LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
March 09/2020
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani

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Bible Quotations For today
I told you that you would die in your sins, for you will die in your sins unless you believe that I am He
“Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 08/21-24: “Again he said to them, ‘I am going away, and you will search for me, but you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.’Then the Jews said, ‘Is he going to kill himself? Is that what he means by saying, “Where I am going, you cannot come”?’He said to them, ‘You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins, for you will die in your sins unless you believe that I am he.”

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on March 08-09/2020
Secret facility at Hizballah’s Beirut hospital cares for Iranian high-ups down with corona/DebkaFiles/March 08/2020
Aoun calls for 'unifying personal status law'
Berri: We renew the commitment to continue the struggle alongside women
Hariri: Lebanese women have proven their true worth
32 coronavirus cases in Lebanon
Lebanon Confirms Four More Coronavirus Cases
After Debt Default Move, Lebanon Faces Reform Challenge
Kubis Urges Lebanon to Ensure Women are 'More Involved' in Political Life
Kubis: Honest statement of PM Diab opens the way out of the crisis
Hizbullah Urges 'Solidarity' with Govt. on Eurobond Decision
Sami Gemayel Slams Lack of 'Measures, Reforms' in Diab's Default Speech
Al-Rahi: We Won't Allow Lebanon's Downfall
Police Shut Nightclubs that Did Not Abide by Coronavirus Closure Order
Lebanon Debt Talks Won't Last More than 9 Months if Well-Intentioned, Says Minister
Lebanon Bondholders Stepping up Efforts to Form Creditor Group
Kataeb: Shooting at 'Kataeb Central House' in Saifi at dawn today
Musharrafieh: Women will have most prominence in the Ministries of Social Affairs and Tourism
Majzoub extends educational institutions' closure until the evening of March 15
Al Shamsi praises women's achievements on International Women's Day: Left a distinctive mark in building their homelands
Is Lebanon on the verge of collapse/Rami Rayess/The Arab Weekly/March 08/2020
Lebanese women to press for equal personal status rights on International Women’s Day/Samar Kadi/The Arab Weekly/March 08/2020

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on March 08-09/2020
KSA Releases King's Photos after Purge over 'Coup Plot'
MBS Crown prince detains three family members over ‘coup plot’
Israel Election Challenger Gets Extra Security after Threats
Iraq’s Shiite Parties ‘Deeply Divided’ over Naming New PM
Egypt Says Ethiopia’s Posturing over Nile Dam Threatens Regional Security
Iran Stops Flights to Europe as Coronavirus Death Toll Climbs
IranAir stops all flights to Europe
Iran Reports 49 New Coronavirus Deaths, Highest Single-Day Toll
Quarter of Italian Population Put under Virus Lockdown
Gulf Shares Slump after OPEC Fails to Agree Virus Action Plan
Italy locks down millions as its coronavirus deaths jump ¥ Italy to quarantine 16 million people in wealthy north
Saudi Arabia locks down Qatif province to prevent coronavirus spread

Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on March 08-09/2020
Resilience of Iranian Women Shows Regime’s Abject Failure/Princess Noor Pahlavi/Asharq Al-Awsat/March 08/2020
Who's Attacking Palestinian Christians/Bassam Tawil/Gatestone Institute/March 8, 2020
An Iranian Concert at Saudi Arabia’s Tantora Festival/Camelia Entekhabifard/Asharq Al-Awsat/March 08/2020
Saudi Arabia targets senior royals in sweeping/Simeon Kerr in Dubai and Andrew England in London/FT/March 08/2020
Turkey-Russia ceasefire deal has failed the Syrian refugees/Raghida Dergham/The National/March 08/2020
Iran’s epidemic of lies and disinformation/Baria Alamuddin/Arab News/March 08/2020
Amid virus crisis, Iran focuses on nuclear program/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab News/March 08/2020
Turkish-Russia agreement on Idlib is a fragile step in right direction/Yasar Yakis/Arab News/March 08/2020

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on March 08-09/2020
موقع دبيكا: حزب الله يعالج كبار المسؤولين الإيرانين من الكورونا في معهد الرسول الأعظم الصحي الكائن في الضاحية الجنوبية
Secret facility at Hizballah’s Beirut hospital cares for Iranian high-ups down with corona
DebkaFiles/March 08/2020
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/83960/%d9%85%d9%88%d9%82%d8%b9-%d8%af%d8%a8%d9%8a%d9%83%d8%a7-%d8%ad%d8%b2%d8%a8-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%84%d9%87-%d9%8a%d8%b9%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%ac-%d9%83%d8%a8%d8%a7%d8%b1-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85%d8%b3%d8%a4%d9%88%d9%84/
تقرير من موقع دبيكا نشر أمس افاد بأن حزب الله يبنقل من إيران إلى بيروت كبار المسؤولين الإيرانيين المصابين بفيروس الكورونا ليقوم بعلاجهم في مستشفى معهد الرسول الأعظم الكائن في الضاحية الجنوبية التي هي عملياً دويلته الخارجة عن نطاق سلطة الدولة اللبنانية
Hizballah’s Al-Rasool Al Aatham University hospital in south Beirut has been converted to a secret facility for treating high Iranian officials infected with coronavirus, various Lebanese sources reveal. Tehran’s Lebanese proxy boasts that its hospital operates according to strict Shiite Islamic tenets.
Transferring high-profile victims outside the country to a secret venue appears to be part of the Islamic regime’s cover-up of the real figures and death toll from coronavirus in a country of 80 million which, alongside Italy, is seen as a primary source of global contagion.
The Hizballah-Iran operation flies high Iranian officials down with the disease from Tehran to Beirut by direct flight. This is one means of concealing the true scale of the infection across the country, but also high officials benefit from better treatment than they would in Tehran. There are no details about the numbers of these transfers. The regime only reports the deaths of prominent officials post factum. The last death reported on Thursday, March 5, was of Mohammad Mirmohammadi, who was a member of the Expediency Council which chooses national leaders and a close adviser to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. On Friday, a female member of parliament Fatima Rahabar, succumbed to the virus.No international health authority engaged in halting the spread of coronavirus has laid hands on reliable information for determining the scale of Iran’s contagion. It is also kept secret from the domestic authorities in Tehran. If anyone has the true figures of the numbers of Iranians infected and/or dead of corona-19 it would most likely be a very tight circle of regime leaders within the supreme ruler’s inner circle and top commanders of the Revolutionary Guards.
In the early stages of the virus, cases were reported in the shrine city of Qom, a popular center of international Shiite pilgrimage, and therefore a primary source of contagion to other parts of the Shiite world.
https://www.debka.com/secret-facility-at-hizballahs-beirut-hospital-cares-for-iranian-high-ups-down-with-corona/

Aoun calls for 'unifying personal status law'
NNA/March 08/2020
"On International Women's Day, we remember all women who have been victims of society, violence or injustice," President of the Republic, Michel Aoun, said via Twitter on Sunday, on the occasion of International Women's Day. He added: "A unified personal status law that respects the articles of the Human Rights Charter is the first step towards lifting the repression of women in Lebanon."

Berri: We renew the commitment to continue the struggle alongside women
NNA/March 08/2020
House Speaker Nabih Berri considered, in a statement today, that "March 8th is a juncture in which we renew the commitment to continue the struggle alongside Lebanese women, in order to establish their right to partnership in all aspects that create life, development and prosperity of the human being, and Lebanon."He added: "To the Lebanese women, to mothers, all mothers, the mothers of the martyrs and the resistance, the sincerest wishes on their day...May each year bring you goodness!"

Hariri: Lebanese women have proven their true worth
NNA/March 08/2020
Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri tweeted Sunday on the occasion of International Women's Day, saying: "A salute to women everywhere, especially to Lebanese women who have proven their true worth and competence, and leadership role in our society and in shaping its future."

32 coronavirus cases in Lebanon
Perla Kantarjian/Annahar/March 08/2020
According to the Rafic Hariri University Hospital report, over the last 24 hours, its emergency unit received 100 people suspected to have contracted the virus.
BEIRUT: With four new cases on Sunday, the number of coronavirus cases in Lebanon was announced to be 32. According to the Rafic Hariri University Hospital report, over the last 24 hours, its emergency unit received 100 people suspected to have contracted the virus.
Only 19 were required to be quarantined in the hospital, while the rest were advised in-home quarantine. Among the 116 people who underwent the necessary tests, 112 tested negative while 4 tested positive.According to the statement, the number of cases within RHUH is 28, while the other 4 cases are being transferred to the hospital by a team from the Ministry of Health. Additionally, RHUH declared that all cases have a stable medical condition, except for 3 who are in critical condition.

Lebanon Confirms Four More Coronavirus Cases
Naharnet /March 08/2020
Lebanon on Sunday confirmed four new coronavirus cases, taking the overall tally to 32, according to the state-run Rafik Hariri University Hospital. A statement issued by the hospital said it received 100 cases at its coronavirus section over the past 24 hours. “They all underwent the necessary medical examinations and 19 of them needed to be kept in quarantine according to the overseeing doctor’s evaluation while the rest will observe home isolation,” the statement said. Lab tests were meanwhile conducted for 116 individuals of whom 112 tested negative and four tested positive. The statement said 28 of those who tested positive are in the hospital’s quarantine unit while the other four will be transferred later. It added that three out of those infected are in a critical condition while the rest are in a stable condition. Lebanon has closed schools, sport clubs, nightclubs, fairs and other venues and urged against gatherings, after Health Minister Hamad Hasan announced that the country is no longer in the containment phase regarding the virus.

After Debt Default Move, Lebanon Faces Reform Challenge
Agence France Presse/Naharnet /March 08/2020
Lebanon, shaken by street protests and economic crisis and now set to default on its Eurobond debt, has pledged reforms that will serve as a litmus test for its new government. "The real question is: will politicians do what's necessary to fix the problem?" asked Sami Nader, director of the Levant Institute for Strategic Affairs. "If defaulting does not go along with a clear-cut commitment to reform, this will accelerate collapse."Lebanon's debt burden, long among the largest in the world, is now equivalent to nearly 170 percent of its gross domestic product. Prime Minister Hassan Diab said Saturday his government would suspend payment of a $1.2 billion Eurobond maturity due on Monday and seek debt restructuring because of dwindling foreign currency reserves. He also announced plans to slash state spending and downsize an inflated banking sector. His self-styled technocratic government, nominated in January to tackle a financial meltdown and unprecedented anti-government protests, must now prepare for talks with creditors and decide on whether to a seek the help of the International Monetary Fund. With a long track record of chronic political gridlock, corruption and financial mismanagement, many expect Lebanese politicians to stumble. The demonstrators who have rallied since October don't believe the government will carry through with the necessary changes. "We want to remind the ruling class that the solutions have been available for years but, just like today, we lacked courageous political will," said activist group Taqaddom in a statement. Another group, Shabab al-Masref, warned that the government pledges may just be "ink on paper".
IMF debate
Despite its turbulent history, the small Mediterranean country has never before defaulted, but in recent months it has grappled with its worst economic turmoil since the 1975-1990 civil war. Foreign currency has become increasingly scarce, Lebanon's pound has plunged in value and banks have imposed tough restrictions on dollar withdrawals and transfers. Diab met last month with an IMF delegation to discuss technical assistance to tackle the spiraling financial crisis, but he has yet to request funds amid internal divisions. Banking experts have argued in favor of an IMF rescue, saying it would secure international assistance that the cash-strapped country desperately needs and provide the kind of assurances creditors are looking for. "The IMF is the only option moving forward if politicians want an exit," Nader said. But Hizbullah, which along with its allies holds a majority in parliament, has emerged as a vocal critic. Last week it said it rejected conditions and "ready-made recipes" which global bodies could impose, warning against what it called "foreign guardianship" over the economy. In some troubled economies, the IMF has in the past recommended subsidy cuts, tax hikes and a floating currency to address state insolvency, at times fueling the kind of street protests that have already shaken Lebanon for months.
Exposed to danger
An-Nahar newspaper, Lebanon's oldest daily, however warned the country could be exposed to more "danger" because the government has decided to embark on the default path without IMF assistance. The IMF is a "necessary international mediator that could have helped Lebanon by providing it with cover" against creditors who may consider legal action, it said in an editorial Sunday. As Lebanon braces to enter restructuring negotiations, a credible and feasible economic rescue plan is "the main prerequisite," said Mohamad Faour, a post-doctoral research fellow in banking and finance at University College Dublin. Creditors usually prefer for such reform plans to be part of an IMF package, he said, warning that "kick-starting the negotiations with no concrete plan would be a non-starter." Diab on Saturday reiterated Lebanon's commitment to reforms pledged at a Paris conference in April 2018, including spending cuts and electricity sector reform, as well as plans to downsize a bloated banking sector. The economist Jad Chaaban, a prominent critic of Lebanon's political elite, blamed the crisis on decades of mismanagement by the state, including of commercial lenders, many of which are owned by politicians themselves. He said in a Facebook post that the prime minister's latest announcement marked the "end of a system that saw banks covering up the corruption of the ruling elite.""Political parties are in trouble, bank owners are in trouble, and the tug of war between the two will only get worse."

