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Detailed LCCC English News Bulletin For November 20/2019

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Detailed LCCC English News Bulletin For November 20/2019

Click Here to read the whole and detailed LCCC English News Bulletin for November 20/2019

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Titles Of The LCCC English News Bulletin
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Latest LCCC English Lebanese & Lebanese Related News 
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A Bundle Of English Reports, News and Editorials For November 19-20/2019 Addressing the On Going Mass Demonstrations & Sit In-ins In Iranian Occupied Lebanon in its 34th Day

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A Bundle Of English Reports, News and Editorials For November 19-20/2019 Addressing the On Going Mass Demonstrations & Sit In-ins In Iranian Occupied Lebanon in its 34th Day
Compiled By: Elias Bejjani
November 19-20/2019

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News published on November 19-20/2019
Lebanese Protesters Force Postponement of Controversial Parliament Session
Protest-hit Lebanon assembly postpones session citing security
Protests force Lebanese parliament to postpone session, banks reopen
Protesters Form Human Chain, Force Postponement of Parliament Session
Scuffles as Protesters in Beirut Block Lawmakers’ Path
Protesters force postponement of Lebanese parliament session
Berri Says Some Didn’t ‘Honor Their Promises’ on Legislative Session
Hizbullah MP Rides Scooter, Chants with Protesters Besieging Parliament
Lebanese protesters gather around parliament to block lawmakers from entering
Protests Force Lebanon, North Korea World Cup Qualifier into Empty Stadium
Lebanon: Hariri Insists on Technocrat Government but Not Rushing to Preside It
White House holding up Lebanon aid, official confirms
Hariri Invited to Attend Independence Day Parade
ABL Lauds Security Measures, Behavior of Clients, Employees
3 Riad al-Solh Protesters Hurt in Evening Scuffles with Riot Police
Gunshots Fired from Lawmaker’s Convoy in Bab Idriss
Banks Open in Lebanon after Week-Long Strike
Lebanese parliament postponed after protesters block MPs from entry

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News published on November 19-20/2019
Lebanese Protesters Force Postponement of Controversial Parliament Session
Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 19 November, 2019
Lebanon’s parliament, besieged by angry protesters, Tuesday for a second time postponed a session that had been due to discuss draft laws which critics charge would let corrupt politicians off the hook. From early morning, hundreds of noisy demonstrators and riot police had faced off and at times scuffled outside the assembly in Beirut, with activists also trying to block MPs’ convoys. “Revolution, revolution,” chanted the protesters, punching the air with their fists and waving Lebanese flags, in the latest rally in over a month of street protests. “This parliament is ours,” chanted one woman through a megaphone as others banged pots and pans. Then, shortly before noon and after several parties had said they would boycott the session, parliament official Adnane Daher appeared before TV cameras. “The session has been postponed to a date to be determined later,” he said, citing “exceptional conditions, in particular security conditions”. “This is a new achievement for the revolution,” cheered Mohamed Ataya, a 28-year-old demonstrator, vowing that no session would be held “as long as the people control the street”.
‘Great danger’
Lebanon, its economy in turmoil, has since October 17 been rocked by an unprecedented wave of popular street revolts that have cut across sectarian lines. What started with protests against government plans to tax online phone calls made through WhatsApp and other online providers has turned into a broader popular revolt against the perceived ineptitude and corruption of the entire ruling class. Amid the month-old crisis the prime minister, Saad Hariri, bowed to street pressure and resigned on October 29, but the parliamentary consultations needed to form a new government have yet to be started. A former minister, Mohamad Safadi, who had been considered to replace Hariri, has withdrawn his bid for the top job after more massive protests. Tuesday’s plans for a parliamentary session, already postponed by a week, had further stoked anger as MPs were scheduled to discuss a bill to grant an amnesty to thousands convicted of a range of offenses. The anti-government demonstrators see the draft law as a way to exonerate people convicted or suspected of involvement in crimes ranging from tax evasion to breaches of environmental regulations. “They want an amnesty to escape (charges) of tax evasion and to release criminals onto the streets,” said one activist who gave her name as Tracy, 24, and who criticized the “illegitimate” parliament. The specialist non-government group Legal Agenda labeled the proposed law “a great danger”. The parliamentarians had also been due to consider a bill to create a court specializing in financial crimes and the mismanagement of public funds, whose judges would be appointed by the legislature, raising further fears of conflicts of interest. Protesters condemned the move to hold the session after Hariri’s resignation, saying officials should focus on appointing his replacement and forming a new government.
Banks reopen
Lebanon’s street protests, including widespread roadblocks with burning car tires, have at times brought the country close to a standstill, and sent the already struggling economy deeper into crisis. Amid the turmoil, banks stayed shut for weeks and restricted withdrawals, foreign currency transactions and access to dollars, often causing bank clients’ tempers to flare. In rare good news for Lebanese citizens, banks were due to reopen on Tuesday. The Federation of Syndicates of Banks Employees in Lebanon had announced the end of a strike on Monday, saying new security measures had been agreed with authorities to protect banks. The Lebanese pound has been pegged to the US dollar at around 1,500 for two decades and the currencies are used interchangeably in daily life. But amid the deepening economic crisis, the exchange rate in the parallel market has surpassed 1,800 Lebanese pounds for every dollar. The Association of Banks in Lebanon announced on Sunday “temporary” arrangements authorizing the withdrawal of $1,000 per week for those with accounts in US dollars. On Monday, the US State Department spokeswoman tweeted that Washington “proudly” stands with the Lebanese people who are demanding an end to endemic corruption. Morgan Ortagus posted a video recorded on Friday in which she blasted Russia for seeking to miscast the Lebanese protests as a “plot by the United States.”

Protest-hit Lebanon assembly postpones session citing security
AFP, Beirut/Tuesday, 19 November 2019
Lebanon’s parliament, besieged by protesters, said Tuesday it had indefinitely postponed a session that had been due to discuss controversial draft laws. “The session has been postponed to a date to be determined later,” said parliament official Adnane Daher, reading a statement in front of television cameras, citing “exceptional conditions, in particular security conditions.”Lebanese protesters began gathering on Tuesday morning around the parliament in Beirut, where the legislative session was scheduled, to block lawmakers from reaching the building amid tight security measures, according to the Lebanese National News Agency. Banks were set to reopen for the first time in a week after announcing temporary steps, such as a weekly cap of $1,000 on withdrawals of hard currency and transfers abroad limited to urgent personal expenses, in moves to prevent capital flight. A month after the start of nationwide protests, Lebanon is in serious political and economic crisis with no indication of its leaders agreeing on a new government to replace the outgoing cabinet of Saad al-Hariri, who quit as premier on October 29. Near parliament, riot police scuffled with a group of protesters who were trying to use a cable to remove a barbed wire barricade blocking a road, a Reuters witness said. The protests have been fueled by perceptions of corruption among the sectarian politicians who have governed Lebanon for decades and are blamed for leading the country into its worst economic crisis since the 1975-90 civil war.

Protests force Lebanese parliament to postpone session, banks reopen
Arab News/November 19, 2019
BEIRUT: Protesters prevented Lebanon’s parliament from holding its first session in two months on Tuesday, escalating a wave of demonstrations against rulers blamed for steering the country towards economic collapse. Banks reopened after a one-week closure, with police stationed at branches and banks applying restrictions on hard currency withdrawals and transfers abroad. The protests erupted last month, fuelled by corruption among the sectarian politicians who have governed Lebanon for decades. Protesters want to see the entire ruling class gone from power. Lebanon’s economic troubles have increased since then. Despite the depth of the economic crisis, the worst since the 1975-90 civil war, politicians have been unable to form a new government since Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri quit on Oct. 29. Near parliament on Tuesday, gunfire was heard as several dozen protesters forced two SUVs with official plates and tinted windows to turn back as they approached the building, Lebanese television showed. The vehicles sped away after they were struck by demonstrators chanting “Out, out, out!”
Parliament postponed the session indefinitely.
“This is a new victory for the revolution and we are continuing until we achieve our goals,” said protester Abdelrazek Hamoud. The session’s agenda had included reelecting members of parliamentary committees and discussion of an amnesty law that would lead to the release of hundreds of prisoners. Protesters were angry the MPs were not tackling their demands for reform. Security forces had fanned out before dawn, shutting down roads around parliament with barbed wire. Police scuffled with protesters who tried to remove a barbed wire barricade. Ahmad Mekdash, a civil engineer, said: “They should be meeting right now to form a new cabinet and not to pass laws, especially laws that aren’t urgent.” The economic crisis, rooted in years of government waste and corruption, has now filtered into the financial system which faces dollar shortages and a weakening of the pegged pound. Banks had mostly been closed since the protests started. Though the banking association on Sunday had agreed a weekly cap of $1,000 on cash withdrawals from U.S. dollar accounts, some depositors found they could only withdraw a lesser amount.
Six customers at Bank Audi were told they could only take out a maximum of $300. Several customers at BankMed were told the cap was $400.
A banking source said the $1,000 figure had been set as a ceiling and for some customers it was less depending on the amount in their account. “I have an account with $8,000 dollars and they won’t let me withdraw above 300. They told me you can take $1,000 out only if your account has above $100,000 in it,” said Bank Audi customer Charif Baalbaki, 43, a copywriter. Bank of Beirut customer Khalid Maarouf, 40, who works in textiles, said he didn’t know how he was going to come up with dollar payments he needed to make this month. “I need $20,000 before the end of the month to make payments to people and I can only get $1,000 each week,” he said. Caretaker finance minister Ali Hassan Khalil said Lebanon was in “a critical condition” requiring a new government. But in the last few days he said there had been “no real new effort” towards forming one. Hariri, who is aligned with Western and Gulf Arab states, wants to return as prime minister of specialist ministers devoid of any other politicians, while the Iran-backed Hezbollah and its allies say the government should include politicians. Capital Economics said in a research note: “Pressure is growing on Lebanon’s dollar peg and, in the event of a devaluation, the pound could fall by as much as 50% against the dollar.”The central bank has vowed to maintain its currency peg of 1507.5 to the dollar, in place since 1997. The dollar buying price on a parallel market was 1820-1830 pounds on Tuesday according to five currency dealers, about 20% higher than the official rate.

Protesters Form Human Chain, Force Postponement of Parliament Session
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/November 19/2019
Lebanon’s parliament, besieged by angry protesters, Tuesday for a second time postponed a session that had been due to discuss draft laws which critics charge would let corrupt politicians off the hook. From early morning protesters from different parts of Lebanon formed a human chain blocking roads leading to the parliament assembly in Downtown Beirut to stop lawmakers from attending a session they deem as “unconstitutional”. Scuffles with riot police broke out while women stood as barriers between the two sides to prevent clashes. The Parliament is set to discuss several controversial laws, already postponed for a week due to pressure from the street. It was planned to convene in two session, one to elect the secretariat and committee members, and another that includes draft laws related to fighting corruption as well as pensions and a general amnesty law. The general amnesty law would include thousands of people. “Revolution, revolution,” chanted the protesters, punching the air with their fists and waving Lebanese flags, in the latest rally in over a month of street protests. “This parliament is ours,” chanted one woman through a megaphone as others banged pots and pans. Then, shortly before noon and after several parties had said they would boycott the session, parliament official Adnane Daher appeared before TV cameras. “The session has been postponed to a date to be determined later,” he said, citing “exceptional conditions, in particular security conditions”.”This is a new achievement for the revolution,” cheered Mohamed Ataya, a 28-year-old demonstrator, vowing that no session would be held “as long as the people control the street”.
‘Great danger’
Lebanon, its economy in turmoil, has since October 17 been rocked by an unprecedented wave of popular street revolts that have cut across sectarian lines. What started with protests against government plans to tax online phone calls made through WhatsApp and other online providers has turned into a broader popular revolt against the perceived ineptitude and corruption of the entire ruling class. Amid the month-old crisis the prime minister, Saad Hariri, bowed to street pressure and resigned on October 29, but the parliamentary consultations needed to form a new government have yet to be started.
A former minister, Mohamad Safadi, who had been considered to replace Hariri, has withdrawn his bid for the top job after more massive protests. The anti-government demonstrators see the draft law as a way to exonerate people convicted or suspected of involvement in crimes ranging from tax evasion to breaches of environmental regulations. “They want an amnesty to escape (charges) of tax evasion and to release criminals onto the streets,” said one activist who gave her name as Tracy, 24, and who criticized the “illegitimate” parliament. The specialist non-government group Legal Agenda labelled the proposed law “a great danger”. The parliamentarians had also been due to consider a bill to create a court specialising in financial crimes and the mismanagement of public funds, whose judges would be appointed by the legislature, raising further fears of conflicts of interest.

Scuffles as Protesters in Beirut Block Lawmakers’ Path
Associated Press/Naharnet/November 19/2019
Scuffles broke out in central Beirut on Tuesday as thousands of anti-government protesters tried to prevent lawmakers from reaching Parliament, outraged that a session was planned even though the country is still without a Cabinet. When one legislator headed toward the building and could not reach it and turned back, his bodyguards opened fire in the air to clear the way. No one was hurt in the incident. The house was to meet but the protesters on the streets question the constitutionality of such a session in the absence of a government. An earlier session last Tuesday was postponed amid nationwide protests that have gripped Lebanon since mid-October. Heavy police and army reinforcements were deployed in downtown Beirut since late Monday to cordon off the area around the parliament. Hundreds of young protesters thronged around the parliament building, blocking the entrances and vowing to disrupt the session. Some protesters tried to break through the barbed wire, scuffling with riot police, while women protesters tried to form a live barrier between the two sides. “We are here today because there is a parliament session that is anti-constitutional,” said protester Rania al-Akhras, speaking in English and decrying the ineffectiveness of the legislators. “What they need to be doing is selecting a prime minister and a government.” Prime Minister Saad Hariri resigned his government on Oct. 29 in response to the protests, which erupted over proposed new taxes but have since snowballed into calls for the government to resign and for the entire political elite that has ruled Lebanon since the end of its 1975-90 civil war to step aside. President Michel Aoun has not set a date for consultations to select a new prime minister and there are deep divisions between the country’s political powers over the shape of the future Cabinet.
The political deadlock comes as Lebanon is passing through its worst economic and financial crisis in decades. The country, which suffers from widespread corruption, has one of the highest debts in the world, standing at $86 billion or 150 of the GDP. Lebanon’s bank staff resumed work Tuesday after a week-long strike. New regulations have been imposed that officially limit withdrawals and dollar transfers. The demonstrators have accused the banks of corruption and mismanagement. The banks first closed when the protests erupted in October but later opened for a week. Depositors then rushed in to withdraw money, but banks had begun imposing informal capital controls that angered many clients and added to the turmoil, prompting the bank employees’ strike. On Monday, the Banks Association declared formal controls, limiting withdrawals to $1,000 per week, and allowing transfers abroad only for “urgent matters.”

Protesters force postponement of Lebanese parliament session
Associated Press/November 19/2019
Hundreds of young protesters thronged around the parliament building, blocking the entrances and vowing to disrupt the session.
BEIRUT: Thousands of protesters rallying against the Lebanese political elite blocked roads in central Beirut on Tuesday, preventing lawmakers from reaching the parliament and forcing the postponement of a legislative session.
The session had been scheduled even though the country is still without a Cabinet following the prime minister’s resignation amid unprecedented demonstrations that have gripped Lebanon since mid-October. The protesters scuffled with riot police as they closed all roads leading to the parliament building in Beirut. When one legislator headed toward the building and could not reach it and turned back, his bodyguards opened fire in the air to clear the way. No one was hurt in the shooting. The protesters are questioning the constitutionality of a parliament session in the absence of a government. An earlier session last Tuesday was postponed amid the protests. Prime Minister Saad Hariri resigned his government on Oct. 29 in response to the protests, which erupted over proposed new taxes but have since snowballed into calls for the government to resign and for the entire political elite that has ruled Lebanon since the end of its 1975-90 civil war to step aside. The political deadlock comes as Lebanon is passing through its worst economic and financial crisis in decades. The country, which suffers from widespread corruption, has one of the highest debts in the world, standing at $86 billion, or 150 of the GDP.
Meanwhile, Lebanese banks reopened to customers on Tuesday after a week-long strike during which bank employees refused to come to work, fearing for their security amid random capital controls that have angered clients.On Monday, the Banks Association declared formal controls, limiting withdrawals to $1,000 per week, and allowing transfers abroad only for “urgent matters.”However, most banks on Tuesday were allowing depositors to withdraw only $500 from U.S. dollar accounts. Heavy police and army reinforcements were deployed in downtown Beirut since late Monday to cordon off the area around the parliament. Thousands of young protesters thronged around the parliament building, blocking the entrances and vowing to disrupt the session. Some protesters tried to break through the barbed wire, scuffling with riot police, while women protesters tried to form a live barrier between the two sides.
“We are here today because there is a parliament session that is anti-constitutional,” said protester Rania al-Akhras, speaking in English and decrying the ineffectiveness of the legislators. “What they need to be doing is selecting a prime minister and a government.” Later Tuesday, the parliament’s secretary-general, Adnan Daher, read a statement saying that the session has been postponed “until a new date is set.” He added that current parliamentary committees will continue their work as there was no session on Tuesday to elect new committees. President Michel Aoun has not set a date for consultations to select a new prime minister and there are deep divisions between the country’s political powers over the shape of the future Cabinet.

Berri Says Some Didn’t ‘Honor Their Promises’ on Legislative Session
Naharnet/November 19/2019
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri on Tuesday lamented that “some parties did not honor their promises” regarding Tuesday’s botched legislative session. “The parliamentary blocs and MPs were honest, according to their statements, but other sides did not honor their promises,” Berri told his visitors, hours after he was forced to postpone the session due to lack of quorum. Several parliamentary blocs and MPs boycotted the controversial session, as others failed to reach parliament due to a blockade imposed by thousands of anti-corruption protesters. According to TV networks, only five out of 128 MPs managed to enter parliament building. Berri had postponed the session last Tuesday over “security concerns.”MPs were scheduled to discuss a bill to grant amnesty to thousands convicted of a range of offenses. The demonstrators see the draft law as a way to clear powerful figures charged with or convicted of crimes ranging from tax evasion to breaches of environmental regulations. “They want an amnesty to escape (charges) of tax evasion and to release criminals onto the streets,” said one activist who gave her name as Tracy, 24, and who criticized the “illegitimate” parliament. The non-government group Legal Agenda labelled the proposed law “a great danger.”The parliamentarians had also been due to consider a bill to create a court specializing in financial crimes and the mismanagement of public funds.Its judges would be appointed by the legislature, raising further fears of conflicts of interest among protesters.

Hizbullah MP Rides Scooter, Chants with Protesters Besieging Parliament
Naharnet/November 19/2019
Footage of Hizbullah MP Ali Ammar riding a scooter near parliament and chanting with protesters besieging the legislature’s building has gone viral on social media in Lebanon. A video shows Ammar arriving on foot to a road-blocking protest near parliament, where a controversial legislative session was due to be held. Ammar then engages in an apparently friendly chat with protesters before leaving the area. Another video shows Ammar raising his fist in the air and chanting “down with the rule of thugs” with protesters as he arrives to another road-blocking point. And as protesters chant “Hela, Hela, Hela, Hela, Ho, parliament is closed, sweetie!”, Ammar starts clapping. Ammar is seen smiling in most of the videos. A picture circulated on social media meanwhile shows him riding a scooter driven by an unidentified person. It was not immediately clear whether he was arriving or leaving the parliament area. Social media users meanwhile lauded the peaceful behavior of both protesters and the Hizbullah lawmaker.

Lebanese protesters gather around parliament to block lawmakers from entering
Agencies/Tuesday, 19 November 2019
Lebanese protesters began gathering on Tuesday morning around the parliament in Beirut, where a legislative session is scheduled, to block lawmakers from reaching the building amid tight security measures, according to the Lebanese National News Agency. Banks were set to reopen for the first time in a week after announcing temporary steps, such as a weekly cap of $1,000 on withdrawals of hard currency and transfers abroad limited to urgent personal expenses, in moves to prevent capital flight. A month after the start of nationwide protests, Lebanon is in serious political and economic crisis with no indication of its leaders agreeing on a new government to replace the outgoing cabinet of Saad al-Hariri, who quit as premier on October 29. Near parliament, riot police scuffled with a group of protesters who were trying to use a cable to remove a barbed wire barricade blocking a road, a Reuters witness said.
The protests have been fueled by perceptions of corruption among the sectarian politicians who have governed Lebanon for decades and are blamed for leading the country into its worst economic crisis since the 1975-90 civil war.

Protests Force Lebanon, North Korea World Cup Qualifier into Empty Stadium
Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 19 November, 2019
Amid month-long anti-government protests, Lebanon will host North Korea in an empty stadium in a World Cup qualifying game. The Asian Football Confederation said the decision followed advice “to guarantee high security standards and a safe environment for the teams and match officials.” The game is to be played Tuesday at the 49,000-capacity Sports City Stadium in Beirut. Lebanon and North Korea trail one point behind South Korea in Group H. Two teams advance to the next round. Lebanon has been rocked by protests during an economic crisis which led Prime Minister Saad Hariri to resign three weeks ago. A parliamentary session was postponed Tuesday by the demonstrations.

Lebanon: Hariri Insists on Technocrat Government but Not Rushing to Preside It
Beirut- Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 19 November, 2019
Obstacles to the appointment of a new Lebanese prime minister are mainly caused by a dispute over the form of the new government. While caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri is insisting on a cabinet of technocrats, but not necessarily under his premiership, the Shiiite duo, represented by Amal Movement and Hezbollah, in addition to the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), are demanding a “techno-political” government, which would include the ruling political parties along with experts. Sources quoted Hariri as saying, during a meeting of the Future Movement political bureau on Monday, that he was keen on the need to form a new government as soon as possible, “today before tomorrow”, in order to get the country out of the current crises. In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, the sources said Hariri emphasized that it was not necessary that he presided the government, but insisted on a cabinet of technocrats. “I support it because it is the only way to get the country out of its various crises,” he was quoted as saying, underlining the urgent need to speed up the holding of binding parliamentary consultations. The sources quoted Hariri as saying that it was not important for him to assume the premiership. What is important is forming a government of technocrats “to cause a shock, and meet the demands of the popular movement,” Hariri noted according to the sources. “The country can no longer bear crises, and now needs to be saved; because the vacuum is deadly,” he added. In parallel, ministerial sources close to the presidential palace told Asharq Al-Awsat that there were no signs of an imminent invitation for parliamentary consultations. The sources added that consultations over the name of the new prime minister have resumed, especially after former Minister Mohammed Safadi backed down from becoming the new premier.

