English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese,
Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For March 23/2020
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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Bible Quotations For today
Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke
10/38-42/:”Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a
woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who
sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was
distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, ‘Lord, do you not
care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to
help me.’ But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and
distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the
better part, which will not be taken away from her.’”
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on March 22-23/2021
Elias Bejjani/Visit My LCCC Web site/All That you need to
know on Lebanese unfolding news and events in Arabic and English/http://eliasbejjaninews.com/
Health Ministry: 1,471 new Corona cases, 51 deaths
Lebanon stalemate continues after 18th Aoun-Hariri meeting collapses
Lebanon crisis escalates after Hariri rejects Aoun’s demands
Lebanon’s President Aoun 'surprised' by PM-designate comments on government
formation
No agreement on Lebanon government after president, PM-designate meet
Presidency Says Aoun Paper Didn't Contain Names or 'Blocking One-Third'
Hariri Unveils Line-Up Rejected by Aoun in December
Hariri Rejects Aoun Paper, Says President Insisting on Veto Share
Roads Blocked, Lira Drops as Cabinet Talks Break Down
Feeding the hungry in Lebanon: FoodBlessed tackles food insecurity
France’s FM urges EU to help Lebanon deal with its worst economic crisis
France's Le Drian Urges EU to Help Steady Lebanon
Rai Backs Hariri’s Plan to Form Independent Cabinet
Mikati from Bkirki: To speed up government formation
Bukhari: KSA Keen on Lebanon’s Security and Political Independence
Israel Says it Arrested Three People Who 'Crossed the Border from Lebanon'
Two Americans Accused of Aiding Ghosn Escape Indicted in Japan
General Secretariat of Council of Ministers submits observations to Ministry of
Finance
UN experts demand ‘credible’ probe into murder of Hezbollah critic
British Chargé d’Affaires: UK wants to see in Lebanon a country that is
independent, secure and prosperous
Days that Left Their Mark/Ghassan Charbel/Asharq Al Awsat/March 22/2021
Titles For The
Latest
English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on
March 22-23/2021
Blinken tells Saudi FM that US committed to supporting
defense of Saudi Arabia
Saudi peace initiative for Yemen in line with previous plans: Vice Defense
Minister
Arab Coalition Destroys Houthi Defense System, Strikes Militia Training Camps
Iran is increasingly obsessed with defeating Saudi forces in Yemen
Houthi Transport Minister Dies under Vague Circumstances
Turkey and Russia increase strikes in Syria
Strikes on Northwest Syria Kill 1 Person, Cause Wide Damage
Russian Jets Conduct Raids Northwestern Syria in Opposition-Held Areas
PA Accuses Netanyahu of Reviving Annexation Plan
Palestinians to Cast Votes Through Post Offices in Jerusalem During Ramallah
Ghannouchi Opposes Calls to Dissolve Tunisian Parliament
New Arrests Made in Jordan in Salt Hospital Case
Burhan Accuses Ethiopia of Violating Border Agreements
Dbeibeh, Menfi to Visit Turkey to Tackle Mercenaries in Libya
Cairo sees little place for Brotherhood in rapprochement with Ankara
AstraZeneca vaccine is 79% effective against symptomatic Covid-19, company says
Titles For The Latest The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on March 22-23/2021
Mr. Malley’s Iran Policies/Hazem Saghieh/Asharq Al Awsat/March
22/2021
Beheading Children in Mozambique/Judith Bergman/Gatestone Institute/March 22,
2021
Middle East remains important to US despite new Asia pivot/Kerry Boyd
Anderson/Arab News/March 22/2021
Nowruz and the aspirations of the Iranian people/Dr. Mohammed Al-Sulami/Arab
News/March 22/2021
The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials
published on
March 22-23/2021
Elias Bejjani/Visit My LCCC Web site/All That you need to know on Lebanese unfolding news and events in Arabic and English/http://eliasbejjaninews.com/
Health Ministry: 1,471 new Corona cases, 51 deaths
NNA/March 22/2021
The Ministry of Public Health announced, on Monday, the registration of 1,471
new Corona infections, thus raising the cumulative number of confirmed cases
to-date to 441,014.
It also indicated that 51 deaths were recorded during the past 24 hours.
Lebanon stalemate continues after 18th Aoun-Hariri meeting
collapses
Najia Houssari/Arab News/March 22/2021
Saad Hariri: President ‘had last chance to end collapse’
Protesters swarm Beirut streets as currency exchange rate spikes on black market
BEIRUT: A critical meeting on Monday between Lebanese President Michel Aoun and
Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri on the country’s uncertain future failed to
reach an agreement.
The 18th meeting between the two men, held at the Presidential Palace, was met
before and after with pessimism by much of the Lebanese public.
Hariri insists on forming a government of 18 independent specialists acting as
ministers, without the capacity for a blocking third by any party, while Aoun
and his Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) propose a government of 20 ministers, with
the right to name 6 ministers in addition to an Armenian minister. After
Monday’s meeting, which lasted just 35 minutes, Hariri said that Aoun sent him
on Sunday “a complete ministerial structure in which the portfolios were
distributed among the sects and parties, along with a letter telling me that it
is advisable to fill it out.
“The list includes a blocking third of his political team, whether the
government consists of 18, 20 or 22 ministers. “He asked me to suggest names for
the portfolios according to the sectarian and party distribution that he had
prepared.”
Hariri said that he told Aoun during the meeting that “this is unacceptable
because it is not the prime minister—designate’s job to fill out lists prepared
by anyone, and it is not the job of the president to form a government.
“Our constitution clearly says that the prime minister-designate forms the
government and puts the names, and discusses his formation with the president of
the republic. As a result of this, Hariri said: “Accordingly, I respectfully
informed him that I consider his letter as if it had not been sent. I returned
it to him and informed him that I would keep a copy of it for history.”Hariri
said he previously suggested a government formation to Aoun more than 100 days
ago, and told him: “I am ready for any proposals and amendments to names and
portfolios. Even with his insistence on the Interior Ministry, I suggested a
solution for him. Unfortunately, his answer was clear: The blocking
third.”Hariri added: “I have one goal, which is to put an end to the collapse
and the suffering of the Lebanese. I asked the president to listen to the pain
of the Lebanese and give the country its only and last chance for a government
of specialists to implement reforms and stop the collapse without disruption or
narrow partisan considerations.”Hariri denied that he had previously provided
Aoun with broad lines for his government. He distributed to the media the list
of “specialized ministers” that he presented to Aoun on Dec. 9, requesting that
“public opinion be the judge.”The prime minister-designate did not respond to
questions by the press, and no date has been set for a new meeting between the
two parties.
Hariri’s suggested list included well-known academics and experts, including
three women. The Future Movement media coordinator, Abd Al-Salam Moussa, told
Arab News: “Hariri thwarted the administration’s coup against the republic.”
After Hariri finished a speech at the Presidential Palace after the meeting,
large swathes of protesters took to the streets of Beirut to express their
anger, while electronic platforms that control the black market began to raise
the dollar exchange rate again. Earlier in the day, the exchange rate stood at
11,300 Lebanese pounds, but after Hariri’s statement, it spiked to 13,000
Lebanese pounds. The 17th meeting between Aoun and Hariri last Thursday also
complicated Monday’s meeting, making it difficult to reach a solution to
Lebanon’s political crisis.
Maronite Patriarch Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi, on the eve of Aoun and Hariri’s
meeting, appealed to the two parties to “stop onerous conditions.”
He said: “If some want to burden the next government with the region’s
conflicts and the race to the presidency, regime change and control of power,
then that will lead to chaos, which will not show mercy to anyone, starting
with its creators.”Caution and public anxiety preceded the Aoun-Hariri meeting
and increased after it. Despite the reopening of restaurants and cafes on
Monday, with strict health measures in place — two months after total lockdown
began — the public chose to stay home.
Lebanon crisis escalates after Hariri rejects Aoun’s
demands
The Arab Weekly/March 22/2021
BEIRUT--Lebanon’s financial crisis intensified on Monday after Prime
Minister-designate Saad al-Hariri publicly repudiated President Michel Aoun,
saying the latter wanted to dictate cabinet membership and grant veto powers on
policy to his political allies. Protesters blocked some roads in the Lebanese
capital with burning tyres Monday after talks on the formation of a new Cabinet
broke down, heralding more economic and financial collapse for the country.
After the latest of more than a dozen meetings with the president to form a new
cabinet, Hariri called Aoun’s demands “unacceptable”. Hariri’s televised
announcement dashed hopes for an end to five months of political deadlock
between the two and a reversal of the country’s financial meltdown. “This is a
catastrophe for the country. We were holding on by a thread but now we’re
heading towards a total crash,” one official source told Reuters. Lebanon has
been without a government since shortly after the August 4 chemical explosion
that destroyed the port of Beirut and devastated downtown areas of the capital,
killing hundreds of people, injuring thousands and making 300,000 homeless.
The giant blast accelerated the downward spiral of an economy trapped in debt,
banking, financial and fiscal crises. Foreign donors refuse to bail out Lebanon
until it forms a government of capable technocrats committed to reform. Aoun
sent a list suggesting different scenarios for a cabinet of either 18,20 or 22
ministers, with names to be filled in, Hariri said. “This is unacceptable
because it is not the job of the prime minister-designate to fill forms from
someone else or of the president to form a government.” In a statement read by
the presidency spokesperson, Aoun said he was “surprised” by Hariri’s comments
and that his proposal to Hariri had not included a blocking minority. The lack
of agreement came after a hint of a breakthrough on Thursday when the two last
met and Hariri had said he saw an opportunity to be seized.
“The current deadlock and dim outlook will certainly have a toll on the exchange
rate, making it more difficult for the average worker to get by without food
aid,” said Mohanad Hage Ali of the Carnegie Middle East Center. The Lebanese
pound dropped to over 13,000 to the dollar on the informal market after news of
the outcome of the meeting, having traded earlier in the day at around 11,000.
Lebanon’s economic crisis, which is posing the biggest threat to its stability
since the 1975-1990 civil war, has seen the Lebanese pound sink by almost 90%,
plunging many into poverty. As businesses shut down, joblessness and hunger are
rising. Lebanon’s banks, having lent 70% of their assets to an insolvent state
and central bank, have locked most depositors out of their savings.
Hassain Diab’s cabinet, which resigned after the Beirut port blast, remains in a
caretaker capacity until a successor is formed but fractious politicians have
been unable to agree a government since Hariri’s nomination in October. There is
no budget and there will soon be no hard currency to pay for imports of
subsidised wheat, medicine and fuel. Under a sectarian power-sharing system,
Lebanon’s president must be a Maronite Christian and the prime minister a Sunni
Muslim. Aoun is an ally of Hezbollah, listed as a terrorist group by the United
States. Veteran Sunni politician Hariri was nominated to form a cabinet of
specialists that could enact reforms and unlock foreign aid. The Shia Amal
movement, headed by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri who backs Hariri, called for
it to be formed urgently on Monday. But Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said
on Thursday that even though he would approve a government of technocrats if
formed, a cabinet with no politicians would not last long.
Lebanon’s President Aoun 'surprised' by PM-designate
comments on government formation
Reuters/22 March ,2021
Lebanon’s President Michel Aoun was “surprised” by comments made by Prime
Minister-designate Saad al-Hariri, a presidency spokesman said on Monday,
denying that Aoun had insisted on a blocking majority in a new government. “Any
comments by the prime minister designate that it is not up to the president to
form (a cabinet) ... are unacceptable,” the spokesman said, after a meeting
between the two leaders failed to break months of political deadlock.
