LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
October 25/2019
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 24-25/2019
US Says Lebanese Protesters Have 'Legitimate' Grievances
U.S. Embassy Beirut Supports the Demonstrations In Lebanon
UK Embassy in Lebanon: Necessary Reforms Should Be Implemented Urgently
Lebanon’s Aoun Says Willing to Meet Protesters
Lebanon’s President Aoun refuses to step down, blames corruption for crisis
Protesters Dissatisfied with President Speech
No Signs of Abating as Mass Lebanese Protests Enter Week Two
Hariri Meets with EU Ambassadors
Hariri, Jumblat Back Aoun’s Call for Govt. Reshuffle
Al-Rahi Urges 'Small, Neutral and Competent' Government
Bassil Tells FPMers 'Don't Fear' as They Chant Own 'Hela Ho' Slogan
ISF Contains Riad al-Solh Scuffles between Protesters, 'Nasrallah Defenders'
Drug Lord Delivers Blunt Support for Lebanon Protests
UNIFIL Observes United Nations Day
Odds mount against Lebanon’s protest movement after president’s speech
Lebanon: Religious Authorities Express Solidarity With Protesters
UK Says Lebanon Protesters Must Be Heard, Reforms Enacted
Arab League Advises Lebanon’s PM to Hold Dialogue with Protesters
Lebanon: Religious Authorities Express Solidarity With Protesters
Lebanon Top Banking Official: Operations to Fully Resume when Crisis Ends
The Final Chapter of Lebanon’s Incorporation with Tehran’s Axis
News Analysi/Domestic problems, rather than foreign intervention, trigger Lebanon's protests: analysts
Aoun, Hezbollah to cling to power, come hell or high water

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on October 24-25/2019
Trump pivots on N. Syria: Some US troops to stay, one air base retained
Iraqi PM warns against violence ahead of planned anti-government protests
Iraqis gather in Baghdad ahead of planned mass protests
Kurds welcome German plan for international force in Syria
Syria ceasefire holding ahead of Constitutional Committee: UN envoy
France reopens disputed ancient tomb in Jerusalem
Turkish defense ministry: five military personnel wounded after Kurdish militia attack
Syrian Kurds Accuse Turkey of Violations, Russia Says Peace Plan on Track
Esper Says Turkey 'Heading in Wrong Direction' over Syria
Record Number of Demolitions of Palestinian Homes in Jerusalem
Sisi, Ethiopia’s PM Discuss Nile Dam on Sidelines of Sochi Summit
US Treasury Freezes Assets of 3 Gaza Businessmen
Germany Arrests 2 Lebanese Suspected of Trafficking Syrians

Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on October 24-25/2019
Odds mount against Lebanon’s protest movement after president’s speech/Khaled Yacoub Oweis/The National/October 24, 2019
The Final Chapter of Lebanon’s Incorporation with Tehran’s Axis/Eyad Abu Shakra/Asharq Al-Awsat/October,24/2019
News Analysi/Domestic problems, rather than foreign intervention, trigger Lebanon's protests: analysts/Dana Halawi/Xinhua/October 24/2019
Aoun, Hezbollah to cling to power, come hell or high water/Elias Sakr/Annahar/October 24/2019
Trump pivots on N. Syria: Some US troops to stay, one air base retained/DEBKAfile/October 24/2019
Impeachers Searching for New Crimes/Alan M. Dershowitz/Gatestone Institute/October 24/2019
Erdogan's Summit with Putin Should Ring Alarm Bells for NATO/Con Coughlin/Gatestone Institute/October 24/2019
Trump’s Syria pullout, aiding Russia and Turkey, is when America stopped leading the world/Mark Dubowitz/David Adesnik/NBC News/October 24/2019
Trump gave Erdogan everything he wanted/Jonathan Schanzer/New York Post/October 24/2019
Tehran's tyrants have been provoked/Behnam Ben Taleblu/The Hill/October 24/2019

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News published on October 24-25/2019
US Says Lebanese Protesters Have 'Legitimate' Grievances
Agence France Presse./Naharnet/October 24/2019
The United States called Wednesday on Lebanon's leaders to meet the "legitimate" grievances of citizens who have led a week of unprecedented protests against corruption. David Schenker, the top State Department official for the Middle East, said the United States "stands ready to assist the Lebanese government" in taking action, without commenting on a reform package presented by Prime Minister Saad Hariri. The demonstrations show the need for a "frank discussion" between leaders and citizens over "the Lebanese people's longstanding demands for economic reform and an end to endemic corruption," Schenker told reporters. "It will be up to the Lebanese people to decide whether these measures go far enough to satisfy their legitimate desires for a prosperous and thriving country free of the corruption that has undermined its potential for too long," he said. Protests sparked on October 17 by a proposed tax on calls made through WhatsApp and other messaging apps have morphed into a massive movement seeking to revamp the entire political system. The demonstrations have crossed sectarian lines, bringing historic unity in a country still scarred by its civil war which ended in 1990. The United States backed the Taif agreement that ended the war but more recently has focused its policy on trying to sideline Hezbollah, the Iranian-linked and strenuously anti-Israel Shiite militant movement which is part of Lebanon's government.

U.S. Embassy Beirut Supports the Demonstrations In Lebanon
October 24/2019
"Recent events underscore the need for a frank discussion between the Lebanese people and their leadership about the future of their country and reflect the Lebanese people’s longstanding demands for economic reform and an end to endemic corruption."
-Senior State Department official at press opportunity, 10/23/2019'

UK Embassy in Lebanon: Necessary Reforms Should Be Implemented Urgently
Naharnet/October 24/2019
The British Embassy in Lebanon issued a statement over the anti-government mass protests that entered their second week on Thursday. The embassy issued the statement on Twitter and said: A week after these protests started, the Lebanese people have expressed legitimate frustrations, which must be heard. This is an important moment for Lebanon: the necessary reforms should be implemented urgently.The UK will continue to support a secure, stable, sovereign and prosperous Lebanon, including a stronger and fairer economy, quality education for all, improved services, and enhanced security.

Lebanon’s Aoun Says Willing to Meet Protesters
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 24 October, 2019
Lebanon's president offered Thursday to meet the protesters whose week-old mobilization demanding a complete overhaul of the political and sectarian system has brought the country to a standstill. Michel Aoun's first speech since the start of the unprecedented protest movement was met with disdain by demonstrators who see him and the entire political class as part of the problem and not the solution.
Sparked on October 17 by a proposed tax on calls made through messaging apps, the protests have morphed into a cross-sectarian street mobilization against a political system seen as corrupt and broken. "I am ready to meet your representatives... to hear your demands," Aoun said. He suggested that a government reshuffle might be needed, an option that Prime Minister Saad Hariri also hinted he was open to. "It has become necessary to review the current government situation so that the executive authority can pursue its responsibilities," Aoun said. Hariri on Monday presented a package of reforms, including cutting ministerial salaries, but the rallies have continued, crippling Beirut and other major cities. "The reform paper that was approved will be the first step to save Lebanon and remove the specter of financial and economic collapse," Aoun said.
"It was your first achievement because you helped remove obstacles in front of it and it was adopted in record speed," the president told the protesters.
But dozens of demonstrators listening to the speech on loudspeakers outside parliament booed it and resume their calls for an end of the current system, an AFP reporter said. Among them, Rabah Shahrour said he was fed up with hearing the same public addresses for years. "The street was looking for a little hope from him," he said of the president's speech. "But sadly the president today spoke in generalities. We've being hearing these generalities for three years, and they haven't led to anything," he said.
'All of them to go'
Jad al-Hajj, a mechanical engineering student, said he would also remain in the street after what he described as the president's "meaningless" speech.
"We want him to go and for this era to end -- for all of them to go, including him," he told AFP. More than a quarter of Lebanon's population lives in poverty, according to the World Bank. Almost three decades since the end of Lebanon's civil war, political deadlock has stymied efforts to tackle mounting economic woes compounded by the eight-year civil war in neighboring Syria. In previous days, tens of thousands have gathered all over Lebanon, with largely peaceful rallies morphing into celebrations at night. But in central Beirut's Martyrs' Square on Thursday, numbers were much lower than in previous days. The British embassy in Beirut joined the United States in calling on Lebanese leaders to meet the "legitimate" frustrations of citizens. "The necessary reforms should be implemented urgently," it said on Twitter.
'Our basic rights'
In his speech, Aoun said he respected the right of protesters to speak up but urged them to open up the roads. Early Thursday morning, demonstrators blocked roads around the capital, AFP correspondents and Lebanese media reported. Sitting on the pavement of a major east-west artery, a 30-year-old who had trained as a chef said he had been protesting since the first day.
"People think we're playing but we're actually asking for our most basic rights: water, food, electricity, healthcare, pensions, medicine, schooling," he said.
Banks, schools and universities remained closed.
The president also echoed calls in the street to stamp out graft in Lebanon, which ranked 138 out of 180 in Transparency International's 2018 corruption index.
"Every person who stole public money should be held accountable but it is important their sect doesn't defend him blindly," he said. On Wednesday, a state prosecutor charged former prime minister Najib Mikati over corruption allegations, in a move whose timing appeared as a nod to protesters.
Mikati, 63, along with his brother, his son and a Lebanese bank have been accused of "illicit enrichment" over allegations of wrongly receiving millions of dollars in subsidized housing loans. The former premier denies the accusations.
On Wednesday, the army deployed in the streets, sparking fears of clashes.
But protesters faced the troops chanting "peaceful, peaceful" and a video of one soldier seemingly in tears was shared widely online.
In the southern Shiite-majority city of Nabatieh, police however tried to disperse protesters by force, leaving several injured, the National News Agency said.

Lebanon’s President Aoun refuses to step down, blames corruption for crisis
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English/Thursday, 24 October 2019
Lebanon’s President Michel Aoun refused to step down and said on Thursday that sectarianism and corruption had destroyed the country, in his first address to the nation since the outbreak of nationwide anti-government demonstrations last week. “I heard many calls for the change of government; government cannot be changed overnight. It must happen through constitutional reforms,” said Aoun, who blamed corruption across all political parties and sectarianism for the “destroying” the country. Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri said he welcomed Aoun's call for the need to review the current government through existing constitutional mechanisms in a tweet on Thursday. Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblatt said on Thursday in a tweet that the best solution out of mass protests triggered by an economic crisis is to speed up a government reshuffle as proposed by Aoun.
“I have taken Lebanon to a place of safety and stability,” claimed Aoun, after saying that “sectarianism and corruption have destroyed the country.” Aoun pointed to corruption across all the political parties as causing the crisis.
“Politicians must return embezzled funds. The corruption has no religion or sect ... Let’s expose the corrupt and leave the matter in hands of judiciary,” says Lebanese President Michel Aoun, addressing Lebanon after a week of anti-government protests. “All political parties are responsible for protecting public funds from being stolen,” he added. Aoun pointed to the reforms proposed by the government under Prime Minister Saad Hariri as the solution to the crisis. “The reforms that have been passed are the first step to saving Lebanon,” he said, listing a number of reforms including a bill which would remove political immunity from parliamentarians and government officials. Aoun linked the reforms’ success to the Lebanese people, saying “freedom of expression is a right respected and cherished by all people,” and calling on citizens to monitor the reforms to ensure their success.
The Lebanese president ended his speech by refusing to step down and instead calling for dialogue as the solution. “Let’s initiate a constructive dialogue where practical measures are taken to reach the best results. Dialogue is the best way to solution,” he stated.
“I am ready to meet your representatives ... to hear your demands.”
Speech unlikely to quell protests
Along with all other major political parties, Aoun's Future Patriotic Movement (FPM) has been targeted by the protesters, many of whom have demanded the resignation of the entire government. Aoun's son-in-law Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil has been a particular target of protesters' chants.
Many roads and highways across the country remain blocked, including the major highways into Beirut, according to Al Arabiya's correspondent. The army is deployed across the country, including in Nabatieh in the south, where protesters came under attack last night. In the morning, Aoun receivied the UN Secretary-General's Representative in Beirut, Jan Kubis, who briefed him on the position of the International Support Group on the current developments, according to a tweet by the official account for the Lebanese Presidency. After Aoun, Walid Joumblatt, the leader of the Progressive Socialist Party and a former ally of Prime Minister Saad Hariri, is set to speak. Joumblatt has previously said the country needs a new, non-sectarian law, but that he is against the resignation of the government. The only cabinet ministers that have resigned so far are four from the Lebanese Forces party.
Speaker of Parliament and head of the Shia Amal party Nabih Berri appeared to criticize the protests, saying Lebanon cannot withstand its current state of “suspension,” Lebanese Hezbollah’s al-Manar TV reported. There have been fears that Amal and Hezbollah supporters may try and attack protesters after a showdown with the Lebanese Army on Monday.