White House holding up Lebanon aid, official confirms
AFP, Washington/Wednesday, 20 November 2019
The White House is holding up security assistance to Lebanon valued at more than $100 million, leaving lawmakers and policymakers in the dark, a senior State Department official publicly confirmed. David Hale, the top career diplomat at the State Department, acknowledged the freeze as he spoke under oath to lawmakers in the impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump. Asked about the controversial delay in military assistance to Ukraine, Hale said that it was not an isolated case and pointed to Lebanon. “There was information that came to me starting in late June that a hold had been placed on both Ukraine assistance and Lebanon military assistance without any explanation,” said Hale, the undersecretary of state for political affairs, according to a transcript released by lawmakers late Monday. “It’s still not been released,” he said in the November 6 deposition when asked about the status of aid to Lebanon. Asked why the White House was not disbursing money approved by Congress, Hale said there was apparently “a dispute over the efficacy of the assistance,” but his full answer was redacted. The Trump administration, which has not explained its decision, has been pressing for the isolation of Hezbollah, the militant Shia movement allied with Iran that has seats in the government.
The aid freeze came before the outbreak of massive protests in Lebanon against economic hardship and corruption, which triggered the resignation of Prime Minister Saad Hariri. Two senior Democrats, in a recent letter to the White House, said that the “indefinite and unexplained hold” affected $105 million in aid to Lebanon including military vehicles, weapons and ammunition. Eliot Engel, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Ted Deutch, head of its Middle East subcommittee, wrote that Lebanon “continues to face imminent threats to its security forces from a resurgent ISIS, al-Qaeda and its affiliates as well as an increasingly strong Hezbollah.”“A more capable (Lebanese Armed Forces) is clearly in the interests of the United States and Lebanon,” they wrote. Hale said the top State Department and Pentagon officials handling the Middle East wondered if aid freezes by the White House’s Office of Management and Budget had become “a new normal.”There was no immediate allegation that the Trump administration sought personal gain from blocking the aid to Lebanon. In the case of Ukraine, Trump is facing accusations over charges that he withheld assistance needed to fight Russian-backed separatists as he pressed Ukraine to dig up dirt on domestic rival Joe Biden. Trump denies wrongdoing.

Hariri Invited to Attend Independence Day Parade
Naharnet/November 19/2019
Caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri met Tuesday evening at the Center House with a delegation from the Army Command, which was led by Brigadier General Wassim Saleh.A statement issued by Hariri’s office said the delegation invited the caretaker premier to attend the military parade that will be held Friday at the Ministry of Defense in Yarze on the occasion of Lebanon’s Independence Day. Hariri stepped down on October 29 in the face of unprecedented street protests against the entire ruling class. President Michel Aoun has not set a date for binding parliamentary consultations to name a new premier, arguing that there is a need to secure prior consensus on the nature of the new government.

ABL Lauds Security Measures, Behavior of Clients, Employees
Naharnet/November 19/2019
The Association of Banks in Lebanon on Tuesday lauded a security plan devised by the Interior Ministry and the Internal Security Forces to ensure the safety of bank employees amid the turbulent situations in the country. A statement issued after the first day of banking operations which followed around a one-week strike by employees said ABL had contacted banks to “follow up on the developments after a long period of compulsory closure.” “As a result of these contacts, it turned out that banks had served a relatively large number of clients, who showed appreciation of the temporary general instructions that ABL had provided bank employees with yesterday in order to overcome the current extraordinary circumstances,” ABL added. It also thanked caretaker Interior Minister Raya al-Hassan and ISF chief Maj. Gen. Imad Othman for “their quick and effective response to the Association’s request that the appropriate security conditions be created in order to resume banking operations.”“The security plan that has been put into effect since this morning has created a climate of general relief in the vicinity of banks, which reflected positively on employees’ performance and citizens’ cooperation with their banks,” ABL said. Lebanese banks reopened to customers on Tuesday after a week-long strike during which bank employees refused to come to work, fearing for their security amid random capital controls that have angered clients. On Monday, ABL declared formal controls, limiting withdrawals to $1,000 per week, and allowing transfers abroad only for “urgent matters.”However, most banks on Tuesday were allowing depositors to withdraw only $500 from U.S. dollar accounts.

3 Riad al-Solh Protesters Hurt in Evening Scuffles with Riot Police
Naharnet/November 19/2019
Three protesters were injured and several were arrested in scuffles with riot police Tuesday evening at Beirut’s Riad al-Solh Square, the National News Agency said.NNA said the skirmishes broke out after some protesters tried to cross the barbed wire and enter into Nejmeh Square where parliament building is located. The protesters also “hurled water bottles at security forces,” the agency added. Live TV footage meanwhile showed a standoff among protesters themselves, with some hurling insults and a number of protesters chasing a young man who was carrying a baton.

Gunshots Fired from Lawmaker’s Convoy in Bab Idriss
Naharnet/November 19/2019
Gunshots were fired into the air on Tuesday when a lawmaker’s convoy was making its way by force through crowds of protesters in Beirut’s Bab Idriss area blocking routes to the parliament building. The gunshots were fired from inside the vehicle according to a video footage filmed by one of the protesters. No one was hurt in the incident. A photo taken of the car plate number went viral on social media and was reportedly identified as allegedly belonging to caretaker Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil. But in remarks made to reporters, Khalil said it was not his, “I have been here since 8:00 a.m,” he said.
The Minister later told reporters standing outside the parliament building: “I was giving a statement to you when the incident happened. I have spoken with the Minister of Interior and told her that the duty of security sources is to open the road for deputies to reach the parliament instead of filing random accusations.”Lebanese protesters from different parts of Lebanon formed a human chain on Tuesday blocking roads leading to the parliament assembly in Downtown Beirut to stop lawmakers from attending a legislative session they deem as “unconstitutional”. Other reports alleged the convoy was that of caretaker Minister Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil, while others said it belongs to caretaker Minister of State for Presidency Affairs Salim Jreissati. Both Ministers denied.

Banks Open in Lebanon after Week-Long Strike
Naharnet/November 19/2019
Banks in Lebanon opened on Tuesday after a week of strikes following incidents with clients angered by restrictions on withdrawals, as a protest movement entered its second month. The Federation of Syndicates of Banks Employees in Lebanon announced the end of the strike on Monday, saying new security measures had been agreed with authorities to protect banking institutions. The situation remains tense in the country, as an unprecendented protest movement against the ruling elite entered its second month on Sunday.
Hundreds of thousands of Lebanese have filled streets and blocked roads across the country since October 17, demanding the ouster of a political class they deem incompetent and corrupt. The demonstrations led to the resignation of Prime Minister Saad Hariri and his government, but a new premier has yet to be named weeks later. A parliamentary session to discuss several controversial laws, already postponed for a week due to pressure from the street, is set for Tuesday. A call has gone out for protesters to form a human chain blocking routes to the parliament building at the heart of the capital Beirut to stop lawmakers from attending the session. Lawmakers are expected to discuss a general amnesty law that would include thousands of people. Activists say the text could exonerate those convicted or suspected of involvement in tax evasion or environmental crimes. Protesters have demanded prioritisation of legislation that will bring corrupt officials to justice or recuperate misappropriated public funds. The protests have brought the country to a standstill and the already struggling economy closer to crisis. Banks have only opened for one week over the month of rallies, with restrictions on withdrawals, foreign currency transactions and access to dollars causing bank clients’ tempers to flair.Protesters have also often blocked banks from opening to make a statement against a banking system they see has part of the problem. “It is unacceptable that bank employees become scapegoats, that they be humiliated and held responsible,” the president of the bank employees union, George al-Hajj, told a news conference on Monday.  He said the strike has been called off after new security measures were adopted, including the posting police in front of banks. The Association of Banks in Lebanon announced on Sunday “temporary” arrangements authorising the withdrawal of $1,000 per week for those with accounts in US dollars.  The Lebanese pound has been pegged to the US dollar at around 1,500 for two decades and the currencies are used interchangeably in daily life. But amid the deepening economic crisis, the exchange rate in the parallel market has surpassed 1,800 Lebanese pounds for every dollar.

Lebanese parliament postponed after protesters block MPs from entry
Sunniva Rose/The National/November 19/ 2019
Banks reopened on Tuesday, but altercations between riot police and protesters caused a planned parliamentary session to be postponed
Lebanon’s government once again postponed a parliamentary session on Tuesday as demonstrators scuffled with riot police while attempting to block MPs from entering the government building.
The house was due to meet on Tuesday for a legislative session despite opposition from demonstrators who are outraged at the delay in forming a new Cabinet several weeks after protests began. They have raised questions about the constitutionality of the session in the absence of a government.
Lawmakers gave no indication as to when the session may be held in future.
The session was scheduled to be held last Tuesday but was postponed by the parliament speaker for security reasons amid the nationwide unrest.
scuffles broke out between protesters and riot police as the former bypassed the first line of barbed wires and got closer and started throwing stones . I have witnessed at least one protester arrested #Lebanon #Lebanonprotests
“Right now, I may be taking a short break, but I’ll never get tired of protesting. We will live in dignity or we will die,” she told The National, a bandanna printed with the Lebanese flag tied around her head. Anti-riot police watched her wearily as she spoke, standing guard in front of a barbed wire fence that blocked one of the main entrances to downtown Beirut in front of Le Grey, a luxury hotel. Mrs Hanna was one of the thousands of protesters who clashed with anti-riot police and blocked entrances to Lebanon’s Parliament on Tuesday morning, forcing it to postpone indefinitely two parliamentary sessions due to the “exceptional circumstances.”It is the second time in two weeks that parliament had to cancel sessions because of protests. Crowds gathered as early as 7.30am to stop MPs from attending the parliamentary sessions scheduled for 11am and 1pm, blocking roads with their cars and checking ambulances to make sure no politician was inside. The Lebanese Red Cross denied rumours that its ambulances were used to smuggle MPs into parliament.
However, at least one politician clashed with protesters as he attempted to force his way through in a convoy of several cars with tinted glass windows. In videos widely shared on social media, shots appeared to be fired in the air from one of the cars, although there were no reports of injuries or casualties.
Protesters confirmed the incident but were unsure which politician was inside the convoy. Caretaker Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil, the most unpopular political figure with protesters, denied that it was his. Other MPs attempted to negotiate their way in.
Several protesters blocking the entrance to parliament near the United Nations headquarters told The National that they stopped Hezbollah MP Ali Ammar from entering on foot. One of them said that they chanted popular protest songs at him such as “the parliament is blocked, oh handsome one”, and “the people are the red line”.
“We then saw pictures of him riding a motorcycle to get in, but we are unsure if he managed,” said Jennifer Harb, 25.
Protesters also attempted to remove barbed wire fences that had been set up near parliament, leading to violent scuffles with anti-riot police. At least two people were arrested, said one witness, Rabab Nasser, 24.
“This is the blood of one of them,” she said, showing the palms of her hands and looking dazed as she sat in a small park near the UN headquarters.Dozens of people also banged loudly against scaffolding outside a dilapidated theatre that has been abandoned since the civil war.
“We are here so that politicians cannot ignore us,” said Patricia Gebrayel, 26, a marketing professional. Despite the continued protests, some progress appears to be being made. Banks reopened for the first time in a week after announcing temporary steps, such as a weekly cap of US$1,000 on withdrawals of hard currency and transfers abroad limited to urgent personal expenses. Seeking to avoid capital flight, the Association of Banks in Lebanon announced on Sunday that cash withdrawals would be limited to $1,000 a week and transfers abroad would be restricted to urgent personal spending only.
The central bank has said deposits are safe and that it has the capacity to maintain the value of the Lebanese pound, which is pegged to the US dollar. In Beirut’s Hamra district, about 50 people were waiting at a branch of Blom Bank shortly after it opened, a witness said.
In the Sodeco area of the capital, about 20 people each were waiting at another branch of Blom Bank and at a branch of Bank Audi, a witness said. “Everyone has a lack of trust, there’s a state of panic, and people’s feelings are justifiable because no one is giving them any trust,” said a customer at the bank, who declined to give his name. In the southern city of Sidon, about 50 people were waiting at a branch of Blom Bank before opening, a witness said.
* Agencies contributed to this report

The post A Bundle Of English Reports, News and Editorials For November 19-20/2019 Addressing the On Going Mass Demonstrations & Sit In-ins In Iranian Occupied Lebanon in its 34th Day appeared first on Elias Bejjani News.

نشرة أخبار المنسقية العامة للمؤسسات اللبنانية الكندية باللغة العربية ليوم 20 تشرين الثاني/2019

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نشرة أخبار المنسقية العامة للمؤسسات اللبنانية الكندية باللغة العربية ليوم 20 تشرين الثاني/2019

اضغط هنا لقراءة نشرة أخبار المنسقية العامة المفصلة، اللبنانية والعربية ليوم 20 تشرين الثاني/2019

ارشيف نشرات أخبار موقعنا اليومية/عربية وانكليزية منذ العام 2006/اضغط هنا لدخول صفحة الأرشيف

عناوين أقسام نشرة المنسقية باللغة العربية
الزوادة الإيمانية لليوم
تعليقات الياس بجاني وخلفياتها
الأخبار اللبنانية
المتفرقات اللبنانية
الأخبار الإقليمية والدولية
المقالات والتعليقات والتحاليل السياسية الشاملة
المؤتمرات والندوات والبيانات والمقابلات والمناسبات الخاصة والردود وغيره

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مقابلتين (فيديو يوتيوب) مع الدكتورة منى فياض الأولى من صوت لبنان والثانية من تلفزيون المر: الثورة انطلقت ولن تتراجع، وأثبتت أن السلطة صارت للشعب

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مقابلتين (فيديو يوتيوب) مع الدكتورة منى فياض الأولى من صوت لبنان والثانية من تلفزيون المر

20 تشرين الثاني/2019

اضغط هنا لمشاهدة مقابلة د. منى فياض من اذاعة صوت لبنان

اضغط هنا لمشاهدة مقابلة د. منى فياض من تلفزيون المر

د. منى فياض لإذاعة صوت لبنان: لا عودة عن الثورة
صوت لبنان/19 تشرين الثاني/2019

اعتبرت الباحثة الاكاديمية الدكتورة منى فياض أن الثورة انطلقت ولن تتراجع، وأثبتت أن السلطة صارت للشعب.

وقالت لبرنامج مانشيت المساء من صوت لبنان، ان لا عودة للوراء ولا عودة عن الثورة. ودعت أهل السلطة الى الاستجابة لمطالب الناس، لأن تقديم التنازلات اليوم سيكون أقل من التنازلات اللاحقة. ودعت حزب الله ايضا الى الاقتناع بضرورة مجاراة ارادة الشارع.

وشددت فياض على ضرورة ان تكون هناك سلطة قضائية منزهة لأنها الضمانة للمحاسبة، واعتبرت ان في لبنان قوانين كثيرة ضد الفساد، وليس المهم اليوم التشريع، انما تطبيق القوانين الموجودة في مرحلة أولى.

ووصفت التحركات بأنها ثورة اجتماعية ايضا على المفاهيم السائدة وعلى السياسيين الذين خيبوا آمال من انتخبهم. ونفت أن يكون وراء الاحتجاجات من يحركها من الخارج، بل هي أتت نتيجة تراكمات لدى الناس طوال السنوات الماضية.

وقالت انه بعد الثورة صار هناك أمل بمستقبل أفضل، وان كانت الطريق طويلة.

The post مقابلتين (فيديو يوتيوب) مع الدكتورة منى فياض الأولى من صوت لبنان والثانية من تلفزيون المر: الثورة انطلقت ولن تتراجع، وأثبتت أن السلطة صارت للشعب appeared first on Elias Bejjani News.

ألا يَحِقُّ لي أَنْ أَتَصَرَّفَ بِأَمْوَالي كَمَا أُريد؟ أَمْ عَيْنُكَ شِرِّيرَةٌ لأَنِّي أَنَا صَالِح؟ هكَذَا يَصِيرُ الآخِرُونَ أَوَّلِين، والأَوَّلُونَ آخِرِين/Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?”So the last will be first, and the first will be last

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ألا يَحِقُّ لي أَنْ أَتَصَرَّفَ بِأَمْوَالي كَمَا أُريد؟ أَمْ عَيْنُكَ شِرِّيرَةٌ لأَنِّي أَنَا صَالِح؟ هكَذَا يَصِيرُ الآخِرُونَ أَوَّلِين، والأَوَّلُونَ آخِرِين».
إنجيل القدّيس متّى20/من01حتى16/:”قالَ الربُّ يَسوعُ: «يُشْبِهُ مَلَكُوتُ السَّمَاوَاتِ رَبَّ بَيْتٍ خَرَجَ مَعَ الفَجْرِ لِيَسْتَأْجِرَ فَعَلَةً لِكَرْمِهِ. ٱتَّفَقَ مَعَ الفَعَلَةِ عَلى دِينَارٍ في اليَوْمِ فَأَرْسَلَهُم إِلى كَرْمِهِ. ثُمَّ خَرَجَ نَحْوَ السَّاعَةِ التَّاسِعَةِ فَرَأَى فَعَلَةً آخَرِينَ واقِفِينَ في السَّاحَةِ بَطَّالِين. قَالَ لَهُم: إِذْهَبُوا أَنْتُم أَيْضًا إِلى الكَرْم، وسَأُعْطِيكُم مَا يَحِقُّ لَكُم. َذَهَبُوا. وعَادَ فَخَرَجَ نَحْوَ الظُّهْر، ثُمَّ نَحْوَ السَّاعَةِ الثَّالِثَةِ بَعْدَ الظُّهْر، وفَعَلَ كَذلِكَ. ثُمَّ خَرَجَ نَحْوَ السَّاعَةِ الخَامِسَةِ مَسَاءً فَوَجَدَ فَعَلَةً آخَرِينَ واقِفِين، فَقَالَ لَهُم: لِمَاذَا تَقِفُونَ هُنَا طُولَ النَّهَارِ بَطَّالِين؟ َالُوا لَهُ: «لأَنَّهُ لَمْ يَسْتَأْجِرْنَا أَحَد! قَالَ لَهُم: إِذْهَبُوا أَنْتُم أَيضًا إِلى الكَرْم. ولَمَّا كَانَ المَسَاء، قَالَ رَبُّ الكَرْمِ لِوَكِيلِهِ: أُدْعُ الفَعَلَة، وٱدْفَعْ لَهُم أَجْرَهُم مُبْتَدِئًا بِالآخِرِيْن، مُنْتَهِيًا بِالأَوَّلِين. جَاءَ فَعَلَةُ السَّاعَةِ الخَامِسَةِ مَسَاءً فَأَخَذَ كُلٌّ مِنْهُم دينَارًا. ولَمَّا جَاءَ الأَوَّلُون، ظَنُّوا أَنَّهُم سَيَأْخُذُونَ أَكْثَر. فَأَخَذَ كُلٌّ مِنْهُم أَيْضًا دينَارًا. لَمَّا أَخَذُوا الدِّيْنَارَ بَدَأُوا يَتَذَمَّرُونَ على رَبِّ البَيْتِ، قَائِلين: هؤُلاءِ الآخِرُونَ عَمِلُوا سَاعَةً واحِدَة، وأَنْتَ سَاوَيْتَهُم بِنَا نَحْنُ الَّذينَ ٱحْتَمَلْنا ثِقَلَ النَّهَارِ وحَرَّهُ! أَجَابَ وقَالَ لِوَاحِدٍ مِنْهُم: يَا صَاحِب، أَنَا مَا ظَلَمْتُكَ! أَمَا ٱتَّفَقْتَ مَعِي على دِينَار؟ خُذْ مَا هُوَ لَكَ وٱذْهَبْ. فَأَنَا أُريدُ أَنْ أُعْطِيَ هذَا الأَخِيْر، كَمَا أَعْطَيْتُكَ.ألا يَحِقُّ لي أَنْ أَتَصَرَّفَ بِأَمْوَالي كَمَا أُريد؟ أَمْ عَيْنُكَ شِرِّيرَةٌ لأَنِّي أَنَا صَالِح؟ هكَذَا يَصِيرُ الآخِرُونَ أَوَّلِين، والأَوَّلُونَ آخِرِين».

Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?”So the last will be first, and the first will be last
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 20/01-16/:’‘The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire labourers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the labourers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. When he went out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the market-place; and he said to them, “You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.” So they went. When he went out again about noon and about three o’clock, he did the same. And about five o’clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, “Why are you standing here idle all day?”They said to him, “Because no one has hired us.” He said to them, “You also go into the vineyard.”When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, “Call the labourers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.”When those hired about five o’clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage. Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage. And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, saying, “These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.” But he replied to one of them, “Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?”So the last will be first, and the first will be last.’