Kubis Urges Lebanon to Ensure Women are 'More Involved' in Political Life
Naharnet/March 08/2020
U.N. Coordinator for Lebanon Jan Kubis on Sunday called on Lebanon to ensure that women are “more involved” in the country’s political life, in a statement marking International Women’s Day. “Lebanon is encouraged to take measures to ensure women are more involved and allowed to actively take part in the realization of change and in shaping the image of their country’s future through greater inclusion and participation in decision-making processes,” Kubis said in his statement.“This year, the commemoration of International Women’s Day takes place at a pivotal moment in Lebanon’s history. Having historically stood at the forefront of rights movements, Lebanon’s women have, once again, proven to be a catalyst for social progress by taking the lead in calls for change and reform. Their efforts to protect the non-violent character of Lebanon’s popular movement and their united stance against a downslide towards strife demonstrated their essential role in building peaceful societies,” he said. “Yet, the contributions of women to the social, economic, political, legal, academic and all other spheres in Lebanon can only attain its optimal level once the barriers still hindering gender parity in leadership positions are lifted,” Kubis added. Commenting on the presence of six women in Lebanon’s 20-member new government, the U.N. official said that while the 30% women rate in the Cabinet and the adoption of the 1325 National Action Plan constitute positive leaps and can be effective tools for women’s empowerment, a long way is still ahead. “Women in Lebanon continue to face many forms of discrimination, while inequality in different fields is still predominant, gender-based violence is not adequately combatted, and their concerns, rights, and interests are only rarely prioritized,” he said. Kubis added: “Achieving gender equality is a key factor for the establishment of a stable, peaceful and prosperous Lebanon. Bold political, legal, economic and social steps are needed, especially through the adoption and effective implementation of the necessary relevant laws, to ensure women get to exercise their role as half of society and as pioneers of change and advancement on all levels.”Kubis also promised that the United Nations in Lebanon, through its different agencies, funds and programs will “continue to press for the equal rights of women and will maintain its unwavering support for their empowerment, participation and representation in all fields.”

Kubis: Honest statement of PM Diab opens the way out of the crisis
NNA/March 08/2020
United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Jan Kubis, tweeted Sunday over Lebanese Prime Minister's address yesterday, saying: "Honest statement of PM Hassan Diab about the failure of the previous economic model opens the way out of the crisis. I encourage creditors to work with the government to avoid disorderly default following the suspension of the 9 March Eurobonds payment...dictated by the critical situation of the country."

Hizbullah Urges 'Solidarity' with Govt. on Eurobond Decision
Naharnet/March 08/2020
A senior Hizbullah official announced Sunday that his party “backs the government in its decision related to the Eurobonds,” urging the people and all political forces to “show solidarity with it and support its stance.”
Everyone should “cooperate with it so that it takes its decisions bravely, away from intimidation and blackmail,” the deputy head of Hizbullah’s Executive Council, Sheikh Ali Daamoush, said. “The government’s decision not to pay the dues and to restructure the debt instead is less negative than paying, because paying without finding solutions to secure liquidity might lead to bankruptcy and to heading to the International Monetary Fund to be subject to its conditions,” Daamoush said. “Can Lebanon and the Lebanese bear the conditions of the IMF?” he wondered. He warned that the IMF would impose conditions such as “hiking the (VAT) tax to 20%, selling the state’s properties, privatizing institutions and floating the Lebanese pound.” Daamoush added: “When we announced that we are against heading to the IMF, some parties unleashed the media mouthpieces against us, although we are not against the IMF as a financial institution but rather against placing Lebanon under the international fund’s tutelage, dictations and conditions, the same as we are against the tutelage of any international or regional side over Lebanon.”“We don’t want our country to lose its sovereignty and national decision under the pressure of the financial and economic crisis, at a time that there are solutions that can prevent collapse without putting the country under any side’s hegemony or burdening the people with new taxes,” Daamoush went on to say. He said the alternative course requires “a national will and understandings in addition to bold decisions.”

Sami Gemayel Slams Lack of 'Measures, Reforms' in Diab's Default Speech
Naharnet/March 08/2020
Kataeb Party chief MP Sami Gemayel has criticized a speech delivered by Prime Minister Hassan Diab in which he announced that Lebanon will default on its March 9 Eurobond debt.
“No legal measures were announced, no practical and instant reforms were announced, no economic and social steps for rescue were announced and no containment measures were announced to confront the repercussions from the default decision,” Gemayel lamented in a tweet. “All what we heard was a declaration of the state’s bankruptcy and a disclosure of the reality of net foreign currency reserves at the central bank,” he added. On Saturday, Diab said that "the Lebanese state will seek to restructure its debts, in a manner consistent with the national interest" through negotiations with creditors. Diab's government was nominated in January to handle the economic crisis amid unprecedented protests that began in October demanding a complete overhaul of the political class. He said a default -- the first decision taken by his government -- was the "only way" to stop reserves from depleting. In taking this path, Diab's administration is in effect overruling objections from banks who say it would pile added pressure on domestic lenders and compromise ties with foreign creditors. The move also exposes the country to legal action by creditors."How could we pay creditors while the Lebanese people are unable to access their own money in their bank accounts?" Diab said. Despite a series of crises, the country has never before defaulted, but in recent months it has grappled with its worst economic turmoil since the 1975-1990 civil war. Foreign currency has become increasingly scarce, Lebanon's pound has plunged in value and banks have imposed tough restrictions on dollar withdrawals and transfers. Diab said debt restructuring is part of a wider economic rescue plan, that seeks to cut state spending and save more than $350 million annually. He said downsizing the banking sector is part of the reform plan. Seeking to assuage public concern, the prime minister pledged to protect bank deposits, especially those of small depositors. He assured foreign backers of Lebanon's commitment to reforms pledged at a conference dubbed CEDRE in Paris in April 2018. But an $11 billion (10 billion euro) aid package pledged at the conference has not been unlocked by donors due to a lack of commitment to reforms. Diab said Lebanon must now enter into debt restructuring negotiations, which "will take time, effort, and will require painful measures."

Al-Rahi: We Won't Allow Lebanon's Downfall
Naharnet/March 08/2020
Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi on Sunday warned against “tampering with Lebanon’s fate,” as he stressed that the church “will not allow its downfall.”“It is a must to remind that the free financial and economic system – of which the banking sector is a key part and in which the Lebanese stash their lifelong savings – is a pillar of the pillars of the Lebanese entity which was established by the venerable patriarch Elias Hoayek 100 years ago,” al-Rahi said in his Sunday Mass sermon. “Beware of harming it and beware of jeopardizing the future of the Lebanese through attacking it, because the reason (behind the financial crisis) is found in another place,” the patriarch warned. He said the government’s duty is to “address the reasons immediately and punish those manipulating the national currency.”“We remind that free economy is at the heart of the constitution, but the church wants it to have a social dimension that guarantees justice, solidarity and the human’s dignity and rights,” al-Rahi added.

Police Shut Nightclubs that Did Not Abide by Coronavirus Closure Order
Naharnet/March 08/2020
Two units from the Tourist Police aided by members of the Internal Security Forces overnight hit the streets to “shut down all nightclubs that did not abide by the closure order” issued by Tourism Minister Ramzi Msharrafiyeh and Lebanon’s anti-coronavirus panel. Al-Jadeed TV said the security forces moved at the instructions of Prime Minister Hassan Diab, Msharrafiyeh and Interior Minister Mohammed Fahmi. Lebanon’s government-linked anti-coronavirus committee had on Friday recommended extending the closure of educational institutions and nurseries until March 14 and called for shutting down sport clubs, nightclubs, cinemas, fairs, theaters and other venues that witness gatherings. It said nightclubs should be closed until next Sunday. Health Minister Hamad Hasan warned Friday that Lebanon is no longer in the “containment phase” regarding the virus, citing the arrival of infected Lebanese citizens from countries not categorized as hotbeds of the virus, such as Egypt and the UK. Lebanon’s confirmed coronavirus cases rose to 28 on Saturday after six new cases were recorded.

Lebanon Debt Talks Won't Last More than 9 Months if Well-Intentioned, Says Minister
Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 8 March, 2020
Negotiations to restructure Lebanon's foreign currency debt should not last more than nine months if well-intentioned, the economy minister told a local broadcaster, as the country headed for its first sovereign default. Hit by a major financial crisis, Lebanon declared on Saturday it could not pay forthcoming maturities - the first of which is a $1.2 billion bond due on Monday. The prime minister called for fair restructuring negotiations. The default will mark a new phase in a crisis that has hammered the economy since October, slicing around 40% off the value of the currency, denying savers free access to their deposits and fueling unemployment and unrest. The financial crisis is seen as the biggest risk to Lebanon's stability since the end of the 1975-90 civil war. Face-to-face negotiations between Lebanon and bond holders are expected to begin in about two weeks, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters. Prime Minister Hassan Diab, in a televised address to the nation on Saturday, said foreign currency reserves had hit a "critical and dangerous" level and were needed for basic imports. Lebanon had therefore, suspended the March payment. The financial crisis came to a head last year as capital inflows slowed and protests erupted over decades of state corruption and bad governance. "The negotiation process will last for months and if we have good intentions will not go on for more than nine months," Raoul Nehme, the economy minister, told broadcaster al-Jadeed in comments published on its website overnight. Reuters could not immediately reach him for comment. "The government is now waiting for the position of the Eurobond holders," Nehme said, adding that he expected them to adopt "positive" positions. Referring to the possibility of Lebanon being sued abroad, he said creditors may bring legal cases against the central bank but would not win. Lebanon has some $31 billion in dollar bonds that sources say the state wants to restructure. Lebanon's public debt has reached around 170% of gross domestic product, meaning the country is close to being the world's most heavily indebted state, Diab said. Lebanon's banks, big holders of the debt, are ready to talk with foreign creditors as the government seeks to restructure, a source familiar with the matter said on Saturday. There was no timetable yet for any restructuring and the discussions with foreign creditors are likely to start slowly, the source said. The Lebanese banking association has appointed Houlihan Lokey as financial adviser to help with the process. There has been no sign of a bailout from foreign states that aided Lebanon in the past. Western governments insist Beirut first enact long-delayed reforms against waste and corruption. Many analysts believe the only way for Lebanon to secure financial support would be through an IMF program. But this is opposed by Hezbollah, which has said conditions the IMF would seek to impose would cause a "popular revolution". Lebanon has however sought IMF technical assistance.