Protesters Dissatisfied with President Speech
Associated Press./Naharnet/October 24/2019
showed dissatisfaction with a speech that came eight days after the uprising began. Protesters around Lebanon booed and resumed their calls for fundamental reform. Some people said the speech came “eight days late and failed to give any hope.” Another protester said “sadly the president today spoke in generalities. We've being hearing these generalities for three years, and they haven't led to anything."As Aoun spoke, hundreds of people gathered in downtown Beirut listening to his speech through a giant speaker, shouted: "Come on, leave, your term has left us hungry." The protesters have been venting their frustration at daily woes from lack of healthcare to power cuts, and calling for the replacement of a political system they say is corrupt and broken. Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Monday presented a package of reforms, including cutting ministerial salaries, but the peaceful rallies have continued, crippling Beirut and other major cities. Jad al-Hajj, a mechanical engineering student, said he would also remain in the street after what he described as the president's "meaningless" speech. "We want him to go and for this era to end -- for all of them to go, including him," he told AFP.

No Signs of Abating as Mass Lebanese Protests Enter Week Two
Agence France Presse./Naharnet/October 24/2019
Ballooning anti-government nationwide protests have been ongoing for one week Thursday without any signs of abating, with demonstrators blocking main roads in Beirut and other parts of the country. Sparked on October 17 by a proposed tax on calls made through messaging apps, the protests have morphed into a cross-sectarian street mobilisation against a political system seen as corrupt and broken. On Thursday morning demonstrators set up roadblocks around the capital, AFP correspondents and Lebanese media reported. A dozen young protesters had blocked one major east-west artery, pitching tents in the middle of the road. Sitting on the pavement with a red and white keffiyeh on his shoulders, a 30-year-old who had trained as a chef said he had been protesting since the first day. "We're here closing the main road to stop some movement in this country," he said, asking not to be identified. "People think we're playing but we're actually asking for our most basic rights: water, food, electricity, healthcare, pensions, medicine, schooling," he told AFP.
'Revolution, revolution'
Embattled Prime Minister Saad Hariri has presented a package of reforms, including cutting ministerial salaries, but the rallies have continued, crippling Beirut and other major cities. As President Michel Aoun was expected to break his silence later in the day, dozens of young protesters marched in the direction of the capital's Martyrs' Square chanting: "Revolution, revolution." Washington on Wednesday called on Lebanon's leaders to meet the "legitimate" grievances of citizens. More than a quarter of Lebanon's population lives in poverty, according to the World Bank. Almost three decades since the end of Lebanon's civil war, political deadlock has stymied efforts to tackle mounting economic woes compounded by the eight-year civil war in neighbouring Syria. Protesters are asking for a new political system -- which they say has been dominated by the same families for decades -- and an end to corruption, as well as voicing more personal political grievances. Blocking another street in Beirut with a dozen other young demonstrators, a 22-year-old said he had been up all night to protest corruption but also to demand his Lebanese nationality. "I'm protesting because my mother is Lebanese and I'm not," said the young man, who was born in Lebanon to a Palestinian-Syrian. Thousands of people born to Lebanese mothers but foreign fathers remain unable to acquire citizenship. "I think I have the right to have the Lebanese nationality," he said, leaning against a motorbike parked in the middle of an intersection.
Yoga mats
In the mountain town of Aley southeast of the capital, a dozen women and men sat cross-legged on colourful yoga mats in the middle of the grey asphalt road. Banks, schools and universities remain closed. The protests have largely been peaceful and cheerful, with night-time gatherings turning to celebrations.
On Wednesday, the army deployed in the streets, sparking fears of the kinds of clashes seen during the first two days of the demonstrations. But protesters faced the troops chanting "peaceful, peaceful" and a video of one soldier seemingly in tears was shared widely online. In the southern city of Nabatieh however, a Shiite stronghold of the Hizbullah and Amal movements, police tried to disperse protesters by force, leaving several injured, according to the National News Agency. Protesters are demanding an end to what they view as widespread corruption, and the return of money they say was stolen from the people.
On Wednesday, a state prosecutor charged former Prime Minister Najib Miqati over corruption allegations, in a move whose timing appeared as a nod to protesters. Miqati, 63, along with his brother, his son and a Lebanese bank have been accused of "illicit enrichment" over allegations of wrongly receiving millions of dollars in subsidised housing loans. The former premier denies the allegations.Lebanon ranked 138 out of 180 in Transparency International's 2018 corruption index, and residents suffer chronic electricity and water shortages.

Hariri, Jumblat Back Aoun’s Call for Govt. Reshuffle
Naharnet/October 24/2019
Prime Minister Saad Hariri and Progressive Socialist Party leader ex-MP Walid Jumblat on Thursday welcomed President Michel Aoun’s call for a government reshuffle. “I called Mr. President and welcomed his call for reevaluating the current government situation according to the applicable constitutional mechanisms,” Hariri tweeted. Jumblat also welcomed the suggestion in a tweet. “After listening to President Aoun’s speech, and seeing as we are on the same sinking boat and we share his fear of an economic collapse, we believe that the best solution lies in speeding up the government reshuffle and later calling for parliamentary elections under a modern, non-sectarian law,” Jumblat said. In an address to the nation, his first since the eruption of the unprecedented popular revolt, the president said it has become necessary to "review the current government situation so that the executive authority can pursue its responsibilities."
Protesters on the streets have called for the government’s resignation and the formation of an independent technocrat cabinet. Media reports have said that the ruling parties were considering a government reshuffle that would replace "provocative" ministers.

Hariri Meets with EU Ambassadors
Naharnet/October 24/2019
Prime Minister Saad Hariri held talks Thursday afternoon at the Center House with the ambassadors of European Union countries, in the presence of the EU Ambassador to Lebanon Ralph Tarraf. The meeting focused on the latest developments in Lebanon, Hariri’s office said in a terse statement, adding that the Delegation of the European Union to Lebanon will later issue a statement concerning the meeting. The meeting was attended by the ambassadors of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden and Britain. Hariri’s adviser former minister Ghattas Khoury also attended the talks. Hariri met earlier with Spanish Ambassador Jose Maria Ferre de la Pena and discussed with him the latest developments.

Al-Rahi Urges 'Small, Neutral and Competent' Government
Naharnet/October 24/2019
Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi on Thursday welcomed President Michel Aoun’s address to the nation and called for the formation of a “small, neutral and competent” government. “President Michel Aoun addressed the Lebanese clearly and frankly, pinpointing their suffering and describing the Lebanese people as lively people who are capable of achieving change,” al-Rahi said in a statement released by Bkirki. Lauding Aoun’s announcement that he is ready to engage in dialogue with the protesters, al-Rahi expressed relief over the president’s promise to “fight corruption, rescue the economic and financial situation, retrieve the looted funds, conduct accountability and lift bank secrecy and immunity off anyone involved in public affairs.” The patriarch also backed the president’s called for “reevaluating the current government situation,” while calling for “a small, neutral and competent government that rescues Lebanon and creates confidence among citizens.”He added that “the popular movement and its legitimate demands have started to yield results.”

Bassil Tells FPMers 'Don't Fear' as They Chant Own 'Hela Ho' Slogan
Naharnet/October 24/2019
Free Patriotic Movement chief and Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil on Thursday told party members not to be scared of the ongoing popular revolt in the country.“The most important thing is: do not fear and do not shake. This Movement does not fear and does not shake,” Bassil told FPMers inside the movement’s headquarters in Sin el-Fil as they came up with their own “Hela, Hela, Ho” pro-Bassil chant in response to the popular slogan used by protesters on the streets – and in some instances inside cafes and supermarkets. “Hela, Hela, Hela, Hela, Ho, Jebran Bassil menhebbo (we love him)”, the supporters chanted. “Hela, Hela, Hela, Hela, Ho, Jebran Bassil k*** emmo” has become the protests’ most popular slogan, mainly in Beirut and the northern Metn areas.Literally translated, the last two words of the slogan seek to insult a person through cursing their mother, but in Lebanon it basically means “f*** you”.
Bassil asked supporters not to care about minor “details.”“What’s important is that we are strong and prudent,” he added.

ISF Contains Riad al-Solh Scuffles between Protesters, 'Nasrallah Defenders'
Naharnet/October 24/2019
Scuffles renewed Thursday at Beirut's Riad al-Solh Square between anti-government protesters and young men accusing them of "insulting" Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. The scuffles had first erupted Wednesday evening but took a more violent turn on Thursday with the increase in the numbers of both the protesters and the "Nasrallah defenders."Riot police intervened twice on Thursday and separated between the two groups. Al-Jadeed TV meanwhile said an army force had also arrived on the scene. Several people were injured according to TV networks. The pro-Nasrallah group tried to remove tents erected by the protesters during the scuffles. Protesters responded by chanting "All of them means all of them", a slogan popularized during the 2015 protests and heavily used during the 2019 revolt. Some protesters and media reports said the Nasrallah supporters share the demonstrators' grievances but refuse any mention or reference to Nasrallah. Other protesters and reports said the pro-Nasrallah young men were deliberately seeking to disrupt the sit-in. Progressive Socialist Party leader ex-MP Walid Jumblat meanwhile condemned “attacks on protesters, wherever they may come from.”

Drug Lord Delivers Blunt Support for Lebanon Protests
Agence France Presse./Naharnet/October 24/2019
A week into daily demonstrations that have gone on into the early hours, the Lebanese may be in need of a pick me up -- and the country's most famous drug dealer offered just that Thursday. Nouh Zoaiter, a hashish dealer on the run from Lebanese authorities, delivered a blunt message in support of anti-corruption protests that have crippled the country. The self-styled Lebanese Robin Hood released a video on a local news site calling on protesters in the eastern Baalbek region to demonstrate on Thursday evening. "I hope that everyone who goes to the protests brings a Lebanese flag with them," he said, in an address laced with anger. "I hope that every oppressed and deprived person goes to the square," he said, wearing a baseball cap backwards, a hoodie and a chain around his neck. Protests sparked on October 17 by a proposed tax on calls made through messaging apps like WhatsApp have morphed into unprecedented cross-sectarian street demonstrations. Demonstrators are demanding corruption be weeded out, as well as the overthrow of the entire political class. In downtown Beirut, where tens of thousands have gathered daily, graffiti reading "Nouh Zoaiter for president" has been scrawled in at least one location. Baalbek, a poor and somewhat lawless area close to the Syrian border, is affiliated with powerful political party and armed group Hizbullah. It is known as the drug capital of Lebanon, with hashish grown relatively openly. Zoaiter, who courts media attention, did not say if he would attend Thursday's protest but is wanted on 4,000 charges, according to an AFP correspondent in Baalbek. In February Lebanese security forces seized 20 truckloads of Zoaitar's hash from a farm in Bekaa, local media reported.
In 2014 a bullet grazed his shoulder during a shootout with the Lebanese Army, a local newspaper reported.