إِنِّي عَالِمٌ بِأَعْمَالِكَ، ومَحَبَّتِكَ، وإِيمَانِكَ، وخِدْمَتِكَ، وَثَبَاتِكَ؛ وأَعْمَالُكَ ٱلأَخيرةُ هِيَ أَكْثَرُ مِن الأُولَى
رؤيا القدّيس يوحنّا02/من18حتى26/:”يا إِخوَتِي، قالَ ليَ ابْنُ الإِنسان: «أُكْتُبْ إِلى مَلاكِ ٱلكَنِيسَةِ ٱلَّتي في طِيَاطِيرَة: هذَا ما يَقُولُهُ ٱبْنُ ٱلله، الَّذي لَهُ عَيْنَانِ كَلَهِيبِ نَار، وَرِجْلاهُ أَشْبَهُ بِنُحَاسٍ خَالِص: إِنِّي عَالِمٌ بِأَعْمَالِكَ، ومَحَبَّتِكَ، وإِيمَانِكَ، وخِدْمَتِكَ، وَثَبَاتِكَ؛ وأَعْمَالُكَ ٱلأَخيرةُ هِيَ أَكْثَرُ مِن الأُولَى. لكِنْ لي عَلَيْكَ أَنَّكَ تَتَغَاضَى عَنِ ٱلمَرْأَةِ إِيزَابِل، ٱلَّتي تَزْعَمُ أَنَّهَا نَبِيَّة، وهِيَ تُعَلِّمُ وَتُضَلِّلُ عِبَادِي لِيَزْنُوا ويَأْكُلُوا مِنْ ذَبَائِحِ ٱلأَوْثَان. وَقَدْ أَمْهَلْتُهَا وَقْتًا لِكَي تَتُوب، وهِيَ تَأْبَى أَن تَتُوبَ عَنْ زِنَاهَا. َهَا إِنِّي أُلْقِيها على سَرِير، وٱلَّذِينَ يَزْنُونَ مَعَها أُلْقِيهِمْ في ضِيقٍ شَدِيد، إِنْ لَمْ يَتُوبوا عَنْ أَعْمَالِهَا، وأَولادُها أَقْتُلُهُم قَتْلاً، فَتَعْرِفُ ٱلكَنائِسُ كُلُّها أَنِّي أَنَا هُوَ فَاحِصُ ٱلكُلَى وٱلقُلُوب؛ وَسَأُعْطِيكُمْ، كُلَّ واحِدٍ مِنْكُم، وَفْقَ أَعْمالِكُم. َمَّا أَنْتُمُ ٱلباقِينَ ٱلَّذِينَ في طِيَاطِيرَة، أَنْتُمُ ٱلَّذِينَ لا تَأْخُذُونَ بِهذا ٱلتَّعلِيم، وٱلَّذِينَ ما عَرَفْتُم أَعْمَاقَ ٱلشَّيطان، كمَا يَقُولون، فَلَكُمْ أَقُول: لَنْ أُلْقِيَ عَلَيْكُمْ ثِقْلاً آخَر. لكِنْ تَمَسَّكُوا بِمَا لَدَيْكُمْ إِلى أَنْ أَجِيء. ٱلظَّافِر، وٱلحَافِظُ أَعْمَالي إِلى ٱلنِّهايَة، أُعْطِيهِ سُلْطَانًا عَلى ٱلأُمَم، فَيَرْعاهُم بِعَصًا مِن حَدِيد، وكَآنِيَةٍ مِن خَزَفٍ يُحَطَّمُون، َما أَنِّي أَنا أَيْضًا أَخَذْتُ سُلْطَانًا مِنْ أَبي. وَسَأُعْطِيهِ كَوكَبَ ٱلصَّبَاح. مَنْ لَهُ أُذُنانِ فَلْيَسْمَعْ ما يَقُولُهُ ٱلرُّوحُ لِلكَنائِس.”

I know your works your love, faith, service, and patient endurance. I know that your last works are greater than the first
Book of Revelation 02/18-29/:”‘And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze: ‘I know your works your love, faith, service, and patient endurance. I know that your last works are greater than the first. But I have this against you: you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet and is teaching and beguiling my servants to practise fornication and to eat food sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her fornication.
Beware, I am throwing her on a bed, and those who commit adultery with her I am throwing into great distress, unless they repent of her doings; and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am the one who searches minds and hearts, and I will give to each of you as your works deserve. But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call “the deep things of Satan”, to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden; only hold fast to what you have until I come. To everyone who conquers and continues to do my works to the end, I will give authority over the nations; to rule them with an iron rod, as when clay pots are shattered even as I also received authority from my Father. To the one who conquers I will also give the morning star. Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.

The post ألا يَحِقُّ لي أَنْ أَتَصَرَّفَ بِأَمْوَالي كَمَا أُريد؟ أَمْ عَيْنُكَ شِرِّيرَةٌ لأَنِّي أَنَا صَالِح؟ هكَذَا يَصِيرُ الآخِرُونَ أَوَّلِين، والأَوَّلُونَ آخِرِين/Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?”So the last will be first, and the first will be last appeared first on Elias Bejjani News.

النص الكامل لشهادة السفير الأميركي السابق في لبنان جيفري فلتمان أمام لجنة الشرق الأوسط وشمال أفريقيا والإرهاب الدولي وموضوعها الإحتجاجات الشعبية اللبنانية وتداعياتها وما هو بعدها/Jeffrey Feltman’s testimony text before the House Subcommittee on the Middle East, North Africa, and International Terrorism on “What’s Next for Lebanon? Examining the Implications of Current Protests.

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What’s next for Lebanon? Examining the implications of current protests
النص الكامل لشهادة السفير الأميركي السابق في لبنان جيفري فلتمان أمام لجنة الشرق الأوسط وشمال أفريقيا والإرهاب الدولي وموضوعها الإحتجاجات الشعبية اللبنانية وتداعياتها وما هو بعدها
Jeffrey Feltman/November 20/ 2019

Editor’s Note: Jeffrey Feltman testifies before the House Subcommittee on the Middle East, North Africa, and International Terrorism on “What’s Next for Lebanon? Examining the Implications of Current Protests.”
Below is the full testimony .

I thank the Subcommittee for inviting me to share my analysis on the situation in Lebanon, especially as it relates to U.S. interests.ion

I must begin by noting that I represent only myself before you today; the Brookings Institution does not take any institutional positions on policy positions. I would also like to emphasize at the outset that Lebanon’s current protests are not about the United States, and we should avoid anything that would change the focus to the United States. But the results of the protests could affect U.S. interests positively or negatively. That is why I very much welcome Congressional attention to Lebanon at what could be a pivotal moment in the country’s history.

LEBANON MATTERS TO THE UNITED STATES
There are two common perceptions of Lebanon in the United States. One view is romantic, seeing a multi-confessional, relatively open democracy and vibrant society, offering incredible culture, cuisine, history and hospitality. According to the alternative view, Lebanon, with a bloody civil war and where U.S. Marines and diplomats have been butchered, is a dangerous outpost of Iran threatening U.S. interests in the region and beyond.

With some truth in each description, I would like to open by reviewing how tiny Lebanon affects U.S. interests in big ways. Most obvious is Iran’s projection of its malign regional role via its most successful export, the terrorist organization Hezbollah with its advanced capabilities to threaten Israel and other U.S. allies. In addition, the risk of Sunni extremist groups and Al-Qaida or ISIS establishing strongholds in Lebanon has largely receded, thanks to impressive, sustained efforts by the Lebanese Armed Forces. But, as happened in Iraq, these gains can quickly erode, with international implications, without continued vigilance.

The history of Hezbollah and of Sunni terrorist groups demonstrate vividly why Lebanon’s overall stability is in our interest: Iran exploited Lebanon’s civil war, the post-2003 internal conflict in Iraq, and the more recent civil wars in Syria and Yemen to establish deep roots that prove difficult to eradicate. Civil wars, in other words, become vehicles for the expansion of Iran’s influence. Chaos is also a fertile breeding ground for Al-Qaida-type terrorists, as in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Somalia.

Russia also eyes Lebanon as a venue to continue its aggressive expansion of its regional and Mediterranean role. Russia is entrenched in Syria, and Russian mercenaries enabling General Haftar’s assault on Tripoli in Libya gives Moscow a toehold on the southern Mediterranean. Lebanon’s three ports and offshore hydrocarbon reserves, if exploited by Russia, would add to the sense that Russia is winning in the eastern and southern Mediterranean, at our expense. With over 400 Chinese nationals in UNIFIL in southern Lebanon, China, too, may see potential in Lebanon’s ports and location – and the Lebanese may find China’s 5G technology hard to resist, given the sorry state of Lebanon’s current telecommunications networks.

Hezbollah: Revolutionary Iran’s most successful export
Closer to Lebanon, Bashar al-Assad, who for a supposedly strong-man dictator is embarrassingly dependent on Russia, Hezbollah and Iran to reassert his control over most of Syria, would undoubtedly love to posture again as a regional power broker by reversing his 2005 humiliation, when the combination of Lebanese protests and international pressure led by President George W. Bush forced him to end abruptly Syria’s long-time oppressive military occupation of Lebanon. Russia, never happy with President Bush’s focus on Lebanon’s freedom, may be happy to facilitate the restoration of Syrian hegemony over its small neighbor, especially as convenient cover for Russia’s own objectives in Lebanon.

In short, Lebanon is a venue for global strategic competition. Others will happily fill the vacuum if we cede ground.

However dysfunctional Lebanon’s democracy is, we also have interests in seeing an Arab, Mediterranean country with relatively strong civil liberties, democratic traditions, and multi-confessional co-existence succeed. With their strong international connections, most Lebanese aspire to be linked politically, culturally, economically, and financially, to the traditional West – Europe and North America – than with Iran, Russia, or China. There is a natural affinity between most Lebanese and the West that can work to our advantage. But as citizens of a small, vulnerable country in a dangerous region, the Lebanese will also, not irrationally, look for reliable external partners. As frustrating, “needy,” and complicated as Lebanon can be, we need to play the long game and not allow Iran, Syria, China, or Russia to exploit our absence.

LEBANON’S CURRENT PROTESTS COINCIDE WITH U.S. INTERESTS
Over the years, many of us have marveled at the neat theatrical trick Lebanon has perfected: somehow staying politically and economically afloat, amidst conditions and lamentations that suggest imminent collapse. Predictions of Lebanon’s doom have often proved, if not wrong, then at least premature. This time, it appears that the curtain may come down on this gravity-defying act. Not only is the management of Lebanon’s internal and external debt increasingly complicated in a no-growth economy, but the public is by and large weary of, or even enraged by, the sectarian script and excuses that establishment political leaders use to advance their narrow political or financial interests at the expense of the country at large. The confessional patronage spoils that grease the Lebanese economy are now increasingly understood as a system to keep people confined to sectarian prisons. Meanwhile, income equality is on the rise, and job creation in decline. As a result, the entire Lebanese political system is now under hostile public scrutiny, and even Hezbollah has become a target of widespread criticism, a topic I will discuss in more detail below.

As the media reporting indicates, the cross-sectarian nature of the demonstrations that erupted in October (when the government tried to impose a tax on WhatsApp messages in a straw-that-broke-the-camel’s back moment) is refreshing and inspiring in the Lebanese context. Sunnis, Christians, Shia and Druse are all in the streets, describing themselves as Lebanese first rather than falling back on their confessional identity. The significance of these protests outweighs that of the movement that began on March 14, 2005, after the murder of Rafiq Hariri, because, this time, the Shia have joined. Moreover, the 2005 protests were aimed at Syria’s occupation of Lebanon, which a significant part of the population – again, largely Shia – found less intolerable than most of the country. Today, the protestors focus on domestic issues – jobs, garbage collection, utility services and so forth – which can unify rather than divide the Lebanese. There is, in other words, widespread “bottom up” pressure for change in Lebanon.

While, to reiterate, the protests are not about the United States, the demonstrations and the reactions to them by Lebanese leaders and institutions fortunately coincide with U.S. interests. Hezbollah has long strutted as “invincible,” “clean” and “anti-establishment” compared to other Lebanese parties. Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah’s speeches – four and counting – hoping to discredit the demonstrations have undermined Hezbollah’s carefully cultivated narrative more effectively than years of U.S. efforts to do so.

Nasrallah, peddling absurd theories of foreign interference, called for an end to demonstrations; they continue. He told the Shia protestors to go home; some did, but most did not. He said the government should not resign; Prime Minister Hariri did just that. So much for invincibility. Nasrallah’s insistence that President Michel Aoun remain in office and his dismissal of the proposal for early parliamentary elections smear Hezbollah indelibly with the political establishment and the stench of the accompanying corruption that the protesters want eradicated. Hezbollah can no longer claim credibly to be “clean,” and its participation in the now-resigned, despised government damaged its claims to deliver services more effectively than others. In terms of the public perception of its political role, Hezbollah is now relegated to the same rubbish heap as the other discredited Lebanese parties.

In addition, Lebanon’s citizenry is unlikely to forget that Hezbollah and its junior partner Amal sent thugs on motorcycles to beat up the demonstrators. This brutality resurrected memories Hezbollah would prefer remain buried: In May 2008, Hezbollah and Amal seized swaths of Beirut and surrounding areas to block government efforts to dismantle Hezbollah’s parallel secure telecommunications link. Scores were killed before the army took control. While Hezbollah demonstrated no qualms about killing and even starving mass numbers of civilians in Syria, any attempt to repeat the May 2008 offensive at home in Lebanon would evaporate Hezbollah’s already diminished “resistance” pretext entirely. For years, the United States has tried to prompt the Lebanese to face the fact that Hezbollah and its rockets create the danger of war with Israel rather than provide protection from Israel. Hezbollah’s rhetorical and physical reaction to the current demonstrations may wake up more Lebanese – including the Shia, essential to undermining Hezbollah’s popularity — to that grim reality.

The current demonstrations also constructively undermine the partnership between Hezbollah and the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), a Christian party, of President Aoun and his son-in-law, Foreign Minister Gebran Bassile. In midwifing an alliance between Hezbollah and FPM in 2006, Bassile is the architect most responsible for Hezbollah’s ability to pretend to represent a national, cross-confessional movement and transcend its narrow Iranian and sectarian agenda. The FPM alliance slapped a veneer of Christian cover onto Hezbollah and thus became the primary vehicle for expanded Hezbollah influence inside government institutions: no longer was Hezbollah restricted by the “Shia quota” in Lebanese sectarian ratios, since Hezbollah could rely on the FPM’s Christian share as well. Bassile has long exploited the sincere concern the United States and other countries have about the status of Christians in the Middle East precisely to divert scrutiny of his personal enabling of Hezbollah and his corruption. Bassile has now become the personification of everything that provokes and enrages the protestors, while his presidential father-in-law’s speeches (including one suggesting that people unhappy with Lebanon’s status quo were free to emigrate) reflect someone seriously out of touch with the national mood. So far, Hezbollah is sticking with its alliance with the FPM. But the value of this asset has dropped considerably and adds to growing public disenchantment with the Hezbollah brand overall.

By contrast, the reputation of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), which has managed largely to stay out of politics, has, for the most part, headed upwards. There have been some problems and discrepancies in the LAF’s reaction to the protests — the LAF protected demonstrators in Beirut against Hezbollah and Amal thugs, while units in Nabatieh, in the south, looked the other way; LAF fire killed one demonstrator last week. But overall, the LAF has responded with professionalism and restraint to what from both security and political angles must be a most trying situation: what would we Americans think if persistent protests prevented us from reaching our airports, hospitals, schools or jobs? Moreover, the LAF has been forced to operate and take risks with no coherent political guidance – or cover – from Lebanon’s civilian leadership and with veiled threats from Hezbollah to clear the protests. In recent days, to the dismay of the demonstrators, the LAF has moved more forcefully to open streets and roads, to allow schools, businesses and public buildings to re-open.

While its record has not been perfect, in general the LAF’s performance has been admirable in these circumstances. The contrast to the Hezbollah thugs on motorcycles could not be clearer, and the LAF’s behavior compares favorably to the Iraqi, Egyptian or Syrian security forces’ reaction to protestors. The LAF can be an example of how public respect for an independent, capable and credible national institution can start to chip away deference to a sectarian one. This, too, is a phenomenon not about us but certainly in our interest – and one to be nurtured.

Some in Washington may ask if the LAF should now prepare to confront Hezbollah kinetically and disarm Hezbollah by force. That would be a recipe for civil war, and, as noted above, Iran and its proxies as well as Al-Qaida tend to thrive in civil war situations. We need to think more long term. In general, LAF officers, protective of their independence, know how much the army’s capabilities and professionalism have improved thanks to sustained U.S. training and equipment, and the Lebanese public is starting to recognize that, too.

A 2007 counter-terrorism operation compared to the LAF’s more recent CT efforts demonstrate this improvement. In 2007, the LAF labored from May until September to liquidate Fatah al-Islam, a Sunni terrorist organization inspired by Al-Qaida. Through the course of the battle, 158 LAF soldiers and officers were killed (along with 222 Fatah al-Islam terrorists), over 50 civilians died, and the entire Nahr al-Barad Palestinian refugee camp, previously home to over 30,000 people, was destroyed. Now, the LAF conducts rapid and effective counter-terrorism operations including on the Lebanese-Syrian border with minimal civilian or army casualties. A 2017 operation to clean eastern Lebanon of over 700 ISIS fighters took a mere ten combat days, with seven LAF killed. The LAF arrested over 3,000 Sunni extremists in 2017 and several hundred more last year. Proud of their institution and mindful of increased public support, LAF officers already whisper resentment of Hezbollah’s arrogant dismissal of the LAF. It is only a matter of time before this resentment comes out into the open.

However unappealing the occasional tactical accommodation, especially in the Hezbollah-dominated south, we should recognize that the LAF-Hezbollah relationship is not an eternal romance. The United States deserves credit for contributing to the LAF’s professionalism and improved capabilities, and thus its enhanced local respect and independence. I regret that the current review suspending – I hope only briefly — U.S. Foreign Military Financing (FMF) to the LAF has interrupted a predominantly good news story about LAF-U.S. cooperation, while giving Hezbollah, Syria, and Iran a convenient talking point about U.S. unreliability.

DYSFUNCTIONAL LEBANESE ECONOMY MAY FORCE A CHANGE IN DIRECTION
While the demonstrations have focused on immediate issues of jobs, garbage, and services, they take place against the backdrop of a looming financial crisis. As one of the highest debt-to-GDP ratios in the world – exceeding 150 percent – Lebanon has long teetered on the brink of financial disaster. The ability of the banking system to pursue clever financial engineering to prevent a plunge off the cliff seems to have run its course. With a tightening of visa restrictions for Europe and the United States, with a decline in employment possibilities in the Gulf states, the traditional outlet for Lebanon’s youth – jobs (and possibly emigration) abroad – has lost its power to reliably churn large amounts of foreign currency remittances back into the Lebanese economy.

But the real problem is persistent economic stagnation. Debt can be managed in an environment of economic growth. Lebanon’s GDP, even before the current demonstrations, was projected to expand by only 0.02 percent this year in real terms. Privatization of state assets – telecom, electricity – could produce revenues, if the privatization schemes could be trusted, as well as improve services over the longer term. And certainly credible, transparent governance, where the public good rather than personal gain motivates the political leadership, can contribute to economic improvements. A significant difference would derive from new investment and a return of Arab Gulf tourists, companies, and financial deposits.

Yet success in attracting Western and GCC investors will remain elusive without significant changes. Western and GCC investors will look elsewhere for opportunities if the Lebanese remain complacent about being part of what is seen as the Iranian/Syrian axis and if they tolerate an only intermittent commitment to transparency and rule of law. More pointedly, investors and tourists will not return in sufficiently large and predictable numbers as long as Hezbollah can on a whim pull Lebanon into war, with no reference to public opinion or government oversight. The Lebanese themselves will need to choose the path leading either to perpetual poverty or potential prosperity, by determining whether they will continue to accept poor governance combined with the effective veto over government decisions that Hezbollah insists upon (while simultaneously rebuffing any public accountability for Hezbollah’s own often deadly actions). Lebanese voters may not be able to strip Hezbollah of its arsenal overnight, but they can seize the next electoral opportunity to strip Hezbollah of the parliamentary partners it uses as force multipliers to assert its will politically: thus, Nasrallah’s red line against early elections.

THE PROTESTS MAY NOT PRODUCE IMMEDIATE CHANGES, BUT A CONSTRUCTIVE PROCESS HAS BEGUN
As of this writing, it is not clear that Lebanon’s besieged political class has any clue what kind of government might satisfy the demands of the street. The candidate currently being discussed for the premiership, businessman and former Finance Minister Mohamed Safadi, does not seem to represent a break from past practices, as initial hostility on the streets indicates.

Arguing that they are concerned about safety in a country where political leaders and social activists have been routinely murdered, the demonstrators have intentionally rejected the idea of promoting leaders out of the protests to negotiate on their behalf. This leaves an inchoate impression about who and what might be acceptable. (One has images of the scenes from the movie and play “Network,” of people shouting from the windows about “not wanting to take it anymore,” but without any clear proposal about what would replace the status quo.) This is an ominous sign that the status quo establishment figures, otherwise so divided, might find common cause in evading accountability and replacement, since the “street” might be less united than the picturesque demonstrations (complete with pots of bougainvillea as decoration) suggest.
Moreover, in contradiction to the carefully nurtured non-sectarian image of the demonstrations, some public frustration in Sunni-majority areas such as Tripoli emerged that “Sunni interests” were damaged when PM Hariri (a Sunni) resigned, when Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri (Shia) and President Aoun (Christian) remained in place. Lebanon’s sectarian ghosts will be hard to exorcise.

After the missteps of Nasrallah’s speeches, Hezbollah must be recalculating along with other status quo leaders about how to retain their prerogatives while somehow managing the popular mood. According to one rumor, some traditional sectarian leaders are musing about allowing an authentically technocratic cabinet to emerge – in the belief that the technocrats will “own” the predicted financial collapse, thus paving a way for the traditional leaders to pick their way through the financial rubble in a rush back to power. The preliminary (if temporary) nod to Safadi, however, suggests that the protestors are not going to get the purely technocratic cabinet they appear to want. But the sustained, widespread criticism of Lebanon’s political class, sectarianism, and of Hezbollah have broken significant taboos. Furthermore, Syria’s proxies in Lebanon and Iran’s proxies in Lebanon – once viewed as virtually indistinguishable, singing their “resistance” duet in sinister harmony – show nascent but unprecedented signs of divergence. Even if not all the potential gains are realized immediately, 2019 is a turning point for Lebanon.

THE U.S. CANNOT DETERMINE BUT CAN INFLUENCE THE OUTCOME
The 2005 protests, which successfully forced the entrenched Syrian military and intelligence assets to leave Lebanon, offer an important lesson for today: the value of domestic initiative combined with external support. Had, say, the United States and France pushed 14 years ago for the Syrians to decamp to their side of the border, and had the Lebanese stayed home, the Syrians could have resisted the external pressure to go. Had the United States and France been looking away, uninterested, when the Lebanese took to the streets in such massive numbers, the Syrians would have displayed no qualms in crushing the demonstrations by force. The combination of Lebanese on the streets in massive numbers and the attention by the international community, led by the United States under President George W. Bush and France under President Jacques Chirac, gave the Syrians no viable option except the exit.

As in 2005, sustained attention and interest today – by Congress, by the Administration, by the UN Security Council, by others — can help protect the demonstrators. But the demonstrations cannot continue indefinitely, especially as average citizens tire of interruptions to daily lives and worry about the economic costs of paralysis. Sustained U.S. interest, attention and messaging can make a difference as the Lebanese struggle to decide how to proceed beyond the home-grown protests.