Lebanon Bondholders Stepping up Efforts to Form Creditor Group
Asharq Al-Awsat/March 08/2020
A set of Lebanon’s bond holders are to step up efforts to form a creditor group in the coming days after the country’s presidency signaled on Saturday it would default, one of the members of the group said. Prime Minister Hassan Diab announced later on Saturday that Lebanon cannot meet its forthcoming debt maturities, setting the heavily indebted state on course for a sovereign default. “We think it (creditor group) will come together soon,” the member of the group said, requesting anonymity. “From what we understand the government wants to be reasonable and so do most creditors. They understand the country is in a difficult situation.”So far, the group had been more informal, with distressed debt veterans Greylock Capital and Switzerland-based Mangart Advisors facilitating discussions between bond holders and other interested investors. The group member told Reuters that amid the prospect of a default, potential legal and financial advisors had been sounded out. Lebanon’s government itself has hired investment bank Lazard and law firm Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP to help steer its efforts. “From what we understand the government wants to be reasonable and so do most creditors. They understand the country is in a difficult situation,” said the group member. “We think if this is approached in a constructive way that something can be achieved.” Diab declared the suspension of a bond payment of $1.2 billion due on March 9, saying foreign currency reserves had hit dangerously low levels and were needed to meet basic needs. Diab said Lebanon's public debt had reached around 170% of gross domestic product, meaning the country was close to being the world's most heavily indebted state.

Kataeb: Shooting at 'Kataeb Central House' in Saifi at dawn today
NNA/March 08/2020
The Lebanese Kataeb Party disclosed, in an issued statement on Sunday, that unknown gunmen opened fire at dawn today at the Central Kataeb House in Saifi, hitting its eastern façade with six bullets. The Party placed this assault in the custody of the state and its security services, to track down and reveal the identity of the perpetrators. "The Kataeb Central House that has embodied independence and freedom, which was labeled by the October 17 Revolution as the House of the People, and which became the meeting place for revolutionaries and free men of various sects, affiliations and orientations, will remain open to all Lebanese and the spearhead in the battle towards sovereignty, liberty and a decent life," the Party pledged in its statement. It concluded by asserting that the Kataeb will never be undermined or intimidated by such "cheap and trivial political messages."

Musharrafieh: Women will have most prominence in the Ministries of Social Affairs and Tourism
NNA/March 08/2020
Minister of Social Affairs and Tourism, Ramzi Musharrafieh, tweeted Sunday on the occasion of Women's Day, saying: "On International Women's Day, a salute to disabled women, elderly women, abused women and working women..."He added: "In the Ministry of Social Affairs and the Ministry of Tourism, women will have significant presence and most effective roles, for they are the foundation of society."

Majzoub extends educational institutions' closure until the evening of March 15
NNA/March 08/2020
Higher Education Minister Tarek al-Majzoub requested that classes continue to be suspended in all public and private educational institutions until Sunday evening, March 15, 2020, in a circular addressed to elementary and secondary schools, vocational institutes and public and private universities today. "In order to preserve the health and safety of students and administrative and educational bodies, and after communicating with the Public Health Minister and the official bodies tasked with following-up on the fight against the Coronavirus, and based on public interest requirements, all directors of public and private educational institutions are requested to continue to suspend classes in all public and private educational institutions until Sunday evening, March 15, 2020," the circular read. It also called for "completing the preparation of emergency programs to end the educational curricula and compensate for the lessons lost by the students."

Al Shamsi praises women's achievements on International Women's Day: Left a distinctive mark in building their homelands
NNA/March 08/2020
On the occasion of International Women's Day, United Arab Emirates Ambassador to Lebanon Hamad Saeed Al Shamsi, hailed the significant accomplishments of women, saying: "International Women's Day pushes us every year to appreciate the important and pioneering role that women play in our societies, especially since women have left a distinctive mark in building their nations." In an issued statement marking the event which falls on the 8th of March of each year, Al Shamsi said "the UAE participates in the appreciation and recognition of the role of women and their active contribution to the process of political, cultural, social and economic development." He noted that "this day has become a global occasion to discuss and present women's achievements and future aspirations for further progress. "The UAE has attached great importance to empowering citizens, male and female alike, since its foundation in 1971. The constitution guarantees equal rights for all, and before the law in obtaining health, education and work," Al Shamsi maintained. He continued to stress that "women have been recognized as an equal partner to men in the development of our nation for a long time. Although our country is newly established, evidence of our success in empowering women to work is their presence in leadership positions in a number of government agencies, the army, businesses and in different sectors of society." The UAE Ambassador highlighted his country's pioneering position in "topping many global and regional indicators on gender equality and women's accomplishments, and in women's access to education, literacy and job opportunities, as well as in the index of treating women with respect, among other indicators." Al Shamsi concluded by congratulating women on their international day, deeming them as "well-deserving of appreciation, gratitude and praise being half of society, and perhaps even the whole society," adding, "All the best to the Emirati women who charted the path of success and brilliance and exerted strenuous and relentless efforts in building our state."

Is Lebanon on the verge of collapse?
Rami Rayess/The Arab Weekly/March 08/2020
As Lebanon passes through the most severe and unprecedented economic and fiscal crisis in its contemporary history, there are increasing doubts that its new cabinet is capable of confronting the enormous upcoming challenges. The Arab and international communities upon which Lebanon traditionally relies for aid have expressed a cold attitude towards the cabinet headed by Hassan Diab. Lebanese Foreign Minister Nassif Hitti recently made his first European visit to Paris, with the new cabinet relying on the French to revive the CEDRE Conference resolutions that pledged almost $11 billion in aid to Lebanon.
The conference was orchestrated by French President Emmanuel Macron, convened in the French capital in April 2018 and called on Lebanon to initiate reforms that would introduce drastic changes to the economy.
Lebanon’s power sector squanders $2 billion a year in estimated losses, a figure that has increased the country’s deficit and public debt to no avail because the country still suffers electricity shortages in vast areas. In effect, the new cabinet has copy-pasted the former government’s plan as-is without amendment.
The plan postpones the assignment of an independent supervisory committee, which is a precondition for donors, to increase transparency and secure efficient administering of the sector. The pretext is that there is a need to change the regulatory law first. Criticisms have also been voiced against this postponement, considering that this is a step that would allow the Energy Ministry to complete all huge tenders without the supervision of the committee.
Information leaked from Paris indicated that France had lost enthusiasm to extend aid to Lebanon unless it seeks aid from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), a step that would deepen division among Lebanese political parties. Hezbollah has explicitly rejected any deal with the IMF because it considers the fund a Western tool used to dominate crippled countries such as Lebanon. On the Arab front, Diab has reportedly asked to visit Saudi Arabia, part of a Gulf tour that would also see him travel to Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and other countries. Riyadh has yet to respond. Qatar has said it would welcome a visit from Diab, regardless.
The new government’s plan promised Qatar Petroleum one out of the three grand Floating Storage Regasification Units to be built in Lebanon. Another enormous challenge that confronts the cabinet is the $1.2 billion Eurobond set to mature March 9, with other bonds requiring repayment in April and June. Lebanese Finance Minister Ghazi Wazni, a veteran financial expert, said the country “has the option to choose between the worse and the worst.”After the Central Bank announced that it was the sole responsibility of the cabinet to deal with this debt, there are fears that abiding by those payments would lead to a sharp decrease in the Central Bank’s foreign currency reserves, something that would exacerbate the liquidity crisis in the country. Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri warned against making the forthcoming payment, saying it would lead to catastrophic results at the social level. The revolt that started October 17, 2019, toppled the government headed by Saad Hariri but has lost momentum, with a few exceptions of cutting roads or breaking into ministries and public departments. The call for early parliamentary elections, though supported by several political forces, seems to be blocked by Hezbollah, which is of the view that parliament should complete its designated term, which ends in 2022. As a result of this, political and economic deadlock is looming. Once more, Lebanon finds itself at a crossroads as it has always been. No matter where it goes and how it goes, difficulties are at the forefront.

Lebanese women to press for equal personal status rights on International Women’s Day
Samar Kadi/The Arab Weekly/March 08/2020
BEIRUT - Although a record of six female ministers sit in Lebanon’s cabinet, Lebanese women struggle to achieve equal gender rights in a country where discrimination against them is facilitated by 15 religion-based personal status laws.
Family law in Lebanon falls under the ruling of religious courts so each sect dictates its own rules concerning marriage, divorce, inheritance and custody, which are mostly unfair to women across all confessions. A video of a divorced Shia woman grieving her daughter’s death after she was denied the right to see her for years and forbidden from attending her funeral sent crowds demonstrating outside the Supreme Islamic Shia Council, the community’s highest religious authority. Men and women chanted that corruption had infiltrated the turbans of religious leaders who refuse to listen to demands for more just rulings.
Unfortunately, another International Women’s Day is marked and women in Lebanon, who are educated and hardworking, are still fighting for basic rights, said Mona Fayyad, a sociologist and Lebanese University professor.
“One of the most flagrant forms of discrimination against Lebanese women is not having the right to give their nationality to their children if they are married to non-Lebanese, whereas men grant their non-Lebanese wives full citizenship in no time,” Fayyad said. “Discrimination is also inherent in the personal status laws of all sects and religions. It is a matter that harms both genders because it consigns them to their sect and places them at the mercy of the clergy in matters of marriage, divorce, inheritance, et cetera.”“Definitely women are doubly harmed because religious laws do not grant them the same rights as men when it comes to inheritance or children custody or even the right to divorce in the Shia community,” Fayyad added.
Zeina Ibrahim, a member of the Protecting Lebanese Women organisation, has been campaigning for seven years to raise maternal custody within the Shia community to 7 years for boys and 9 years for girls, as well as shared custody afterward. “We have many clerics who back us and they are part of the campaign because they consider our demands are rightful and can be achieved since it does not go against religion,” Ibrahim said, noting that all other sects have amended the custody regulations except the Shia. “Of course, we hope there is a common equitable civic law for personal status affairs that applies to all religions and sects. Besides personal status issues, many discriminate laws need to be amended to become fairer to women and fulfil their rights,” Ibrahim added. Prominent Shia cleric Sheikh Ahmad Taleb called for reforms in religious courts. He said he supports raising the age of custody and that immediate reforms should be made within the courts, Ibrahim noted. A report by Human Rights Watch, called “Unequal and Unprotected” listing forms of discrimination facing women in Lebanon, said, across all confessions, women faced legal and other obstacles when terminating unhappy or abusive marriages; limitations on their pecuniary rights; and the risk of losing their children if they remarry or when the so-called maternal custody period ends.
“Gender inequality in Lebanon is among the worst in the world,” Fayyad said. “There is no equality between people (the haves and have nots) in general and no equality between male and female citizens especially under the authority of the clergy. What we need is hands-off from the clergy over personal status laws.”Equal rights in a civil state are among the demands of anti-government demonstrators who have been protesting since October against a ruling class accused of corruption and mismanagement that pushed Lebanon to the brink of economic collapse. Meanwhile, events dedicated to women’s rights were set for International Women’s Day under the theme “I am Generation Equality: Realising Women’s Rights.”
Those included a female march on March 8, panel discussions of women’s role in the protest movement and a 2-day event — “Women in the spotlight” — that includes talks, discussions, stand-up comedy, yoga workshops, garage sales and live music. The activities were organised by women architects, artists and activists who started local initiatives that are environmentally sensitive. One event was designed to honour pioneering Lebanese women athletes who defied social stigmas and thrived through determination and perseverance and a public talk on how to “build resilience in a time of crisis” will provide tips to deal with the socio-economic crisis gripping Lebanon; mentally, financially and physically.

