LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
October 24/2019
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani

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Bible Quotations For today
All who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 18/09-14/:”Jesus also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: ‘Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax-collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, “God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax-collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.”But the tax-collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!”I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.’”

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News published on October 23-24/2019
Videos of Troops Crying, Hugging Protesters Go Viral
Rahi Urges Aoun to Start Consultations to Meet ‘People’s Demands’
Greek Orthodox metropolitan Elias Awdeh: Vacuum Better than Current Situation
US says it supports Lebanese people’s call for action for economic reform
United by Disgust, Lebanon Demos Search for Shared Future
Aoun Calls al-Rahi, Lauds Statement of Bkirki Christian Summit
Hariri Chairs Meeting on Looted Public Money Recovery Law
Army Scuffles with Protesters in Bid to Reopen Blocked Highways
Lebanese Army Scuffles with Protesters in Bid to Open Major Roads
Lebanese army begins clearing road blocks as protesters refuse to leave
Municipal Police Assault Protesters in Nabatiyeh
FPM Supporters, State Security Accused of Attacking Mazraat Yachouh Protesters
Geagea Hails al-Hassan, Slams Those who 'Tried to Implicate Army in Repressing Protesters'
Judge Presses Charges against Miqati, Relatives for 'Illicit Enrichment'
Former Lebanese PM Mikati denies illicit gains charges
Jarrah: Foreign, Domestic Agendas Pushing People to Stay on Streets
Lebanese Media Say Israeli Drone Shot down over Village
Tripoli: From 'Lebanese Kandahar' to Home of Protest Rave
30 Years on, Lebanon's Sectarian Power-Sharing Challenged
Interview With Joseph Bahout Discusses Lebanese anti-government protests and where they might lead.
A fake regime vs a genuine population: Lebanon – A popular movement and turning momentum

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on October 23-24/2019
Gantz receives official mandate to try to form Israeli government
President Trump lifts US sanctions on Turkey
Trump hails ‘big success’ with safe zone at Turkey-Syria border
More than 100 ISIS prisoners have escaped in Syria: US envoy
Iraq violated human rights in protest crackdown: UN mission
Pentagon chief says US forces enter, leave Iraq with govt permission: Iraqi PM
SDF chief thanks Russia for saving Syria Kurds from ‘scourge’ of war
Russia rejects German vision for security zone in northern Syria: Report
US’ Esper reinforces commitment to helping Saudi Arabia defend itself
Saudi royal decree appoints Prince Faisal bin Farhan as new foreign minister
Albania reveals it has discovered an Iranian paramilitary network
Numbers of Arab University Students in Israel Doubled in 10 Years
Tunisia: Court Overturns Election Results for Expats in Germany

Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on October 23-24/2019
Videos of Troops Crying, Hugging Protesters Go Viral/Naharnet/October 23/2019
Interview With Joseph Bahout Discusses Lebanese anti-government protests and where they might lead/Michael Young/Carnegie/October 23/2019
A fake regime vs a genuine population: Lebanon – A popular movement and turning momentum/Sam Menassa and Ziad El Sayegh/Annahar/October 23/2019
America Needs to Choose Sides: Saudi Arabia or Iran/Peter Huessy/Gatestone Institute/October 23/2019
The message from Tokyo/Faisal J. Abbas/Arabic News/October 24/ 2019
Why there is no need for new Gulf security structures/Abdel Aziz Aluwaisheg/Arabic News/October 24/ 2019
Why world leaders need to listen to the powerless/Cornelia Meyer/Arabic News/October 24/ 2019
Middle East set for bumpy ride following US withdrawal/Sir John Jenkins/Arabic News/October 24/ 2019

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News published on October 23-24/2019
Videos of Troops Crying, Hugging Protesters Go Viral
Naharnet/October 23/2019
https://youtu.be/2mn4o8zrsUw
http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/265867-videos-of-troops-crying-hugging-protesters-go-viral
Videos of at least three army soldiers crying or hugging protesters went viral on Wednesday as troops moved in to reopen key highways, scuffling with demonstrators in some regions. Live TV footage showed hundreds of protesters trying to stand their ground to prevent the army from reopening the key Jal el-Dib and Zouk highways.Scenes of a soldier tearing up inside a military vehicle and another crying and hugging a protester soon went viral on social networking websites. Some reports said the man hugging the soldier was his father. Most soldiers have not seen their families in days.

Rahi Urges Aoun to Start Consultations to Meet ‘People’s Demands’
Naharnet/October 23/2019
Maronite Patriarch Beshara el-Rahi raised calls Wednesday upon President Michel Aoun to start consultations with the political and spiritual leaders "to make the necessary decisions regarding the demands of people" with whom he expressed solidarity. "We call the ruling power to take serious and courageous measures to pull the country out of what it is currently witnessing," Rahi said following an emergency meeting for Christian spiritual leaders in Bkriki. Rahi said that Lebanon had been witnessing since October 17 a "popular historic and exceptional uprising which requires exceptional positions and measures."
Accusing the ruling class of corruption and deviance, Rahi maintained that spiritual leaders must take immediate action amid the current situation. "It is high time the state meets the just demands and people's life returns to normal," he stressed. "We salute the revolting people and we express solidarity with their peaceful uprising," he said. "We call this people to preserve the purity and peacefulness of their action to prevent anybody from taking advantage," he added. Rahi finally said that the citizens' right to transportation must be respected, and valued the efforts of the Lebanese army in protecting the protests.

Greek Orthodox metropolitan Elias Awdeh: Vacuum Better than Current Situation
Naharnet/October 23/2019
An emergency Christian spiritual summit was held in Bkirki on Wednesday amid nationwide protests spiraling for the seventh day in a row against the entire political class. “The people's dignity is disregarded and vacuum is better than what we are living today,” said Greek Orthodox metropolitan Elias Awdeh before joining the meeting. “To those who demand the opening of roads in order to go to work, were they working before (the protests)?" asked Awdeh, also in reference to high unemployment rate in Lebanon and dire economic conditions.He added: “Let the Lebanese talk with the Lebanese, and let us have 20 vacuums because the vacuum is better than what we live today." On Tuesday, Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi has called for the spiritual summit because “people have no trust in the State, but they do trust the Church,” he stated.

US says it supports Lebanese people’s call for action for economic reform
Reuters, Washington/Thursday, 24 October 2019
Lebanese people are “rightfully angered” with their government over its refusal to tackle corruption and the protests reflect their call for action, a senior US State Department official said on Wednesday, adding that Washington supports their right to demonstrate peacefully. Lebanon has been swept by unprecedented protests which have paralyzed the country for a week, against politicians blamed for corruption and waste in a state mired in debt and economic crisis. Early on Wednesday, the Lebanese army began a wide-scale operation to open roads blocked by a number of demonstrators in different cities as protesters refused to leave on the seventh day of nationwide protests. An Al Arabiya correspondent reported that the army tried to forcibly open some of the main roads, which led to some confrontations with protesters, especially in the areas of Keserwan, and Sidon.

United by Disgust, Lebanon Demos Search for Shared Future
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/October 23/2019
Lebanon's massive street protests have made it clear what the demonstrators oppose -- with the entire political class in the crosshairs -- but the focus is now turning to what exactly they stand for. The almost one-week-old protests sparked by a tax on messaging services such as WhatsApp have morphed into a united condemnation of a political system seen as corrupt and beyond repair. The movement's soundtrack has been a chorus of inventive chants calling out politicians from all sects and parties with rhyming insults. Most people want the unity government, which is supported by nearly all Lebanon's major political parties, to resign, and disgust with the status quo has been a unifying force. But what they want next often differs. On the outskirts of another rally in Beirut, when tens of thousands again brought much of the capital to a standstill, teenager Peter Sayegh and his friend Andrew Baydoun were playing cards on a plastic table. They agreed that Prime Minister Saad Hariri has to go, but not on the future of Lebanon. "I want the people to rule and give us our rights, secure work for the country and secure my future so I won't have to emigrate," Sayegh said, leaning back on his chair while clutching a Lebanese flag.
Baydoun objected.
"The whole government needs to go and be replaced by a military one," he argued, calling for 84-year-old President Michel Aoun, a former army chief, to stay on.
Scuffling over the future
Lebanon is marked by stark political and sectarian divisions. Many of its political leaders today were warlords fighting along religious lines during Lebanon's brutal 1975-1990 civil conflict. The government is set up to balance power between multiple sects, which include different Christian groups, Sunni and Shiite Muslims, as well as the Druze. But it often entrenches power and influence along sectarian lines. The protests have been overwhelmingly apolitical, with all party and religious symbols abandoned in favor of the cedar-stamped national flag. They have also been inclusive -- with no specific stated goals, or leadership or management structure. But the bottom-up structure also poses risks -- with fears that the momentum could slip away as people feel pressure to return to work or school. Numbers of protesters have declined since peaking Sunday, which is weekend in Lebanon. Mass protests in 2015 ultimately failed to achieve major change and elections in 2018 ushered in the same sectarian parties. In 2016, a non-sectarian coalition called Beirut Madinati (Beirut is my city) came close but ultimately fell short in city elections. In the general election two years later, the group was part of a coalition that won only one seat.
'Demands later'
On Monday, Mona Fawaz of Beirut Madinati gave a brief speech in the center of the capital, stressing she was not claiming to represent the entire protest movement. Yet parts of the crowd accused her group of trying to hijack the demonstrations. "Go and speak in ABC," one protester yelled, accusing the group of elitism by referring a high-end shopping mall in Beirut. Speeches on Tuesday evening concentrated on points of agreement: calls for the government's resignation and reclaiming public funds embezzled by politicians. Nizar Hassan, 26, part of a leftwing group called Lihaqqi (for my rights), said the protest movement had to be realistic. "This is a popular uprising, you can't just say: 'These are the demands.' But a lot of people are talking about things that are actually quite achievable," he said. For Hassan, an interim government of technocrats could stabilize the economy ahead of new elections in which the traditional parties would be obliterated. "In 2015, people were talking about overthrowing the sectarian system altogether. (Now) people are much more knowledgeable of the limits," he said. Carmen Geha, an assistant professor at the American University of Beirut, said the new protests had support across economic groups and throughout the country. "Leaderless movements can dissipate and be co-opted," she warned. "There is a need to frame the demands. But right now this is a popular protest -- go to the streets now and talk demands later."