UNIFIL Observes United Nations Day
Naharnet/October 24/2019
UNIFIL on Thursday marked the 74th United Nations Day at its headquarters in Naqoura, south Lebanon, "joining the global call for international peace and security as enshrined in the U.N. Charter," a UNIFIL statement said. UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander Major General Stefano Del Col said the Day serves as a reminder to act collectively for maintaining peace around the world. “In south Lebanon, this means reaffirming and fulfilling our shared commitment to the cessation of hostilities,” he said, while addressing a ceremony organized to mark U.N. Day. “I call on all stakeholders to exercise restraint and to maintain their active engagement with UNIFIL which plays a critical role in de-escalating tensions, including through its liaison and coordination mechanism,” the UNIFIL head added. He emphasized that "the 13 years of relative stability in south Lebanon -– achieved collectively with the cooperation of both the parties to the conflict and the host population -– has ensured an ideal environment for growth and development in UNIFIL's area of operations." “We have a collective responsibility to remain on the path to peace,” he told the ceremony, attended by representatives of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), other security entities, local leaders and fellow peacekeepers, among others. During the ceremony, Major General Del Col and LAF South Litani Sector Commander Brigadier General Roger Helou representing the LAF Commander, laid wreaths at the UNIFIL cenotaph to pay tribute to the more than 300 UNIFIL peacekeepers who paid their lives while serving for peace in south Lebanon. "With the completion of 74 years of continued service for world peace, the U.N. is on course to celebrate the platinum jubilee of its founding next year. Today also marks the pre-launch of the “UN75” campaign, which once fully launched in January 2020 will be the biggest-ever global conversation on the role of global cooperation in building the future we want," the UNIFIL statement said. "The campaign will see dialogues held around the world, with the aim of involving the global public in a large and inclusive conversation, on the role of the U.N. in building a better future for all," it added. U.N. Day marks the anniversary of the entry into force in 1945 of the U.N. Charter. Lebanon is one of the 51 founding members of the U.N.

Odds mount against Lebanon’s protest movement after president’s speech
Khaled Yacoub Oweis/The National/October 24, 2019
The Arab uprisings have shown the resilience of regime elements with powerful outsie backers
The mass demonstrations sweeping Lebanon have hit a wall of resistance, with the political class mostly closing ranks and the Hezbollah-backed president giving no inkling of major compromise.
In his first public appearance since the protests began eight days ago, President Michel Aoun suggested a government reshuffle during a televised speech on Thursday. Sunni Prime Minister Saad Hariri, who has also ignored the street demands to quit, quickly endorsed the possibility.
It is a tactic that has been employed across the Middle East in response to mass calls for change and for dignity, including during the Arab uprisings of 2010-2011, but often to little effect. Where the regimes or major elements associated with them have had a powerful outside sponsor, they have withstood the challenge from the masses.
In this regard, Lebanon is similar to Syria and Iraq in that Iran has shown its willingness to support its clients to the hilt.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah predicted that the demonstrations would not last long and hinted at deploying his militiamen, as he did in 2008 when the cabinet sought to dismantle the Shiite group’s private communications network.
But today a large proportion of Shiites have joined the protest movement, although directing their wrath more towards Nabih Berri, the speaker of parliament since 1992 and head of the Amal movement, Hezbollah’s main Shiite ally.
This is the first time that this complete narrative of community representation is changing
Lebanese economist Ishac Diwan
Mr Aoun, 84, allied with Hezbollah in 2006 in a move that led him to the presidency 10 years later, having reversed his enmity towards Syria’s ruling Assad family.
In his speech on Thursday, Mr Aoun recycled old vows to combat corruption and hold anyone convicted of misconduct accountable. He did not mention his son-in-law, Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil, a defender of Hezbollah abroad, who has been groomed to become president.
Mr Bassil at one point was of the power ministry overseeing Lebanon’s disastrous electricity infrastructure, where tens of billions of dollars have been wasted or stolen since the 1990s.
The Maronite Christian minister has been whipping sectarian sentiment among his community as part of preparations to succeed Mr Aoun. But that may no longer be an effective political strategy in Lebanon.
The protests have been cross-sectarian, drawing Lebanese from all backgrounds.
“Removal of all [leaders], means the removal of all,” has been a common slogan demonstrators have thundered across the small country of 6.1 million.
Prominent Lebanese economist Ishac Diwan said the country is undergoing a revolution aimed at shaping a new national identity shaped by “individuals who reject the system”.
Mr Diwan told France Culture radio that leaders in Lebanon’s current confessional system can no longer escape being identified with corruption, having benefited from the state, the private sector, and dominated the credit resources.
“This is the first time that this complete narrative of community representation is changing,” Mr Diwan said.
On the street in Beirut, Mr Aoun’s speech was derided, stoking more of the abuse he and Mr Basil have been receiving from Lebanese from all walks of life.
But Mr Aoun showed political cunning, inviting the demonstrators to meet him while knowing that they lack a leadership. A similar tactic, used in Jordan, managed to sow divisions among the “hirak”, as the street opposition movement in the kingdom is known.
Lebanese political commentator Youssef Bazzi said it will be difficult at this stage for Lebanon’s protest movement to put together a manifesto, partly due to the depth of anger exploding on the street.
Instead of resigning, Mr Aoun adopted a provocative stance and sought to hijack the uprising by suggesting he should be given full power to conduct a purge, according to Mr Bazzi.
Mr Bazzi said the Hezbollah-Amal-Aoun axis and the backing of Iran would make it difficult for the protest movement to change the system fundamentally in the short term, pointing to Syria and Iraq as examples.
“My own conviction is that the Arab uprisings will last for decades,” he told The National. “Since 2011 they have been erupting in waves, as soon as one ends, another starts.”
There has been no official comment from Iran on the upheaval in Lebanon. In Syria, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps intervened directly to preserve Bashar Al Assad, after Hezbollah could not bear the burden alone.
With Hezbollah in such a powerful position domestically in terms of military capability, any role Iran plays will be much less apparent.

Lebanon: Religious Authorities Express Solidarity With Protesters
Beirut- Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 24 October, 2019
Lebanon’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdullatif Derian expressed his support for the just social demands and called on “the pillars of the state” to respond to the needs of the people. In a statement on Wednesday, he also hoped that the recent decisions of the Council of Ministers would be the beginning of the desired reforms, and an expression of the sincere intention to implement them. Dar al-Fatwa expressed its “high appreciation for the behavior of the protesters, which was characterized by national discipline in the streets and public squares of Beirut and in many other Lebanese cities,” and reiterated its support for the “right social demands and the nationalist slogans raised by citizens throughout Lebanon."In parallel, the Council of Patriarchs and Bishops called on President Michel Aoun to immediately begin consultations with political and community leaders to make appropriate decisions on people’s demands in order to avoid financial and economic collapse. While the Council considered that the series of government reforms was a positive first step, it called for the amendment of the ministerial team and the appointment of “people of competence, integrity, and patriotism.”Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rai, who chaired the extraordinary session of the Council on Wednesday, said in a statement: “The State has gone too far in deviation, intransigence, and corruption prompting the people to revolt.”He declared solidarity with the protestors stating: “The people have sent a message that rose above sectarian divisions.”
“The people showed that they are more united than their leaders, and gave evidence of the will of national life in a time of disintegration and sedition,” he added.

UK Says Lebanon Protesters Must Be Heard, Reforms Enacted
Beirut- Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 24 October, 2019
The "legitimate frustrations" of Lebanon's protesters should be heard and reforms enacted urgently, the British embassy in Lebanon said on Thursday amid nationwide protests that have swept the country since last week. The British position echoed that of the United States and France, close allies of Lebanon which have voiced exasperation at delays in enacting reforms and fighting corruption. Protesters expressing outrage at the country's ruling elite have called for their resignation and the return of money they say has been looted from the state. Lebanese leaders are discussing a possible government reshuffle to defuse the unprecedented protests that have shut down banks, schools, and roadways, government sources said on Wednesday."A week after these protests started, the Lebanese people have expressed legitimate frustrations, which must be heard. This is an important moment for Lebanon: the necessary reforms should be implemented urgently," the British embassy tweet said.
The United States said on Wednesday it supported the right of protesters to demonstrate peacefully and said the Lebanese people were "rightfully angered" over their government's refusal to tackle corruption. France also urged Beirut to carry out the reforms, considered key to unlocking some $11 billion in financing pledged by Western donor countries and lending institutions last year. Protesters have said they are not satisfied with emergency reform measures announced this week that include halving ministers' salaries and taxes on banks.
"The UK will continue to support a secure, stable, sovereign and prosperous Lebanon, including a stronger and fairer economy, quality education for all, improved services, and enhanced security," said a second tweet from the UK embassy. Protests in Lebanon entered a second week on Thursday with demonstrators blocking main roads in Beirut and other parts of the country.
Sparked on October 17 by a proposed tax on calls made through messaging apps, the protests have morphed into a cross-sectarian street mobilization against a political system seen as corrupt and broken. On Thursday morning, demonstrators set up roadblocks around the capital.
One major east-west artery was blocked by a dozen young protesters, who pitched tents in the middle of the road. Sitting on the pavement with a red and white keffiyeh on his shoulders, a 30-year-old who had trained as a chef, said he had been protesting since the first day.
"We're here closing the main road to stop some movement in this country," he said, asking not to be identified. "People think we're playing but we're actually asking for our most basic rights: water, food, electricity, healthcare, pensions, medicine, schooling," he told AFP.
Embattled Prime Minister Saad Hariri has presented a package of reforms, including cutting ministerial salaries, but the rallies have continued, crippling Beirut and other major cities. President Michel Aoun was expected to speak later in the day. On Wednesday, Hariri held meetings with security and military leaders, stressing the need to maintain security and open roads, the state-run National News Agency reported. More than a quarter of Lebanon's population lives in poverty, according to the World Bank. Almost three decades after the end of Lebanon's civil war, the political deadlock has stymied efforts to tackle mounting economic woes which have been compounded by the eight-year civil war in neighboring Syria.

Arab League Advises Lebanon’s PM to Hold Dialogue with Protesters
Beirut - Khalil Fleihan/Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 24 October, 2019
The Arab League advised Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Wednesday “to initiate talks with representatives from the popular movement” to resolve his country's “dangerous crisis.” A diplomatic source, who attended a meeting between the International Support Group for Lebanon and the PM at the Grand Serail in Beirut on Tuesday, told Asharq Al-Awsat that Arab League Representative Ambassador Abdel Rahman Solh informed Hariri of the League’s stance from the protests sweeping Beirut and other cities. “Lebanon cannot face the consensus supporting the popular intifada, which gathered around 1.5 million protesters in the squares of Beirut and other areas,” the source said. He said Solh explained to Hariri that the Arab League does not interfere in Lebanon’s internal affairs. However, the organization wants to help the country overcome its current crisis. The source added: “Another meeting of ISG representatives was held on Wednesday in Yarzeh upon the request of UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jan Kubis, who attended Tuesday’s meeting at the Grand Serail.”Asharq Al-Awsat learned that participants in the Yarzeh meeting tasked Kubis to meet with President Michel Aoun on Thursday and inform him about the results of the Group’s talks with Hariri and its meeting in Yarzeh. The ISG decided that the government should kick off direct talks with representatives from the popular movement instead of addressing each other through the media. On the seventh day of demonstrations, hundreds of thousands of people remained on the streets over their anger with a political class they accuse of pushing the economy to the point of collapse. On Thursday, banks remained close for a sixth working day and all schools and universities remained shut. Protesters also shut down many highways across the country, despite attempts from the Lebanese Army to unblock them.

