces. At the
beginning of the meeting, the Director General of the Lebanese Presidency, Dr.
Antoine Choucair, welcomed the attendees, focusing on the importance of
preparing for the summit that falls within the framework of strengthening
relations between the three countries in all fields, especially in the issues
that Lebanon sees interest in presenting at the summit, and the Greek and
Cypriot roles in providing possible economic and financial assistance. The
representatives of the ministries and security apparatuses attending, presented
the most prominent points which could be included in the agenda of the summit,
including joint economic interests and tourism linkage, and the possibility of
tripartite cooperation in various sectors, and in security and stability in
Eastern Mediterranean. In addition to ensuring Lebanon’s right in its
territorial waters and sovereignty within its international borders, dealing
with emergencies and fighting fires, also the possibility of signing the
international agreement for the establishment of a “Human Academy for Meeting
and Dialogue” in Lebanon.
STL Prosecutor Concludes a Working Visit to Lebanon
Naharnet/February 26/2020
The Prosecutor of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL), Norman Farrell,
concluded on Wednesday a working visit to Lebanon, during which he held meetings
with the Minister of Justice, State Prosecutor General and the Prosecutor’s
staff in the Beirut Office, STL said in a press release. During the visit,
Prosecutor Farrell, joined by his Deputy, met with their Lebanese counterpart
Prosecutor General Ghassan Oueidat. It was an opportunity to discuss legal
matters of common interest related to the mandate of the Office of the
Prosecutor. "This fruitful visit was another opportunity to continue
strengthening my direct interaction with my Lebanese counterpart and thank my
Deputy, my team in Beirut for their excellent work and dedication”, the
Prosecutor said.
Lebanese Demand Flight Ban from Virus Infected Countries
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 26/2020
Lebanese protesters on Wednesday rallied outside the health ministry premises
demanding a halt to flights from countries infected with the deadly coronavirus
that caused 28,000 deaths globally according to WHO. “Flights from countries
infected with the virus should have been suspended first hand on Friday when a
plane coming from Iran and another from Italy carried infected passengers,” one
protester told MTV station reporter. The protesters stressed that authorities
must suspend flights from any country where sharp rise in cases and geographical
spread of the virus are recorded. Last week, Lebanon recorded its first virus
infection in a 45-year-old woman who had traveled from Qom in Iran.The Cabinet
on Tuesday decided to restrict travel to countries witnessing major coronavirus
outbreaks and to order a halt to pilgrimage trips. Iran has emerged as another
hotspot, with 19 deaths out of nearly 139 reported infections, including the
deputy health minister. Italy has recorded 11 deaths and more than 300
coronavirus cases.The viral outbreak began in China and has infected more than
80,000 people globally. The World Health Organization has named the illness
COVID-19, referring to its origin late last year and the Coronavirus that causes
it.
Berri during Wednesday Gathering: People's bank deposits are sacred
NNA/February 26/2020
House Speaker Nabih Berri said during his weekly meeting with MPs on Wednesday
that the hopes of the Lebanese are pinned on oil resources, noting that these
hopes must be accompanied by all mechanisms capable of saving Lebanon, its
economy and its people from current crises.
On the Eurobonds' issue, Speaker Berri stressed that the decision in this regard
"must be national, not subject to outbidding or differences, out of keenness on
Lebanon and the Lebanese interests." He also said that people's bank deposits
are sacred. On the other hand, Berri received the Water and Energy Minister,
Raymond Ghajar, accompanied by a delegation from the French company Total, who
informed the Speaker about the date for the start of drilling of the first oil
well in the offshore block 4, expected in the coming few hours.
On emerging, Minister Ghajar said the visit came to announce the start of the
exploration phase of the first oil well in Block 4 in the Lebanese territorial
waters, with the arrival of the drillship in Lebanon yesterday.
Ghajar said the drilling works will last 60 days or less, to be followed by
results' analysis. Later, Berri met with the Minister of Finance, Ghazi Wazni,
and the Chairman of the Parliamentary Finance Committee, Ibarhim Kanaan, with
whom he discussed the general situation in the country, especially the monetary
and economic situation. On emerging, MP Kanaan described the meeting with the
Speaker as "useful and fruitful," saying they discussed financial dossiers and
the required legislations at the national level, namely those pertaining to the
fight against corruption, recovery of public looted money, lifting bank secrecy,
illicit enrichment law and other laws.
Diab meets S. Korean ambassador, AlShawabkeh, ISF chief
NNA//Wednesday, 26 February, 2020
Prime Minister Dr. Hassan Diab received on Wednesday at the Grand Serail, the
Ambassador of South Korea, Yong De Kuan, with talks reportedly touching on most
recent devlopments on the local and international arena, especially the
coronavirus issue.
On emerging, Ambassador Kuan said they discussed the bilateral relations between
the two countries, especially diplomatic ties. Discussions also covered means of
bolstering relations in the fields of education, culture, business, trade,
environment and agriculture, the Ambassador said.
Premier Diab then welcomed the Secretary-General of the Arab Parliamentary
Union, Fayez Al-Shawabkeh, in the presence of the PM's Advisor Khodor Talib. On
emerging, Al-Shawabkeh said he congratulated the Premier on the government's
gaining of the vote of confidence, expressing faith in the Lebanese people and
officials' capability to achieve the country's recovery. Diab also met with
Internal Security Forces chief, Imad Othman, accompanied by a delegation of the
ISF Directorate, with the country's security situation and tasks undertakeb by
the ISF featuring high on their talks.
Diab meets Tarraf, Army command, Total delegation
NNA/February 26/2020
Prime Minister, Dr. Hassan Diab, welcomed this evening at the Grand Serail
European Union Ambassador to Lebanon, Ralph Tarraf, at the top of a delegation.
Premier Diab also met with a delegation of the Army Command, led by Maj. Gen.
Joseph Aoun, who congratulated him on the government's gaining of the vote of
confidence. The delegation also dicussed with the Premier the current security
situation and the measures adopted by the army. Diab later met with a delegation
of the French company Total in the presence of Water and Energy Minister,
Raymond Ghajar, who briefed him on the preparations for the start of the
drilling operation in the first exploratory well in the offshore block 4,
tomorrow [Thursday].
Hitti holds cooperation talks with diplomats, interlocutors
NNA/February 26/2020
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants, Nassif Hitti, on Wednesday held talks
with UNHCR representative, Mireille Girard.
Hitti later held talks with Tunisian Ambassador to Lebanon, Karim Boudali, who
said in the wake of the meeting that discussions with his host featured high on
the horizons of cooperation in several fields.
The diplomat also disclosed having extended an invitation to the Minister of
Foreign Affairs to visit Tunisia. Minister Hitti separately met with head of the
national committee for women's affairs, Claudine Aoun Roukoz. The meeting
stressed the revitalization of women's participation in decision-making and the
consolidation of their role at all levels. Minister Hitti later received an
economic and banking delegation, which handed him a financial rescue plan of ten
articles.Moreover, Hitti welcomed a delegation from the Lebanese Diaspora
Council, chaired by Nasib Fawaz, who called on him to involve Lebanese
expatriates in Lebanese economic, financial, and medical affairs, in order to
help the country. The Minister also met with the Ambassadors of Argentina
Mauricio Alessio, of Mexico Jose Ignacio Madrazo, of Uruguay Ricardo Naro, of
Serbia Emir Alvic, and the Chargé d'affaires of the Iraqi Embassy in Lebanon,
Amin Al-Nasrawi.
IMF Urges Lebanon to Regain World’s Confidence
Beirut - Mohamed Choucair/Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 26 February, 2020
A Lebanese official, who attended the meetings of the International Monetary
Fund delegation in Beirut, said that the IMF experts have not advised the
government on the payment of Eurobonds maturing in March, asserting that it was
up to the Lebanese authorities to decide what action to take. The official, who
spoke to Asharq Al-Awsat on condition of anonymity, stressed that the IMF
delegation had a “technical advice-giving” mission. “The Lebanese government
raised a series of questions on the economic and financial situation, which is
heading towards a further collapse, and received from the experts clear,
unambiguous answers,” he said. The official quoted the IMF experts as saying
that the major challenge was Lebanon’s ability to restore the international
community’s confidence, which was shaken following Beirut’s failure to commit to
the pledges made at the CEDRE Conference held in Paris in 2018.
He denied, however, claims that the IMF mission had recommended in its meetings
an economic and financial plan that could salvage Lebanon if the government
implemented it swiftly. Lebanese officials are aware of the country’s problems
and have promised to undertake administrative and financial reforms, but their
pledges have remained ink on paper, according to the official. The delegation
was keen to evoke a series of crises that a number of countries were able to
overcome, and the mistakes to be avoided in due process. The IMF mission
emphasized that Lebanon should prove its commitments this time with immediate
actions, starting with the electricity sector. This must be based on securing
permanent solutions to stop the depletion of state resources, the official
quoted the experts as saying.
Lebanese FM to Meet Le Drian in Paris as Economic Crisis
Continues
Beirut - Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 26 February, 2020
Lebanese Foreign Minister Nassif Hitti is expected to travel to Paris this week
for talks with his French counterpart.
Lebanese official sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that the meeting with Jean-Yves
Le Drian will take place on Friday. Discussions will focus on Lebanon’s severe
economic and financial crisis. France will be clear in underscoring its
commitment to the pledges made during the 2018 CEDRE conference that was hosted
by Paris. Lebanon has yet to fulfill the economic and financial reform pledges
it made at the conference. Paris’ assistance to Beirut in ending its crisis
hinges on its implementing the much-needed reform. Foreign governments and donor
institutions pledged $11 billion in financing to Lebanon for a 12-year
infrastructure investment program at CEDRE, on condition that it carries out
reforms. Given the massive challenges the Lebanese government is facing and
fearing its inability to cope with them, France tasked Finance Minister Bruno Le
Maire with discussing its crisis with his counterparts during the G20 meetings
in Riyadh last week. He met with US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and several
Arab officials. They discussed setting up a Paris-based investment fund for
Lebanon if the government implements the necessary reform. A Lebanese diplomatic
sources urged through Asharq Al-Awsat Prime Minister Hassan Diab to speed up
reform measures, starting with the electricity sector and combating corruption.
“France always stands ready to help Lebanon. It has always been the case in the
past and it will be the case in the future...” Le Maire said Sunday at the end
of a meeting of finance officials from the Group of 20 (G20) major economies.
“If there is any help required from Lebanon, France will be there.”Lebanon’s
long-brewing economic crisis spiraled last year as the country’s capital inflows
slowed and protests erupted against the ruling elite. A foreign currency
liquidity crunch has forced banks to impose tight restrictions on access to hard
currency and transfers abroad and the Lebanese pound has slumped. As the crisis
deepens, hitting ordinary Lebanese hard, there is no sign of foreign aid.
Western and Gulf Arab states that helped in the past have made clear that any
support hinges on Beirut implementing long-delayed reforms to address root
causes such as state corruption and bad governance. Mnuchin told Reuters in an
interview that Washington was keeping a close eye on the situation. “It’s
something we’re monitoring – both the political and economic issues there,” he
said. “Our interest is in the people of Lebanon. We want there to be safe
environment where they can succeed economically and live as they want to.”An
International Monetary Fund (IMF) team has discussed all possible options in
recent meetings with Lebanese officials, who are seeking technical advice for
tackling the crisis as Beirut mulls a plan for dealing with fast-approaching
debt payments.
Search for offshore oil and gas to begin on Thursday:
Lebanon’s Aoun
Reuters, Beirut/Wednesday, 26 February 2020
Lebanon’s search for offshore oil and gas will begin on Thursday, President
Michel Aoun announced in a televised address to the nation on Wednesday night,
as the country grapples with an unprecedented financial crisis. “We are going
through the harshest economic and financial crisis of Lebanon’s modern history,”
Aoun said in his televised speech. Aoun hailed the country’s first exploration
as a “historic” step that would “represent a cornerstone to rise from the abyss”
and transform the economy.“Our will is to...revive (confidence) and restore the
cycle of life to normal,” he said. The chairman of the Lebanese Petroleum
Administration (LPA) said earlier on Wednesday, that the results from the first
exploratory well are expected in the next two months. “We’ll get results in the
next two months. If they are positive, we’ll move to the second phase of
appraisal,” LPA Chairman Walid Nasr said during a press conference earlier at
the presidential palace with a delegation from Total. Raymond Ghajar, the energy
and water minister, said good results will be positive for Lebanon’s ratings but
noted it could be years before any find can be extracted. “There are too many
ifs. First, we need to drill, then find (oil or gas), then see the amount, then
see what we can extract after two, three or four years,” he said. Lebanon is on
the Levant Basin in the eastern Mediterranean, where a number of big sub-sea gas
fields have been discovered since 2009, including near the disputed marine
border with Israel. A consortium of France’s Total, Italy’s Eni and Russia’s
Novatek signed an agreement with Lebanon in 2018 to explore for oil and gas in
two offshore blocks. An energy discovery would be a major boost for the battered
Lebanese economy but it could take several years for revenues to reach the
treasury. The much-delayed search will start with the first well to be drilled
in Block 4 and preparation is underway to drill wells in Block 9 later this
year.
Second coronavirus case in Lebanon: Health ministry
AFP, Beirut/Wednesday, 26 February 2020
Lebanon’s health ministry said Wednesday a second case of coronavirus was
confirmed in a woman who entered the country on the same flight from Tehran that
carried the first case. “A second laboratory-confirmed case of the novel
coronavirus COVID-19 was recorded,” it said. The ministry said the patient was a
woman who had been visiting religious sites in Iran and returned to Lebanon on
February 20. The authorities had said when announcing the first case last week
that two other suspected cases were being investigated. The woman infected with
the second case was hospitalized on Monday, the ministry said, adding that her
condition was stable. A week after Tehran announced its first two deaths from
the virus, the death toll in Iran has climbed to 19 and the country is
scrambling to contain what is the deadliest outbreak outside China. The
worldwide death toll is now at more than 2,700, while the number of infections
has topped 80,000, although the number of new cases in China, where the virus
was first reported late last year, is falling.