No agreement on Lebanon government after president,
PM-designate meet
Reuters, Beirut/22 March ,2021
There was no agreement on a new Lebanese cabinet after a scheduled meeting on
Monday between President Michel Aoun and Prime Minister-designate Saad
al-Hariri. Hariri said after the meeting Aoun had insisted on a blocking
majority in government for his political allies. Aoun sent a list suggesting
different scenarios for a cabinet of either 18, 20 or 22 ministers, with names
to be filled in, Hariri said. “This is unacceptable because it is not the job of
the prime minister-designate to fill forms from someone else or of the president
to form a government.”The lack of agreement came after a hint of positivity on
Thursday when the two last met and Hariri had said the priority was to form a
government that would restart talks with the International Monetary Fund.
Lebanon is in a deep financial crisis that poses the biggest threat to its
stability since the 1975-1990 civil war. Politicians have since late 2019 failed
to agree a rescue plan to unlock foreign cash which Lebanon desperately needs.
Presidency Says Aoun Paper Didn't Contain Names or
'Blocking One-Third'
Naharnet/22 March ,2021
The Presidency on Monday hit back at PM-designate Saad Hariri and said that
President Michel Aoun has never mentioned a one-third-plus-one share in his
meetings with Hariri. “The Presidency was surprised by the PM-designate’s
remarks and approach in form and content,” the President said in a statement,
referring to Hariri’s remarks after his meeting with Aoun earlier in the day. It
noted that a paper sent by Aoun to Hariri on Sunday did not contain names of
candidates for the new government but rather a “methodology” for putting
together the line-up. “This methodological paper contained no names in order to
contain a blocking one-third. It is only a formation mechanism seeking
cooperation, which must precede any agreement, according to the 4th clause of
the constitution’s Article 53,” the Presidency said. It added that the
constitution grants the president the right to be a partner in the cabinet
formation process and that his role is not limited to signing or issuing the
formation decrees. “Any claims to the contrary are against the National Pact and
the constitution and are unacceptable,” the Presidency went on to say.
“Partnership is at the heart of our constitutional system and our National
Pact,” it added. Commenting on a draft cabinet line-up that Hariri said he
submitted to Aoun on December 9, the Presidency said the presidency rejected it
because it did not meet the “essential elements” for the formation of a
government and because it “violated the principle of speciality by merging
portfolios not related to each other.”“The crisis is governmental and it is
unacceptable to turn it into a governance crisis or a system crisis, unless
there is an intention not to form a government for unknown reasons,” the
Presidency added.
Hariri Unveils Line-Up Rejected by Aoun in December
Naharnet/22 March ,2021
Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri on Monday distributed to reporters a draft
cabinet line-up that President Michel Aoun had rejected on December 9. “Because
His Excellency the President said in his latest speech that I had only submitted
broad lines to him, I will distribute to you the full line-up, with names and
portfolios, that I had submitted to him here in Baabda on December 9, 2020 -- or
more than 100 days ago,” Hariri said after meeting Aoun in Baabda.
“I will let the public opinion judge it,” the PM-designate added.
Below is the draft line-up distributed by Hariri:
- Saad Hariri (Prime Minister, Sunni)
- Firass Abiad (Health Minister, Sunni)
- Nasser Yassine (Social Affairs and Environment Minister, Sunni)
- Lubna Misqawi (Justice Minister, Sunni)
- Youssef Khalil (Finance Minister, Shiite)
- Maya Kanaan (Labor Minister, Shiite)
- Ibrahim Shahrour (Public Works and Transport Minister, Shiite)
- Jihad Murtada (Administrative Development and Tourism Minister, Shiite)
- Rabih Narsh (Foreign Affairs and Agriculture Minister, Druze)
- Antoine Klimos (Defense Minister, Maronite)
- Fadia Kiwan (Culture Minister, Maronite)
- Abdo Gerges (Education Minister, Maronite)
- Walid Nassar (Youth, Sport and Information Minister, Maronite)
- Saade al-Shami (Economy Minister, Greek Orthodox)
- Joe Saddi (Energy and Water Minister, Greek Orthodox)
- Ziad Abu Haidar (Interior and Municipalities Minister, Greek Orthodox)
- Fadi Samaha (Telecommunications Minister, Greek Catholic)
- Garabet Slikhanian (Industry and Displaced Minister, Armenian)
Hariri Rejects Aoun Paper, Says President Insisting on Veto
Share
Naharnet/March 22/2021
A much-anticipated meeting between President Michel Aoun and PM-designate Saad
Hariri has failed to achieve any breakthrough in the stalled cabinet formation
process. “Unfortunately, His Excellency the President sent me yesterday a full
line-up put together by him, which contained the allocation of portfolios to
sects and parties, with a letter saying that it would be better if I filled it
up,” Hariri said after meeting Aoun in Baabda. “The paper contained a
one-third-plus-one share for his political camp in formats of 18 ministers, 20
ministers and 22 ministers. His Excellency asked me to suggest candidates for
the portfolios according to the sectarian and partisan distribution prepared b
him,” the PM-designate added. “With all due transparency, I will tell you what I
told him today. First: It is unacceptable because the PM-designate’s job is not
to fill papers submitted by anyone not it is the job of the President to form
governments. And secondly because our constitution clearly says that the
PM-designate would form a cabinet, select names and discuss the line-up with the
President,” Hariri went on to say.
He added: “Accordingly, I told His Excellency with all due respect that I will
consider his letter null and void and I returned it to him. I also told him that
I will keep a copy of it for history!”Hariri also added that he told Aoun that
he had submitted a cabinet line-up 100 days ago and that he is still ready for
“any suggestions and modifications regarding names and portfolios.”“I even
facilitated the solution for him regarding his insistence on the interior
portfolio, but unfortunately his clear answer was the one-third-plus-one share,”
the PM-designate said. Stressing that his only goal is to “put an end to the
collapse and the suffering of the Lebanese,” Hariri said he called on the
President to “hear the pain of the Lebanese.”“I asked him to give the country
its last and only chance, through the formation of a government of specialists
that would achieve reforms and halt the collapse, without obstruction or narrow
partisan considerations,” the PM-designate added. And responding to Aoun’s
complaint that he has only presented “broad lines” for the cabinet line-up,
Hariri distributed to reporters copies of the line-up he had submitted to the
President on December 9, which contains the names and portfolios of the proposed
candidates.
Hariri's remarks crushed hopes for a government breakthrough, as political
leaders continue to wrangle over cabinet shares despite widespread anger at an
economic crisis that has reignited street protests against a decades-old ruling
class. The outgoing government of premier Hassan Diab resigned in the wake of an
August 4 explosion at Beirut's port that killed more than 200 people and ravaged
swaths of the capital. Lebanon's leaders have since traded blame for the
government delay, with Aoun calling on Hariri to step down if he is incapable of
forming a government suitable to all parties.
Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, who is an ally of Aoun, has also
criticized the hold up. In a speech on Thursday, Nasrallah called on Hariri to
abandon his push for a 18-member cabinet comprised entirely of technocrats. "A
government of technocrats that is not backed by political groups won't save the
country," Nasrallah said, calling for established parties to also be
represented. In a report published ahead of Monday's meeting, the pro-Hizbullah
al-Akhbar daily said there is "no hope for a breakthrough.""Nothing has
changed."Lebanon is in the grips of its worst economic crisis since the
1975-1990 civil war. More than half the population lives below the poverty line
and the national currency has lost more than 85 percent of its value against the
dollar on the black market. The Lebanese pound, pegged at 1,507 to the greenback
since 1997, sold for 15,000 to the dollar on the black market last week at an
all-time low. The rapid currency plunge reignited street protests that started
in 2019 but were temporarily snuffed out last year due to the coronavirus
pandemic.
- 'Going in circles' -
Demonstrators criticised officials for wrangling over cabinet posts instead of
coming together to form a government capable of spearheading reforms long
demanded by donors and the international community. "There are no signs
indicating we are heading towards a solution," Lebanon's French-language daily
L'Orient-Le Jour reported on Monday. "Talks are going in circles."The
international community has also denounced the performance of Lebanese
officials. "Lebanese authorities should act urgently to halt the deepening
crisis and ensure good governance," United Nations humanitarian coordinator
Najat Rochdi told the Security Council last week. French President Emmanuel
Macron, who is leading the international charge against Lebanon's under-fire
politicians, said last week he would push for a new approach to "prevent the
collapse of the country". The European Union and the United States should also
ramp up pressure on Lebanese politicians, said a French diplomatic source, who
did not rule out the possibility of sanctions. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves
Le Drian on Monday pressed his European counterparts to take action to stave off
Lebanon's collapse. "I want us to be able to discuss together the levers that
would allow us to put pressure on the Lebanese authorities," he said in
Brussels.
Roads Blocked, Lira Drops as Cabinet Talks Break Down
Associated Press/March 22/2021
Protesters blocked some roads in the Lebanese capital with burning tires Monday
after talks on the formation of a new Cabinet broke down, heralding more
economic and financial collapse for the small country. The Lebanese pound also
fell against the dollar on the black market after the meeting failed to produce
a breakthrough. Small groups of protesters used garbage containers to block
several main roads in Beirut's Corniche al-Mazraa, Qasqas and Cite Sportive
areas. Outside the central bank in the capital's Hamra street, protesters set
fire to trash in containers and knocked them over to block the street.
Hariri made the announcement about the talks' failure following a short meeting
with President Michel Aoun -- a last-ditch effort at repairing a rift that has
impeded formation of a government tasked with halting the country's rapid
economic collapse. Hariri placed the blame squarely on Aoun for the months-long
delay, accusing him of insisting on acquiring veto power for his political team
in the new government. Hariri, who was tasked by Aoun to form a Cabinet in
October after he was named by a majority of lawmakers, is seeking to form a
Cabinet of technocrats, or non-partisan specialists, while Aoun has asked for an
expanded Cabinet of at least 20 ministers. Meanwhile, the country has been
adrift with only a caretaker government in charge as it slides further into an
economic abyss. The economic and financial crisis roiling Lebanon is the gravest
threat to its stability since the 15-year civil war ended in 1990.
The country's local currency has been in a free fall since late 2019, losing
over 90% of its value. The government defaulted on its foreign debt last year
and nearly half the population has been pushed into poverty and unemployment.
Prices of basic goods have increased and inflation has soared. Banks have
imposed informal controls on people's savings, and the Central Bank's foreign
reserves have shrunk in a country dependent on imports. The outgoing government
resigned last August, following a massive explosion at Beirut's port that killed
211 people, wounded more than 6,000 and damaged entire neighborhoods in the
capital.
Feeding the hungry in Lebanon: FoodBlessed tackles food
insecurity
Nicholas Frakes, Al Arabiya English/22 March ,2021
Since the Lebanese lira started to devalue and inflation grew, the price of food
has been steadily rising. “Lebanon’s current situation is creating new
humanitarian needs and exacerbating current ones,” Maya Terro, co-founder of the
Lebanese NGO FoodBlessed, told Al-Arabiya English.
“With 60 percent unemployment rates in some neighborhoods, many are going hungry
and are at risk of eviction. If Corona[virus] doesn’t get you first, sadly,
either hunger or homelessness will,” she added. The NGO helps to give food to
those registered with the organization, with boxes of items given to each
person. Each box has enough supplies to feed a family of four for around a
month. In 2020, it fed around 17,000 people, but Terro is anticipating numbers
rising to above 20,000 this year, as the economic crisis continues to worsen.