Aoun Calls al-Rahi, Lauds Statement of Bkirki Christian Summit
Naharnet/October 23/2019
President Michel Aoun on Wednesday held phone talks with Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi over the statement issued by Bkirki about the popular revolt that has been rocking the country for the past seven days. The president lauded “the content of the statement and the calls issued by Cardinal al-Rahi,” the National News Agency said. This is the second call between Aoun and al-Rahi in 24 hours following last night’s talks. Strong Lebanon bloc secretary MP Ibrahim Kanaan had visited the patriarch Wednesday morning as part of “the consultations between Baabda and Bkirki,” NNA said. In the Bkirki statement which was recited by al-Rahi, Lebanon’s Maronite, Catholic, Greek Orthodox and Evangelical religious leaders called on the government to listen to the people's demands, adding that "the people would not have risen had they not reached extreme pain." The statement also called on Aoun to start consultations with the country's political and religious leaders to take action in response to people's demands. And describing the unprecedented and cross-sectarian protests as “a historic and extraordinary popular uprising that requires historic stances and extraordinary measures,” the statement called on protesters to “respect citizens’ freedom of movement, especially in terms of securing their health, educational, livelihood and economic needs.”

Hariri Chairs Meeting on Looted Public Money Recovery Law
Naharnet/October 23/2019
Prime Minister Saad Hariri chaired Wednesday afternoon at the Center House a meeting of the ministerial committee in charge of financial and economic reforms. “The committee studied a draft law on the recovery of looted public money and decided to request suggestions on this matter from the Supreme Judicial Council within a period of ten days,” a statement issued by Hariri’s office said. “Prime Minister Hariri instructed the Beirut and North Lebanon bar associations to organize a workshop within ten days and take the viewpoints of lawyers, including from civil society, with the participation of the Ministry of Justice,” the statement added. Ministers Ali Hassan Khalil, Salim Jreissati, Youssef Fenianos, Mohammed Fneish, Wael Abu Faour, Jamal al-Jarrah, Mohammed Choucair, Adel Afiouni, Saleh al-Gharib, Albert Serhan and Mansour Bteish as well as the Secretary General of the Council of Ministers Mahmoud Makkiyeh and a number of advisors attended.

Army Scuffles with Protesters in Bid to Reopen Blocked Highways
Agence France Presse/Associated Press/
Anti-government protesters scuffled with army troops on Wednesday in Jal el-Dib and Zouk Mosbeh areas amid attempts to reopen major roads as the country witnesses nationwide protests against the political class. The army vowed to protect the protesters, but said roads have to be opened so that people can get on with business. On Wednesday morning, troops moved in large numbers to open several major roads in the capital and other cities, facing off with protesters carrying red, white and green Lebanese flags. In some places, protesters refused to move away, leading to the scuffles. Thousands of soldiers deployed in Beirut and its suburbs, and in the southern cities of Sidon and Tyre to clear the roads. They were able to clear some and failed in other places. The two sides were keen to avoid friction and not to clash. Some protesters were seen giving soldiers red roses, telling them their suffering is identical as they are both victims of corruption. Some soldiers were overcome by emotions and at least three broke down in tears. The army is one of few state institutions that enjoy wide support and respect among the public as it is seen as a unifying force in the deeply-divided country.
Three people were injured during scuffles and several arrested and later released, the Lebanese official news agency said. The protesters in Jal el-Dib chanted the Lebanese anthem and songs dedicated to the Lebanese army as the troops tried to reopen the highway by force. The troops managed to briefly open the main highway to the capital before it was blocked again.
Hundreds of army soldiers meanwhile set up a human wall in front of the demonstrators. Kataeb MP Sami Gemayel joined the protesters and took part in the sit-in where the protesters refused to leave the road. A stampede led to injuries among protesters. Protesters chanted "peaceful peaceful" demonstrations. They raised their arms up -- a gesture the protesters agreed upon since the beginning of the demos -- signaling no aggression. Demonstrators threw flowers at the soldiers emphasizing their moves will remain peaceful. In Zouk Mosbeh, MP Elias Hankash followed Gemayel's suit and joined the demonstrators. Schools, universities, banks and government institutions have been closed for the past week, as protesters blocked main roads and intersections. The closures have cut off the capital from the Bekaa region, leading to some shortages in foodstuffs and fruits and vegetables.
'The fear is gone'
Hassan, 27, was brandishing a Lebanese flag as protesters blocked a main street into Beirut Wednesday. The army removed barriers but the demonstrators remained, keeping the road closed. "That's it, the fear has gone," said the 27-year-old. Michel Khairallah, a young waiter, said people would "block the country until victory." For him that means a new government "without corrupt ministers," made up of "young and competent people" able to finally move the country forward. "They exist, they are just waiting for their turn," he said. Fresh demonstrations were scheduled Wednesday from north to south of the country for the seventh consecutive day. More than a quarter of Lebanon's population lives in poverty, according to the World Bank. The country endured a devastating civil war that ended in 1990 and many of the political leaders are those that fought, often brutally, along religious lines. The government is set up to balance power between multiple sects, which include different Christian groups, Sunni and Shiite Muslims, as well as the Druze.
But in reality it often entrenches power and influence along sectarian lines. Embattled Prime Minister Saad Hariri presented a vast economic reform plan Monday, including the salary cuts, but it did little to assuage the demonstrators. "Too little, too late?" the French-language newspaper L'Orient Le Jour wondered in a front page editorial Wednesday. Lebanese media discussed a range of options for further measures including a government reshuffle and early elections. The protests, which Lebanese politicians have accepted were spontaneous, do not have a specific leader or organizer. A coordination committee of the revolution announced its formation during a speech in Beirut Tuesday, but it remains unclear how much influence it has. A group of economists have offered their services to seek solutions. Lebanon's economy has been sliding closer to the abyss in recent months, with public debt soaring past 150 percent of GDP and ratings agencies grading Lebanese sovereign bonds as "junk." Fears of a default have compounded the worries of Lebanese citizens exasperated by the poor quality of public services. Residents suffer daily electricity shortages and unclean water.

Lebanese Army Scuffles with Protesters in Bid to Open Major Roads
Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 23 October, 2019
Lebanese troops and anti-government protesters have scuffled in the Zouk Mosbeh area north of Beirut on Wednesday as the military moved to reopen major roads blocked by the demonstrators. The protesters have blocked the streets since the eruption of the demonstrations on Thursday.
Thousands of troops deployed in Beirut and its suburbs, and in the southern cities of Sidon and Tyre to clear the roads on Wednesday. In Zouk Mosbeh, Beirut's northern suburb, troops managed to briefly open the main highway to the capital before it was blocked again. Nationwide demonstrations that began last week grew larger on Monday, after Prime Minister Saad Hariri announced a package of economic reforms the government hopes would help revived the struggling economy. The protesters have denounced Hariri's package as empty promises and are demanding the resignation of his Cabinet. The people are furious at a political class they accuse of pushing the economy to the point of collapse. Schools and banks were closed on Wednesday. Speaker Nabih Berri, one of the figures the protesters have vented their anger against, said Wednesday that Lebanon cannot withstand its current state of "suspension.”"The country cannot bear remaining suspended and we fear a vacuum and nothing else," he told his members of his parliamentary bloc at their regular Wednesday meeting. Earlier, Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi called for a change in government to include qualified technocrats and urged President Michel Aoun to begin talks with other politicians to address the demands of protesters angered by an economic crisis. He said reform measures announced by Hariri were a good "first step" but they required replacing ministers in the current government with technocrats.
He did not call for the resignation of Hariri's national unity government as protesters have demanded. "The list of reforms is a positive first step but it requires amending the ministers and renewing the administrative team with national, qualified figures," he said in a televised speech. Hariri met Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh on Wednesday following his return from Washington, where the governor was attended IMF and World Bank meetings. The protests have been extraordinary because of their size and geographic reach in a country where political movements are normally divided on sectarian lines and struggle to draw nationwide appeal. Lebanon has one of the world’s highest levels of government debt as a share of economic output. The government includes most major parties, run by politicians widely perceived to have mobilized state resources and influence for their own gain. Nearly three decades after the end of the 1975-1990 civil war, Lebanon still experiences frequent cutoffs of water and electricity. With public transport networks virtually non-existent, its aging roads are clogged with traffic. Chronic problems with waste management have sparked mass protests in recent years.
The economy has been hit by political paralysis and regional conflicts, compounded by strains in the financial system that have risen as inward capital flows have slowed. Unemployment among the under 35s runs at 37%. Lebanese have started to feel pressures in the financial system more acutely of late, with dollars becoming harder to obtain at the official exchange rate. The pound, pegged at its current rate for two decades, has been under pressure.

Lebanese army begins clearing road blocks as protesters refuse to leave
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English/Wednesday, 23 October 2019
The Lebanese army began a wide-scale operation on Wednesday to open roads blocked by a number of demonstrators in different cities as protesters refused to leave on the seventh day of nationwide protests. An Al Arabiya correspondent reported that the army tried to forcibly open some of the main roads, which led to some confrontations with protesters, especially in the areas of Keserwan, and Sidon. The Lebanese army begins a wide-scale operation to open roads blocked by a number of demonstrators in different cities, with reports of confrontations as protesters refuse to leave. Reports suggest the army was forcibly removing protesters from the highway in Nahr al-Kelb, one of the main roads going into Beirut from the north. Traffic data showed that many roads in and around Beirut remained closed. “Peaceful demonstration is a right in Lebanon and we refuse to close roads and block people,” Suleiman Frangieh, the leader of the Marada Movement political party said.
Banks remain closed
Banks remained closed for a fifth day, with the banking association saying they will remain closed on Thursday as they are “waiting for the general situation to stabilize.”The government’s recent fiscal reforms, which include a tax on the profits of banks, are credit negative for the sector, according to the ratings agency Moody’s.
Media under fire
The night before, the chief of Lebanon's National News Agency, Laure Sleiman, was fired from her post. The NNA had been covering the protests. Protesters had also stormed the offices of TV Lebnan, accusing the station of not covering the protests sufficiently. One reporter told Al Arabiya English that they did not feel safe in certain areas of the city. However, other reporters could be seen freely mingling with the crowds and conducting interviews safely.
Maronite Patriach supports protests
Lebanon’s Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros Al-Rai said on Wednesday that reform measures enacted to calm nationwide protests were a good “first step” but that a new cabinet was required to implement them. In a televised speech Rai said he supported the protests and urged them to remain peaceful. “The list of reforms is a positive first step but it requires amending the ministers and renewing the administrative team,” Lebanese broadcaster LBC quoted Rai as saying. Parliament Speaker says Lebanon can't withstand state of suspension. Lebanon cannot withstand its current state of “suspension,” Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said on Wednesday, Lebanese Hezbollah’s al-Manar TV reported, on the seventh day of anti-government protests that have paralyzed the country. “The country cannot bear remaining suspended and we fear a vacuum and nothing else,” Manar cited Berri as telling MPs in his parliamentary bloc at their regular Wednesday meeting. Reports from Shia areas of south Beirut and the calls for cross-sectarian unity from protesters suggest that all political parties, including Berri's Amal party, are losing authority. Around 100-200 Hezbollah and Amal supporters on motorbikes drove to central Beirut and tried to disrupt the protests, but were pushed back by the army. Mass protests across the country have continued on Wednesday.