Lebanon: Religious Authorities Express Solidarity With Protesters
Beirut- Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 24 October, 2019
Lebanon’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdullatif Derian expressed his support for the just social demands and called on “the pillars of the state” to respond to the needs of the people. In a statement on Wednesday, he also hoped that the recent decisions of the Council of Ministers would be the beginning of the desired reforms, and an expression of the sincere intention to implement them. Dar al-Fatwa expressed its “high appreciation for the behavior of the protesters, which was characterized by national discipline in the streets and public squares of Beirut and in many other Lebanese cities,” and reiterated its support for the “right social demands and the nationalist slogans raised by citizens throughout Lebanon." In parallel, the Council of Patriarchs and Bishops called on President Michel Aoun to immediately begin consultations with political and community leaders to make appropriate decisions on people’s demands in order to avoid financial and economic collapse. While the Council considered that the series of government reforms was a positive first step, it called for the amendment of the ministerial team and the appointment of “people of competence, integrity, and patriotism.”Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rai, who chaired the extraordinary session of the Council on Wednesday, said in a statement: “The State has gone too far in deviation, intransigence, and corruption prompting the people to revolt.”He declared solidarity with the protestors stating: “The people have sent a message that rose above sectarian divisions.”“The people showed that they are more united than their leaders, and gave evidence of the will of national life in a time of disintegration and sedition,” he added.

Lebanon Top Banking Official: Operations to Fully Resume when Crisis Ends
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 24 October, 2019
A senior Lebanese banking official hoped on Thursday the country's political crisis would end soon and that banking operations would fully resume when it does. "Once normalcy is restored, we are very confident that we can resume servicing our customers in full capacity," Salim Sfeir, chairman of the Association of Banks in Lebanon and of Bank of Beirut told Reuters. Banks have remained shut for six working days as protesters flood Lebanon's streets demanding the government's resignation. President Michel Aoun said he was ready for dialogue with protesters, who blame the political elite for economic hardship and corruption. He suggested a government reshuffle was possible. The rallies have gone on for a week despite the government announcing reforms to try and defuse them. The Association of Banks said earlier Thursday they would remain closed on Friday to protect customers, employees and properties. In a statement, the Association urged a political solution to the crisis and "reassured citizens that the banks are ready to resume their work as soon as the situation stabilizes."
Bank operations will be limited to providing month-end wages via ATMs, the statement added.

The Final Chapter of Lebanon’s Incorporation with Tehran’s Axis
Eyad Abu Shakra/Asharq Al-Awsat/October,24/2019
Fourth Caliph Ali Ibn Abi-Taleb once famously said: “Had poverty been a man, I would have killed it!”
I reckon that few would argue about the suffering of the Lebanese these days. The pressing collapse of their living standards, has naturally, driven them to organize mass demonstrations. It is natural that they would blame their politicians who are part of a government that is in place under a flimsy and distorted façade of democracy. No one should ever blame the Lebanese – especially, their frustrated youth – for their anger and despair from those who pose as “rulers”, regardless whether they are, or not. They should not be blamed either for their “rejection” caused by disappointments and dead ends.
All the above is natural, justified and true.
However, somewhere, at a certain stage, one must look further and deeper than the phenomena that some are exploiting to ride the wave of protests and later divert the demands away from the real issues, and exploit the anger for their own goals! Without straying into a labyrinth of details, it is quite enough to look at what Hassan Nasrallah, the Secretary General of Hezbollah, said on Saturday when he uncovered a truth that may have escaped the protesters. Nasrallah used the “Forty Days Memorial” of Imam Al-Hussein (the Prophet’s nephew) to hit two birds with one stone:
Bird number One was deepening the sectarian fratricidal injury, and adding to it the salt of resurrecting old animosities and grudges, through the narrative of how Al-Hussein was martyred. The intention to justify the regional sectarian political project he is openly serving under the auspices, sponsorship and support of the mullahs in Tehran. Bird number Two was telling the Lebanese, indeed the whole world, that he controls Lebanon. He is the sole master. He alone decides who lives and who dies; who is imprisoned following conviction of corruption and who is regarded as a “hero of resistance against Israel”, even if he happened to be until recently an avowed enemy of the “resistance”!
Nasrallah’s speech, for those who read it with an open mind and the bare minimum of political memory and analytical ability, is nothing but a manifesto of a ruling party. His message is loud and clear, and reads as follows:
1- I, alone, am the decision maker, and I, exclusively, have the acceptable blueprint for Lebanon’s identity, political orientations and regional role.
2- So far, I have not used the excessive force I possess “in every area in the country” and my advice to you is to never test me, because “if I decide to take to the street, I shall not leave it…!”
3- This presidency – i.e., the rule of President Michel Aoun – is mine. I have chosen it and it belongs to me. This government is also mine, with Hezbollah and its allies enjoying the majority of cabinet portfolios. Therefore, never dare think of changing the status quo; i.e. never ever touch what I have imposed on you, including your president, electoral law and government, thanks to the arsenal which I alone possess, and enjoy the exclusive right to use wherever and whenever I choose.
4- If anyone among you would ever contemplate challenging my will, which is the only “legitimacy” in the land, he or she would be responsible for his or her actions. Here, it is worth noting that Hezbollah has so far refused cooperating with the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) investigating the assassination of ex-Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and his companions. It has also refused to hand over its party members who have been accused of this crime. Still, the pro-Iran militia has other options beside assassinations, including concocting accusations of corruption against anybody. This is not something new, neither to the party nor the Syrian-Lebanese security apparatus which oversaw the publishing of “documents” on the subject through its political tools, media and camouflaged online sites.
All the above means that more pressure is being put on the current Prime Minister Saad Hariri – the son of Rafik – to provide an official Sunni cover to the final chapter of Iran’s permanent takeover of Lebanon. In fact, this is what Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil, who is Aoun’s son-in-law and Hezbollah’s virtual presidential candidate, set in motion, when he intentionally delivered a speech just before Saad Hariri’s. Interestingly, Bassil – who behaves as a president anyway – delivered his speech from the presidential palace, and virtually offered Hariri Jr. to the Hezbollah-led coalition, and abandon whoever are left of his former allies in the March 14 alliance created after his father’s assassination.
In other words, Hezbollah, through Bassil, intends to liquidate the last remaining opposition its project of absolute – and official – hegemony over Lebanon. It is doing this through blackmailing opponents with accusations of corruption in a country where the judiciary is unable to confront armed hegemony. Just a reminder, intimidating the judiciary and the likelihood that it could be targeted was a major reason for setting up the STL.
Furthermore, among the demonstrators, there were voices calling for cancelling the Taif Accords and others demanding punishment for corrupt politicians and senior officials during the last 30 years.
Cancelling the Taif is a well-known political aim for both Hezbollah and Aoun. As for the 30 years issue, it is truly significant because it alludes to the existence of one corrupt camp, which is the one that was in government during the said period. One way or another, it is Rafik Hariri and those included in his cabinets. However, those who keep mentioning the last 30 years – led by Nasrallah and Aoun – ignore the fact that the real power in Lebanon during those years was the Syrian regime, which is Aoun’s new ally and Hezbollah’s old one, through its intelligence officers Ghazi Kanaan, Rustom Ghazaleh, and the Syrian–Lebanese security apparatus. They are also intentionally ignoring the fact that “corruption” should mean: Illegal arms, protection money, smuggling, expelling and repelling local talents and foreign investment, evading taxes, drug trade, importing and selling fake medicines, money laundering, and illegal expropriation of land by clients, supporters and frontmen. Lebanon is, therefore between two choices: either submit to Hezbollah’s dictates and voluntarily join the Tehran camp, or push the situation to tension that forces people to call the army to take over. The latter option is complicated because Hezbollah and the Aounists have already penetrated the military and security institutions!

News Analysi/Domestic problems, rather than foreign intervention, trigger Lebanon's protests: analysts
Dana Halawi/Xinhua/October 24/2019
The massive protests that swept through Lebanon in the past week were triggered by domestic problems rather than foreign intervention, Lebanese analysts said. "This protests started genuinely by people in Lebanon because the current political class has committed a lot of mistakes in the past years without being held accountable for its false practices and failing policies," Pierre Khoury, a Lebanese economist and political researcher, told Xinhua. Khoury, editor-in-chief of the Strategic File news website, noted that the big number of people from different religions and sects who participated in the protests shows that they were not organized. He explained that the fires that broke out in several areas of Lebanon due to the rise in temperature earlier this month and the government's failure to properly deal with the problem as well as the recent cabinet's decision to impose taxes sparked the protests.
Large swathes of forests were destroyed in more than 103 massive fires in several towns and villages in Lebanon while the government failed to respond promptly because of poor maintenance of three firefighting helicopters purchased by the country in 2009.
Lebanon asked for help from Cyprus and Greece which sent their jets to help Lebanese firefighters put out the fires. Then the Lebanese cabinet approved last Thursday a fee of six U.S. dollars per month on the users of WhatsApp and other Internet calling applications, in addition to imposing taxes on fuel and other basic commodities and services. Angry Lebanese citizens immediately took to the streets right after the cabinet's decisions to protest, and the demonstrations quickly grew to all areas in Lebanon in the past week. Protesters blocked roads and burned tires while calling for the resignation of the government and a complete change of the current political system in the country.
In an effort to calm the situation, Prime Minister Saad Hariri announced earlier this week an economic plan which aims at adopting reforms that would increase help for vulnerable people in the country without imposing any new taxes. The salaries of ministers and lawmakers will also be reduced by 50 percent in addition to a series of other reforms. However, the announced reforms were not enough to quell the anger and dissatisfaction of the Lebanese, who continued to protest, demanding for the government's resignation. Commenting on some press reports that hinted the possible existence of a foreign force mobilizing the protests in such an unprecedented manner, Khoury said he believed that the protests started genuinely by the Lebanese, though it was possible that they received support later on.
Khoury reasoned that when the voters found out that the politicians who they voted for failed to fulfill their promises, they decided to react and ask for a change. Makram Rabah, a political analyst and history professor of the American University of Beirut, also believed that there is no direct foreign intervention in the protests because the Americans are currently not very much involved in the affairs in Lebanon. Rabah noted that the protests have covered areas all over Lebanon, while the Lebanese diaspora in several countries also held demonstrations to voice their support for a political change in Lebanon.
"This is an urgent wake-up call which started by people themselves as they realized that this system is corrupted and it is no longer capable of providing them with basic services," he said.
Rabah explained that Arab countries, especially Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), abandoned Lebanon financially because of Iran-allied Hezbollah's dominance in the country which has left Lebanon exposed to such protests."Now people know that no one will bail the country out, this is why they acted," Rabah said. Hilal Kashan, chair of the Political Studies Department at the American University of Beirut, believed that the Lebanese are suffering financially to such great extent that they do not need an external force to mobilize them. "Maybe some outside forces can capitalize on these protests and take advantage of them, but people will take it to the streets anyway because they are angry and they cannot bear the current situation anymore," he said. The Lebanese people have been suffering for many years from insufficient basic services such as electricity, water and proper healthcare, while having to pay heavy taxes without earning enough income due to the economic slowdown in the country, the analysts noted.