The increasing prices of food is forcing many people to choose between going
hungry or paying for other needs, such as rent or medicine. One of them is
Saleha Abdullah Khalif who fled Syria because of the war. “I was affected a lot
[by the situation],” the Syrian woman told Al-Arabiya English. “Before, I would
cook a few times a week, but now, I can't cook at all. Oil is expensive. Most of
the time, and on most days, I go to sleep without eating.”Khalif explained that
the knowledge that her two daughters will have food every night fills her with a
greater sense of ease. “FoodBlessed has helped me in a huge way and has helped
with my daughters’ safety,” she said. “In truth, if it wasn't for them, my
situation would be much more difficult.” The relative security that this NGO
provides is becoming increasingly challenging because of the worsening economic
situation, and the Covid-19 pandemic. FoodBlessed relies on both monetary and
food donations to continue its operations. After the Beirut port explosion, it
saw a significant increase in the amount of money donated. After a few months,
though, the donations started to decrease. “Ever since the Covid pandemic came
to be, FoodBlessed has reverted from accepting in-kind donations of food items,”
Terro stated. “This meant that we had to rely entirely on monetary donations to
fund our food assistance packages and meals programs.”Previously, the NGO could
rely on people in Lebanon donating funds to their organization, but with the
capital controls put in place by the banks, and the ever-worsening value of the
lira, it is now relying on donations from abroad. While many are already
struggling, recent announcements that subsidies on some food items might be
lifted, there is the strong possibility of forcing a bigger number of people
into a situation where food insecurity becomes a reality. Terro estimates that
much of the population will spend a large part of their income on bread, a
staple of Lebanese and Arab households, due to the price increase, should
subsidies on wheat and flour be lifted.
France’s FM urges EU to help Lebanon deal with its worst
economic crisis
Reuters, Brussels/22 March ,2021
Europe must take action as Lebanon collapses, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves
Le Drian said, adding that he would press EU foreign ministers meeting on Monday
to discuss solutions to the economic and political crisis in Beirut. Paris has
spearheaded international efforts to rescue the former French protectorate from
its deepest crisis since the 1975-1990 civil war, but after seven months has
failed so far to persuade squabbling politicians to adopt a reform roadmap or
form a new government to unlock international aid. The crisis has accelerated in
recent days, with the currency plunging in value and some grocery shops
temporarily shutting for lack of supplies. President Michel Aoun is scheduled to
meet with Prime Minister-designate Saad al-Hariri later on Monday to try and
break the deadlock in forming a government. “France wishes that we discuss the
Lebanon question,” Le Drian said as he arrived at the EU foreign ministers’
meeting. “The country is drifting away, divided ... when a country collapses,
Europe must be ready.” French and Western diplomats have said that after months
of stalemate, France is now ready to discuss the prospect of sanctions, at EU or
national level, on senior Lebanese officials, although it is not likely to be
immediate.
France's Le Drian Urges EU to Help Steady Lebanon
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 22 March, 2021
France's Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Monday he had asked
his EU counterparts to consider ways to help Lebanon, which is facing its worst
economic crisis in decades. Europe must take action as Lebanon collapses, French
Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said, adding that he would press EU foreign
ministers meeting on Monday to discuss solutions to the economic and political
crisis in Beirut. Paris has spearheaded international efforts to rescue the
former French protectorate from its deepest crisis since the 1975-1990 civil
war, but after seven months has failed so far to persuade squabbling politicians
to adopt a reform roadmap or form a new government to unlock international aid,
Reuters reported. The crisis has accelerated in recent days, with the currency
plunging in value and some grocery shops temporarily shutting for lack of
supplies. President Michel Aoun is scheduled to meet with Prime
Minister-designate Saad al-Hariri later on Monday to try and break the deadlock
in forming a government. "France wishes that we discuss the Lebanon question,"
Le Drian said as he arrived at the EU foreign ministers' meeting. "The country
is drifting away, divided ... when a country collapses, Europe must be ready."
French and Western diplomats have said that after months of stalemate, France is
now ready to discuss the prospect of sanctions, at EU or national level, on
senior Lebanese officials, although it is not likely to be immediate.
Rai Backs Hariri’s Plan to Form Independent Cabinet
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 22 March, 2021
Lebanon’s Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rai backed on Sunday Prime
Minister-designate Saad Hariri's plan to form a cabinet of non-partisan
specialists. Rai's position came contrary to that of Hezbollah Secretary-General
Hassan Nasrallah, who said last week he supports a government of both
technocrats and politicians. “I am now saying to everyone a government of both
technocrats and politicians which will not allow anyone to run away from
responsibility is better,” Nasrallah said. In this regard, Hariri is scheduled
to meet with President Michel Aoun on Monday. The two politicians have been
wrangling for months as the country sinks deeper into a financial crisis. For
his part, Rai hoped that the meeting between Hariri and the Aloun will lead to
the formation of a rescue government of specialists. He also stressed that
setting unattainable conditions to obstruct the govt. formation must come to an
end. He also appealed to Arab and foreign countries to support the Lebanese
people. "People are victims of the ruling political class, and therefore we call
on Arab and foreign countries to support them." For his part, Beirut
Metropolitan of Greek Orthodox Archbishop Elias Audi said the Lebanese people do
not care about the number of ministers and the shares of politicians in the new
cabinet. “They only want to live in a free, sovereign country that respects the
rule of law,” he said, calling on Aoun and Hariri not to end Monday’s meeting
before solving the cabinet crisis.
Also on Sunday, Grand Jaafarite Mufti Sheikh Ahmad Qabalan warned that the
country is currently similar to a sinking ship that should be saved during
Monday’s meeting through agreeing on a national government.
He said if no rescue cabinet is formed soon, the Lebanese would face a catastrophe.
Mikati from Bkirki: To speed up government formation
NNA/Monday, 22 March, 2021
Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rahi met Monday in Bkirki with former Prime Minister
Najib Mikati and MPs Nicolas Nahhas and Ali Darwiche. Speaking to reporters
following the meeting, Mikati highlighted the necessity to speed up the
formation of the government, especially amid the ailing economic and social;
conditions. He added that the meeting touched on Patriarch Rahi's initiative. "I
explained to him that we are in need of what brings the Lebanese closer not
farther," said Mikati. "Lebanon is in a state of enmity with Israel, so we
cannot be neutral. But we can dissociate ourselves from regional issues," he
added.
Bukhari: KSA Keen on Lebanon’s Security and Political
Independence
Naharnet/Monday, 22 March, 2021
Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Walid Bukhari on Monday stressed Saudi Arabia’s
keenness on security in Lebanon and the importance of an independent political
decision in the country. During his visit to the head of the Catholicosate of
the Great House of Cilicia of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Patriarch
Archbishop Aram Keshishian, Bukhari expressed his hope that the Lebanese would
give priority to their supreme national interest and to deal with challenges
that meet the legitimate aspirations of the Lebanese people. Bukhari said “hate
speech” must be avoided for the damaging impact it has on the country’s national
interest, and because it leads to sharp polarization among the spectrum of
society and exposes it to danger.Bukhari and Patriarch Aram discussed the
brotherly relations between the Kingdom and the Armenian community in Lebanon.
Israel Says it Arrested Three People Who 'Crossed the
Border from Lebanon'
Naharnet/Monday, 22 March, 2021
The Israeli army said it arrested 3 people who “crossed” the border from Lebanon
near the town of Yiftach in northern Israel. Israeli army spokesman Avichai
Adrai wrote in a tweet on Sunday that Israeli troops “detected three suspects
who infiltrated from inside Lebanon into Israel near the town of Yiftach, where
the forces arrested them.” The Lebanese Army issued a statement on Monday and
said: “An Army unit arrested in the southern town of Mays el-Jabal three
Sudanese nationals after sneaking their way into the Palestinian territory. They
were returned back to Lebanon.”The statement added that the related judicial
authorities kicked off investigation into the incident. On March 2, the Israeli
army said it released a Lebanese citizen whom it had accused of crossing into
the occupied part of the Kfarshouba Hills on February 28.
Two Americans Accused of Aiding Ghosn Escape Indicted in
Japan
Agence France Presse/Monday, 22 March, 2021
Tokyo prosecutors on Monday indicted two Americans accused of helping former
Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn jump bail and make his audacious escape from Japan in
2019. In a statement, prosecutors said Michael Taylor and his son Peter were
being indicted on a charge of helping a criminal escape, over their alleged
involvement in smuggling Ghosn to Lebanon, where he remains an international
fugitive.
General Secretariat of Council of Ministers submits observations to Ministry of
Finance
NNA/Monday, 22 March, 2021
The General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers has submitted to the
Ministry of Finance, observations made by ministries, departments, public
institutions and relevant sectors regarding the texts of the articles and
figures contained in the draft general budget for the year 2021, in addition to
the State Council’s opinion on the draft budget and other legal notes.—PM Press
Office
UN experts demand ‘credible’ probe into murder of Hezbollah
critic
Arab News/March 22/2021
Concerns raised over effectiveness of Lebanese government’s investigation into
Luqman Slim’s death
‘A lack of accountability may have a profound chilling effect on freedom of
expression in Lebanon’
LONDON: UN human rights experts have called on Lebanon’s government to “ensure a
credible and effective investigation” into the assassination prominent
intellectual and Hezbollah critic Luqman Slim. “More than a month after Mr.
Slim’s murder, the investigatory steps taken at national level have led to no
meaningful result, raising concerns as to the effectiveness of the current
investigation,” said the three special rapporteurs from the UN’s Human Rights
Council. “The government should urgently implement measures to guarantee the
independence and the impartiality of the investigation, and ensure that those
responsible are identified and held accountable.”Slim was an outspoken critic of
Iran-backed Hezbollah, and many have speculated that the group was behind his
murder. Slim, 58, was shot six times, three times in the head, in his car on
Feb. 4. He was found in an area of southern Lebanon said to be under Hezbollah’s
control. Prior to his death, he said should he be killed, “everybody would know
who would be behind it.”The experts, who specialize in extrajudicial killings,
judicial independence and free expression, said: “The killing of Mr. Slim
appears to be linked to his civic engagement and to be emblematic of the
regression of Lebanon civic space, in the context of a reported surge of
arrests, intimidations, threats and violence against human rights defenders,
journalists and activists.” They added: “We are deeply concerned that the murder
of Mr. Slim in the event of a lack of accountability may have a profound
chilling effect on freedom of expression in Lebanon.”The UN said Slim was
reportedly probing how and why the huge supply of ammonium nitrate that exploded
in Beirut’s port last year, killing over 200 people and injuring thousands, was
in the country. “Any alleged relation between the explosion and Mr. Slim’s
assassination should be fully investigated,” the experts said. At the time, US
Ambassador to Lebanon Dorothy Shea condemned the killing, saying: “We are
saddened to have lost a great person through such an unacceptable barbaric act
that we will never forget.”She emphasized “the need to know who committed this
heinous crime,” and vowed to “continue supporting the institutions Slim had
established.”
British Chargé d’Affaires: UK wants to see in Lebanon a
country that is independent, secure and prosperous
NNA/Monday, 22 March, 2021
In an interview with LAF Magazine on 12 March, British Chargé d'Affaires Martin
Longden saluted "the LAF's dedication and profound sense of loyalty to its
country", considering them to be "an extraordinary asset to Lebanon".
His interview came following the latest donation provided by the UK to the LAF
of 100 UK armoured patrol vehicles to support the Land Border Regiments'
surveillance and security missions, noting that the Land Border Regiments have
in the past received big donations from the UK.
Longden reaffirmed that "What the UK wants to see in Lebanon is a country that
is independent, secure and prosperous. Lebanon lives in a difficult
neighbourhood, but a stable Lebanon is in the region's and in the international
community's interest. We believe that the LAF has a key role to play in
delivering this, on behalf of all the Lebanese people."
On the role of the LAF and its mission amidst the crisis that Lebanon is going
through and the struggles in the region he said: "The UN has been clear that the
LAF, and other security institutions of the Lebanese state, can be the only
legitimate forces in Lebanon: accountable to the government and, through them,
to the Lebanese people. The LAF has a key mission to keep Lebanon secure and its
people safe. It plays alongside other security agencies, a vital role in
securing Lebanon's borders and in defending Lebanon from those groups and
individuals whose activities can only damage the country. It's true that there
are conflicts raging in the Middle East - but the UK view is that Lebanon's
interests are best served by disassociating from these: why should you be the
front line for other countries' disputes?"