Parliament’s Joint Committee agrees to legalize medicinal
marijuana
Perla Kantarjian/Annahar/February 26/2020
Over the years, the illicit cannabis production and trade industry in Lebanon
has mostly been in the hands of Bekaa Valley farmers, near the Syrian border.
BEIRUT: The legality of the medicinal cannabis industry in Lebanon has been
under discussion for years, and based on a recent update on the matter, may very
soon materialize. According to various sources, the Lebanese Parliament’s joint
committee has agreed to legalize the local medicinal cannabis industry on
Wednesday 26, February. The draft law will be transferred to the Lebanese
National Assembly for approval, as affirmed by Deputy Parliament Speaker Elie
Ferzli. As told to Annahar by Dr. Fadi Alame, member of the subcommittee,
“Cannabis Committee for Medicinal Leaves”, dedicated to the orchestration of
this law; this topic has “been in the works for about eight months.”“We will
hopefully start the essential discussions in the coming few weeks, since the
actualization of this law will have a very good economic impact, which Lebanon
is currently in dire need of,” Alame added.
Over the years, the illicit cannabis production and trade industry in Lebanon
has mostly been in the hands of Bekaa Valley farmers, near the Syrian border.
Cannabis is one of the world’s ancient crops and is being increasingly utilized
for its wide-ranging medicinal products and advantages.
Additionally, according to a new report by Grand View Research, the global legal
marijuana market size is expected to reach USD 73.6 billion by 2027. Lebanon,
suffering from the repercussions of a struggling economy, is one of the world’s
top five cannabis resin (known as hashish or hash) producers, and now could be
legitimately patting itself on the back for that.
US sanctions Lebanese entities that funnel funds to
Hezbollah militants' families
Joyce Karam/The National/February 26/2020
Assistant Secretary of State David Schenker said US sanctions aim to cut
Hezbollah's tentacles in the Lebanese economy
The US Treasury Department ramped up pressure on the Iranian-backed militant
group Hezbollah on Wednesday, sanctioning 15 Lebanese entities and individuals
linked to the group’s Martyrs Foundation.
The sanctions were announced simultaneously by the Treasury and the State
Department, targeting twelve Lebanon-based entities affiliated with the
Iran-based Martyrs Foundation, which is accused of funnelling money to the
families of the group's suicide bombers.
They are:
Atlas Holding
Medical Equipment and Drugs International Corporation (MEDIC)
Shahed Pharm
Amana Fuel Co.
Amana Plus
Al Kawthar
Amana Sanitary and Paints Company LTD,
City Pharma SARL.
Global Touristic Services SAL.
Sanovera Pharm Company SARL
Mirath
Capital SAL
Most of the entities are seen as arms of Atlas Holding which “controls at least
ten companies in numerous sectors in Lebanon, including fuel, pharmaceuticals,
tourism, and clothing,” the Treasury said.
The US also blacklisted three Lebanese individuals affiliated with these
companies that it said support the Martyrs Foundation. They are:
Kassem Mohamad Ali Bazzi, identified as a leader or official of Atlas Holding;
Jawad Nur Al Din, identified as a leader or official of the Martyrs Foundation
Sheikh Yusuf Aasi, identified as a leader or official of the Martyrs Foundation
In the statement, US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said “Hezbollah profits
from the sale of goods vital to the Lebanese peoples’ health and economy, such
as pharmaceuticals and gasoline.”
He added that the Trump administration stands with the Lebanese people, and is
“committed to exposing and holding accountable” Hezbollah’s funding scheme.
According to the US Treasury, Atlas Holding “banked freely at [the now
liquidated] Jammal Trust Bank (JTB), despite their open affiliation with
previously designated Hezbollah entities”.
It said the bank facilitated hundreds of millions of dollars in transactions
through the Lebanese financial system on behalf of Atlas Holding and its
subsidiaries, and aided Hezbollah officials in evading scrutiny on these
accounts from Lebanese banking authorities.
Sources familiar with the decision said the new sanctions bundle was expected
after targeting JTB last August, but was delayed due to the anti-government
protests in Lebanon.
Speaking to The National, Assistant Secretary of State David Schenker defined
the goal of these sanctions as cutting Hezbollah’s tentacles in the Lebanese
economy and ultimately shutting down these entities.
“You are going to see developments on the ground especially that little less
than two per cent of Lebanese gas stations [which are those targeted] should
disappear,” Mr Schenker said in a phone call on Wednesday. He explained that
these sanctions will freeze the accounts of the entities and cripple their
ability to make transactions.
The US government, he added, will work with the “Lebanese Central Bank who is
responsive” to reach this end goal. The Jamal Trust Bank, which was designated
by the US last August, shut down in September.
Mr Schenker said the timing of the designations is related to a process of
collecting evidence, intelligence information on forensics, and financial
information that “would withstand scrutiny within the US government.”
But with Lebanon forming a government that is closer to Hezbollah than any
previous cabinet since 2005, Mr Schenker set the same expectations for its
members. “The expectations are that the government of Lebanon will cooperate… we
are withholding judgement on their performance, despite their budget having a
tenuous relation with reality.”
The senior US official did not rule out more anti-corruption sanctions targeting
a broad set of political figures in Lebanon under the Global Magnitsky Act. “It
is something important for us and something we are working through right now,”
he said.
Asked about the negative impact of these sanctions on Lebanon’s dwindling
economy, Mr Schenker pushed back, arguing that expunging Hezbollah from the
Lebanese economy would increase confidence in those sectors.
Hanin Ghaddar, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy,
where she studies Hezbollah, saw significance in targeting the pharmaceutical
sector. “Iran has been flooding Lebanon with Iranian medicine, which is thriving
due to the shortage of approved medicine in the midst of the economic crisis,”
Ms Ghaddar told The National. “Iranian products are thriving, they’re cheap and
available.”
On targeting gas stations, she referenced gas smuggling through Syria.
“Smuggling operations via Syrian routes have been bringing Hezbollah loads of
money and thus putting more emphasis on these outlets.”
US targets individuals, entities linked to Lebanon's
Hezbollah
Reuters/Wednesday 26/02/2020
The Treasury Department blacklisted Atlas Holding for being owned or controlled
by the Martyrs Foundation, which it said funnels financial support to militant
groups, including Hezbollah.
WASHINGTON -The United States on Wednesday added a host of Lebanese individuals
and entities it said were linked to the Martyrs Foundation to its designated
"global terrorists" lists, according to a notice on the US Treasury Department's
website.
US officials have previously targeted the Lebanon-based Martyrs Foundation, an
organisation the department has said channels financial support to several
militant groups, including Hezbollah.
The US Treasury Department said in a statement that its Office of Foreign Assets
Control (OFAC) had blacklisted Atlas Holding for being owned or controlled by
the Martyrs Foundation, as well as senior Atlas official Kassem Mohamad Ali
Bazzi, and 10 Atlas-affiliated companies.
Jawad Nur-al-Din and Sheikh Yusuf Aasi were also designated for being leaders or
officials of the Martyrs Foundation, which was designated for supporting
terrorism in July 2007. Mirath S.A.L., which is owned or controlled by Jawad Nur-al-Din,
was also designated.
As a result, all property of those targeted that fall under US jurisdiction must
be blocked and reported to OFAC, whose rules generally bar all US persons from
dealing with them. Further, those blacklisted are subject to secondary sanctions
under which OFAC can penalise foreign financial institutions which deal with
them.
Moucharafieh talks general situation with ambassadors of
Australia, Norway, Germany
NNA/February 26/2020
Social Affairs Minister, Professor Ramzi Moucharafieh, on Wednesday welcomed
respectively in his office at the Ministry Norwegian Ambassador to Lebanon, Leni
Stenseth, Australian Ambassador to Lebanon, Rebecca Grindley, and German
Ambassador to Lebanon, Jorg Berglin. Discussions reportedly touched on the
general situation and means of cooperation between their respective countries
and the Ministry at the level of modernizing a social safety net, in addition to
the humanitarian dossier and affairs related to the displaced in light of the
difficult circumstances that Lebanon is passing through.
Hassan, Hoballah discuss activating cooperation in pharmaceutical industry, food
safety
NNA/February 26/2020
A work meeting was held on Wednesday at the Public Health Ministry between
Minister of Public Health, Dr. Hamad Hassan, and Minister of Industry Dr. Imad
Hoballah, to discuss activating cooperation between both ministries in the
fields of pharmaceutical industry and food safety.Both Ministers agreed to hold
subsequent periodic meetings to outline the details on cooperation mechanism.
Akar holds diplomatic talks with Ambassadors of Turkey,
Spain, Belgium
NNA/February 26/2020
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, Zeina Akar, on Wednesday held
talks with Turkish Ambassador to Lebanon, Hakan Cakil, over the means to boost
cooperation between both sides. The Minister later held bilateral talks with
Spanish Ambassador to Lebanon, Jose Maria Ferre de la Pena. In the wake of the
meeting, the Spanish diplomat confirmed the continued support of his country to
Lebanon.The Minister finally received Belgian Ambassador to Lebanon, Hubert
Cooreman.
Kidnapped Mohammad Ramadan set free
NNA/February 26/2020
Young man, Mohammad Ramadan, who was kidnapped last Friday in Beirut's southern
suburbs and transferred by his captors to Syrian territories, has been released,
NNA reporter said on Wednesday. Ramadan arrived at 4:30 p.m. at the Jaafarite
Dar al-Fatwa in Bir Hassan, where he was received by Sheikh Ahmad Qabalan,
General Security General Director, Abbas Ibrahim, and other religious figures
and dignitaries. Ramadan was released upon the dauntless endeavors of Major
General Ibrahim and the Jaafarite Dar Al-Fatwa, in cooperation with the
competent Syrian authorities.
نص مشروع القانون الذي قدمه عضوي مجلس الشيوخ
الأميركي تد كروز وجين شاهين لفرض عقوبات شديدة على كل مسؤول لبناني له دور في
عملية الإعتقال الإعتباطية واللاقوانونية في لبنان للمواطن اللبناني الأميركي عامر
فاخوري
Sens. Cruz, Shaheen Announce Biting Sanctions Against Lebanese Officials
Complicit in the Unlawful Detention and Abuse of U.S. Citizens
February 24, 2020 | 202-228-7561
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/83534/%d9%86%d8%b5-%d9%85%d8%b4%d8%b1%d9%88%d8%b9-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%82%d8%a7%d9%86%d9%88%d9%86-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b0%d9%8a-%d9%82%d8%af%d9%85%d9%87-%d8%b9%d8%b6%d9%88%d9%8a-%d9%85%d8%ac%d9%84%d8%b3-%d8%a7%d9%84/
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Jeanne
Shaheen (D-N.H.), members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today
introduced new legislation that would impose sanctions against Lebanese
officials who are involved in the unlawful detainment, arrest or abuse of any
United States citizen in Lebanon. The senators' legislation - the Zero Tolerance
for Unlawful Detentions of U.S. Citizens in Lebanon Act (Zero Tolerance Act) -
comes in response to Lebanese officials' refusal to free United States citizen
and Dover, New Hampshire resident Amer Fakhoury, who has been illegally detained
in Beirut since September 2019 and is suffering from stage 4 cancer.
Amer Fakhoury, a well-known and well-liked small business owner from Dover, New
Hampshire, was visiting Lebanon in September 2019 when his U.S. passport was
confiscated. Soon after, he was taken into custody and tortured by Lebanese
security officials and has since been illegally detained in Beirut. While in
prison, it was discovered that he was suffering from stage 4 cancer-his symptoms
exacerbated by the beating he received at the hands of Lebanese security
officials looking to extract a false confession related to his time working
against Hezbollah as a young, South Lebanon Army officer in Lebanon. Earlier
this year, the Lebanese military court charged Amer with unsubstantiated crimes
that carry a punishment of death without producing any material evidence to back
these allegations. Amer's case has unfortunately been exploited by the terrorist
organization Hezbollah in order to exacerbate ethnic and political tensions in
Lebanon during this critical time in the country's history.
"Protecting American citizens both at home and abroad is the most fundamental
responsibility of our government, and there is nothing I take more seriously,"
Sen. Cruz said. "The taking of American hostages is completely unacceptable, and
I'm committed to doing all that is necessary to ensure that this vital
bipartisan legislation is signed into law."
"The U.S. Government has provided ample opportunity for Lebanese officials to
free Amer Fakhoury. However, Amer is fighting for his life and time is running
out. Lebanon's officials know that their behavior - which is motivated by
Hezbollah's desire to sow discord in Lebanon - are illegal even under their own
laws. There must be consequences for this flagrant disregard of international
norms and human rights. Anytime a U.S citizen is wrongfully arrested, detained
or abused by a foreign government, we must use every tool at our disposal to
bring that person home and ensure they are not used as pawns in political games.
That's why today I'm introducing bipartisan legislation with Senator Cruz to
impose visa bans and asset freezes against those culpable in Amer's illegal
imprisonment," Sen. Shaheen said. "It's past time for Amer Fakhoury to be
released, reunited with this family and brought home to the United States to
receive the medical treatment he desperately needs."
