English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For  September 12/2020
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
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Bible Quotations For today
The Parable of the Samaritan who helped a wounded man who was attacked by thieves while a Priest & a Levite ignored him
Luke 10/25-37: “Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. ‘Teacher,’ he said, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’He said to him, ‘What is written in the law? What do you read there?’He answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbour as yourself.’ And he said to him, ‘You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.’But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbour?’Jesus replied, ‘A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan while travelling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, “Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.” Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?’ He said, ‘The one who showed him mercy.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do likewise.’”

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on September 11-12/2021
Health Ministry: 801 new Corona infections, 12 deaths
Reports: Aoun Won't Have Blocking One-Third until Elections
Miqati Says Lebanon Awaiting IMF Help, Will Implement Its Conditions
U.S. Welcomes Lebanese Govt., Calls for 'Urgent Action'
U.N. Chief Says New Lebanese Govt. a 'Very Important Step'
Macron 'Congratulates Himself' on New Lebanese Govt.
French Ambassador: Government formation constitutes the first and essential stage for Lebanon's recovery
Mikati discusses with new cabinet ministers their respective ministries’ plans, follows up on financing card issue
Hamieh to announce his Ministry's strategic vision, practical plan for the coming days
Hajj Hassan: We will put all capabilities to save the country
FPM: We are waiting for the ministerial statement to determine whether we will give confidence to the government or not
Derian congratulates Mikati on forming government
Time is to act & rise from bitter reality, not for politics and its conflicts," asserts Pushkian
‘Forrest Company’ issues clarification statement asserting that it does not own, trade or store any material of any kind
Brax to NNA: Stock will run out soon, ships cannot unload as they await opening of credits
Hassan, Jumblatt visit Abi Al-Mouna to congratulate him on new “Druze Sheikh Akl” post
Al-Absi contacts Aoun, Mikati from Budapest, congratulates them on new cabinet formation
Tehran gives the nod for new Lebanese cabinet, daunting task awaits Mikati
New Lebanese Govt.: Rescue Team or Shot of Morphine?

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on September 11-12/2021
US President Biden signals fight for economic agenda, acknowledges approval drop
Twenty years later, 9/11 commemoration event takes place at ground zero in New York
Israel Captures Four of Six Palestinian Jail Breakers
Taliban: ‘Positive signs’ international community will recognize our government soon
Women in full burqas march in support of Taliban in Afghanistan
Another Afghan Evacuation Flight Leaves as U.N. Warns of Taliban 'Reprisals'
Rockets hit near Erbil international airport in Northern Iraq
Morocco’s king names RNI leader Akhannouch to lead government
Tunisian president says country’s decisions are not ‘subject to negotiation’
Riyadh stresses ability to protect itself as US withdraws defence systems
UN urges countries, organisations to send election observers to Libya
Gadhafi’s son Saadi moves to Turkey after release
Swiss court finds Kuwaiti Olympic official guilty of forgery

Titles For The Latest The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on September 11-12/2021
Is It Puppeteers or Puppets in Control in Washington?/Lawrence Kadish/Gatestone Institute/September 11/2021
What does the Deraa surrender mean for Iran and Russia in Syria?/Joanthan Spyer/Jerusalem Post/September 11/2021
Cyberwar, Part Two: "Flipping Switches"/Peter Schweizer/ Gatestone Institute/September 11/2021

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on September 10-11/2021
Health Ministry: 801 new Corona infections, 12 deaths
NNA/September 11/2021
In its daily report, the Ministry of Public Health announced on Saturday the registration of 801 new Coronavirus infections, which raised the cumulative number of confirmed cases to-date to 612,713. The report added that 12 deaths were also recorded during the past 24 hours.

Reports: Aoun Won't Have Blocking One-Third until Elections
Naharnet/September 11/2021
A settlement was reached between President Michel Aoun and PM-designate Najib Miqati over the thorny issue of the so-called “blocking one-third” share in the new government, media reports said on Saturday. The reports said the alleged settlement reassures Aoun over his concerns on Christian representation should the government assume presidential powers when his tenure ends. It also guarantees for Miqati “the absence of the blocking one-third until the end of parliament’s term,” the reports added. Under the reported settlement, two Christian ministers -- Georges Kallas and Najla Riachi -- “would not be part of the President’s share until the date of the parliamentary elections.”The reports also said that the Free Patriotic Movement has agreed to grant its votes of confidence to the new government following this settlement.

Miqati Says Lebanon Awaiting IMF Help, Will Implement Its Conditions
Naharnet/September 11/2021
Hours after his third government was formed, Prime Minister Najib Miqati hoped for progress in Lebanon’s negotiations with the International Monetary Fund. “We are implementing its conditions and awaiting its assistance,” Miqati said in an interview with Saudi Arabia’s Asharq TV. “We will focus on confronting the coronavirus pandemic and will put among our priorities the rebuilding of Beirut port and the addressing of the blast’s consequences,” the premier added. “We will work on returning Lebanon to the international community and restoring communication with our Arab neighborhood, seeing as we are keen on coordination and cooperation with all Arab countries. We will also ask for support from the Gulf Cooperation Council member states and we cannot but be in a close relation with the Arab countries,” Miqati went on to say. As for the expected performance of his government, Miqati said: “Those who want to obstruct the government’s work will be expelled from it.” “Our rescue plan is present and we will work on achieving it. We will communicate with the World Bank regarding aid, and after winning parliament’s confidence we will intensify our foreign contacts,” the PM added. As for the new finance minister, who has worked at the Central Bank for three decades, Miqati said he is confident that the minister, Youssef Khalil, can achieve the needed change. “The Central Bank is not alone responsible for our current crisis, as some politicians are trying to suggest in order to deviate the blame from themselves,” the premier said. He also pledged to halt Lebanon’s current “free fall,” while noting that the reforms might require some time to yield results after 13 months of “political obstruction.”

U.S. Welcomes Lebanese Govt., Calls for 'Urgent Action'
Agence France Presse/September 11/2021
The United States has welcomed Lebanon's formation of a government after a 13-month wait and called for it to take "urgent action" to reform a battered economy.
"The United States welcomes the announcement that Lebanon's leaders have agreed to form a new government under the leadership of Prime Minister-designate Najib Miqati, offering hope that urgent action will be taken to address the dire needs and legitimate aspirations of the Lebanese people," State Department spokesman Ned Price said. "We urge quick approval by the parliament so that this new government can get to work on concrete reforms to address Lebanon's deteriorating economic situation," he added.

U.N. Chief Says New Lebanese Govt. a 'Very Important Step'
Agence France Presse/September 11/2021
The appointment of a new government in Lebanon is a "very important step" for the crisis-hit country, U.N. chief Antonio Guterres said, wishing Prime Minister Najib Miqati "the best success."Guterres added of the new government that "of course it is not enough, there are many other things to be solved, but this was the basic condition for anything else to be possible." "I wish that he is able to bring together the different Lebanese communities and the different Lebanese political forces in order to make sure that Lebanon is able to overcome the dramatic situation it faces now," Guterres said. Lebanon ended a 13-month wait for a new government with the unveiling of a lineup that faces the daunting task of rescuing the country from economic meltdown.
Billionaire Miqati, Lebanon's prime minister for the third time, made an emotional statement from the presidency vowing to leave no stone unturned in efforts to save the country from bankruptcy. The newcomers include many technocrats but each minister was endorsed by one or several of the factions that have dominated Lebanese politics since the 1975-1990 civil war.

Macron 'Congratulates Himself' on New Lebanese Govt.
Naharnet/September 11/2021
French President Emmanuel Macron “congratulates himself on the step of the Lebanese government’s formation,” the Elysee Palace said, a few hours after Prime Minister Najib Miqati formed his third government. “Macron wishes Miqati success in his mission in the service of the people,” the Palace added. “Lebanese politicians must honor the necessary commitments as to conducting the reforms that would allow the international community to offer assistance to Lebanon,” the Elysee said. Lebanese media reports meanwhile linked the government’s formation to the latest French-Iranian talks and “the French desire to highlight the government’s formation as a product of this communication as part of Paris’ preparations for playing a role in the Vienna talks on the Iranian nuclear file.”

French Ambassador: Government formation constitutes the first and essential stage for Lebanon's recovery
NNA/September 11/2021
French Ambassador Anne Grillo tweeted today over Lebanon’s new government, saying: "After 13 months of vacuum, the formation of the government constitutes the first and essential stage for Lebanon's recovery. It is urgent now to start work."
She added: “The tragic situation in the country requires a constructive commitment by all political forces, so that the government led by PM Najib Mikati can work with determination to achieve stability, unity and prosperity in Lebanon and for the sake of all Lebanese.”"Dear Lebanese friends, France remains committed by your side, and will make sure that your needs and aspirations are met through concrete actions,” Grillo reassured, adding, “On the ground, I will remain keen on that and will continue to work with you and by your side."

Mikati discusses with new cabinet ministers their respective ministries’ plans, follows up on financing card issue
NNA/September 11/2021
Prime Minister Najib Mikati began holding successive meetings with the new cabinet ministers within the context of discussing their perception of the work of their ministries and the basic dossiers to address, in addition to preparing for the ministerial statement on the basis of which the government will gain confidence.PM Mikati also held a meeting with the new and former ministers concerned with the financing card issue, in wake of the announcement of the start of the name registration process for those wishing to benefit from it according to the specified conditions. Mikati was keen on knowing all details pertaining to the stages this issue has crossed, and whether the announcement of the card was actually associated with specific funding sources, and specific dates for payment, or whether deliberations will continue in order to find appropriate funding and final solutions related to this dossier.
It was agreed during the meeting that the new and former ministers would pursue their discussions in the next few days to prepare the final report on this subject.