Aoun, Hezbollah to cling to power, come hell or high water
Elias Sakr/Annahar/October 24/2019
While Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil and his Iranian-backed Shiite ally haven't dictated much of the post-war policies, they are equally responsible for today's crisis. As demonstrations to topple the government gained momentum across Lebanon, Foreign Minister and President Michel Aoun's son-in-law Gebran Bassil warned those who took to the streets of an imminent financial crisis. "Imagine the situation without a government, security (stability), money in markets and banks, and without flour and fuel," he said from the Baabda Presidential Palace in an attempt to persuade dissidents to end their rebellion against his government.
Bassil was telling the truth but only half the story.
The other half is that this ruling class is unlikely to steer Lebanon clear of a financial meltdown of the government's own making in recent years; though the root cause is rampant corruption and unsustainable economic, fiscal and monetary policies that date back to the early '90s. While Bassil and his Iranian-backed Shiite ally haven't dictated much of these post-war policies, they are equally responsible for today's crisis. By completely aligning Lebanon with the Iranian axis, they have provoked Gulf countries to halt their investments and refrain from providing financial aid to a country that relies on capital inflows to compensate for its trade deficit.
The result is an acceleration in the balance of payment deficit that forced the Central Bank to burn through its usable foreign currency reserves, estimated today by Moody's at $6-10 billion. This has led to a depreciation in the market exchange rate of the Lebanese pound against the dollar. The Lebanese pound will depreciate further as protests-- sparked by the failed policies of a Cabinet that Bassil and his allies dominate-- continue to engulf the small Mediterranean country. Yes, Bassil is right to sound the alarm but protestors are equally right not to trust him to tackle and contain the crisis; a crisis that will worsen under the pressure of political instability and a potential deterioration in security conditions if the protesters' demands aren't met. Ideally, Prime Minister Saad Hariri resigns and a new 8-member Cabinet is formed where the defense and interior portfolios are assigned to security officials. Other key portfolios are assigned to technocrats tasked with devising an action plan to address the financial crisis and forming an independent body to investigate the embezzlement of public funds. The Cabinet would supervise early parliamentary elections, giving the Lebanese people the opportunity to take their future into their own hands. But will Hezbollah, Aoun and its allies, who command a parliamentary majority, agree to such a scenario? Probably not, because they know too well that they, along with other members of the ruling class, are set to lose their grip on power. Instead, expect them to fight tooth and nail to maintain their dominion, even if it means plunging Lebanon into turmoil.

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on October 24-25/2019'
Trump pivots on N. Syria: Some US troops to stay, one air base retained
DEBKAfile/October 24/2019
Only some of the thousand US troops on their way out of northern Syria will leave. Others will remain “to keep the Bashar al-Assad regime and Iranian forces away from Syria’s oil fields,” while one air base may also be retained. This was decided by President Donald Trump early Thursday, Oct. 24 at the end of a day’s briefing by James Jeffrey, his special adviser on Syria. “We do contemplate, I believe, maintaining one of our two airfields there,” he said. A US air force presence in northern Syria will allow American attack helicopters and armed drones to retain control over North Syrian air space and its border with Iraq. DEBKAfile’s military sources report that the air base in question is located at Rmeilan in the Kurdish province of Hasaka facing the Iraqi border. According to the earlier decision, too, the US will not leave the large Al Tanf garrison which sits strategically on the Syrian-Iraqi-Jordanian border junction. The latter also commands Syria’s oil and gas fields as well as the southern sections of the Syrian-Iraqi border. The two bases are the key to United States air and land control over that border. Trump’s reassessment of the US military pullback from northern Syria leaves several hundred special forces personnel in place. They will have the tasks of defending those bases and the aircraft deployed there plus counter-terror operations against the ISIS forces trying to use the US withdrawal for a comeback. Currently visiting Washington is a large delegation of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), led by its policy chief Ilhem Ahmed. They are discussing future relations with US forces in the light of their withdrawal. Trump’s partial pivot on the withdrawal of US troops from northern Syria allays some of Israel’s concerns over the prospect of Iran gaining an open door on the Iraqi-Syrian border. The continuing US air presence in northeastern Syria will also make it easier for the IAF to operate against Iranian and Hizballah targets in that region.

Iraqi PM warns against violence ahead of planned anti-government protests
Reuters/Friday, 25 October 2019
Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi said on Thursday people would be free to exercise their right to demonstrate at imminent anti-government protests, but warned violence would not be tolerated. Protesters had begun to gather in public squares in Baghdad and southern provinces as Abdul Mahdi made his televised address, ahead of officially sanctioned protests on Friday. Abdul Mahdi has struggled to address discontent since sometimes violent unrest erupted in Baghdad on October 1, spreading to southern cities. Demonstrators blame corrupt officials and political elites for failing to improve their lives. Despite the OPEC member’s vast oil wealth, many Iraqis live in poverty, have limited access to clean water, electricity, basic healthcare or decent education as the country tries to recover from years of conflict and economic hardship.
Abdul Mahdi stressed in Thursday’s address that a government collapse would drag Iraq into further turmoil. “The resignation of the government today without a constitutional alternative, will lead the country into chaos,” he said.
He reiterated reforms announced in the aftermath of the protests, including a cabinet reshuffle, job opportunities for unemployed youth and the establishment of a new court to try corrupt officials. The premier also announced that government salaries, including for top officials, would be gradually halved, with funds redirected to a social security fund for the country’s poorest. A government committee established by Abdul Mahdi reported on Monday that 149 civilians were killed because security forces used excessive force and live fire to quell protests earlier this month. The committee recommended the dismissal and trial of dozens of senior security commanders.

Iraqis gather in Baghdad ahead of planned mass protests
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English/Thursday, 24 October 2019
Dozens of Iraqi protesters shouting slogans against the head of Iran’s Quds Force have been making their way toward Baghdad's iconic Tahrir Square, Al Arabiya’s correspondent reported. It is expected that Friday will witness demonstrations in a number of Iraqi cities against the economic conditions being faced by citizens in the country. The official spokesman of Iraq’s Ministry of Interior said in a statement that security forces would be placed on high alert ahead of planned protesters to provide the “means for citizens’ movement and the protection of public property.” Late on Thursday, the governor of the Diyala province in Iraq said an overnight curfew would be imposed due to security situations, according to the Iraqi News Agency. Iraq witnessed widespread protests earlier this month with civilian deaths being blamed on excessive force, according to the government's report into the protests released on Tuesday.

Kurds welcome German plan for international force in Syria
AFP/Thursday, 24 October 2019
The top commander of Syria’s Kurdish force on Thursday welcomed a German proposal for an international force to establish a security zone in the north of the country. “We demand and agree to this,” Mazloum Abdi, the commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces – the moribund autonomous Kurdish region’s de facto army – told reporters. German Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer has said she would raise the plan with her counterparts at an ongoing NATO meeting in Brussels. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the German proposal would need UN approval to be implemented and therefore “needs to be discussed more in detail before any decision can be made.”The withdrawal of US troops from northern Syria earlier this month was followed by a string of rapid changes on the ground, with a Turkish invasion and Russian and Syrian government forces also rushing to fill the vacuum.
Moscow and Ankara signed a deal requiring all Kurdish forces to pull back from the border to behind a line 30 kilometers inside Syria, meaning they lost control over a huge slice of the Kurdish heartland. Abdi has thanked Russia for its new role as the guarantor of a buffer between his forces and those of the Kurds’ archfoe Ankara, but added he had “reservations” because Kurdish people in that zone would be left unprotected. The German initiative was embraced by the United States but has so far struggled to gain traction, and few details are yet available. Abdi said he had spoken to French President Emmanuel Macron but admitted that the plan was still embryonic and needed an endorsement from Russia, the dominant foreign broker on the Syrian conflict.

Turkish defense ministry: five military personnel wounded after Kurdish militia attack
Reuters, Istanbul/Thursday, 24 October 2019
Five Turkish military personnel were wounded around the Syrian border town of Ras al Ain in an attack carried out by the Kurdish YPG militia, the Turkish defense ministry said on Thursday, after the militia accused Ankara of attacking the area.
The attack was conducted using drones, mortars and light weapons, the ministry said in a statement, adding that Turkish forces had retaliated the attacks in self-defense.

Syria ceasefire holding ahead of Constitutional Committee: UN envoy
Reuters/Thursday, 24 October 2019
A ceasefire in northeast Syria seems to be holding “by and large,” as major powers gather in Geneva ahead of the first meeting of Syria’s Constitutional Committee next week, the UN Special Envoy told Reuters on Thursday. Geir Pedersen said that envoys from seven Arab and Western states backing the opposition, known as the “small group”, which includes the United States, are due to meet in the Swiss city on Friday. Senior officials from the so-called Astana three – Russia, Iran, and Turkey – were expected in the coming days, but he awaited confirmation.
The major powers would not participate directly in the “Syrian-owned, Syrian-led” constitutional effort, or the opening public ceremony, but they supported the process, he said. Talks are on track despite Turkey’s cross-border offensive launched on October 9 after President Donald Trump ordered US forces out of northeast Syria. Turkey and Russia, the Assad government’s main ally, have agreed on a peace plan calling for Kurdish forces to withdraw more than 30 km from the Turkish border. “It seems that by and large that the ceasefire is holding. That of course doesn’t mean that there will not be challenges,” Pedersen said in an interview in his UN office. He had reports that some of the 160,000 people who fled the incursion are starting to return to their homes. Convening the Constitutional Committee, the first tangible progress since the Norwegian diplomat took up the UN job in January, is seen as key to paving the way for political reforms and new elections in the country wracked by eight years of war that have killed hundreds of thousands and forced millions to flee. “No one believes that the Constitutional Committee in itself will solve the conflict. But if it is understood as part of a broader political process, it could be a door-opener and a very important of course symbolic beginning of a political process,” Pedersen said.

France reopens disputed ancient tomb in Jerusalem
AFP, Jerusalem/Thursday, 24 October 2019
An ancient tomb in Jerusalem prized for its archaeological and religious importance was reopened for visits Thursday by France, which owns it, after a dispute over access scuttled an earlier attempt. The site known as the Tomb of the Kings in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem can now be visited during set hours twice per week, but visitors must pre-register online and pay a 10-shekel fee ($3, 2.50 euros), the French consulate said. Around 30 people -- the most allowed at one time due to the sensitivity of the site -- visited when the gates opened on Thursday morning, mainly ultra-Orthodox Jews who wanted to pray inside. Ultra-Orthodox Jews describe the tomb as a holy burial site of ancient ancestors. France had attempted to open the site to visitors in June after having kept it closed since 2010, initially due to renovations but later because attempts to contest its ownership complicated its reopening.
It however immediately re-closed the site after a group of more than a dozen ultra-Orthodox tried to enter and pray despite not having signed up as requested, shoving toward the gate. The site is a remarkable example of a Roman-era tomb, considered among the largest in the region.
Archaeological sites in east Jerusalem are often freighted with religious significance and questions linked to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. There had been a challenge at Israel’s rabbinical court -- which rules on matters related to Jewish law and holy sites -- over access to the tomb and France’s ownership. Before reopening the site, France sought guarantees from Israel it would not face legal challenges as well as commitments on how visits would be managed.

Turkish defense ministry: five military personnel wounded after Kurdish militia attack
Reuters, Istanbul/Thursday, 24 October 2019
Five Turkish military personnel were wounded around the Syrian border town of Ras al Ain in an attack carried out by the Kurdish YPG militia, the Turkish defense ministry said on Thursday, after the militia accused Ankara of attacking the area.
The attack was conducted using drones, mortars and light weapons, the ministry said in a statement, adding that Turkish forces had retaliated the attacks in self-defense.