"Amer Fakhoury is a husband, father, small business owner and beloved member of
his community. He is an American citizen being held hostage on outrageous,
fictitious charges. His health is deteriorating and time is of the essence to
bring him home. We appreciate Senator Shaheen and Cruz's advocacy and are
encouraged by this latest effort to hold Lebanese officials accountable and push
them to release Amer so he can be with his wife and daughters as he fights for
his health. Understanding the urgency of the situation, we hope this bill moves
quickly through Congress before it's too late," the Fakhoury family said.
Specifically, the Zero Tolerance Act would authorize visa bans and/or asset
freezes on any current or former officials of the Lebanese government or
Lebanese judiciary system who are involved in or facilitated the wrongful,
unlawful or inhumane arrest, detention or abuse of a U.S citizen in Lebanon. The
sanctions could also be extended to family members and associates of these
individuals.
The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News
published on February 26-27/2020
Pope Francis trip to Iraq called off amid
unrest in the country
Reuters, Vatican City/Wednesday, 26 February 2020
Pope Francis indicated on Wednesday he would not be visiting Iraq this year as
he had hoped to do. His improvised comments to a group of visiting Iraqis during
his general audience in St. Peter’s Square were his clearest yet that the
potentially dangerous trip had been indefinitely postponed. “To you citizens of
Iraq, I say I am very close to you. You are (in) a battleground. You suffer war,
from one side and the other,” he said. “I pray for you and I pray for your
country, where a visit by me had been programmed for this year.”The pope first
said in June that he wanted to visit Iraq, birthplace of the Biblical patriarch
Abraham, who is revered by Christians, Muslims and Jewish people, in 2020. But
security concerns meant that the trip was never announced by the Vatican and
preparations never reached a formal stage. Iraq’s small Christian population of
several hundred thousand suffered particular hardships when ISIS controlled
large parts of the country. Last month, Francis met Iraqi President Barham Salih
and the two agreed that the country's national sovereignty must be respected,
following attacks on its territory by the United States and Iran.
U.S. sanctions 13 foreign entities for supporting Iran missile program
Reuters/February 26/2020
The United States announced on Tuesday it was imposing sanctions on 13 foreign
entities and individuals in China, Iraq, Russia, and Turkey for supporting
Iran’s missile program. The State Department said the action included new
sanctions against five firms or individuals in China and Turkey. It named a
Chinese individual sanctioned as Luo Dingwen and three Chinese entities as
Baoding Shimaotong Enterprises Services Co. Ltd., Gaobeidian Kaituo Precise
Instrument Co. Ltd., and Wuhan Sanjiang Import and Export Co. Ltd. It named the
Turkish firm as Eren Carbon Graphite Industrial Trading Co. Ltd. (Reporting by
David Brunnstrom and Makini Brice, Editing by Franklin Paul)
RSF Says Iran 'Seems to be Concealing' Coronavirus
Information
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 26/2020
Iran "seems to be concealing" information on the coronavirus, which has
officially killed 19 people in the country, media rights watchdog Reporters
Without Borders said on Wednesday, accusing it of blocking independent reporting
of the outbreak. The Islamic republic "seems to be concealing information about
the epidemic in line with China's example", the NGO known by its French acronym
RSF said in a statement. "The authorities insist they have the situation under
control but they have refused to publish exact figures for deaths and infections
and have obstructed journalists trying to cover the story," it said.
RSF said freelance journalist Mohammad Mosaed was interrogated by Revolutionary
Guard intelligence officials on February 23 over messages he had posted on
social media concerning the epidemic. He was released after questioning, but his
phone and computer were seized and his Telegram messenger and Twitter accounts
closed. According to Iranian cyberpolice, 24 people have been arrested and
charged with spreading fake news about the epidemic. "RSF condemns Iran's
persecution of media outlets and journalists publishing independent
information," said the NGO's statement.
President Hassan Rouhani, meanwhile, accused Iran's arch foe the United States
of trying to use propaganda about the virus to instill "fear" against the
country. The Americans "themselves are struggling with coronavirus", Rouhani
said in a weekly cabinet meeting, a day after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
accused Iran of concealing the full extent of the outbreak. The country's deputy
health minister Iraj Harirchi has said he has contracted the virus. RSF accused
Tehran of "concealing information about several crises and catastrophes" over
the past year, including flooding, mass protests and now the COVID-19 epidemic,
warning that: "Withholding information can kill."
Iran imposes local travel restrictions on confirmed,
suspected coronavirus cases
AFP, Tehran/Wednesday, 26 February 2020
Iranian authorities on Wednesday announced domestic travel restrictions for
people with confirmed or suspected cases of the novel coronavirus. “Instead of
quarantining cities, we are going to implement movement restrictions for those
suspected of infection or those infected,” Health Minister Saeed Namaki said at
a news conference. “I ask people not to travel,” the minister said. He said
teams would be located at the entrance of cities “that see a lot of movement,”
without naming them, adding that such controls had already started. Read:
Coronavirus cases in Iran could be as high as 1,500: Experts
The teams will take people's temperature and “stop those who are infected or
suspected of infection,” he said. All those suspected of being infected with
COVID-19 would be quarantined for 14 days. Namaki also announced curbs on access
to several Shia holy sites, including Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad and the Fatima
Masumeh shrine in Qom. Iran last week announced its first two deaths from the
coronavirus in Qom, a center for Islamic studies and pilgrims from abroad.
According to official figures, the virus has since killed 19 people in Iran and
another 140 people have been infected.
Rapid increase of coronavirus in Iran raises fears of spread across the Mideast.
Visitors to the shrines will be allowed to visit on condition they are provided
“with hand-washing liquids, proper (health) information, masks,” the minister
said. Read: Iran cleric urges people to visit Qom religious site despite
coronavirus fears They must “not gather together in groups but just pray and
leave,” he said. In the affected areas, school closures will be extended for
three days, he added, and universities for another week starting from Saturday.
About 50 dead from coronavirus in Qom, Health Minister to blame: Iran MP on ILNA
Also in these regions, weekly Friday prayers will be suspended, Namaki said.
“All of these decisions are temporary and if the situation changes, we might
intensify or ease them,” Namaki added.
Iran cleric urges people to visit Qom religious site
despite coronavirus fears
Yaghoub Fazeli, Al Arabiya English/Wednesday, 26 February 2020
The representative of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in the city of Qom
called on Iranians to visit the city’s main religious site, calling it a “place
of healing,” despite the coronavirus outbreak in the city. “We consider this
holy shrine to be a place of healing. That means people should come here to heal
from spiritual and physical diseases,” said cleric Mohammad Saeedi. Saeedi is
the head of the Fatima Masumeh shrine, Qom’s main Shia holy site. He opposed
closing down the shrine due to the coronavirus outbreak in the city. “This place
should remain open, and the people should strongly attend,” Saeedi said. “Of
course, we also exercise caution and comply with health and safety
procedures."Nineteen people have died and 139 people have been infected by
coronavirus in Iran, Health Ministry Spokesman Kianush Jahanpur said on
Wednesday in an announcement on state TV. Qom’s representative in the Iranian
parliament, however, had said on Monday that 50 people had died of coronavirus
in his city alone. Iran has the highest number of deaths from coronavirus
outside China, where the virus emerged in the city of Wuhan in late 2019.
Coronavirus panic adds insult to already injured Iranian
currency
Tuqa Khalid, Al Arabiya English/Wednesday, 26 February 2020
The rapid spread of the coronavirus in Iran, which has now more confirmed cases
than anywhere else in the Middle East, is causing panic in the country and the
hurting the already tumbling rial. The Iranian rial has weakened approximately
10% on the black market within a week since Tehran announced its first case of
coronavirus on February 19, according to Bombast.com, which tracks the free
market. The dollar was being offered at as much as 158,500 rials on Wednesday,
well below its official rate of 42,000 rials. That has extended its fall since
thousands of Iranians took to the streets in November to demonstrate against a
hike in gasoline prices in a protest turned political against government
corruption. The rial has since plummeted by almost 30%. Iran’s coronavirus death
toll rose on Wednesday to 19, the highest outside China, pushing several
countries to suspend flights and most of its neighbors to close their borders,
especially after several neighboring countries started registering coronavirus
cases relating to travel from Iran. Countries that have suspended travel to/from
Iran due to coronavirus In Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Lebanon, Iraq, and the UAE
coronavirus cases have been reported in travelers returning from Iran. Rapid
increase of coronavirus in Iran raises fears of spread across the Mideast. The
border closures and flight cancellations seem certain to deepen Iran’s economic
isolation, as Tehran has relied heavily on trade ties with its neighbors to
partly offset the crippling impact of Washington’s “maximum pressure” campaign
which re-imposed sanctions in 2018 after it exited the 2015 nuclear deal.- With
wires
Egypt Holds Full-Honors Military Funeral for Mubarak
Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 26 February, 2020
Egypt held on Wednesday a full-honors military funeral for former President
Hosni Mubarajk, who passed away on Tuesday at the age of 91.President Abdul
Fattah al-Sisi attended the service, which was to be followed later in the day
by burial at the cemetery in Heliopolis, an upscale Cairo district that was
Mubarak's home for most of his rule and where he lived until his death. A few
dozen Mubarak supporters, clad in black and carrying posters of the former
president, had gathered since morning hours at a mosque complex in an eastern
New Cairo neighborhood, where Mubarak's body was brought for the funeral
service. The Republican Guard carried Mubarak’s casket wrapped in the Egyptian
flag. Mubarak died on Tuesday at a Cairo military hospital from heart and kidney
complications, according to medical documents obtained by The Associated Press.
He was admitted to hospital on Jan. 21 with intestinal obstruction and underwent
surgery, after which he was treated in intensive care. On Tuesday, Sisi extended
condolences to the former president's family, including his widow Suzanne and
two sons, wealthy businessman Alaa and Mubarak's one-time heir apparent Gamal.
Egypt’s presidency and armed forces mourned the former air force officer as a
hero for his role in the 1973 Arab-Israeli war. The presidency declared three
days of national mourning. “Through his military and political career, Mubarak
made undeniable achievements and sacrifices,” the state-run al-Aharm newspaper
eulogized Mubarak in its editorial Wednesday. Mubarak ruled Egypt for 30 years
until he resigned following mass protests in 2011. In power, Mubarak promoted
Middle East peace and, from 2004, backed economic liberalization measures that
delivered sturdy growth.
US has not supported Turkey in Syria’s Idlib says Erdogan:
Report
Reuters, Ankara/Wednesday, 26 February 2020
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the US had not yet provided support
to Turkey in Syria’s Idlib region and that he would need to speak to US
President Donald Trump about the issue again, broadcaster CNN Turk reported on
Wednesday. Speaking to reporters on his return flight from Azerbaijan, Erdogan
said that he was told Washington did not have any Patriot defense systems to
give Turkey for now. Erdogan said his proposed summit with the leaders of
Germany, Russia and France next week was “uncertain,” but that he would likely
meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Istanbul on March 5 to discuss Idlib.
Turkey will push Syrian regime forces beyond observation
points: Erdogan
Leen Alfaisal, Al Arabiya English/Wednesday, 26 February 2020
Turkey will push Syrian regime forces beyond Ankara’s observation points,
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday, less than a day after
the Russian-backed regime recaptured Kafr nabl – a renowned opposition town in
Idlib. In a speech to AK Party lawmakers, Erdogan said he hoped the issue of
using air space in northwest Syria’s Idlib will be resolved soon. Russia
controls the air space and has been bombing Turkey-backed opposition factions on
a daily basis in support of an offensive by the Syrian government forces. The
Idlib region is home to around three million people, half of whom were evacuated
by regime forces from other parts of the country after the forces besieged
cities controlled by the opposition and bombarded them with airstrikes.The
Syrian war, which started with the regime’s deadly oppression of anti-government
protests, has killed more than 380,000 people and displaced more than half the
country’s population.
Syrian regime targets Turkish convoy with missiles, burns
vehicle: Monitor
Leen Alfaisal, Al Arabiya English/Wednesday, 26 February 2020
Syrian regime forces targeted a Turkish convoy with missiles on Wednesday in
Idlib, burning at least one Turkish vehicle, a UK-based war monitor reported.
The regime-controlled Syrian Central Military Media confirmed the attack on
Telegram, saying eight Turkish soldiers were injured as a result. Turkey backs
opposition factions north of Syria, while Russia backs the Syrian regime led by
Bashar al-Assad. Turkey has been sending military convoys into Syria and setting
up observation posts to back the Syrian opposition factions in their fight for
their last stronghold in the war-torn country. The Russian-backed regime has
been bombing the Turkish-backed opposition factions on a daily basis in support
of an offensive by the Syrian government forces. The Idlib region is home to
around three million people, half of whom were evacuated by regime forces from
other parts of the country after the forces besieged cities controlled by the
opposition and bombarded them with airstrikes. The Syrian war, which started
with the regime’s deadly oppression of anti-government protests, has killed more
than 380,000 people and displaced more than half the country’s population.