The trick for us is nuance. It would be unwise to interfere directly in Lebanese political decisions, which would make it too easy for Nasrallah (or Syria, Iran or Russia) to cite credible examples in predictable attempts to discredit the protestors and their demands as U.S.-directed. Nor should we be seen to be in the business of picking Lebanon’s next prime minister (Safadi or anyone else) or specific cabinet ministers; those are exclusively Lebanese decisions. But as our own national interests and those of our regional allies will be affected by what happens in Lebanon, we have a responsibility to clarify our own views by our action and by our words. The Lebanese deserve to understand fully what the implications will be of the decisions they make on cabinet appointments and policies.

As a first step, the military assistance now under review should be rapidly released. This would put the U.S. on the side of national, credible institutions. At a time when the LAF’s popularity is trending mostly upwards compared to what appears to be Hezbollah’s reputational decline, we can reinforce what is, for us and for Lebanon, a positive momentum. Release of the assistance would also undermine the ongoing attempts by Hezbollah, Iran, Syria and Russia to entice the Lebanese into their orbits by calling into question U.S. reliability. Our military aid is never provided unconditionally; we also benefit from the partnership with the LAF. Our expectation that the LAF would improve its professionalism and readiness has been demonstrated vividly by successful counter-terrorism measures and by the (mostly) appropriate response to the protests. The United States can link the release of the FMF with an insistence that the LAF remain outside of politics and treat peaceful demonstrators with equal respect across the entire country, in Nabatieh as well as Beirut.

I would also recommend that we find ways publicly to reinforce the position that we do not want to see the financial or political collapse of Lebanon (lest chaos and civil war provide further opportunities for Iran, Syria and Russia to interfere) – but that our ability to mobilize financial and economic support depends on decisions from the Lebanese themselves, including the composition and policies of Lebanon’s next government. Yes, we are willing to stand with Lebanon, but on the basis of how the Lebanese wish to proceed. If the Lebanese government finally addresses the questions of governance and accountability, the international community can respond; if the government returns to “business as usual,” we will not be able to mobilize support to prevent collapse. With the demonstrators calling for a technocratic rather than political government, our public messaging can emphasize our expectation that a new Lebanese government, if it seeks international support, should effectively and immediately address the reform aspirations of the Lebanese people.

While the decisions are theirs, the Lebanese, who have long lived complacently with the contradiction of self-identification with the West while harboring an Iranian terrorist subsidiary, need to understand the implications of the path they choose. In previous financial crises in Lebanon, Arab Gulf states shifted foreign currency deposits to the Lebanese Central Bank temporarily to shore up reserves; this could be repeated. The U.S., along with France and others, can lead engagement with the International Financial Institutions regarding support to Lebanon. With the right people and policies in place, a new Lebanese government might finally implement the reforms that could trigger release of a reformulated $11 billion assistance package pledged at an international conference in Paris in 2018. Such measures would offer the Lebanese officials a brief respite, while they enact reforms — long promised, never delivered, and now demanded by the population — to put Lebanon’s finances on a sustainable footing and to promote economic growth. But given past foot-dragging, the burden is on the Lebanese officials to overcome domestic and international skepticism, by choosing credible faces and policies for the incoming cabinet. Continued cronyism, corruption and coddling of Hezbollah will lead ever downward, while reform, accountability, transparency and reliance on national institutions instead of Hezbollah can attract the type of support to lead to a better destination, with the United States and others offering support and partnership. That should be our message.

Over the long term, U.S. interests in Lebanon would be best protected by what the Lebanese people indicate that they want: a prosperous, democratic, independent, fully sovereign, peaceful Lebanon, reliant (including for security) on effective, transparent government institutions subject to public accountability. With the right government in place and with renewed international support, this should not be impossible to achieve. At a bit more than 10,000 square kilometers, Lebanon is smaller than the New York City metropolitan area. The population of greater New York exceeds 20 million, whereas Lebanon, even including Syrian and Palestinian refugees, has a population of well under 7 million. Surely it can’t be that difficult to provide reliable electricity, internet, and garbage collection to a Lebanese citizenry that, in general, is both well-educated and internationally connected. Nor should it be that expensive under the right leadership to attract support to put the financial situation on a better course: to put this in perspective, Lebanon’s entire external debt (around $35 billion) is in line with the estimates of what Saudi Arabia is bleeding every year in pursuing a war in Yemen ($25-40 billion).

By releasing the military assistance now, by demonstrating we are paying close attention, and by making crystal clear the implications, good or bad, of the choices the Lebanese make, we can serve our own interests, contribute to the calculations the Lebanese will make regarding cabinet and policy decisions, and prevent a vacuum that others would fill to our detriment. I again thank Congress and this Subcommittee for focusing on U.S. interests in Lebanon.

*Jeffrey Feltman, Visiting Fellow, Foreign Policy, The Brookings Institution

What’s next for Lebanon? Examining the implications of current protests

The post النص الكامل لشهادة السفير الأميركي السابق في لبنان جيفري فلتمان أمام لجنة الشرق الأوسط وشمال أفريقيا والإرهاب الدولي وموضوعها الإحتجاجات الشعبية اللبنانية وتداعياتها وما هو بعدها/Jeffrey Feltman’s testimony text before the House Subcommittee on the Middle East, North Africa, and International Terrorism on “What’s Next for Lebanon? Examining the Implications of Current Protests. appeared first on Elias Bejjani News.

Elias Bejjani/No Solutions In Lebanon As Long As it Remains Occupied By Hezbollah/لا حلول في ظل احتلال وإرهاب حزب الله

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No Solutions In Lebanon As Long As it Remains Occupied By Hezbollah
Elias Bejjani/October 20/2019

A real public genuine revolution is unfolding in our beloved Lebanon that has been occupied by the terrorist Iranian Militia, Hezbollah since 2005.

Lebanese angry Citizens from all walks of life, from all the country’s diversified religious denominations, and from all Lebanese geographical areas are taking place in both the demonstrations and sit-ins.

The peoples’ demands are very basic and all are legitimate.

They want a decent life, in a decent country, that is not occupied by the terrorist Hezbollah, free, independent, democratic and where the law prevails.

They want the rulers as well as the politicians to be public servants and not thieves, terrorists, Trojans and dictators.

Hopefully promising patriotic leaders, qualified activists and politicians will emerge as soon as possible to lead the peaceful protests before the terrorist Hezbollah and the Trojan rotten political parties’ leader and puppet officials abort it.

Meanwhile, the Hezbollah Iranian armed militia is the cancer that has been systematically and evilly devouring Lebanon the land of the Holy Cedars piece by piece since 1982, and oppressing its people in a bid to subdue them and kill their lust and love for freedom.

Because of the Hezbollah savage occupation, No solution is currently possible what so ever in Lebanon for any social or economic crisis in any domain and on any level for any problem being big or small while the country remains under its Iranian and terrorist occupation.

Those rotten and Trojan politicians and political parties’ leaders who are calling for a new government are cowardly and sadly keeping a blind eye on the Hezbollah devastating occupation which is the actual problem.

Because they are opportunist and mere merchants they are knowingly ignoring the real and actual problem which is the occupation, and in a shameful Dhimmitude stance are appeasing and cajoling the criminal occupier for power gains on the account of the country’s people, stabilty, world wide relations, sovereignty, independence and freedom.

Lebanon needs to be freed from the Hezbollah Iranian occupation, and at the same from all its mercenary politicians, officials and political parties’ chiefs.

Liberation of occupied Lebanon urgently requires that the Lebanese free politicians and leaders call on the UN and on the Free world countries to help in implementing all the clauses of the two UN resolutions 1559 and 1701.

From our Diaspora, we hail and command the courageous and patriotic Lebanese citizens who are bravely involved in the current ongoing demonstrations and sit-ins.

May Almighty God bless, safeguard Lebanon and grant its oppressed people the power and will to free their country and reclaim it back from Hezbollah, the Iranian terrorist Occupier.

*Elias Bejjani
Canadian-Lebanese Human Rights activist, journalist and political commentator
Email phoenicia@hotmail.com & media.lccc@gmail.com
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إسرائيل قتلت 23 بينهم إيرانيون بضربات جوية واسعة النطاق في سوريا استهدفت فيلق القدس وقوات النظام/Israel killed 23 in strikes over 20 Iranian, Syrian regime targets/Syria is an increasingly dangerous chessboard for Iran in the Middle East/Ex-Mossad chief: Israel must disrupt Iranian influence in Iraq

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23 قتيلاً بينهم إيرانيون بضربات إسرائيلية «واسعة النطاق» في سوريا والقصف استهدف «فيلق القدس» وقوات النظام… وموسكو تعتبره «خطوة خاطئة»
بيروت/الشرق الأوسط/20 تشرين الثاني/2019

صواريخ اسرائيلية قرب دمشق بعد قصف على الجولان بعد استهداف قيادي من «الجهاد» قرب العاصمة السورية و«الحشد» العراقي في البوكمال
تل أبيب: نظير مجلي – بيروت – لندن/الشرق الأوسط/20 تشرين الثاني/2019

23 killed as Israel strikes over 20 Iranian, Syrian regime targets
جيرازلم بوست: مقتل 23 شخص في سوريا منهم 20 من الإيرانيين جراء غارات إسرائيلية على اهداف داخل سورية
Jerusalem Post/November 20/2019

Syria is an increasingly dangerous chessboard for Iran in the Middle East
Jerusalem Post/November 20/2019

Ex-Mossad chief: Israel must disrupt Iranian influence in Iraq
Jerusalem Post/November 20/2019

Israeli air strikes knock over dozens of Iranian Guards and Syrian army targets
DEBKAfile/November 20/2019

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23 قتيلاً بينهم إيرانيون بضربات إسرائيلية «واسعة النطاق» في سوريا والقصف استهدف «فيلق القدس» وقوات النظام… وموسكو تعتبره «خطوة خاطئة»
بيروت/الشرق الأوسط/20 تشرين الثاني/2019
أكد الجيش الإسرائيلي أنه نفّذ هجمات جوية «على نطاق واسع» ضد مواقع عسكرية في دمشق، اليوم (الأربعاء)، مشيراً إلى أن الهجمات استهدفت «فيلق القدس» الإيراني وقوات النظام. وقال الجيش الإسرائيلي في تغريدة على حسابه في «تويتر»: «نفذنا للتو هجمات واسعة النطاق على أهداف لفيلق القدس الإيراني والقوات المسلحة السورية في سوريا رداً على الصواريخ التي أُطلقت على إسرائيل من قبل قوة إيرانية في سوريا». ونشر الجيش الإسرائيلي خارطة لستة مواقع قام بقصفها معظمها بالقرب من العاصمة السورية، وموقع بالقرب من الحدود الإسرائيلية تماماً. من جانبها، اعتبرت موسكو الضربات الجوية الإسرائيلية على سوريا «خطوة خاطئة». ونقلت وكالة إنترفاكس للأنباء عن ميخائيل بوغدانوف نائب وزير الخارجية الروسي قوله إن موسكو تواصلت مع حلفائها بشأن الواقعة، وكان الجيش الإسرائيلي أعلن امس (الثلاثاء) أن دفاعاته الجوية اعترضت أربعة صواريخ أُطلقت من سوريا المجاورة، بينما أفاد المرصد السوري لحقوق الإنسان أن الجانب الإسرائيلي رد بشن غارات على أهداف قرب دمشق. وأعلن المرصد مقتل 23 شخصاً بينهم مدنيان و16 مقاتلاً غير سوري من القوات الإيرانية والمسلحين الموالين لها جراء الضربات الإسرائيلية المكثفة على مواقع عسكرية في دمشق وريفها في ساعة مبكرة من صباح اليوم. وذكر المرصد أن القصف الإسرائيلي استهدف مواقع في الكسوة ومنطقة سعسع ومطار المزة العسكري وجديدة عرطوز وضاحية قدسيا ومحيط صحنايا جنوب وجنوب غربي العاصمة دمشق، وجرى تدمير مستودعات للأسلحة والذخائر تابعة لـ«فيلق القدس» التابع لـ«الحرس الثوري» الإيراني، كما جرى استهداف معسكر لهم، بالإضافة لاستهداف بطاريات صواريخ أرض – جو ومواقع لقوات النظام. وكان إعلام النظام السوري أعلن أن «الدفاعات الجوية السورية أسقطت أهدافاً معادية» عدة جنوب دمشق. وشن الجيش الإسرائيلي عملية ضد «حركة الجهاد الإسلامي» في قطاع غزة الأسبوع الماضي. واستهدف منزل أحد قادة الحركة أكرم العجوري ما أدى إلى سقوط قتيلين أحدهما ابنه. كما اندلعت مواجهات في غزة بعد اغتيال إسرائيل بهاء أبو العطا القيادي العسكري في «حركة الجهاد الإسلامي» والتي ردت بإطلاق صواريخ في اتجاه إسرائيل. وقال الجيش الإسرائيلي أن الحركة أطلقت نحو 450 صاروخاً. ورد الطيران الإسرائيلي بشن عشرات الغارات الجوية التي استهدفت خصوصاً مواقع لـ«حركة الجهاد الإسلامي». وبعد يومين من بدء المواجهات قُتل ثمانية من أفراد عائلة فلسطينية واحدة (رجل وامرأتان وخمسة أطفال) في ضربة في دير البلح بجنوب القطاع المحصار الذي يبلغ عدد سكانه نحو مليوني نسمة. وفتح الجيش الإسرائيلي تحقيقاً في سقوط ضحايا مدنيين «غير متوقعين» في هذه الضربة. وأسفر التصعيد بين الجانبين عن مقتل 34 فلسطينياً وجرح 110 آخرين، حسب وزارة الصحة في القطاع. وأُبرم اتفاق للتهدئة بعد جهود بذلتها مصر والأمم المتحدة لمنع تصعيد أخطر بين الجانبين.

صواريخ اسرائيلية قرب دمشق بعد قصف على الجولان بعد استهداف قيادي من «الجهاد» قرب العاصمة السورية و«الحشد» العراقي في البوكمال
تل أبيب: نظير مجلي – بيروت – لندن/الشرق الأوسط/20 تشرين الثاني/2019
شنّت طائرات إسرائيلية، صباح الثلاثاء، غارات قرب دمشق رداً على صواريخ أطلقت من سوريا باتجاه إسرائيل، حسب تقرير لـ«المرصد السوري لحقوق الإنسان».
وأفادت وكالة الأنباء السورية الرسمية (سانا) صباحاً بـ«دوي انفجارات» قرب مطار دمشق الدولي، من دون إضافة تفاصيل. وقال مدير «المرصد السوري» رامي عبد الرحمن لوكالة الصحافة الفرنسية، «استهدفت طائرات إسرائيلية بنحو خمسة صواريخ مواقع جنوب وجنوب غربي دمشق انطلقت منها الصواريخ على إسرائيل». وأوضح أن تلك المواقع تعود «لمجموعات موالية لقوات النظام، وقد تكون (حزب الله) اللبناني أو فصائل فلسطينية». وأعلن الجيش الإسرائيلي صباحاً اعتراض نظام الدفاع الجوي «أربعة صواريخ أطلقت من سوريا باتجاه الأراضي الإسرائيلية»، مؤكداً أنه «لم يصب أي من الصواريخ هدفاً في إسرائيل». ولم يصدر أي تعليق من إسرائيل حول الغارات في سوريا. وقتل شخصان، بينهما ابن القيادي في حركة «الجهاد الإسلامي» الفلسطينية أكرم العجوري، فجر الثلاثاء الماضي في قصف إسرائيلي في دمشق، وفق ما أفاد الإعلام الرسمي السوري والفصيل الفلسطيني الذي أعلن أيضاً «اغتيال» إسرائيل لأحد قادته في قطاع غزة.
وأفادت وكالة الأنباء السورية الرسمية (سانا) بأن «العدوان الإسرائيلي قام بإطلاق ثلاثة صواريخ»، أصاب اثنان منها منزل العجوري في منطقة المزة، ما أسفر عن «مقتل ابنه معاذ إضافة لشخص آخر»، وإصابة عشرة أشخاص آخرين بجروح. وأعلنت حركة «الجهاد الإسلامي» وقتذاك، بدورها، استهداف منزل عضو مكتبها السياسي أكرم العجوري، في دمشق، ما «أدى لمقتل أحد أبنائه». وأعلنت الحركة «استنفارها»، وقالت إنها «بدأت بالتصدي لهذا العدوان».
وكثّفت إسرائيل في الأعوام الأخيرة وتيرة قصفها في سوريا، وتستهدف بشكل أساسي مواقع للجيش السوري وأهدافاً إيرانية وأخرى لـ«حزب الله». وتُكرّر التأكيد على أنها ستواصل تصدّيها لما تصفه بمحاولات إيران الرامية إلى ترسيخ وجودها العسكري في سوريا، وإرسال أسلحة متطورة إلى «حزب الله». وقال «المرصد» إن طائرة من دون طيار استهدفت مساء الأحد سيارة لقوات «الحشد الشعبي» الموالية لقوات النظام عند أطراف مدينة البوكمال شرق دير الزور، بالقرب من الحدود السورية – العراقية، «حيث جرى تدمير السيارة ومقتل جميع من كان بداخلها، فيما لم تعلم هوية الطائرة التي استهدفت السيارة». كان «المرصد السوري» نشر أن «انفجاراً يعتقد أنه من طائرات مجهولة، استهدف موقعاً للميليشيات الموالية لإيران في قرية الرمادي بريف مدينة البوكمال، دون معرفة حجم الخسائر البشرية»، فيما أفادت مصادر لـ«المرصد السوري» بأن انفجارات سمعت قبل أيام في المنطقة دون معرفة تفاصيل إضافية. كان «المرصد السوري لحقوق الإنسان» نشر في 12 من الشهر الماضي، أن «طائرات مسيرة مجهولة، حلقت في سماء مدينة البوكمال الخاضعة لسيطرة القوات الإيرانية والميليشيات الموالية لها بريف دير الزور الشرقي، وسط استهداف القوات الإيرانية لها بالمضادات».
وفي ظل تصعيد للتوتر، وإرسال قوات إسناد جديدة، وإعلان الاستنفار الحربي الشامل في الجليل، إثر إطلاق 4 صواريخ من سوريا باتجاه مواقع الجيش الإسرائيلي في الجولان، قرر رئيس الأركان أفيف كوخافي، الرد على القصف بحذر، حتى لا يتهم جيشه بالمبادرة إلى الحرب، في وقت وجد رئيس الوزراء بنيامين نتنياهو ذلك فرصة لتعزيز مكانته في رئاسة الحكومة وإجهاض إمكانية تشكيل حكومة تستند على أصوات النواب العرب. وكان سكان المستوطنات اليهودية في هضبة الجولان السوري المحتلة، استيقظوا بهلع فجر أمس (الثلاثاء)، عندما أطلقت الجبهة الداخلية في الجيش الإسرائيلي صفارات الإنذار تدعوهم لدخول الملاجئ أو المناطق الأخرى الآمنة. وبعد نصف دقيقة طولبوا بالعودة لممارسة حياتهم الطبيعية. وأعلن الجيش أن 4 صواريخ أطلقت من الأراضي السورية باتجاه مواقعه في الجولان، فقام بإطلاق صواريخ القبة الحديدية، التي صدتها ودمرتها وهي في الجو، قبل أن تسقط في مواقع إسرائيلية. وقد ردت إسرائيل على هذا القصف، لكن بحذر، كي لا تتهم بأنها أشعلت حرباً ضد إيران. فقصفت مواقع في جنوب وغرب دمشق؛ حيث ينشط «حزب الله» اللبناني وغيره من الميليشيات الإيرانية.
ووفقاً لمصادر عربية، فإن إسرائيل استهدفت هذه المواقع بـ5 صواريخ، مؤكدة سياستها القائلة إنه لا يمكن أن يترك أي قصف على إسرائيل من دون ردّ. لكن مصادر مقربة من الجيش، أوضحت فوراً أنها لا تنوي الرد على التصعيد الإيراني بتصعيد أعلى، حتى تظل الأمور منضبطة. وأشار محللون عسكريون إسرائيليون إلى أن إطلاق الصواريخ من الأراضي السورية، فجر أمس، جاء رداً على العملية التي نسبت لإسرائيل، وفيها حاول سلاح الجو الإسرائيلي اغتيال القيادي في حركة «الجهاد الإسلامي» الفلسطيني، أكرم العجوري، مع العلم بأنه نجا من الاغتيال. لكن نجله قُتل وأصيبت زوجته، باستهداف ضاحية المزة في دمشق، وذلك في موازاة اغتيال إسرائيل للقيادي العسكري في الحركة في قطاع غزة، بهاء أبو العطا، يوم الثلاثاء الماضي.
وأكد هؤلاء الخبراء، نقلاً عن مصادر عسكرية عليا، أن محاولتي الاغتيال، الناجحة والفاشلة، كانتا بمثابة رسالة موجهة إلى إيران. وقال الجنرال يعقوب عميدرور، الرئيس الأسبق لمجلس الأمن القومي الإسرائيلي، وأحد واضعي السياسة الإسرائيلية تجاه إيران: «ما يجري يسمى دائرة النار… تحاول إيران إشعالها حول دولة إسرائيل. جميع المنظمات المحيطة، بما في ذلك (حماس)، مدعومة من قبل إيران على هذا المستوى أو ذاك. لكن منظمة (الجهاد الإسلامي) فقط هي التي تغذيها ميزانية إيرانية. صحيح أنها لا تعتبر، في أي حال، الجزء القوي أو المهم من آلة الحرب التي بنتها إيران حول دولة إسرائيل. لكن المنظمة هي قوة قسرية إيرانية، وقد نجحوا في جعل غزة جزءاً من حلقة النار نفسها».وقال المحلل العسكري في «القناة 12» للتلفزيون الإسرائيلي، روني دانييل، نقلاً عن مصادر عسكرية، الثلاثاء، إن المسؤولين في تل أبيب يرون أن «إطلاق الصواريخ الأربعة، فجر أمس، يأتي في إطار السياسة الجديدة التي تتبعها إيران، منذ أشهر، وتقضي بالرد على أي عملية عسكرية إسرائيلية. وأن الإسرائيليين يفكرون بالطريقة نفسها في موضوع الرد. وعليه فقد أعلنت حالة استنفار في الشمال لمواجهة أي تطور أو تدهور». وعلى إثر ذلك، سارع نتنياهو للإعلان عن ضرورة تشكيل حكومة وحدة بين الحزبين الأكبرين، الليكود وكحول لفان، واجتمع إلى رئيس حزب الروس أفيغدور ليبرمان، في محاولة لدفع فرص إقامة حكومة كهذه. وقال إن «الوضع الأمني الصعب الذي تواجهه إسرائيل يحتم أن يرتقي المسؤولون الإسرائيليون، ويترفعوا عن المصالح الضيقة، ويقيموا حكومة طوارئ تواجه التحديات بقوة».