Hamieh to announce his Ministry's strategic vision, practical plan for the coming days
NNA/September 11/2021
Minister of Public Works and Transport, Ali Hamieh, pledged Saturday on working to serve all of Lebanon. “I am a minister from Taraya, from Baalbek-Hermel…but I am a minister for all of Lebanon, and therefore I have responsibilities towards my country, and of course my townsmen and my region,” he said, calling on citizens to help him in his new mission and endeavor. Hamieh’s words came before the large crowd of supporters in the town of Taraya in the Bekaa region, who gathered to congratulate him on his new appointment. The new Public Works Minister said he will make a political statement upcoming Monday to outline his strategic vision for the ministry and announce the practical plan that will be drawn for the coming period.

Hajj Hassan: We will put all capabilities to save the country
NNA/September 11/2021
Minister of Agriculture, Abbas Hajj Hassan, said during his reception of congratulatory delegations after his appointment as a minister, that "the international community is before us all, and we will put all capabilities in order to save the country economically, socially, politically and security. Political rivalries undoubtedly will remain, but the priority today is for the citizen, for the human being, and for all those who are suffering in this country." He continued: "At the level of the Ministry of Agriculture, I will not promise anything because we are on the first day and the handover has not happened yet, but I say that the Bekaa and Akkar regions, like most regions, are waiting for a lot from the Agriculture Ministry, and I, in turn, am expecting from the Council of Ministers a balanced and real budget for the Ministry so that we can cater to all segments of society.”

FPM: We are waiting for the ministerial statement to determine whether we will give confidence to the government or not
NNA/September 11/2021
The "Free Patriotic Movement" political body held its periodic meeting today, chaired by its Chief, MP Gebran Bassil, following which an issued statement welcomed the formation of a new government that dropped all fabrications, practices and lies aimed at disrupting institutions over the course of a year. The political body confirmed that the Free Patriotic Movement is awaiting the ministerial statement to determine its position on granting confidence or not, while opening the door for deliberations for that. The participants also considered that the new government should work to find urgent solutions to the electricity, fuel and medicine crises, speed up the issuance of the financing card and provide a social safety net for citizens.  In this context, the FPM’s polite-bureau welcomed the energy track, which began with the visit of the Lebanese ministerial delegation to Damascus and Lebanon's participation in the Amman meeting, calling for its completion to secure the necessary energy supply for Lebanon, pending final solutions. Finally, the conferees demanded the Parliament to pass a law allowing the Central Bank to grant EDL a sufficient advance to purchase fuel oil to generate electricity for at least 16 hours a day, since it is a necessary condition for the activation of the economy and to reduce the losses incurred by the Lebanese from their deposits as a result of importing diesel for generators, which is at a higher cost.

Derian congratulates Mikati on forming government
NNA/September 11/2021
Grand Mufti of the Lebanese Republic, Sheikh Abdul Latif Derian, congratulated, in a statement today, Prime Minister Najib Mikati on the formation of the government, wishing him success in achieving the country's economic, social, daily-living and developmental advancement, as well as activating the work of the official state institutions to carry out their tasks to serve the citizens, and implement reforms in various fields.

Time is to act & rise from bitter reality, not for politics and its conflicts," asserts Pushkian
NNA/September 11/2021
Minister of Industry George Pushkian stressed Saturday that "the time now is to act and spread positivity to rise from this bitter reality, and not for politics and its conflicts." Speaking before congratulatory delegations who visited him at his home in Zahle, the new Minister said that "work will begin towards industrial and productive advancement, and all of us in the industrial sector will join efforts as one hand for construction and development.”He added: “We will follow up on all files to develop a strategic plan and work to implement it, because the stage is not for political slogans, but rather we need a production plan for the benefit of the citizen.”Pushkian promised the industrialists to “work together with transparency to reach safety, not only for the industrial sector but for Lebanon as a whole.”

‘Forrest Company’ issues clarification statement asserting that it does not own, trade or store any material of any kind
NNA /September 11/2021
In wake of news about the confiscation of large amounts of fuel found in its storage tanks, "Forest” Company issued the following statement on Saturday: "Further to the statement of the General Directorate of State Security today, and the circulation of news by some media and social networking sites, it is important for ‘Forest SAL’ to confirm that it does not own any real estate in Beirut, nor in the Ashrafieh area, or even in any other Lebanese region.”“The company’s activity is limited only to administrative and consulting work, and therefore it does not own, trade or store any materials of any kind, including fuel,” the statement underlined. “Therefore, we ask the Lebanese media and those who are keen on the truth not to plunge the company’s name in this controversy, and to verify the information related to it before publishing,” the statement concluded.

Brax to NNA: Stock will run out soon, ships cannot unload as they await opening of credits
NNA/September 11/2021
Member of the Syndicate of Gas Station Owners, George al-Brax, told the National News Agency today that "the gasoline crisis is further exacerbated, because the stock in the stations is sold to citizens and the stock in the companies is delivered to the stations, but the ships at sea cannot unload their cargo since the Central Bank has not provided the necessary credits yet.”Brax warned that “the stock will soon run out, and in the coming days we will witness the closure of many stations, and therefore we will witness more queues in front of the few statons that will remain open.”
He added: “Yesterday, there were 55 million liters of gasoline, which is not enough stock to last for more than the middle of next week," noting that "if the ships are not unloaded, the country will be paralyzed due to running out of gasoline."

Hassan, Jumblatt visit Abi Al-Mouna to congratulate him on new “Druze Sheikh Akl” post
NNA /September 11/2021
Sheikh Akl of the Unitarian Druze Community, Sheikh Naim Hassan, and Progressive Socialist Party Chief Walid Jumblatt, visited today the residence of the newly-elected “Druze Sheikh Al-Akl” by acclamation, Sami Abi Al-Mouna, congratulating him on his novel mission. In his brief word, Sheikh Hassan said that the Druze Council has endured a lot of injustice over the past period, stressing that “it plays its role in serving the people through offerings and aids,” while wishing his successor God’s blessings in pursuing the work of the sectarian council and in serving the Druze community and the nation. In turn, Jumblatt said in his delivered word that he sought reconciliation till the last moment in choosing a figure to succeed Sheikh Hassan, but all the names that were presented to him (some were also passed on to MP Talal Arslan for his input) were not deemed suitable for the “Sheikh Al-Akl” post. “In the end, this is a political post,” Jumblatt said, noting that “this is a political, social and religious challenge, and this position is comparable to the Mufti of the Republic, the Patriarchs, the Head of the Supreme Shiite Council and others…” “I do not think that anyone can assume this role other than Sheikh Sami Abi Al-Mouna, who continued in the same approach established by Sheikh Naim Hassan and went through enormous difficulties...Some may wonder about the achievements; it is enough that after 70 or 80 years, the Druze ‘Waqf’ lands have been unified," he underscored. Finally, Jumblatt thanked the Druze Sectarian Council members for “selecting the right man in the right place.”

Al-Absi contacts Aoun, Mikati from Budapest, congratulates them on new cabinet formation
NNA/September 11/2021
Greek Catholic Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, Youssef Al-Absi, contacted Saturday the President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, and Prime Minister Najib Mikati, congratulating them on the formation of the new government. According to a statement issued by his media office, Al-Absi wished success to all those working to eliminate the heavy burdens shouldered by the Lebanese people. He also contacted the two new Catholic Ministers, George Kallas and Hector Hajjar, wishing them good achievements in the tasks entrusted to them, noting that "judgment rests on actions and results." Al-Absi hoped, in this context, that the new cabinet “will establish a way out of the dark tunnel in which the country has been stuck for more than a year.”On a different note, Patriarch Al-Absi received at his place of stay in Budapest Lebanon’s Ambassador to Hungary, Joanna Azzi, and Acting Syrian Chargé d'Affaires, Bashar Samara, with whom he discussed issues related to the future of both countries.