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on March 08-09/2020
KSA Releases King's Photos after Purge over 'Coup Plot'
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/March 08/2020
Saudi Arabia released images of King Salman carrying out his royal duties on Sunday, after a stunning purge of at least three princes including his brother and nephew for allegedly plotting a coup. Saudi royal guards on Friday detained the trio, multiple sources told AFP, in a move that signals Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's tightening grip on power. The detentions also raised speculation about the health of the 84-year-old king and whether Prince Mohammed's succession to the Arab world's most powerful throne was imminent. But the official Saudi Press Agency posted photos of the king presiding over the swearing-in ceremony of newly appointed Saudi ambassadors to Ukraine and Uruguay. A source close to the Saudi leadership told AFP on Saturday the "king is healthy and fine" and the detentions were meant to enforce "discipline" within the royal family. The crown prince is "in control" and the purge was carried out "after an accumulation of negative behavior by the two princes", this source added without elaborating. Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, a brother of King Salman, and the monarch's nephew Prince Mohammed bin Nayef were detained after they were accused of plotting a palace coup aimed at unseating the crown prince, heir to the Saudi throne, sources said. Prince Nayef's younger brother, Prince Nawaf bin Nayef, was also detained, they added.The detentions mark the latest crackdown by Prince Mohammed, the king's son who has consolidated his grip on power with the imprisonment of prominent clerics and activists as well as princes and businessmen. He is already viewed as the de facto ruler, controlling all the major levers of government, from defense to the economy.

MBS Crown prince detains three family members over ‘coup plot’
The Arab Weekly/March 08/2020
Crown Prince orders arrest of three princes including King’s brother, nephew for allegedly plotting palace coup to overthrow de facto ruler.
RIYADH - Saudi authorities have detained three princes including King Salman's brother and nephew for allegedly plotting a coup, three sources said Saturday, signalling the de facto ruler's tightening grip on power.
The detentions, which cast aside the last vestiges of potential opposition to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, come at a sensitive time as the petro-state grapples with plunging oil prices and limits access to Islam's holiest sites over fears of the new coronavirus. Royal guards detained Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, a brother of King Salman, and the monarch's nephew Prince Mohammed bin Nayef on Friday after they were accused of plotting a palace coup aimed at unseating the crown prince -- heir to the Saudi throne -- an Arab official and a Western official said. Prince Nayef's younger brother, Prince Nawaf bin Nayef, was also detained, they added.
A number of military and interior ministry officials accused of supporting the coup plot had also been rounded up, the Western official said, citing Saudi government sources. "With this purge, no rivals remain to stop the crown prince's succession to the throne," he said.
The detentions raised speculation about the health of the 84-year-old king and whether the crown prince's succession to the Arab world's most powerful throne was imminent. But another source close to the Saudi leadership said the "king is healthy and fine" and the detentions were meant to enforce "discipline" within the royal family. The crown prince is "in control" and the purge was carried out "after an accumulation of negative behaviour by the two princes", this source added without elaborating. The Wall Street Journal, which was first to report the detentions, said Prince Ahmed and Prince Nayef -- once potential contenders for the throne -- could face lifetime imprisonment or execution. It was unclear where they were being held. The detentions mark the latest crackdown by Prince Mohammed, the king's son who has consolidated his grip on power with the imprisonment of prominent clerics and activists as well as princes and businessmen. Already viewed as the defacto ruler controlling all the major levers of government, from defence to the economy, the prince is widely seen to be stamping out traces of internal dissent before a formal transfer of power from his father King Salman. Prince Mohammed has faced a torrent of international condemnation over the murder of critic Jamal Khashoggi inside the kingdom's Istanbul consulate in October 2018. "Prince Mohammed is emboldened -- he has already ousted any threats to his rise and jailed or murdered critics of his regime without any repercussion," said Becca Wasser, a policy analyst at the US-based RAND Corporation."This is a further step to shore up his power and a message to anyone -- including royals -- not to cross him."
'Disgruntled princes'
The detentions come as Saudi Arabia grapples with a coronavirus-led slump in oil prices just as the kingdom was seeking to raise funds to finance Prince Mohammed's ambitious Vision 2030 reform programme. The kingdom has suspended the "umrah" year-round pilgrimage over fears of the disease spreading to Mecca and Medina, raising uncertainty over the upcoming hajj. The pilgrimages are a key source of revenue. "The arrest of several senior disgruntled princes... reflects a growing discontent with the 'Son King' over his despicable hegemony and erratic social, economic, foreign and religious policies," said Madawi al-Rasheed, a London-based Saudi academic. Prince Mohammed had edged out Prince Nayef, the former crown prince and interior minister, in 2017 to become heir to the throne. At the time, Saudi television channels showed Prince Mohammed kissing the hand of the older prince and kneeling before him in a show of reverence. Western media reports later said that Prince Nayef had been placed under house arrest, a claim denied by Saudi authorities. Prince Ahmed, said to be in his 70s, was reportedly keeping a low profile after he returned to the kingdom from his base in London. Just before his return in October 2018, the prince had courted controversy over remarks he made to protesters in London chanting against Saudi royals over the kingdom's military involvement in the ongoing conflict in Yemen. "What does the family have to do with it? Certain individuals are responsible... the king and the crown prince," he said, according to an online video of the incident. The comment was seen by many as rare criticism of the kingdom's leaders, but Prince Ahmed had dismissed that interpretation as "inaccurate".

Israel Election Challenger Gets Extra Security after Threats
Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 8 March, 2020
Israel's parliament on Sunday beefed up the security detail protecting Benny Gantz, the main electoral challenger to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, after deeming various death threats against Gantz to be credible. The threats came in the wake of last week's volatile and inconclusive election, in which Netanyahu was unable to capture the parliamentary majority needed to form a government. Gantz revealed that a man tried to assault him Saturday evening as he arrived at a speaking engagement, and that Netanyahu supporters have been threatening him online. One post called for Gantz to be murdered just like former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who was assassinated by a Jewish ultra-nationalist in 1995. Another portrayed him and his fellow party leaders in Arab headdress, similar to images that circulated of Rabin before he was killed. In his comments, Gantz vowed to unseat Netanyahu with a more worthy leadership and warned the prime minister to tamp down his divisive rhetoric before it was too late. “Netanyahu: The pubic atmosphere and the threats worry every national leader,” he said, pointing his finger forward. “The incitement is raging everywhere and you are silent.”“I won't allow you to sow fear. I won't allow you to turn man against his brother. I won't allow you to bring about modern Israel's first civil war in return for a ticket out of your trial,” he added. “Your regime has trampled all norms.”
Netanyahu goes on trial for next week to face corruption charges of fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes. Israel's longest-serving leader is desperate to remain in office, because installing a new government would give him an important political boost and potentially allow him to legislate his way out of the legal quagmire. Initial exit polls had indicated his Likud party and smaller religious and nationalist allies may be able to eke out a razor-thin edge in parliament. But when the dust finally settled after Monday's vote, final results showed Netanyahu's right-wing bloc capturing just 58 seats, well short of the 61-seat majority required to form a new government. A defiant Netanyahu still insists he has emerged as the winner, and accused his opponents of trying to “steal the elections” by aligning with Arab-led parties he claimed were hostile to the state. “I promise you, I am not going anywhere,” Netanyahu told supporters Saturday. While Netanyahu's opponents control a majority of seats in the incoming parliament, they are deeply divided, with a hardline nationalist party and the predominantly Arab Joint List among them. Those divisions could make it difficult for Gantz to establish an alternative coalition. If neither he nor Netanyahu can form a government, the country could be headed to an unprecedented fourth straight election. But even if he can't build a government himself this time, Gantz's party looks to be promoting legislation in the new parliament that would bar anyone indicted of a crime being able to lead a government. If it passes, the proposal would essentially end Netanyahu's career. With his back against the wall, Netanyahu has intensified his attacks. His allies have lashed out in all directions — threatening to fire the attorney general, blackmailing lawmakers who didn't defect to his camp, comparing his opponents to the ancient enemies of the Jewish people and hinting that supporters would angrily take to the streets if he was voted out. Convening what he called an “emergency conference” Saturday night, Netanyahu himself accused Gantz and his partners of undermining Israeli democracy. “There is no limit to their cynicism," he charged. “The political reason we are here tonight is the deceitful attempt to steal away the will of the people with lies and anti-democratic legislation.”

Iraq’s Shiite Parties ‘Deeply Divided’ over Naming New PM
Baghdad – Hamza Mustafa/Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 8 March, 2020
Mohammed Allawi’s decision to withdraw his candidacy for the position of prime minister has left Iraq at an impasse and confronted Shiite parties with the need to choose a successor. The country had 12 days to appoint a new figure, five of which have already passed. Differences among Shiite parties have strengthened the hand of Sunni and Kurdish parties that had withheld confidence from a cabinet lineup proposed by Allawi. The failure to approve the lineup at parliament led him to withdraw his candidacy. The Sunni and Kurdish parties, including President Barham Salih, have effectively thrown the ball back in the Shiite court. The president is entitled by the constitution to nominate any figure he deems fit to form a cabinet. This figure does not necessarily have to be part of the largest parliamentary bloc. Salih, however, opted to allow the Shiites to choose the prime minister in line with political norms that have been in place in Iraq since 2003. The Sunnis and Kurds did not oppose Allawi’s nomination, but they rejected his political performance and his failure to hold any serious negotiations with them over the government. MP Mohammed al-Karbouli told Asharq Al-Awsat: “Allawi was a mystery until the very end. He did not have a clear approach in choosing ministers.” He added that the majority of the names he chose for his cabinet were “unsuitable” for their posts. “It would be wrong to claim that we objected to ministerial shares. He did in fact try to reach an understanding with us and the Kurds in the end. This meant making concessions. We were clear in stating that we were mainly concerned about the cabinet’s agenda. He was not clear about this,” he explained. MP Salem al-Ghaban told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Shiites are “deeply divided” about the crisis over naming a new premier. “There appears to be no light at the end of the tunnel,” he remarked, despite acknowledging the efforts to bridge divides and resolve disputes among Shiite leaderships. He blamed the lack of progress in resolving the dispute to the “intransigence” of some leaderships that refuse to show any flexibility that would lead to an agreement. He predicted that they will fail to name a PM within the constitutional deadline. Moreover, Ghaban remarked that Qassem Soleimani, the top Iranian commander killed in a US strike earlier this year, “always used to bring together the divided Iraqi Shiites.”

Egypt Says Ethiopia’s Posturing over Nile Dam Threatens Regional Security
Cairo – Mohamed Nabil Helmi/Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 8 March, 2020
With the fierce crisis persisting over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), Egypt has been upping its rhetoric against Addis Ababa, accusing it of undermining regional stability. “Ethiopia’s policy on the GERD is a further assertion of the unilateral nature of its regional conduct that has resulted in continuing harm and suffering for multitudes of our African brethren,” it said. The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on Friday in which it rejected the Ethiopian foreign ministry’s statement on the Arab League stance on GERD altogether.
Cairo, in the statement, urged the international community to join the Arab League in taking cognizance of Ethiopia’s continuing defiance and unilateralism, which threaten to undermine regional stability and security. “This statement is inappropriate, undiplomatic, and constitutes an unacceptable affront to the Arab League and its member states. The fact that the Arab League adopted a resolution calling on Ethiopia to respect the applicable rules of international law and not to undertake unilateral measures that could harm Egyptian riparian rights and interests is a testament to the extent to which Ethiopia unilaterally considers its interests not only as superseding, but also superior to, the collective interests of the sovereign states of the Arab League which it seeks to suppress,” it added. The Arab League voiced rejection of any infringement of Egypt’s historical rights to the waters of the River Nile.
This came at the end of the 153rd session of the Arab League Council, which kicked off on March 4 at the level of foreign ministers. “This resolution adopted by the Arab League reflects dismay and discontent at Ethiopia’s track record throughout the endless rounds of negotiations on the GERD, particularly since the conclusion of the 2015 Agreement on Declaration of Principles (DoP),” continued the Egyptian Foreign Ministry. “Ethiopia’s posture and position during these negotiations, which has been criticized by the Arab League, evinces its intent to exercise hydro-hegemony and to anoint itself as the unchallenged and sole beneficiary over the Nile.”Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry is expected to kick off on Sunday an Arab tour, starting from Jordan. He will also visit Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.