Russia Accuses Turkey of Bringing in Mercenaries into Libya
Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 26 February, 2020
Russia accused on Wednesday Turkey of bringing in foreign fighters into the
North African country. Interfax cited Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail
Bogdanov as making the allegation. Libyan Foreign Minister in the East Abdulhadi
Lahweej made similar charges, saying the Tripoli-based Government of National
Accord (GNA) was using revenues from oil to pay for thousands of mercenaries
coming from Syria to help it. The Libyan National Army (LNA) launched in April
an offensive against Tripoli to rid it of criminal and terrorist militias loyal
to the GNA. Turkey and the GNA signed last year a military cooperation deal and
Ankara has since sent troops and allied Syrian fighters there. On the oil
blockade in Libya, Lahweej said his government, parallel to the GNA, could not
force pro-LNA tribesmen to lift the embargo that he said was a "popular
decision". "We cannot use our power to lift the blockade," he told journalists
in Geneva. He also reiterated that his side, led by LNA commander Khalifa Haftar,
would not participate in political talks due to begin in Geneva on Wednesday,
saying there was no agreement with the UN mission on the composition of their
delegation. "The participation for the moment is suspended," he said. The United
Nations had planned to bring together lawmakers from both sides of Libya's
conflict on Wednesday to end the fighting over Tripoli as part of a dialogue
encompassing military, political and economic strands. Moreover, Lahweej took
aim several times at GNA Fayez al-Sarraj, who earlier this week called Haftar a
"war criminal" at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. "The war criminal is
the one who accepts mercenaries to kill people and accepts pilots who kill
civilians," Lahweej said. On Sunday, the LNA said it had killed 16 Turkish
soldiers in recent weeks, accusing Ankara of continuing to provide military
support to militias loyal to the GNA.
Iraq PM-Designate Reveals ‘Plot’ to Thwart Confidence Vote
2 Days before Session
Baghdad - Hamza Mustafa/Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 26 February, 2020
Two days before a parliament vote of confidence on the new government, Iraqi
Prime Minister-designate Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi revealed a “plot” aimed at
preventing the cabinet from being approved.
While political bloc have still not reached a final decision on voting for the
cabinet, Allawi wrote on his official Facebook page that he uncovered a plot
against the confidence vote “because passing the government would mean an end to
thefts.”“Ministries will be managed by independent and impartial ministers,” he
added. He said the plot calls for paying hefty sums to lawmakers so that they
would not reveal their vote. The PM-designate hoped that this information was
not true. Separately, leader of the Sadrist movement, cleric Moqtada al-Sadr
announced the cancellation of a million-strong demonstration for Thursday that
sought to surround the Green Zone in case parliament does not grant the
government confidence. The heavily fortified Green Zone in Baghdad houses
government buildings and foreign missions. In a tweet on Tuesday, Sadr said he
called off the protests due to fears over the outbreak of the novel coronavirus.
“I had called for million man protests and sit-ins against sectarian
power-sharing and today I forbid you from them for your health and life, for
they are more important to me than anything else,” he said. None of the major
political forces and blocs have yet announced their support for Allawi’s
appointment, except for Sadr, said an informed source from the presidency. It
added that many parties have accused President Barham Salih of nominating Allawi.
The source rejected the claim, stressing that the decision was taken after it
was approved by the majority of Shiite political parties and blocs, except for
the State of Law Coalition, headed by former PM Nuri al-Maliki. “Sunni and
Kurdish leaders and a memorandum signed by 56 deputies from different
parliamentary blocs agreed to this nomination,” the source affirmed.
Accordingly, he added, Salih appointed Allawi in line with the constitution.
“The president is bound by the constitution to assign a candidate put forward by
parliamentary forces,” he explained, noting that written documents and videos
are available refute the claim that Allawi is the president's candidate.
Wearing Masks, Iraqis Protest against the Parliament
Baghdad – Fadhel al-Nashmi/Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 26 February, 2020
Thousands of people have protested in Baghdad and governorates in central and
southern Iraq, defying heavy rains and a serious health threat arising from the
novel coronavirus, after five cases had been reported in the country. The Health
Ministry pleaded that demonstrators steer clear of public places and remain at
home, but protesters took to the streets on Tuesday, with many wearing face
masks. They also established medical units near the squares to treat medical
emergencies and suspected cases. The five infected patients are members of an
Iraqi family who had been on a trip to Iran, the ministry said in a statement.
They have been placed in quarantine as schools and universities were suspended
for ten days in Najaf. The demonstrators in Baghdad’s Tahrir Square took to the
streets on Tuesday to reiterate their rejection of Prime Minister-designate
Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi’s government. They called for forming an independent
cabinet and holding officials accountable for their crimes. For the first time,
a number of protesters called for swiftly dissolving the parliament, setting a
date for early elections, and voting on a new electoral law to be approved by
the President. In Nasiriyah, center of Dhi Qar governorate, thousands of
demonstrators and students flocked to the Habboubi Square, blocking the
intersection of Baho, al-Hadarat, and al-Nasr bridges by burning tires to
protest the government’s indifference to the demands of the protest movement,
according to sources in city. Pictures and videos circulated by activists showed
that demonstrators had poured onto most of the city's streets. Journalist
Maitham al-Shabani based in al-Diwaniya governorate, told Asharq Al-Awsat that
thousands of people marched in the streets despite the heavy rains. Similar
protests took place in the governorates of Babel, Karbala and Wasit. Except for
road closures in Nasiriyah, streets in other governorates remained largely
unblocked and free from violence.
Jordan King Denies Rumors about Postponement of Elections
Amman - Mohammed Kheir Al-Rawashdeh/Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 26 February, 2020
Jordan’s King Abdullah II asserted that the legislative elections would be held
this summer, putting an end to rumors by deputies and ministers, who went to
promote the possibility to extend the current parliament’s term.
During a meeting with the heads of the executive and legislative authorities,
and the deputy head of the Judicial Council, the Jordanian monarch said the
country was heading “towards the parliamentary elections this summer,” stressing
the need to engage all the country’s components in the political process,
especially young people. He also underlined the importance of coordination
between the government and parliament to work on important legislation and the
continued development of the judiciary. Last week, rumors spread about the
extension of the parliament’s term, amid a government request to complete a
package of economic plans, the first of which was launched in late 2019. Sources
told Asharq Al-Awsat that Prime Minister Omar Al-Razzaz’ cabinet was hoping to
extend its term, bypassing a constitutional clause that provides for the
resignation of the government after the decision to dissolve the parliament. The
rumors were met with a wave of criticism by former prime ministers and
ministers, who accused the government of promoting false claims and warned
against violating the constitution.
Abbas Supports Palestinian Committee for Interaction with
Israeli Society
Ramallah - Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 26 February, 2020
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has expressed support for the work of a
committee tasked with maintaining interaction with the Israeli society. Earlier
this week, Abbas met with members of the committee, who have been facing
mounting popular criticism and accusations of normalization with Israel. “The
work that you are doing is a national action by all standards… We must all know
that this work may not be understood by others, who do not read the truth, so
they act this way,” the Palestinian president told committee members. Abbas
stressed that the committee was implementing a decision by the National
Assembly, saying: “You work according to the orders of the leadership, and you
go to those meetings based on explicit instructions.” The Committee for
Interaction with Israeli Society has sparked controversy and anger, especially
as meetings with the Israeli side continued despite stances by Palestinian
officials about ending all agreements with Israel, including the Oslo Accords,
and facing the US peace plan known as the Deal of the Century. The committee was
formed in 2012, in line with a decision by Abbas, but was widely criticized by
Palestinians. Abbas rejected on Monday the resignation of Mohammed al-Madani,
the head of the committee, who took his move after coming under heavy criticism.
Palestinian factions, writers and activists attacked the committee’s work, and
considered holding meetings with the Israelis “a stab in the back”.
Palestinian Foreign Ministry Welcomes UN Support for
2-State Solution
Ramallah - Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 26 February, 2020
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry welcomed on Tuesday a United Nations Security
Council unity in showing support to a two-state solution for the
Palestinian-Israeli conflict. A statement released by Belgium, the Council’s
current president, is based on related UN resolutions, the ministry said in a
press statement. It “expresses an international consensus that sticks to a peace
process in the Middle East based on the principle of a two-state solution," the
statement said. On Monday, the Council called on all parties to maintain their
support for a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict. “Council
Members reiterated their support for a negotiated two-state solution… where two
democratic states, Israel and Palestine, live side by side in peace within
secure and recognized borders,” said the statement released by Belgium, and
supported by all 14 other members, including the United States. Also Tuesday,
the Palestinian Foreign Ministry condemned an announcement by Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to build 3,500 housing units in a new settlement in
E1 area, east of occupied Jerusalem. “The ministry believes that Netanyahu’s
announcement about settlement projects is an implementation of the terms of the
so-called deal of the century in order to create new facts on the ground through
US support, and to undermine any opportunity to create a Palestinian state based
on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital,” it said in a
statement.
How Iran’s regime spread coronavirus to the Middle East
Jerusalem Post/February 26/2020
Tehran has known for five days that there were likely more cases concentrated in
the holy city of Qom, where religious pilgrims gather
On Monday, Iranian official Ahmad Amirabadi said there have been up to 50 deaths
in Iran from coronavirus. The regime did what it knows how to do best: It sought
to silence him and condemn him for spreading the news, claiming that only 12 had
died from the virus and that there were only 61 cases in the country. However,
for five days Iran has known that there were likely more cases concentrated in
the holy city of Qom, where religious pilgrims gather.
Iranians have been largely left in the dark since last Wednesday, when two
deaths were announced in the Islamic Republic from coronavirus. The regime
wanted elections to go well on February 21, so it sought to prevent any news of
the virus for days.
By Saturday it was too late, and the country moved to shut down schools and
universities. But Iranians and other pilgrims who came to Qom and became sick
with the virus were already on the move.
They flew back to Iraq’s Najaf and via Dubai to Bahrain, as well as arriving in
Kuwait and Oman. Iran did not inform its neighbors until it was too late. Last
Friday, Turkish government officials were already warning that there might be
750 cases in Iran.
Iranian Deputy Health Minister Iraj Hairichi and MP Mahmoud Sadeghi now say they
are sick with the virus, and officials admit that many more are sick. New cases
in Oman and Bahrain were announced Tuesday – all linked to Iran.
Iran has now set the Middle East ablaze with fears of coronavirus. The virus was
mostly limited to China until two weeks ago. Then it moved rapidly to Italy and
South Korea, where there are thought to be hundreds and 1,000 cases,
respectively. But the regime in Tehran purposely hid the numbers of sick.
It may have done so partially out of incompetence, with a Health Ministry that
did not know how to find, quarantine or test the sick. In fact, Iran has not
done what China or Italy or other places have done. It has not been transparent
and did not even quarantine the cases in Qom or elsewhere. Instead, Iran has
acted like an incubator.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani spoke with an Austrian delegation on Sunday.
Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif smiled and laughed with the Austrians. The
virus was a big joke for the president and minister. Zarif later joked that he
did not have the virus. Rouhani claimed the virus was like US sanctions: It
seemed worse than it was.
Not far from where the men were laughing, Mojtaba Rahmanzadeh, mayor of district
13 in Tehran, was sick and hospitalized for coronavirus. He had been diagnosed
on Saturday. But the Iranian regime was not pressed by the Austrians to discuss
the issue.
AFTER IRAN closed schools and a university on Sunday and Monday, people began to
demand answers and protective masks. By Tuesday, three more had died, bringing
the toll to 15, the second highest outside China. Iran’s police were hunting for
medical masks.
Fears of price gouging were rampant. The police claimed on Tuesday that they had
found millions of masks hidden in warehouses. The virus appears to be a national
emergency, because Ali Shamkhani of the Supreme National Security Council has
attacked Amirabadi for spreading news of the 50 deaths.
Iran’s neighbors are fed up with the regime’s lack of transparency. They have
closed their borders or instituted drastic checks. People who traveled to Iran
and arrived in Najaf in Iraq, Bahrain and Oman are now sick. There are eight
cases in Kuwait and six in Bahrain.
The UAE this week stopped dozens of flights to Iranian cities. Oman has stopped
imports from Iran. Kuwait has closed borders and ports. Afghanistan has shut its
border but is concerned over the thousands who cross illegally. Bahrain is
stopping flights from the UAE.
Iran’s export of the virus has caused massive concern in Iraq. In Najaf there
are now 20 people under observation for the virus. And Iraq is not well
prepared. Medical masks are out of date, ministry phone numbers don’t work, and
the country is struggling to stop travel to Najaf and suspend travel to Iran.
Iran and Iraq are closely linked in religious issues, weapons trafficking and
trade. Cutting off these contacts is a major move. It comes at a bad time for
Baghdad, after months of protests and with a new prime minister who lacks a
government. In the Kurdistan region there are long lines at gas stations as
people fear borders will close.
IRAN’S GOVERNMENT is in denial. Rouhani has claimed that the virus is no worse
than the flu in the US that kills thousands of people a year. He claims the
country, with divine help, will overcome the virus.
“The coronavirus is an uninvited traveler and goes to any country, but we have
to overcome this problem,” he said Tuesday.
The truth is that Rouhani’s government has made the situation worse by covering
up the extent of the virus and also by not providing transparent answers to the
international community or Iran’s neighbors. The regime has gotten used to this
over the last few months, after downing a Ukrainian airliner and killing 1,500
protesters. The deaths from the virus do not matter to the regime, as Rouhani
indicates: If thousands die or even tens of thousands, it will be like any other
flu virus, and the country will move on.
For average Iranians, becoming collateral damage to the country trying to
preserve its reputation may not be what they bargained for. For Iraq, Bahrain,
Oman, Kuwait, Lebanon and other countries now under threat because of people who
traveled to Iran, the government’s indecision – and its not treating the issue
as an emergency – could also be bad news.
It is already causing panic in the Gulf and Iraq. Health ministries from Erbil
in the Kurdistan region to Abu Dhabi are trying to reassure people not to panic
or spread rumors. Tehran’s unwillingness to take part in a regional response to
the crisis is not helping tamp down the rumors.
Iran’s regime has a siege mentality that is used to blaming foreigners for its
problems. It blames foreign media for reporting on the virus. Even Iran’s
authoritarian contacts in other countries will have warned it to take no chances
with this virus. China knows what the results can be, as do Gulf states.
But Iran did not listen. It kept its Mahan Air and other carriers flying.