Tehran gives the nod for new Lebanese cabinet, daunting task awaits Mikati
The Arab Weekly/September 11/2021
Taking its cues from Tehran, Hezbollah cleared the Lebanese government, 45 days after Najib Mikati was tasked with its formations, Beirut analysts said Friday. A tearful Mikati pleaded with Arab countries, especially Saudi Arabia, for help to Lebanon. Political sources said that Hezbollah pressured President Michel Aoun and his son-in-law, Gebran Bassil, leader of the Free Patriotic Movement, to allow Mikati to form his cabinet in the wake of an Iranian-French understanding that was reflected by contacts between French President Emmanuel Macron and Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi. The sources indicated that the militant party was able to persuade the Aoun-Basil duo to approve the new cabinet after guaranteeing them veto power over the government—with control of a third of the ministers plus one– and by making sure that the ministry of energy remained in the hands of Walid Fayyad, a Gibran Bassil loyalist. The end result indicated, according to Lebanese political sources, that France had withdrawn its insistence on the appointment of a neutral and competent figure to head the ministry of energy. The Lebanese state treasury had incurred an estimated deficit of fifty billion dollars since the energy portfolio came under the control of Gibran Bassil 12 years ago.
As details of the cabinet make-up were coming out, Mikati was emotionally describing the difficulties faced on a daily basis by the Lebanese. It was clear that the new prime minister was not looking for solutions at home but pinned his hopes instead on external support to bring the country out of its quagmire. Mikati said, “I will not spare any effort knocking on the doors of the Arab world. We need the Arab world, and I hope we will achieve what the people desire from this government, and at least halt the ongoing collapse, and work together for the return of Lebanon to its glory and prosperity.” Lebanese political analysts interpreted Mikati’s speech as directed towards Arab Gulf states, especially Saudi Arabia, which he seems to believe is the most capable of supporting Lebanon and helping it out of its crises as it did in the past. However, the analysts wondered if Mikati would be able to convince Saudi Arabia that he will not be the prime minister of a government controlled by Hezbollah. That would mean acting independently from the dictates of the pro-Iranian party and its secretary general, Hassan Nasrallah.In recent months, Saudi Arabia has sent signals according to which it was no longer concerned with Lebanon and its crises, considering that Hezbollah was in full control of the situation there.
Riyadh had spared no effort during the past years to support Lebanon as it urged stakeholders to stay clear from the hegemonic designs of any foreign powers while Lebanese political actors continued to view the kingdom as a steady source of financial support to the economy and tourism sector with no commitment on their part towards Saudi Arabia. Riyadh’s position dealt severe punishment to all factions regardless of their stances towards Hezbollah. Mikati is not seen as carrying any influence in the new government, as he is merely a coordinator between conflicting agendas and tendencies. This situation could complicate his efforts to win the favour of the Gulf states and will not help him negotiate deals with the International Monetary Fund and the Europeans towards financing and implementing the required reforms. One of the priorities of the new cabinet is to reach an agreement with the International Monetary Fund to help Lebanon deal with a dire crisis which includes lack of financial liquidity and severe shortages in fuel and electricity affecting all aspects of life.
Lebanese political analyst Sami Nader argued there was little hope of a breakthrough if the dynamics that prevailed during the cabinet lineup negotiations remained in place. “The continuation of quota politics and bickering over every reform and decision would mean no departure from what the caretaker government was able to do,” he said. “It was the same cooks who formed this government.” In his first comment on the formation of the government, President Michel Aoun tweeted, that “the government is the best that could be achieved, and it is able to work,” adding, “Our concerns lie in the priority of solving the people’s current problems, and we have great responsibilities.” The new government, like its predecessor, includes specialists who are not well-known as political figures, although nominated by major parties. The government appears to be the end result of a consensus between Mikati, Aoun, Hezbollah and its ally, the Amal Movement, led by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. The 24-minister cabinet includes only one woman — former diplomat Najla Riachi, who takes over the administrative development portfolio. Firass Abiad, the head of Lebanon’s largest public hospital who rose to public prominence in the battle against the Covid-19 pandemic, was appointed as health minister. But perhaps the best-known face is that of star TV presenter George Kordahi, who takes up the position of information minister. New finance minister Youssef Khalil, who has worked at the central bank for almost three decades, will be expected to lead efforts to rescue Lebanon from economic meltdown. But critics are warning he is unlikely to take a tough line against his former employer, which is widely blamed for the country’s bankruptcy.

New Lebanese Govt.: Rescue Team or Shot of Morphine?
Associated Press/September 11/2021
Lebanon's new prime minister Najib Miqati has pledged to gain control of one of the world's worst economic meltdowns, saying lifting subsidies was a critical priority for the small country's government formed after a year of political stalemate. It is a momentous task facing the 24-minister Cabinet, which includes fresh faces who are prominent experts in their fields, but which still reflects Lebanon's fractious politics. The country's economic crisis, unfolding since 2019, has been described as one of the worst in the world in the last 150 years. It impoverished more than half of the population within months and left the national currency in a freefall, driving inflation and unemployment to unprecedented levels. The new government is expected to undertake critically needed reforms, as well as manage public anger and tensions resulting from the lifting of fuel subsidies by the end of the month. Lebanon's foreign reserves have been running dangerously low, and the central bank in the import-dependent country said it is no longer able to support its $6 billion subsidy program. The government is also expected to oversee a financial audit of the Central Bank and resume negotiations with the International Monetary Fund for a rescue package. Few believe that can be done with a government that leaves power in the hands of the same political parties that the public blames for corruption and mismanagement of the country's resources. "The biggest winners are the political parties, collectively," said Maha Yahya, director of Beirut-based Carnegie Middle East Center. "What is very clear is that it is the epitome of business as usual. Everybody in that Cabinet was named by the political leadership. Some are more competent than others. But the political decision-making is elsewhere."
After more than a year of bickering among political rivals over the shape of a government, a sudden breakthrough was reported early Friday and the new line-up was announced at the presidential palace.
Experts and politicians say a final nudge to Lebanon's rival parties to compromise may have come from the country's equally divided international supporters -- the United States, France and Iran -- after Lebanon's economic unraveling reached a critical point that risked a social explosion. Crippling shortages in fuel and medicine threatened to shut down hospitals, bakeries and the country's internet and caused friction, sometimes violence, in long queues to fill up vehicles. Miqati, one of Lebanon's richest businessmen who is returning to the post of prime minister for the third time, sent a message to the tired and exhausted public saying he hears their pain. Holding back tears, Miqati said he recognized the pain of Lebanese mothers who cannot feed their children or find aspirin to ease their ailments, as well as to students whose parents can no longer afford to send them to school.
"We hope to reach what people want and to at least stop the collapse that is happening," he told reporters at the presidential palace.
The agreement breaks a 13-month deadlock, one of Lebanon's longest periods without a fully functioning government at a time when the country was sliding deeper into financial chaos and poverty. Lebanon's government resigned after the catastrophic Aug. 4, 2020 explosion at Beirut port, that left more than 200 people killed and the city maimed. The economic meltdown was made worse by the deadlock among rival political groups. Miqati became a favorite for the post earlier this year after he was endorsed by most of Lebanon's political parties, including powerful Iran-backed Hizbullah and the other major Shiite party, Amal, led by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. He took over from former Prime Minister Saad Hariri, who abandoned efforts to form a government after eight months after failing to agree with President Michel Aoun on the Cabinet's makeup. The power struggle in Lebanon's sectarian-based system revolved around which group has a blocking vote over policies at a time of much-needed reforms. But it also reflected the growing power of Hizbullah and its allies at the expense of once powerful western-backed Sunni and Christian parties.
U.S senators visited Lebanon earlier this month while a senior State department official spoke to the Lebanese president and Miqati, urging the formation of a government. Separately, French President Emmanuelle Macron called the newly elected Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who said he supported the formation of a "strong government in Lebanon."
"The American message was really pushing forward for the government to be formed," said Alain Aoun, a lawmaker representing the Strong Lebanon bloc of the party founded by President Aoun, while the same message came from Iran's president in a phone call Macron.
Both were messages that recognized the reality on the ground in Lebanon and signaled that support would be forthcoming once a government is formed to stem the rapid collapse, said Salem Zahran, a pro-Hizbullah political analyst. "This is the best that could happen to Hizbullah," Zahran said. The group has allies in both the Public Works Ministry -- which oversees the airport and port -- and the Culture Ministry. Many members of the new Cabinet are experts in their fields. Firass Abiad, director general of the Rafik Hariri University Hospital who has won praise for his transparency in handling the pandemic, was named health minister. A top Central Bank official, Youssef Khalil, was appointed as finance minister, and Bassam Mawlawi, a judge, is the new interior minister. Yahya, the analyst, said Miqati has an uphill battle with a government that has no common purpose. "This government is like a shot of morphine. Definitely some money will come in. but this is all short term. The country is still not on any sustainable path to recovery." The public was mostly skeptical, although somewhat relieved. Ali Sharafeddine who owns a company that sells power generators said the new government is no different from previous ones, formed by the same political groups that have ruined Lebanon. "They're just fooling us," said the 51-year-old Sharafeddine.

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on September 11-12/2021
US President Biden signals fight for economic agenda, acknowledges approval drop
Bloomberg/11 September ,2021
President Joe Biden sought to sidestep a drop in his approval ratings and signaled he’s ready to fight for his economic agenda, saying the package is popular with the American public. Commenting to reporters on the sidelines of one of several events commemorating the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks, Biden said it’s important for the US to show unity of purpose amid partisan divisions and to show that democracy works.“If you take a look at the polling data, as down as my numbers have dropped, you’ll see my package is overwhelmingly popular, Biden said at Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where one of the hijacked Sept. 11 jetliners crashed in a field. “That is why you’re going to see -- and I get it -- a lot more direct attacks on me. “I’m a big boy, I’ve been doing this a long time, he said. Biden’s poll numbers declined amid the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, which ended in August with chaotic scenes of people trying to flee via the Kabul airport and a terrorist attack on the perimeter that killed 13 US service members. His next challenge is winning Congressional approval this fall of his roughly $4 trillion agenda -- a bipartisan infrastructure bill and a package of proposed tax hikes and social spending that Democrats are seeking to pass without Republican support. Biden defended his decision on Afghanistan, citing polls showing that a majority of Americans wanted the 20-year war to end. “But the flip of it is, they didn’t like how we got out, he told reporters. “But it’s hard to explain to anybody, how else could you get out. He renewed his argument that democratic countries need to show “autocrats they can set aside political divisions and succeed. “That’s the thing that’s going to affect our well-being, more than anything else in the rest of the world, is confidence -- knowing that we actually can, in fact, lead by the example of our power again, Biden said. That message included praise for former President George W. Bush, a Republican, who spoke before Biden earlier Saturday at the Flight 93 memorial in Shanksville. Bush condemned the “foul spirit of violent domestic extremists in the US and denounced extreme partisanship. “A malign force seems at work in our common life that turns every disagreement into an argument, and every argument into a clash of cultures, he said. “I thought that President Bush made a really good speech today, Biden said.