On what could be done to support Lebanon and its army during these difficult
times, Longden said: "I agree that these are dark and difficult times for
Lebanon. Political, social, health and economic crises are putting extraordinary
stress on the social fabric, and the LAF cannot be entirely immune to that. The
UK, and Lebanon's other international friends, have provided significant support
in the security, economic, education and humanitarian space. But what's really
needed is a political solution to these issues - and a government capable of
real reform. And that's the responsibility of Lebanon's politicians - not the
UK".
On what distinguishes UK's performance from other parties, he said: "Lebanon is
fortunate that it has a number of international partners, many of whom provide
concrete support to the Lebanese state and people. I'm very proud that you can
count the UK as amongst these friends - and a special one too. From where I sit,
there is a natural ease to the bilateral relationship between Lebanon and the UK
- we understand each other well, and speak honestly to each other, uncomplicated
by difficult histories or other issues. And this relationship gets particular
traction in the military sphere: there's a real mutual respect and affection for
each other's armed forces, and some great personal relationships too. Long may
that continue!"
On the situation in Lebanon, he pointed: "Lebanon's politicians know the UK's
view, I think, on the current situation. In my short time here, I've spoken
pretty directly about it - publicly and in private. To the Lebanese people, I
would say only this: you deserve so much better than what you are enduring at
the present, and the UK will continue to work with all those in Lebanon who want
a better future for themselves and their families. And to the LAF, my message is
simple: you know how much the UK appreciates the partnership we have forged with
you, including over the last decade in particular. I salute your dedication,
your profound sense of loyalty to your country, and your professionalism -
especially in these most challenging of times. You are an extraordinary asset to
Lebanon".
Days that Left Their Mark
Ghassan Charbel/Asharq Al Awsat/March 22/2021
It was a long time ago. I made extraordinary efforts to persuade Mohsen Ibrahim,
Secretary-General of the Communist Action Organization in Lebanon, to record
some of his memories if he could not go further. The reason for my insistence
was the characteristics of the person and the particularity of his role, in
addition to the close relations that linked him with three men from the region:
Gamal Abdel Nasser, Yasser Arafat and Kamal Jumblatt.
Ibrahim’s relationship with the late Egyptian leader is well known. And his ties
with the Lebanese leader were very close. As a journalist, I examined the extent
of Arafat’s appreciation of Ibrahim, who had the right to bring the visiting
journalist into Abu Ammar’s office without permission or formalities.
Mohsen Ibrahim agreed, and we have explored his rich memory, which included
accounts and friendships that extended from Algeria to Aden.
I started preparing the episodes to get his initial approval on the release
date. On the next trip to Beirut, he called to say that he wanted to see me. I
was excited as I thought the time has come to publish his interviews. But I was
surprised to hear him say: “I know that what I am asking for will annoy you… But
I consider you a friend, so I ask you not only to forget about publishing the
dialogue, but to give me the recording tapes to keep them with me, with a
promise that we would publish them when possible.”
I was upset and wanted to know why. He replied: “I am worried about my security.
My interviews might get me in trouble. You know I'm not one of those who feel
afraid, but I have to act responsibly. I know these systems and their rooted
assassination culture. Your file could be on the shelf, but then put on the
table for the execution phase. Poor is he who thinks he enjoys immunity that
provides him with some protection. Kamal Jumblatt’s Druze leadership and his
Arab and international relations could not save him from assassination.
Moreover, my appearance after a long silence should serve a purpose in a certain
political atmosphere.”
I asked him whether the matter had anything to do with accusations that hinted
at his role in the negotiations of the Oslo Accords on Arafat’s side, he
responded: “Whoever intends to target you can find sensitive points, and can
also blame you for things that you have never done.”
He added: “I know that you will keep the contents of the tapes, but I trust that
you will not publish them at any inconvenient time. On the other hand, we will
continue our open dialogue, and you can take notes if you hear anything of
value.”
Ibrahim used expressions that drew my attention: “The conditions in the country
are not reassuring”… “The coming days may be more difficult”… “The number of
forces that believe in violence is increasing.”
He continued: “The state in Lebanon has a fragile structure.”
I was also struck by a phrase he jokingly said: “They elected Emile Lahoud as
president to assist (the Syrian general) Ghazi Kanaan in running Lebanon.”
Years later, he said: “Michel Aoun did not reach the presidency through
elections. These formalities are of no value. He arrived through a series of
coups, including the events of May 7, which put the political forces before a
fatal choice: either political vacuum or surrender to a candidate named Michel
Aoun.”
He continued: “Aoun was paid the price for the position he took with regard to
(Hezbollah’s) weapons and the series of assassinations that followed the killing
of Rafik Hariri. He was rewarded with the presidency of the republic.”
I interviewed Ibrahim one day about the days that left their mark. We talked
about June 1967, the “October War”, the Iranian revolution, the exit of the
Palestinian resistance from Beirut in 1982 and the invasion of Kuwait. I found
him interested in two particular days: The US Army attack on Saddam Hussein’s
regime on March 20, 2003 and the assassination of Rafik Hariri on February 14,
2005.
Ibrahim said the US army toppling Saddam’s regime provided Iran with a historic
opportunity to pour into the region, which had been impossible with the Baath
regime. He noted that Bashar “al-Assad was not a fan of Iran at the beginning of
his tenure. His fear that he would be the next target of the US Army prompted
him to engage with Iran in a plan to prevent the establishment of a stable,
pro-Western Iraqi government in Baghdad.”
He also saw that large parts of the Arab world would pay the price of removing
Iraq from the equation, and with it the Syrian regime joining the Iranian
project after the withdrawal of its forces from Lebanon.
Ibrahim believed Hariri was assassinated in wake of the new balance created
after Saddam’s ouster. He noted that the assassination might be more dangerous
than the killing of Kamal Jumblatt and Bashir Gemayel, because it aimed at
putting Lebanon in a different axis. He also said he believed that the Syrian
regime was seriously harmed in the assassination, as it had lost its most
important card - the military presence in Lebanon - which would have enabled it
to use the “Lebanese arena” to solve its problems and ensure its interests. He
considered that the withdrawal was perhaps one of the factors that, years later,
contributed to the terrible crisis in Syria.
I remembered the words of Mohsen Ibrahim on the occasion of the anniversary of
the US invasion of Iraq. I also recalled his words when he told me: “I fear that
you will have an early retirement. Lebanon’s problems are bigger than the
country itself and much bigger than its politicians. It won’t be long before you
won’t be able find anyone to interview or whose memoirs to publish. The country
is falling. Michel Aoun is part of an agenda to create a problem, not a
solution. Hezbollah’s agenda is greater than the ability of the Lebanese
structure to contain. The sects do not know how to win or lose. The prospects
for state-building in Lebanon are bleak.”
I remembered the words because Lebanon continues its decline, while the number
of people living below the poverty line increases in that area between Beirut
and Baghdad.
Fortunately, Mohsen Ibrahim left before witnessing the final chapter of
Lebanon’s story. I also recalled the day I went to see him following the
assassination of his companion, George Hawi. He said: “Did I not tell you? There
are those who are assassinated because of their present, others because of their
future, and there are those who are assassinated because of their past.” Those
days left their mark on the destinies of peoples, individuals and maps.
The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on March 22-23/2021
Blinken tells Saudi FM that US committed to supporting
defense of Saudi Arabia
Joseph Haboush, Al Arabiya English/22 March ,2021
The top US diplomat Monday reiterated Washington’s commitment to ensuring Saudi
Arabia is able to defend itself amid an uptick in cross-border attacks by the
Iran-backed Houthi militia in Yemen. “Secretary Blinken reiterated our
commitment to supporting the defense of Saudi Arabia and strongly condemned
recent attacks against Saudi territory from Iranian-aligned groups in the
region,” State Department Spokesman Ned Price said after a call between Antony
Blinken and Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan. Saudi Arabia on Monday
revealed a new proposal for a ceasefire to the yearslong war in Yemen. The new
proposal would include a nationwide ceasefire to be implemented under the United
Nations' supervision, Prince Faisal said earlier. A senior Houthi official
played down the proposal almost immediately, according to Reuters. The Yemeni
group continues to target Saudi Arabia and civilians in the Kingdom with
bomb-laden drones and ballistic missiles on an almost daily basis.
Saudi peace initiative for Yemen in line with
previous plans: Vice Defense Minister
Ismaeel Naar, Al Arabiya English/22 March ,2021
Saudi Arabia’s recent announcement of a peace initiative to end the ongoing
conflict in Yemen is in line with previous proposals and demonstrates Riyadh’s
interest in the stability and security of Yemen, according to the Kingdom’s
Deputy Defense Minister.“The Kingdom seeks to establish peace in Yemen. The
recent announcement is in line with previous proposals, from the Gulf initiative
to all consultation efforts to end the crisis and reach a comprehensive
political settlement,” Saudi Deputy Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman
tweeted following the announcement. “The initiative demonstrates the Kingdom’s
interest in the stability of Yemen and its commitment to unifying all Yemeni
factions in upholding their national priorities,” he added. Saudi Arabia
proposed a new peace initiative on Monday to end the ongoing conflict in Yemen
between the internationally-recognized government and the Iran-backed Houthis.
Prince Khalid said the new initiative aims to alleviate the suffering of the
Yemeni people and give the Houthis the opportunity to “uphold the interests of
Yemen and its honorable people first over Iranian expansionist goals.”“We hope
that they will quickly accept it and start peace consultations between all
Yemeni parties to reach a comprehensive and sustainable political settlement. We
will continue to defend our people, land, and borders, and we will continue our
support for the Yemeni gov. and its armed forces against Houthi aggression. We
also affirm our commitment to implement the initiative if the Houthis accept it,
under UN supervision and monitoring,” he said in a series of tweets. The new
initiative includes a nationwide ceasefire that will be implemented under the
supervision of the United Nations, Prince Faisal said during a press conference
in Riyadh. If the two parties agree to the deal, Sanaa airport will reopen,
which will allow fuel and food imports through the Hodeidah port, according to
the minister.
Arab Coalition Destroys Houthi Defense System, Strikes
Militia Training Camps
Aden – Ali Rabih/Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 22 March, 2021
The Saudi-led Arab coalition announced on Sunday that it has destroyed an air
defense system belonging to the Iran-backed Houthi militias in Yemen’s
northeastern province of Marib. The system was being operated by foreign
“experts”, all of whom were also killed in the strike. The coalition carried out
a number of strikes targeting Houthi training camps in Sanaa, Amran and Hodeidah,
said Yemeni military sources. It destroyed workshops where the Houthis
booby-trap vessels in al-Salif in the coastal province of Hodeidah. On the
field, the Yemeni army continued its advance on the Marib and Taiz fronts as the
militias persisted on attacking civilians. The coalition stressed on
Sunday that it will continue to support the military and tribal operations in
Marib. It also underscored the effectiveness of its strikes against the Houthis.
It stressed that all of its operations are in line with international
humanitarian law. On the Marib front, Yemen military media said the army and
popular resistance liberated important locations in al-Kasara and Mashja after
launching a fierce attack against the Houthis. In Taiz, the army said it
completely liberated on Sunday the al-Ahkoum region and made advances on other
fronts in wake of intense battles with the Houthis, who incurred severe losses.
Elsewhere in Taiz, the Houthis shelled the Faculty of Arts building at Taiz
University, killing one and injuring five civilians. Witnesses said a
motorcyclist was killed when a Houthi shell landed in front of the faculty gate.
Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani condemned the shelling, saying: “It is an
extension of the Houthis’ deliberate attacks against civilians in order to seek
revenge against Taiz, whose people have persevered against the unjust siege and
systematic starvation imposed by the Houthis for six years amid shameful
international silence.”
He called on the international community, United Nations and its envoy Martin
Griffiths to condemn “this crime and all other deliberate ones committed by the
Houthis against civilians in violation of international laws and treaties.”He
slammed their attacks as war crimes, demanding that the perpetrators be brought
to justice before the International Criminal Court.