Pilgrims kept coming because the theocracy, which is the regime, judged faith to
be more important than science. Pharmacies are now out of masks in Iran. People
are confused and worried – and so is the entire Middle East.
Lavrov Rejects Idlib Ceasefire as 'Capitulating before
Terrorists'
Moscow - London - Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 26 February, 2020 -
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday rejected calls for a halt to a
Russia-backed Syrian offensive in Idlib in northwest Syria. "This is
capitulating before terrorists and even a reward for their activities in
violation of international treaties and numerous UN Security Council
resolutions," Lavrov told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. Lavrov accused
some governments of "a desire to justify outrageous acts committed by radical
and terrorist groupings. "Otherwise, it would be difficult to explain
admonishments about the possibility of concluding peace agreements with
bandits," he was quoted as saying by Agency France Presse in reference to the
situation in Idlib. A months-long offensive by Russia-backed Syrian troops
against opposition fighters backed by Turkey in Idlib has seen hundreds of
thousands of people flee the violence. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
has said he is planning to hold a summit on March 5 with the leaders of Russia,
France and Germany over the escalating conflict. But on Tuesday he said he might
instead hold face-to-face talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on that
date, either in Istanbul or in Ankara. The Geneva-based International Committee
of the Red Cross also on Tuesday said in a statement it was "deeply alarmed" by
the situation for civilians fleeing the fighting. "This is the worst wave of
displacement we've seen during the Syrian conflict. Amid the harsh winter
conditions in Idlib, we see people trapped, isolated and running out of ways to
cope. It's completely unacceptable," said Fabrizio Carboni, the ICRC's director
for the Near and Middle East. Carboni called for all sides in the current
fighting to "immediately" allow civilians to flee to a safe area.
The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources published on February 26-27/2020
The Trump plan for Afghanistan is an investment in America's national security
Clifford D. May/The Washington Times/February 26/2020
This week, the Trump administration is moving forward with its plan to reduce
American involvement in Afghanistan. The odds of success are not high. At this
moment, however, the plan probably is the least-bad option.
Initially, the Taliban has agreed only to limit violence for seven days
beginning at the stroke of midnight last Saturday. If relative quiet ensues,
direct talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government will begin.
The goal, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said, is to reach a “political
settlement to end the war in Afghanistan, reduce United States and Allied Forces
presence, and ensure that no terrorist group ever uses Afghan soil to threaten
the United States or our allies.”
As a next step, U.S. forces will be downsized from the current level, about
13,000, to 8,600. That figure is not enough for serious war-fighting — in 2010
President Obama deployed 100,000 troops in Afghanistan — but U.S. commanders
consider it minimally sufficient for an advise-and-assist mission, one that
checks the Taliban’s grander ambitions while protecting hard-won gains (more on
those in a minute). Would Mr. Trump prefer to bring all Americans home before
July 4th? No doubt. Why isn’t he?
I suspect his advisers have painted a picture of what could happen were he to
cut and run: A historic Taliban victory and U.S. defeat; helicopters evacuating
diplomats from the U.S. embassy; pro-American Afghans having their heads chopped
off with videos going viral; America’s enemies around the world redoubling their
efforts to hasten what would be seen as America’s imminent decline and fall. Not
the results Mr. Trump wants to produce — least of all in an election year.
Historians are unlikely to conclude that the conflict in Afghanistan has been
pursued consistently or coherently.
Following the attacks of 2001, American forces toppled the Taliban in
retaliation for its support for and protection of al Qaeda. President Bush said
the mission was “to disrupt the use of Afghanistan as a terrorist base of
operations and to attack the military capability of the Taliban regime.” Though
the first of those goals was achieved, the Taliban transformed into a resilient
insurgency.
U.S. Sanctions Five Members of Iran’s Guardian Council
Tzvi Kahn/FDD/February 26/2020
The Trump administration on Thursday sanctioned five officials who sit on Iran’s
12-member Guardian Council, which screens parliamentary and presidential
candidates to ensure their fidelity to Iran’s radical Islamist ideology. The
move, which came a day before Iran’s parliamentary elections, lets the Iranian
people know that America sees through the regime’s efforts to hide its
dictatorship behind a democratic facade.
The new sanctions targeted Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, the Guardian Council’s
secretary; Mohammad Yazdi, who previously served as the chief of the Islamic
Republic’s judiciary; Siamak Rahpeyk, the Guardian Council’s deputy head in
charge of executive and election affairs; Abbas Ali Kadkhodaei, the Guardian
Council’s deputy head and speaker; and Mohammad Hasan Sadeghi Moghadam, a senior
advisor to Jannati.
These officials have played a key role in suppressing the voice of the Iranian
people. In January, the Guardian Council rejected the applications of some 9,000
people out of the 14,000 who sought to run for parliament, according to a
council spokesman. The ineligible contenders included 90 incumbent lawmakers.
Similarly, prior to the 2016 parliamentary election, the council nixed 5,894 of
the 12,123 applicants. In the 2017 presidential election, 1,636 candidates,
including 137 women, registered to compete; the council permitted only six men,
including the incumbent, Hassan Rouhani, to vie for the job.
Yet the disqualifications for the 2020 parliamentary election may set a new
record. “In all 10 parliamentary elections since 1980,” stated Iran’s state-run
Press TV last week, “the Guardian Council has rejected anywhere from 15 to 50
percent of candidates who registered to run, while this year’s purge is probably
the biggest since the Islamic Revolution in 1979.”
In effect, said Brian Hook, the State Department’s special representative for
Iran, on Thursday, Tehran was staging “an event euphemistically called
elections” and “denying the Iranian people a representative parliament by
pre-deciding who is qualified to run for office.” He added, “The Iranian people
know that tomorrow’s election is political theater.”
They demonstrated as much by refusing to vote. Turnout was the lowest in the
history of the Islamic Republic, with only 43 percent of the electorate
participating, according to Iran’s interior minister – down from 62 percent in
2016. However, given the regime’s history of inflating turnout data, the actual
rate may have been even lower. In any event, low turnout paved the way for a
landslide win by the most hardline candidates, who won 221 of the parliament’s
290 seats, while so-called reformists and moderates won 20 seats, down from 121
in the 2016 election.
Of the five Guardian Council members whom Washington sanctioned, Ayatollah
Jannati stands out for his history of inflammatory statements. He has delivered
sermons that include chants of “death to America” and “death to Israel”;
described non-Muslims as “animals who roam the earth and engage in corruption”;
dubbed U.S. troops in Iraq “bloodthirsty wolves” and expressed support for
Shiite militias seeking to kill them; hosted Nation of Islam leader Louis
Farrakhan as an honored guest; and demanded the execution of Iranian protestors,
urging the judiciary in 2009 to show them no “compassion and leniency.”
After the Guardian Council announced the parliamentary disqualifications,
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani condemned the decision. “People need
diversity,” he said. But Rouhani’s words had no discernible impact, underscoring
his impotence and insincerity. In this sense, as Hook said on Thursday, Tehran
“likes to present a face of the regime that is very pleasing to Western
audiences, but the beating heart of the regime are men like Ahmad Jannati.”
The Trump administration should build on its new sanctions by designating the
remaining members of the Guardian Council, who are also complicit in Iran’s
suppression of political candidates. In so doing, it can continue to call out
Iran’s regime for the fraudulent theocracy that it is.
*Tzvi Kahn is a research fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD),
where he also contributes to FDD’s Center on Economic and Financial Power (CEFP).
For more analysis from Tzvi and CEFP, please subscribe HERE. Follow Tzvi on
Twitter @TzviKahn.
Insufficient missile defense funding would leave Americans
vulnerable
Bradley Bowman/FDD/February 26/2020
The U.S. Missile Defense Agency submitted its report on unfunded priorities to
Congress last week, which includes a number of priorities worth more than $1.1
billion. The list demonstrates the tangible consequences of a flat Pentagon
budget request and provides a road map for lawmakers to ensure that the U.S.
homeland and America’s forward-deployed troops have sufficient missile defense
protection.
The Trump administration requested $705.4 billion for the Department of Defense
for fiscal 2021, a level that fails to keep pace with inflation. Accordingly,
the DoD is only requesting $9.2 billion for FY21 for the MDA — more than an 11
percent reduction from the FY20 enacted amount of $10.4 billion.
The National Defense Authorization Act requires the MDA to submit a list to
Congress of items not included in the administration’s budget request but that
are “necessary to fulfill a requirement associated with an operational or
contingency plan of a combatant command or other validated requirement.” The
list includes programs that combatant commanders genuinely need and would have
included if additional resources were available.
The MDA’s top unfunded priority for FY21 is $231 million for 10 additional
Standard Missile-3 Block IIA missiles. The SM-3 IIA missile is designed to
intercept medium- and intermediate-range missiles. This additional purchase
would bring the total number to 24 missiles a year, which MDA calls the “maximum
sustainable production rate per year without further investment.”
In addition to the SM-3 IIA’s vital existing capabilities against medium- and
intermediate-range missiles, the DoD believes that the missile could potentially
be adapted to intercept intercontinental ballistic missiles. In response to a
mandate in the NDAA, the MDA plans to conduct a flight test this spring, known
as FTM-44, to determine whether an SM-3 IIA could intercept an ICBM. If
successful, the SM-3 IIA could then provide an additional and complementary
layer of protection for the U.S. homeland against a limited ICBM attack from an
adversary such as North Korea.
Consequently, keeping the SM-3 IIA production line at full speed would enable
the U.S. to meet combatant commander requirements for medium- and
intermediate-range ballistic missile defense. And if the test this spring is
successful, optimized ongoing production would also allow the DoD to more
quickly field SM-3 IIAs for homeland defense against ICBMs.
The MDA’s second- and third-highest unfunded priorities relate to the Terminal
High Altitude Area Defense system. These include $319 million to procure an
eighth THAAD battery for the United States and $30 million to procure trucks
required to support THAAD systems.
The THAAD is a rapidly deployable land-based missile defense system designed to
intercept incoming ballistic missiles during their terminal (or final) phase of
flight. Since the program was initiated, the MDA reports, THAAD has completed 15
successful intercepts in 15 attempts.
THAAD uses hit-to-kill technology to destroy an incoming warhead. It is
effective against short-, medium- and some intermediate-range ballistic missile
threats. The DoD can transport the THAAD system by air, land or sea.
Iran’s January ballistic missile attack on U.S. service members at two bases in
Iraq highlighted the lack of sufficient U.S. ballistic missile defense capacity.
With no U.S. ballistic missile interceptors in range, U.S. forces could only
watch and wait for impact. Had a THAAD system been deployed in the region, the
U.S. could have intercepted the Iranian ballistic missiles and better protected
U.S. troops.
Acquiring an eighth THAAD battery makes not only operational sense, but also
financial sense. Saudi Arabia is purchasing a large quantity of THAAD systems. A
U.S. and Saudi “synchronized” purchase would enable the U.S. to benefit from the
associated economies of scale.
The fourth priority on MDA’s unfunded list is $39 million to “develop technology
and advanced command and control to integrate networked sensors to detect and
track advanced cruise missile threats.”
As Gen. Terrence O’Shaughnessy, the commander of Northern Command, highlighted
in congressional testimony on Feb. 13, the U.S. homeland remains incredibly
vulnerable to a cruise missile attack. He testified that “advanced cruise
missiles now carried by Russian aircraft and submarines present a growing
challenge to our current sensor networks and have the range and accuracy to
strike military and civilian targets throughout the United States and Canada.”
O’Shaughnessy argued that investments in cruise missile defense capabilities
“are necessary to defend our vital facilities and infrastructure, preserve our
national ability to project power abroad, and help to safeguard our citizens and
vital institutions.”
That is exactly what MDA’s unfunded priority would do, and the burden of proof
should be on those who argue that it should not be funded.
A fundamental responsibility of the federal government is to protect the
American people. The MDA’s report on unfunded priorities to Congress
demonstrates that the agency requires additional funding from Congress to
fulfill this important responsibility.
Bradley Bowman is the senior director for the Center on Military and Political
Power with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
Iran struggles to regain control of post-Soleimani PMU
Hassan Ali Ahmed/Al-Monitor/February 26/2020
BAGHDAD — Iranian top commander Qasem Soleimani and his right-hand man Abu Mahdi
al-Muhandis were the prayer-beads thread of the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Units
(PMU). When they were killed by a US drone strike Jan. 3, the thread was ripped
and the PMU factions were scattered. Iran is now struggling to reorganize the
military network in order to maintain its power in the first and most important
station of its regional network along the Shiite crescent.
The PMU announced Feb. 20 the appointment of Abu Fadak al-Mohammadawi to
Muhandis' position as the PMU's chief of staff. Mohammadawi is a former military
leader in Kataib Hezbollah who left the PMU a few years ago due to disagreement
with other leaders.
Muhandis had become the PMU’s chief of staff a few months before his
assassination. He also served as the deputy head of the organization since its
establishment in 2014; now, Abu Ali al-Basri has been named deputy head. The PMU
is trying to get approval of these designations from caretaker prime minister
Adel Abdul Mahdi, who remains in office until the prime minister-designate forms
his Cabinet and is approved by parliament.
Four PMU factions known to be close to top Shiite cleric Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani
have expressed their objection to Mohammadawi's appointment, calling upon all
PMU factions to integrate into state forces under the command of the prime
minister as commander in chief of the armed forces. They are the Al-Abbas combat
division, the Ali Akbar Brigade, the Imam Ali Division and the Ansar Marhaia
Brigade.
This is an indicator of the fragmentation that has taken place in the PMU
following the deaths of Soleimani and Muhandis.
Now the question is whether these moves can return the PMU to the where it is
again united under one umbrella dominated by Iran.