Twenty years later, 9/11 commemoration event takes place at ground zero in New York
The Associated Press, New York/11 September ,2021
The 9/11 anniversary commemoration at ground zero has begun with a tolling bell and a moment of silence, exactly 20 years after the start of the deadliest terror attack on US soil. President Joe Biden, former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, members of Congress, and other dignitaries joined a crowd of victims’ relatives Saturday on the Sept. 11 memorial plaza in New York. The memorial stands where the World Trade Center’s twin towers were rammed and felled by hijacked planes. Observances are also planned at the two other sites where the 9/11 conspirators crashed their hijacked jets: the Pentagon and a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Biden is scheduled to pay respects at all three places, and former President George W. Bush is to speak at the Pennsylvania cerem

Israel Captures Four of Six Palestinian Jail Breakers
Agence France Presse/September 11/2021
Israel has recaptured four of the six Palestinian militants who escaped from a high-security prison earlier this week in one of the most spectacular breakouts in the country's history, police said Saturday. Since Monday's breakout, the army has poured troops into the occupied West Bank for a massive manhunt.
But the two latest fugitives to be recaptured, who include both a prominent former militant leader and the alleged mastermind of the escape, were found hiding in a lorry park just outside Nazareth in northern Israel, police said. Zakaria Zubeidi is a former militant leader of the Fatah movement of Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas in the West Bank town of Jenin, while Mahmoud Ardah was sentenced to life in prison in 2002 for his role in Islamic Jihad's armed wing. "Two more prisoners who escaped were captured a short time ago... while they were hiding in a parking lot for trucks," the police said. "The hunt for the other two fugitives continues."
On Friday evening, police recaptured Yaqoub Qadri, 48, and Mahmoud Abdullah Ardah, 45, both members of Islamic Jihad. "Police located (the two fugitives) and chased them in a helicopter," the police statement said. "They offered no resistance when they were arrested in the south of Nazareth." Israeli media said police were alerted by residents who reported seeing two men searching litter bins for food.  Shortly after their capture was announced Friday, the army said that a rocket had been fired at southern Israel from the Gaza Strip, but was intercepted by air defenses.
Israeli police and troops had conducted a huge search operation for the the six prisoners since they broke out of the high-security Gilboa prison through a tunnel dug beneath a sink in a cell. The army closed all the checkpoints connecting Israel and annexed east Jerusalem with the West Bank in a bid to prevent them escaping into Palestinian population centers. Nazareth, where the four were found, has a large Arab population. The six fugitives were all members of Palestinian militant groups who had been convicted by Israeli courts of plotting or carrying out attacks against Israelis.
Ardah, from Arraba near Jenin, was imprisoned in 1996 for attacks on Israel claimed by Islamic Jihad and was among four to receive a life sentence. He was held in solitary confinement in 2014 after an escape tunnel was found at Israel's Shata prison, according to his Islamic Jihad biography.
Formal inquiry
On Thursday, Israel announced a formal inquiry into lapses that allowed the six to escape. An Israeli injunction is in effect against publishing details of the jailbreak investigation, even as local media report on the scramble to recover from the embarrassing lapse. Former prison service commissioner Orit Adato told reporters Thursday that the escape amounted to "a huge crisis" for the service, even if such escapes are extremely rare. Demonstrations have been held in several West Bank towns and cities in support of the fugitives. In Nablus, youths set tires alight during confrontations with Israeli security forces. The Palestinian Red Crescent said 60 protesters were injured by tear gas near the city. The prisoners' group reported "tensions" in jails on Wednesday, and a spokeswoman for the Israeli prison authorities told AFP fires had been lit in Ktziot and Ramon jails. "The situation is now under control, the fires have been extinguished," she said. When news of the escape first broke on Monday, many people in the Gaza Strip and in Jenin took to the streets to celebrate.

Taliban: ‘Positive signs’ international community will recognize our government soon
Tuqa Khalid, Al Arabiya English/11 September ,2021
The Taliban saw “positive signs” pointing to the international community recognizing the group’s government “soon”, spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on Saturday. “Efforts are underway. Signs are positive.. [Taliban government] will be recognized at the international level,” he said. Mujahid added that the demands of the international community have been met, from maintaining “country-wide security” to assurances that Afghanistan will not become an international threat. The Taliban unveiled their government earlier this month, which was constituted of top members of the group, including the interior minister who is a designated terrorist on the US blacklist with a $10 million reward for information about him. The cabinet also did not include a single woman, and the Ministry of Women’s Affairs was apparently disbanded. The Taliban also brought back the morality police as the ministry for the promotion of virtue and the prevention of vice. The international community had demanded the Taliban form an “inclusive” government that represented all Afghans and ensure that women’s rights were protected. No country has recognized the Taliban as a government of Afghanistan after their seizure of the country on August 15. The White House has denied last month any chance of rushing to recognize the legitimacy of the Taliban government by the US or its allies. Qatar and Pakistan, however, urged the world not to isolate the Taliban

Women in full burqas march in support of Taliban in Afghanistan
Tuqa Khalid, Al Arabiya English/11 September ,2021
Hundreds of women, wearing full-length burqas, marched in Afghanistan’s capital Kabul, holding signs in support of the Taliban, Afghan media videos showed on Saturday. Dozens of women, covered from head to toe and their faces veiled, demonstrated outside and inside Shaheed Rabbani Education University, holding pro-Taliban banners and the group's flag. The Taliban had recently instituted gender segregation at educational facilities where male and female students were separated by curtains. Women demonstrators on the street were surrounded by Taliban fighters armed with automatic rifles and did not allow bystanders to talk to the women. The demonstration came on the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the US which prompted the “war on terror” and the American invasion of Afghanistan. The female protestors’ appearance brings back to mind the Taliban hardline era of 1996-2001, when women were not allowed to leave their homes without a male escort, had to be veiled, and were not allowed to work at most jobs except in healthcare. Since seizing control of Afghanistan on August 15, the Taliban launched a charm offensive to rehabilitate their hardline image, promising amnesty to foreign government employees and vowing to protect the rights of women, as allowed within the limits of Islamic law, Sharia. However, women activists and former female political leaders said they expected to be treated as “second class” citizens at best. The Taliban’s newly announced cabinet also doesn’t include a single woman and the Ministry of Women’s Affairs was apparently disbanded. The pro-Taliban women’s march comes days after women protested in the streets demanding their rights be protected, to be allowed to return to their jobs and to be treated as equals. A pro-Taliban female protestor told AFP: “We are against those women who are protesting on the streets, claiming they are representative of women. Is it freedom to like the last government? No, it is not freedom. The last government were misusing women. They were recruiting women just by their beauty.”The hardline group banned protests it did not approve of, and the UN said that the Taliban used violence to disperse protests it didn’t authorize.

Another Afghan Evacuation Flight Leaves as U.N. Warns of Taliban 'Reprisals'
Agence France Presse/September 11/2021
A second charter flight left Afghanistan on Friday carrying foreigners and Afghans in a sign the country's main airport was close to resuming commercial operations, as the United Nations warned of "credible allegations" of reprisal killings by the Taliban. The plane departed for Qatar the day after just over 100 passengers, including some Americans, left Kabul airport on the first flight carrying foreigners out of the Afghan capital since a US-led evacuation ended on August 30. Another 32 U.S. citizens or permanent residents left Afghanistan with Washington's support on Friday, either on the Qatar Airways flight or by land, National Security Council spokeswoman Emily Horne said. "Today's departures demonstrate how we are giving Americans clear and safe options to leave Afghanistan from different locations," Horne said in a statement. "We will continue to provide proven options for leaving. It is up to Americans who remain whether they choose to take them." Of the 158 passengers who arrived Friday evening in the Qatari capital Doha, 49 were French nationals and their families, with a Qatari official adding there were also German, Canadian, Dutch, British, Belgian and Mauritanian citizens on board. The official added that their safe transport to Kabul's airport in a Qatari convoy was also coordinated by the Gulf state, which was already the transit point for about half of the 123,000 people airlifted out of Afghanistan as the pro-Western government crumbled and the Taliban took over. The White House said the Taliban had been "businesslike and professional" in allowing Thursday's flight to leave, but the United Nations envoy for Afghanistan warned the group may be targeting perceived enemies. "We are also concerned that despite the many statements granting general amnesties... there have been credible allegations of reprisal killings," envoy Deborah Lyons said in New York. She said Afghan security officials and people who worked for the previous administration were at risk. Unconfirmed reports in the capital, meanwhile, suggested the Taliban may hold a ceremony to swear in the new government on Saturday -- the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks that triggered the end of their first stint in power.
'Just kill me'
As news of a resumption in evacuation flights spread, some people gathered at the airport gates, pleading with Taliban guards to get in. "If I can't go just kill me!" said one woman, among a group of women and children each carrying backpacks. Many Afghans in the capital are fearful of a repeat of the hardline Islamist group's brutal and repressive rule from 1996-2001. The Taliban have already begun to segregate men and women students and medical staff, suggested women will be banned from playing sports, and unveiled an all-male government drawn exclusively from loyalist ranks. The U.N. education agency UNESCO on Friday warned in a report that Afghanistan risks backsliding on nearly two decades of schooling gains for children, especially girls, due to a projected rise in the number of internally displaced people, new Taliban-imposed restrictions on women's education and the withdrawal of international aid, which makes up half of the country's education expenditures. Afghanistan's economy also risks a likely sharp contraction, said former central bank chief Ajmal Ahmady, who fled the country just after Kabul fell to the Taliban in mid-August. "I don't want to say economic collapse, but I think it's going to be (an) extremely challenging or difficult economic situation," he said in a discussion hosted by The Atlantic Council, predicting GDP would shrink by 10 to 20 percent. He said international sanctions that block aid funding and restrict access to $9 billion in reserves also could create a shortage of domestic currency.
Flow of aid and people
More than 100 passengers were on the Qatar Airways flight that landed in Doha on Thursday evening, 10 days after the chaotic airlift came to a dramatic close with the U.S. pullout. In the days that followed the Taliban's blitz, the airport had become a tragic symbol of desperation among Afghans terrified of the militants' return to power -- with thousands of people crowding around its gates daily, and some even clinging to jets as they took off. More than 100 people were killed, including 13 US troops, in a suicide attack on August 26 near the airport that was claimed by the Islamic State group's local chapter. Qatar has said it worked with Turkey to swiftly resume operations at Kabul's airport to allow the flow of people and aid. The Taliban have repeatedly claimed they would not seek revenge against those who worked with the previous regime -- and all Afghans would be granted free passage out of the country when commercial flights resume. The militants have pledged a more moderate brand of rule, however, they have shown clear signs that they will not tolerate opposition. Earlier this week, armed Taliban militants dispersed hundreds of protesters, sometimes by firing shots into the air, in cities across Afghanistan. They also moved to snuff out any further civil unrest, saying protests would need prior authorization from the justice ministry and no demonstrations were allowed "for the time being."