23 killed as Israel strikes over 20 Iranian, Syrian regime targets
جيرازلم بوست: مقتل 23 شخص في سوريا منهم 20 من الإيرانيين جراء غارات إسرائيلية على اهداف داخل سورية
Jerusalem Post/November 20/2019
Defense Minister Naftali Bennett to Iran: You are no longer immune. Wherever you stretch your tentacles-we will hack them off.
Israel warned Iran from carrying out further attacks against the Jewish State after Israeli Air Force fighter jets carried out a wave of retaliatory air strikes against dozens of military targets belonging to the Iranian Quds Force (IRGC) and the Syrian army on Tuesday night in Syria.
Israeli Defense Minister Naftali Bennett said following the strikes that “the rules have changed: Anyone who shoots at the State of Israel during the day will not sleep at night. Like last week and now this week. Our message to Iran’s leaders is simple: You are no longer immune. Wherever you stretch your tentacles-we will hack them off. The IDF will continue to protect Israeli citizens According to a senior official in Israel’s Defense Establishment, the “head of the Iranian octopus” sits in Tehran but continues to attempt to surround Israel with proxy groups-Hezbollah in Lebanon, Iranian militias in Syria, Islamic Jihad and to some extent Hamas.“We have not yet threatened the head of the octopus – Tehran. But it is possible to start approaching the head of the Iranian octopus,” he warned.
IDF Spokesperson Brig.Gen. Hidai Zilberman told reporters on Wednesday the tens of targets struck in Damascus, west of Damascus and the Syrian Golan Heights overnight belonging both to the regime of Bashar al-Assad and Quds Force were carried out within minutes and were all located within 80 kilometers of Israel’s border. While the launchers which fired the rockets on Tuesday morning were not struck, some 20 other targets struck included advanced air defense systems (not the Russian-made S-300 missile defense batteries), surface-to-air missiles, reconnaissance sites and warehouses, the National Defense Building at the Damascus International Airport which houses the Quds Force headquarters and other military positions. According to the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), 23 people, including 16 non-Syrians who are most likely Iranians, were killed in the Israeli airstrikes. The senior Israel defense official acknowledged that there were injuries and a number of Iranian fatalities. Numerous others were injured, including a young woman who was wounded by shrapnel that hit the suburb of Qudsaya, west of Damascus.
“We express the wish for a speedy recovery for them,” the Assad government said in a statement carried by state news agency SANA. According to the senior Israeli defense official, the strikes were one of the largest which struck Iranian targets in Syria and was finalized Tuesday night by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, Defense Minister Naftali Bennett and IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Aviv Kochavi at the Kirya Military Headquarters in Tel Aviv. “Iran struck Israel, we can’t forget that. Iran attacked Israel and that’s not acceptable,” he continued, saying that Israel will strike harshly without giving any warning if attacked in the future. “We are changing the rules. Even when it comes to almost negligible attacks, whose impact is small, we are changing the equation and our retaliatory attack will be widespread. When I looked at the South when a small number of rockets are fired and we respond with a small retaliatory strike, then that sort of situation gets to be acceptable. We have to strike harshly to all attacks,” the official said, noting the link of the assassination of Palestinian Islamic Jihad leader Bahaa abu al-Ata in Gaza and the rockets of yesterday.
According to the senior officer in the defense establishment, the National Defense Building, which used to be a hotel, was a center for the Quds force.
“We will not let Iran entrench in Syria,” Zilberman said, adding that the IDF “is prepared to respond harshly to further attacks if necessary. We will not accept an Iranian force near our borders and will continue to work against it.”
Local Syrian media reported that two residential buildings were also struck from shrapnel from a Syrian air defense missile fired towards Israeli jets, sending one family including two children to hospital.
Syria responded quickly to the airstrikes, publishing numerous photos and According to SANA, Damascus promised to provide assistance to those who suffered the “brutal Israeli aggression” by repairing the homes of those affected.
It said that help would arrive immediately to those areas struck, with rescue teams sent to clear rubble in the village of Beit Saber in the Sasa district south of Damascus where a house was destroyed. According to SOHR, a man along with his wife and son were pulled from the rubble of the home Ambulances and fire engines were sent to other areas.
“During the attack, Syrian air missiles were fired, despite a clear warning that was ignored. As a result, several Syrian aerial defense batteries were destroyed,” the IDF said.
While the main goal were Iranian targets, the official said, the secondary goal were six air-to-ground missile batteries belonging to the Syrian regime “to maintain freedom of action and protect our pilots.”
While the IDF Spokesperson stressed that no special instructions for the North have been given, the military was prepared for three possible scenarios: no response, a minor response, and a more significant response.
“The IDF is highly prepared for a variety of scenarios and will continue to operate as required for the security of the citizens of the State of Israel. The Home Front Command instructions should be obeyed if required.”
The strike which began around 1AM on Wednesday morning was carried out in response to four rockets which the IDF said were launched by an Iranian force from Syrian territory towards northern Israeli territory in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
All rockets were intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system, causing no damage or injuries.
“The Iranian attack against Israeli territory yesterday is further proof of the current Iranian purpose in Syria. Their presence in the region is a danger to Israel’s security, regional stability and to the Syrian regime,” the military said.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement following the attack, saying in it that “I made it clear that whoever harms us – we will harm them.”
“That is what we did tonight in Syria against Iranian Quds Force targets and Syrian military targets, after rockets were fired from its territory towards Israel. We will continue to aggressively guard the security of Israel.”
Syrian news agency Sana reported that Syrian regime air defense systems were able to intercept some of the 11 of the 18 missiles fired by a total of 6 jets before they were able to reach their targets.
According to SANA, regime defenses came under “a heavy attack” by Israeli fighter jets that targeted the Damascus area from the Israeli Golan Heights and Lebanese airspace near the town of Marjayoun.
Israel has been carrying out a war-between-wars campaign since 2013 in an attempt to prevent Iran and its proxies like Hezbollah from obtaining advanced weapons to use against the Jewish state and from entrenching itself in Syria.
Thousands of strikes have been carried out over the years in Syria and according to foreign reports has seen strikes in neighboring Iraq.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Aviv Kochavi and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have warned in recent weeks of the increased threat posed by the Islamic Republic which they say is getting bolder and more willing to respond to Israeli attacks on Iranian and Iranian-backed militias and infrastructure.
*Seth Frantzman contributed to this report.

Syria is an increasingly dangerous chessboard for Iran in the Middle East
Jerusalem Post/November 20/2019
Iran has so many forces in Syria that in 2018 the US included in its official policy the “removal of all Iranian-led forces and proxies from the country.”
Iran has spent many years exploiting the weakness of the Syrian regime to entrench its forces in the country, hoping to come out of the Syrian civil war in a much stronger position in the Middle East. It is part of Iran’s grand strategy through which it has also sought to take over parts of Iraq’s government and lever unprecedented influence over Lebanon’s political system. There isn’t much standing in Iran’s way, as the US has indicated its long-term objective is to leave Syria and its role in Iraq is tailored only to fighting ISIS. Iran’s role in Syria increasingly threatens Israel, as revealed through recent tensions and numerous air strikes on Iranian targets that Israel has said it carried out over the years.
Iran’s role in Iraq has a new spotlight on it after 700 pages of documents were leaked from Iran’s intelligence services to The Intercept and The New York Times. In Syria Iran’s role is more murky but it is also well known. Iran has so many forces in Syria that in 2018 the US included in its official policy the “removal of all Iranian-led forces and proxies from the country.” US recent studies, such as the Defense Intelligence Agency, include classified information on Iran’s presence, but a recent Inspector General report about the US-led operations against ISIS noted that “the bulk of Iranian-commander forces were concentrated in the western half of Syria prior to the USS withdrawal.” Iranian-backed militias are in close proximity to US forces “as part of the Iranian goal of forging ground lines of communications from the Iraqi border.”
We also know that satellite images from ImageSat International show Iran continues construction of its Imam Ali base near Albukamal on the Iraqi border. Other reports indicated that Iran had up to 19 bases in Syria in 2018.
From Iran’s perspective, Syria has been a key ally and a conduit for arms shipments to Hezbollah. This has gone back decades. But Iran knew in the early 200s that the Assad regime was flirting with the West and that if it could balance Iran’s role it would like to. The uprising in 2011 led the regime deeper into the hands of Iran, making it more dependent on Iran and Russia. Increasingly the regime was hollowed out, losing tens of thousands of casualties that it couldn’t replace and inviting in more of the IRGC and IRGC allies such as Hezbollah and Shi’ites recruited from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq. Syria became a modern version of what Germany looked like during the Thirty Years War, a kind of massive black hole of suffering upon which was built a chess board for foreign powers.
The Syrian civil war began as one between Syrians. It looked like Syria had fallen into brief chaos, like Libya in 2011, but in fact the regime’s crackdown and the arming of the rebellion led to years of strife and destruction. Little by little, foreign actors moved in. Hezbollah in 2012-2013, ISIS and 50,000 of its foreign fighters in 2014, Russia in 2015, Turkey in 2016, and of course the US and Iran. The US, backing the Syrian Democratic Forces, came to control a third of Syria. Turkey took over another twenty percent. The regime eventually defeated the rebels in the south in the summer of 2018. But the regime then watched as Russia gave the approval for Turkish operation against Kurdish fighters in Afrin in January 2018 and also signed an Idlib ceasefire in September 2018. Russia was now the guarantor of Turkey’s role, because Russia was selling Turkey the S-400 air defense system. Russia, the ally of the Syrian regime, was also a kind of enabler of Turkey’s role. Russia could turn over more areas or not. It signed another deal on October 22 enabling Turkey to grab areas it had taken from the SDF and the Americans in October.
Now Syria appears partitioned, between Turkey in the north, a fading US influence in the east and south, and a growing Iranian influence in the south. Russia plays the big grandmaster watching all of this take place. But Russia is not interested in confronting the US or Iran or Turkey. Russia’s goal is to use Sochi and Astana, and even Geneva, to bring Iran and Turkey to the table again and again. The US is cut-out from this process and the US anyway sought to exclude its own SDF partners from Geneva. So long term, the US role in Syria is likely going to be deeply reduced or end.
But Iran’s role will grow. The problem for Iran is it has too many missions in Syria. It wants to cement its bases. It wants to build its “land bridge” to the sea and Hezbollah with an off-ramp toward the Golan. It wants to sign deals with Assad. And it wants to project influence along the Euphrates river valley towards Deir Ezzor.
Iran is struggling economically though. Protests at home harm its abilities abroad. It has an uphill struggle in Syria to maintain and expand its role. Iran has the technology that it wants to transfer, the precision guidance for instance that it hopes to put in Hezbollah’s hands. But it must be careful because protests in Iraq have also targeted Iran’s presence. Protests in Lebanon have also led to uncertainty there. Iran faces now what all great powers face as they become too powerful. They must manage their power. Iran says it is the “resistance.” But people are now “resisting” Iran throughout the region and at home. It’s bases are open targets, it has difficult conducting truly clandestine affairs. It’s main power is in human resources and deepening its human ties to places in Syria, Iraq and Lebanon. This is how it gets its power, through its network of Shi’ite allies, and places like the Sayyida Zaynab shrine in Damascus where pro-Iranian fighters gather.
Now Iran must determine what its next step is in Syria. The role of its IRGC Quds Force has been key to supporting the Assad regime while also benefiting on the side. But Iran understands that its role is entangled with the regime and also with the Russian role. Its presence must not undermine either of the others. In addition the Syrian regime and Russians are focused more on the north today, while there are questions about what the US is doing in the east. In the south and west therefore Iran’s forces have tended to be targeted by Israel over the last years. Iran boasts that it its IRGC believes the destruction of Israel is no longer just a dream. Towards that end it invested in new missiles, drones and other technology. It even transferred that technology to Iraq, Syria and Lebanon. Those transfers have made Iran’s role in Syria even more dangerous.

Ex-Mossad chief: Israel must disrupt Iranian influence in Iraq
Jerusalem Post/November 20/2019
Yatom was responding to hundreds of newly leaked Iranian documents that offered a detailed portrait of how aggressively and successfully Tehran has penetrated Baghdad.
Israeli intelligence must work to disrupt Iranian influence and its natural advantages in Iraq that could endanger Israeli security and Western interests, former Mossad chief Danny Yatom told The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday.
Reflecting over Monday’s reports in The Intercept and The New York Times regarding hundreds of newly leaked Iranian documents that offered a detailed portrait of how aggressively and successfully Tehran has penetrated Baghdad, Yatom said that the challenge was considerable, but that Israel could rise to the moment.
“Iran has a big advantage,” the former Mossad chief said. “There are many Iranians in Iraq,” highlighting that this home-field advantage makes it much easier “to build large facilities from which they can fire missiles” on Israel.
Yatom noted that both Israeli intelligence and the country’s aerial power might be in play, with Israel already having suspecting Iran-loyal militias that were building new capacities to potentially attack Israel from within Iraq.
“Iran wants to influence Iraq’s prime minister who often acts as if he is acting for them,” Yatom explained. “He is Shi’ite. Also, the prime minister before him was Shi’ite, but the newest one seems to lean even more toward” the Islamic Republic.
Noting that the current Iraqi prime minister “is not stopping Iran from sending militias into Iraq or building facilities there,” Yatom said that another issue raised by the report was the enhanced opportunity Iran has in Iraq to try to turn CIA, US State Department and other Western officials to start working for them.
“Iran is exploiting all of its options, not just in Iraq itself,” but using its penetration of Iraq to “recruit spies who will spy on Israel, the US and NATO states.”
Tehran’s goal continues to be using Iraqi territory “to train, to prepare attacks, to fire rockets that can reach Israel, and to spread out” its capabilities for attacking Israel and adversaries like the Saudis to as many places as possible, including Yemen, “so that it is harder for Israel, the US” and others to manage.
Despite all of the freedom that Iraq is giving Iran to operate in its territory and the potential cover that this gives the Islamic Republic, Yatom said that he did not think Iraq itself “has any interest in clashing with Israel directly. It is enough to give Iran lots of freedom.”
Yatom lamented that “until the US withdrew from Iraq, US influence was strong enough that Iran did very little there besides work with Shi’ite groups like that of Muqtada al-Sadr,” which, though problematic, was not nearly as threatening to Israel and the West as current groups directly controlled by Iran.
However, Yatom was still confident that Israeli intelligence has the capacity to penetrate Iraq to perform surveillance regarding Iranian forces and militias. “Israel always needs an intelligence presence in every place that endangers us and any place where there are Iranians,” he said, adding that although there were always challenges, it was easier to collect intelligence in Iraq than in Iran.
This was a strong statement given that in January 2018, dozens of Mossad agents penetrated the heart of Tehran to make off with the Iranian’s secret nuclear files.
The Iranian intelligence documents that were revealed on Monday went into great detail about their work, especially regarding al-Quds Force chief Qasem Soleimani, to embed themselves into every area of Iraqi affairs.
Documents from the leaked cables detail years of painstaking work by Iranian spies to co-opt the country’s leaders, buy-off Iraqi agents working for the US to switch sides, and infiltrate Iraq’s political, economic, and religious life. Mainly, the documents portray Iran as broadly outplaying the US within the Iraqi arena, especially when the CIA started to cut back its investment in Iraq.
One Iraqi nicknamed in the cables as “Donnie Brasco” turned to Iran for protection when the CIA started cutting many of its Iraqi agents loose.
He promised to tell Iran everything he knew about American intelligence gathering in Iraq – it was all for sale.
Monday’s report said that the documents indicate that he revealed “the locations of CIA safe houses; the names of hotels where CIA operatives met with agents; details of his weapons and surveillance training; and the names of other Iraqis working as spies for the Americans.”
Yatom made it clear that unlike the US, Israel would need to play the same longer-term game that the Iranians are playing, without dropping out of the game prematurely.
Some of the Iranian intelligence cables describe real-life espionage capers in dark alleyways and shopping malls, or under the cover of a hunting excursion or a birthday party.
These documents describe informants lurking at the Baghdad airport, copiously photographing American soldiers and performing surveillance of coalition military flights.
The archive even contains expense reports from Iraq’s intelligence ministry going deep into minutia, like €87.50 spent on gifts for a Kurdish commander.

Israeli air strikes knock over dozens of Iranian Guards and Syrian army targets
DEBKAfile/November 20/2019
Israel fighter jets early Wednesday, Nov. 20 smashed dozens of Iranian Revolutionary Guards and Syrian military targets in Syria – payback for the four-rocket volley against the Golan. They included ground-to-air missile batteries, command centers, weapons stores and bases. The IDF reported that Syrian anti-air batteries were destroyed after opening fire on the Israeli jets, although a warning was relayed to Damascus to abstain. Syrian military sources describe the Israeli fighters as shooting missiles from airspace over the Golan and Lebanon.
At the end of the attack, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu issued a brief statement: “I have said clearly that if anyone harms us, we will harm them. That is what we did tonight to the Iranian Al Qods Brigades and Syrian military targets, after rockets were aimed from Syria against Israel. We shall continue to vigorously safeguard Israel’s security.”
DEBKAfile’s military sources: Israel and Iran have recently embarked on an extraordinary duel, conducted between Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi for the IDF and and the Al Qods Brigades chief Gen. Qassem Soleimani for Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.
The Iranian general is determined to draw Israel into a drawn-out war of attrition on multiple fronts, Syria, Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, whereas the Israeli general’s tactics center on cutting short a potentially slow, debilitating conflict by sharp strikes against Iranian targets and those of its allies. Iran never knows when these surprise attacks are coming or where. Last week, Iran challenged Israel from the Gaza Strip with 450 Palestinian Islamic Jihad rockets. This week, the site of the duel moved to Syria.

The post إسرائيل قتلت 23 بينهم إيرانيون بضربات جوية واسعة النطاق في سوريا استهدفت فيلق القدس وقوات النظام/Israel killed 23 in strikes over 20 Iranian, Syrian regime targets/Syria is an increasingly dangerous chessboard for Iran in the Middle East/Ex-Mossad chief: Israel must disrupt Iranian influence in Iraq appeared first on Elias Bejjani News.


رسالة من 240 نائب أميركي ديموقراطي وجمهوري إلى الأمين العام للأمم المتحدة تطالبه العمل على تنفيذ القرار 1701 الدولي الخاص بلبنان/A majority of the House of Representatives lawmakers – over 240 from both parties sent a letter to the UN urging the enforcement of the UN resolution 1701.

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240 Congresspeople to UN: Hezbollah threatens Israeli security
رسالة من 240 نائب أميركي ديموقراطي وجمهوري إلى الأمين العام للأمم المتحدة تطالبه العمل على تنفيذ القرار الدولي الخاص بلبنان رقم 1701
Jerusalem Post/November 20/2019

“As Republicans and Democrats, we are united in our concern about the continuing, serious violations of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701.”
WASHINGTON – A majority of the House of Representatives lawmakers – over 240 from both parties – sent a letter to the United Nations Secretary-General on Monday urging him to enforce Security Council resolution 1701. Four Congresspeople from both parties spearheaded the letter: Reps. Elaine Luria, Lee Zeldin, Haley Stevens and Michael Waltz. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) thanked the four publicly on Twitter for “pressing [António Guterres] to address the threat to Israel from the terrorist organization Hezbollah in Lebanon.”
The letter calls on Guterres to lead an international effort to limit Hezbollah’s capabilities “and to avoid the devastating but avoidable outcome of which you have previously warned.”“We fear significant civilian costs in Lebanon if Israel must act to defend its citizens because Hezbollah has positioned its massive arsenal in civilian areas – turning much of Lebanon’s population into human shields,” the letter continues. “Hezbollah will bear the responsibility for that, as will the Government of Lebanon and the international community.”
The group mentioned the terror organization’s ongoing efforts to attack Israel, including by digging underground tunnels that the IDF was able to find and destroy last year.
“As Republicans and Democrats, we are united in our concern about the continuing, serious violations of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 and the resulting threat our ally Israel faces on its northern border,” the letter reads. “After 13 years, Lebanon’s attempts to implement this resolution have been unsuccessful. Instead, under the nose of UNIFIL and the international community, Hezbollah has built a murderous capability aimed at Israel’s civilian population. “The United Nations Security Council spoke out clearly and unanimously by passing UNSCR 1701,” it continues. “In doing so, the international community committed itself to Lebanese sovereignty and Israeli security. Hezbollah’s military build-up threatens both. We believe Beirut must address the Hezbollah challenge on an urgent basis. Continued failure to do so weakens Lebanon’s relationship with the international community and increases the threats to the Lebanese People and Israel’s security.”The group urged Guterres to assist Lebanon’s prime minister to “finally reclaim Lebanese sovereignty and implement all the terms of UNSCR 1701, including allowing UNIFIL to fulfill its mandate in southern Lebanon. “At the same time, we request that you insist that UNIFIL fully implement its mandate despite pressure from Hezbollah. UNIFIL should accurately report on Hezbollah violations of UNSCR 1701 and work with the Government of Lebanon to remove Hezbollah’s weapons from the South,” the letter continues. The Jerusalem Post reported in July that Israel and the United States are jointly working to have the United Nations Security Council upgrade the mandate of the international peacekeeping force based in southern Lebanon, providing it with greater authority to weaken Hezbollah.
Israel Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon told the Post that Israel is working with the US to upgrade UNIFIL’s mandate, explicitly to give it the ability to visit and inspect any area in southern Lebanon. Under the existing mandate, UNIFIL cannot enter villages and the urban regions unless it first coordinates such visits with the Lebanese Armed Forces. The lawmakers also addressed the growing threat from Hezbollah’s missile arsenal. “No country can tolerate a terrorist organization on its border, acquiring the capability to endanger its population. Israel has the right to defend itself and will have the full bipartisan support of the United States if it must act to protect its citizens,” it concludes.
 https://www.jpost.com/American-Politics/240-Congressmen-Hezbollah-threatens-Israeli-security-608390

The post رسالة من 240 نائب أميركي ديموقراطي وجمهوري إلى الأمين العام للأمم المتحدة تطالبه العمل على تنفيذ القرار 1701 الدولي الخاص بلبنان/A majority of the House of Representatives lawmakers – over 240 from both parties sent a letter to the UN urging the enforcement of the UN resolution 1701. appeared first on Elias Bejjani News.