Iran Stops Flights to Europe as Coronavirus Death Toll Climbs
Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 8 March, 2020
IranAir has stopped all flights to European destinations, the official IRNA news agency reported on Sunday, citing a statement from the Civil Aviation Organization. "With attention to the restrictions that have been placed on (IranAir) flights by Europe for unclear reasons all IranAir flights to European destinations have been suspended until further notice," IRNA reported, citing the statement. Iran is in the midst of a coronavirus outbreak with one of the highest rates of fatality from the illness outside of China, where the virus originated. The health ministry said on Sunday that total coronavirus cases have risen to 6,566, while the death toll has reached 194, according to state television. Among the dead was Fatemeh Rahabar, a 55-year-old newly elected lawmaker who passed away in Tehran, the state-run IRNA news agency reported Saturday. She'd been elected to the next parliament that begins work in May. Earlier this week, Iranian lawmaker Abdolreza Mesri told state television that 23 members in the current parliament had the coronavirus, and urged all lawmakers to avoid the public.

IranAir stops all flights to Europe
Arab News/March 08, 2020
DUBAI: IranAir has stopped all flights to European destinations, the official IRNA news agency reported on Sunday, citing a statement from the Civil Aviation Organization. “With attention to the restrictions that have been placed on (IranAir) flights by Europe for unclear reasons all IranAir flights to European destinations have been suspended until further notice,” IRNA reported, citing the statement. Iran is in the midst of a coronavirus outbreak, with 5,823 infections and 145 deaths, one of the highest rates of fatality from the illness outside of China, where the virus originated.

Iran Reports 49 New Coronavirus Deaths, Highest Single-Day Toll
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/March 08/2020
Iran's health ministry on Sunday reported 49 new deaths from the novel coronavirus, the highest toll within 24 hours since the start of the outbreak in the country. "At least 194 of our compatriots who fell sick with the COVID-19 illness have passed away," health ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said in a televised news conference. The outbreak of the virus in Iran is one of the deadliest outside of China, where the disease originated. Jahanpour added that 743 new infections were also confirmed within the past 24 hours, bringing the number of cases to 6,566 spread across all of Iran's 31 provinces. With 1,805 infections, the capital Tehran remains the province with the most cases, the spokesman added. But the situation in other provinces continued to deteriorate, with Jahanpour saying 685 cases were detected in and around Qom, the holy Shiite city south of Tehran where the country's first cases were reported. He said the number of cases was also "rising quickly" in Isfahan, a popular tourist destination, where there were now 564 people sick with the virus. No official widescale quarantine measures have been enforced but several provinces have announced they would not provide lodging for tourists in an effort to dissuade travel. Iran has been scrambling to contain the spread of the virus, closing schools and universities until the end of the Iranian new year celebrations and holidays in early April, a period when people typically travel and visit family.

Quarter of Italian Population Put under Virus Lockdown
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/March 08/2020
More than 15 million people were placed under forced quarantine in northern Italy early Sunday as the government approved drastic measures in an attempt to halt the spread of the deadly coronavirus that is sweeping the globe. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said on Twitter he had signed off on plans to strictly limit movement in and out of large areas including Venice and the financial capital Milan for nearly a month. "#Coronavirus, the new decree is finally approved," Conte wrote, confirming earlier reports of the lockdown in the newspaper Corriere Della Sera and other media.With more than 230 fatalities, Italy has recorded the most deaths from the COVID-19 disease of any country outside China, where the outbreak began in December.Italy has the world's second oldest population after Japan, according to the World Bank, and older people appear to be more vulnerable to becoming severely ill with the new coronavirus.
Without a "serious" reason that cannot be postponed, such as urgent work or family issues, people will not be allowed to enter or leave the quarantine zones, Corriere Della Sera reported. These include the entire Lombardy region as well as Venice and its surrounding areas, and the cities of Parma and Rimini -- affecting a quarter of Italy's population of 60 million. Museums, nightclubs, gyms and casinos will be closed in these places, with people advised to stay at home as much as possible, the newspaper said, adding that the restrictions would be in place until April 3.
People will be allowed to return home from outside these regions, while bars and restaurants are allowed to remain open provided it is possible for customers to stay a meter (three feet) away from one another. The measures echo those taken in China's central Hubei province, whose nearly 60 million residents have been under lockdown since late January when the government rushed to put a lid on the virus that first emerged in the regional capital, Wuhan. Worldwide, the total number of people with COVID-19 has passed 100,000 while 3,500 have died across 95 nations and territories.
The disease has convulsed markets and paralyzed global supply chains, and Italy has found itself at the forefront of the global fight against the virus, with more than 5,800 infections recorded in the past seven weeks in all 22 Italian regions. The virus has now spread to all 22 Italian regions and the first deaths are being recorded in Italy's less well medically equipped south.

Gulf Shares Slump after OPEC Fails to Agree Virus Action Plan
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/March 08/2020
Shares in the energy-dependent Gulf plunged to multi-year lows Sunday after OPEC's failure to agree on a coronavirus action plan prompted fears of an all-out oil price war. OPEC and its allies failed to clinch a deal on production cuts that would have offered support to energy markets, sending prices tumbling to four-month lows on Friday. The OPEC+ meeting was expected to agree to deeper cuts of 1.5 million barrels per day to counter the effects of the novel coronavirus, but Moscow refused to tighten supply. Fears of a price war were stoked as Saudi Arabia -- the world's top exporter -- quickly responded by making significant cuts to its oil price. All the seven bourses in the Gulf were in the red amid a panic sell-off over fears that energy prices, the mainstay of public revenues in the region, could collapse. The Saudi stock market, the largest in the region, dived by 7.7 percent minutes from the opening bell on Sunday, the first day of the trading week. Shares in oil giant Saudi Aramco dropped below their IPO price of 32 riyals ($8.5) for the first time, losing some 7.6 percent to 30.50 riyals. The world's biggest company launched on the bourse to much fanfare in December in a record-breaking initial public offering, but since then its market value has slipped from the IPO value of $1.71 trillion to $1.63 trillion. The slide on the Saudi market also came amid accounts of high level arrests among the ruling family that sent shockwaves around economic circles in the region. Multiple sources told AFP that Saudi authorities have detained three princes, including King Salman's brother and nephew, for allegedly plotting a coup, in a move that signals Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's tightening grip on power. The Dubai Financial Market shed 8.5 percent at one point on Sunday, its worst decline in six years, before recovering slightly. Its sister market in Abu Dhabi also lost 7.0 percent, while the Qatar Stock Exchange dropped 3.5 percent. Market leader Emaar Properties, the largest real estate company in the Middle East, dropped 9.1 percent to its lowest ever price of 2.99 dirhams (81 cents) a share. Kuwait Boursa authorities stopped trading after the Premier Index slumped 10 percent while the All-Shares index dived 8.4 percent. The tiny markets of Bahrain and Oman dropped by 3.0 percent and 1.1 percent, respectively.
Oil price war  Bloomberg News reported on Sunday that Saudi Arabia had begun an all-out oil war after making the biggest cut in its oil prices in the last 20 years. The Gulf powerhouse cut its price for April delivery by $4-6 a barrel to Asia and $7 to the United States, with Aramco selling its Arabian Light at an unprecedented $10.25 a barrel less than Brent to Europe, Bloomberg said. "Saudi Arabia is responding to Russia's exit from output cuts by launching a price war," Bill Farren-Price of Petroleum Policy Intelligence told AFP. "They will boost volumes (exports) and seek market share at all costs. Oil prices will collapse on Monday" when global markets open, he said. "The combination of higher oil production and lower demand due to the coronavirus makes that inevitable. It will be a bloodbath."The new developments are reminiscent of the oil price war that erupted in 2014 and sent oil prices crashing to less than $30 a barrel.The price fall battered revenues in the Gulf countries, forcing them to resort to austerity measures and borrowing to plug budget deficits.

Italy locks down millions as its coronavirus deaths jump ¥ Italy to quarantine 16 million people in wealthy north
NNA/March 08/2020
MILAN, March 8 (Reuters) - Italy ordered a virtual lockdown across much of its wealthy north, including the financial capital Milan, in a drastic new attempt to try to contain a outbreak of coronavirus that saw the number of deaths leap again sharply on Sunday.The unprecedented restrictions, which aim to limit gatherings and curb movement, will impact some 16 million people and stay in force until April 3. They were signed into law overnight by Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte. The new measures say people should not enter or leave Lombardy, Italy's richest region, as well as 14 provinces in four other regions, including the cities of Venice, Modena, Parma, Piacenza, Reggio Emilia and Rimini. Only people with proven, work-related reasons, or health problems will be able to move in and out of the exclusion zones. Leave has been cancelled for health workers. "We are facing a national emergency. We chose from the beginning to take the line of truth and transparency and now we're moving with lucidity and courage, with firmness and determination," said Conte. "We have to limit the spread of the virus and prevent our hospitals from being overwhelmed," he told a news conference called in the early hours of Sunday. Italy has been hit harder by the crisis than anywhere else in Europe so far and Sunday's latest figures showed that starkly. The number of coronavirus cases jumped 25% in a 24-hour period to 7,375, while deaths climbed 57% to 366 deaths. It was the largest daily increase for both readings since the contagion came to light on Feb. 21. {Reuters}

Saudi Arabia locks down Qatif province to prevent coronavirus spread
NNA - (Reuters)/March 08/2020
Saudi Arabia said on Sunday it has imposed a temporary lockdown on the eastern Qatif province, an oil-producing region and home to a large Shi'ite Muslim population, to prevent the spread of coronavirus after 11 people there were infected. All the individuals who had been diagnosed with the disease in the kingdom have either been to Iran or interacted with people who visited the Islamic Republic, home to major Shi'ite holy sites. The Saudi interior ministry said in a statement that no one would be allowed to enter or exit Qatif and that work at all public and private sectors in the province had been suspended with the exception of institutions providing necessary services. Commercial supplies would continue to flow to the region, said the statement carried on state media.

The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on March 08-09/2020
Resilience of Iranian Women Shows Regime’s Abject Failure
Princess Noor Pahlavi/Asharq Al-Awsat/March 08/2020
This year has served as a strong reminder of the resilience and strength of Iranian women
There have been many victims of the ruling regime. Untold numbers of people have been persecuted, arrested, tortured and killed. Innocent people have been targeted for their faith, their race, their politics and any number of other characteristics. But from its very outset, this regime has had no greater focus and target than Iran’s women. Khomeini’s earliest writings were diatribes against the progress for women that my grandfather ushered in. Khomeini never got over the equality that Iranian women had. His mission was to destroy it and for 41 years, his regime has looked to silence Iranian women. It will never succeed.
Iranian women have always been lionesses who have stood up for their rights and refused to stay silent in the face of oppression wherever they see it. This year has served as a strong reminder of the resilience and strength of Iranian women and today, on International Women’s Day, I want to honor their sacrifices and thank them for their leadership. These women are heroes. For years, Atena Daemi has languished in Evin prison. Her “crime” was advocating for women and children’s rights. In jail, she has been denied proper medical treatment. Despite this unjust treatment she has bravely persisted in her activism. She has written from prison that her struggle for justice for Iran’s women and other oppressed groups will not cease.
After losing her son, Mostafa KarimBeigi, in the 2009 protests Shahnaz Akmali used her pain and grief as fuel for action. She has rallied other mothers whose children have been murdered by the regime and has been a source of companionship and solace for them. Despite imprisonment and threats, she has never let up the fight. After saying goodbye to her friends at her Quran study class, Fatemeh Sepehri was arrested for being a signatory of the “14-person letter” calling for an end to the regime’s gender apartheid and to the regime itself. Today, she remains imprisoned for having had the bravery to stand up for the rights of all Iranian women.
Having lost her son Sattar Beheshti in a regime torture cell, Gohar Eshghi has become a mother to so many more grieving families who share in her pain of a child stolen far too early. She has shown the nation what true courage and unmatched empathy look like.
These are the brave women whose names we know. Yet there are too many, thousands, of other mothers, sisters, and daughters struggling whose names we do not. These women whose loved ones were slain in the Aban (October) month massacre have kept on in silence. Their pain and anger are unimaginable and their bravery to continue the fight has empowered us all. These women should never have had to be in this position. I wish they weren’t. I can only imagine that they wish the same. But they have taken the pain and used it to try to end our national tragedy, to end this gender apartheid. They are our nation’s heroines and on International Women’s Day they should know that the Iranian people look to them for inspiration.
We see this remarkable strength in Iranian women everywhere. On my mother’s travels to Greece to meet with Iranian refugees, she met with women who had been through unthinkable tragedy. She met women who had survived abuse, mental health struggles, drug addiction and so much else. They sat, talked, laughed and cried together as Iranian women. The stories my mother shares with me from these women are astounding and the strength they possess to keep standing is remarkable. To me, this show’s the regime’s abject failure. They have tried to silence Iranian women for four decades. But Iranian women of all stripes have only become stronger and more united in their demand for justice, equality and freedom. One day soon in tomorrow’s free Iran, we will celebrate this great day, together, across Iran and honor the immense bravery and achievements of Iranian women. That day is not far.