Rockets hit near Erbil international airport in Northern Iraq
Tuqa Khalid, Al Arabiya English/12 September ,2021
A number of rockets struck an area near Erbil international airport which hosts US forces in Northern Iraq, the Iraqi state news agency reported early Sunday.

Morocco’s king names RNI leader Akhannouch to lead government
The Arab Weekly/September 11/2021
RABAT--Morocco’s King Mohammed VI on Friday named Aziz Akhannouch to lead a new government after his National Rally of Independents (RNI) thrashed the long-ruling Islamists in parliamentary elections. The king appointed Akhannouch “head of the government and tasked him with forming a new government”, following Wednesday’s polls, a statement from the palace said. The RNI won 102 of parliament’s 395 seats, trouncing the Islamist Justice and Development Party (PJD), which had headed the governing coalition for a decade but took just 13 seats, according to results released by the interior ministry. Akhannouch, who led the RNI since 2016, hailed the results as “a victory for democracy.”His party has been part of all coalition governments for the past 23 years, except during a brief period between 2012 and 2013.
Economic challenge
Following his win, Akhannouch pledged to improve conditions for citizens of Morocco, where entrenched social inequalities have been exacerbated by the pandemic. “The main commitment of the party is to work seriously as long as we enjoy the confidence of citizens, to improve their daily lives, to achieve their aspirations and regain confidence in their representatives,” he said. The economy shrank by 7.1 percent in 2020 and the poverty rate shot up to 11.7 percent during the lockdown, the Moroccan statistics institute said in April. A recent overhaul of the elections laws meant it was the first time Morocco’s 18 million voters cast ballots in both parliamentary and local elections on the same day, an effort to boost turnout. Around 50.35 percent of eligible voters participated, according to the interior minister, higher than the 43 percent in the 2016 legislative polls. Akhannouch’s party also came first in the local elections, winning 9,995 of the 31,503 seats, and the regional poll with 196 of the 678 positions.
Coalition government
Akhannouch said he was ready to begin negotiations to form his coalition government. “The most important thing is to have a coherent and united majority,” he said in a televised address Friday evening. Under Morocco’s constitutional monarchy, the new administration must be submitted for approval by the king, who reserves veto rights. Akhannouch will likely draw from the main opposition, the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) — founded by Fouad Ali El Himma — which came second in the parliamentary elections with 86 seats, as well as the conservative Istiqlal party, which took 81 seats. Cabinet horsetrading is not expected to include the PJD however, which announced that it would switch to its “natural” position as the opposition. Swept to power in the wake of the 2011 uprisings around the Middle East and North Africa, the PJD had hoped to secure a third term leading a ruling coalition.

Tunisian president says country’s decisions are not ‘subject to negotiation’
The Arab Weekly/September 11/2021
TUNIS--Tunisian sovereignty “will not be subject to negotiation with any party,” stressed Friday President Kais Saied after several meetings he held this week with a number of foreign dignitaries interested in exploring the situation in Tunisia since the Tunisian leader’s decision to invoke emergency powers six weeks ago. The president pointed out that during his meetings with foreign delegations, “it was emphasised that Tunisia is a sovereign state where sovereignty belongs to the people. There is no room for interference in the country’s choices that stem for the will of the people.” “The sovereignty of the Tunisian state and the choices of its people were not put for discussion with international partners … and will not be the subject of negotiation with any party,” the president added in statement. Visiting Tunis on Friday, Borrell said he conveyed European concerns about preserving democratic gains in Tunisia to Saied. Since assuming emergency powers, on July 25, based on article 80 of the constitution, the Tunsian president suspended the activities of the parliament and dismissed the prime minister. He has yet to appoint a new prime minister or announce his long-term programme, which is expected to include constitutional and electoral reforms. Ambassadors from the Group of Seven major economies this week also urged Saied to appoint a new head of government as a matter of urgency and return to a constitutional order in which an elected parliament plays a significant role. They did not however call for the resumption of activities of the suspended parliament. Saied said his intervention was in line with the constitution and necessitated by a national emergency due to political paralysis, high COVID-19 rates and popular protests. He has vowed that rights will not be affected although travel bans have affected a number of MPs and businessmen. Some former politicians have also been put under house arrest pending corruption probes.
“I communicated to the president Europe’s apprehensions about the preservation of democratic gains in Tunisia,” Borrell said after talks with Saied, ministers and representatives of political parties and civil society in the capital Tunis. He emphasised that “the free exercise of legislative power and the resumption of parliamentary activity are part of these gains and must be respected”. Prior to July 25, public distrust of the legislative branch grew over impressions that parliament and the Islamists ,who represented the leading bloc there, were a major obstacle to resolving the country’s political impasse. It is “important to lead the country towards the re-establishment of institutional stability, preserving its democratic foundations”, Borrell said. He called on Tunisia to “restart on its path of democratic consolidation”.
The president, in a statement issued by his office, had explained in talks with Borrell that his measures aimed “to rescue the state and respond to widespread popular will, with no intention to go backwards on the (democratic) gains”.
Tunisian President Kais Saied also received last Saturday a US congressional delegation while a number of political and social players in the country refused to meet with the visiting US senators, saying they reject any foreign interference in the domestic crisis. “I made clear that the United States’ only interest is in protecting and advancing a healthy democracy and economy for Tunisians. We favour no party over another and we have zero interest in pushing one reform agenda over another. Those questions are for Tunisians to decide,” tweeted US Senator Chris Murphy after meeting with Saied. A common recommendation by all visiting delegations has been the appointment of a new prime minister to manage the countries multiple crises and lead negotiations with the International Monetary Fund over a badly-needed loan package that is slated to involve economic reforms on the part of Tunisia.
The appointment of the new prime minister was expected this week but has yet to materialise. There has been growing demand at home also for Saied to announce his pick for prime minister and offer his vision of future reforms for public discussion, especially after one of his advisers revealed that the Tunisian president is mulling a shift to a presidential system.