Iran is increasingly obsessed with defeating Saudi forces
in Yemen
Jerusalem Post/March 22/2021
This isn’t the first time Yemen has been caught in a proxy war. In the 1960s it
was a center of conflict for Egypt and other powers, including Saudi Arabia.
Iran is investing heavily in the war in Yemen, through technical know-how and
provision of weapons over the last six years, as well as political capital.
Where once the Houthi rebels were portrayed as an indigenous rebel force that
sprang from the mountains of Yemen, Iran is now taking ownership of the war.
This isn’t the first time Yemen has been caught in a proxy war. In the 1960s it
was a center of conflict for Egypt and other powers, including Saudi Arabia.
Today, the situation has changed and Iran is seeking a broader foothold. Iran
also thinks that it has outplayed the Saudis and the US in the country at the
southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. Tehran initially sought to use the war
there as a testbed for new munitions, supplying expertise in long-range
ballistic missiles and also improving the Houthis drones. The war in Yemen is
now widely understood to have repercussions for the region, including Israel.
Israel’s air defense systems, including the Iron Dome, have been improved in
recent years to simultaneously confront multiple threats, including drones and
missile salvos. Drones and missile salvos are what Iran has been working with
the Houthis on perfecting. To understand how Iran has sought ownership of the
war in Yemen, one can look at Iran’s media reports. The regime shows support by
heralding each Houthi drone attack on Saudi Arabia as a success. It often
published the Houthi accounts of targeting Saudi Arabia as the attacks unfold.
It also interviews leading Houthis to send messages to the US and Saudi Arabia
about upcoming threats and attacks. Now Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei
has upped the rhetoric again, singling out Yemen as a key property for the
Islamic Republic. “The Saudis started the war in Yemen with the green light and
vast military aid of Obama's Democrat government, thinking they would bombard
the unarmed, defenseless people of Yemen making them surrender in a month,” he
wrote on Sunday night. It is interesting that he singled out the Obama
administration by name and the US Democratic Party. The new Biden administration
has sought to reduce support for Saudi Arabia’s offensive role in Yemen. On
Sunday night, airstrikes hit the Houthi-controlled city of Sanaa.
“Six years have passed and they [the Houthis] haven’t surrendered. They [the US
and Saudis] were very mistaken,” Khamenei said. He went on demanding that the US
be asked about giving a green light to Riyadh in 2015.
“Did you [Americans] know what a quagmire you were getting the Saudis into?" he
asked. "Now, they can neither end the war, nor continue it. Did you Americans
know what a disaster you were creating for the Saudis? If you did know, how
miserable your allies are to be treated in such a way! And if you didn't know,
again how miserable they are that they trust you!”The tweets provide an
interesting view into the leadership of Iran and its Yemen policy. On the one
hand, they illustrate how deeply they blame the US for the Saudi war in Yemen.
Saudi Arabia intervened with the support of the UAE and other countries in the
region in 2015. Support for Riyadh eroded after the Gulf crisis with Qatar. Soon
major Gulf media outlets and Turkish media were more critical of the Saudi role.
Iran also increasingly tried to supplant the Saudis in Lebanon, necessitating
Riyadh to call Saad Hariri to the kingdom for consultations. Now it appears to
see reversals for the Yemen forces it supports in Marib. Chaos in Aden also has
not helped. Iran’s messaging is that they think they have put the Saudis
into a trap. What appeared to be an easy campaign has become a “quagmire,” and
Iran wants to keep it that way. This isn’t the first time this has happened.
Egypt also entered Yemen in the 1960s and found itself in a Vietnam-like
quagmire which allegedly harmed its ability to move troops to confront Israel in
1967. Iran’s point is that Riyadh cannot now extricate itself. Tehran wants to
hold Saudi Arabia in Yemen and pin it down and also test its drones and missiles
on Saudi Arabia. The message is clear. Iran hopes this proxy war will prove to
be a watershed – and that it can then use the same tactics it used in Yemen
against the US in the region and against its partners and allies, such as
Israel.
Houthi Transport Minister Dies under Vague Circumstances
Aden - Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 22 March, 2021
The transportation minister of the illegitimate Houthi-controlled administration
in Yemen and fourth on the Saudi-led Arab coalition’s wanted list, Zakaria al-Shami,
died under ambiguous circumstances on Sunday. Before becoming a minister in the
Houthi cabinet, Shami was assigned the post of chief of staff of militia
formations in the Ibb governorate. Conflicting reports around the cause of death
were made. While some claimed Shami was killed in an air raid by the Arab
coalition or in the battles in Marib, other sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that
the minister died after suffering health complication caused by a coronavirus
infection.The Iran-backed militias continue to deny the outbreak of the
pandemic. Sources in the Houthi-run capital, Sanaa, said Shami passed away in a
local hospital that is also treating the militias’ Prime Minister Abdulaziz bin
Habtoor and three other Houthi officials who have also been infected and
reportedly in critical condition. The minister could have been killed as a
result of infighting among the Houthis, well-informed sources proposed, saying
that Shami was an easy target for assassination at the hospital’s intensive care
unit. Houthi militias did not immediately acknowledge Shami’s passing. This
triggered even more speculation around the true nature of the circumstances
surrounding his death. Abdulaziz Alkumaim, the Houthi Planning Minister, said in
social media posts Shami had died, but did not provide further details.
Considered one of the leading Houthi generals, Shami was placed fourth in the
Arab coalition's wanted list, with US$ 20 million allocated for any information
leading to his arrest. The list contains the names of 39 other senior Houthi
officials, including Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi. As for Houthi
infighting, Shami’s death tips the balance in the favor of Houthi forces in
Saada governorate and reduces the influence of Houthi officials in the
governorates of Sanaa, Ibb and Dhamar
Turkey and Russia increase strikes in Syria
Jerusalem Post/March 22/2021
Ankara often seeks to bombard Kurds every time
Turkey’s ruling AK Party wants more votes at home. Turkey and Russia, as well as
Russian-backed Syrian regime forces, appear to have increased attacks in Syria
in recent days. Turkey is hammering Kurdish positions near Ain Issa with the
first airstrikes in months, according to reports. Russia or the Syrian regime it
supports is hammering Syrians in Turkish-occupied areas of northern Syria. It
appears the end goal is mostly to punish Syrians, but not to achieve much else
since Turkey, Russia and Iran all work together in Syria. Ankara has targeted
the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces. Turkey often seeks to bombard Kurds
every time its ruling AK Party wants more votes at home. Turkey’s lira is in a
free fall and major Kurdish gatherings for the Newroz festival may have angered
Ankara, with the result that it decided to attack random civilians in Syria.
Usually Turkey claims to be fighting “terrorists” but there is no evidence of
any “terrorism” against Turkey from Syria. Ankara backs Syrian forces in Syria
called the Syrian National Army that are former Syrian rebels who signed up to
fight for Turkey. It has sought to use them to fight the US-backed Kurdish
forces rather than the Russian-backed Syrian regime. The airstrikes on Ain Issa
were reported by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights over the weekend.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Press TV reported that Russia was warning about “false flag”
attacks by the extremist group HTS in Idlib. When Russia claims there will be
false flag attacks, it usually becomes a reason for Russia to launch airstrikes.
Various reports said that Russian jets hit a “rebel training camp” among other
sites. Other reports said trucks had been hit near the Bab al-Hawa crossing. In
early March, oil traders were targeted in Syria, also allegedly by either Russia
or the regime. They were targeted in Turkish-occupied parts of Syria. Turkey
invaded Syria in 2016 and then continued with more invasions in 2017, 2018 and
2019, eventually ethnic cleansing Kurds from Afrin. While Russia, Turkey and
Iran work together on Syria policy in some forums, on the ground they back rival
groups. They all, however, agree on wanting the US to leave Syria. Turkey
generally doesn’t mind if Russia or the Syrian regime kill Syrians in Idlib,
just as long as Turkey has free rein to then attack Kurds near Tell Rifaat or
Ain Issa. It is a kind of trade-off: Russia and Turkey can both bomb as much as
they want in their respective areas just so long as it is not Turkish-backed SNA
or Russian-backed regime forces who are killed. So civilians or Syrian fighters
under HTS control can be killed and Kurds can be killed. Syria is a testing
ground for weapons by Turkey and Russia as well.
Strikes on Northwest Syria Kill 1 Person, Cause Wide Damage
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 22 March, 2021
Airstrikes on several locations in northwest Syria near the border with Turkey
have killed at least one person and set afire several trucks used to distribute
aid, opposition activists and a paramedic group said Monday. The late Sunday
attacks angered Turkey, which had asked Russia to secure an immediate end to the
strikes, Turkey’s Defense Ministry said, adding that Turkish troops had been
placed on alert. Turkey and Russia support rival parties in Syria’s 10-year
conflict. The countries reached a deal last March that stopped a Russian-backed
government offensive on the northwestern Idlib province, the last major
opposition stronghold in war-torn Syria. Opposition activists claimed that
Russian warplanes carried out the attacks near the Bab al-Hawa border crossing
with Turkey late Sunday, hours after regime artillery shelling hit a major
hospital in a opposition-controlled town in northwestern Syria.
Six patients, including a child, were killed. Medical staff were wounded,
forcing the facility to shut its doors, The Associated Press reported. The Bab
al-Hawa border crossing is a main point from which aid is brought to
opposition-held parts of northwest Syria. Idlib-based journalist Salwa Abdul-Rahman
said one of the strikes hit an area near the town of Sarmada, setting afire
trucks used by aid workers to distribute assistance. “The targeted locations
were civilian with no military presence,” she said. One person was killed in the
strikes, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an
opposition war monitor, and the opposition’s Syrian Civil Defense, also known as
White Helmets. The civil defense said that in addition to the trucks, the
strikes targeted a cement factory. The truck fires were put under control hours
later. An AP video from the area showed about a dozen trucks on fire as civil
defense members sprayed them with water.Turkey’s Defense Ministry blamed Syrian
regime forces for the attack, saying it left several people wounded.
Russian Jets Conduct Raids Northwestern Syria in
Opposition-Held Areas
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 22 March, 2021
Russian jets hit opposition training camps in northwestern Syria near the
Turkish border on Sunday, as Syrian artillery killed seven civilians and injured
14 medics in an attack on a hospital in the area, witnesses and opposition
sources said. The sources said a Russian surface-to-surface missile also hit the
town of Qah while Russian air strikes came close to densely populated refugee
camps along the border with Turkey. A gas facility was hit near Sarmada city in
Idlib province, but there were no immediate reports of casualties. The spokesman
for the National Army, a Turkish-backed opposition alliance in the northwest,
said Russia, which backs the government in Damascus, sought to destabilize the
last opposition stronghold in Syria but the strikes did not signal an imminent
major assault against Idlib. “The Russian aerial strikes are continuing.
Ballistic missiles have also hit areas close to civilian centers.” Major Youssef
Hamoud told Reuters. “They seek to sow chaos and confusion,” he added. Turkey’s
defense Ministry said a missile launched by Syrian regime forces had struck Qah
and a truck and trailer park near Sarmada, injuring seven civilians. It said a
statement had been sent to Russia asking for the attacks to stop immediately and
Turkish troops had been alerted. There was no immediate comment from Moscow. A
woman and a child were among the seven civilians killed when mortar rounds hit
the hospital in the city of Atareb. The Turkish defense Ministry said earlier
that five people were killed and 10 injured in an artillery attack by
Damascus-backed forces on the hospital, which is located in an area of northwest
Syria where Turkey has a military presence. Videos received by Reuters from two
witnesses showed a ward damaged and civil defense rescuers carrying bloodstained
patients outside. Reuters could not verify their authenticity.