Syrian Kurds Accuse Turkey of Violations, Russia Says Peace Plan on Track
Istanbul, Moscow – Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 24 October, 2019
Under the plan, agreed by presidents Tayyip Erdogan and Vladimir Putin, Syrian Kurdish forces are to withdraw more than 30 km (19 miles) from the Turkish border, a goal Russia’s RIA news agency, quoting an SDF official, said was already achieved.Russia said it was sending more military policemen and  heavy equipment to help implement the deal, which has already prompted US President Donald Trump to lift sanctions against Turkey and has drawn lavish praise for Erdogan in the Turkish media. Ankara views the Kurdish YPG militia, the main component in the SDF, as terrorists linked to Kurdish insurgents in southeast Turkey. It launched a cross-border offensive against them on Oct. 9 after Trump ordered US forces out of northeast Syria. The deal agreed with Putin, which builds on and widens a previous US-brokered ceasefire, helped end the fighting. But the SDF said in its statement on Thursday that Turkish forces had attacked three villages “outside the area of the ceasefire process,” forcing thousands of civilians to flee. “Despite our forces’ commitment to the ceasefire decision and the withdrawal of our forces from the entire ceasefire area, the Turkish state and the terrorist factions allied to it are still violating the ceasefire process,” it said. “Our forces are still clashing,” it said, urging the United States to intervene to halt the renewed fighting. There was no immediate comment from Turkey, which has previously said it reserves the right to self-defense against any militants who remain in the area despite the truce.
‘EVERYTHING IS BEING IMPLEMENTED’
Russia, which as a close ally of President Bashar al-Assad has emerged as the key geopolitical player in Syria, has begun deploying military policemen near the Turkish border as part of the deal agreed on Tuesday in the Russian city of Sochi. “We note with satisfaction that the agreements reached in Sochi are being implemented,” Interfax news agency quoted Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin as saying. “Everything is being implemented,” he said. RIA, citing an SDF official, said the Kurdish fighters had already withdrawn to 32 km (20 miles) away from the border. It also said the Kurds were ready to discuss joining the Syrian army once the crisis in Syria has been settled politically. Russia will send a further 276 military policemen and 33 units of military hardware to Syria in a week, RIA news agency cited a defense ministry source as saying. Next Tuesday, under the terms of the Sochi deal, Russian and Turkish forces will start to patrol a 10 km strip of land in northeast Syria where U.S. troops had for years been deployed along with their former Kurdish allies. The arrival of the Russian police marks a shift in the regional balance of power just two weeks after Trump pulled out U.S. forces, in a move widely criticized in Washington and elsewhere as a betrayal of the Americans’ former Kurdish allies. The Russian deployments have also further highlighted increasingly close ties between Russia and NATO member Turkey. US Defense Secretary Mark Esper, speaking in Brussels on Thursday ahead of a NATO meeting, said Turkey - which annoyed Washington this year by buying Russian-made S400 missile defense systems - was moving in the wrong direction. “We see them spinning closer to Russia’s orbit than in the Western orbit and I think that is unfortunate,” Esper said.
‘SUPER-POWER OF PEACE’
Despite Trump’s lifting of sanctions on Turkey, distrust persists between Ankara and Washington, and a top Erdogan aide on Thursday criticized U.S. politicians for treating SDF commander Mazloum Kobani as a “legitimate political figure.” The aide, Fahrettin Altun, told Reuters that Mazloum was a senior leader of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has waged a decades-long insurgency in southeast Turkey and which Ankara’s Western allies also deem a terrorist group. Republican and Democratic US senators urged the State Department on Wednesday to quickly provide a visa to Mazloum so he can visit the United States to discuss the situation in Syria. The Turkish public has shown strong support for the military operation, encouraged by an overwhelmingly pro-government media. “The super-power of peace, Turkey,” said the main headline in Thursday’s edition of the pro-government Sabah newspaper. An opinion poll published by pollster Areda Survey last week showed more than three quarters of Turks supported the so-called Operation Peace Spring. The findings were based on the responses of 2,160 people between Oct. 11-14. However, the incursion has deepened a sense of alienation among Turkey’s Kurds, which is also being fueled by a crackdown on the country’s main pro-Kurdish party. Kurds make up some 18% of Turkey’s 82 million people. Turkey’s military operation was widely condemned by its NATO allies, which said it was causing a fresh humanitarian crisis in Syria’s eight-year conflict and could let ISIS prisoners held by the YPG escape and regroup.

Esper Says Turkey 'Heading in Wrong Direction' over Syria
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 24 October, 2019
Turkey is "heading in the wrong direction" with its incursion into Syria and deal with Russia to jointly patrol a "safe zone" there, US Defense Secretary Mark Esper warned Thursday. "Turkey put us all in a very terrible situation" by sweeping into northern Syria this month to fight Kurds allied with the US in the fight against ISIS, Esper told a conference in Brussels ahead of a NATO defense ministers' meeting. The onus was on Turkey's NATO allies to now "work together to strengthen our partnership with them, and get them on the trend back to being the strong reliable ally of the past," he said.
The issue of Turkey's military operation in Syria is set to dominate the two-day NATO meeting, with diplomats in the organization saying "frank" discussions with Ankara's representatives have already taken place. Esper defended the US decision to pull US forces out of northern Syria, effectively opening the path to the Turkish operation. "The US decision to withdraw less than 50 soldiers from the zone of attack was made after it was made very clear to us that President (Recep Tayyip) Erdogan made the decision to come across the border," he said, adding that he would not "jeopardize the lives of those servicemen" nor "start a fight with a NATO ally".Kurdish forces have begun withdrawing from areas near the Turkish border in Syria, the Interfax news agency cited Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin as saying on Thursday. Moscow told the Kurdish forces to withdraw from the border on Wednesday as part of an agreement struck between Moscow and Ankara that will see Syrian and Russian forces deploy to northeast Syria. "We note with satisfaction that the agreements reached in (the southern Russian city of) Sochi are being implemented," Vershinin was quoted as saying. Earlier RIA news agency, citing a defense ministry source, reported that Russia would send a further 276 military policemen and 33 units of military hardware to Syria in a week. Moscow has already deployed some military police to the Turkey-Syria border area under Tuesday's agreement reached between presidents Vladimir Putin and Erdogan.

Record Number of Demolitions of Palestinian Homes in Jerusalem
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 24 October, 2019
Israeli authorities have demolished at least 140 Palestinian homes in east Jerusalem this year, rights group B'Tselem said Thursday, the highest annual number since it began keeping records in 2004. B'Tselem said 238 Palestinians have lost their homes this year, including 127 minors. The second highest number of demolitions on record was in 2016, when 92 homes were demolished. Last month another Israeli rights group, Peace Now, obtained official figures on building permits in east Jerusalem going back to 1991 that provided strong evidence of systematic discrimination against Palestinian residents.
While Palestinians make up more than 60 percent of the population of east Jerusalem, they had received just 30 percent of permits. The Israeli military said Thursday that it demolished a partially-built structure in a refugee camp in the West Bank city of Ramallah overnight. It said the structure was being built on the site of the family home of a Palestinian who had killed an Israeli officer during an operation in May 2018. It said the residence was demolished in December of that year, and that troops returned after they noticed that new construction was underway. Israel says demolishing the family homes of alleged militants deters violence, while the Palestinians see it as a form of collective punishment.

Sisi, Ethiopia’s PM Discuss Nile Dam on Sidelines of Sochi Summit
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 24 October, 2019
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed met on the sidelines of Russia's Africa summit on Thursday to discuss a disputed Nile dam, a diplomatic source told Agence France Presse. Sisi "delivered a message" to Abiy about Addis Ababa's soon-to-be-finished dam on the Blue Nile, the Egyptian diplomatic source said. The meeting lasted around 45 minutes and took place "in a positive atmosphere," the source added, without providing details. Egypt fears that the building of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), a $4 billion project begun in 2012, will reduce the flow of the Nile. Discussions between the two countries and with Sudan, through which the river also passes, have been blocked for nine years. Russia, which is hosting a two-day Africa Summit in its Black Sea resort of Sochi, has said it is ready to play a role in resolving the conflict. "The dam... was discussed during (Russian President Vladimir Putin's) meeting with the President of Egypt, and during a meeting with the Prime Minister of Ethiopia," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. Putin told the two leaders they should take advantage of their presence in Sochi to "directly discuss (their) concerns" and that he also offered "his assistance", Peskov said. In early October, negotiations in Khartoum resulted in a "stalemate", according to Cairo, which has since sought international mediation. Ethiopia has rejected the claim, calling it "an unwarranted denial of the progress" made during the negotiations. Egypt, which depends for 90 percent of Nile's water supply, said on Tuesday it had accepted a US invitation to a meeting of foreign ministers over the giant hydropower dam. The meeting of foreign ministers of Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan will be held in Washington, Egypt's foreign ministry said. Ethiopia says GERD is crucial to its economic development.

US Treasury Freezes Assets of 3 Gaza Businessmen
Ramallah- Kifah Zboun/Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 24 October, 2019
The US Treasury has frozen assets and bank accounts of businessmen from the Gaza Strip, accusing them of transferring funds from Iran to Hamas and Palestinian factions in Gaza and the West Bank, Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported. The move was made in cooperation with Israel, which stated that this was a direct hit at Palestinian organizations namely Hamas and Islamic Jihad. The three businessmen - Kamal Awad, Fawaz Nasser and Muhammad Al-Ayy - were central in facilitating money transfers to factions in Gaza. The amounts have reached millions of dollars over the past few years.
The three reside in Gaza but have businesses in the US and other regions. As part of their legitimate business actions, they occasionally went abroad leaving Gaza via Cairo. During their travels, they laundered millions for Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Ayy is more important than Hamad Hadri, 34, who was killed six months ago by a joint operation by the army and Israel's Security Agency (Shin Bet). According to a statement by the Israeli army, Hadri oversaw delivering enormous quantities of cash from Iran to terrorist groups in Gaza. The money collected by these launderers is transferred to the military wings of various terrorist organizations. "We have increased our research capabilities to track these routes, and these actions unequivocally hurt the military wing of Hamas," the officer said. "The organization tries to smuggle terrorist funds through covert ways that are hard to discover from an intelligence standpoint. Hamas decentralizes its cash flow as much as possible, not operating through a coherent ministry of finance," he added. Hamas has been suffering from a financial crisis, whichhas led to wage cuts.

Germany Arrests 2 Lebanese Suspected of Trafficking Syrians
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/October 24/2019
Two members of a Lebanese family suspected of trafficking Syrians on flights to Germany and the Netherlands were arrested in a series of raids in Germany on Thursday, authorities said. Police said that 29 properties in four German states were raided as part of an investigation launched at the end of last year. Most were in Rhineland-Palatinate, in the southwest, and in North Rhine-Westphalia, its northern neighbor and Germany's most populous state. The Syrians, who had paid "large sums of money," were flown largely from Beirut to Frankfurt, Duesseldorf, Munich and Amsterdam, using forged visas to get through passport checks in the Lebanese capital, prosecutor Peter Fritzen said. They applied for asylum on arrival. Investigators are looking into 26 attempts at trafficking people, 10 of which were prevented when authorities intercepted the forged visas and people were turned back in Beirut. The suspects arrested Thursday were two members of a Lebanese family that has lived for years in the German town of Bitburg. Authorities were trying to track down two other suspects, and were also investigating other alleged offenses including theft.