Riyadh stresses ability to protect itself as US withdraws defence systems
The Arab Weekly/September 11/2021
WASHINGTON— The US has removed its most advanced missile defence system and Patriot batteries from Saudi Arabia in recent weeks, even as the kingdom faced continued air attacks from Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels, satellite photos analysed by The Associated Press show. But Riyadh reiterated that the Saudi military “is capable of defending its lands, seas and airspace, and protecting its people.” The redeployment of the defences from Prince Sultan Air Base outside of Riyadh came as America’s Gulf Arab allies watched the chaotic withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, including their last-minute erratic evacuations from Kabul’s besieged international airport. While tens of thousands of American forces remain across the Arabian Peninsula as a counterweight to Iran, Gulf Arab nations worry about the US future plans as its military perceives a growing threat in Asia that requires those missile defences. US disengagement is helping shape new Gulf policies and alliances including a new momentum for regional reconciliation set in motion during the Al Ula summit in Saudi Arabia last January. It is also triggering a move towards diversification of sources of armament and military support by Arab Gulf countries. Riyadh has recently signed a military cooperation agreement with Moscow. But tensions with Tehran remain high as negotiations appear stalled in Vienna over Iran’s collapsed nuclear deal with world powers, raising the danger of future confrontations in the region. “Perceptions matter whether or not they’re rooted in a cold, cold reality. And the perception is very clear that the US is not as committed to the Gulf as it used to be in the views of many people in decision-making authority in the region,” said Kristian Ulrichsen, a research fellow at the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy at Rice University.
“From the Saudi point of view, they now see Obama, Trump and Biden — three successive presidents — taking decisions that signify to some extent an abandonment.” Prince Sultan Air Base, some 115 kilometers southeast of Riyadh, has hosted several thousand US troops since a 2019 missile-and-drone attack on the heart of the kingdom’s oil production. That attack, though claimed by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, appears instead to have been carried out by Iran, according to experts and physical debris left behind. Tehran has denied launching the attack, though a drill in January saw Iranian paramilitary forces use similar drones.Just southwest of the air base’s runway, a 1-square-kilometre area set off by an earthen berm saw American forces station Patriot missile batteries, as well as one advanced Terminal High Altitude Air Defence unit, according to satellite images from Planet Labs Inc. seen by the AP. A THAAD can destroy ballistic missiles at a higher altitude than Patriots. A satellite image seen by the AP in late August showed some of the batteries removed from the area, though activity and vehicles still could be seen there. A high-resolution Planet Lab satellite picture taken Friday showed the batteries’ pads at the site empty, with no visible activity.
A redeployment of the missiles had been rumoured for months, in part due to a desire to face what American officials see as the looming “great powers conflict” with China and Russia. However, the withdrawal came just as a Houthi drone attack on Saudi Arabia wounded eight people and damaged a commercial jetliner at the kingdom’s airport in Abha. The kingdom has been locked in a stalemate war with the Houthis since March 2015 when it led an Arab coalition to counter the Iran-backed militias offensive against the internationally recognised government of Yemen.
Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby acknowledged “the redeployment of certain air defence assets” after receiving questions from the AP. He said the US maintained a “broad and deep” commitment to its Mideast allies. “The Defence Department continues to maintain tens of thousands of forces and a robust force posture in the Middle East representing some of our most advanced air power and maritime capabilities, in support of US national interests and our regional partnerships,” Kirby said. In a statement to the AP, the Saudi Defence Ministry described the kingdom’s relationship with the US as “strong, longstanding and historic” even while acknowledging the withdrawal of the American missile defence systems. It said the Saudi military “is capable of defending its lands, seas and airspace, and protecting its people.”“The redeployment of some defence capabilities of the friendly United States of America from the region is carried out through common understanding and realignment of defence strategies as an attribute of operational deployment and disposition,” the statement said.
Despite those assurances, Saudi Prince Turki al-Faisal, the kingdom’s former intelligence chief whose public remarks often track with the thoughts of its Al Saud ruling family, has linked the Patriot missile deployments directly to America’s relationship to Riyadh. “I think we need to be reassured about American commitment,” the prince told CNBC in an interview aired this week. “That looks like, for example, not withdrawing Patriot missiles from Saudi Arabia at a time when Saudi Arabia is the victim of missile attacks and drone attacks — not just from Yemen, but from Iran.” US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, on a tour of the Mideast in recent days, had been slated to go to Saudi Arabia but the trip was canceled due to what American officials referred to as “scheduling issues”. Saudi Arabia declined to discuss why Austin’s trip didn’t happen after the withdrawal of the missile defences.
Saudi Arabia maintains its own Patriot missile batteries and typically fires two missiles at an incoming target. That’s become an expensive proposition amid the Houthi campaign, as each Patriot missile costs more than $3 million. While Greece agreed in April to lend a Patriot missile battery to Saudi Arabia, the timing of the US withdrawals comes amid wider uncertainty over the American posture in the region. Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Arab countries have renewed diplomacy with Iran as a hedge. “I think we saw in Biden’s statements on fghanistan, the way he said things that he’s clearly going to put US interests first and obviously that came as quite a disappointment to partners and allies around the world who maybe hoped for something different after Trump,” said Ulrichsen, the research fellow. “He sounds quite similar to an ‘America First’ approach, just sort of a different tone.”

UN urges countries, organisations to send election observers to Libya
The Arab Weekly/September 11/2021
UNITED NATIONS, New York— The UN special envoy for Libya warned Friday that failure to hold presidential and parliamentary elections on Dec. 24 could renew division and conflict and thwart efforts to unite the oil-rich North African nation after a decade of turmoil. Jan Kubis told the UN Security Council that “aborting the drive for elections will be for many be a signal that violence is the only path to power in the country.” UN-sponsored peace talks brought about a cease-fire last October between rival governments in Libya’s east and west and installed an interim government that is expected to lead the country into December elections, but the Libyan parliament has failed to finalise a legal framework for voting to take place. Kubis said the House of Representatives adopted the presidential electoral law, and he was told it is in the process of finalising the electoral law for parliamentary elections. He said the High Council of State, an executive institution that among other duties proposes electoral laws, complained that the presidential electoral law was adopted without consulting its members. “The country and its people need a full clarity that the elections are going to happen on December 24,” Kubis said in a video briefing. “The existing uncertainty creates a fertile ground for spoilers and sceptics to manipulate the situation against the political transition, feeding in the existing tensions in relations between diverse Libyan institutions and authorities.”He stressed that holding elections, “even in less than ideal situation, and with all imperfections, challenges and risks is much more desirable than no elections that could only foster division, instability and conflict.” Many UN Security Council members also called for elections to take place on December 24, the date decided by the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum, a 75-member body from all walks of life, and endorsed by the Security Council. France’s UN Ambassador Nicolas De Riviere called on all Libyan leaders “to assume their responsibilities to complete this process on time and to rise to the challenge.” He said: “France will support any Libyan decision supported by the United Nations to clarify the legal basis for holding the elections.” US deputy ambassador Jeffrey DeLaurentis said “The parties need to agree on a constitutional and legal framework for elections – urgently.” While it’s fortunate that work is progressing, he said, “we urge maximum efforts to consult and secure broad consensus.” Libya has been wracked by chaos since a NATO-backed uprising toppled longtime ruler Muammar Gadhafi in 2011 and split the country between a UN-supported government in the capital, Tripoli, and rival authorities loyal to Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar in the east. Each have been backed by different armed groups and foreign governments. Haftar launched a military offensive in 2019 to capture the capital. But his march on Tripoli ultimately failed in June 2020 after Turkey sent mercenaries and troops to support the government. This paved the way for the October cease-fire agreement. Kubis urged Libya’s rivals “to join forces and ensure inclusive, free, fair parliamentary and presidential elections, which are to be seen as the essential step in further stabilising and uniting Libya.”He said more than 500,000 new voters have recently registered, bringing the total to over 2.8 million — 40% of them women. Most of the new voters are under 30 years old, he said, “a clear testament to the young generation’s eagerness to take part in determining the fate of their country through a democratic process.” Kubis said Libya needs to move “beyond the state of paralysing perpetual crisis and conflict and perennial transition” to build a united, stable and secure country that can focus on development. He stressed that elections are “a political and security necessity ensuring that the positive developments achieved in Libya since October 2020 continue.” The October cease-fire continues to hold, Kubis said, but the continued presence of mercenaries, foreign fighters and foreign forces who were supposed to leave under its provisions “remains a cause of grave concern for Libya and the international community.” To support implementation of the cease-fire, Kubis said the UN is continuing preparations to deploy the first group of 10 UN cease-fire monitors and support staff “in the coming days.”With just over 100 days until Dec. 24, the UN envoy urged all countries and regional organisations to send election observers “in order to help ensure integrity and credibility of the electoral process and acceptability of the results.”

Gadhafi’s son Saadi moves to Turkey after release
The Arab Weekly/September 11/2021
ISTANBUL--Saadi Gadhafi, a son of Libya’s late longtime ruler Muammar Gadhafi who was killed in a 2011 uprising, has moved to Turkey after being freed from jail, the family’s spokesman said. Saadi — the strongman’s third son now aged 47 — was known for his playboy lifestyle and briefly played as a professional footballer in Italy. He was freed along with several other prisoners, including Gadhafi’s former cabinet and intelligence chief, Ahmad Ramadan, last weekend. Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said on Friday that it had “no knowledge” of Saadi’s presence in Istanbul, which was initially reported by Libyan media. But Moussa Ibrahim, a former Libyan information minister who still serves as a Gadhafi family spokesman, told Turkey’s Haberler.com news site that Saadi had moved to Turkey with his family. “Egypt said it would welcome Saadi, and so did Saudi Arabia. And there was Turkey,” the spokesman was quoted as saying. “A common decision of all the parties involved was also in favour of Turkey, since it was easier logistically. Saadi also wanted to go to Turkey, and it was arranged.” Saadi fled to Niger following the 2011 NATO-backed uprising, but was extradited to Libya in 2014. He was held in a Tripoli prison, accused of crimes committed against protesters and of the 2005 killing of Libyan football coach Bashir al-Rayani. In April 2018, the court of appeal acquitted him of Rayani’s murder. Since the 2011 uprising, Libya has sunk into chaos, with an array of rulers and militias vying for power. A 2020 ceasefire ended the factional fighting and paved the way for peace talks and the formation of a transitional government this March, ahead of elections set for December. But preparations are marred by disputes over when to hold elections, what elections to hold and on what constitutional grounds.