Detailed LCCC English News Bulletin For November 21/2019

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Detailed LCCC English News Bulletin For November 21/2019

Click Here to read the whole and detailed LCCC English News Bulletin for November 21/2019

Click Here to enter the LCCC  Arabic/English news bulletins Achieves since 2006

Titles Of The LCCC English News Bulletin
Bible Quotations For today
Latest LCCC English Lebanese & Lebanese Related News 
Latest LCCC English Miscellaneous Reports And News
Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources

The post Detailed LCCC English News Bulletin For November 21/2019 appeared first on Elias Bejjani News.

A Bundle Of English Reports, News and Editorials For November 20-21/2019 Addressing the On Going Mass Demonstrations & Sit In-ins In Iranian Occupied Lebanon in its 35th Day

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A Bundle Of English Reports, News and Editorials For November 20-21/2019 Addressing the On Going Mass Demonstrations & Sit In-ins In Iranian Occupied Lebanon in its 35th Day
Compiled By: Elias Bejjani
November 20-21/2019

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News published on November 20-210/2019
Protests Continuing in Lebanon as Uprising Enters Day 35
Aoun to Address Nation on Eve of Independence Day
Lebanese minister, two ex-ministers could face corruption trial
Lebanese protesters released by security forces, Aoun discusses oil
Khalaf Helps Release Protesters Held Tuesday in Riad al-Solh
Berri Says ‘Bloodshed Scheme’ Defeated on Tuesday
Ammar Says Security Forces Stood Idly By as MPs were being ‘Insulted’
Jumblat Says Presidential Term, Taef Accord Have ‘Ended’
Report: Hizbullah, AMAL ‘Dismayed’ by Security, Military Strategy with Protesters
Protesters in Sidon Close Money Exchange and Transfer Shops
Jarrah to hold press conference Thursday on Ibrahim’s lawsuit
Hale: White House Holding Up Lebanon Security Aid
Young Lebanese Protesters Demand Better Future — at Home
Lebanese Army Rejects Bloodshed in Dealing with Protesters
Lebanon: President’s Conditions Complicate Cabinet Formation Process
Young Lebanese Protesters Demand Better Future — at Home

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News published on November 20-21/2019
Protests Continuing in Lebanon as Uprising Enters Day 35
Naharnet/November 20/2019
University and school students in several parts in north Lebanon skipped classes on Wednesday in a stand of solidarity with Lebanon’s uprising and the latest arrests of protesters in Beirut’s Downtown area. In Akkar’s al-Joumeh area students staged sit-in “in solidarity with the incidents in Riad al-Solh,” in Beirut said the National News Agency. Three protesters were injured and several arrested –released Wednesday– in scuffles with riot police in Riad al-Solh Square Tuesday evening. Activists invited Lebanon’s schools to suspend classes and partake in a sit-in held Akkar’s town of al-Ayoun. Also in Akkar, protesters blocked several major roads protesting the incident. In the city’s major square in Halba and in the town of Rahbeh protesters marched the streets forcing the closure of institutions, banks, private and public schools. Moreover, in al-Koura district a number of students gathered on the campus of Balamand University in solidarity with the demands of the popular movement. Lebanon has since October 17 been rocked by an unprecedented wave of popular street revolt that have cut across sectarian lines. Lebanon’s parliament, besieged by angry protesters , for a second time postponed on Tuesday a session to discuss draft laws which critics charge would let corrupt politicians off the hook. After a morning of noisy demonstrations outside the chamber, and after several political parties had said they would boycott the session, parliament official Adnane Daher appeared before TV cameras announcing the news. Tuesday evening, NNA said the Riad al-Solh skirmishes broke out after some protesters tried to cross the barbed wire and enter into Nejmeh Square where parliament building is located.

Aoun to Address Nation on Eve of Independence Day
Naharnet/November 20/2019
President Michel Aoun will make an address to the nation at 8:00 pm Thursday, which will be broadcast on the various Lebanese TV and radio networks, the Presidency said. The speech marks Lebanon’s Independence Day and will tackle the current situations and latest developments, the Presidency added.Separately, the president called newly-elected Beirut Bar Association chief Melhem Khalaf to congratulate him on his election. Khalaf, who is a prominent civil society figure, is backed by the protest movement that has been sweeping Lebanon since October 17.

Lebanese minister, two ex-ministers could face corruption trial
Reuters, Beirut/Thursday, 21 November 2019
Lebanon’s caretaker information minister and two former telecoms ministers could face trial on charges of wasting public funds after their cases were referred to a special judicial panel set up to try top officials. The decision by a prosecutor to refer the cases to the Supreme Council for the Trial of Presidents and Ministers, according to judicial sources and state news agency NNA, follows protests fueled partly by corruption. The charges are among the first to be brought against high-level officials since the start of the unrest, triggered by dire economic conditions and anger against a ruling class seen as pillaging the state’s resources and driving it into crisis. NNA and the judicial sources said the officials referred to the Supreme Council by financial prosecutor Ali Ibrahim were information minister Jamal al-Jarrah and former telecoms ministers Nicolas Sehnaoui and Boutros Harb.
In remarks to NNA, Jarrah called the proceedings “part of a political campaign” to defame him. He said the financial prosecutor had no legal right to refer the case to the council, a move he said requires a two-thirds vote from parliament.
Posting to Twitter, Sehnaoui said: “I am fully prepared to appear before the competent judiciary, confident in there being no impurity in my practice of public affairs in the service of my country.” Harb declined to comment to Reuters until he had further information about the charges. NNA did not provide further details about the exact nature of the corruption allegations. The protests that have swept the country, and brought down Prime Minister Saad Hariri, were ignited on Oct. 17 by a government proposal to tax WhatsApp calls, a measure that was quickly scrapped. The country has only two mobile service providers, both state owned, and some of the most costly mobile rates in the region, a common grievance among Lebanese

Lebanese protesters released by security forces, Aoun discusses oil
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English/Wednesday, 20 November 2019
Protesters who had been detained following scuffles with security forces in central Beirut on Tuesday night have been released, reported Lebanon’s National News Agency on Wednesday. On Tuesday, protesters gathered in central Beirut to prevent the Lebanese Parliament from opening for a scheduled legislative session which had been criticized by demonstrators as out of sync with the public mood, as anti-government demonstrations showed no signs of stopping. Lebanon’s President Michel Aoun, who has refused to step down, met with the Caretaker Minister of Energy and Water Resources Nada Boustani on Wednesday. According to the NNA, they discussed the oil and gas exploration process, which Lebanese politicians have touted as a potential savior for the country’s struggling economy. The unrest has hit an already weak economy, including by limiting international assistance to the country. The White House confirmed that it is holding up security assistance valued at more than $100 million, according to a senior State Department official on Wednesday. Protests have continued across the country, including in the second largest city Tripoli, after Mohammad Safadi withdrew from replacing Saad Hariri as Prime Minister over the weekend. Al Arabiya English spoke to protesters in Tripoli who were mulling the return of Hariri as Prime Minister, amid continued political deadlock.

Khalaf Helps Release Protesters Held Tuesday in Riad al-Solh
Protesters arrested during scuffles with anti-riot police in Raid al-Solh Square on Tuesday evening have all been released, al-Joumhouria daily reported Wednesday. It said the new president of the Beirut Bar Association Melhem Khalaf -a candidate backed by the protest movement that is sweeping the country- followed up closely on their case from al- Helou barracks where they were held. The newspaper said Khalaf headed to the barracks and stayed there until after midnight with members of the syndicate Imad Martinus and Elie Bazerli and other lawyers to follow up the case.
They were released Wednesday morning. Three protesters were injured and several were arrested in scuffles with riot police Tuesday evening at Beirut’s Riad al-Solh Square. Scuffles also broke out when some protesters tried to cross the barbed wire and enter into Nejmeh Square where parliament building is located.Khalaf was elected on Sunday as head of the Bar Association, scoring a precious win for the nascent movement over the country’s established political parties.

Berri Says ‘Bloodshed Scheme’ Defeated on Tuesday
Naharnet/November 20/2019
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri on Wednesday said that the “biggest winners” on Tuesday were “Lebanon and civil peace,” after he was forced to postpone a legislative session due to lack of quorum and road-blocking protests. “Despite what happened yesterday, the important thing is that not a single drop of blood was shed although a bloodshed scheme was being plotted in dark rooms,” Berri said during the weekly meeting with MPs in Ain el-Tineh. “We do not accept this and the priority was and will always be Lebanon and civil peace,” the Speaker added. He also said that “a bet on spreading vacuum” was thwarted. Lebanon’s parliament, besieged by angry protesters Tuesday, for a second time postponed a session to discuss draft laws which critics charge would let corrupt politicians off the hook. After a morning of noisy demonstrations outside the chamber, and after several political parties had said they would boycott the session, parliament official Adnan Daher appeared before TV cameras. “The session has been postponed to a date to be determined later,” he said, citing “exceptional … security conditions.””This is a new achievement for the revolution,” cheered Mohamed Ataya, a 28-year-old demonstrator, vowing that no session would be held “as long as the people control the street.” From early morning, riot police had faced off with hundreds of noisy demonstrators and sporadic scuffles broke out outside the assembly, where activists tried to block MPs’ convoys. Warning shots were fired in the air as one convoy passed through the crowd, a broadcast on LBCI television showed. Demonstrators blamed an MP’s bodyguard for firing them. Lebanon has since October 17 been rocked by an unprecedented wave of popular street revolt that have cut across sectarian lines. What started with protests against a plan to tax online phone calls made through WhatsApp and other applications has turned into a broader popular revolt against the perceived ineptitude and corruption of the entire ruling class. Amid the crisis the prime minister, Saad Hariri, bowed to street pressure and resigned on October 29, but the parliamentary consultations needed to form a new government have yet to start.

Ammar Says Security Forces Stood Idly By as MPs were being ‘Insulted’
Naharnet/November 20/2019
MP Ali Ammar of Hizbullah’s Loyalty to Resistance bloc on Wednesday accused security forces of “standing idly by” as lawmakers were being “insulted” at road-blocking protests around parliament building on Tuesday. “We saw officers and soldiers standing idly by as the MPs of the nation were being insulted at roadblocks,” Ammar said from Ain el-Tineh. “The army commander promised that as much as he would protect protesters, he would be keen on protecting the right to movement, but unfortunately what we saw was suspicious,” Ammar added. A military source meanwhile clarified to LBCI television that “yesterday the Lebanese Army was tasked with securing the public roads leading to parliament’s entrances while the Internal Security Forces were in charge of the entrances.”Footage of Ammar riding a scooter near parliament and chanting with protesters besieging the legislature’s building has gone viral on social media in Lebanon. A video shows a smiling Ammar arriving on foot to a road-blocking protest near parliament, where a controversial legislative session was due to be held. Ammar then engages in an apparently friendly chat with protesters before leaving the area. Another video shows Ammar raising his fist in the air and chanting “down with the rule of thugs” with protesters as he arrives to another road-blocking point. And as protesters chant “Hela, Hela, Hela, Hela, Ho, parliament is closed, sweetie!”, Ammar starts clapping.

Jumblat Says Presidential Term, Taef Accord Have ‘Ended’
Naharnet/November 20/2019
Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat on Wednesday announced that the presidential tenure of President Michel Aoun and the 1989 Taef Accord have “ended,” as he revealed that he has advised caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri not to lead the new government.
Asked whether caretaker Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil will be among the new ministers, Jumblat told MTV: “I believe that some faces have expired.”Revealing that Hizbullah has not “pressured” him to keep the PSP’s ministers in Hariri’s government, Jumblat said: “I showed solidarity with Hariri until he resigned and we all drowned.”“After resignation I advised Hariri several times not to lead the new government and I told him ‘let them rule even with a one-sided government,’” the PSP leader added. Asked about Aoun’s latest TV interview, Jumblat said: “The presidential tenure has ended, on the streets. Ghassan Ayyash wrote it – the second republic has ended. The Taef Accord has ended.”Noting that he had warned Hariri against endorsing Mohammed Safadi for the premiership, Jumblat added that he does not agree with Hizbullah that “most of what’s happening on the streets is a conspiracy.”“The people are honestly expressing their desire for change,” he said.

Report: Hizbullah, AMAL ‘Dismayed’ by Security, Military Strategy with Protesters
Naharnet/November 20/2019
The “Shiite duo” Hizbullah and AMAL Movement were reportedly dismayed by the technique used by security and military forces when protesters a day earlier blocked routes leading to the parliament, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Wednesday. Sources close to the “Shiite duo” told the daily that “security and military forces ensured protesters’ right to protest, but did not ensure the lawmakers’ right to reach the parliament,” session that was set to convene. They said the “leniency of official bodies regarding behavior of demonstrators in Downtown Beirut contradicts a decision preventing road blockages that was recently announced by a senior military official.”The source was indirectly referring to remarks of Army Chief Gen. Joseph Aoun. On Sunday, Aoun said that the closure of roads by protesters was “unacceptable.” He also said they have the right to protest. “The demonstrators blocked roads to a parliamentary session that would have discussed laws responding to some of their legitimate demands,” deplored the source. Angry protesters besieged the parliament on Tuesday forcing to stop lawmakers from attending a session they deem as “unconstitutional”. The session, postponed for a week due to pressure from the street, was due to discuss draft laws which critics charge would let corrupt politicians off the hook.

Protesters in Sidon Close Money Exchange and Transfer Shops
Associated Press/Naharnet/November 20/2019
Protesters in the southern city of Sidon forced the closure of exchange and money transfer houses as Lebanon grapples with a dollar shortage crisis triggering economic woes, the National News Agency reported on Wednesday. Tens of protesters, and school students marched in Riad al-Solh street in Sidon closing exchange and money transfer houses amid tight security measures, said NNA. Fears of a US dollar shortage have raised anxiety over a possible devaluation of the Lebanese pound and price hikes, amid nationwide protests lingering since October 17 demanding an overhaul of the entire political class. Amid the turmoil, banks stayed shut for weeks and restricted withdrawals, foreign currency transactions and access to dollars. The Lebanese pound has been pegged to the dollar at an official rate of 1,507 to the dollar since 1997. Exchange shops are now trading at 1,900 Lebanese pounds to the dollar, a devaluation of more than 25%.

Jarrah to hold press conference Thursday on Ibrahim’s lawsuit
NNA/Wednesday, 20 November 2019
Caretaker Minister of Information, Jamal Jarrah, is to hold a press conference at 4.00 p.m. Thursday afternoon to respond to the lawsuit filed by Financial Attorney General, Ali Ibrahim, against three former Telecoms ministers.

Hale: White House Holding Up Lebanon Security Aid
Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 20 November, 2019
The White House is holding up security assistance to Lebanon valued at more than $100 million, leaving lawmakers and policymakers in the dark, David Hale, a senior State Department official, publicly confirmed in the impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump. Hale, the top career diplomat at the State Department, acknowledged the freeze as he spoke under oath to lawmakers.Asked about the controversial delay in military assistance to Ukraine, Hale said that it was not an isolated case and pointed to Lebanon. “There was information that came to me starting in late June that a hold had been placed on both Ukraine assistance and Lebanon military assistance without any explanation,” said Hale, the undersecretary of state for political affairs, according to a transcript released by lawmakers late Monday. “It’s still not been released,” he said in the November 6 deposition when asked about the status of aid to Lebanon. Asked why the White House was not disbursing money approved by Congress, Hale said there was apparently “a dispute over the efficacy of the assistance,” but his full answer was redacted. The Trump administration, which has not explained its decision, has been pressing for the isolation of Lebanon’s Hezbollah that allied with Iran. The aid freeze came before the Oct. 17 outbreak of massive anti-government protests in Lebanon against economic hardship and corruption, which triggered the resignation of Prime Minister Saad Hariri. Two senior Democrats, in a recent letter to the White House, said that the “indefinite and unexplained hold” affected $105 million in aid to Lebanon including military vehicles, weapons and ammunition. Eliot Engel, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Ted Deutch, head of its Middle East subcommittee, wrote that Lebanon “continues to face imminent threats to its security forces from a resurgent ISIS, al-Qaeda and its affiliates as well as an increasingly strong Hezbollah.””A more capable (Lebanese Army) is clearly in the interests of the United States and Lebanon,” they wrote. Hale said the top State Department and Pentagon officials handling the Middle East wondered if aid freezes by the White House’s Office of Management and Budget had become “a new normal.” In the case of Ukraine, Trump is facing accusations over charges that he withheld assistance needed to fight Russian-backed separatists as he pressed Ukraine to dig up dirt on domestic rival Joe Biden. Trump denies wrongdoing.

Young Lebanese Protesters Demand Better Future — at Home

Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 20 November, 2019
At an anti-corruption rally in Lebanon’s capital, 16-year-old Mariam Sidani said she had skipped school to protest against politicians who care nothing for her life prospects. “No one’s taking care of my future,” she said, her face flushed after a day in the sun. “I want to live in my own country, not be forced abroad,” she said, her long hazel hair flowing over her backpack straps, AFP reported. At the heart of Lebanon’s one-month-old protests, a young generation of activists is coming of age and demanding a country in which they can see themselves thriving and growing old. With humorous songs, satirical art and creative slogans, they are demanding the overhaul of an entire political class they see as inefficient, corrupt and out of touch. Many of the protesters were born in 2000 or later, learning online what life is like overseas, and they say what is on offer in Lebanon is simply not good enough. “All over the world students are fighting for climate justice,” said Sidani.”But we don’t even have a sea,” she said of a polluted coastline that is largely privatised and to which access is prohibitively expensive.
‘Worse than season 8’
Near the seat of cabinet, students dance to the booming beat of a rapper from the northern Akkar region demanding “the fall of the regime”. A young female university student holds up a poster depicting top politicians as sharks. “Let’s go hunt,” it reads. Another student deplores the country’s endless political crises and crumbling economy with a pop culture reference. “It’s so bad you made me forget how bad season 8 was,” her poster says, referring to TV series Games of Thrones. Like their older counterparts, Lebanon’s Generation Z demand 24-hour electricity, clean water, healthcare, better garbage management, more public spaces and an end to corruption. But in a country where more than 30 percent of youth are unemployed, they also just want jobs. Tina, a 17-year-old high school student, said she wanted a future not defined by the ability to pay bribes or call in a favour from someone influential.
“We want to stay here with our families and find jobs without personal connections,” she said, clutching a cardboard poster that denounced parents who effectively buy their children good marks in school. Not far off, dancing among the crowd, 19-year-old Sandra Rizk had flown back to Lebanon from her first year at university in Italy to take part in the protests. “We have really intelligent people who are leaving this country to go and fix other ones. It shouldn’t be like this,” she said. “Those people have to come back and repair Lebanon,” said the fashion design student, short curly brown hair framing her face.
‘Social justice’
Analyst Nadim Houry said the new generation of demonstrators had surprised people. “Everyone expected them to be too lethargic from all these hours on YouTube and social media,” said the executive director of the Arab Reform Initiative. “But similar to their cohort in places as far as Hong Kong, they have shown themselves to be more political and articulate than their predecessors,” he told AFP. Born a decade after the country’s 1975-1990 civil conflict, they never knew some of the country’s politicians as warlords, and are not paralyzed by the same fears as their parents or even elder siblings, Houry said.
“They care less about sectarianism and more about social justice,” he said. In a multi-confessional country where Lebanese have long voted along sectarian lines, young protesters say they have freed themselves from political affiliations and are putting their country first. “They want to be treated as citizens and not as members of sects,” Houry said. Lebanon has been shaken by protests before, including a huge movement that ended Syrian occupation in 2005, and a brief outcry denouncing those responsible for heaps of garbage mounting in and around that capital in 2015. But 26-year-old interior architecture student George said today’s cross-sectarian uprising was different. “This is the real revolution that represents all of us,” he said, carrying a Lebanese flag. His generation would carry the movement forward, he said, even if those who were employed felt they needed to return to their jobs.
“If older people need to go back to work, we’ve swapped our university and school timetables for the revolution,” he said.

Exclusive: Lebanese Army Rejects Bloodshed in Dealing with Protesters
Beirut – Thaer Abbas/Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 20 November, 2019
The Lebanese army leadership rejects bloody clashes with anti-government demonstrators who took to the streets on October 17 to protest rising poverty and ask for better state services, a Lebanese official with knowledge of military affairs said. The army considers bloodshed a red line, the official told Asharq Al-Awsat. Constitutionally, the military institution falls under the authority of the Lebanese government. But since neither the cabinet nor the Higher Defense Council have met since the eruption of protests, the army hasn’t received any political instructions on ways to deal with demonstrators.
It was up to its leadership to decide what action to take to open roads blocked by the protesters while taking into consideration that they are Lebanese citizens and not terrorists or foreign enemies, said the official. The army sought to open roads through dialogue with the protesters and certain decisive measures while avoiding clashes. The military leadership is confident about its decision and will not hesitate to apply similar measures if needed, the official added. There were limited clashes with protesters because the army is not trained to deal with protests, he told Asharq Al-Awsat. He said pressure keeps piling after the leadership decided to put 90 percent of its reservists in service. “But we will continue to carry out our duty.”The official said political parties had no role in the first three days of protests when angry Lebanese took to the streets over proposed new taxes. The masses included the poor as well as the wealthy who wanted to express frustration at the deteriorating economic and financial crisis. He added that the majority of protesters were youth from colleges and universities, who are seen as the biggest constituents in the 2022 parliamentary elections. Prime Minister Saad Hariri resigned his government on Oct. 29 in response to the protests, which snowballed into calls for the entire political elite to step aside.