Municipal Police Assault Protesters in Nabatiyeh
Naharnet/October 23/2019
Municipal policemen on Wednesday assaulted protesters in the southern city of Nabatiyeh and prevented TV reporters and cameramen from continuing coverage. “Protesters in Nabatiyeh are urging the army to intervene after municipal police elements tried to disperse their sit-in,” al-Jadeed TV reported.
Noting that army troops “did not intervene” to prevent the municipal police from assaulting protesters, al-Jadeed said the decision to disperse the demo was taken by “the leaderships of Hizbullah and the AMAL Movement in the region.”

FPM Supporters, State Security Accused of Attacking Mazraat Yachouh Protesters
Naharnet/October 23/2019
Free Patriotic Movement supporters, escorted by State Security agents, assaulted protesters Wednesday evening and vandalized their protest encampment in the northern Metn town of Mazraat Yachouh, the demonstrators said.
A protester said the FPM supporters beat up men, women and even children.“They arrived in 50 packed cars,” the protester told al-Jadeed television.

Geagea Hails al-Hassan, Slams Those who 'Tried to Implicate Army in Repressing Protesters'
Naharnet/October 23/2019
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea on Wednesday applauded Interior Minister Raya al-Hassan and the army as he blasted parties he accused of seeking to entangle the military in a confrontation with protesters. “I salute Interior Minister Raya al-Hassan over her honorable stance,” Geagea tweeted, after reports said that the minister had refused to order the Internal Security Forces to take part in the reopening of blocked roads by force. “Shame on those who tied to implicate the army in the repression of protesters and the biggest salutation goes to the Lebanese Army,” Geagea added.
On Wednesday morning, troops moved in large numbers to open several major especially in the northern Metn region, facing off with protesters carrying red, white and green Lebanese flags. In some places, such as Jal el-Dib, Zouk, Nahr el-Kalb and Sidon, protesters refused to move away, which resulted in scuffles and injuries. Thousands of soldiers deployed in Beirut, Metn and the southern cities of Sidon and Tyre to clear the roads. They were able to clear some and failed in other places. The two sides were keen to avoid friction and not to clash. Some protesters were seen giving soldiers red roses, telling them their suffering is identical as they are both victims of corruption. Some soldiers were overcome by emotions and at least three broke down in tears. The army is one of few state institutions that enjoy wide support and respect among the public as it is seen as a unifying force in the deeply-divided country.
The Zouk highway witnessed scuffles between protesters and troops who managed to briefly open the main route to the capital before it was blocked again. In nearby Jal el-Dib area, troops were also able to open part of the highway briefly before large numbers of people, including Kataeb Party chief MP Sami Gemayel, marched from nearby areas and closed it again. The army issued a statement later saying it is committed to protecting the protests as long as they are not closing roads. "We are opening the roads for your sake so that people get their needed medicine, food and gasoline," the army said.

Judge Presses Charges against Miqati, Relatives for 'Illicit Enrichment'
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/October 23/2019
Mount Lebanon State Prosecutor, Judge Ghada Aoun, on Wednesday pressed charges against former prime minister Najib Miqati, 63, his son Maher and his brother Taha, as well as against Bank Audi, for illicit enrichment, the National News Agency reported. NNA said Mikati and others are charged for obtaining housing loans subsidized by the Central Bank of Lebanon. The Judge referred them before the first investigative judge, NNA added. Miqati later held a press conference in which he voiced surprise over the "timing" of Judge Ghada Aoun's decision to prosecute him, describing it as a political "message" from the presidency. Miqati added that he is "at the disposal of the judiciary," saying that he will not "hide behind" his parliamentary immunity and that he is ready to lift bank secrecy off his accounts. He said the charges were punishment for not supporting the election of President Michel Aoun in 2016 and for calling on the government to resign in the face of mass protests that broke out last week. Bank Audi, which was accused of cooperating with Miqati, also emphatically denied the allegations in a statement, denying "any activity related to illicit enrichment." According to reports, Miqati, the founder of holding company Miqati Group, was accused of eating up a big chunk of subsidized financing to purchase homes. The former prime minister, who resigned from the post in 2013, has previously denied the allegations. He announced he will give a press conference on Wednesday to address the charges. Corruption is rife in Lebanon, but it is rare for politicians to face legal proceedings. The telecoms mogul, in tandem with his brother Taha, has multiple business interests in West Africa and across the globe. Miqati's estimated wealth is $2.5 billion, making him among the 1,000 richest people in the world. More than 25 percent of Lebanon's population lives in poverty, according to the World Bank. In 2018, Lebanese media reported that Miqati and the others were accused of wrongly receiving millions of dollars in subsidized housing loans. The loans were supposed to help low- and middle-income Lebanese buy homes. The government-backed scheme has subsequently stopped granting any new loans. At the time, the Miqatis dismissed the accusations. Hundreds of thousands of Lebanese have poured onto the streets daily since last Thursday in an unprecedented outburst of anger against a political class widely seen as corrupt. Some demonstrators have raised signs calling for the housing loan program to be revived.

Former Lebanese PM Mikati denies illicit gains charges
Agencies/Wednesday, 23 October 2019
Former Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati denied charges brought by a prosecutor involving illicit gains from subsidized housing loans, his communications adviser said on Wednesday, calling the case politically motivated. Mikati’s adviser said the loans were purely commercial and met central bank regulations, and said the charges came in response to Mikati’s criticism of President Michel Aoun and support for protests targeting him and his government. Mikati, along with his brother, his son and local Lebanese Bank Audi have been accused of “illicit enrichment,” the National News Agency reported.
Bank Audi denied on Wednesday any involvement in “illegitimate enrichment.” The former prime minister, who resigned from the post in 2013, has previously denied the allegations. He announced he will give a press conference on Wednesday to address the charges. Mikati’s estimated wealth is $2.5 billion, making him among the 1,000 richest people in the world. In 2018, Lebanese media reported that Mikati and the others were accused of wrongly receiving millions of dollars in subsidized housing loans. The loans were supposed to help low and middle-income Lebanese buy homes. The government-backed scheme has subsequently stopped granting any new loans. At the time, the Mikatis dismissed the accusations.

Jarrah: Foreign, Domestic Agendas Pushing People to Stay on Streets
Naharnet/October 23/2019
Information Minister Jamal al-Jarrah on Wednesday alleged that “there are foreign and domestic political agendas pushing people to stay on the streets and perhaps scuffle with the army.”In an interview with Sky News Arabia, Jarrah said Prime Minister Saad Hariri has asked the army to “reopen roads and preserve the security of protests in public squares.” “The content of the reform paper announced by PM Hariri is important, huge and unprecedented in Lebanon,” Jarrah added.

Lebanese Media Say Israeli Drone Shot down over Village
Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 23 October, 2019
A Lebanese man shot down an Israeli drone with a hunting rifle near the border village of Kfar Kila, reported the National News Agency. The Israeli military only says the drone "fell" over a Lebanese village near the heavily-guarded border "during routine security activity." The military declined to comment on the type of drone or the cause of the crash, which took place on Wednesday. Lebanon's Hezbollah and Israel fought a monthlong war in 2006. Lebanon and Israel remain technically in a state of war, though the border has been mostly calm since that conflict. A Lebanese government investigation concluded last month two Israeli drones were on an attack mission when they crashed in Beirut in August.

Tripoli: From 'Lebanese Kandahar' to Home of Protest Rave
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/October 23/2019
The northern seaside city of Tripoli, once perceived as a hotbed for hardline Islamists, has emerged as the scene of Lebanon's most festive protests, with euphoric crowds dancing deep into the night. For days, hundreds of demonstrators denouncing dire living conditions, corruption and tax hikes, have converged on Tripoli's al-Nour Square, with focused protests evolving into an impromptu concert after the sun sets. In unprecedented scenes for Lebanon's relatively conservative Sunni Muslim heartland, a DJ blasted beats from a balcony as protesters in the square below turned on the torches on their mobile phones creating a sea of twinkling light. Gathering around a huge silver sculpture of the word "Allah", people distributed free lemonade and sweets, as demonstrators chanted slogans and danced to popular anthems, including the Italian hit "Bella Ciao". Mahdi Karima, the 29 year-old DJ behind the sound of Tripoli's uprising, said the idea of a protest rave rapidly spread across Lebanon. "It gave the Tripoli protests a civilized character and it was talked about by all the Lebanese," he told AFP. "This revolution broke stereotypical depictions of the city," he said. From 2007 to 2014, Lebanon's second city was the scene of frequent clashes between Sunni residents of the Bab al-Tabbaneh district, and Alawite residents of neighboring Jabal Mohsen. In 2013, a twin bombing on mosques killed 45 people. The security situation has been quiet since the army deployed to the area in 2014, but Tripoli is still widely seen as a volatile militant bastion like Afghanistan's Kandahar, spiritual birthplace of the Taliban. Hundreds of men from the Tripoli region have traveled to Syria to fight alongside jihadist groups.
'Surprised everyone'
That was until the festive scenes this weekend turned that image on its head. After years of interviewing hardline extremists and filming children holding guns in the city, the Lebanese media is now streaming live images of partying from its main square. "Tripoli paid a high price due to the current political system and bore the stigma of terrorism. Everyone was afraid of entering this city, seen as an extremist and Islamist place," said Amal, a 22-year-old student. But "the residents of Tripoli surprised everyone in Lebanon and abroad with this civilized protest," she said.
"We broke their preconceptions." Footage from the protest-turned-rave went viral on social media networks and aired on local news broadcasts, encouraging protesters from across northern Lebanon to join the Tripoli demonstrations, even Christians from neighboring areas. "It truly felt like a wedding," said Mahmoud Shawak, a 50-year-old protest organizer. Like in other parts of the country, protesters in Tripoli spoke out against their traditional sectarian leaders, who are among the wealthiest men in the country. They tore down posters of their parliamentary representatives and chanted the popular refrain of the Arab Spring uprisings of 2011: "The people demand the fall of the regime." Marginalized for decades by the central government, Lebanon's second city is among the most impoverished in the country. Its commercial port has been left to fall into disrepair, and an outdoor exhibition site designed by Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer lies abandoned and at risk of ruin. According to a 2015 study by the United Nations, 57 percent of the population in Tripoli live at or below the poverty line and 26 percent suffer extreme poverty. Spillover from the conflict in neighboring Syria has only worsened the situation. "Tripoli is revolting because it is neglected and oppressed," said Nafez Muqadam, a 60-year-old activist and doctor. "The country will be destroyed if the ruling class remains."