Fighting between Syrian army forces and opposition has subsided since a deal a
year ago ended a Russian-led bombing campaign that had displaced over a million
people in the region which borders Turkey after months of fighting that killed
several thousand civilians. Residents say although there have been no major
hostilities, the calm is occasionally ruptured by Russian strikes on opposition
outposts and by Iranian and Syrian-backed militias shelling towns and cities in
the enclave where nearly four million civilians live. Syria and Russia say they
only target militant Islamists and deny any indiscriminate shelling of civilian
areas.
PA Accuses Netanyahu of Reviving Annexation Plan
Ramallah/Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 22 March, 2021
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu of trying to revive the peace plan of former US President Donald
Trump, known as the “deal of the century.”In a surprising statement, Netanyahu
told Hebrew media that no annexation of the West Bank will take place without
the approval of US President Joe Biden. “Without the approval of the United
States president, I will not be applying sovereignty – and I have said that from
the first moment.” However, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement that
Netanyahu is trying to reiterate that the annexation plan is still negotiable
and has not been canceled, even after the election of the new president.
Netanyahu wanted, through his statements, to suggest that he will not annex
parts of the occupied West Bank without Biden's approval, according to the
statement. The Ministry asserted that the annexation plan is being gradually
applied in Area C, which makes up the vast majority of the occupied West Bank,
regardless of Washington's approval. It asserted that Israel continues with
ethnic cleansing and forcible displacement practices against Palestinian
citizens from Jerusalem and Area C. Netanyahu is trying to reassure the
settlers, their leaders, and the right-wing parties that he will not give up on
annexing the occupied West Bank, according to the Ministry. The Ministry
strongly rejected and condemned Netanyahu's positions and "his malicious
intentions in trying to legalize annexation in any form.”The international
community will not be deceived by Netanyahu’s tricks, the Ministry noted in its
statement. Washington must take a clear stance that reaffirms the international
positions rejecting annexation in any form, especially since Israel’s behavior
terminates chances of achieving peace and establishing a viable Palestinian
state, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Palestinians to Cast Votes Through Post Offices in
Jerusalem During Ramallah
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 22 March, 2021
Israel did not respond to Palestine's request to hold elections in Jerusalem,
according to a Palestinian Authority (PA) source. Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat,
the source said that the PA does not expect a response before the formation of
the new cabinet in Israel, or before the results of the election.
He also confirmed that several regional and European countries had vowed to
pressure Israel to allow Palestinians living in Jerusalem to take part in the
elections. Jerusalemites participated in the 2005 presidential elections and
2006 legislative elections, after which Israel prevented them from participating
in polls. The Central Election Commission (CEC), which is banned from operating
in Jerusalem, has prepared plans to allow Jerusalemites to take part in the
upcoming ballots. The Executive Director of the Committee, Hisham Kahil, said
that the Palestinian factions stressed in their Cairo meeting the need to hold
the elections in the occupied capital. Kahil told a local radio station that the
committee can’t open polling stations in Jerusalem because of Israel, instead
Palestinians will be able to cast votes at the six post offices available in the
city. He also said that 15 centers have been set for Palestinians to register
and vote on the same day, stressing that the electoral process will not be
affected. Earlier, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin claimed during his meeting
with senior officials in Germany that Tel Aviv had not received any Palestinian
request regarding elections in Jerusalem. According to Israel’s Channel 7,
Rivlin told German officials that Tel Aviv wants to help Palestinians hold the
elections, asserting that it will not intervene despite the risks of Hamas
winning and taking control over institutions. Notably, the Oslo Agreement signed
between the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) and Tel Aviv obliges
Israel to allow Jerusalemites to participate in the Palestinian elections.
Article VI of the agreement stipulates that voting will take place in East
Jerusalem at offices affiliated with the Israel Postal Authority. For the first
time in 15 years, Palestinians plan to hold the legislative elections on May 22
to elect 132 deputies, while the presidential polls are set for July 31.
Elections for the National Council, which has a special system, will be held on
August 31.
Ghannouchi Opposes Calls to Dissolve Tunisian Parliament
Tunis - Mongi Saidani/Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 22 March, 2021
Tunisia's Speaker Rached Ghannouchi implicitly opposed calls to dissolve the
parliament and to hold early elections to overcome the political impasse in the
country. Ghannouchi, who also chairs the Ennahda Movement, said at a political
seminar marking Independence Day that “it is out of the question today to
dissolve the parliament unless it is unable to fulfill one of its main
functions, namely, to form a government.”He said that the very idea of a
parliament has always existed in the country's independence project and in the
Tunisian political culture. “Today, there are some who call for the dissolution
of the parliament, which is paradoxical.”The speaker asserted that the 2011
Revolution “does not break with the state of independence” established by late
president Habib Bourguiba, saying it is an opportunity to catch up with social
justice and equity between the regions. Despite Ennahda’s criticism of the
independent state established in 1965, Ghannouchi said it has made several
achievements for the people, especially in the education and health sectors and
in cementing stability. It has, however, failed on some levels, such as politics
when “it prosecuted its opponents from all political backgrounds, including the
Islamist movement,” he argued. A number of opposition political parties
including Tahya Tounes, led by Youssef Chahed, the National Coalition, led by
Neji Jalloul, and Tunisia Forward, chaired by Abid Briki, have demanded the
dissolution of parliament. They called for early parliamentary elections to
restore political balance and overcome the deadlock in the country. Briki told
Asharq Al-Awsat that early elections are a possible scenario, adding it is
necessary “to introduce a number of legal amendments to prepare Tunisia for a
different stage,” including the amendment of the electoral law “to remove
corrupt figures from the political scene.”
New Arrests Made in Jordan in Salt Hospital Case
Amman/ Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 22 March, 2021
Four of Jordan’s health ministry officials were arrested following the death of
seven patients in a hospital COVID-19 ward, due to a shortage of oxygen supplies
last week, a judicial source announced Sunday. Amman’s Attorney General Hassan
Abdallat said that Salt’s Attorney General ordered the arrest of four additional
officials in connection with the New Salt Public Hospital case. The detainees
include secretary-general of the health ministry, assistant secretary-general
for health and technical affairs, assistant secretary-general for services
affairs and the director of the ministry’s directorate of biomedical
engineering. In statements carried by the Petra news agency, Abdallat said all
suspects - now totaling 13 - were arrested on charges of “causing death.” The
Public Prosecution listened to 66 attesting witnesses, he added. Public rage
over the deaths led to the resignation of Health Minister Nazir Obeidat and the
detention of several figures, including the hospital’s Director, Abdel Razak al-Khashman,
and four of his aides. Jordan has recently seen a surge in the daily number of
COVID-19 cases. On Saturday, the kingdom announced 87 deaths, raising the toll
to 5,788. It also recorded more than 5,000 new cases, taking the tally to
526,000 since the beginning of the pandemic. On March 10, the cabinet decided to
close indoor swimming pools, sports centers, academies and public parks until
the end of March, and it extended a curfew from 7 pm till 6 am as of March 13.
It was also decided to suspend Friday prayers and Sunday mass until March 31.
Burhan Accuses Ethiopia of Violating Border Agreements
Khartoum - Mohammed Amin Yassine/Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 22
March, 2021
Head of Sudan’s Transitional Sovereign Council Abdel Fattah al-Burhan accused
Ethiopia of violating border agreements concluded with his country. Speaking to
members of the Sudanese armed forces in Khartoum on Sunday, Burhan said the army
has re-imposed security on the country's borders and will not retreat from their
positions. In earlier remarks, he affirmed that Sudan is ready to respond to the
Ethiopian occupation of its Al-Fashaqa area. “No negotiations with Ethiopia
would take place before Addis Ababa officially recognizes Sudanese sovereignty
over the Al-Fashaqa area and demarcates the border,” he said. He also siad that
the army is fully coordinating with peace partners to carry out tasks required
during the current phase. “We have also been working with the executive
government to implement the reforms necessary to attain economic
stability.”Buran highlighted the leadership’s efforts to “build a unified
military institution that protects Sudan and its executive bodies.”He pointed to
the “positive developments” taking place during the political transition and
their contribution to “building national cohesion, reinforcing the armed forces
and accomplishing peace requirements.”
He also called for the swift formation of the Transitional Legislative Council
and the Constitutional Court to achieve “freedom, peace and justice.”
Dbeibeh, Menfi to Visit Turkey to Tackle Mercenaries in Libya
Cairo – Khaled Mahmoud/Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 22 March, 2021
Turkish intelligence has informed Libya’s new Government of National Unity (GNU)
that Ankara will continue to offer training and expertise in line with the
agreements struck with its predecessor, the Government of National Accord (GNA),
reported local media. GNA sources, however, informed Ankara that the government
will no longer resort to Syrian mercenaries. The ones already present in Libya
will be deported to Turkey, said a government source. Head of the GNU Abdulhamid
Dbeibeh and new head of the Presidential Council Mohammed al-Menfi are set to
soon visit Turkey to review agreements signed between Tripoli and Ankara, as
well as the fate of mercenaries aligned with the GNA. Dbeibeh and Menfi had both
received on Saturday telephone calls from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
He said that the sovereignty, independence and unity of “sisterly Libya” were
fundamental for Turkey. He vowed that Ankara will continue to provide all forms
of necessary support to Libya, stressing the need to bolster and expand
cooperation. Separately, Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio paid a visit to
Tripoli on Sunday, the first by a European official since the formation of the
GNU. During his surprise visit, he held talks with Dbeibeh, Menfi and his
counterpart Najla el-Mangoush. He underlined Rome’s support for Libya in all
fields and its efforts to unify its sovereign state institutions. Menfi’s office
revealed that Italy has started to increase its diplomatic representation in
Libya.
Cairo sees little place for Brotherhood in rapprochement
with Ankara
The Arab Weekly/March 22/2021
CAIRO--The Muslim Brotherhood is trying to mitigate the repercussions on its
future of an imminent rapprochement between Egypt and Turkey by seeking to start
a dialogue with the Egyptian authorities, but Egyptian sources confirmed to The
Arab Weekly the lack of Egyptian interest in such attempts. Acting Brotherhood
Guide Ibrahim Munir hinted, on Saturday evening, that he “trusts Turkey and
accepts its mediation to resolve the group’s protracted crisis with the Egyptian
regime.”Taking to Al-Jazeera Mubasher, Munir ruled out the idea of a deal
between Ankara and Cairo, which would include the handover to Egypt of
Brotherhood members living in Turkey. He said that developments on the
Egyptian-Turkish relationship are part of political repositioning and will not
be at the expense of the Brotherhood. “If the Egyptian opposition, of which we
are part, is offered a dialogue with the regime in a way that eases the
conditions of the detainees and improves the situation of the people, we will
not refuse it,” he said. Egyptian security sources denied to The Arab Weekly any
intent to join with Turkey or any other country in a process that would lead to
reconciliation with the Brotherhood. They point out that Munir was trying “to
rule out the possibility that Turkey would sacrifice them or expel them from its
soil, and to say that the matter will stop at requiring them to exercise
self-control in the media.” .
The same sources added that the idea of handing over or expelling media
professionals is not of major relevance to Cairo, and that the discussion is
focused on withholding help to convicted terrorist elements whom Egypt can
demand be handed over to Cairo or to the International Interpol.
Egypt knows that extradition could cause pressures on Turkey at home. Thus for
now its sees the appeasement steps including the end of hostile programmes in
the media as good enough since it takes away the Brotherhood’s main weapon.
Former Assistant Minister of the Interior, Major General Mohamed Negm, said:
“The contacts between Egypt and Turkey prompted the Brotherhood to intervene and
to seek to benefit from the discussions, in a move that reflected its concern
about the fate of the group in the wake of the rapprochement with Doha and then
Ankara, and as it sees its (Brotherhood) fortunes declining among Western
powers. ”
Negm said he expected new Brotherhood statements indirectly wooing the Egyptian
state during the coming period. But the Brotherhood’s calls will not be accepted
at the official and popular levels, as the overall position regarding the group
has not changed.