Swiss court finds Kuwaiti Olympic official guilty of forgery
The Arab Weekly/September 11/2021
GENEVA –Olympic power broker Sheikh Ahmad al-Fahad al-Sabah of Kuwait was found guilty on Friday of forgery linked to implicating his political rivals in Kuwait in a coup plot — a verdict that puts his long career in global sports politics at risk.
Sheikh Ahmad, his English former lawyer, a Kuwaiti aide and two more lawyers based in Geneva in 2014 were convicted on forgery charges linked to orchestrating a sham arbitration case in the upscale Swiss city. The sheikh was sentenced to almost 14 months’ jail time with a further 15 months suspended in a case that has put much of his Olympic work on hold for almost three years. “I know I didn’t do anything. I will wait for the appeal (and) my rights,” Sheikh Ahmad said as he walked away from court with his lawyers, adding he would return to Geneva to challenge his conviction.
“I will never stop because I believe I am innocent.” The panel of three judges found the five men took part in a staged legal dispute and arbitration hearing to gain a favourable ruling. It sought to authenticate video footage that would show two Kuwaiti politicians — including a former prime minister — discussing a possible coup in the oil-rich kingdom. Sheikh Ahmad supported the false arbitration and was its sole beneficiary, presiding judge Delphine Gonseth said.His sentence was more severe than the public prosecutor had requested — just six months’ jail time with a further two years suspended.
“Kingmaker”
One of the most influential Olympic officials of the past decade, known as the “kingmaker” of international sports elections. Since 1991 he’s led the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) created by his father. One year later he joined the International Olympic Committee whose members elect host cities. Sheikh Ahmad’s influence grew in 2012 when he was elected president of ANOC, the global group of 206 national Olympic committees. He also chaired an IOC panel that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars to Olympic athletes and teams. He was a strong supporter in the 2013 election of current IOC president Thomas Bach. The sheikh stepped aside — ”temporarily self-suspended” in the Olympic phrase — from the IOC and ANOC after being indicted by Geneva prosecutors in November 2018. He continued to lead the OCA until stepping aside Friday. In a later statement, OCA vice-president Raja Randhir Singh said he would take over as acting president. The IOC said Friday the “court decision is now being reviewed by the IOC chief ethics and compliance officer.” He was also an executive committee member at FIFA for two years but resigned in 2017 after being implicated by U.S. federal prosecutors in bribing Asian soccer officials. As a member of Kuwait’s ruling family, the 58-year-old sheikh has been a government minister and in 2005 was secretary general of the OPEC cartel of oil-producing nations.
‘Scenario of a thriller’
In 2013 Sheikh Ahmad presented video footage to Kuwaiti authorities that allegedly showed a former prime minister, Sheikh Nasser al-Mohammed al-Sabah, and a former speaker in parliament, Jassim al-Kharafi, discussing a coup. The two men could have faced the death penalty for treason. Lawyers for Sheikh Nasser al-Mohammed and the al-Kharafi family filed a criminal complaint in 2015 in Geneva, which is a world hub for commercial arbitration. The forgery charges centre on a 2014 arbitration case in Geneva, later presented to the High Court in London, that sought to verify the videos. Prosecutors said the sham legal dispute involved backdated documents and a shell company in Delaware the defendants controlled that led to a staged arbitration case. The case was “the scenario of a thriller,” a lawyer for Sheikh Nasser al-Mohammed, Jean-Pierre Jacquemoud, said in court.
Prosecutor Stéphane Grodecki said the case should focus on the alleged faked arbitration process, not the authenticity of video footage. “Today be sure that the al-Kharafi family feels very relieved (with) this decision,” its lawyer Catherine Hohl-Chirazi said outside court.
More than one convict
Sheikh Ahmad, a Kuwaiti who prosecutors say was a trusted aide, and three lawyers based in Geneva in 2014, were charged on Friday. English lawyer Matthew Parish was tried in his absence and sentenced to three years’ jail time. Judge Gonseth said he was an arbitration expert and “manifestly” involved at all stages of the process. The aide, Hamad al-Haroun, was sentenced to serve 15 months with a further 15 months suspended. He lives in London after being granted asylum since 2014. The arbitrator, Stoyan Baumeyer, who was allegedly paid 10,000 Swiss francs ($10,900) to sign the judgment, and another lawyer, Vitaly Kozachenko who worked with Parish, got lesser suspended sentences. Sheikh Ahmad was questioned in court on August 31. He said he trusted his lawyers and signed the documents presented to him. The sheikh — referred to often in court by his lawyer as Mr. al-Sabah — said he believed the videos were genuine. He apologised on Kuwait television in 2015. Long-time IOC legal adviser François Carrard was due in court last week to give a statement in support of Sheikh Ahmad. A medical issue was cited for his late cancellation. Lawyers acting separately for the two Kuwaiti defendants shifted the focus to Parish. Al-Haroun’s lawyer said his client was motivated by trying to protect the state of Kuwait, and that he did not have qualifications and experience for an arbitration process.

The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials published on September 11-12/2021
Is It Puppeteers or Puppets in Control in Washington?
Lawrence Kadish/Gatestone Institute/September 11/2021
Under Biden, America now has a national debt that rivals a Black Hole..... Our southern border remains more a suggestion than a checkpoint. And our allies see a nation that has casually condemned to death untold numbers of Afghans who fervently believed in America until they saw our last C-17 depart Kabul.
What all of this might suggest is that there are individuals in Washington who are wielding enormous power without worrying about what Joe Biden might think or do because whatever they decide, it is Biden who will take the fall. If true, it has the makings of a nightmare situation.
[W]e appear to be trapped by a Washington power elite intent on consigning our future to oblivion. In the end, it will be up to the American electorate to halt this slide as they consider who to send to Congress in the next election cycle.
Our allies see a nation that has casually condemned to death untold numbers of Afghans who fervently believed in America until they saw our last C-17 depart Kabul.
It must be the best of times and the worst of times for our nation's enemies.
On one hand they have a President in the White House whose actions are reducing America into some befuddled and diminished world power. On the other hand our foes are trying to figure out, as are all Americans, who is actually in charge in Washington?
Is it a shadow government of consultants, lobbyists, and Obama retreads? Or is it really a president who counts success as getting to the presidential helicopter unassisted? One can envision the intelligence chiefs of our sworn enemies being sternly lectured by their supreme leaders to get to the bottom of it because they can't believe their good fortune that American leadership has fallen so far so fast. It must be a devious trap.
If only that were true. It is understandable our foes sense a unique moment in history. Under Biden, America now has a national debt that rivals a Black Hole. Our unemployment numbers refuse to go down, suggesting deep fissures in our economy. Our southern border remains more a suggestion than a checkpoint. And our allies see a nation that has casually condemned to death untold numbers of Afghans who fervently believed in America until they saw our last C-17 depart Kabul.
What all of this might suggest is that there are individuals in Washington who are wielding enormous power without worrying about what Joe Biden might think or do because whatever they decide, it is Biden who will take the fall. If true, it has the makings of a nightmare situation.
And yet there is another scenario that is equally chilling. What if Biden is not the tool of those behind the throne? What if he has cut the cord of puppet strings and is "dancing" freely? What if he is pursuing policies and initiatives far removed from those who thought they could direct the actions of a President whose cognitive behavior has been seriously questioned? So pity our poor enemies. They do not know who to bribe, intimidate, or co-opt. And then pity America -- for whether we tell Joe "it's time to go" or "straighten up and fly right," we appear to be trapped by a Washington power elite intent on consigning our future to oblivion. In the end, it will be up to the American electorate to halt this slide as they consider who to send to Congress in the next election cycle.*Lawrence Kadish serves on the Board of Governors of Gatestone Institute.
© 2021 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.

What does the Deraa surrender mean for Iran and Russia in Syria?
Joanthan Spyer/Jerusalem Post/September 11/2021
BEHIND THE LINES: In the southwest, the outside powers of relevance are Iran and Russia. The arrangement in place from July 2018 until now was the product of an uneasy standoff between them.
In a new ceasefire agreement that may bring an end to a 75-day Assad-regime siege on the Syrian town of Deraa al-Balad, Syrian rebels have, with few alternatives, made far-reaching concessions to the Syrian government. The siege and the subsequent agreement bring an end to an anomalous situation that had pertained in Deraa al-Balad since the area’s reconquest by regime, Russian and Iranian forces in July 2018.
Since that time, Russia had underwritten a situation in which former rebels were able to hold light weapons and maintain security inside the town. The regime, meanwhile, did not attempt to establish checkpoints or impose its rule in Deraa al-Balad.
The regime offensive under way since June was intended to terminate this situation and reimpose direct rule, as part of President Bashar Assad’s effort to reconquer all parts of Syria currently outside of government control. In Deraa al-Balad, this objective now looks well on the way to being achieved. The siege has been brutal, in the usual Assad manner. Food and medical supplies have been kept out of the area, in which around 50,000 people are resident. Electricity supplies, patchy even before the siege, were cut off.
The shifting balance of power in this southwestern Syrian province matters to Israel, because Deraa province borders the Golan Heights. It is the location of an Iranian strategic project to establish and deploy forces under its control in the area, with the intention that these may be used in a future clash between Jerusalem and Tehran, or Iran’s local proxy, Hezbollah.
Iran controls the border crossing at Abu Kamal, further east, linking Syria to Iraq. The Iranians have freedom of movement across the south of the country. They have built a number of facilities close to the border crossing, including the large Imam Ali base.
From Israel’s point of view, the main obstacle to the consolidation and entrenchment of this Iranian project, other than Israel’s own military actions, has been the Russian presence in the area. The Russians do not support the Iranian project to build a capacity for aggression against Israel in southwestern Syria. Their own project of limited cooperation with former rebels appeared indeed to be pushing in the other direction.
The apparent Russian shift toward acquiescence to Iranian desires reflected in the Deraa agreement will thus not be welcomed in Jerusalem. Going together with increasing signs of Russian impatience with Israel’s air campaign against Iranian targets in Syria, it is an indication that any Israeli hopes that Russia might play a role in limiting Iran’s influence in Syria may have to be revised.
At present, around 30% of Syria remains outside regime control. The main areas outside Damascus’s remit in Syria are currently invulnerable to incursions because they are guaranteed by external powers. These are the Kurdish-dominated Autonomous Authority of North and East Syria (AANES) – whose continued existence is currently underwritten by the presence of US forces on its soil, and the Turkish-occupied area in Syria’s northwest.
In the southwest, the outside powers of relevance are Iran and Russia. The arrangement in place from July 2018 until now was the product of an uneasy standoff between them.
Moscow chose to align itself with former rebel commander Ahmed Oda and his comrades. These were re-mustered as the 8th Brigade of the 5th Corps of the Syrian Army, a Russian-created structure. The 8th Brigade was for a time directly under Russian command. Russian officers played a role in it at various levels.The recent regime offensive constituted a direct Iranian attempt to challenge this Russian project head on. The offensive was spearheaded by the 4th Division. This formation is often described as one of the Assad regime’s “Praetorian” units. It is majority Alawite in composition and is staffed by professional soldiers, rather than conscripts. Commanded de facto by Maher Assad, the president’s brother, the 4th Division today works closely with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and is a key component of Iran’s efforts to blur the distinction between “regime” forces and Iranian proxies. Air Force Intelligence and the Republican Guard are additional elements working closely with Tehran.
The 4th Division’s offensive against Deraa al-Balad, beginning in late June, progressed slowly. Indeed, it is testimony to the very limited capacities of this supposedly “elite” division that it has taken it more than two months to pacify an area controlled by (albeit experienced) fighters armed only with light weapons.
The key aspect in Deraa al-Balad’s surrender was the Russian decision to abandon ambiguity and make clear that it would support further regime action against the area if the former rebel fighters did not agree to regime demands.
As of now, the former rebels have agreed to terms in the Russian-mediated negotiations, which represent their complete surrender to the demands of the regime. The agreement, according to reporting from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, will see the establishment of 10 security points and checkpoints inside Deraa al-Balad, under Russian military police supervision, where the Russian flag and the Syrian regime flag will be raised. In addition, individuals wanted for mandatory military service will need to “regularize” their situation with the regime. All individuals wishing not to conform to these terms will have to depart for the Turkish and Islamist-rebel controlled area in the northwest.
Abdullah Al-Jabbassini, a Syrian researcher who monitors the southwest, noted in addition that the agreement will include the surrender of light weapons by the fighters in Deraa al-Balad. Jabbassini also recorded that according to the agreement, Russian military police will be involved in direct contact with the community, including checking identification cards at checkpoints, and that local notables will accompany the security forces.
These two latter elements are clearly intended to soften the blow for the former rebels, and to reduce as far as possible the friction that would result from direct contact between them and Assad’s security forces. But what has taken place is a significant achievement for the Iran-aligned element within the official Syrian security forces. It also represents an abandonment by the Russians of the stance they sought to maintain since July 2018 – namely, the effort to maintain the status quo established by the reconciliation agreement of that time.
Why has this happened now? Tensions in this area are not new and have smoldered ever since the regime’s return in 2018. But the latest events reflect growing Iranian confidence, which itself appears to derive from a fading Russian commitment to the status quo. The latter element is the crucial point, creating the space for change, which the most Iran-aligned element of the regime has now exploited.
The reason for this apparent shift in Russia’s position is less clear, but the direction appears unmistakable. It may well be that the sense of an American weakening in the region also contributes to Iranian boldness, and Russian disregard of the concerns of local US allies. The result will be the further advance of the Iranian interest in southwestern Syria. This interest is woven into the decrepit structures of the Assad regime. It represents ambitions, strategy and priorities determined in Tehran, not in Damascus. And it is currently extending all the way to the border with Israel.