Who's Attacking Palestinian Christians?
Bassam Tawil/Gatestone Institute/March 8, 2020
The plight of Christians living under the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and Hamas in the Gaza Strip is one that is often ignored by the international community and foreign journalists based in the Middle East.
It is worth noting that that the Christian population in the Bethlehem area has dropped from 86% in 1950 to less than 12% today. Across the West Bank, Christians now account for less than 2% of the population....
In the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, the situation of Christians is even worse.
Instead of raising their voices against the persecution of Christians by the Palestinian Authority and Hamas, these Christian leaders are busy trying to blame Israel. They want the world to believe that Christians are fleeing Bethlehem and the Gaza Strip because of Israeli security measures against terrorists, and not because of the brutalities perpetrated by the Palestinian authorities and Muslims in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. If their claim were true, why aren't Muslims also fleeing as a result of the purported Israeli measures?
While Christian leaders are busy condemning Israel and spreading blood libels against it, Christians in Bethlehem (pictured) are again being targeted by hoodlums and punks.
While Christian leaders are busy condemning Israel and spreading blood libels against it, Christians in Bethlehem are again being targeted by hoodlums and punks.
The latest victim of this anti-Christian violence is Dr. Salameh Qumsiyeh, a gynecologist from Bethlehem who was brutally attacked by unidentified thugs as he was driving his car in the center of the city on February 18.
Four masked assailants intercepted Qumsiyeh's car, eyewitnesses said, and beat him with clubs and sharp tools before fleeing the scene. Qumsiyeh was rushed to hospital, where medics said that the wounds he had suffered were serious.
The doctor's family, one of the biggest Christian clans in the Bethlehem area, issued a statement harshly criticizing the assault, dubbing it a "sinful and despicable attack by a group of cowards and violators of laws and national and social norms." The clan went on to express shock over the attack and was careful to claim that it had been carried out by "mercenaries." It urged the Palestinian Authority (PA) security forces to do their utmost to "arrest the cowards and bring them to justice."
Palestinian factions in the Bethlehem area also denounced the "brutal and cowardly" attack on Qumsiyeh. "We strongly condemn this cowardly and suspicious act, which is alien to our traditions," the factions said in a statement.
The Holy Family Hospital in Bethlehem further condemned the assault on Qumsiyeh and urged the Palestinian security forces to apprehend the perpetrators and bring them to justice.
The attack on Qumsiyeh came only weeks after a Christian woman from the town of Bet Jala, near Bethlehem, died when Palestinian police officers raided her home to arrest her son, Yusef, for unpaid debts. The woman was identified as 63-year-old Terez Ta'amneh.
Ta'amneh's daughter, Marian al-Hajal, accused the Palestinian security forces of "killing my mother" and said that as a Christian, she has no confidence in the Palestinian law and police. "The seven police officers who raided our home," she said, "were led by Jamal Hmeid, a nephew of Kamel Hmeid, the Palestinian governor of Bethlehem."
On the eve of last Christmas, 76-year-old Fairouz Ijha, a Christian woman from Bethlehem, complained that she has been in court for the past two years, fighting to attain family-owned land illegally seized by Muslims. "Each time I ask the judge for permission to speak, he tells me, 'it's not your turn yet,'" Fairouz said. "If I were a Muslim, I would have been treated differently."
A Christian schoolteacher who identified herself as "Diana" emphasized that discrimination against Christians was not new and has in fact increased. "The [Palestinian] police have separate rules for Muslims and Christians," she maintained. "If, for example, there's a car accident involving a Christian and a Muslim, the police always side with the Muslim."
The plight of Christians living under the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and Hamas in the Gaza Strip is one that is often ignored by the international community and foreign journalists based in the Middle East.
It is worth noting that that the Christian population in the Bethlehem area has dropped from 86% in 1950 to less than 12% today. Across the West Bank, Christians now account for less than 2% of the population, though in the 1970s they were 5%.
In the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, the situation of Christians is even worse. The number of Christians living there has dropped from 4,200 in 2007, to only a few hundred today.
"The Hamas people took over my house and turned it into a war room," said Kamal Teresi, a Christian who recently fled the Gaza Strip.
"I was put in a number of prisons, and the Hamas prison is nothing but beating and psychological torture. We Christians are not bystanders in Palestine; we have been in Palestine for 2000 years; we are not guests. They [Hamas] are harassing and hurting the Christian public and Christian institutions, churches and associations. I can't go back to Gaza; returning would be a death sentence."
While ordinary Christians are saying they no longer feel safe living under the Palestinian Authority and Hamas, their leaders continue to lie to the world about the predicament of their community. Instead of raising their voices against the persecution of Christians by the Palestinian Authority and Hamas, these Christian leaders are busy trying to blame Israel.
These Christian leaders, possibly to avoid being targeted themselves, seem to want the world to believe that Christians are fleeing Bethlehem and the Gaza Strip because of Israeli security measures against terrorists, and not because of the brutalities perpetrated by the Palestinian authorities and Muslims in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
If that were true, why aren't Muslims also fleeing as a result of the purported Israeli measures? Israel's security measures, by the way, are usually not directed against Christians but against Palestinian Muslims for their involvement in terrorism. If anyone has good reason to flee from Israeli security, it is the Muslim terrorists and their families, and not peaceful and vulnerable Christians, most of whom are not involved in anti-Israel activities or terrorism.
What are Palestinian Christian leaders doing to defend their community? Unfortunately, nothing. Some even join the Muslims who spread blood libels against Israel.
One such cleric is the head of the Sebastia Diocese of the Greek Orthodox Church in Jerusalem, Archbishop Atallah Hanna, who recently claimed that Israel had "poisoned" him in an apparent failed assassination attempt. Hanna, who is known for his vicious anti-Israel incitement, alleged that he had inhaled a dangerous amount of poison when a gas canister was fired through the window of his room at the church.
It later turned out that Hanna's accusations were completely unfounded and simply the continuation of a despicable defamation campaign against Israel.
An investigation by the Israeli authorities revealed that the church had invited an Israeli company to spray the church with pesticide. "We expect a clergyman to adhere to the truth," the Israeli Foreign Ministry responded to Hanna's blood libel, "and that clergymen around the world denounce these outrageous false proclamations and refrain from distributing this libel."
Hanna, like other Palestinian Christian leaders, is not just a liar; he is a traitor to his own community. Hanna has not spoken a word against the attack on Qumsiyeh and other Christians in Bethlehem. He does not care about the suffering of his people under the oppressive Islamist rule of Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
By ignoring the real reason why Christians are fleeing from the West Bank and Gaza Strip, leaders such as Hanna are emboldening the anti-Christian Muslims and allowing them to continue their attacks on Christians living there.
As for the international community and Christian institutions around the world, it is their most far-reaching duty to look into these blood libels by Palestinian Christian leaders to check if there is factual accuracy. If they fail to do so, the day will come when not a single Christian will be left in Bethlehem, the Gaza Strip, and most likely the Middle East, with the exception of Israel, where numbers are on the rise.
*Bassam Tawil is based in the Middle East.
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An Iranian Concert at Saudi Arabia’s Tantora Festival
Camelia Entekhabifard/Asharq Al-Awsat/March 08/2020
When the Shiraz Festival of Arts (in Iran) began in late 60s and early 70s, it brought with it a mixture of disbelief, resentment and at the same time, admiration and pride. At the time when there were no social media and internet, the ordinary man’s access to the Festival’s events was limited to the national television broadcasts and the printed press.
Even then, not all households had television sets to watch. A considerable proportion of the public – particularly in small cities and villages - informed themselves of social and political goings-on and trends by attending the local mullah’s sermons.
At the time, that is more than 50 years ago, organizing cultural and artistic events in Iran that bore the elements of western modernity, was inevitably met with resentment and rejection by radical Islam.
Khomeini had called Shiraz Festival the “festival of vulgar arts”!
The 1979 revolution left nothing of the Shiraz Festival of Arts nor did it allow music and arts in general, nor any hope in those who had dreamt of Iran’s development and progress and its march towards a prosperous future. It killed all aspirations in those for whom Iran was a cradle of arts, beauty, progress and an example of a successful country in the region. What the revolution brought for the people of Iran was silence, destruction of previous achievements, and an artless society; what it gave the region was a gift of extremism, threat, the end of a dream of an example of a prosperous and progressive Iran, and a backward and medieval interpretation of Islam and the Shiite faith.
The Iranian Revolution not only brought profound transformation within the country but had a deep impact on political and social trends of its neighboring countries also. The revolution resuscitated and strengthened extremist movements the same way the Shah’s cultural and reform programs had inspired his neighbors and made them follow such programs in earnest.
It is hard to believe that in 1970s, Googoosh’s songs (a popular female singer) were broadcast from Saudi Arabia’s radio and television networks. There were cinemas in Saudi Arabia, and Iran’s neighbors inspired by changes and progression in Iran, followed suit.
With Shiraz Festival in mind, I attended the second winter music festival in Tantora at AlUla Medina in the north western region of Saudi Arabia. The Tantora Festival is a cultural event aimed at bringing together music and arts of the East and the West and combat – at least in a cultural sense - fundamentalism and extremist movements.
The Tantora music festival in a religious and highly traditional country like Saudi Arabia is a huge undertaking, effective and indeed an achievement in line with the new generation’s aspirations for change and reforms. The participation of famed international artists, singers and musicians at the month-long Tantora festival over the past two years, demonstrates the deep appreciation and recognition by artists that this region needs support for reformist changes. It is hoped that this festival would become an inspiration for other Muslim countries the same way that the late Shah Mohammad Reza’s reforms was seen as progressive and daring.
In the meantime, the Tantora Festival in its last two days was – for the first time - host to Iranian artists to prove that cultural and artistic activities recognize no frontiers, and that in circumstances where Iranian singers are not allowed to perform in their own countries, this opportunity afforded them within the realms of the most religious and the most traditional Muslim country in the world.
For the first time in the history of Saudi Arabia, Iranian singers performed on Saudi soil.
Iranian singers who participated in Tantora Festival maintained that their presence at the Festival was not a political gesture, but to support the sublime idea of “music without frontiers” with the purpose of introducing Iranian music and culture to other people. They said they would welcome any constructive change for the betterment of human society.
The suffering, deprivation and calamity the peoples of this region have endured over the past decades have been enormous. There are no frontiers for violence and extremism either. They can easily move from place to place, cross frontiers and bring with them destruction, poverty and ignorance.
The open-mindedness, courage and vision with which Iranian singers participated in the Festival, was admirable.
Artists are ambassadors for those who like and believe in them. Those who sang in the Festival were “crème de la crème” of Iranian singers and representatives of an array of age groups and tastes within the Iranian society. They were the voice of a society eager to be heard, filled with hope and appetite for happiness. This voice was heard by Iranians from a neighboring country not far from them.
It is always difficult to start a new movement and encourage change in a society. It is always and inevitably faced with resistance from different individuals, groups and organizations. There is no doubt, however, that there will be voices and groups who will gradually join in support of a cultural movement the region so badly needs. It is an honor and a pleasure indeed that prominent and popular Iranian singers among representatives of other countries are on the forefront of the movement that supports such reforms and rejects fundamentalism.