The PMU is made up of about 70 militias, which were brought under the PMU
umbrella in 2014 by then-Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, with direct Iranian
support, in order to fight back against the Islamic State, which has taken over
vast areas of Iraq. The entire PMU was under the influence of Soleimani.
Because of the sectarianism that has been prevalent in the PMU and because many
militias have fought outside Iran, the PMU has been the center of controversy
since its creation among the Iraqi public. The PMU is now under greater scrutiny
amid the loss of its unifying leader and the Iraqi protests that began in
October; many protesters are opposed to Iranian influence in Iraq.
Iran, which has been a big PMU benefactor, has used the PMU as a powerful
instrument for maintaining Iran’s influence in the Shiite Crescent. Iran is now
working to develop and implement strategies to reunite the organization; chief
among these has been the search for a common leader, who has to meet a series of
requirements that make it an almost impossible mission for Iran.
Although Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei immediately announced
Brig. Gen. Esmail Ghaani as Soleimani’s successor to lead the Quds Force, Ghaani
does not have the diplomatic charisma and networks to be an effective leader of
the PMU. Due to the recent anti-Iranian sentiment arising from the recent
protests in Lebanon and Iraq, Iran realizes the new PMU leader must be an
extremely loyal Arab who can disguise Iran’s shadow influence among the Iraqi
public.
Muqtada al-Sadr was invited Jan. 13 to a meeting in Qom that was also attended
by Sadr’s rivals in the PMU organization in the hopes that Sadr might crack down
on the protest movement and even eventually become the de facto leader of the
PMU. Following the meeting, Sadr called for a million-man march against the US
presence in Iraq, which was welcomed widely by all other PMU factions despite
the strong disagreements between them. However, Baghdad’s Tahrir Square
protesters rejected Sadr’s call to participate in the march. Soon after, Sadr
stepped forward in leading the PMU in cracking down on the protests in Baghdad
and Najaf, which resulted in the killing of nearly a dozen protesters. This
raised strong criticism against him and even led Sistani to take action against
Sadr, leading Sadr to withdraw his people from the protest squarers. Following
these events, Sadr’s popularity among Iraqis declined, eliminating him from
Iran’s list of possible PMU leader.
Another option for Iran is giving the lead to Hezbollah, which has been Iran's
strongest regional ally for years, fighting on behalf of Tehran in Lebanon and
Syria and helping the Iraqi PMU and Yemeni Houthis. Reuters published a report
Feb. 12 indicating that Hezbollah was called immediately after Soleimani's death
to play a key role in leading the PMU.
Al-Monitor had learned from a senior military source who asked to remain
anonymous that senior Hezbollah cleric Muhammad Kawtharani has been visiting
Iraq on a regular basis, meeting with various PMU factions in order to build
coordination network between them and avoid disagreements that could affect the
unity of the already fragmented organization. The source told Al-Monitor that
Iran assigned Kawtharani to guide Iraqi militias until Iran chose a permanent
successor to fulfill Soleimani's role working with the PMUs in Iraq.
Although Kawtharani was raised in Iraq and did his seminary studies in Najaf
(where he was born) and is known and is respected by the militia groups, he will
have great challenges when it comes to commanding PMU leaders. For now, the
militia leaders are cooperating with Kawtharani due to pressure from Tehran.
Iran might also rely on Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, a Lebanese cleric
respected by many Iraqis; however, Nasrallah’s inability to travel to Iraq
greatly limits this option.
PMU factions' delegations have been visiting Beirut to meet Nasrallah regularly
during the past month. They have also started publishing photos of their
leaders' meeting with Nasrallah. For example, Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba
leaders published photos of the group's leader, Akram Kaabi, meeting with
Nasrallah, showing a close connection that might help the PMU to reunite again
around the Nasrallah axis.
Nujaba announced Feb. 16, in conjunction with the recent attack on the US
Embassy in Baghdad, that it has started the countdown to take action against US
troops in Iraq. Nasrallah had asked the PMU to avenge Muhandis' killing a few
hours before Nujaba's warning.
Meanwhile, some prominent PMU leaders are also competing over the organization's
leadership. Kaabi, Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada leader Abu Alaa al-Walai and the
Badr organization’s Hadi al-Amiri have been traveling to Tehran to attend
meetings with commanders of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and
other senior leaders to gain their trust and support.
Michael Knights, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East
Policy, told Al-Monitor, “Iran will likely split up the portfolio that Soleimani
controlled. The IRGC Quds Force and Ministry of Intelligence will share duties
to a greater extent in Iraq. Within the IRGC, Soleimani’s role will split
between Quds Force commander Esmail Ghaani, his deputy Mohammad Hejazi and
Iranian Ambassador to Iraq Iraj Masjedi.”
The above indicates that it will be difficult for Iran, if not impossible, to
find fitting replacements for Soleimani and Muhandis. Soleimani and Muhandis
were the backbones of the PMU, uniting multiple factions under one umbrella.
These factions were established at different times and circumstances and do not
share the same goals and ideology, not to mention the great disputes between
them over economic interests in Iraq. In fact, Soleimani and Muhandis were
responsible for uniting them all together. While Soleimani spoke modest Arabic,
Muhandis spoke fluent Persian and was extremely dedicated to the ideology of
velayat e-faqih [clerical rule by Khamenei] and in many interviews, he described
his relationship with Soleimani as being only a soldier for the Quds Force
leader.
“It will be very difficult to re-create the mutually supporting power base of
Soleimani and Muhandis, which was a powerful double act. The PMU is unlikely to
unite under a second-tier player like Abu Ali al-Basri, a Badr official who is
making a play to become a new chief of staff with many of Muhandis’ powers,”
Knights said before Basri was named deputy chief of the PMU.
Due to the current circumstances, the PMU will face great challenges in the near
future in recovering from the loss of its leader, putting Iran in a very
difficult position amid the ongoing protests and continuing political crisis.
*Hassan Ali Ahmed is an Iraqi academic who focuses on Iraq’s international
relations and foreign policy.
Are Turkish Cypriots Done with Ankara?
Burak Bekdil/Gatestone Institute/February 26/2020
For the Turks, Turkey is the homeland and Cyprus is the "baby homeland."
In January 2018, several thousand Turkish Cypriots marched against what they
said was Turkey's unwanted influence that has emboldened hard-right groups to
try to silence opposing views.
Erdoğan's government has been generously sending Turkish taxpayers' money to
religious foundations, associations, NGOs and Quranic schools in Turkish Cyprus
via the Turkish Aid Delegation. Turkey also built a (Sunni Muslim) theology
academy at the same time as it ignored local criticism against it.
"There have been mosque constructions in all areas in northern Cyprus, including
former Greek Orthodox churches. All that effort has upset Turkish Cypriots." —
Yusuf Kanlı, a prominent Turkish Cypriot columnist, to Gatestone Institute,
February 18, 2020.
Between 2002 and 2016, the Turkish government built at least 39 new mosques in
the Turkish section of Cyprus (pop. 326,000) -- including the Hala Sultan mosque
in Nicosia (pictured), which can house a congregation of 3,000.
A famous tweet by an unknown Turk and shows how pathetically crazy some Turks
can get in their never-ending wars with the rest of the world:
"We should bomb Turkish Cyprus to show the world what a psychopathic nation we
are. The world should ponder what the crazy Turks would do to the others if they
did this to their 'baby'" -- @spleenistanbul
"Turkish Cyprus" here is the breakaway statelet of the Turkish Republic of
Northern Cyprus (TRNC), recognized only by Turkey -- also known among the Turks
as the "baby homeland." Since Turkey invaded the northern third of the island in
1974 in response to a coup by Greek Cypriots that aimed to annex Cyprus to
Greece, the "Cyprus cause" has been emblematic in reflecting Turkey's militarist
and nationalist sentiment.
Cyprus, home of the goddess Aphrodite and the "island of bitter lemons," has a
history of invasions, takeovers and ethnic strife. In 1571, the Ottomans
captured Cyprus and made it one of their colonies until 1878, when an invading
Russian army reached the outskirts of Istanbul. Angry Turks accused Sultan
Abdulhamid II for the near-demise of their empire. Neo-Ottomans of the time even
staged a failed coup d'état against the "Red Sultan" who sought British help for
his survival. Britain agreed to protect the sultan and help the Ottomans against
the invading Russian army, but on one condition: leave Cyprus to the British
Empire. Which, in 1878, is what the ailing Istanbul government did.
With the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne, the new, secular Turkish state officially
recognized British hegemony over Cyprus. In 1938, Turkey even banned granting
citizenship to Turkish Cypriots in order to prevent a dwindling of the Turkish
community on the island. In the 1950s and 1960s fierce nationalist sentiment
over the fate of Turkish Cypriots forced Turkish governments to rethink their
rather pacifist Cyprus policy. Violent ethnic clashes in 1963-64 sparked a fresh
wave of Turkish and Turkish Cypriot nationalism that advocated the division of
the island along Turkish and Greek lines. Then came 1974. Today, Nicosia, the
Cypriot capital, is the only divided city in Europe. The TRNC, proclaimed in
1982, has not been recognized by any country other than Turkey. That is the
official history.
TRNC's president, Mustafa Akıncı, in an interview with The Guardian published on
February 6, sounded an alarm that not many Turkish Cypriot politicians had
sounded before. Akıncı, a socialist with a degree from a prestigious university
in Ankara, said that he supported reunification of the island under a federal
"roof." If this failed to happen, Akıncı said, northern Cyprus would grow
increasingly dependent on Ankara and could end up being swallowed up as a de
facto Turkish province.
The Turkish Cypriot leader also said that he had no problems with the
mother-and-baby metaphor; yet he would prefer independent, brotherly relations
with Ankara. For the Turks, Turkey is the homeland and Cyprus is the "baby
homeland." Akinci is hinting at his wariness about Turkish influence and is
suggesting a better one: brotherly relations between two independent states. His
"no objection to the mother-and-baby metaphor" is his diplomatic way of
expressing his preference without outrightly confronting Ankara.
In Ankara, all hell broke loose. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said
that Akıncı's words (which also likened potential annexation with Turkey to
Russia's invasion of Crimea) were "very unfortunate". Erdoğan's staunchest (and
nationalist) supporter, Devlet Bahceli, called Akıncı a "traitor" and accused
him of "behaving like a Greek Cypriot". Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt
Çavuşoğlu said: "I've never worked with a more unreliable politician".
Beneath the unusual Turkish-Turkish Cypriot friction lies precisely the same
reason that Erdoğan has been at odds with more than half of the Turkish people:
a top-down, systematic government effort to Islamize society.
Between 2002, when Erdoğan's Justice and Development Party (AKP) came to power,
and 2016, Ankara built at least 39 new mosques in the Turkish section of Cyprus
(pop. 326,000) -- including the Hala Sultan mosque in Nicosia, which can house a
congregation of 3,000. The equivalent would be building a synagogue in Israel
with seats for 90,000 people.
In January 2018, several thousand Turkish Cypriots marched against what they
said was Turkey's unwanted influence that has emboldened hard-right groups to
try to silence opposing views. Protesters braved pounding rain to voice their
opposition to Turkey's agitation of "fascist and extremist" segments of their
society.
Erdoğan's government has been generously sending Turkish taxpayers' money to
religious foundations, associations, NGOs and Quranic schools in Turkish Cyprus
via the Turkish Aid Delegation. Turkey also built a (Sunni Muslim) theology
academy at the same time as it ignored local criticism against it.
"I could count a four-minaret Ottoman mosque built in the middle of a plain on
the Nicosia-Ercan (airport) highway... A huge mosque symbolizing a new Ottoman
sultan is in charge. And not just that. There have been mosque constructions in
all areas in northern Cyprus, including former Greek Orthodox churches," Yusuf
Kanlı, a prominent Turkish Cypriot columnist, told Gatestone Institute. "All
that effort has upset Turkish Cypriots."
While Erdoğan and his Islamists are not pathetically crazy enough to bomb their
"baby homeland" down south, their creeping Islamization has the potential to
separate "the mother and the baby" for good.
*Burak Bekdil, one of Turkey's leading journalists, was recently fired from the
country's most noted newspaper after 29 years, for writing in Gatestone what is
taking place in Turkey. He is a Fellow at the Middle East Forum.
© 2020 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No
part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied
or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
Sweden's Victimized Children
Judith Bergman/Gatestone Institute/February 26/2020
"The suspects are also victims in some sense, but this is still something we
have to deal with, that children also commit crimes". — Police Chief Carin
Götblad, Expressen, February 5, 2020.
Parents are afraid to report the crimes committed by other children against
their children... In August 2019, 13-year-old Filip and his family had no other
choice than to move from the city of Uppsala after a gang of minors made his
life there unbearable. He was abused, robbed and his life was threatened by
gangs, with Swedish authorities telling him not to report it to the police as
this would make things "worse" for him.
Last year there were 257 reports of explosions -- including attempted explosions
-- an increase of 59% compared to 2018, according to SVT Nyheter. Yet, only
seven people have been convicted for any of those 257 crimes.
"For the first time now, more crimes -- in absolute terms -- are committed by
persons of foreign background than by persons of Swedish origin... The most
crime-prone population subgroup are people born [in Sweden] to two foreign-born
parents". — Report by Det Goda Samhället ("The Good Society"), summer of 2019.
Recently, children found explosive material hidden in a sandbox in the Sorgenfri
elementary school in Malmö, Sweden, according to Sveriges Radio. Last year there
were 257 reports of explosions in Sweden -- including attempted explosions -- an
increase of 59% compared to 2018, according to SVT Nyheter. Yet, only seven
people have been convicted for any of those 257 crimes. Pictured: Police inspect
the damage caused by an explosion in central Stockholm on January 13, 2020.