30 Years on, Lebanon's Sectarian Power-Sharing Challenged
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/October 23/2019
The 1989 Taef accords led to the end of Lebanon's civil war but have since become a by-word for the kind of sectarian-based governance that many protesters feel needs to be scrapped. The protests sparked on October 17 have spread across the country and quickly grown into an unprecedented cross-sectarian street mobilisation against the political class.
- What are the Taef accords? -
The agreement -- signed in Saudi Arabia on October 22, 1989 -- was designed to end the devastating civil conflict that started in 1975 and reconcile a deeply divided country. The accords shaped Lebanon's political system, enshrining a 50:50 power-sharing balance between Christians and Muslims in parliament, a controversial system which some see as the best guarantee of peace and others as hindrance to true citizenship. The document affirms Lebanon's independence, sovereignty and democratic character, and it apportions key positions between the dominant communities, transferring much of the power from the president to the prime minister. Traditionally, the president in Lebanon has always been a Maronite Christian, the parliament speaker a Shiite Muslim and the prime minister a Sunni Muslim. Under the agreement, parliament seats are evenly shared by Christians and Muslims. "Taef has established a set of customs and practises" that amount to a "parallel constitution for Lebanon", said analyst Ali al-Amin. Yet several of its key points have been ignored, including the "abolition of political confessionalism". "The Taef accords called for the creation of a commission to abolish sectarian politics, administrative decentralisation, the creation of a senate and a number of structural reforms, all of which remained a dead letter," political analyst Karim Bitar said.
Were they successful?
The accords not only paved the way for the end of the war a year later but also allowed for the demobilisation of militias, except Hizbullah, and the reconstruction of the army and country's infrastructure. The hundreds of thousands of protesters who have been demonstrating for almost a week initially took to the streets over tax hikes and bad services. Their main demand now is the removal of an entire political class they say has developed patronage networks to ruthlessly exploit the sectarian system for their own benefit. "That's a fundamental break from the past. The Lebanese aspire to a new social contract not based on clientelism and sectarianism," Bitar said. Within the Taif agreement there are provisions that match protesters' demands, but the way it is understood and implemented by the political class is diametrically opposed. "What we are witnessing now is nothing less than the emergence of a Lebanese citizen identity. These recent demonstrations are really unprecedented," said Bitar. "From north to south, people describe themselves as citizens who want a direct link to the state -- not as belonging to a community that just wants its share of the cake," he added.
What alternatives?
Prime Minister Saad Hariri announced a series of reforms on Monday approved in response to the protests.
But the emergency measures were met with scepticism by many demonstrators, who viewed them as a desperate attempt by politicians to keep their jobs. "If he had wanted to take really radical measures, Saad Hariri could have announced the appointment of the commission" for the abolition of confessionalism, analyst Karim el-Mufti said. Putting the Taef accords on the table again is a move many in Lebanon have shunned, saying it could risk sparking sectarian discord. "Those who still defend the Taef accords today argue that an alternative would be negative and revive debates over the level of representation of each community," Bitar said. Hizbullah was not a political force back in 1989, and some parties fear that the Shiite movement would push for a change of the 50:50 ratio to claim a bigger share with a "three thirds" system between Christians, Sunnis and Shiites. According to Bitar, there is a split "between Lebanese youth -- those who are protesting today and have moved into the post-Taef era -- and a political class that is bent on preserving sectarian bastions.""So this is a limbo. Taef has become obsolete but we still can't see what could replace it," he said.

Interview With Joseph Bahout Discusses Lebanese anti-government protests and where they might lead.
Michael Young/Carnegie/October 23, 2019
In an interview, Joseph Bahout discusses Lebanese anti-government protests and where they might lead.
In the past week, protests have erupted throughout Lebanon against financial measures planned by the government of Saad al-Hariri to address the country’s severe economic crisis. These measures would have included raising value-added taxes on the Lebanese, as well as a particularly unpopular fee imposed on internet telephone calls. It quickly became evident, however, that the motivation for the protests ran much deeper and reflected profound hostility to the political class in general, which is perceived as corrupt and ineffective. To examine the implications of the protests, Diwan spoke to Carnegie nonresident scholar Joseph Bahout, who has followed the events closely.
Michael Young: On Monday, Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri announced economic measures to alleviate the severity of Lebanon’s economic and financial crisis. What will be the impact of this?
Joseph Bahout: After a 72-hour interregnum once the protests began, Hariri presented his reform road map last Monday. If we examine it closely we can see that it is a set of disparate measures that offers no real perspective for the structural economic changes that are required to avoid an economic collapse. What we saw, instead, appeared to be simply an effort to buy time.
Some of these measures were cosmetic, designed to achieve a populist aim—for example slashing the salaries of ministers and parliamentarians. Some were long overdue, but their implementation will require a radical change in behavior by the government, for example with regard to management of the electricity sector. And some are potentiality divisive for the government, such as the move to raise taxes on banks’ profits, which could provoke financial panic that would exacerbate the crisis.
The protest movement quickly rejected Hariri’s plan and escalated its demands. These include the government’s resignation, the formation of a new government of apolitical technocrats, a new electoral law and new elections, in addition to a profound change in the government’s management of the economy. However, the protest movement is not organized and in time it risks exhaustion or division. This is what the government is wagering on to survive.
MY: What are the possible outcomes in the coming period?
JB: Within the government there are already serious divisions, and they will widen further from now on. Paradoxically, after the protests Hariri should be more conscious of the leverage he has to effect change in financial and economic policy. President Michel Aoun and Hezbollah need for him to remain in office as he is the favored interlocutor of the international community and donors. However, Hariri also lacks allies inside his government, especially after the resignation of ministers from the Lebanese Forces. At the same time, Aoun and Hezbollah remain unwilling to concede any real decisionmaking power to the prime minister, even though the reaction from the street should have frightened them and undermined the aura of power they seemed to enjoy.
If the reform measures prove insufficient and if the protest movement remains resilient, we should expect a prolonged stalemate. This will probably increase the risks of more violent incidents. The same kind of risk is to be expected if Hariri were to resign. This would most probably lead to a prolonged vacuum in the government, with the ensuing negative repercussions for the economy. Of course, another alternative could then be the formation of a government by Aoun, Hezbollah, and their allies. However, this would set Lebanon on a collision course with a large number of its international partners.
The only organized political forces able to exploit the scenarios I’ve laid out are Hezbollah and the Lebanese armed forces. This explains the persistence of a tenacious rumor now circulating in Beirut about a potential role for the military in resolving the crisis, a demand articulated even by some protesters. Indeed, the military’s behavior is now being closely scrutinized by protesters, if only so that soldiers might act as a shield against political forces opposed to the protests who are loyal to senior government officials; or, eventually, to protect a “national salvation” government that might be responsible for a political transition, if one is feasible.
MY: How willing is the military to cross the line and seek a confrontation, even a soft one, with Hezbollah?
JB: In the past two days the army prevented attacks against the protesters by followers of Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri’s Amal Movement and some Hezbollah vigilantes. Prior to that, Hariri had vowed to protect the protesters and the military command had also warned that it would not tolerate any aggression against the protest movement (especially after Amal thugs used weapons to try to suppress protests in Shi‘a strongholds last weekend). The army acted firmly and Amal ordered its militants to withdraw from the streets.
Such developments raised several questions. Hezbollah is widely believed to have considerable influence over the armed forces, even infiltrating the institution. Did something change lately? If not, then what are the limits to this new behavior by the military? And if yes, will Hezbollah momentarily heed the army’s warnings in order to weather the current storm?
Also, the dynamics between the military and Michel Aoun has to be monitored as well. The armed forces commander, General Joseph Aoun, was picked by the president, but he is also known to have very poor relations with his son in law, Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil. Moreover, both are regarded as rival presidential hopefuls to succeed the aging Michel Aoun.
After several days of protests all over Lebanon, the two figures who have been most insulted by demonstrators have been Bassil and Berri. Even Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah’s secretary general, has not been spared. Such dynamics will shape the evolution, options, and prospects of the protest movement down the road.

A fake regime vs a genuine population: Lebanon – A popular movement and turning momentum
Needless to say, the Lebanese people, no matter their sectarian, societal or even partisan affiliations, broke the barriers of fear and reluctance
Sam Menassa and Ziad El Sayegh/Annahar/October 23/2019
Sick and tired of the economic and political corruption of their rulers and the loss of sovereignty, Lebanese people are protesting.
The authorities always bet on devising new dynamics for subduing, monopolizing, appeasing and causing the numbing of the population. However, last week’s protests, described by some as spontaneous, were the consequence of recurrent structural mismanagement, quackery, makeup, and tinkering. The protests are evidence of the expiration date and inefficiency of misleading dynamics and show that Lebanese people are taking control of their destiny.
Needless to say, the Lebanese people, no matter their sectarian, societal or even partisan affiliations, broke the barriers of fear and reluctance by seeking to put an end to continuous attempts of making them feel beholden to their governments.
They also surmounted the fake sectarian and political borders obviously fabricated to separate them. Based on the above, it may be relevant to conduct an in-depth investigation into the root causes of this uprising, the different phases of translating it into practical terms and the risks of failure or abortion. Furthermore, it is worth examining its prospects of success in building an infrastructure for real change to happen and help release Lebanon from those who have held dominion over the country’s sovereignty, administration and policies, and who spread non-governance within a rotten, pernicious and engrained patronage regime.
Austerity measures broke the already tense relationship between non-partisans and power. The reference to non-partisans is essential as it became clear that the majority of those who took the streets, referred to as the silent bloc, were far removed from political polarization. It is a sign of deadlock for the traditional parties whose legitimacy stems from a marginalized silent bloc on the one hand and subordinate partisans on the other. Austerity measures seemed to be the driving force of non-partisans, but also of partisans who understood that those who subdued them to protect their own interests were unprecedentedly abusing public goods they commonly own alongside their fellow citizens. Hence the new agreement over not wanting to owe or be denied their livelihood is a combined psycho-social spark of rejection.
Public freedom is another founding element of the uprising. Direct and indirect attempts to silence opposing views in the previous months were a clear indication of the authorities' self-denial that people were, as was the case in 2005, able to stop any process leading towards a police state despite the lack of balance of power in sovereignty. People also made it clear: "As an authoritarian alliance, you can comply with the dictates of the strongest, but rest assured that we will not obey you and will not be with you and when the time comes we will restore our lost sovereignty, then you will have to go away”.
2 - Uprising - Popular movement: translation into practical terms
They converged en masse from the far north to the far south. They occupied places with a clever geographic distribution to make sure that no troublemakers would undermine a totally decentralized movement. There was a unanimous cry for the departure of the rulers and the handing over of the government to specialists, or as an alternative, for a transitional phase in preparation for early parliamentary elections, while emphasizing the need for holding the corrupt accountable and for returning looted money.
The initial translation of the movement into practical terms lies in the clear headlines which will get clearer. Its decisive translation into practical terms requires the formation of an agile, non-hierarchical collective leadership of specialists, to be a serious model of how specialists can meet people’s wishes based on a clear-cut agenda leading the movement towards effective and sustainable goals. An accurate progressive and step-by-step approach is needed while monitoring the caveats of undermining or otherwise containing the movement, and drawing scenarios to face them.
3 – Uprising - The popular movement: caveats of failure and abortion!
The ruling elite has several cards in hand to quash the movement, either by turning it into riots perpetrated by organized groups, by exercising its constitutional right of declaring a state of emergency or by imposing a silent coup d’état with abusive use of force.
There is also a risk of having the movement abort itself unless a crosscutting sectorial group comes together with an integrated initiative as a compass for achieving goals through an array of patterns compounded with the steadfastness of protestors.
This is by no means a panacea. It is rather about listening to the pulse and claims of the people and forging progressive steps towards curbing intimidation, arrogance, and destructive threats on the basis of "cutting off one’s nose to spite one’s face" which may be used by the ruling authority.
In addition to these caveats, the risk is that the movement may accept the logic of 'either us or the chaos', expressed at least by those who think they’re leading the country with an iron fist. The academic elites and the media have a founding role in strengthening the immunity of the uprising - movement.
Fighting corruption without restoring sovereignty is an absurd spiral. The basis of sovereignty is one state, one decision and sovereign governance, otherwise, corruption will always prevail.
4 - Uprising - Popular movement: prospects
Lebanon has an unforeseen historic opportunity of doing away with the myth of a silly regime which is stronger than the state which abuses the dignity of citizens. It is difficult to accurately predict the results of this uprising. Nevertheless, it established a number of facts:
First, our apologies to the Lebanese, as we believed that just an elite managed to fly above entrenched sectarianism. The past days proved us wrong. Our apologies for believing that the so-called Lebanese adaptability and resilience was just an excuse not to act or take the responsibility of co-leading the country as it is expected from every citizen.
Secondly, the hijacking of the Shia community by Hezbollah and the non-representativeness of the Shia majority by the Shia duality were evidenced by the uprising. The events in Tyr, Nabatiyeh and other areas showed that thirty years of hegemony by Hezbollah and Iran did not dampen the lebanity nor the patriotism of a major component of the Lebanese society, and that the culture of life was still stronger than the absurd culture of death. Furthermore, the uprising showed that the Sunni community was not a silent but rather an active and influential component. It is not an overstatement to say that the Lebanese Muslims, Shia and Sunni together, are the backbone of the uprising alongside the Christians. Thirdly, the uprising came down like a sentence on a Christian stakeholder claiming to represent the Christian majority. Nothing beats the illusions it spread than the feeling of resentment by the protestors.
Fourth, despite the attempts of dubbing the uprising as an action for claiming rights, though living conditions are still the underlying reason, the Lebanese are deeply convinced that the core origins of the crisis do not lie in arithmetic or rationing, or in budget and taxes, nor could they be overcome by economic policies or reforms. The crisis is structural, political and sovereignty related. It originates in the hegemony of Hezbollah and its allies from all sects and parties over the political and security decisions, and whose aim is to drag Lebanon down a path which goes against its history.
In any event, what happened was by all standards a surprise and an awakening. The vacuum that some are warning against as a result of this movement was already there. The vacuum is not merely the absence of a government, a president or a parliament, but rather an absence of management. The authorities were managing their interests, not the country. However, the specter of fear from illegal weapons and from Hezbollah taking, for the sake of foreign interests, steps against the Lebanese interest is haunting. Here is the danger.