Saudi Arabia targets senior royals in sweeping
Simeon Kerr in Dubai and Andrew England in London/FT/March 08/2020
Saudi Arabia has launched a sweeping crackdown against senior royals and security officers in a purge that appears to be part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s efforts to tighten his grip on power by targeting potential rivals.
At least three princes were among those detained, including Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz, a 77-year-old brother of King Salman, and considered by many as an obstacle to Prince Mohammed’s succession, two people briefed on the matter said.
Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, the former crown prince and interior minister, was also detained on Friday. He is believed to have been under house arrest since being replaced as crown prince by Prince Mohammed, who is known as MBS, in 2017.
The widening crackdown has extended to the “entire inner circle” of Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, said one person close to the royal family.
The number of arrests of princes could amount to as many as 20, said another person briefed on the operation. Other officials and officers were also taken into custody, the person added.
The crackdown appears intended to remind the wider family that any hints of perceived disloyalty would not be tolerated.
“The key is the top two guys,” said the person close to the royal court, referring to Prince Ahmed and Prince Mohammed bin Nayef. “The others that came with them are peripheral.”
The person added: “They wanted to send a message to family for all to fall into line and Prince Ahmed was the biggest fish. He had been making noises for a while so patience ran out.”
Ali Shihabi, a Saudi commentator and supporter of the crown prince, dismissed rumours of a coup attempt, adding that “what people must appreciate is that the royal family has had to go through a very delicate generational succession . . . given the large number of princes who were technically eligible to succeed”.
“What is important is that this process is playing out without any bloodshed which is a rare occurrence in history,” Mr Shihabi said on Twitter. “The message is very clear that nothing will be allowed to destabilise the country or cause any bloodshed.”
He added that the king and crown prince “are in absolute control”.
King Salman swore in two Saudi ambassadors on Sunday, according to the official news agency, which published pictures showing him in apparent good health.
The event appeared designed to quell rumours about his health. The 84-year-old monarch had also had lunch with senior princes on Friday, a person familiar with the matter said.
The government has not responded to a request for comment. 
Speculation had swirled on Saturday that the king’s health had persuaded MBS to launch the crackdown to smooth any transition.
As the news about the arrests spread, many government supporters took to social media to express their backing for the leadership, with several nationalistic hashtags trending on the social media site over the past 48 hours.
“Saudi Arabia will remain standing tall and safe despite the plots of haters and enemies,” television presenter Tariq al-Harbi said in a tweet featuring a picture of the king and crown prince.
Prince Mohammed, the kingdom’s de facto leader, has launched far-reaching social and economic reforms while projecting Saudi power across the region. But his drive to modernise the conservative kingdom has been accompanied by waves of crackdowns that have targeted members of the royal family, businessmen, academics, activists, bloggers and journalists. 
He has displayed zero tolerance towards criticism and the world’s top oil exporter was plunged into its biggest diplomatic crisis in years after Saudi agents killed Jamal Khashoggi at the kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul in October 2018.
Riyadh blamed the veteran journalist’s murder on a rogue operation, and Prince Mohammed’s supporters and Riyadh’s western allies hoped the 34-year-old leader would heed lessons from the chastening experience. He has avoided controversy since then as Saudi Arabia prepares to host the G20 group of nations meeting this year. 
But the arrests of the royals will cast further scrutiny on his autocratic leadership and suggest he is reverting to his aggressive approach of dealing with any perceived threats — even from those family members who appear to have been neutralised by his previous crackdowns.
It is unclear how much of a threat Prince Ahmed — who was overlooked as a potential successor after a brief stint as interior minister in 2012 and has kept a low profile since his return to the kingdom — and Prince Mohammed bin Nayef posed to the crown prince’s grip on power. The latter’s friends say he has been subject to close monitoring since he was replaced as crown prince.
MBS, whose rapid rise to heir apparent three years ago shook up the traditional succession process, has pushed through a series of contentious policies. 
Months after he became crown prince, he launched an extraordinary anti-corruption crackdown that led to more than 300 princes and businessmen being detained at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Riyadh. Most have been released, but many were freed only after they agreed to transfer cash and assets to the state.
The government claimed it netted more than $100bn in the purge, but the crackdown was also seen as an early sign of the crown prince’s drive to cement his power and a sign that nobody was untouchable.
The kingdom has also been criticised for its role in the five-year war in Yemen, where a Saudi-led coalition has been accused of killing thousands of civilians in air strikes that have struck homes, hospitals, weddings and funerals.
“There are lots of things going on in Saudi Arabia that are not in MBS’s favour,” the analyst, who did not want to be named, said.
The kingdom is expected to face another tough year as oil prices, Saudi Arabia’s economic lifeline, have plunged about 30 per cent since January as coronavirus has spread across the globe.
The disease has caused the kingdom, which is home to Mecca and Medina, Islam’s two holiest sites, to temporarily suspend the entry of religious pilgrims during the Umrah season, an important source of revenue and jobs for Saudi Arabia.

Turkey-Russia ceasefire deal has failed the Syrian refugees
Raghida Dergham/The National/March 08/2020
Missing in Moscow was a longer-term view on ending the war. This is a problem, as the quagmire will only expand in the country
If there is one takeaway from Thursday’s meeting between Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, it is that their ceasefire deal will not bring long-term stability to Syria. The summit in Moscow might have offered some face-saving measures for both leaders, but it did not revive the political process or offer a roadmap for a lasting ceasefire.
For sure, the summit did not provide either leader with a win. Mr Erdogan received none of what he demanded – neither the withdrawal of Syrian regime forces back to the lines stipulated by an agreement made between Turkey and Russia last year, nor the end of Russian support for the regime’s offensives. Mr Putin, too, failed to receive what he was after – namely, a commitment from his Turkish counterpart to take action against groups in north-western Syria that Russia considers to be terrorists.
Missing from Moscow was longer-term view to ending the Syrian conflict that began in 2011. This is a problem because, absent this, any ceasefire is bound to be short-lived and the quagmire will only expand in Syria with all the stakeholders further digging in their heels
If the meeting had any positive outcome, it was that Russia’s foreign ministry had succeeded in urging Mr Putin to seek a diplomatic resolution rather than military confrontation with Turkey. That said, the joint news conference that followed the meeting did not inspire confidence. For his part, Mr Erdogan made it clear that if the Assad regime continued to attack Turkish forces, Ankara’s response would be even harsher than it has been so far.
In other words, the ceasefire might amount to a mere temporary cessation of hostilities. Even the safe corridor under discussion between the Turkish and Russian defence ministers holds little significance beyond keeping a channel open between their forces.
Missing from Moscow was a longer-term view on ending the Syrian conflict that began in 2011. This is a problem because, absent this, any ceasefire is bound to be short-lived and the quagmire will only expand in Syria with all the stakeholders further digging in their heels.
For Mr Erdogan in particular, this is a deepening crisis. Problems between Ankara and Moscow could deprive the Turkish president of an important bargaining chip in his ongoing negotiations with the US and Nato, of which Turkey is a member. Second, insistence upon Turkish dominance in northern Syria will inevitably lead to a confrontation with Russia, because Moscow will not cease its support for Syrian regime forces. In the absence of any sign of an imminent political settlement – and with Mr Erdogan’s public opposition to elections in Syria until the country’s refugees are repatriated – the Turkish president will struggle to resolve the many challenges facing his political career.
The fact that Mr Erdogan had to go to Moscow, and could not convince the Russian leadership to hold the meeting in Ankara is further evidence of the pressure Mr Erdogan is under. Adding to the voices against him are several from the European continent, where leaders are accusing him of blackmail: Mr Erdogan is currently encouraging the travel of large numbers of Syrian refugees from Turkey to Europe.
It has also not helped that Mr Erdogan’s position inside Nato is at an especially low point. Indeed, the US – the leading member of the alliance – does not trust Mr Erdogan and was unimpressed by his policy directions in recent times – including Ankara’s purchase of the Russian-made S-400 missile system, despite strong American and Nato opposition. The system is not yet operational in Turkey, with Washington considering the possibility of helping Ankara to replace it with the Patriot Missile system – although the idea is likely to fall through.
Meanwhile, a notable absentee from the Moscow summit – aside from Mr Al Assad himself – was Iran. The regime in Tehran and Hezbollah, its ally in Lebanon, are knee-deep in Syria’s troubles for a variety of reasons. But both Iran and Lebanon are struggling through deepening crises in their own countries. Their choice today is between staying in Syria and participating in the conflict in a mere auxiliary role, or withdrawing to attend to their domestic problems, ranging from economic crises to mass popular discontent to the outbreak of coronavirus.
Indeed, coronavirus could threaten the fate of Iran’s regime, not only because the ruling clerics there have obstructed the measures necessary to prevent an epidemic, but also because authorities seem to have no system in place to measure how much the virus has spread. As one Iranian told me, the bazaar culture cannot be stopped and quarantines are a strange concept to their culture. So far, controlling the outbreak has proved extremely difficult, and the Iranian leadership might not be able to avert a larger disaster.
It is therefore possible that Iran’s external agenda, especially in Syria but also Iraq and Lebanon, could increasingly take a backseat. However, this does not mean that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps – the regime’s militia – will suspend their operations in the various theatres across the Middle East. And it will not necessarily mean that Iran’s woes could force it to reconsider its policies and respond to US and European calls to renegotiate the nuclear deal and abandon its expansionist ambitions. As I have been told, flexibility is out of the question despite the regime being weighed down by sanctions.
Unfortunately, the policies pursued by all the stakeholders in Syria’s future do not take into consideration the humanitarian crisis. What is distressing about it is, there seems no light at the end of the tunnel for the millions of ordinary civilians.
*Raghida Dergham is the founder and executive chairwoman of the Beirut Institute