Ibrahim Mounir’s statements are seen in Cairo as reflecting the scope of the
crisis facing the Brotherhood, as Egypt has taken a final decision against
dealing with the organisation. Analysts believe it is unlikely there will be any
positive response to the signals sent by Brotherhood leaders.
Political sources say Cairo could accept dialogue only in one circumstance, “if
the group declared its explicit renunciation of violence, recognised the crimes
it committed in Egypt and declared its integration of national ranks, in deeds
and not just in words.”
The sources told The Arab Weekly, “At that time, there will also be strict
conditions for dialogue, including an apology to the people.”Much will also
depend on “the extent of the people’s acceptance of this apology, because the
state does not need to engage in negotiations with a faction that does not pose
a threat to it at home or abroad.” Mounir Adeeb, an expert on Islamist groups,
stressed that the Brotherhood is in a state of political disarray after its
clash with the state and the subsequent isolation of the organisation and the
countries that have supported it. Adeeb expects that much as Turkey is
attempting the resumption of ties with minimal losses, so the Brotherhood will
proceed on the same path, as countries see less benefit in engaging the
organization.
Adeeb told The Arab Weekly that “Ibrahim Munir’s remarks to Al-Jazeera expressed
the organisation’s desire to start a dialogue with the Egyptian government, and
to present the issue as that of an opposition activity abroad, while the
Brotherhood is an opposition and an extremist organisation that practices
incitement from abroad, and the Egyptian state will not engage in dialogue with
extremist groups.”The Egyptian government realises that Turkey, driven by
partisan and ideological considerations, may never completely abandon the
Brotherhood. Analysts say the organisation constitutes a card that can still be
used by Ankara if rapprochement with Cairo does not achieve its regional goals.
But ties to the Brotherhood could be also curtailed, if not sacrificed, if
Ankara finds such ties to be an obstacle to establishing better relations with
Egypt.
The Egyptian government has continued its moves to further undermine the group
during the past few days, as it expanded the names of Brotherhood figures on the
list of terrorists and frozen bank accounts of businessmen linked to the group.
These measures occurred at a time when the organisation’s leaders seemed to be
optimistic about the arrival of US President Joe Biden. Cairo intended through
its moves to preempt speculation that dialogue with Qatar and Turkey and the
arrival of the Biden administration will improve the Brotherhood’s position and
pressure the Egyptian government into changing its stance towards the group.
According to analysts, the apparent change in discourse displayed by Ibrahim
Munir’s in his statements to Al-Jazeera Mubasher came after Turkey confirmed its
intent to maintain a political distance towards his group for now. Munir is seen
as trying to promote the notion that the Brotherhood leaders fully understand
the reasons for the new Turkish steps and are willing to adjust.
AstraZeneca vaccine is 79% effective against symptomatic
Covid-19, company says
CNN/March 22/2021
AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine showed 79% efficacy against symptomatic disease
and 100% efficacy against severe disease and hospitalization in a new, US-based
clinical trial, the company said Monday.
The findings from the new Phase 3 trial, which included more than 32,000
participants, may boost confidence in the vaccine, which was originally
developed by the University of Oxford. The trial showed that the vaccine was
well-tolerated and identified no safety concerns, the company said. An
independent committee "found no increased risk of thrombosis or events
characterized by thrombosis among the 21,583 participants receiving at least one
dose of the vaccine," according to AstraZeneca.
The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from
miscellaneous sources published
on March 22-23/2021
Mr. Malley’s Iran Policies
Hazem Saghieh/Asharq Al Awsat/March 22/2021
Fortunately, for us, the United States and the world, Robert Malley is not the
only voice representing the Biden administration and is just one among many who
speak for it.
Three days ago, Malley made two appearances. In an interview with Voice of
America, he said that the strikes by Iran’s allies targeting US forces in Iraq
will complicate the Biden administration’s negotiations with Iran. According to
Malley, the Biden administration is seeking to rally domestic support behind a
new diplomatic initiative that would end US-Iranian tensions. It is well known
that the American forces and bases in Iraq, over the past few weeks, have been
repeatedly targeted by rocket attacks, which killed and wounded Americans, one
of whom was a civilian contractor.
The second time, Malley spoke to BBC Persia, saying that the two countries, the
US and Iran, could negotiate through an intermediary if Iran were to decide
against direct negotiations with Washington. It seems that the interview with
Voice of America presented the introduction. The BBC Persia interview summed up
the practical steps.
What the US Special Envoy to Iran is saying, once one disregards the details, he
comes down to the following: since you are bombing and insulting us, it would be
better if we talked. If you don’t want to talk to us, we can hold negotiations
through an intermediary. Please, talk to us.
However, while Mr. Malley was pleading and groveling, Hezbollah’s
Secretary-General was analyzing the scourges that the Lebanese are currently
suffering from, and he blamed most of them on the “Great Satan.”
As for the key figures of the Iranian regime, one after the other, they issued
successive threats, which began with that of Quds Force Esmail Qaani, who mixed
an eloquent rhetoric with poetic delicacy while saying: “at the right time, we
will hear the bones of the Americans break… it would not be surprising if we
took our revenge inside your own homes.”
The language adopted by the US special envoy, when compared to the language of
the Iranian regime suggests that he is struggling with one of two things or both
simultaneously: Loathing the US itself or loathing himself because he is an
American. This sentiment resembles an inverted form of the neoconservative that
flourished during George W. Bush’s term. Heavily influenced by the totalitarian
experience of the Soviet Union and the threat they pose to Western democracy,
those neoconservatives saw the US as the world’s victim. On the other hand,
Robert Malley and those who resemble him, influenced by previous US experiences
in the Middle East, particularly with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, see the
world as the victim of the US.
The resemblance between Malley and the neoconservatives stems from the fact that
they both summarize extremely complex and uneven relationships into a dichotomy
of an eternal oppressor and oppressed, or as the famous and overused phrase
goes: a victim and a victimizer.
Since we are discussing Iran, the first thing that comes to mind is the crime
committed by the United States in 1953, when it supported General Fazlollah
Zahedi’s coup against the democratically elected government of Mohammad
Mosaddegh. However, Khomeini’s Iran, by taking hostages at the US embassy in
Tehran shortly after the 1979 revolution, committed a crime that is of no lesser
magnitude than the first in its profound impact on the relations between the
West and the Islamic world, the history of diplomacy and international relations
and its effect on reinforcing despotism in the political life of Iran itself.
Nevertheless, there are at least three points that should alleviate the apparent
feelings of guilt towards Kohmeini’s regime that Malley, as an American, might
feel. If he thinks that he is atoning for the coup against Mosaddegh, the
current Iranian regime distanced Mosaddeghists (Mahdi Bazarkan, Karim Sanjabi,
Ebrahim Yazdi ...), exiling and imprisoning them or assassinating them while
they are in exile (Shapour Bakhtiar).
As for some of the US policies that may invoke legitimate disgust, whether, in
Malley or others, many other countries have committed similar crimes without
arousing any disgust. In other words, the Soviet Union and the People’s Republic
of China were not busy playing the piano and watching the stars during the cold
war. They were committing, with greater severity, the same crimes as those of
the United States.
Finally, and this is most important, Malley’s sympathy for Tehran is a sympathy
for a despotic and theocratic regime, one whose expansionism and aggression
comes at the expense of the people of the region and erodes the sovereignty of
their countries. Here, left-wing populists are caught actively impoverishing the
poor and killing victims, not to mention sowing the seeds of an internal discord
that threatens regional security as much as it does every nation’s security.
In fact, the Iranian regime does not deserve Malley’s sympathy. Malley, however,
might deserve Iran’s sympathy.
Beheading Children in Mozambique
Judith Bergman/Gatestone Institute/March 22, 2021
"I was at home with my four children," one mother told Save the Children. "We
tried to escape to the woods, but they took my eldest son and beheaded him. We
couldn't do anything because we would be killed too." — Telegraph, March 13,
2021.
The jihadists are known in the area as al-Shabaab, but unlike the al-Shabaab
that operates in Somalia, which is affiliated with Al Qaeda, the Mozambique
group, also known as Ansar al-Sunna, is affiliated with Islamic State (ISIS).
The terrorist insurgency threatens not only Mozambique and its people, in
addition to neighboring Tanzania, which is fighting jihadists on the border;
some analysts estimate that "the insurgency in Mozambique has the potential to
destabilise Southern Africa and embolden Islamists throughout the region."
Al-Shabaab... made a far more significant breakthrough in August 2020, when the
group seized a key port in the province, Mocimboa da Praia, near the country's
burgeoning natural gas field developments.... The gas field developments.... are
worth an estimated $60 billion....
Al-Shabaab jihadists leading an insurgency in Cabo Delgado, the northernmost
province of Mozambique, are now beheading children as young as 11. The terrorist
group has killed more than 1,300 civilians and displaced nearly 670,000 people
since it began its attacks in the country in October 2017, according to the US
State Department. Pictured: The 25 de Junio Camp for displaced people in Metuge,
where over 16,000 people from Cabo Delgado are now sheltered, on December 9,
2020.
Al-Shabaab jihadists leading an insurgency in Cabo Delgado, the northernmost
province of Mozambique, are now beheading children as young as 11. Military and
humanitarian personnel working in the area reportedly say that they have never
seen anything like the brutality that the terrorists have unleashed on the
region with people "often hacked to death and mutilated with machetes" as well
as "mass Islamic State-style beheadings".
"That night our village was attacked and houses were burned. When it all
started, I was at home with my four children," one mother told Save the
Children. "We tried to escape to the woods, but they took my eldest son and
beheaded him. We couldn't do anything because we would be killed too."
"After my 11-year-old son was killed, we understood that it was no longer safe
to stay in my village," said another mother, who was forced to flee with her
remaining three children. "We fled to my father's house in another village, but
a few days later the attacks started there too."
"I saw my daughter trying to run to the boat with two other children. The people
from al-Shabab chased them. They took my daughter and many others. Then they set
fire to our village," said Fatima Abdul, a 43-year-old woman who fled and is now
homeless, living on a beach.
Beheadings have now become a common atrocity in Cabo Delgado, but the practice
is not new. In November, jihadists beheaded 20 boys and men in a local village.
The jihadists are known as al-Shabaab in the area, but unlike the al-Shabaab
that operates in Somalia, which is affiliated with Al Qaeda, the Mozambique
group, also known as Ansar al-Sunna, is affiliated with Islamic State (ISIS). It
is responsible for killing more than 1,300 civilians and for the displacement of
nearly 670,000 people since it began its attacks in the country in October 2017,
according to the US State Department. The United States recently designated the
group as a global terrorist entity and imposed sanctions on its leader, Abu
Yasir Hassan. While Mozambique is a majority Christian country, Cabo Delgado is
predominantly Muslim.
In addition to the extreme violence, "cholera in Cabo Delgado and COVID-19
across the country continue to challenge the weak health system, amid extremely
limited access to water, sanitation and hygiene services," according to the UN
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. "More than 2.7 million
people faced severe acute food insecurity in Mozambique in the last quarter of
2020, at least 840,000 of them in Cabo Delgado, Niassa and Nampula alone." The
UN has estimated that Mozambique needs $254 million to alleviate the
humanitarian crisis.
Throughout the insurgency, the Mozambique government has not been able to deal
with the attacks on its own and has hired private military contractors (PMCs) to
help its efforts. These include the Wagner Group, a Kremlin-linked PMC,
reportedly owned by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a businessman with close links to Russian
President Vladimir Putin, and the South African Dyck Advisory Group. The Wagner
group reportedly left Mozambique after suffering heavy defeats.
In a report released on March 2, Amnesty International said that all involved
groups were committing war crimes. "The people of Cabo Delgado are caught
between the Mozambican security forces, the private militia fighting alongside
the government and the armed opposition group locally known as 'Al-Shabaab' --
none of which respect their right to life, or the rules of war," said Deprose
Muchena, Amnesty International's Regional Director for East and Southern Africa.