The number of children who rob other children has increased by 100% in only four
years, according to a new study by Swedish police about reported violent crimes
in which children under the age of 15 are both the victims and the perpetrators.
In 2016, there were 1,178 robberies against children under 18 years of age. In
2019, the number had increased to 2,484. The number of violent crimes where the
suspect is a child under 15 years of age has also gone up dramatically: In 2015,
there were 6,359 reported violent crimes where the suspect was a child under 15.
In 2019, that number had increased to 8,719 reported violent crimes.
The crimes involve "Violence to the head, kicks, gun threats, burning with
lighters, threats to kill, threats to bomb the school, stabbings with food
knives, bites and children who have been scratched, dragged, thrown and locked
up by other children".
The lowest age of a suspected perpetrator was seven. There has also been an
increasing number of girl gangs. One girl was violently assaulted by a gang of
five girls who kicked her, beat her and spat at her. The girl said she thought
she was going to die.
"It's ordinary children who are robbed on their way to and from school, they are
called 'whore' and told that they're going to get a Glock in the mouth. I think
we are letting the kids down", said regional police chief Carin Götblad.
Crimes committed by children under 15 years of age are not investigated by the
police; they are left to the social workers. "When we get [such cases], we send
[them] to [the social workers] and then it goes a little under the radar. This
is not something we have discussed before," said Götblad, who criticized
municipalities for not taking crimes committed by children seriously enough.
"I think there is an inherent reflex to ignore it because it's not very nice,
but then we who are professionals need to look at this in particular and raise
awareness. I am terribly worried about all vulnerable victims of crime," Götblad
said. "The suspects are also victims in some sense, but this is still something
we have to deal with, that children also commit crimes".
According to Götblad, parents are afraid to report the crimes committed by other
children against their children.
"Parents are afraid of threats and harassment of their children", said Götblad.
"It's really important to report, [but] at the same time I can't say I don't
understand their fear".
The parents may not only be motivated by fear, but by an unwillingness -- or
inability -- of Swedish authorities to help them and ensure the safety of their
children -- a basic duty of authorities everywhere.
In August 2019, 13-year-old Filip and his family had no other choice than to
move from the city of Uppsala after a gang of minors made his life there
unbearable. He was abused, robbed and his life was threatened by gangs, with
Swedish authorities telling him not to report it to the police as this would
make things "worse" for him. The police even told the family that moving was
their best option.
When authorities fail to honor their responsibilities, lawlessness results. This
is visible in all of Swedish society, not only with respect to children.
Recently, children found explosive material hidden in a sandbox in the Sorgenfri
elementary school in the city of Malmö, according to Sveriges Radio. It is still
unclear who put them there.
Last year there were 257 reports of explosions -- including attempted explosions
-- an increase of 59% compared to 2018, according to SVT Nyheter. Yet, only
seven people have been convicted for any of those 257 crimes. In 2020, at least
10 explosions have already taken place.
In addition to the rise in crimes against children and the rise in explosions,
the number of reported rapes against women also increased by 10% in 2019,
compared to the previous year, with a total of 4,670 reported rapes. The number
of reported rapes against men has also soared by 35% to 260 reported cases.
Reported rapes against children remained unchanged at around 3,400.
As previously noted by Gatestone Institute, this summer, a private foundation,
Det Goda Samhället ("The Good Society") published a report based on statistics
from Swedish authorities. The report showed:
"For the first time now, more crimes -- in absolute terms -- are committed by
persons of foreign background than by persons of Swedish origin... The most
crime-prone population subgroup are people born [in Sweden] to two foreign-born
parents".
According to Prime Minister Stefan Löfven, however, Sweden's problems with gang
violence would supposedly have been the same without immigration. When asked in
November 2019 about the links between mass immigration and gang violence, Löfven
refused any connection, while indirectly acknowledging, in a somewhat
self-contradictory manner, that gang violence is an imported problem:
"We didn't use to have this kind of [gang] violence then but now we have it...
The segregation is because there is too low employment and too high unemployment
in these areas. But that would have been the same regardless of who had lived
there. If you would put people born in Sweden in the same conditions, you would
get the same result."
*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.
The Crisis Facing the Idea of 'Economic Boycott' Today
Hazem Saghieh/Asharq Al Awsat/February 26/2020
The interdependence of the world’s economies has received unprecedented
attention in wake of the outbreak of the new coronavirus. The observation,
repeated matter of factly today, deals with the decline of China’s GDP growth
and its consequent impact on decline in the price of oil and increase in the
price of gold.This, in turn, will impact several countries and economic sectors,
as well as millions of people, in addition to hundreds of millions of Chinese.
Accumulated debt has hit their companies, whose inability to pay their
employees’ salaries and the price of imported supplies has exacerbated. Millions
of small and medium sized factories are now in danger of bankruptcy…
The Christian Science Monitor listed some of the links between China’s economy
and other economies: in Cambodia, textile factories depend on China for more
than half of their primary resources, and some of those factories may be forced
to close as a result. A large portion of Australian exports, from natural gas to
beef and seafood, go to China, meaning that a slowdown in the Chinese economy
would reduce demand for Australian goods.
Car manufacturers all over the globe are worried about the negative effects:
Nissan in Japan and Hyundai in South Korea were forced to reduce production due
to a shortage of parts supplied by China. In Europe, Fiat Chrysler has closed,
though it said only temporarily, one of its factories in Serbia for the same
reason. Jaguar Land Rover warned that it might face a supply problem if the
Chinese crisis goes on for a few more weeks.
High-tech computer and electronic companies were also affected. This includes
Apple, which relies on Chinese factories and materials to manufacture the iPhone.
To make matters worse, its retail stores were closed, keeping in mind that China
is now the world's largest market for Apple smartphones. In Britain, the luxury
clothing brand Burberry has been paying the price of the collapse of its Chinese
branches in the past few weeks, and it is estimated that further collapse will
occur in case of a drop in the numbers of Chinese visitors abroad…
The big picture, as the Christian Science Monitor concludes, is that global
economic growth will surely be affected after it was relatively reinvigorated
because of the decline in the intensity of the global trade war between the US
and China.
The globe’s increased economic interdependence (in contrast to what is happening
culturally and politically) first began with globalization in the late 1970s and
early 80s. The Soviet camp’s collapse at the end of that decade provided a
strong push in this direction: instead of calls for separation from the global
capitalist system, integrating into it was required. Theories advocating the
curtailment of relations with the outside world, self-reliance and the
substitution of imports with nationally manufactured goods fell apart.
In the “third world”, the isolationist ideas, meant to allow countries to rid
themselves of “dependency”, fell apart as well. The debt crisis in Latin
America, where these ideas flourished, played a major role in that, as did the
failure of similar experiments in countries with which cooperation and exchange
were supposed to take place.
The countries of East Asia, in contrast, were developing a different approach,
one which was fated to win: “manufacturing via exports”. Imitating the Japanese
precedent, the slogan emerged: What is required is not separation, but
integration. The "national market" became legend, with emphasis put on open
borders and "invading" developed countries with commodities similar to their
own, except that they were much cheaper. East Asians went further than the
Japanese by not imposing any protections of any kind. The abundance of cheap
labor in their countries was the source of protection on which they relied.
Thus, markets became intertwined and commodities and their materials did as
well. Now, one who intends to punish one entity ends up also punishing others
along with it and may even end up punishing oneself in the end.
Ideas promoting economic boycotts lose, in this case, most of their viability.
The example of South Africa, which is often used to prove the success ofboycotts,
is different: the popular call for boycotting the apartheid regime had started
in Britain more than half a century before. However, it did not become reality
until the mid-80s. The reason was that Mikhail Gorbachev became the secretary
general of the Soviet Communist Party in 1985. Months after that, he withdrew
his troops from Afghanistan.
The Cold War fronts became relaxed. Western governments, which had been mindful
of South Africa’s strength as an ally in the battle against the spread of
Moscow’s influence in Africa, became more concerned with South Africa’s racism
and the eradication of this phenomenon.
The members of the European community and the Commonwealth were the first to
respond to this major issue, with a few sanctions imposed in 1985. The American
Congress issued the bill against racial prejudice, imposing more extensive
sanctions that were to be lifted only after South Africa complied with five
conditions, the implementation of which would lead to their regime’s
disintegration. Ronald Reagan tried to stand in Congress’s way and failed. That
same year, the final blow was delivered by the Security Council, which banned
investment in South Africa. The decision was meant to pressure the apartheid
regime into negotiating its self-dismantling.
In other words, the consensus of the whole world, without exception, especially
western countries, was a prerequisite for the boycott’s success. Furthermore,
this happened 35 years ago, when economic interdependence was far weaker than it
is today. Today, boycotts can cause minor damage, but their success depends on
the existence of a regime like North Korea’s that does not care about the
outside world in the first place.
Coronavirus Surprises Keep Getting Nastier, Costlier
Mark Gongloff/Bloomberg/February 26/2020
Just a couple of weeks ago, this newsletter said that the coronavirus kept
finding ways to surprise and that markets weren’t taking it seriously enough.
Well, surprise! They’re taking it seriously now.
Stocks fell a whole bunch this week, with the Dow clocking a rare thousand-point
loss, partly on news Covid-19 is spreading too quickly for comfort in Italy and
elsewhere. It seems efforts to contain the virus have failed, and we could just
be seeing the tip of the iceberg, writes David Fickling. This keeps edging
toward becoming a global pandemic.
Italy’s cases are especially worrisome, as their origin isn’t exactly clear,
writes Ferdinando Giugliano. It’s possible the disease was spreading undetected
for weeks before we noticed — not great for pandemic-avoidance. The illness
hasn’t really come to the US yet, as far as we know. But it’s never too soon to
get our chronically underfunded health-care system ready, writes Max Nisen. That
will involve spending more money, for starters, particularly on diagnostic
testing.
Last week, markets were kind of bopping along on hopes China and various central
banks would offer enough stimulus to offset whatever disruption the virus
caused, writes Clara Ferreira Marques. They also seemed to expect a quick
rebound of global commerce, rather than a prolonged illness. Markets might be
starting to sort of back away from such foolish views now.
This would also be a good time for economic policy makers in Europe and
elsewhere to awaken, have a stretch and maybe take some action, writes
Ferdinando Giugliano. Even before the virus hit, Germany was adamantly not
spending despite an economy in the doldrums, while the ECB was bizarrely
optimistic. Coronavirus should change that. The Fed has been a little more
cautious, but Narayana Kocherlakota argues it should do an emergency rate cut
right now, of 25 or 50 basis points, to get ahead of any trouble. That would be
one of those, whattyacallit, “good” surprises, which have been rare lately.
Markets Are Waking Up to the Virus Reality
Clara Ferreira Marques/Bloomberg/February 26/2020
Sharp falls in Asian markets and US stock futures this week suggest investors
are starting to catch up to the disconnect between the coronavirus’s widening
impact and hopes of a V-shaped recovery.
It’s a gap that has been particularly visible in metals. China, where much of
the economy remains in lockdown, accounts for about half the world’s appetite
for materials from iron ore to copper. That makes the sector highly vulnerable
to a coronavirus-induced slowdown, and a helpful gauge of how well the reality
of economic activity is being reflected in financial markets. The answer? Not
enough.
While some larger mills and smelters are working, disrupted transport and absent
workers mean physical demand is in the doldrums. Domestic inventories of
everything from steel to copper are high. Bloomberg Economics calculated last
week that the world’s second-largest economy was running at 50-60% of capacity
in the week ended Feb. 21. That is better than the week before and could well
improve over the coming days. Still, it’s a level that seems hard to square with
the way shares in miners such as BHP Group, Rio Tinto Group and others have been
trading.
Almost all major mining stocks bounced back after February lows, with BHP and
peers falling below that only on Monday. They remain well above their troughs
last year, when concerns over the US-China trade war rattled the market. Even
copper futures on the London Metal Exchange, a reflection of confidence in the
global economy rather than just physical demand, have rebounded.
It’s not that investors are brushing off risk. There’s evidence of nervousness
to be found in haven assets like gold, which last week broke through $1,600 an
ounce. Yields on long-dated US Treasuries have tumbled. More pessimistic
commentary is also emerging from company executives.
Investors appear to have been betting on three things. First, that the virus
will be contained in the coming weeks. Second, that Beijing will unleash hefty
fiscal and monetary stimulus. Finally, that demand impacted by the virus will be
deferred, and not simply lost. Unfortunately, none of these things is certain.
For metals and the resilient equity valuations of their producers, the coming
days will be critical, as it becomes clear just how many workers emerge from
quarantine and how much the Chinese government’s push to restart production is
paying off. So far, the number of people on any form of transport is still a
fraction of where it was a year ago, according to Bloomberg Economics.
There are risks even if people do return. It’s much harder for face masks and
hand sanitizer to offer protection in construction projects, which may well push
back the start of the spring season, hurting steel and ingredients like iron
ore. Domestic prices for steel used in manufacturing and building are still at
their lowest in almost three years. BHP, which expects Chinese real GDP growth
of around 6% for 2020, said last week that it would revise its forecasts lower
if construction and manufacturing don’t return to normal in April.
So how does that square with what equity investors are pricing in?
The hope for a hefty stimulus from Beijing, which underpins much of the equity
market’s buoyancy for miners and beyond, seems broadly to match what China has
already said and done. There is already monetary easing and other forms of
support, from help with social security payments for small companies to busing
in workers in some provinces. But it’s still unclear what shape the bulk of the
fiscal stimulus will take and how heavy it can be in sectors such as property,
where the government remains wary of bubbles. China is also well aware that
splurging on debt to get the economy moving will mean pain in the
not-too-distant future. That creates plenty of uncertainty.