Lebanon: President’s Conditions Complicate Cabinet Formation Process
Beirut – Caroline Akoum/Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 20 November, 2019
Lebanese President Michel Aoun has renewed his call for the formation of a government of politicians and technocrats, setting new standards for the process, cabinet ministers close to the president. Aoun said on Tuesday the government must bring together politicians, specialists and activists, while sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that the prime minister-designate must approve the new standards to head the next cabinet. Well-informed sources said that caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri did not go back on his position regarding the need to form a technocrat government. “Hariri said what he has to say,” the sources told Asharq Al-Awsat, noting that he would only accept to lead a cabinet of technocrats. The sources added that Hariri had put forward the name of Lebanon’s Ambassador to the UN Nawaf Salam for the premiership, but his proposal was rejected. “We can’t ignore street protests that brought down the previous government… We should have a pragmatic assessment of the situation on the ground … and work to lay a solid foundation for any future government,” the sources underlined. Aoun has yet to call for consultations with parliamentary blocs’ leaders to name a new premier, three weeks after Hariri resigned amid nationwide protests. However, Lebanese ministerial sources said that contacts with Aoun’s rivals, such as the Lebanese Forces, the Progressive Socialist Party and the Kataeb, had reached a standstill. The sources were surprised by Aoun’s recent comments about a government of politicians and technocrats, stressing that Hariri was not in a position to head such a cabinet. Aoun met on Tuesday with the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Jan Kubis, at the Baabda Palace. A statement by the presidential office said he was still holding contacts to form a new government that would enjoy “the needed political support and include representatives of the political components and protesters alongside technocrats.”The president added that he would set a date for the binding parliamentary consultations when the talks with the concerned political parties yield results by removing obstacles hindering the cabinet formation process.

Young Lebanese Protesters Demand Better Future — at Home
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/November 20/2019
At an anti-corruption rally in Lebanon’s capital, 16-year-old Mariam Sidani said she had skipped school to protest against politicians who care nothing for her life prospects. “No one’s taking care of my future,” she said, her face flushed after a day in the sun. “I want to live in my own country, not be forced abroad,” she said, her long hazel hair flowing over her backpack straps. At the heart of Lebanon’s one-month-old protests, a young generation of activists is coming of age and demanding a country in which they can see themselves thriving and growing old. With humourous songs, satirical art and creative slogans, they are demanding the overhaul of an entire political class they see as inefficient, corrupt and out of touch. Many of the protesters were born in 2000 or later, learning online what life is like overseas, and they say what is on offer in Lebanon is simply not good enough. “All over the world students are fighting for climate justice,” said Sidani. “But we don’t even have a sea,” she said of a polluted coastline that is largely privatised and to which access is prohibitively expensive.
‘Worse than season 8’
Near the seat of cabinet, students dance to the booming beat of a rapper from the northern Akkar region demanding “the fall of the regime”. A young female university student holds up a poster depicting top politicians as sharks. “Let’s go hunt,” it reads. Another student deplores the country’s endless political crises and crumbling economy with a pop culture reference. “It’s so bad you made me forget how bad season 8 was,” her poster says, referring to TV series Games of Thrones. Like their older counterparts, Lebanon’s Generation Z demand 24-hour electricity, clean water, healthcare, better garbage management, more public spaces and an end to corruption. But in a country where more than 30 percent of youth are unemployed, they also just want jobs. Tina, a 17-year-old high school student, said she wanted a future not defined by the ability to pay bribes or call in a favour from someone influential. “We want to stay here with our families and find jobs without personal connections,” she said, clutching a cardboard poster that denounced parents who effectively buy their children good marks in school. Not far off, dancing among the crowd, 19-year-old Sandra Rizk had flown back to Lebanon from her first year at university in Italy to take part in the protests. “We have really intelligent people who are leaving this country to go and fix other ones. It shouldn’t be like this,” she said. “Those people have to come back and repair Lebanon,” said the fashion design student, short curly brown hair framing her face.
‘Social justice’
Analyst Nadim Houry said the new generation of demonstrators had surprised people. “Everyone expected them to be too lethargic from all these hours on YouTube and social media,” said the executive director of the Arab Reform Initiative. “But similar to their cohort in places as far as Hong Kong, they have shown themselves to be more political and articulate than their predecessors,” he told AFP. Born a decade after the country’s 1975-1990 civil conflict, they never knew some of the country’s politicians as warlords, and are not paralysed by the same fears as their parents or even elder siblings, Houry said. “They care less about sectarianism and more about social justice,” he said. In a multi-confessional country where Lebanese have long voted along sectarian lines, young protesters say they have freed themselves from political affiliations and are putting their country first.
“They want to be treated as citizens and not as members of sects,” Houry said. Lebanon has been shaken by protests before, including a huge movement that ended Syrian occupation in 2005, and a brief outcry denouncing those responsible for heaps of garbage mounting in and around that capital in 2015. But 26-year-old interior architecture student George said today’s cross-sectarian uprising was different. “This is the real revolution that represents all of us,” he said, carrying a Lebanese flag. His generation would carry the movement forward, he said, even if those who were employed felt they needed to return to their jobs. “If older people need to go back to work, we’ve swapped our university and school timetables for the revolution,” he said.

240 Congresspeople to UN: Hezbollah threatens Israeli security
A majority of the House of Representatives lawmakers – over 240 from both parties sent a letter to the UN urging the enforcement of the UN resolution 1701.
Jerusalem Post/November 20/2019
رسالة من 240 نائب أميركي ديموقراطي وجمهوري إلى الأمين العام للأمم المتحدة تطالبه العمل على تنفيذ القرار الدولي الخاص بلبنان رقم 1701
“As Republicans and Democrats, we are united in our concern about the continuing, serious violations of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701.”
WASHINGTON – A majority of the House of Representatives lawmakers – over 240 from both parties – sent a letter to the United Nations Secretary-General on Monday urging him to enforce Security Council resolution 1701. Four Congresspeople from both parties spearheaded the letter: Reps. Elaine Luria, Lee Zeldin, Haley Stevens and Michael Waltz. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) thanked the four publicly on Twitter for “pressing [António Guterres] to address the threat to Israel from the terrorist organization Hezbollah in Lebanon.”
The letter calls on Guterres to lead an international effort to limit Hezbollah’s capabilities “and to avoid the devastating but avoidable outcome of which you have previously warned.”“We fear significant civilian costs in Lebanon if Israel must act to defend its citizens because Hezbollah has positioned its massive arsenal in civilian areas – turning much of Lebanon’s population into human shields,” the letter continues. “Hezbollah will bear the responsibility for that, as will the Government of Lebanon and the international community.”
The group mentioned the terror organization’s ongoing efforts to attack Israel, including by digging underground tunnels that the IDF was able to find and destroy last year.
“As Republicans and Democrats, we are united in our concern about the continuing, serious violations of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 and the resulting threat our ally Israel faces on its northern border,” the letter reads. “After 13 years, Lebanon’s attempts to implement this resolution have been unsuccessful. Instead, under the nose of UNIFIL and the international community, Hezbollah has built a murderous capability aimed at Israel’s civilian population. “The United Nations Security Council spoke out clearly and unanimously by passing UNSCR 1701,” it continues. “In doing so, the international community committed itself to Lebanese sovereignty and Israeli security. Hezbollah’s military build-up threatens both. We believe Beirut must address the Hezbollah challenge on an urgent basis. Continued failure to do so weakens Lebanon’s relationship with the international community and increases the threats to the Lebanese People and Israel’s security.”The group urged Guterres to assist Lebanon’s prime minister to “finally reclaim Lebanese sovereignty and implement all the terms of UNSCR 1701, including allowing UNIFIL to fulfill its mandate in southern Lebanon. “At the same time, we request that you insist that UNIFIL fully implement its mandate despite pressure from Hezbollah. UNIFIL should accurately report on Hezbollah violations of UNSCR 1701 and work with the Government of Lebanon to remove Hezbollah’s weapons from the South,” the letter continues. The Jerusalem Post reported in July that Israel and the United States are jointly working to have the United Nations Security Council upgrade the mandate of the international peacekeeping force based in southern Lebanon, providing it with greater authority to weaken Hezbollah.
Israel Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon told the Post that Israel is working with the US to upgrade UNIFIL’s mandate, explicitly to give it the ability to visit and inspect any area in southern Lebanon. Under the existing mandate, UNIFIL cannot enter villages and the urban regions unless it first coordinates such visits with the Lebanese Armed Forces. The lawmakers also addressed the growing threat from Hezbollah’s missile arsenal. “No country can tolerate a terrorist organization on its border, acquiring the capability to endanger its population. Israel has the right to defend itself and will have the full bipartisan support of the United States if it must act to protect its citizens,” it concludes.
https://www.jpost.com/American-Politics/240-Congressmen-Hezbollah-threatens-Israeli-security-608390

Titles For The Latest Lebanese LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on November 20-21/2019
A majority of the House of Representatives lawmakers – over 240 from both parties sent a letter to the UN urging the enforcement of the UN resolution 1701./Jerusalem Post/November 20/2019
Lebanon confusion: Uneasy calm descends on Beirut amid ‘fear of what is to come’/Najia Houssari/November 21/2019
Arts of the Lebanese Revolution build an open historic museum/Salma Yassine/Annahar/November 20/2019
What’s next for Lebanon? Examining the implications of current protests/Jeffrey Feltman/November 20/ 2019

The Latest Lebanese LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on November 20-21/2019
240 Congresspeople to UN: Hezbollah threatens Israeli security
A majority of the House of Representatives lawmakers – over 240 from both parties sent a letter to the UN urging the enforcement of the UN resolution 1701.
Jerusalem Post/November 20/2019
رسالة من 240 نائب أميركي ديموقراطي وجمهوري إلى الأمين العام للأمم المتحدة تطالبه العمل على تنفيذ القرار الدولي الخاص بلبنان رقم 1701
“As Republicans and Democrats, we are united in our concern about the continuing, serious violations of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701.”
WASHINGTON – A majority of the House of Representatives lawmakers – over 240 from both parties – sent a letter to the United Nations Secretary-General on Monday urging him to enforce Security Council resolution 1701. Four Congresspeople from both parties spearheaded the letter: Reps. Elaine Luria, Lee Zeldin, Haley Stevens and Michael Waltz. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) thanked the four publicly on Twitter for “pressing [António Guterres] to address the threat to Israel from the terrorist organization Hezbollah in Lebanon.”
The letter calls on Guterres to lead an international effort to limit Hezbollah’s capabilities “and to avoid the devastating but avoidable outcome of which you have previously warned.”“We fear significant civilian costs in Lebanon if Israel must act to defend its citizens because Hezbollah has positioned its massive arsenal in civilian areas – turning much of Lebanon’s population into human shields,” the letter continues. “Hezbollah will bear the responsibility for that, as will the Government of Lebanon and the international community.”
The group mentioned the terror organization’s ongoing efforts to attack Israel, including by digging underground tunnels that the IDF was able to find and destroy last year.
“As Republicans and Democrats, we are united in our concern about the continuing, serious violations of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 and the resulting threat our ally Israel faces on its northern border,” the letter reads. “After 13 years, Lebanon’s attempts to implement this resolution have been unsuccessful. Instead, under the nose of UNIFIL and the international community, Hezbollah has built a murderous capability aimed at Israel’s civilian population. “The United Nations Security Council spoke out clearly and unanimously by passing UNSCR 1701,” it continues. “In doing so, the international community committed itself to Lebanese sovereignty and Israeli security. Hezbollah’s military build-up threatens both. We believe Beirut must address the Hezbollah challenge on an urgent basis. Continued failure to do so weakens Lebanon’s relationship with the international community and increases the threats to the Lebanese People and Israel’s security.”The group urged Guterres to assist Lebanon’s prime minister to “finally reclaim Lebanese sovereignty and implement all the terms of UNSCR 1701, including allowing UNIFIL to fulfill its mandate in southern Lebanon. “At the same time, we request that you insist that UNIFIL fully implement its mandate despite pressure from Hezbollah. UNIFIL should accurately report on Hezbollah violations of UNSCR 1701 and work with the Government of Lebanon to remove Hezbollah’s weapons from the South,” the letter continues. The Jerusalem Post reported in July that Israel and the United States are jointly working to have the United Nations Security Council upgrade the mandate of the international peacekeeping force based in southern Lebanon, providing it with greater authority to weaken Hezbollah.
Israel Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon told the Post that Israel is working with the US to upgrade UNIFIL’s mandate, explicitly to give it the ability to visit and inspect any area in southern Lebanon. Under the existing mandate, UNIFIL cannot enter villages and the urban regions unless it first coordinates such visits with the Lebanese Armed Forces. The lawmakers also addressed the growing threat from Hezbollah’s missile arsenal. “No country can tolerate a terrorist organization on its border, acquiring the capability to endanger its population. Israel has the right to defend itself and will have the full bipartisan support of the United States if it must act to protect its citizens,” it concludes.
https://www.jpost.com/American-Politics/240-Congressmen-Hezbollah-threatens-Israeli-security-608390

Lebanon confusion: Uneasy calm descends on Beirut amid ‘fear of what is to come’
Najia Houssari/November 21/2019
BEIRUT: More than a month after bitter demonstrations erupted across the country, Lebanese protesters, just like warriors in battle, appear desperate for a rest. On Wednesday, 35 days after activists took to the streets to demand an end to government corruption and mismanagement, life in Beirut returned to normal. Students went back to their schools and universities, banks opened their doors to unprecedented numbers of customers, roadworks restarted on some streets and TV channels resumed regular schedules. However, behind the appearance of calm, many residents remain nervous and fearful. Taxi driver Abu Omar said: “The roads are no longer blocked by protesters, but people are still in shock. They fear what is to come. There have been no solutions, which means it is not over.”
Madeleine, shopping on Hamra Street with a friend, said: “We have had enough of sitting in front of the TV all day, watching the news. People in the street were right to protest and their demands must be met. Employees were told two days ago that their salaries will be cut in half.”
Another said: “We might lose our jobs at any moment. They told us that last month the company suffered enormous losses and might not be able to continue. I do not think that the protests are the cause, but the economic stagnation that began before the protests has got worse.”
Away from the capital, protesters are still setting up roadblocks, but the Lebanese army’s decision to open major roads between towns has been unopposed.
In the north of Lebanon, roads were blocked in Akkar, while life in Tripoli returned to normal and the main protest squares were closed. In Saida, in the south of the country, public facilities, schools and universities reopened. But protesters called for money exchange and transfer shops to be closed amid anger at the outlets’ high pricing of the US dollar while banks still have strict limits on providing customers with US currency. According to a final review by Lebanon’s Central Bank, more than $3.2 billion was withdrawn from banks at the start of the financial crisis. Alia Abbas, general director of economy and trade at the Lebanese Economy Ministry, said that prices of some products have risen by up to 11 percent. President Michel Aoun, caretaker prime minister Saad Hariri and Speaker Nabih Berri have failed to reach a formula to form a new government since Oct. 29. One activist, who declined to be named, said that he fears Aoun will name someone other than Hariri to form a government of both experts and politicians since the former PM is insisting on a technocrat government.
“Naming Hariri to form a techno-political government is a good thing, as familiar faces will be replaced with experts, but this will not be well received by the protest movement,” he said.

Arts of the Lebanese Revolution build an open historic museum
Salma Yassine/Annahar/November 20/2019
Brushstrokes are taking refuge in what is presented on the streets, and breathing life into it through immortalizing it on canvasses, making the revolution a museum of painted history.
BEIRUT: The Lebanese revolution is rendered a safe harbor for a crescendo of raw arts that revive the defiance within every hue.
A plethora of arts emanates from the Lebanese Revolution, with exuberance earnestly woven within the gravelly voices of the people, who are an indispensable essence to their unity. “The revolutionary arts we are witnessing are endearing, given their creative, sarcastic, and emotional nature. They are a remedy to the Lebanese’s past traumas, the ones lingering within the charcoaled days of the civil war,” Nada Mouzannar, a singer and a member of the Lebanese diaspora, noted.
The spectrum of arts encompasses various forms of paintings, graphic designs, music and written words, some of which are being transcribed on walls, and captured in snapshots. Brushstrokes are taking refuge in what is presented on the streets, and breathing life into it through immortalizing it on canvasses, making the revolution a museum of painted history. “The faces of the revolution inspire me, for they are art in their own sense. One could only drown in a sea of features; those of children on their fathers’ shoulders, young women, men selling flowers, the flags, the scarves, and the enormity of the architecture. Painting the revolution will eternalize it,” Reem Rashash Shaaban, a mixed media artist, told Annahar.  Designs across Lebanese streets feature chants and slogans like “سلميّة، سلميّة – Peaceful, Peaceful,” “تحيّة للطّلّاب – Salutation to the Students,” and “الثّورة أنثى – The Revolution is Female” and reflect the crux of the revolution’s voice. Musical creations are also blooming to iconize the revolution through streaming old songs known to be classics for every revolt, featuring the legendary “شيّد قصورك عالمزارع – Erect your Fortresses on our Farmland.” Protesters are also producing new chants and modern revolutionary songs that speak of the current state of the country.
“I felt that injustice entered people’s homes without permission, and we all had our own stories and sufferings to narrate. I went out to the streets and met artists with whom I decided to compose an anthem for the revolution,” Mahdi Mansour, a poet, noted for Annahar.
A notable outcome of these melodic compositions was the birth of the “Revolution’s Anthem.”“The prominence of having an anthem lies in directing the voices of the people towards a plethora of unified demands that are fuming with love, social justice, political reform, and the abandonment of sectarianism,” he added. Omar Sfeir, a photographer, captured a still moment to represent the Lebanon that the revolution has birthed, by adding a twist to Magritte’s surrealist painting, titled “The Lovers.”
“My version portrays two people revolting under the name of love, regardless of their gender, religion, and sexual orientation. The kiss concealed with Lebanese flags is a token of defiance, wherein the cedar is complete by the two united lovers, just like my homeland’s people,” he told Annahar.