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on October 23-24/2019
Gantz receives official mandate to try to form Israeli government
Reuters, Jerusalem/Wednesday, 23 October 2019
Former military chief Benny Gantz received an official mandate on Wednesday to try to form Israel’s next government after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed, with no easy path to breaking a political deadlock. Assigned the task by President Reuven Rivlin at a televised ceremony, Gantz, head of the centrist Blue and White party, will have 28 days to put together an administration. Failure could lead to Israel’s third ballot within a year after inconclusive elections in April and September. Netanyahu, a fourth-term conservative whose party tied with Gantz’s in September’s election, told Rivlin on Monday he was giving up on forming the government after failing to win support from a majority of parliament.

President Trump lifts US sanctions on Turkey
Emily Judd, Al Arabiya English/Wednesday, 23 October 2019
US President Donald Trump announced that recent US sanctions on Turkey will be lifted in an address from the White House on Wednesday. “I have directed the Secretary of the Treasury to lift all sanctions imposed on October 14 in response to Turkey’s original offensive moves against the Kurds in Syria’s northeast border region,” said Trump. Trump said the government of Turkey contacted him Wednesday morning to say that Ankara would be stopping combat and its operation in Syria to make the US-brokered ceasefire permanent. The US Treasury website reflected the removal of sanctions on Turkey's ministries of defense and energy, including sanctions placed on Turkey's interior, defense, and energy ministers. Trump said last week's US-brokered ceasefire between Turkey and Syrian Kurdish forces has held. “It has held very well, beyond most expectations,” said Trump. The state of captured ISIS prisoners in Syria. Trump said that General Mazloum Abdi, the commander-in-chief of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), reassured him that captured ISIS fighters being held in northeastern Syria are secured in detention centers. “The detention facilities are being strongly maintained. There were a few [ISIS prisoners] that got out…they have been largely recaptured,” said Trump. The remarks come as a senior US official claimed that more than 100 imprisoned ISIS fighters had escaped in Syria since Turkey’s incursion. “We would say the number is now over 100. We do not know where they are,” James Jeffrey, the State Department pointman on Syria, told the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday. Jeffrey said that “almost all” the prisons being guarded by Kurdish forces are secured. Limited US military presence will remain in Syria
Trump said that a small number of US troops will remain in Syria to secure the oil in the country. “We’re going to be protecting [the oil] and deciding what we’re going to do with it in the future,” said Trump. Trump announced on October 7 the withdrawal of US troops from northern Syria ahead of the Turkish incursion in the region. Thanking US Vice President Mike Pence and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for their roles in brokering the ceasefire, Trump said that the credit for the outcome in northeastern Syria goes to the US, adding that he welcomes other countries' involvement if they would like to help. Turkey and Russia reached an agreement on Tuesday to install their forces along the border in northeastern Syria, filling the void left by the withdrawal of US troops. Trump hailed the agreement, which creates a “safe zone” inside Syria about 20 miles deep, as a “big success.”

Trump hails ‘big success’ with safe zone at Turkey-Syria border
AFP, Washington/Wednesday, 23 October 2019
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday hailed a deal struck between Russia and Turkey to remove Kurdish-led fighters from the Syria-Turkey border, calling the agreement a “big success.”“Big success on the Turkey/Syria Border. Safe Zone created! Ceasefire has held and combat missions have ended,” the president tweeted. “Kurds are safe and have worked very nicely with us. Captured ISIS prisoners secured.” Under the deal struck Tuesday in Sochi, Russian military police and Syrian border guards will “facilitate the removal” of Kurdish-led fighters from within 18 miles (30 kilometers) of the border, creating a “safe zone” inside Syria about 20 miles deep. Trump, said he would make a statement on the conflict in Syria at 11 a.m. (1500 GMT) at the White House.

More than 100 ISIS prisoners have escaped in Syria: US envoy
AFP, Washington/Wednesday, 23 October 2019
More than 100 prisoners of ISIS extremist group have escaped in Syria in the chaos since Turkey’s incursion, a senior US official said on Wednesday.
“We would say the number is now over 100. We do not know where they are,” James Jeffrey, the State Department pointman on Syria, told the House Foreign Affairs Committee when asked about the detainees. On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump hailed a deal struck between Russia and Turkey to remove Kurdish-led fighters from the Syria-Turkey border, calling the agreement a “big success.” “Big success on the Turkey/Syria Border. Safe Zone created! Ceasefire has held and combat missions have ended,” the president tweeted. “Kurds are safe and have worked very nicely with us. Captured ISIS prisoners secured.”

Iraq violated human rights in protest crackdown: UN mission
Reuters, Baghdad/Wednesday, 23 October 2019
Iraqi authorities committed serious human rights violations and abuses in their response to a wave of anti-government protests earlier this month that saw 149 civilians killed, the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) said.
In a report by its Human Rights Office published late on Monday, UNAMI said there was evidence that security forces had used excessive force against protesters and made mass arrests. There were also reports that security forces had denied protesters medical treatment, it said. “UNAMI’s interim findings indicate that serious human rights violations and abuses have been committed in the context of the demonstrations in Iraq,” the report said in its conclusion. “The number of dead, the extent and scale of injuries inflicted on demonstrators, all suggest that Iraqi security forces have used excessive force against demonstrators in Baghdad and elsewhere in Iraq.”Protests about high unemployment, poor public services and corruption erupted on Oct. 1, prompting a violent security crackdown. Protesters blame graft and infighting among political leaders for failing to improve their lives even in peacetime, two years after ISIS was declared defeated in Iraq. UNAMI said it conducted 145 interviews between Oct 1-16 with human rights monitors, journalists, civil society activists, protesters, family members of killed demonstrators and others. Journalists who covered the protests told UNAMI said they were subjected to arrests, threats, intimidation and harassment. Human rights activists said they received warnings and death threats not to participate in demonstrations. An Iraqi government committee investigating the wave of unrest found that 149 civilians were killed because security forces used excessive force and live fire to quell protests, according to its report, seen by Reuters.Over 70 percent of deaths were caused by shots to the head or chest, and there was evidence of sniper fire targeting protesters, the government report said. “The loss of life, serious injuries and harm resulting from the violence during the demonstrations was both tragic and preventable,” said Danielle Bell, UNAMI’s human rights chief. “Concrete steps to enable peaceful assemblies and protect those participating should be a priority.”

Pentagon chief says US forces enter, leave Iraq with govt permission: Iraqi PM
Reuters, Baghdad/Wednesday, 23 October 2019
US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper told Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi on Wednesday that the United States respects Iraq’s sovereignty and that US forces enter and leave Iraq with Baghdad’s permission, Abdul Mahdi’s office said.
“The US forces withdrawing from Syria into Iraq enter andleave Iraqi territory with permission and approval from the Iraqi government, and any media reports of them staying in Iraq are not true,” Abdul Mahdi’s office quoted Esper as saying.Earlier on Wednesday, the Iraqi defense minister said that American forces withdrawing from Syria to Iraq will leave the country within four weeks. Iraq’s military said on Tuesday that American troops leaving northeastern Syria don’t have permission to stay in Iraq in a statement that appeared to contradict Esper, who has said that all US troops leaving Syria would continue to conduct operations against ISIS from Iraq to prevent its resurgence in the region.

SDF chief thanks Russia for saving Syria Kurds from ‘scourge’ of war
AFP, Qamishli/Thursday, 24 October 2019
The head of the Kurd-led Syrian Democratic Forces has thanked Moscow for saving his people from the “scourge” of war after Russia struck a deal with Ankara ending its weeks-long Syria offensive. In a phone call with Russia’s defense minister and military chief, Mazloum Abdi “expressed his thanks to President Vladimir Putin and the Russian Federation for their keenness on defusing the war in our region and sparing civilians its scourge,” the SDF said in a statement on Wednesday. “The Commander-in-Chief also expressed reservations about some points of the agreement, which require further discussions and dialogue,” it added. Under the deal signed in Sochi on Tuesday, Turkey will remain fully deployed in an Arab-majority area that was the main target of its two-week offensive in northern Syria. It also requires Kurdish forces to pull back to a line 30 kilometers (18 miles) from the border along its entire length (440 kilometers), forcing them to surrender some of their main towns and crushing their dreams of autonomy. Russia and Turkey will then start joint patrols in two zones along the border. On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump announced that recent US sanctions on Turkey will be lifted.