"All three have committed war crimes, causing the deaths of hundreds of
civilians. The international community has failed to address this crisis as it
has escalated into full-blown armed conflict over the last three years".
The terrorist insurgency threatens not only Mozambique and its people, in
addition to neighboring Tanzania, which is fighting jihadists on the border;
some analysts estimate that "the insurgency in Mozambique has the potential to
destabilise Southern Africa and embolden Islamists throughout the region".
Al-Shabaab has captured a number of towns in Cabo Delgado, but made a far more
significant breakthrough in August 2020, when the group seized a key port in the
province, Mocimboa da Praia, near the country's burgeoning natural gas field
developments. Mozambique now reportedly has the third-largest proven natural gas
reserves in Africa after Nigeria and Algeria.
The gas field developments, which have brought major foreign investments to the
country, among them France's Total, are worth an estimated $60 billion, and al-Shabaab's
insurgency has brought major disruption to them. Total is heading a $20 billion
construction project there, but the company reportedly evacuated some of its
3,000 staff members in January after terrorists raided a number of locations
just kilometers away from its project in December.
At the same time, al-Shabaab's activities potentially threaten global shipping
passing through the Mozambique Channel, which reportedly sees around 30% of
global tanker traffic.
Mozambique is seeking the assistance of Western countries to help it fight the
escalating terrorism. In September 2020, the government wrote to the EU asking
for help in training its armed forces to gain control over the insurgency, and
the EU granted help with "logistics for training and technical training in
several and specific areas, as well as assistance in addressing humanitarian
challenges, including medical services", but did not send a military training
mission.
Portugal, the former colonial power in Mozambique, is sending a staff of
approximately 60 trainers to Mozambique, to train marines and commandos,
according to Politico. Portugal, which currently holds the rotating presidency
of the EU, is also seeking to persuade the EU to send a military training
mission to the area to assist the Mozambique government. On March 15, the United
States, with Mozambique's government, launched a two-month joint training
program, in which U.S. special operations forces will train Mozambican marines
for two months.
*Judith Bergman, a columnist, lawyer and political analyst, is a Distinguished
Senior Fellow at Gatestone Institute.
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Middle East remains important to US despite new Asia pivot
Kerry Boyd Anderson/Arab News/March 22/2021
It appears that US President Joe Biden would like to spend fewer resources in
the Middle East and shift more attention to other parts of the world. However,
the Middle East remains important to US interests, despite a desire in
Washington to focus more on Asia-Pacific and Europe.
Several presidents, including Donald Trump and Barack Obama, have tried to
decrease US involvement in the Middle East without much success. Nonetheless,
proponents of a reduced US role in the region are gaining momentum among foreign
policy influencers in Washington.
Supporters of a significantly reduced US role come from the right and left of
the political spectrum and represent a range of worldviews. Some proponents of a
smaller US footprint in the Middle East still share a worldview that advocates
an active US role, but they want to shift focus to other regions. Others promote
restraint or retrenchment, arguing that America should not play an assertive
global role but should rather significantly scale back its overall involvement
in the world. This idea comes from the political left and right but reflects
Trump’s “America First” idea to some extent, suggesting that the US should focus
much more on its domestic needs and its own borders.
Proponents of a slimmed-down or zeroed-out US role in the Middle East also draw
on a range of other arguments. They point out that the US no longer needs Middle
Eastern oil, while progressives argue that the world should be moving away from
fossil fuels altogether. There is a sense that Islamist terrorism no longer
poses a serious threat to America, with some adding that Washington should focus
more on domestic terrorism. The electoral salience of taking actions in the
region to support Israel has eroded, at least for many Democrats. Critics argue
that US partners in the Middle East are not aligned with American values or
interests. Underlining these views is a sense that US policies in the Middle
East have failed — that they cost too much in blood and treasure, while
accomplishing little and often making things worse.
While these perspectives have increasing influence in Washington, other foreign
policy professionals disagree. Although there is almost no support for the type
of state-building attempted under the Bush years in Iraq, there is still support
for an active US role in the region. The US no longer relies on Middle Eastern
oil, but the secure flow of oil remains critically important to the global
economy, of which the US is a part. And terrorism remains a significant concern.
Experienced foreign policy professionals remember that many in Washington did
not see Islamist terrorism as a major threat before the 9/11 attacks and
remember that many people declared Al-Qaeda and Islamist terrorism more broadly
dead, and then Daesh emerged. Washington should not assume that Islamist
terrorism cannot regain strength. Nuclear proliferation remains a major concern
as well.
It is also less expensive and more efficient for the US to use diplomatic,
military, intelligence and economic resources to maintain partnerships to ensure
the security of global trade, respond to terrorist threats, and manage other
potential concerns. Pulling back now risks it having to spend far more resources
to respond to future emergencies. Furthermore, proponents of an ongoing US role
in the region view key partnerships as valuable to the country. There is
disagreement about which countries matter most and how the US should manage
those relationships. It is easier to maintain partnerships than to rebuild them
once they are broken.
Biden and his top foreign policy officials believe in the importance of an
active US global role and do not embrace the ideas of retrenchment. However,
Asia-Pacific, Europe and the Western Hemisphere are their top priorities. Biden
has talked about the importance of rebuilding alliances, but he prioritizes
traditional alliances with democratic countries in Europe and the Asia-Pacific
region. The administration’s top goal in the Middle East is to contain Iran’s
nuclear program.
While Biden might prefer to spend less time on the Middle East, he and his team
are well aware of the problems associated with the Obama administration’s
efforts to pivot to East Asia. The Biden team is likely to take a more nuanced
approach that seeks to address risks in the Middle East while minimizing the use
of US resources. As last month’s airstrike in eastern Syria demonstrated, Biden
is willing to use force in a targeted way, while also emphasizing diplomacy. The
White House wants to maintain US partnerships in the region while also
expressing frustration with its partners.
The Biden team is likely to take a nuanced approach that seeks to address risks
in the region while minimizing the use of US resources.
The US is a global power. Although it has limited resources, it is capable of
managing multiple priorities in different regions, including the Middle East. It
is important for the Washington foreign policy community to regularly question
and re-evaluate US interests, policies and relationships in the Middle East —
and to question the costs and benefits to Americans and to the people of the
region. It is particularly important to frequently consider the purpose and
costs of using military power. However, those who argue that the Middle East is
no longer important to the US ignore the lessons of history and the reality of
the present.
*Kerry Boyd Anderson is a writer and political risk consultant with more than 16
years' experience as a professional analyst of international security issues and
Middle East political and business risk. Her previous positions include deputy
director for advisory with Oxford Analytica and managing editor of Arms Control
Today. Twitter: @KBAresearch
Nowruz and the aspirations of the Iranian people
Dr. Mohammed Al-Sulami/Arab News/March 22/2021
According to Iranian tradition, Persian nationalists believe that their
ancestors considered happiness to be a heavenly gift, with this happiness
experienced during the annual Nowruz celebrations that also mark the start of
the new year. This ancestral myth is similar to those held by peoples across the
world.
Regardless of the accuracy of this myth, we should ask at the time of this
year’s Nowruz celebrations whether or not the Iranian people have realized
happiness this year. Indeed, have they experienced happiness at all since the
Iranian revolution broke out in 1979?
Over the last four decades, Iran has faced international and regional isolation,
with this marginalization taking its toll on the Iranian people. Happiness can
never be experienced when a country is isolated from its neighbors or when it
carries out hostile acts against them.
The Iranian regime has been the prime cause of this isolation, resulting in
economic, financial, social and diplomatic crises. The Iranian people have
suffered excessively and experienced worsening conditions over the decades.
What genuine happiness can ever be experienced amid isolation and rampant
poverty, which is now widespread across Iranian society? Poverty has resulted in
multiple crippling social phenomena, such as homelessness and hunger, with
citizens scavenging for food in dumpsters now a common sight. Who can be happy
literally living in graveyards or with the religiously sanctioned “temporary”
marriages covering up sordid liaisons? Socioeconomic crises are now widespread
even in the capital Tehran.
This gloomy picture is supported by numerous proofs, such as the 2018 statement
by Parviz Fattah, who was then the head of the Imam Khomeini Relief Committee.
He said that 11 million people in Iran were living in abject poverty. Today,
more than half of the population lives below the poverty line. Despite the
regime’s efforts to deflect blame on to the US sanctions, all this is happening
while the rulers continue to spend billions on militias and regional wars.
How can the Iranian people experience or celebrate whatever happiness they have
while their country is on the blacklist of terrorist sponsors? How can they
smile when many other countries have placed restrictions on the entry of Iranian
citizens? How can they really experience happiness when all aspects of their
lives, including studying abroad, work, investment and tourism, have been
negatively impacted in one way or another since 1979?
How can Iranian citizens be happy while they are denied many fundamental ethnic,
cultural, political and linguistic rights? In addition, they are prevented from
communicating with the outside world, with the regime intent on turning Iran
into a country that is sealed off like North Korea.
The philosophy of Nowruz is based on ushering in a vibrant new year and bidding
farewell to the inertia and coldness of winter, with the return of life, warm
spring days, blooming flowers and melting snow. This is where it got its name,
as “Nowruz” translates as “new day.”
So what new, positive transformations have been experienced by the Iranian
people at the start of the new Hijri Shamsi year? Have the Iranians seen or felt
any change in their economic, cultural, educational or social conditions? Has
the burden on their shoulders been lifted? Have they felt that their country is
open to the outside world, let alone to its immediate neighbors? Do Iranians
feel they can travel unimpeded between countries, like others from countries not
accused of sponsoring terrorism?
The Iranian people had great hopes, dreams and aspirations after the 2015
nuclear deal was struck. They waited for massive projects and investment to flow
into the country, and for new job opportunities for themselves and their
children, families and neighbors. They waited for their living conditions to
improve and for their anguish, caused by years of economic sanctions against
Iran, to come to an end. Iranians hoped that the nuclear deal between Iran and
the P5+1 countries would lead to a normal life in a normal modern state. In
addition, they hoped that the deal would be the first in a series of steps
allowing Iran to reset its relations with other countries.
These dreams, which depended on positive results from the nuclear deal, have
evaporated, just like the deal itself, which has almost crumbled. These dreams
of a better future — including an improvement in living conditions, a decline in
prices and, finally, a leadership willing to tackle inflation and unemployment —
had buoyed the Iranian people for years, particularly through the period of
negotiations between Tehran and the Western powers. Now, however, the Iranian
people realize they were lied to and duped. Their situation is far worse than
before, with the regime becoming even more brutal. They dreamed of happiness but
are now surrounded by despair and gloom on all sides.
All these factors prompted many Iranians to ask, at the start of this new year,
when will their dreams be realized? And when will they be able to view Nowruz as
the start of a genuinely positive year that will be better than the preceding
one? Instead, Iranians are left to mutter: “Why would this year be different
from the previous one when there are no signs of genuine change at home or
abroad?”
Happiness can never be experienced when a country is isolated from its neighbors
or when it carries out hostile acts against them.
We in the Arab countries neighboring Iran wish only good for the Iranian people
and want to see them enjoy happiness, prosperity and decent lives, while
escaping the vortex of evil, extremism, oppression, social desperation, economic
meltdown, and harsh living conditions. Despite the Arab countries bearing the
brunt of the Velayat-e-Faqih regime’s bloody rampages, sectarianism and terror
in Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Lebanon and other countries, we stand with the Iranian
people, knowing that those ruled by this regime also bear the burden of its
evil.
So, on Nowruz, we send our happy wishes and the hope that good defeats evil and
health prevails over sickness. We also hope the region experiences peace and
safety and is freed from Iran’s current imperial aspirations, sectarian slogans
and belligerent behavior. However, the question that needs to be asked is when
will this happen?
*Dr. Mohammed Al-Sulami is President of the International Institute for Iranian
Studies (Rasanah). Twitter: @mohalsulami