The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on October 24-25/2019
Impeachers Searching for New Crimes
Alan M. Dershowitz/Gatestone Institute/October 24/2019
The search for the perfect impeachable offense against President Trump is reminiscent of overzealous prosecutors who target the defendant first and then search for the crime with which to charge him. Or to paraphrase the former head of the Soviet secret police to Stalin: show me the man and I will find you the crime.
All civil libertarians should be concerned about an Alice in Wonderland process in which the search for an impeachable crime precedes the evidence that such a crime has actually been committed.
Under our constitutional system of separation of powers, Congress may not compel the Executive Branch to cooperate with an impeachment investigation absent court orders.
Conflicts between the Legislative and Executive Branches are resolved by the Judicial Branch, not by the unilateral dictate of a handful of partisan legislators. It is neither a crime nor an impeachable offense for the president to demand that Congress seek court orders to enforce their demands. Claims of executive and other privileges should be resolved by the Judicial Branch, not by calls for impeachment.
The search for the perfect impeachable offense against President Trump is reminiscent of overzealous prosecutors who target the defendant first and then search for the crime with which to charge him. Or to paraphrase the former head of the Soviet secret police to Stalin: show me the man and I will find you the crime.
The effort to find (or create) impeachable offense against President Donald Trump has now moved from the subjects of the Mueller investigation -- collusion with Russia and obstruction of justice -- to alleged recent political "sins": "quid pro quo" with Ukraine and obstruction of Congress.
The goal of the impeach-at-any-cost cadre has always been the same: impeach and remove Trump, regardless of whether or not he did anything warranting removal. The means -- the alleged impeachable offenses -- have changed, as earlier ones have proved meritless. The search for the perfect impeachable offense against Trump is reminiscent of overzealous prosecutors who target the defendant first and then search for the crime with which to charge him. Or to paraphrase the former head of the Soviet secret police to Stalin: show me the man and I will find you the crime.
Although this is not Stalin's Soviet Union, all civil libertarians should be concerned about an Alice in Wonderland process in which the search for an impeachable crime precedes the evidence that such a crime has actually been committed.
Before we get to the current search, a word about what constitutes an impeachable crime under the constitution, whose criteria are limited to treason, bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanors. There is a debate among students of the constitution over the intended meaning of "high crimes and misdemeanors." Some believe that these words encompass non-criminal behavior. Others, I among them, interpret these words more literally, requiring at the least criminal-like behavior, if not the actual violation of a criminal statute.
What is not debatable is that "maladministration" is an impermissible ground for impeachment. Why is that not debatable? Because it was already debated and explicitly rejected by the framers at the constitutional convention. James Madison, the father of our Constitution, opposed such open-ended criteria, lest they make the tenure of the president subject to the political will of Congress. Such criteria would turn our republic into a parliamentary democracy in which the leader -- the prime minister -- is subject to removal by a simple vote of no confidence by a majority of legislators. Instead, the framers demanded the more specific criminal-like criteria ultimately adopted by the convention and the states.
Congress does not have the constitutional authority to change these criteria without amending the Constitution. To paraphrase what many Democratic legislators are now saying: members of Congress are not above the law; they take an oath to apply the Constitution, not to ignore its specific criteria. Congresswoman Maxine Waters placed herself above the law when she said:
"Impeachment is about whatever the Congress says it is. There is no law that dictates impeachment. What the Constitution says is 'high crimes and misdemeanors,' and we define that."
So, the question remains: did President Trump commit impeachable offenses when he spoke on the phone to the president of Ukraine and/or when he directed members of the Executive Branch to refuse to cooperate, absent a court order, with congressional Democrats who are seeking his impeachment?
The answers are plainly no and no. There is a constitutionally significant difference between a political "sin," on the one hand, and a crime or impeachable offenses, on the other.
Even taking the worst-case scenario regarding Ukraine -- a quid pro quo exchange of foreign aid for a political favor -- that might be a political sin, but not a crime or impeachable offense.
Many presidents have used their foreign policy power for political or personal advantage. Most recently, President Barack Obama misused his power in order to take personal revenge against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In the last days of his second term, Obama engineered a one-sided UN Security Council resolution declaring that Israel's control over the Western Wall -- Judaism's holiest site -- constitutes a "flagrant violation of international law." Nearly every member of Congress and many in his own administration opposed this unilateral change in our policy, but Obama was determined to take revenge against Netanyahu, whom he despised. Obama committed a political sin by placing his personal pique over our national interest, but he did not commit an impeachable offense.
Nor did President George H. W. Bush commit an impeachable offense when he pardoned Caspar Weinberger and others on the eve of their trials in order to prevent them from pointing the finger at him.
This brings us to President Trump's directive with regard to the impeachment investigation. Under our constitutional system of separation of powers, Congress may not compel the Executive Branch to cooperate with an impeachment investigation absent court orders. Conflicts between the Legislative and Executive Branches are resolved by the Judicial Branch, not by the unilateral dictate of a handful of partisan legislators. It is neither a crime nor an impeachable offense for the president to demand that Congress seek court orders to enforce their demands. Claims of executive and other privileges should be resolved by the Judicial Branch, not by calls for impeachment.
So, the search for the holy grail of a removable offense will continue, but it is unlikely to succeed. Our constitution provides a better way to decide who shall serve as president: it's called an election.
*Alan M. Dershowitz is the Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law Emeritus at Harvard Law School and author of The Case Against the Democratic House Impeaching Trump, Skyhorse Publishing, 2019.
© 2019 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.

Erdogan's Summit with Putin Should Ring Alarm Bells for NATO
Con Coughlin/Gatestone Institute/October 24/2019
These days, the Soviet Union might be no more, but Russia under President Vladimir Putin's autocratic rule is just as determined to undermine the West and its allies, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to judge by his successful summit with the Russian leader this week at the Black Sea city of Sochi, is proving to be Moscow's useful idiot in accomplishing these goals.
Earlier in the summer, Mr Erdogan drew heavy criticism from Washington after he did an arms deal with Moscow that enabled Ankara to purchase Russia's S-400 anti-aircraft missile system, which was specifically designed to shoot down NATO warplanes.
At a time when NATO is reconfiguring its resources to deal with the threat Russia poses to European security, from protecting the Baltic states from Russian aggression to dealing with cyber attacks, the cosy relationship that Mr Erdogan has embarked upon with Moscow can hardly be said to be in NATO's interests.
Consequently, to my mind NATO would be far stronger, and better-equipped, to deal with its adversaries if it did not have to contend with a fifth columnist state like Turkey operating within its ranks.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to judge by his successful summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin on October 22 at the Black Sea city of Sochi, is proving to be Moscow's useful idiot in accomplishing Putin's goals of undermining the West and its allies.
With Turkey seemingly intent on forging an ever-closer relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the time has come to give serious consideration to Ankara's continued membership of the NATO alliance.
When the Turks first became members of NATO back in 1952, it was because their country was seen as a vital bulwark against the Soviet Union. Having Turkey in NATO meant it was easier to monitor the activities of the Soviet Black Sea fleet, and limited Moscow's ability to spread its tentacles into eastern Europe and the Middle East.
Now, thanks to the increasingly anti-Western conduct of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, none of these considerations remains relevant.
These days, the Soviet Union might be no more, but Russia under Mr Putin's autocratic rule is just as determined to undermine the West and its allies, and Mr Erdogan, to judge by his successful summit with the Russian leader on October 22 at the Black Sea city of Sochi, is proving to be Moscow's useful idiot in accomplishing these goals.
Relations between Ankara and Moscow have improved considerably since Turkish warplanes shot down a Russian military jet that had strayed into Turkish air space in 2015.
Thanks to the close rapport that exists between Mr Putin and Mr Erdogan, Russia's Black Sea fleet is able to operate freely, to the extent that Russian warships based in the area were used to attack rebel forces in Syria fighting the regime of President Bashir al-Assad.
Now, following the success of the Sochi talks, the two countries have agreed to work together on the post-conflict carve-up of Syria, one that is designed to bolster the interests of both Russia and Turkey at the expense of the Syrian Kurds who were, until recently, regarded as vital allies of the US and other NATO member states in the fight against ISIS.
This means that Mr Erdogan can persist with his offensive against the Syrian Kurds, who commanded the pro-western Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the battle to destroy ISIS, as he seeks to establish what he calls a "safe zone" in northern Syria which, to judge by the appalling casualties the Kurds are suffering at the hands of the Turkish military, is anything but safe.
Nor is Mr Erdogan's marriage of convenience with his Russian counterpart the first time that the Turkish leader has acted in a way that is directly contrary to NATO's interests.
Earlier in the summer, Mr Erdogan drew heavy criticism from Washington after he did an arms deal with Moscow that enabled Ankara to purchase Russia's S-400 anti-aircraft missile system, which was specifically designed to shoot down NATO warplanes. The Trump administration responded by saying it would exclude Turkey from the F-35 stealth fighter programme.
At a time when NATO is reconfiguring its resources to deal with the threat Russia poses to European security, from protecting the Baltic states from Russian aggression to dealing with cyber attacks, the cosy relationship that Mr Erdogan has embarked upon with Moscow can hardly be said to be in NATO's interests.
The time has come, therefore, for the alliance to give serious consideration about whether Ankara should be allowed to retain its NATO membership, or whether to abandon Turkey to pursue its pro-Russian stance.
A number of prominent Republicans, such as US Senator Lindsey Graham, have already called for Turkey's suspension from the alliance, and he has been the driving force behind attempts in Congress to impose sanctions against Ankara over its treatment of the Syrian Kurds.
Now the time has come for other NATO members states to weigh up whether it really is in their interests to allow the alliance's only Muslim state to retain its membership.
In the past it has been argued that ending Turkey's association with NATO would be a gift to Mr Putin, who would like to see nothing more than the NATO alliance collapse.
There is, though, a contrary argument to be made, namely that the alliance is already being weakened by allowing Turkey to retain its membership while at the same time pursuing policies which are directly opposed to NATO's interests.
Consequently, to my mind NATO would be far stronger, and better-equipped, to deal with its adversaries if it did not have to contend with a fifth columnist state like Turkey operating within its ranks.
*Con Coughlin is the Telegraph's Defence and Foreign Affairs Editor and a Distinguished Senior Fellow at Gatestone Institute.
© 2019 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.