Russia rejects German vision for security zone in northern Syria: Report
Reuters, Moscow/Wednesday, 23 October 2019
Russia does not see any need to establish a security zone under international control in northeastern Syria, an idea aired by Germany, the RIA Novosti news agency reported on Wednesday, citing Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.Germany’s defense minister has suggested creating an internationally controlled security zone involving Turkey and Russia, the first time Berlin has proposed a military mission in the Middle East. The US and NATO cautiously welcomed the proposal on Wednesday. Russia on Tuesday struck a deal with Turkey that will see Syrian and Russian forces deploy to northeast Syria to remove Kurdish-led forces and their weapons from the border with Turkey. It has said that Moscow and Ankara will jointly monitor the arrangement.

US’ Esper reinforces commitment to helping Saudi Arabia defend itself
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English/Tuesday, 22 October 2019
The US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said on Tuesday that Washington reinforces its commitment to helping Saudi Arabia “defend itself in a time of destabilizing Iranian activity.”The statement came through a tweet from Esper’s official account after a “very productive meeting” with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, as he described it. “We discussed many bilateral issues. Most importantly I wanted to reinforce the U.S. commitment to helping #SaudiArabia defend itself in a time of destabilizing Iranian activity,” the tweet said. Saudi Arabian King Salman bin Abdulaziz received on Tuesday US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper and discussed strategic cooperation between Riyadh and Washington. King Salman and Esper also discussed a number of joint security and defense issues, in addition to the latest developments in the region and efforts exerted toward them.

Saudi royal decree appoints Prince Faisal bin Farhan as new foreign minister
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English/Wednesday, 23 October 2019
A Saudi Arabian royal decree appointed on Wednesday Prince Faisal bin Farhan as the Kingdom’s new foreign minister, relieving former minister Ibrahim Assaf from his duties. Assaf, who replaced Adel al-Jubeir in December 2018, will be demoted to minister of state, as per the decree. Born in Germany in 1974 (45 years-old), Prince Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud has served as Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Germany since February 10. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Arabian Military Industries Company (SAMI) and the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Alsalam Aerospace Industries Company. He had also served as the chief adviser at the Saudi Arabian Embassy in the US and as an adviser to the Royal Court of Saudi Arabia. The new foreign minister speaks English and German fluently. Another royal decree appointed Saleh bin Nasser al-Jasser, the Director-General of the Saudi Arabian Airlines, as the new transport minister, relieving Nabil al-Amoudi from his duties.

Albania reveals it has discovered an Iranian paramilitary network
The Associated Press, Tirana/Wednesday, 23 October 2019
Albanian police said on Wednesday they have discovered an Iranian paramilitary network that allegedly planned attacks in Albania against exiled members of an Iranian group seeking to overthrow the government in Tehran.
Police chief Ardi Veliu said the foreign wing of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard operated an “active terrorist cell” targeting Mujahedin-e Khalq, or MEK, group members in Albania. He did not say what the alleged plot involved, or whether any arrests were made. A police statement alleged that two Iranian top security officials led the cell from Tehran. It also said the network was allegedly linked with organized crime groups in Turkey and used a former MEK member to collect information in Albania. Veliu said another planned attack on the group in Albania by Iranian government agents was foiled in March during the Sultan Nevruz day festivities. Last year Albania expelled Iran’s ambassador and another Iranian diplomat over alleged illegal activities threatening Albania’s security. Outlawed in Iran, Mujahedin-e-Khalq was listed as a terrorist organization by the State Department until 2012. Some 2,500 of its members moved to Albania from Iraq in 2014.

Numbers of Arab University Students in Israel Doubled in 10 Years
Tel Aviv- Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 23 October, 2019
The number of Arab university students has doubled in Israel over the last decade, jumping from 24,000 in 2008 to 51,000 this year, according to figures published by Israel's Higher Council for Education on Monday to mark the beginning of the new academic year. The number of Arab students constitutes 18 percent of the total number of university students in Israel, which this year is 313,000. There are 51,000 Arab university students in Israel this year, 61 percent of whom are females. However, this number does not include Arab university students from Palestinians of the 1948 territories, of which 10,000 are pursuing their education in Jordan and about 9000 in Palestinian universities. Also, Arabs outperformed Jews in education performance, according to a source at the Higher Education Council. The number of Arab students pursuing Master's degree has risen from 2,855 students, representing 4 percent of the total number of students in Israel in 2008, to 9,274 students last year, representing 14 percent. Meanwhile, drop-out rate among Arabs is still higher than that of Jews, as Arab students find it difficult to blend in, learn Hebrew or even financially join schools, according to a study conducted by the Israeli Ministry of Finance. Consequently, 14 percent of young people and 6 percent of females drop out of school and do not finish their education. This difference is due to discrimination policy of Israel government towards Arabs, with the proportion of Arab high school graduates rising from 47 percent to 64 percent in 10 years, yet it is still far from the 80 percent of Jewish graduates. The Higher Education Council pointed to two other phenomena that characterize university education in Israel in this period of time. First, students’ numbers in scientific and technological majors doubled, as opposed to traditional ones such as law and business education which fell by 25 percent in the last decade. The second phenomenon is the increase of females students reaching 60 percent over males, in almost all subjects, and in all social strata; where female students on average 60 percent.

Tunisia: Court Overturns Election Results for Expats in Germany
Tunis- Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 23 October, 2019
Tunisia's administrative court has overturned partial preliminary results of legislative elections in the constituency for the Tunisian community in Germany. The court also reversed a result, restoring a seat of conservative Errahmah party. On Tuesday, the court rejected 40 objections in form to the election results, and 59 objections in substance. The court overturned the results of the German constituency, which was won by the representative of the Democratic Current without giving any explanation, which means it will call for a re-election. Meanwhile, the court accepted two objections with the amendment of the results of the elections in Ben Arous constituency. The Electoral Commission had previously announced results granting a seat to People’s Movement after it canceled it for Errahma conservative party in a case of political defamation. However, it overturned the results and Errahma won. In Kasserine governorate, the court nullified a seat for the Nidaa Tounes party, saying the results were in favor of the People's Movement. These decisions are subject to appeal in the Court of Appeal. The Commission published the preliminary results of the legislative elections held on the sixth of this month announcing the victory of the Islamic Ennahda movement with 52 seats, ahead of the liberal party Heart of Tunisia with 38 seats. Final results are expected to be announced following the appeals deadline in mid-November.