The other two assumptions are even more problematic.
Whether China can contain the virus will be hard to tell for some time, not
least given Beijing’s changes to the way cases are reported. It’s unclear what
will happen once sealed-off areas begin to open, given epidemics can have more
than one peak. Mass quarantines at this scale are also untested in the age of
supply chains. Assuming everything bounces back swiftly is optimistic. The
emergence of substantial clusters outside Hubei and indeed beyond China — in
South Korea, Iran and Italy — is worrying.
Then there’s demand for everything from washing machines to takeaway coffee and
bigger-ticket items like cars, where sales have dropped 92% in the first half of
February. It’s unclear how much will be pushed back. The underlying economic
uncertainty is greater than during the severe acute respiratory syndrome
outbreak in 2003, when growth rebounded quickly.
That all makes mining stocks and the wider equity markets look a little lofty.
During SARS, Hong Kong’s market fell almost a third from its 2002 high to the
trough of 2003. This time, the Hang Seng Index, admittedly with different
components, is down just 6% from its pre-virus 2020 high, as of Friday. It may
all blow over. For now, the risks are to the downside.
US Treasury sanctions Hezbollah-linked Lebanese
individuals, groups
Lauren Holtmeier/Al Arabiya/February 26/2020
The United States has listed three people and 12 entities, including
pharmaceutical and medical companies, in Lebanon who are linked with the
Hezbollah Martyrs Foundation on its terror sanctions lists, according to
Treasury Department officials.
The US Treasury department named Sheikh Yusuf Aasi, Kassem Mohamad Bazzi and
Jawad Nur-al-Din as the three individuals.
The new sanctions reinforce the hardline the US is taking on Hezbollah in
Lebanon. And with another case of coronavirus confirmed in Lebanon today, the
targeting of some companies, like Atlas Holding, that owns or controls companies
across numerous sectors, including pharmeceuticals, could have adverse affects
on the country's ability to cope with a further outbreak of the virus.
Previous US policies have prioritized the stability of Lebanon, but the new
rules of engagement take a hardline on Iranian-backed Hezbollah as part of the
American “maximum pressure” campaign on Iran.
"The Trump Administration and its allies in congress from both parties are
determined to continue their policies of maximum pressures on the Iran regime
and their allies in the region to obtain a major shift in behavior," Dr. Walid
Phares, a former foreign policy adviser to then-presidential candidate Donald
Trump in 2016, told Al Arabiya English.
"The adding of sanctions against Hezbollah allies is a message to politicians
and leaders in Lebanon to cut their ties with the group. But it is also a
message to the Lebanese civil society and particularly the Lebanese protesters,"
Phares added.
The last round of US sanctions to be slapped on Lebanese Hezbollah were in
August 2019 on Jammal Trust Bank (JTB) for facilitating the financial activities
of Hezbollah.
“The second [bank we sanctioned] was JTB after Lebanon was already downgraded,”
said a senior US State Department official to Al Arabiya, referring to Lebanon’s
credit rankings falling throughout the first half of 2019.
“We had worked with that bank for more than a year to get them to do the right
thing, and they didn’t take it seriously,” the official said. “They brought it
upon themselves.”
Sanctions on JTB were announced August 29, and by September 19, the bank had
announced it would liquidate current accounts and close shop in coordination
with the Lebanese central bank. JTB denied US allegations it funded Hezbollah.
Ryan Bohl, a Middle East analyst at the Texas-based foreign policy analysis firm
Stratfor, told Al Arabiya English the latest round of sanctions are a high-risk
gamble for the US.
“It could cause damage to Lebanon’s economy depending on the scope and scale of
sanctions and, the US could endure blowback from all of Lebanon’s political
factions,” Bohl told Al Arabiya English. “If the [Prime Minister Hassan] Diab
government weakens or collapses, and no pro-US government emerges out of that,
US sanctions become seen as the reason for Lebanon’s economic problems,” he
added.
Alternatively, most Lebanese know the country’s economic problems are the
product of a corrupt ruling class, Bohl said.
“The US has an opportunity here to exploit that sentiment, to layer on sanctions
that make it more difficult for Hezbollah to do business, carry out operations
in Syria, meet their payroll, and all the other benefits that make them such a
powerful social force in Lebanon,” Bohl said. “It’s an opportunity for
Americans, but it’s a narrow line they’re walking.”
Following months of protests and ongoing financial and economic crises, the new
government headed by Diab was formed mid-January after former Prime Minister
Saad al-Hariri stepped down in late October.
Analyst Bohl said the new sanctions on Lebanese companies that deal in medical
supplies and pharmeceuticals could complicate things for both Hezbollah and Diab
as Lebanon grapples with containing the outbreak of the coronavirus.
"The US is clearly trying to crack the welfare system Hezbollah has set up that
keeps it popular," Bohl said. "But with essential medicines in short supply,
this is a rather strident move against a humanitarian angle. With coronavirus
likely to appear in Lebanon in greater numbers, the US is gambling the Lebanese
are going to blame Hezbollah and Diab first."
Some medicinces and medical supplies in the country are already in short supply
due to the ongoing economic crisis.
"This will make the cornovirus response in Lebanon more complicated as well. But
again the US thinks the blame will fall on Hezbollah," he added.
The 12 entities that were added to the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)
Specialy Designated Nationals list are: Al Kawthar, Amana Fuel Co., Amana Plus,
Amana Sanitary and Paints Company, Atlas Holding, Capital, City Pharma, Global
Touristic Services, Medical Equipment and Drugs International Corporation,
Mirath, Sanovera Pharm Company, and Shahed Pharm.
History of sanctions
Years prior, in 2011, the first Lebanese bank to be targeted by US sanctions was
Lebanese Canadian Bank Sal as a financial institution of primary money
laundering concern for “the bank’s role in facilitating the money laundering
activities of an international narcotics trafficking and money laundering
network.” The bank shut its doors shortly after.
In February 2018, the US Treasury targeted business operations of Hezbollah and
designated six individuals and seven entities across Lebanon, Iraq, Sierra
Leone, Ghana, and Liberia.
In July 2019, The Trump administration imposed sanctions on three senior
Hezbollah officials in Lebanon, the first set to directly target members of
Lebanon’s Parliament. Members of Parliament Amin Sherri and Muhammad Hasan Ra’d
and senior Hezbollah security official Wafiq Safa were sanctioned by the US
Treasury Department.
Hezbollah hurting
When the US withdrew from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal in 2018, sanctions were
re-imposed on Iran, and the US warned other countries not to do business with
Tehran. The US government views Hezbollah’s military and political wings as a
singular entity and the imposition of sanctions was meant as a stark warning to
Lebanese Hezbollah, and the region, about the consequences for working with
Iran.
Hezbollah reportedly has been hit hard by US sanctions on Iran. In spring 2019,
Hezbollah members reported receiving reduced salaries considering their funding
from Iran, currently suffering its own economic hardships, diminished
significantly.
Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah acknowledged difficulties created
by American sanctions in March last year.
David Daoud, an analyst for the Counter Extremism Project, a non-profit NGO that
works to combat extremist groups, told Al Arabiya English that while Hezbollah
may have been hit by US sanctions, the group has five annual charity drives, and
their revenue is derived from legitimate businesses in Lebanon and abroad, as
well as through illicit means domestically and outside Lebanon.
The US understanding of how drastically Hezbollah had been impacted by sanctions
on Iran may be exaggerated, Daoud said.
Expect more death sentences for young imprisoned Iranian
protesters
Babak Taghvaee/Al Arabiya/February 26/ 2020
Two of the Iranian protesters who were sentenced to death last week had fled to
Turkey in December in order to apply for political asylum; instead, they were
arrested and handed back to Iran for imprisonment.
Mohammad Rajabi, 25, and Saeed Tamjidi, 27, were handed over to the regime
authorities on 28 December and sent to Tehran’s Evin prison, where their friend
and co-protester Amir-Hossein Moradi, 25, was already interned.
Last week, it was announced that all three were sentenced to death by Abolqasem
Salavati, a notorious judge of the No.15 branch of Islamic Revolutionary Court,
according to opposition media.
Moradi has a diploma in computer science and used to sell computer parts, cell
phones and computer software before his arrest. Tamjidi has bachelor’s degree in
Electrical Engineering.
Their death sentences were not unexpected because on 19 November, the
state-controlled Kayhan newspaper had published an announcement on behalf of the
Ministry of Islamic Justice that death sentences would be issued for those who
led the protests, which were sparked off by a big jump in fuel prices four days
earlier. On 26 November, state media aired a live program during which Abolfazl
Bahrampour, a Quranic expert, talked about how it was necessary to amputate
limbs of those arrested and torture them to death for their participation in the
protests.
The brutal suppression of the protests led to the massacre of at least 1,500
protesters, according to Reuters. Amnesty International reported 4,800
protesters were injured and the government announced the arrest of over 7,000
although the real number could be twice that.
The death toll increased even further as many of those arrested later lost their
lives as a result of torture or lack of medical attention during detention. From
the very first days of the protests, authorities announced their plan to execute
some of the protesters in custody in a show of strength to others who might take
part in future anti-regime protests.
The three young men had taken part in the second day of the nationwide protests
in the Sattarkhan district of Tehran on 16 November. Moradi was the first to be
identified three days later by the security forces using CCTV footage and he was
then arrested by the Ministry of Intelligence. After spending a month in
solitary confinement in the Ministry’s No. 240 detention center, he was
transferred to Evin prison in December.
As soon as Moradi was picked up, Rajabi and Tamjidi immediately tried to escape
to Turkey, to seek political asylum, only to be arrested by Turkish police. They
handed the two asylum seekers back to Iran at the request of Iran’s Ministry of
Foreign Affairs and the pair were sent to Evin prison, where they were initially
sentenced to one year in prison for illegally leaving Iran.
According to relatives of Moradi, he was tortured with electric shocks and
lashes and was forced to confess. The interrogators from the Ministry of
Intelligence promised to treat his wounds if he signed a false confession sheet
and agreed to testify in court. One of the charges against Moradi was
instructing the protesters how to lead the crowds and stop the security forces
filming the protesters.
Torture and forced confessions are common mistreatments doled out to detained
protesters, according to Amnesty International citing family members. The
corpses of those who die under torture are often disposed of in dam reservoirs
or rivers by the security forces. In several cases, they have been delivered to
their families on condition they agree not to hold public funerals for them.
There has been a deafening silence in the Western media about the brutal
treatment of these protesters. More death sentences for arrested protesters
should be expected from the Islamic Revolutionary Courts in the coming weeks and
months.
Sacked Saudi Energy Minister Returns to Cabinet
Simon Henderson/The Washington Institute/February 26, 2020
Khalid al-Falih’s appointment to a new investment role suggests that the
kingdom’s Vision 2030 economic transformation project needs to be reinvigorated.
Last September, Saudi official Khalid al-Falih appeared to run afoul of Crown
Prince Muhammad bin Salman’s ambitions after showing caution toward the partial
sell-off of state oil company Saudi Aramco. In the space of nine days, the
forty-year oil sector veteran found his ministry stripped of its industry and
mineral responsibilities, lost his post as chairman of Saudi Aramco, and was
dismissed as energy minister.
This week, however, Falih was appointed to head the newly created Ministry of
Investment, which replaces the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA).
The move indicates that his experience and talents have been difficult to
replace. Indeed, some Saudi officials are signaling that Vision 2030 may slip to
“Vision 2035,” and the performance of Aramco shares since December’s flotation
has been weak. At last closing, shares once again fell below the initial
December trading price of 34 riyals, only marginally above the 32 riyal price at
which Saudi citizens were encouraged to buy with special cheap bank loans.
Energy watchers were surprised by the appointment of Falih, who will now find
himself sitting in meetings alongside his replacements as energy minister
(Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, an older half-brother of the crown prince) and
Aramco chairman (Yasir al-Rumayyan, who also heads the Public Investment Fund,
the kingdom’s sovereign wealth body). Abdulaziz was known to be frustrated when
working under Falih and will no longer be the only oil expert in the room.
Rumayyan has his own problems—on February 11, a front-page article in the Wall
Street Journal scrutinized his relationship with Carla DiBello, a former
reality-television producer from Florida, noting that some officials at the
Public Investment Fund “have grown frustrated with his attention to Ms. DiBello
during a time when the fund’s major investments are struggling.”
Although announced in the name of King Salman, Falih’s appointment and other
recent changes are more likely attributable to the crown prince, the kingdom’s
de facto day-to-day ruler. The head of SAGIA was fired, as were the ministers
for media and the civil service. New ministries were created for tourism and
sports, key parts of the social changes associated with Vision 2030. The new
sports minister is Abdulaziz bin Turki al-Faisal, the car-racing prince whose
father, one-time intelligence chief Prince Turki al-Faisal, recently described
President Trump’s new Middle East peace plan as “a Frankenstein creation.” The
new tourism minister is Ahmad al-Khatib, a confidant of the crown prince. Going
forward, Falih will not only have to help keep Vision 2030 on track, but also
prepare the ground for the opportunities that will flow from Saudi Arabia
hosting the G20 summit this November. In the meantime, he must cope with
continued foreign investor caution stemming from the 2018 murder of dissident
journalist Jamal Khashoggi and the 2017 incarceration of Saudi business leaders
and rival princes in the Riyadh Ritz-Carlton during a crackdown on corruption.
Oil prices were weak even before the economic impact of the coronavirus, which
has now reached the Middle East, so Falih’s policy options for overcoming these
obstacles will be constrained.
*Simon Henderson is the Baker Fellow and director of the Bernstein Program on
Gulf and Energy Policy at The Washington Institute.