Iran’s epidemic of lies and disinformation
Baria Alamuddin/Arab News/March 08/2020
The coronavirus epidemic has drawn global attention to all the worst aspects of the Islamic Republic. The regime’s initial response was to energetically cover up all evidence of a major outbreak, fearing it would further depress a dismal election turnout. Even as the crisis became visible to all, state media mocked the merits of quarantine, and medical workers were reprimanded for wearing masks. Such excessive secrecy undoubtedly helped the disease to spread.
Security personnel took up residence in hospitals, intimidating staff and warning them not to discuss the infection. Medical professionals report pressure to deliberately misrepresent the number of cases, while the head of Qom’s Medical Science University acknowledged on TV that the Health Ministry had banned the publication of data about the outbreak. “By turning this into a national security issue, they are putting more pressure and stress on doctors and medical teams and creating an environment of chaos and fear,” a Tehran pathologist said.
Glaring statistical discrepancies indicate that this pathologically dishonest regime is massively underreporting the scale of the outbreak. Although Iran acknowledges over 6,500 cases and nearly 200 deaths, epidemiologists say the real numbers may be over 10 times greater.
Dozens of members of parliament and government officials are infected. A former ambassador to Syria and a senior adviser to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei have died. Yet Khamenei remains in denial, saying the virus “won’t affect the country for long and will leave.” TV footage of a visibly ill deputy health minister, not even wearing a mask to avoid coughing over people attending his own press conference, did little to inspire confidence that the regime was up to the challenge.
Clusters of infections popped up around individuals traveling from Qom to Iraq, Lebanon, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and elsewhere, before Iranian officials had even formally acknowledged what was happening. This fundamentally dishonest behavior delayed by several weeks the ability of nearby states to take precautions, transforming an isolated outbreak into a region-wide epidemic. Even now, Hezbollah is obstructing any prospects of canceling flights between Iran and Lebanon.
This regime aspires to root its legitimacy in Islamic principles, but it instinctively relies on lies and misinformation whenever it finds itself under pressure.
The release of 54,000 prisoners long after reports that the virus was already rampant in the prison system is just one of numerous panicky and belated measures. With the disease present in all 31 Iranian provinces, experts warn that the plan to send 300,000 militiamen to conduct tests and disinfect homes could paradoxically contribute to spreading the virus. With the closure of schools there was a sudden rush of traffic toward holiday resorts on the Caspian coast, prompting officials to threaten the use of force to halt unnecessary travel that could further spread infection.
The difficulties of purchasing health equipment under US sanctions have been exacerbated by the Iranian authorities selling their stockpiles of facemasks to China. When news of this leaked, state news agencies claimed that the masks were donated to China “as sign of long-term and traditional friendship between two countries.” With China one of Iran’s few significant remaining trading partners, Tehran continued to receive flights from Beijing, even after it became obvious that infected individuals were already arriving. In an open letter to Rouhani, Iran’s Health Minister raised concerns that a regime-connected network was profiting from the virus by monopolizing the trade in medical equipment. “How is it possible that this opportunist network announces that in 24 hours they can provide 200 million masks?” the minister inquired.
At the center of the outbreak in Iran, in the holy city of Qom, shrines that host millions of pilgrims each year remain open because of the influence of powerful clerics. Some clerics rebuked the cessation of Friday sermons, claiming that the virus couldn’t spread in holy places. One custodian asserted that his shrine mustn’t be shut down because Iranians regarded it as “a source of recovery and healing.” In videos circulating online, pilgrims make a show of licking the gold-plated fixtures at one location, having been told that this would protect them from the virus. Cleric and former vice president Mohammad-Ali Abtahi commented that pious Iranians believed that “this is the time to show their loyalty to Islam and to Qom by traveling there in its difficult days.”
This regime aspires to root its legitimacy in Islamic principles, but it instinctively relies on lies and misinformation whenever it finds itself under pressure; despite the Revolutionary Guard knowing it shot down a passenger plane in January, killing all 176 on board, for days the regime vigorously denied all involvement. The ayatollahs lied for decades about the existence of their military nuclear program, and in 2019 they re-embarked on efforts to enrich sufficient uranium for a nuclear bomb, despite Khamenei stating that such weapons violated Islam’s teachings.
The same regime that claims it doesn’t interfere in its neighbors’ affairs can’t restrain itself from frequent boasting about its control over four Arab capitals. It asserts that any support it provides is in the cause of peace and prosperity, but has amassed such large missile stockpiles in these states that future conflict becomes almost inevitable. Former Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki once bragged to me that Iran was donating $1bn a year to Hezbollah; yet he was unable to respond when I noted how many other Lebanese politicians were on Tehran’s payroll, rendering an entire nation wholly beholden to a hostile foreign power.
It never ceases to amaze me how willing senior European officials are to believe Iran’s protestations of good intentions, even when the inherent contradictions of Tehran’s claims are staring them in the face — the terrorism, the militancy, the criminality, the arms proliferation, the attacks against peaceful nations.
This disgusting, throwback regime has cannibalized the nation’s wealth to wage its overseas paramilitary wars, leaving its people to starve. So we shouldn’t be surprised that on the threshold of a major pandemic, criminally negligent leaders choose to play Russian roulette with millions of its citizens’ lives.
*Baria Alamuddin is an award-winning journalist and broadcaster in the Middle East and the UK. She is editor of the Media Services Syndicate and has interviewed numerous heads of state.

Amid virus crisis, Iran focuses on nuclear program
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab News/March 08/2020
Amid the coronavirus crisis, the Islamic republic is advancing its nuclear program and violating the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal. The UN’s atomic watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), reported that Tehran has increased its uranium stockpile, which now stands at the equivalent of 1,510 kg. Under the nuclear deal, Iran was limited to 300 kg of weaker enriched uranium.
This reveals a substantial increase in Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile in a short period of time. Tehran currently possesses five times more enriched uranium as it is supposed to have under the agreement. More importantly, the theocratic establishment now has enough enriched uranium to refine and build a nuclear bomb. Approximately 1000 kg of uranium enriched at just 5 percent can be refined to create one nuclear bomb.
For the Iranian regime, one of the most effective times to expand its nuclear activities comes when media outlets and the international community are focusing on other urgent issues. The coronavirus has taken the global spotlight and governments around the world are attempting to halt its spread. This seems to have given the Iranian regime a perfect opportunity to work on its nuclear program at a faster pace.
This is probably why the international community remains silent in the face of the IAEA’s alarming report. Iranian leaders claim that the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is against obtaining nuclear weapons. The foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, said at the Munich Security Conference last month that “We have always said we are not interested in building nuclear weapons.”
But if Iran is truly not seeking nuclear weapons, why is it still banning the IAEA’s inspectors from visiting its nuclear sites and why is declining to cooperate with the watchdog? According to a recently published second report by the IAEA: “the agency identified a number of questions related to possible undeclared nuclear material and nuclear-related activities at three locations in Iran.”
With or without the deal, the Islamic Republic is required to disclose its nuclear activities and sites to the IAEA as part of the treaty on the non proliferation of nuclear weapons (NPT).
Rafael Grossi, the new head of the group, told journalists when he was meeting French President Emmanuel Macron: “Iran must decide to cooperate in a clearer manner with the agency to give the necessary clarifications.”
This issue has nothing to do with the nuclear deal. With or without the deal, the Islamic Republic is required to disclose its nuclear activities and sites to the IAEA as part of the treaty on the non proliferation of nuclear weapons (NPT). Iran is a member to the NPT. Therefore, Iranian leaders cannot place the blame on the US for withdrawing from the nuclear deal.
It should also be noted that the three undeclared locations in Iran which the IAEA is investigating are different from the clandestine nuclear site that Israel and two non-partisan organizations based in Washington — the Institute for Science and International Security and the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies — revealed last year. Prime Minister Netanyahu stated in his speech to the UN General Assembly that Iran had a “secret atomic warehouse for storing massive amounts of equipment and material from Iran’s secret nuclear weapons program.” Tehran claimed that the warehouse, which is located in a village in the suburbs of Tehran, was a place where carpets were cleaned.
The IAEA’s inspectors were able to detect traces of radioactive uranium at the site. Israel’s warning and other reports had proved accurate. The head of the IAEA stressed recently this issue again: “The fact that we found traces (of uranium) is very important. That means there is the possibility of nuclear activities and material that are not under international supervision and about which we know not the origin or the intent. That worries me.”
The international community must take immediate steps to halt Iran’s march toward nuclear weapons. Unfortunately, its leaders continue to benefit from the disunity between European and American policy. If this gap is not bridged and if the EU does not change its position toward Tehran, we may soon see an Iranian regime with nuclear weapons, amplifying its destructive behavior and military adventurism in the region. A united front, comprising joint sanctions, would send a clear message and engender an economic stranglehold which would force the Iranian government to concentrate on its domestic agenda. If the international community remains silent, the Iranian regime’s violations will escalate, and the stability of the Middle East will continue to suffer as Tehran pursues its subversive agenda.
The regime has crossed a major threshold concerning its nuclear program. The international community must act immediately and maintain its focus on preventing Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is an Iranian-American political scientist. He is a leading expert on Iran and US foreign policy, a businessman and president of the International American Council.

Turkish-Russia agreement on Idlib is a fragile step in right direction
Yasar Yakis/Arab News/March 08/2020
At the end of the summit on Idlib in Moscow on March 5 between the Turkish and Russian presidents the two foreign ministers read, each in his own language, the three-point-agreement that had been reached.
The first was an immediate cease-fire that came into force within hours, at zero hours on March 6. The second was a six-kilometer safe corridor on both sides of the M-4 motorway that links Lattakia to Aleppo. The defense ministries are to draw up within seven days the rules governing the functioning of the safe corridors. The last one was that Turkish and Russian soldiers would start patrolling the M-4 motorway as of March 15.The most important outcome of the meeting is the agreement for a cease-fire. If it holds, this will be a welcome conclusion, because it could stop the bloodshed and material damage to the military and civilian infrastructure.
There are hopes that the agreement may be a turning point in the Idlib crisis, but there are fragilities as well.
The most important one is the fundamental difference between Turkey’s and Russia’s approach to the Idlib question. This difference was still visible in the Moscow summit. Vladimir Putin reiterated Russia’s position in his remarks before the text of the agreement was read out. He said Russia was determined to fight the groups that the United Nations considered as terrorists.
According the UN Security Council Resolution 2254, these groups are: “individuals, groups, undertakings, and entities associated with Daesh, Al-Nusra Front, Al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups as designated by the Security Council.”
The Resolution further provides that the cease-fire agreed in Syria on Nov. 14, 2015 “will not apply to offensive or defensive actions against these individuals, groups, undertakings and entities.”
This is a binding obligation for Turkey, irrespective of other commitments that it undertook in the Astana/Sochi process.
If it holds, this will be a welcome conclusion, because it could stop the bloodshed and material damage to the military and civilian infrastructure.
In Idlib there are armed opposition groups that Turkey considers moderate. Some of them fought in the past in the ranks of Al-Qaeda-linked factions. If Turkey maintains its support for them, it remains to be seen whether it will fight the groups that Russia considers terrorist.
Syrian air space is controlled by the Russian forces, so the Turkish air force cannot operate in it. However, Turkey, acting within its own air space, was able to destroy several Syrian targets with guided missiles. Furthermore, it used its artillery, based in its own territory, to pound the Syrian government targets within its range.
Drones manufactured in Turkey turned out to be the most effective weapons during the present Idlib crisis. Unarmed drones equipped with cameras helped identify the targets and the armed ones destroyed them.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced before the summit that if the Syrian government does not retreat to a line beyond the Turkey’s observation posts it would use military force to push it to that line. This attitude contradicts the leaders’ statement in favor of Syria’s sovereignty. The wording of the March 6 agreement is not clear on this subject, but it looks as if Turkey will not insist on this. Putin may have persuaded Erdogan that it is in fact Syria’s own territory.
The week before the agreement, both Turkey and Syrian government forces suffered sizeable human and material losses: 33 Turkish soldiers were killed in a single incident. The losses continued in lesser numbers in the subsequent days. This created a heated debate in domestic politics in Turkey with the opposition parties harshly criticizing the government’s Syria policy.
The losses suffered by both sides may have helped to create an atmosphere conducive to negotiations. They may have reached the conclusion that they both are vulnerable. The agreement is far from solving every intricacy of the Idlib problem, but if all stakeholders approach the problem favorably, this may trigger a thaw.
Even though the area controlled by the Turkish army in the Idlib province had diminished, Turkey increased its military presence by sending more troops and equipment after the killing of 33 Turkish soldiers. Experts estimated that up to 10,000 soldiers and a huge quantity of heavy equipment and ammunition may have been sent to Idlib in the past ten days. This allowed Turkey to have an upper hand in a critical area.
When Erdogan’s statement to expel the Syrian government forces from Idlib is put together with the text of the Moscow agreement of March 6, one may conclude that the two leaders made reciprocal concessions during their negotiations and met in a middle ground by straddling the fence.However, it is not reasonable to expect that Syria — and behind it, Russia — will agree that the terrorist groups indefinitely stay in Idlib.
*Yasar Yakis is a former foreign minister of Turkey and founding member of the ruling AK Party. Twitter: @yakis_yasar