The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on October 23-24/2019
America Needs to Choose Sides: Saudi Arabia or Iran
Peter Huessy/Gatestone Institute/October 23/2019
US Senator Bernie Sanders failed to mention that the "catastrophic war" to which he was referring was initiated solely by the Iranian regime, which encouraged and enabled Houthi terrorists to overthrow the internationally recognized government of Yemen.
A key danger to the US also lies in its relinquishing the maritime chokepoint, Bab el-Mandeb, through which -- along with the Strait of Hormuz -- approximately one-third of the world's oil production passes every day. Iran's ability to disrupt or interdict this daily movement of oil would give Tehran enormous leverage over the global economy.
Given this reality, it is inexplicable for Congress to advocate a policy based on tying the hands of Saudi Arabia, an ally, while giving free rein to Iran, which has been a sworn enemy of the US for decades. In addition, Saudi Arabia, unlike Iran, is not on any glide-path to producing nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles to deliver them.
The inability to make any viable, trustworthy deals with Tehran is not the only reason that ceding control of Yemen to Iran is perilous for America and the rest of the world. A key danger to the US also lies in its relinquishing the maritime chokepoint, Bab el-Mandeb, through which -- along with the Strait of Hormuz -- approximately one-third of the world's oil production passes every day. Pictured: A merchant ship transits the Strait of Hormuz, with the US Navy amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge in the background.
Many of the US administration's critics in Congress are, perhaps unsurprisingly, exhibiting hypocrisy where American policy is concerned. Less than a year ago, the Senate passed a resolution, co-sponsored by Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Mike Lee (R-UT) and Chris Murphy (D-CT), to discontinue military support for the Saudi-led effort to defeat the Houthis -- Marxist-Islamist terrorists backed by, and serving as, a proxy to the Iranian regime in its war in Yemen.
Sanders defended the resolution by declaring: "The bottom line is that the United States should not be supporting a catastrophic war led by a despotic [Saudi] regime with an irresponsible foreign policy."
Sanders failed to mention that the "catastrophic war" to which he was referring was initiated solely by the regime in Tehran, which encouraged and enabled Houthi terrorists to overthrow the internationally recognized government of Yemen. These terrorists continue to use hospitals and schools in Yemen as troop barracks and supply dumps, and dragoon pre-pubescent children into their ranks.
Murphy said that the resolution "will be seen as a message to the Saudis that they need to clean up their act," asserting that America is "made weaker in the eyes of the world when we willingly participate in war crimes, when we allow our partners to engage in the slaughter of innocents."
Murphy conveyed no similar message, however, to Iran and its Houthi proxy to "clean up their act" and end their war of aggression in Yemen.
Both Sanders and Murphy ignored the results of a proposed peace plan, presented to the UN in October 2018, which then US Defense Secretary James Mattis said included a ceasefire of missile and drone attacks from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen, in exchange for a halt of Saudi-led coalition air strikes in all populated areas of the country. The response from the Houthis and their patron, Iran, was to launch additional missile attacks.
The inability to make any viable, trustworthy deals with Tehran is not the only reason that ceding control of Yemen to Iran is perilous for America and the rest of the world. A key danger to the US also lies in its relinquishing the maritime chokepoint, Bab el-Mandeb, through which -- along with the Strait of Hormuz -- approximately one-third of the world's oil production passes every day. Iran's ability to disrupt or interdict this daily movement of oil would give Tehran enormous leverage over the global economy.
Given this reality, it is inexplicable for Congress to advocate a policy based on tying the hands of Saudi Arabia, an ally, while giving free rein to Iran, which has been a sworn enemy of the US for decades. In addition, Saudi Arabia, unlike Iran, is not on any glide-path to producing nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles to deliver them. Furthermore, full American cooperation with the Saudi coalition, if done effectively, is more likely to end the war in Yemen than enable it to become another endless conflict like the one that has been raging in Syria -- something that goes against American interests.
A successful Congressional and administration policy to end the fighting in Yemen should include: (1) closing down the ground-, sea- and air-smuggling routes for weapons to the Houthis; (2) patrolling the Bab el-Mandeb and the Strait of Hormuz; (3) selling America's allies in the region the military hardware they need to secure victory; (4) providing real-time intelligence and overhead reconnaissance to coalition forces; and (5) using strong public diplomacy to support the internationally recognized and lawful government of Yemen.
In view of the terrible history of the conflict in Yemen, it is high time for Congress to choose sides -- to back Saudi Arabia's coalition or empower Iran and its proxy Houthi terrorists.
*Dr. Peter Huessy is President of GeoStrategic Analysis, a defense consulting firm he founded in 1981. He also is a guest lecturer on nuclear deterrent studies at the US Naval Academy. He was also for 22 years, the senior defense consultant at the National Defense University Foundation.
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The message from Tokyo
Faisal J. Abbas/Arabic News/October 24/ 2019
I am writing this column in Tokyo, where Arab News has just launched its Japan edition. The launch took place on the eve of the enthronement of Emperor Naruhito in a ceremony attended by Saudi Minister of State Prince Turki bin Mohammed bin Fahd bin Abdul Aziz, and of the Saudi-Japan Vision 2030 Business Forum.
The forum was attended by high-level delegates from both countries: Saudi Commerce and Investment Minister Majid Al-Qasabi and Economy and Planning Minister Mohammed Al-Tuwaijri, along with representatives from the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA); and Japan’s Parliamentary Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, Norikazu Suzuki, and Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Isshu Sugawara. Twelve agreements were signed in the fields of education, science, technology, and banking and finance.
As Al-Qasabi rightly pointed out during the forum, Japan is one of Saudi Arabia’s most important economic partners, and a wide range of businesses from the two countries have a strong track record of working together. “The forum reflects the success and strength of this enduring partnership,” the minister said, explaining that the Saudi-Japan Vision 2030 was established two years ago to drive and facilitate private-sector involvement by establishing joint ventures between entities in the two countries.
Saudi Arabia believes its future prosperity depends on fostering even closer ties with its strategic partners around the world, Al-Qasabi said, and the Kingdom looks forward to welcoming Japanese companies as they participate in the historic transformation of the Saudi economy. “Japan has been a credible and reliable partner,” he said.
As we in Saudi Arabia open up, modernize and reform, I am sure there is a great deal we can learn from Japan’s template of success.
This significant business forum comes at an interesting time for the two countries, as they search for new opportunities: Saudi Arabia under Vision 2030 is opening up a number of sectors to foreign investment, the most recent being entertainment and tourism. Japan is among the 49 countries whose citizens no longer require a traditional Saudi entry visa, and can obtain a visa upon arrival.
From Japan’s point of view, Tokyo is eager to secure the foreign tranche of the Saudi Aramco IPO. While nothing has been confirmed, with a total capitalization of $3.5 trillion the Tokyo Stock Exchange would have no difficulty accommodating such a massive share sale; it proved its ability to handle large IPOs with the $23.5 billion SoftBank flotation last December, the second-biggest ever.
The Japanese business community is witnessing — and has been among the first to reap — the benefits of Saudi Vision 2030, as the Kingdom leaps forward in its ranking for competitiveness and ease of doing business. According to the 2019 Global Competitiveness Report published by the World Economic Forum, Saudi Arabia has moved up three positions to 36th place globally, thanks to the Kingdom’s efforts to diversify its economy.
As Saudi Arabia prepares for its annual Future Investment Initiative (FII) forum in Riyadh, of which Japan is sure to be a vital part, we should also remember that relations between our two countries extend far beyond business. This was emphasized by my good friend, Japanese Defense Minister Taro Kono, during the Arab News Japan launch on Monday at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan in Tokyo. “We share common values,” he said. “We both have great respect for the old, and we both think that family values are the most important. We are friends, and I think we need to work together.”
The cooperation between the two countries is particularly significant because both are undergoing key structural changes to promote and reshape their economies. Our shared desire is to seek a more sustainable and dynamic economy, creating a healthy society and improving the well-being of both peoples.
It is worth repeating here that Japan commands immense respect in the Arab world for having literally risen from the ashes after the Second World War. The country’s success is particularly laudable because it achieved that great success despite not being rich in natural resources, and despite having been completely destroyed in that conflict. It has since become one of the world’s largest economies, and it has done so by adhering to its traditions and values. As we in Saudi Arabia open up, modernize and reform, I am sure there is a great deal we can learn from Japan’s template of success.
As for Japan hosting Arab News, all we can say is: “Domo arigato gozaimashita” — thank you very much.
• Faisal J. Abbas is the editor in chief of Arab News

Why there is no need for new Gulf security structures
Abdel Aziz Aluwaisheg/Arabic News/October 24/ 2019
During the general debate of the UN General Assembly last month, world leaders came up with numerous proposals, some new and some refurbished, about Gulf security.
Some ideas were advanced with good intentions as a response to Iran’s drone and missile attacks on Saudi Arabia’s oil installations on Sept. 14. Some probably had ulterior motives. The Russian concept was based on effectively internationalizing Gulf security and does not take into consideration the local alliances already in place. Although most proposals were motivated by the September attacks, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani cynically proposed a security system to be led by Tehran.
What most proposals had in common was the denial of local agency by the countries most threatened in the Gulf, ignoring their work of recent decades in establishing a fairly robust collective security system. The peace and security of the UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait (and others) have been repeatedly threatened by Iran, its proxies and terrorists it has trained, armed and funded. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) was set up in 1981 as a security organization in part as a response to Iran’s threats. The GCC is a political and economic body as well but, during the past 38 years, it has set up an elaborate security architecture, which was crowned last November with the appointment of Gen. Eid Al-Shalawi as general commander of the GCC Unified Military Command (GUMC).
Overseen by the joint chiefs of staff of the member states, the GUMC coordinates the work of all military services, including the land, naval, air force and air defenses of member states. Despite the recent intra-GCC difficulties, the joint chiefs of staff and other officers from the six GCC member states have been meeting regularly, intensifying their efforts since May due to Iran’s escalation of aggression against international shipping in the Gulf and oil installations on land.
Counterterrorism is a task handled by several GCC organizations, including the Secretariat in Riyadh and the GCC Police in Abu Dhabi, and overseen by the ministers of interior, who have been meeting despite intra-GCC differences. GCC counterterrorism efforts include addressing terrorism financing, extremism, and targeting and apprehending suspected terrorists, both foreign and domestic.
The GCC security architecture is based on collective defense. For example, Article II of the Mutual Defense Treaty, concluded in 2000 and ratified by all member states, stipulates that GCC security is indivisible and obliges all member states to act jointly to repel external aggression. The GCC emergency summit held in Makkah in May invoked this treaty and joint action has since intensified.
It is clear that Saudi Arabia and the other GCC states already have a collective security system, anchored around the GCC agreements and working with allies, partners and friends as needed.
One can draw important lessons from the events unfolding in northern Syria this month. When the US decided to withdraw its remaining troops from that region, a security vacuum was created. Turkey then launched its long-planned incursion into Syria. The 10-point accord reached between Turkey and Russia on Tuesday, dividing security roles among them, has clearly sidelined the US and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). It upended previous US-SDF arrangements and replaced them with a new configuration between Russia and Turkey.
The most important lesson is that foreign partnerships are important but can be volatile and subject to considerations beyond local powers’ control. They are no substitute for regional collective defense arrangements. External partnerships are most useful when they complement a functioning locally-led collective defense. A case in point is the Security and Defense Conference, which Saudi Arabia convened this week with the chiefs of staff from 18 countries — the six GCC states, Egypt, Jordan, the US, UK, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Greece, Pakistan, South Korea, and New Zealand. Gen. Fayyadh Al-Ruwaili, the chairman of Saudi Arabia’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, chaired the gathering.
The meeting aimed at solidifying the Kingdom’s external partnerships and concluded with a joint communique adopting a solid unified position against the Sept. 14 attacks. The military leaders expressed their determination to work together to deter future attacks. They also voiced support for Saudi Arabia, stressing its right, together with its partners, to deter further attacks and defend its territory, vital infrastructure, and territorial waters.
The communique said that the 18 nations were working jointly to determine the best ways to support Saudi Arabia, focusing on the methods and operations necessary for defense and deterrence. They plan to meet again on Nov. 4 to discuss the modalities of that support.
Foreign partnerships are important but can be volatile and subject to consideration beyond local powers’ control.
Another example of timely joint work and effective partnership was the visit to Riyadh this week by US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, who reiterated US support for Saudi Arabia and its determination to deter Iran’s aggression. Earlier, the US deployed additional troops to the Kingdom, in addition to Patriot missile batteries and dozens of fighter jets.
During his visit to Riyadh, Esper said he would soon urge NATO nations to contribute more to Gulf defense. This call was part of the US campaign to get its allies to shoulder more responsibility for Gulf security.
Thus the Gulf security architecture already exists. The foundation should be based on Saudi Arabia’s own efforts, those of its GCC allies, and the GCC’s well-established collective security instruments. It allows for the participation of the GCC’s external partners, as protecting international waterways and the freedom of navigation in the Gulf is a joint international responsibility. So far, “strategic partnerships” have been firmly established with a number of countries, notably the US in 2015 and the UK in 2016. The GCC and its member states have also launched “strategic dialogues” with dozens of countries and organizations with the aim of establishing effective, equal and mutually beneficial partnerships in all areas, including security, economy and culture.
*Abdel Aziz Aluwaisheg is the GCC Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs and Negotiation, and a columnist for Arab News. The views expressed in this piece are personal and do not necessarily represent GCC views. Twitter: @abuhamad1