Trump’s Syria pullout, aiding Russia and Turkey, is when America stopped leading the world
Mark Dubowitz/David Adesnik/NBC News/October 24/2019
Donald Trump has been telling us since the first day of his presidency that the American president should no longer be the leader of the free world and that he personally has no interest in the job. This month, he made good on his words by unleashing chaos in northern Syria.
Trump’s actions empowered American adversaries ranging from the Islamic State militant group to Iran, Russia, Turkey and the regime of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad and abandoned the local Syrian forces, especially Kurdish ones, who fought side by side with U.S. troops against ISIS. In defending his decision, Trump insisted America has nothing at stake in Syria and can let others handle an Islamic State insurgency.
This ingratitude not only will do lasting damage to America’s reputation as a trustworthy ally, it also rejects the importance of American foreign goals more than seven decades in the making: containing an expansionist Russia; supporting allies, particularly those most likely to embrace democracy and human rights; and orienting U.S. policy away from the pre-WWII fiction that Americans at home will be safe from threats abroad — whether China, Iran or ISIS — if the U.S. would only retreat from the world.
Even one of the president’s staunchest political allies, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, felt moved to personally rebuke Trump on this count Tuesday by introducing a resolution calling on him to rescind his order to leave Syria because of how deeply it contravenes the American political inheritance that both parties have nurtured until now.
“If we Americans care at all about the post-World War II international system that has sustained an unprecedented era of peace, prosperity and technological development, we must recognize that we are its indispensable nation,” he noted ahead of introducing the resolution, which coincided with the end of a cease-fire whose expiration will likely result in more Kurds being killed. “The most important thing the Senate can do right now is speak clearly and reaffirm the core principles that unite most of us, Republicans and Democrats, about the proper role for America in Syria, the Middle East and the world.”
Despite the businessman-in-chief’s assertion that this role provides the United States with little benefit and a lot of human and economic costs, the reality is the opposite. In fact, the burdens America assumes by providing this global leadership generate a tremendous return on investment. Since the end of WWII, presidents right, left and center have understood that U.S. power and wealth can only be sustained by assuming great responsibility. As a consequence, under America’s watch, there has been no third catastrophic war, economic well-being has surged at home and abroad, and liberal democracy has spread— albeit unevenly — to places where it was once unthinkable.
There is also a case against U.S. global leadership, of course. As a superpower, America has periodically entangled itself in costly wars that have proven deeply divisive, from Korea and Vietnam to the second war with Iraq and, increasingly, the 18-year war in Afghanistan. Trump rails against “endless wars,” and sees China and Iran as taking advantage of these conflicts to undermine American power (though he has a puzzling blind spot for Vladimir Putin’s Russia).
Trump also believes the foreign policy establishment is addicted to bad deals. And, of course, some deals are bad; the Iran nuclear accord — with all its sunset clauses, allowances for Tehran to continue development of advanced centrifuges and ballistic missiles, verification inadequacies, massive sanctions relief and utter disinterest in the clerical regime’s regional expansion — was a bad deal.
But Trump sees only bad deals. He does not grasp the long-term value of the treaties responsible for both the establishment of NATO and the U.S. alliances with Japan and South Korea. American leadership depends in no small part on such sustained alliances and agreements, which signal to potential aggressors that they will face concerted opposition if they provoke a conflict. While certain allies should, as Trump demands, absolutely contribute more to the common defense, he continually fails to recognize their sacrifices, such as the loss of hundreds of NATO troops in Afghanistan.
And Trump has an equally simplistic view of U.S. military power. He insists he only wants to fight to win, then brings troops home despite military advisers constantly reminding him that victories unravel if some troops don’t stay in the field to preserve stability. Trump also seems oblivious to the role that U.S. troops play in deterring conflict, which is greatly preferable to fighting.
The result is that this president diverges from all of his predecessors since 1945 — routinely insulting allies, praising dictators and demonstrating little concern for human rights. He and his defenders seem to take pride in his combative “realism,” a school of thought in foreign policy that treats spreading American values as mostly a hindrance to the pursuit of national interests. But even President Richard Nixon and his aide Henry Kissinger, the most “realist” of American statesmen, were never this dismissive of allies, democracy and other American values. That is because they understood that our values can also serve our interests by showing our allies and partners that our success benefits them, too.
Before Trump, “realist” presidents — Nixon and George H. W. Bush come to mind — were cautious and deliberative, working through a consultative national security process. Neither would have been tweeters. They placed a premium on pursuing order and stability through an extensive network of alliances. Bush 1 brought together 38 other countries behind the American effort to expel Saddam Hussein from Kuwait. Such an effort would be inconceivable for Trump.
To his credit, Trump had until now avoided major debacles, such as President George W. Bush’s mismanagement of post-war Iraq or President Barack Obama’s reckless withdrawal from the country in 2011 after Bush’s “surge” of troops had stabilized the country. Yet Obama’s refusal of responsibility foreshadowed the mistakes of his successor. While focusing on Trump on Tuesday, McConnell also remarked on how “Libya and Syria both testify to the bloody results of the Obama administration’s ‘leading from behind.’” Obama was the one, after all, who inked the nuclear deal with Iran.
Somehow, Trump managed to avoid disaster for almost three years, even as he acted impulsively, ignored his advisers, proved credulous toward foreign strongmen and showed his ingratitude toward allies. But in the case of Syria, there were immediate and violent ramifications to Trump’s improvised withdrawal of U.S. troops, giving Turkey an effective green light to invade: Kurdish fighters died and tens of thousands of civilians fled; hundreds of jailed ISIS militants escaped; and one of the few remaining sources of resistance to the Russian- and Iranian-backed Syrian government evaporated.
Trump’s response to the bipartisan backlash on Syria over these predictable results has been to double down on his rejection of American intervention. He tweeted that U.S. troops were coming home because ISIS had been defeated (even though it remains a potent threat) and “we are 7,000 miles away” — an odd statement for someone who went to Lower Manhattan just days after Sept. 11.
In the first half of the 20th century, there were several great powers but no dominant one. A rough balance of power between the leading countries held until aggressive dictatorships tested its limits in the years before World Wars I and II. No single country was willing or able to prevent the onset of these twin catastrophes that almost gutted European civilization.
Will the free world fare better this time around in the absence of American leadership? When Trump leaves office, in two years or six, U.S. foreign policy may revert to its post-WWII norm. Or Republicans and Democrats may decide that America no longer has an appetite for leadership and it should continue with an isolationist stance. If so, the future may begin to look like the pre-1945 past with daunting speed.

Trump gave Erdogan everything he wanted
Jonathan Schanzer/New York Post/October 24/2019
President Trump announced in a surprise statement on Wednesday that the United States would be lifting all sanctions imposed on Turkey for its recent ­offensive against Kurdish fighters in northeastern Syria. The president claimed that all conditions had been met to remove the punitive measures and declared the shaky ceasefire between Kurdish forces and Ankara as “permanent.”
The president ­thus relinquished every last bit of ­leverage we had with the Turks.
Turkish strongman Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday ironed out a deal with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, to partner in dominating the region and pursuing ethnic cleansing of the Kurds of northern Syria — many of whom fought with the Western coalition against ISIS.
The crisis began last week when Trump agreed hastily in a phone conversation with Erdogan to remove all US troops from the region. When it became clear that Erdogan viewed this as a green light — a term the White House rejects — the US Treasury imposed sanctions on the Turkish defense and energy ministries and three of the country’s senior officials. The White House made it clear that more penalties could come if Ankara did not restrain its military.
With tensions running high, Vice President Mike Pence visited Ankara and won a five-day ceasefire agreement with Erdogan. Yet sporadic clashes between Turkish and Kurdish forces continued. Then, on Wednesday, Erdogan traveled to Sochi where he met with Putin. The two agreed to remove Kurdish militants from a large swath of the border over the next week. In the process, America was edged out of determining the future of region; Putin emerged the clear winner.
The president now says he will lift sanctions on Turkey “unless something happens that we’re not happy with.” This implies that the president is somehow fine with the current situation — Turkish military operations against our Kurdish partners and Putin snatching up key real estate in the Middle East. At minimum, the removal of sanctions deprives America of much-needed leverage to ensure that Turkey behaves like an ally.
The truth is that Turkey has not acted like an American ally for quite some time. Erdogan’s regime played a crucial role in a massive sanctions-busting scheme that helped Iran pocket $20 billion in cash and gold between 2012 and 2015.
Ankara refuses to acknowledge its role, despite the fact that a Turkish banker was found guilty in a New York court in 2018. In fact, after serving out his sentence, Mehmet Hakan Atilla was recently tapped to head the Istanbul Stock Exchange — a clear finger in Trump’s eye. Yet the president doesn’t seem terribly concerned.
Nor does the president seem bothered by the fact that Turkey serves as a key facilitator for the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas. The US Treasury has been sanctioning the terrorist group all over the Middle East, including in Turkey. But Erdogan has done nothing to halt this activity. Again, the president doesn’t seem terribly concerned.
Erdogan has also defied Washington in purchasing the S-400 missile-defense system from Russia this year, even after US officials warned that doing so would trigger sanctions. It was an odd move for a NATO ally, to put it mildly.
Erdogan’s ambitions in arming Turkey go beyond just the S-400, though. He went on the record last month declaring Turkey’s desire to join the ranks of states that possessed nuclear weapons.
As Trump knows well, sanctions are one of the most effective and powerful tools the United States possesses. The Turks got a taste of them last year, when Trump imposed sanctions on top Turkish officials when they held American pastor Andrew Brunson on false charges. The Turks soon relented.
The sanctions imposed on Oct. 14 were arguably Vice President Pence’s best leverage in the ceasefire negotiations last week in Turkey. And they would be our best leverage now to ­ensure that the Turks bring their foray into Syria to a swift conclusion.
Thankfully, this decision is ­reversible. The president can re-impose sanctions at his discretion. And Congress appears to have teed up a package of its own. If he doesn’t take action on his own, Trump should at the very least stand aside for Congress, much as he did for the Turks when they invaded Syria.
*Jonathan Schanzer is senior vice president at Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Twitter: @JSchanzer.

Tehran's tyrants have been provoked
Behnam Ben Taleblu/The Hill/October 24/2019
“So in war, the way is to avoid what is strong and to strike at what is weak,” notes the famed Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu. President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw troops from northern Syria unfortunately clarifies for our adversaries that which is weak: American resolve in the Middle East.
Amid news of Turkey, home to the second biggest army in NATO, attacking Syria, and the U.S. yet again abandoning the Kurds, it’s easy to forget that the Middle East has many hotspots simultaneously competing for American attention. But no matter the crisis du jour, it cannot be forgotten that Washington remains in the throes of a “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran, where resolve and perceptions of resolve matter greatly.
The Islamic Republic is both a nuclear rogue and malign regional force committed to overturning the status quo. For the past year, Washington has marshaled sanctions to isolate, punish, and coerce Iran. But the success behind maximum pressure is almost entirely due to economic forces, not politics.
Although the administration deserves immense credit for unilaterally restoring and expanding sanctions on Iran that have had a far greater impact than the previous administration’s efforts — and in record time — it has yet to integrate this success into a larger vision for the Middle East. Nor has it been able to meaningfully bolster this economic success with political and military tools. And worse, despite calling on the need to “push back” against Iran, the administration appears intent on creating vacuums and signaling through its actions that it lacks the requisite resolve to contest Tehran by means other than sanctions.
Put differently, while maximum pressure (read: sanctions) are working, what isn’t is American foreign policy on a broader level.
It’s no wonder, then, that some of America’s partners in the region — like the Gulf Arabs — are playing a dangerous hedging game and gradually softening their stance on Iran. In the aftermath of the downing of an expensive American military drone, American partners are wondering where is the overwhelming response in defense of U.S. interests and allied security that was promised just a few months ago.
Such a strategy, while presumably under the auspices of managing escalation, shifting to great-power competition, and keeping America out of regional wars, actually risks sucking the U.S. in further, and at a time and place when it is least prepared to be present. It also inadvertently emboldens voices in Tehran that talk of Washington’s timidity and unreliability.
“Not only has the credibility of the threat and power of America significantly declined, but the Zionist regime no longer poses a threat,” touted the commander of Iran’s notorious Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. That same official claimed that Iranian power managed to excise the “all options on the table” rhetoric from America’s vocabulary. One would not be surprised if in the aftermath of the U.S. withdrawal, Iran becomes more risk-tolerant when it comes to taking on Israel. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s latest trip to Israel was aimed at assuaging Israeli fears over precisely this problem.
Iranian outlets, such as those with links to Iran’s supreme leader, are now only too happy to report Israeli concerns about Iranian ascendancy in Syria, framed as the victory — read survival — of the dictator Bashar al-Assad. The same outlets are also only too happy to trace the history of America’s betrayal of the Kurds.
Such braggadocio stems not from any shortcoming of the economic pressure track, but the lack of follow-through on a more integrated policy that deals with Iran in the region, as was promised in 2017 by the White House.
In Iraq and Syria, Iran has worked hard to solidify gains after the collapse of central authority in both countries. Iran is similarly working on a “land corridor” to better supply and transport a diverse array of militias operating between Iraq and Syria in the service of Tehran’s revolutionary project. Rather than forcing Iran to pay a price for these actions, Washington has missed opportunities to impede its chief regional adversary’s freedom of movement. The most recent is a failure to lend support to Iraqis as they rise up against government corruption and Iranian interference.
All of this means that Washington is going to have a tougher time deterring Iran, as well as others, in the region. Recent reports indicate that the administration is mulling leaving 200 troops in northeastern Syria. While this would be a welcome move, even if the Trump administration changes its policy on Syria — as has been done before — previous local interlocutors and partners may already be dead, captured, or gone at this stage in the conflict. Time is therefore running out to correct this mistake.
To distill Sun Tzu’s maxim for today’s Middle East, weakness is provocative. By withdrawing forces from northern Syria, Washington has given Tehran, as well as a constellation of other bad actors a pale green light to have at it. The results, from counterterrorism to counter-Iran policy, are likely to be disastrous.
*Behnam Ben Taleblu is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (@FDD), where he focuses on Iranian political and security issues. He frequently briefs Washington audiences on a host of Iran-related issues and has testified before the U.S. Congress and Canadian Parliament