Cyberwar, Part Two: "Flipping Switches"
Peter Schweizer/ Gatestone Institute/September 11/2021
President Thomas Jefferson's decision to fight the Barbary pirates was not without its detractors. Many Americans, including John Adams, believed it was better policy to pay the tribute. It was cheaper than the loss of trade.
Sanctions and other punitive measures should address Russia's refusal to sign onto the so-called Budapest Convention, a pact that obliges signatories to prevent cyber-crimes that are conducted within their borders. European Union nations and the United States are all signatories. Russia has resisted doing so, even as cyber-crime traced to the Russian mafia and other "advanced persistent threat" actors is repeatedly traced to its soil.
An article from the February 2015 issue of Brigham Young University Law Review argues persuasively that "Russia has an obligation to monitor and prevent trans-boundary cybercrime under the standard of due diligence." But Russia will not, because the cyber-hackers advance Vladimir Putin's goal of creating havoc and depressing the morale of the countries he targets.
The cat-and-mouse games played every day between cyber-crooks and cyber-cops cannot be ended by one daring raid. But as the stakes of the crimes rise with the world's reliance on connected systems to operate more and more physical infrastructure, the urgent need to shove the pirates off the deck before they can burn the ship grows more pressing.
A historical reference well describes the situation where state-sponsored or state-condoned thieves prey on innocent businesses through cyber-crime, cyber-espionage and the financial threats caused by cyber-extortion: the Barbary pirates. President Thomas Jefferson's decision to fight the Barbary pirates was not without its detractors. Many Americans, including John Adams, believed it was better policy to pay the tribute. It was cheaper than the loss of trade. (Image source: iStock)
Discussing Russian hacking capabilities in a video discussion for the Heritage Foundation recently, Prof. Scott Jasper of the Naval Postgraduate School recalled a hack in 2018 in which the attackers succeeded in penetrating electrical power companies in the U.S., as they did in Ukraine
"We had evidence from CISA (Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency) that Russian actors had penetrated up to 20 to 24 utilities by compromising vendors that had trusted relationships," Jasper said. "They had taken control to the point where they could have thrown switches. They did this in Ukraine and flipped the switches of substations. So, this is a real threat."
Those are sobering words from an authority on Russian cyber-crime, cyber-espionage, and the financial threats caused by cyber-extortion. And the most recent large-scale ransomware hack shows the stakes of that problem.
It was a ransomware gang called REvil that recently targeted a Miami-based IT services provider called Kaseya. REvil demanded $70 million in ransom, the highest ever, but later reduced it to $50 million. This malicious Russia-based outfit also sought ransom payments from thousands of affected customer organizations and managed service providers. Like the SolarWinds attack mentioned in the Part One of this series, it was a classic "supply chain" attack, in which a trusted IT service provider for other companies instead becomes the unwitting source of an attack upon its own customers by cyber-predators that compromise their software maintenance updates.
While the term "Trojan Horse" is certainly appropriate to describe the malicious "Cobalt Strike" software that did the actual damage, another historical reference may better describe the situation where state-sponsored or state-condoned thieves prey on innocent businesses -- the Barbary pirates.
In the early 19th Century, US President Thomas Jefferson was confronted by the Barbary pirates of North Africa, who were known for capturing and ransoming sailors and vessels they attacked under the protection of the local pashas and the Ottoman Empire. In 1804, after "corsairs" seized the new U.S. frigate Philadelphia, which ran aground off Tripoli, U.S. Navy officers Edward Preble and Stephen Decatur led a daring raid on Tripoli's harbor and blew up the captured warship, while inflicting heavy damage on the city's defenses. Britain's Admiral Lord Nelson himself called the raid "the most bold and daring act of the age." Jefferson's decision to fight the Barbary pirates was not without its detractors. Many Americans, including John Adams, believed it was better policy to pay the tribute. It was cheaper than the loss of trade. As Adams put it, "We ought not to fight them at all unless we determine to fight them forever."
The internet is not the south coast of the Mediterranean, and today's digital corsairs can essentially operate from anywhere. But they are still the responsibility and, in many cases, the paid agents of Russian aggression against the U.S. and other sovereign nations. Sanctions and other punitive measures should address Russia's refusal to sign onto the so-called Budapest Convention, a pact that obliges signatories to prevent cyber-crimes that are conducted within their borders. European Union nations and the United States are all signatories. Russia has resisted doing so, even as cyber-crime traced to the Russian mafia and other "advanced persistent threat" actors is repeatedly traced to its soil. An article from the February 2015 issue of Brigham Young University Law Review argues persuasively that "Russia has an obligation to monitor and prevent trans-boundary cybercrime under the standard of due diligence." But Russia will not, because the cyber-hackers advance Vladimir Putin's goal of creating havoc and depressing the morale of the countries he targets.
Something encouraging did happen after REvil's attack: its website went off the air. By itself, this is not uncommon, since cybercriminals often "go dark" after a large-scale exploit like this one. In this case, though, an anonymous victim who paid a ransom demanded by REvil for the decryptor was unable to get a working code from REvil's "customer service" address. Days later, however, Kaseya announced to its customers that it had received a universal decryptor from a third party and offered it to its customers directly for free. Asked by a Reuters correspondent recently whether it would make sense to attack the Russian servers used in such intrusions, president Joe Biden paused, smiled, and said: "Yes."
Even two months later, no one in the security community will say for sure who might have taken the site down. In fact, the group's dark web site partially came back online as of September 8, two months after disappearing. This leaves unanswered whether REvil was really punished or disabled, and who actually provided Kaseya with the decryption tool. Was it a chastened Russia? American intelligence operatives? Or was REvil paid by someone to go dark? No one is likely to say, for a variety of reasons. We can hope that a corner has been turned, but it's much too early to say. Unfortunately, there are plenty of other hacking groups capable of duplicating the feat.
Cyber-security experts continue to stress resilience and recovery from attacks, rather than pinning hopes on offensive strikes at hacker groups, regardless of whether they are acting on behalf of a government. The world of cyber-crime is more complicated and fast-moving today than in the days of 18th and 19th Century "Musselman" privateers. The cat-and-mouse games played every day between cyber-crooks and cyber-cops cannot be ended by one daring raid. But as the stakes of the crimes rise with the world's reliance on connected systems to operate more and more of its physical infrastructure, the urgent need to shove the pirates off the deck before they can burn the ship grows more pressing.
*Peter Schweizer, President of the Governmental Accountability Institute, is a Gatestone Institute Distinguished Senior Fellow and author of the best-selling books Profiles in Corruption, Secret Empires and Clinton Cash, among others.
© 2021 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.