Why world leaders need to listen to the powerless
Cornelia Meyer/Arabic News/October 24/ 2019
In 2011, at the height of the so-called Arab Spring, Time magazine’s Person of the Year was “the protester.” Since then, the Arab Spring has abated, but demonstrations have shot up like green shoots across the globe. This year, in particular, seems to be the year of protest and civil disobedience. Wherever you look, the disenchanted flock to the streets to advocate for their cause, sometimes using violence and sometimes not.
There have been scenes of burning cars in Chile and Barcelona. France has the “gilets jaunes.” In Hong Kong, protesters advocate for democracy ever more violently. In Iraq, even the government had to admit that security forces used excessive force against those who took to the streets. A million people reportedly clogged up London’s Piccadilly and Whitehall on Saturday to peacefully advocate for a second Brexit referendum. There is also the schoolchildren who “go on strike” every Friday to raise awareness of climate change. Extinction Rebellion recently staged protests in major cities around the globe with the same aim, including in Central London two weeks ago, making it nearly impossible to get from A to B.
What is behind this phenomenon? There are essentially three categories. First is demonstrators who want to further a political goal, such as more democracy in Hong Kong, judicial leniency for independence advocates in Catalonia, the ability for all (even opposition politicians) to stand in local elections in Russia, or a second Brexit referendum in the UK. Another category is demonstrators targeting economic inequality, such as the gilets jaunes in France, who initially objected to a hike in fuel prices, or the recent demonstrations in Chile, which were caused by an increase in public transport fares. Iraq was a bit of both: Demonstrators objected to the lack of access to public services and corruption, which straddles both the economic and political realms. The last category covers overarching global goals, particularly climate change.
These demonstrations often start with one thing and morph into much more. Hong Kong is a good example. Five months ago, old and young, and even those in the business establishment, rose to articulate their objection to a controversial proposed law that would have allowed for criminal suspects to be extradited to mainland China. They feared what it would do to the relative independence of the territory from the People’s Republic, known as “one country, two systems.” Businesses in particular were concerned about what it would mean for their freedom to operate. The powers that be acted too late and the position of Chief Executive Carrie Lam has become all but untenable, even though the bill was formally scrapped on Wednesday.
Protesters feel that the disparity between rich and poor has become too great and that the affluent wield too much influence
The protesters are demanding that the entire legislature and the chief executive be elected by the people, rather than selected. Things have got out of hand and the territory is suffering, as is its business. Beijing is said to be looking at replacing Lam with an interim chief executive, which will probably not do the trick. This is just one example where a lack of empathy for the demonstrators’ plight has aggravated the situation.
Up until Donald Trump and Brexit, it was political parties that drove the agenda. Since then, it is increasingly movements that are more loosely organized and often have a single agenda. This is not dissimilar to how the demonstrators function. In other words, the movements correspond to the zeitgeist of the time.
This is enhanced by social media, which gives people the ability to organize horizontally — peer to peer — without the usual political organizations and party structures. Indeed, encrypted versions of messaging apps such as WhatsApp even allow them to avoid the long arm of the state, which is important in authoritarian or semi-authoritarian regimes. In other words, it has become possible to voice opinions outside the staid political process.
The root causes go beyond movements, though. Across the world, the voiceless want to stand up against what they feel are entitled elites. The gilets jaunes and demonstrators in Chile feel that the disparity between rich and poor has become too great and that the affluent wield too much influence, leaving their voices drowned out. So they take to the streets. Catalan separatists are frustrated that their attempt to split from Spain was thwarted. They are enraged by the unseemly, draconian punishment of their leaders, who had once been their elected representatives. The same can be said for the million people who took to the streets last Saturday asking for a second Brexit referendum. Climate change is the big concern for the young, and the political elites have probably been too slow to catch on. They are catching up fast though, as the recent election results in Switzerland and other countries prove.
We have to ask ourselves whether the political process is broken and the social contract is null and void. They are probably not but, in the aftermath of the global financial crisis, all eyes were on trying to save the financial system and with it the global economy. If the efforts of the G20 and central banks had not been successful, we would probably be in a much worse place. However, the leaders of this world need to pay attention to the plight of the less affluent and the powerless. We need to find ways to get their voices heard. If they feel continuously ignored, they will organize. Social media gives them the ability to do so, even if they lack organizational structures.
*Cornelia Meyer is a business consultant, macro-economist and energy expert. Twitter: @MeyerResources

Middle East set for bumpy ride following US withdrawal
Sir John Jenkins/Arabic News/October 24/ 2019
If it wasn’t clear already, it should be now. We are watching the political geography of the Middle East being reshaped before our eyes. It’s a historic moment. Whether you think that’s a good or a bad thing rather depends on where you sit. If you’re in Moscow, Tehran or Damascus, you probably think it’s good. If you’re in London, Paris, Riyadh or Abu Dhabi, you don’t. In Washington, it seems to depend on whether you sit in one of the think tanks off Dupont Circle, on the Hill or in the White House.
And that’s the big problem. Historically — certainly at any point since the early 1970s, when President Anwar Sadat expelled the Russian advisers on whom his predecessor had relied — if you wanted to resolve a conflict in the Middle East, you called Washington, which meant the White House. To be more precise, it meant calling the national security adviser, starting with Henry Kissinger, whose successors (perhaps with a partial exception under the Carter administration) continued his highly pragmatic, power-based approach. In those 50 years, the US was the offshore balancer in the region, a role that Britain had played from the beginning of the 19th century — starting in the Gulf — until it was replaced sometime between 1952 and 1967.
Things really started to change, though we maybe didn’t see it clearly enough at the time, with the invasion of Iraq in 2003. Where Kissinger had balanced (in the tradition of his hero, Klemens von Metternich), George W. Bush gambled. The gamble wasn’t whether the US could destroy the Saddamist regime, which it clearly could, it was whether the US could build something enduringly better out of the rubble. The answer to that has been an emphatic no. This is not because the current system in Iraq is more oppressive (though some might think it is equally so, in a different way). It is because taking down Saddam Hussein opened the door not to democracy and an open, vibrant economy delivering for all Iraqis, but to corruption and Iran.
President Barack Obama seems to have thought the answer was to believe not in the force of arms but in the improving arc of history (the intellectual equivalent of the tooth fairy). He wanted to reduce US commitments in the Middle East, partly because he saw endless conflicts there as a drain on the nation’s resources, but also perhaps because he thought the US was part of the problem and therefore couldn’t be part of the solution.
Donald Trump has simply tested this theory to destruction. Except that he doesn’t seem to think what happens in the Middle East is necessarily a problem for the US. It’s a long way away. US energy production is booming. It costs a lot of money — and lives — to try to resolve distant conflicts. There are no obvious domestic political benefits. And it sucks up a lot of energy, a lot of patience and a lot of creativity. The Trump White House doesn’t obviously have that skill set. When it comes to the Middle East as a whole (so not just Iran), I’m not persuaded the Obama White House had it either. And the Department of State, which under Obama probably still had it, has been marginalized.
And so we are where we are. On the basis of a single telephone conversation with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Oct. 6 — the culmination, to be fair, of a protracted campaign of nagging, veiled threats and maneuvering on the ground — Trump agreed that about 1,000 US military personnel who had been working with the Syrian Democratic Forces, the mixed Kurdish-Arab troops associated with the Democratic Union Party (PYD), the Syrian Kurdish political movement with links to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which Turkey regards as terrorists, would be withdrawn. Turkish forces were given a free hand to create an extensive buffer zone along the eastern end of the Turkish-Syrian border, in what had been the proto-Kurdish mini-state of Rojava.
The Turks claim to want to resettle in this space at least some of the 3.6 million refugees, mostly from elsewhere in Syria, currently in Turkey. Erdogan says this is for humanitarian reasons. Others think it is simply designed to neutralize the Kurdish threat by ethnic cleansing. Hundreds of thousands of civilians have been displaced. There has been heavy shelling and air strikes in built-up areas. There have been reports — and some disturbing footage — of atrocities already committed by irregular Arab forces associated with the Turkish advance, including the brutal murder of a Kurdish female politician, Hevrin Khalaf, and the summary execution of civilians. There is clear evidence that, among these forces, are people previously associated with some deeply unpleasant groups inside Syria, including some which many observers believe Turkey has been cultivating for years.
The international and, more importantly perhaps, the domestic US reaction to the initial Turkish advances seems to have led Trump to change his mind — a little — and threaten Turkey (in a letter I initially thought was a hoax: It reads like the sort of thing Tony Soprano would write, if he ever wrote letters) with sanctions if it didn’t call off its attack dogs. Vice President Mike Pence visited Ankara and Turkey agreed a temporary cease-fire of some sort — but only if the Kurds withdrew their forces, which is what Erdogan wanted all along. Erdogan and Vladimir Putin subsequently agreed a deal that will see Turkey and Russia oversee the Kurdish withdrawal and start joint patrols along the border. Russian forces have taken over some formerly US bases. The Iranians — doubtless rubbing their hands with glee — made statesmanlike noises while reinforcing their positions on the Syria-Iraq border at Al-Qaim and in Mayadin, to the southeast of Deir Ezzor.
It’s a big mess if you believe in and value the sort of order we have seen in the region for the last five decades. This was an order guaranteed by the US, with Israel, Egypt and the Gulf states as the chief beneficiaries. There will be no equivalent replacement for the US, as there was for Britain when her moment in the Middle East ended. Russia has emerged as the power broker in Syria and now perhaps also between Syria and Turkey (and maybe between Iran and Israel). Russia is also building up its political capital elsewhere. Putin will try and leverage this to secure gains in Ukraine, for example. But the chief regional beneficiary will be Iran.
A Turkey focused on its own borders and deeply divided domestically is not a rival, especially when Erdogan owes Putin so much. The Arab Gulf states do not have the same equities or capabilities as Iran — built up over 40 years — in Iraq, Syria or Lebanon. In Iraq, the government’s response to the recent demonstrations, fueled by popular and non-sectarian anger at corruption and incompetence, has been straight out of Tehran’s playbook. If reports are to be believed, Iranian advisers have been helping direct the response of the security forces, supported by elements of the Popular Mobilization Units, since the unrest began. Bashar Assad needs Iran now more than ever, which is why the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has so easily been able to effectively annex the key border crossings into Iraq. Lebanon is bankrupt and increasingly controlled by Hezbollah. And Iran will also always have Yemen as a useful means of applying pressure on Saudi Arabia, unless that war is closed down soon.
President Barack Obama seems to have thought the answer was to believe not in the force of arms but in the improving arc of history.
If you were to ask me what I think we (meaning Europe and the US) should do about this, the first thing I would say is that we need to recognize reality. Creeping Iranian hegemony over a space from Pakistan to the Mediterranean is a threat to the Arab states of the Gulf and the international alignment of the greater Levant, something that has concerned policymakers in Western capitals for a century. The Turkish turn toward Russia — and its growing dependency — is a threat to NATO. If Europe had the capacity, then I would also say we needed to develop a counter-strategy — based on hard power not soft wishes — pretty quickly. This would involve greater military support for the Arab Gulf; a concerted effort to roll back at least some of the gains Iran has made in Iraq through effective support for better governance, militia demobilization and better economic and political integration with its Arab neighbors; a program of economic support for Lebanon and Jordan; and a strategic security partnership with India. There is probably scope for greater joint work on ways to combat asymmetric warfare and new forms of combat. I don’t actually think Europe as a whole has this capacity, or the collective will. But some individual countries do, including Britain (I hope, especially when we emerge from the current political chaos) and France. They should work together, not in competition.
But this still leaves a gigantic hole where the US used to be. Over the last decade, trust has been lost massively — and not just among the Kurds, whose sense of historic betrayal has always been profound. Unless Washington rethinks its international position very soon, the moment for repair will pass. This will increase the stress on all manner of important relationships and alliances. And, in a Middle East full of rivals, without a natural point of equilibrium or a natural hegemon (whatever Tehran may imagine), the future will almost certainly be more conflict. It’s going to be a very bumpy ride.
*Sir John Jenkins is a senior fellow at Policy Exchange. Until December 2017, he was Corresponding Director (Middle East) at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), based in Manama, Bahrain and was a Senior Fellow at Yale University’s Jackson Institute for Global Affairs. He was the British ambassador to Saudi Arabia until January 2015