What’s next for Lebanon? Examining the implications of current protests
النص الكامل لشهادة السفير الأميركي السابق في لبنان جيفري فلتمان أما لجنة الشرق الأوسط وشمال أفريقيا والإرهاب الددولي حول الإحتجاجات الشعبية اللبنانية وما ما هو بعدها
Jeffrey Feltman/November 20/ 2019
Editor’s Note: Jeffrey Feltman testifies before the House Subcommittee on the Middle East, North Africa, and International Terrorism on “What’s Next for Lebanon? Examining the Implications of Current Protests.”
Below is the full testimony .
I thank the Subcommittee for inviting me to share my analysis on the situation in Lebanon, especially as it relates to U.S. interests.
I must begin by noting that I represent only myself before you today; the Brookings Institution does not take any institutional positions on policy positions. I would also like to emphasize at the outset that Lebanon’s current protests are not about the United States, and we should avoid anything that would change the focus to the United States. But the results of the protests could affect U.S. interests positively or negatively. That is why I very much welcome Congressional attention to Lebanon at what could be a pivotal moment in the country’s history.
LEBANON MATTERS TO THE UNITED STATES
There are two common perceptions of Lebanon in the United States. One view is romantic, seeing a multi-confessional, relatively open democracy and vibrant society, offering incredible culture, cuisine, history and hospitality. According to the alternative view, Lebanon, with a bloody civil war and where U.S. Marines and diplomats have been butchered, is a dangerous outpost of Iran threatening U.S. interests in the region and beyond.
With some truth in each description, I would like to open by reviewing how tiny Lebanon affects U.S. interests in big ways. Most obvious is Iran’s projection of its malign regional role via its most successful export, the terrorist organization Hezbollah with its advanced capabilities to threaten Israel and other U.S. allies. In addition, the risk of Sunni extremist groups and Al-Qaida or ISIS establishing strongholds in Lebanon has largely receded, thanks to impressive, sustained efforts by the Lebanese Armed Forces. But, as happened in Iraq, these gains can quickly erode, with international implications, without continued vigilance.
The history of Hezbollah and of Sunni terrorist groups demonstrate vividly why Lebanon’s overall stability is in our interest: Iran exploited Lebanon’s civil war, the post-2003 internal conflict in Iraq, and the more recent civil wars in Syria and Yemen to establish deep roots that prove difficult to eradicate. Civil wars, in other words, become vehicles for the expansion of Iran’s influence. Chaos is also a fertile breeding ground for Al-Qaida-type terrorists, as in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Somalia.
Russia also eyes Lebanon as a venue to continue its aggressive expansion of its regional and Mediterranean role. Russia is entrenched in Syria, and Russian mercenaries enabling General Haftar’s assault on Tripoli in Libya gives Moscow a toehold on the southern Mediterranean. Lebanon’s three ports and offshore hydrocarbon reserves, if exploited by Russia, would add to the sense that Russia is winning in the eastern and southern Mediterranean, at our expense. With over 400 Chinese nationals in UNIFIL in southern Lebanon, China, too, may see potential in Lebanon’s ports and location – and the Lebanese may find China’s 5G technology hard to resist, given the sorry state of Lebanon’s current telecommunications networks.
Hezbollah: Revolutionary Iran’s most successful export
Closer to Lebanon, Bashar al-Assad, who for a supposedly strong-man dictator is embarrassingly dependent on Russia, Hezbollah and Iran to reassert his control over most of Syria, would undoubtedly love to posture again as a regional power broker by reversing his 2005 humiliation, when the combination of Lebanese protests and international pressure led by President George W. Bush forced him to end abruptly Syria’s long-time oppressive military occupation of Lebanon. Russia, never happy with President Bush’s focus on Lebanon’s freedom, may be happy to facilitate the restoration of Syrian hegemony over its small neighbor, especially as convenient cover for Russia’s own objectives in Lebanon.
In short, Lebanon is a venue for global strategic competition. Others will happily fill the vacuum if we cede ground.
However dysfunctional Lebanon’s democracy is, we also have interests in seeing an Arab, Mediterranean country with relatively strong civil liberties, democratic traditions, and multi-confessional co-existence succeed. With their strong international connections, most Lebanese aspire to be linked politically, culturally, economically, and financially, to the traditional West – Europe and North America – than with Iran, Russia, or China. There is a natural affinity between most Lebanese and the West that can work to our advantage. But as citizens of a small, vulnerable country in a dangerous region, the Lebanese will also, not irrationally, look for reliable external partners. As frustrating, “needy,” and complicated as Lebanon can be, we need to play the long game and not allow Iran, Syria, China, or Russia to exploit our absence.
LEBANON’S CURRENT PROTESTS COINCIDE WITH U.S. INTERESTS
Over the years, many of us have marveled at the neat theatrical trick Lebanon has perfected: somehow staying politically and economically afloat, amidst conditions and lamentations that suggest imminent collapse. Predictions of Lebanon’s doom have often proved, if not wrong, then at least premature. This time, it appears that the curtain may come down on this gravity-defying act. Not only is the management of Lebanon’s internal and external debt increasingly complicated in a no-growth economy, but the public is by and large weary of, or even enraged by, the sectarian script and excuses that establishment political leaders use to advance their narrow political or financial interests at the expense of the country at large. The confessional patronage spoils that grease the Lebanese economy are now increasingly understood as a system to keep people confined to sectarian prisons. Meanwhile, income equality is on the rise, and job creation in decline. As a result, the entire Lebanese political system is now under hostile public scrutiny, and even Hezbollah has become a target of widespread criticism, a topic I will discuss in more detail below.
As the media reporting indicates, the cross-sectarian nature of the demonstrations that erupted in October (when the government tried to impose a tax on WhatsApp messages in a straw-that-broke-the-camel’s back moment) is refreshing and inspiring in the Lebanese context. Sunnis, Christians, Shia and Druse are all in the streets, describing themselves as Lebanese first rather than falling back on their confessional identity. The significance of these protests outweighs that of the movement that began on March 14, 2005, after the murder of Rafiq Hariri, because, this time, the Shia have joined. Moreover, the 2005 protests were aimed at Syria’s occupation of Lebanon, which a significant part of the population – again, largely Shia – found less intolerable than most of the country. Today, the protestors focus on domestic issues – jobs, garbage collection, utility services and so forth – which can unify rather than divide the Lebanese. There is, in other words, widespread “bottom up” pressure for change in Lebanon.
While, to reiterate, the protests are not about the United States, the demonstrations and the reactions to them by Lebanese leaders and institutions fortunately coincide with U.S. interests. Hezbollah has long strutted as “invincible,” “clean” and “anti-establishment” compared to other Lebanese parties. Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah’s speeches – four and counting – hoping to discredit the demonstrations have undermined Hezbollah’s carefully cultivated narrative more effectively than years of U.S. efforts to do so.
Nasrallah, peddling absurd theories of foreign interference, called for an end to demonstrations; they continue. He told the Shia protestors to go home; some did, but most did not. He said the government should not resign; Prime Minister Hariri did just that. So much for invincibility. Nasrallah’s insistence that President Michel Aoun remain in office and his dismissal of the proposal for early parliamentary elections smear Hezbollah indelibly with the political establishment and the stench of the accompanying corruption that the protesters want eradicated. Hezbollah can no longer claim credibly to be “clean,” and its participation in the now-resigned, despised government damaged its claims to deliver services more effectively than others. In terms of the public perception of its political role, Hezbollah is now relegated to the same rubbish heap as the other discredited Lebanese parties.
In addition, Lebanon’s citizenry is unlikely to forget that Hezbollah and its junior partner Amal sent thugs on motorcycles to beat up the demonstrators. This brutality resurrected memories Hezbollah would prefer remain buried: In May 2008, Hezbollah and Amal seized swaths of Beirut and surrounding areas to block government efforts to dismantle Hezbollah’s parallel secure telecommunications link. Scores were killed before the army took control. While Hezbollah demonstrated no qualms about killing and even starving mass numbers of civilians in Syria, any attempt to repeat the May 2008 offensive at home in Lebanon would evaporate Hezbollah’s already diminished “resistance” pretext entirely. For years, the United States has tried to prompt the Lebanese to face the fact that Hezbollah and its rockets create the danger of war with Israel rather than provide protection from Israel. Hezbollah’s rhetorical and physical reaction to the current demonstrations may wake up more Lebanese – including the Shia, essential to undermining Hezbollah’s popularity — to that grim reality.
The current demonstrations also constructively undermine the partnership between Hezbollah and the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), a Christian party, of President Aoun and his son-in-law, Foreign Minister Gebran Bassile. In midwifing an alliance between Hezbollah and FPM in 2006, Bassile is the architect most responsible for Hezbollah’s ability to pretend to represent a national, cross-confessional movement and transcend its narrow Iranian and sectarian agenda. The FPM alliance slapped a veneer of Christian cover onto Hezbollah and thus became the primary vehicle for expanded Hezbollah influence inside government institutions: no longer was Hezbollah restricted by the “Shia quota” in Lebanese sectarian ratios, since Hezbollah could rely on the FPM’s Christian share as well. Bassile has long exploited the sincere concern the United States and other countries have about the status of Christians in the Middle East precisely to divert scrutiny of his personal enabling of Hezbollah and his corruption. Bassile has now become the personification of everything that provokes and enrages the protestors, while his presidential father-in-law’s speeches (including one suggesting that people unhappy with Lebanon’s status quo were free to emigrate) reflect someone seriously out of touch with the national mood. So far, Hezbollah is sticking with its alliance with the FPM. But the value of this asset has dropped considerably and adds to growing public disenchantment with the Hezbollah brand overall.
By contrast, the reputation of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), which has managed largely to stay out of politics, has, for the most part, headed upwards. There have been some problems and discrepancies in the LAF’s reaction to the protests — the LAF protected demonstrators in Beirut against Hezbollah and Amal thugs, while units in Nabatieh, in the south, looked the other way; LAF fire killed one demonstrator last week. But overall, the LAF has responded with professionalism and restraint to what from both security and political angles must be a most trying situation: what would we Americans think if persistent protests prevented us from reaching our airports, hospitals, schools or jobs? Moreover, the LAF has been forced to operate and take risks with no coherent political guidance – or cover – from Lebanon’s civilian leadership and with veiled threats from Hezbollah to clear the protests. In recent days, to the dismay of the demonstrators, the LAF has moved more forcefully to open streets and roads, to allow schools, businesses and public buildings to re-open.
While its record has not been perfect, in general the LAF’s performance has been admirable in these circumstances. The contrast to the Hezbollah thugs on motorcycles could not be clearer, and the LAF’s behavior compares favorably to the Iraqi, Egyptian or Syrian security forces’ reaction to protestors. The LAF can be an example of how public respect for an independent, capable and credible national institution can start to chip away deference to a sectarian one. This, too, is a phenomenon not about us but certainly in our interest – and one to be nurtured.
Some in Washington may ask if the LAF should now prepare to confront Hezbollah kinetically and disarm Hezbollah by force. That would be a recipe for civil war, and, as noted above, Iran and its proxies as well as Al-Qaida tend to thrive in civil war situations. We need to think more long term. In general, LAF officers, protective of their independence, know how much the army’s capabilities and professionalism have improved thanks to sustained U.S. training and equipment, and the Lebanese public is starting to recognize that, too.
A 2007 counter-terrorism operation compared to the LAF’s more recent CT efforts demonstrate this improvement. In 2007, the LAF labored from May until September to liquidate Fatah al-Islam, a Sunni terrorist organization inspired by Al-Qaida. Through the course of the battle, 158 LAF soldiers and officers were killed (along with 222 Fatah al-Islam terrorists), over 50 civilians died, and the entire Nahr al-Barad Palestinian refugee camp, previously home to over 30,000 people, was destroyed. Now, the LAF conducts rapid and effective counter-terrorism operations including on the Lebanese-Syrian border with minimal civilian or army casualties. A 2017 operation to clean eastern Lebanon of over 700 ISIS fighters took a mere ten combat days, with seven LAF killed. The LAF arrested over 3,000 Sunni extremists in 2017 and several hundred more last year. Proud of their institution and mindful of increased public support, LAF officers already whisper resentment of Hezbollah’s arrogant dismissal of the LAF. It is only a matter of time before this resentment comes out into the open.
However unappealing the occasional tactical accommodation, especially in the Hezbollah-dominated south, we should recognize that the LAF-Hezbollah relationship is not an eternal romance. The United States deserves credit for contributing to the LAF’s professionalism and improved capabilities, and thus its enhanced local respect and independence. I regret that the current review suspending – I hope only briefly — U.S. Foreign Military Financing (FMF) to the LAF has interrupted a predominantly good news story about LAF-U.S. cooperation, while giving Hezbollah, Syria, and Iran a convenient talking point about U.S. unreliability.
DYSFUNCTIONAL LEBANESE ECONOMY MAY FORCE A CHANGE IN DIRECTION
While the demonstrations have focused on immediate issues of jobs, garbage, and services, they take place against the backdrop of a looming financial crisis. As one of the highest debt-to-GDP ratios in the world – exceeding 150 percent – Lebanon has long teetered on the brink of financial disaster. The ability of the banking system to pursue clever financial engineering to prevent a plunge off the cliff seems to have run its course. With a tightening of visa restrictions for Europe and the United States, with a decline in employment possibilities in the Gulf states, the traditional outlet for Lebanon’s youth – jobs (and possibly emigration) abroad – has lost its power to reliably churn large amounts of foreign currency remittances back into the Lebanese economy.
But the real problem is persistent economic stagnation. Debt can be managed in an environment of economic growth. Lebanon’s GDP, even before the current demonstrations, was projected to expand by only 0.02 percent this year in real terms. Privatization of state assets – telecom, electricity – could produce revenues, if the privatization schemes could be trusted, as well as improve services over the longer term. And certainly credible, transparent governance, where the public good rather than personal gain motivates the political leadership, can contribute to economic improvements. A significant difference would derive from new investment and a return of Arab Gulf tourists, companies, and financial deposits.
Yet success in attracting Western and GCC investors will remain elusive without significant changes. Western and GCC investors will look elsewhere for opportunities if the Lebanese remain complacent about being part of what is seen as the Iranian/Syrian axis and if they tolerate an only intermittent commitment to transparency and rule of law. More pointedly, investors and tourists will not return in sufficiently large and predictable numbers as long as Hezbollah can on a whim pull Lebanon into war, with no reference to public opinion or government oversight. The Lebanese themselves will need to choose the path leading either to perpetual poverty or potential prosperity, by determining whether they will continue to accept poor governance combined with the effective veto over government decisions that Hezbollah insists upon (while simultaneously rebuffing any public accountability for Hezbollah’s own often deadly actions). Lebanese voters may not be able to strip Hezbollah of its arsenal overnight, but they can seize the next electoral opportunity to strip Hezbollah of the parliamentary partners it uses as force multipliers to assert its will politically: thus, Nasrallah’s red line against early elections.
THE PROTESTS MAY NOT PRODUCE IMMEDIATE CHANGES, BUT A CONSTRUCTIVE PROCESS HAS BEGUN
As of this writing, it is not clear that Lebanon’s besieged political class has any clue what kind of government might satisfy the demands of the street. The candidate currently being discussed for the premiership, businessman and former Finance Minister Mohamed Safadi, does not seem to represent a break from past practices, as initial hostility on the streets indicates.
Arguing that they are concerned about safety in a country where political leaders and social activists have been routinely murdered, the demonstrators have intentionally rejected the idea of promoting leaders out of the protests to negotiate on their behalf. This leaves an inchoate impression about who and what might be acceptable. (One has images of the scenes from the movie and play “Network,” of people shouting from the windows about “not wanting to take it anymore,” but without any clear proposal about what would replace the status quo.) This is an ominous sign that the status quo establishment figures, otherwise so divided, might find common cause in evading accountability and replacement, since the “street” might be less united than the picturesque demonstrations (complete with pots of bougainvillea as decoration) suggest.
Moreover, in contradiction to the carefully nurtured non-sectarian image of the demonstrations, some public frustration in Sunni-majority areas such as Tripoli emerged that “Sunni interests” were damaged when PM Hariri (a Sunni) resigned, when Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri (Shia) and President Aoun (Christian) remained in place. Lebanon’s sectarian ghosts will be hard to exorcise.
After the missteps of Nasrallah’s speeches, Hezbollah must be recalculating along with other status quo leaders about how to retain their prerogatives while somehow managing the popular mood. According to one rumor, some traditional sectarian leaders are musing about allowing an authentically technocratic cabinet to emerge – in the belief that the technocrats will “own” the predicted financial collapse, thus paving a way for the traditional leaders to pick their way through the financial rubble in a rush back to power. The preliminary (if temporary) nod to Safadi, however, suggests that the protestors are not going to get the purely technocratic cabinet they appear to want. But the sustained, widespread criticism of Lebanon’s political class, sectarianism, and of Hezbollah have broken significant taboos. Furthermore, Syria’s proxies in Lebanon and Iran’s proxies in Lebanon – once viewed as virtually indistinguishable, singing their “resistance” duet in sinister harmony – show nascent but unprecedented signs of divergence. Even if not all the potential gains are realized immediately, 2019 is a turning point for Lebanon.
THE U.S. CANNOT DETERMINE BUT CAN INFLUENCE THE OUTCOME
The 2005 protests, which successfully forced the entrenched Syrian military and intelligence assets to leave Lebanon, offer an important lesson for today: the value of domestic initiative combined with external support. Had, say, the United States and France pushed 14 years ago for the Syrians to decamp to their side of the border, and had the Lebanese stayed home, the Syrians could have resisted the external pressure to go. Had the United States and France been looking away, uninterested, when the Lebanese took to the streets in such massive numbers, the Syrians would have displayed no qualms in crushing the demonstrations by force. The combination of Lebanese on the streets in massive numbers and the attention by the international community, led by the United States under President George W. Bush and France under President Jacques Chirac, gave the Syrians no viable option except the exit.
As in 2005, sustained attention and interest today – by Congress, by the Administration, by the UN Security Council, by others — can help protect the demonstrators. But the demonstrations cannot continue indefinitely, especially as average citizens tire of interruptions to daily lives and worry about the economic costs of paralysis. Sustained U.S. interest, attention and messaging can make a difference as the Lebanese struggle to decide how to proceed beyond the home-grown protests.
The trick for us is nuance. It would be unwise to interfere directly in Lebanese political decisions, which would make it too easy for Nasrallah (or Syria, Iran or Russia) to cite credible examples in predictable attempts to discredit the protestors and their demands as U.S.-directed. Nor should we be seen to be in the business of picking Lebanon’s next prime minister (Safadi or anyone else) or specific cabinet ministers; those are exclusively Lebanese decisions. But as our own national interests and those of our regional allies will be affected by what happens in Lebanon, we have a responsibility to clarify our own views by our action and by our words. The Lebanese deserve to understand fully what the implications will be of the decisions they make on cabinet appointments and policies.
As a first step, the military assistance now under review should be rapidly released. This would put the U.S. on the side of national, credible institutions. At a time when the LAF’s popularity is trending mostly upwards compared to what appears to be Hezbollah’s reputational decline, we can reinforce what is, for us and for Lebanon, a positive momentum. Release of the assistance would also undermine the ongoing attempts by Hezbollah, Iran, Syria and Russia to entice the Lebanese into their orbits by calling into question U.S. reliability. Our military aid is never provided unconditionally; we also benefit from the partnership with the LAF. Our expectation that the LAF would improve its professionalism and readiness has been demonstrated vividly by successful counter-terrorism measures and by the (mostly) appropriate response to the protests. The United States can link the release of the FMF with an insistence that the LAF remain outside of politics and treat peaceful demonstrators with equal respect across the entire country, in Nabatieh as well as Beirut.
I would also recommend that we find ways publicly to reinforce the position that we do not want to see the financial or political collapse of Lebanon (lest chaos and civil war provide further opportunities for Iran, Syria and Russia to interfere) – but that our ability to mobilize financial and economic support depends on decisions from the Lebanese themselves, including the composition and policies of Lebanon’s next government. Yes, we are willing to stand with Lebanon, but on the basis of how the Lebanese wish to proceed. If the Lebanese government finally addresses the questions of governance and accountability, the international community can respond; if the government returns to “business as usual,” we will not be able to mobilize support to prevent collapse. With the demonstrators calling for a technocratic rather than political government, our public messaging can emphasize our expectation that a new Lebanese government, if it seeks international support, should effectively and immediately address the reform aspirations of the Lebanese people.
While the decisions are theirs, the Lebanese, who have long lived complacently with the contradiction of self-identification with the West while harboring an Iranian terrorist subsidiary, need to understand the implications of the path they choose. In previous financial crises in Lebanon, Arab Gulf states shifted foreign currency deposits to the Lebanese Central Bank temporarily to shore up reserves; this could be repeated. The U.S., along with France and others, can lead engagement with the International Financial Institutions regarding support to Lebanon. With the right people and policies in place, a new Lebanese government might finally implement the reforms that could trigger release of a reformulated $11 billion assistance package pledged at an international conference in Paris in 2018. Such measures would offer the Lebanese officials a brief respite, while they enact reforms — long promised, never delivered, and now demanded by the population — to put Lebanon’s finances on a sustainable footing and to promote economic growth. But given past foot-dragging, the burden is on the Lebanese officials to overcome domestic and international skepticism, by choosing credible faces and policies for the incoming cabinet. Continued cronyism, corruption and coddling of Hezbollah will lead ever downward, while reform, accountability, transparency and reliance on national institutions instead of Hezbollah can attract the type of support to lead to a better destination, with the United States and others offering support and partnership. That should be our message.
Over the long term, U.S. interests in Lebanon would be best protected by what the Lebanese people indicate that they want: a prosperous, democratic, independent, fully sovereign, peaceful Lebanon, reliant (including for security) on effective, transparent government institutions subject to public accountability. With the right government in place and with renewed international support, this should not be impossible to achieve. At a bit more than 10,000 square kilometers, Lebanon is smaller than the New York City metropolitan area. The population of greater New York exceeds 20 million, whereas Lebanon, even including Syrian and Palestinian refugees, has a population of well under 7 million. Surely it can’t be that difficult to provide reliable electricity, internet, and garbage collection to a Lebanese citizenry that, in general, is both well-educated and internationally connected. Nor should it be that expensive under the right leadership to attract support to put the financial situation on a better course: to put this in perspective, Lebanon’s entire external debt (around $35 billion) is in line with the estimates of what Saudi Arabia is bleeding every year in pursuing a war in Yemen ($25-40 billion).
By releasing the military assistance now, by demonstrating we are paying close attention, and by making crystal clear the implications, good or bad, of the choices the Lebanese make, we can serve our own interests, contribute to the calculations the Lebanese will make regarding cabinet and policy decisions, and prevent a vacuum that others would fill to our detriment. I again thank Congress and this Subcommittee for focusing on U.S. interests in Lebanon.
https://www.brookings.edu/testimonies/whats-next-for-lebanon-examining-the-implications-of-current-protests/
 

The post A Bundle Of English Reports, News and Editorials For November 20-21/2019 Addressing the On Going Mass Demonstrations & Sit In-ins In Iranian Occupied Lebanon in its 35th Day appeared first on Elias Bejjani News.

نشرة أخبار المنسقية العامة للمؤسسات اللبنانية الكندية باللغة العربية ليوم 21 تشرين الثاني/2019

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نشرة أخبار المنسقية العامة للمؤسسات اللبنانية الكندية باللغة العربية ليوم 21 تشرين الثاني/2019

اضغط هنا لقراءة نشرة أخبار المنسقية العامة المفصلة، اللبنانية والعربية ليوم 21 تشرين الثاني/2019

ارشيف نشرات أخبار موقعنا اليومية/عربية وانكليزية منذ العام 2006/اضغط هنا لدخول صفحة الأرشيف

عناوين أقسام نشرة المنسقية باللغة العربية
الزوادة الإيمانية لليوم
تعليقات الياس بجاني وخلفياتها
الأخبار اللبنانية
المتفرقات اللبنانية
الأخبار الإقليمية والدولية
المقالات والتعليقات والتحاليل السياسية الشاملة
المؤتمرات والندوات والبيانات والمقابلات والمناسبات الخاصة والردود وغيره

The post نشرة أخبار المنسقية العامة للمؤسسات اللبنانية الكندية باللغة العربية ليوم 21 تشرين الثاني/2019 appeared first on Elias Bejjani News.

الياس بجاني/لا حكومة أخصائيين أو مستقلين ولا حتى حكومة ملائكة سيكون لها أي فائدة ما لم تضع في سلم أولوياتها استعادة الدولة من دويلة حزب الله

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لا حكومة أخصائيين أو مستقلين ولا حتى حكومة ملائكة سيكون لها أي فائدة ما لم تضع في سلم أولوياتها استعادة الدولة من دويلة حزب الله
الياس بجاني/21 تشرين الثاني/2019

بداية ودون قفازات أو أي نوع من التملق أو الذمية نقول وبصوت عال وعن قناعة تامة مبنية على وقائع وإثباتات وقرارات دولية ومآسي يعاني منها شعبنا وتتفاقم على مدار الساعة وعلى كافة الصعد، نقول بأن مشكلة لبنان السرطانية والإحتلالية هي حزب الله، وهذا التنظيم العسكري والإرهابي والإجرامي الملالوي لا شيء فيه من ألفه حتى يائه غير مناقض للبنان ولكل ما هو لبناني.

لا شيء في هذا التنظيم ليس معادياً للإنسانية ولكل ما هو سيادة واستقلال وحريات وديمقراطية، وليس فيه ومعه غير الفساد والإفساد وثقافة الموت والتوسع والاحتلال.

من هنا لا مجال لحل أي مشكلة في لبنان كبيرة أو صغيرة، وعلى أي مستوى كان، ما دام هذا التنظيم الإيراني ممسكاً بالقوة وبالإرهاب بقرار البلد ويرعب ناسه ويمسك بمفاصل حدوده ويعهر كل ما هو قانون ومؤسسات وتعايش وحقوق.

كما أن هذا الحزب يُعيّن الحكام ويسوّق بوقاحة وفجور للفوضى ولثقافة الموت ويخون ويشيطن من يشاء ويفرض الخطوط الحمر على كل ما لا يخدم مشروع اسياده الملالي.

وصحيح أن لبنان يعاني من كل مشاكل الدنيا في كل المجالات وعلى كافة الأصعدة، إلا أن مشكلته الأساس والأهم هي احتلال حزب الله الإرهابي وكارثية ربعه من المرتزقة والشبيحة.

وبالتالي لا حكومة أخصائيين، ولا حكومة مستقلين، ولا حتى حكومة ملائكة وقديسين معاً سيكون لها أي فائدة سيادية واستقلالية ومعيشية، أو تأثير إيجابي ما لم تسمي المحتل الإيراني هذا باسمه، وتدل عليه بالبنان بجرأة وشفافية، وتضع جدولاً زمنياً ملزماً وذلك عملاً بالقرارات الدولية الثلاثة، اتفاقية الهدنة، وال 1559 و1701 بهدف استعادة الدولة من الدويلة، وإرجاع نفوذ الملالي إلى طهران، وفرض السلطات اللبنانية بقواها الذاتية سيطرتها على كامل الأراضي اللبنانية، وتفكيك وحل كل الميليشيات اللبنانية وغير اللبنانية وحصر السلاح فقط بالقوى الأمنية الشرعية.

وفي سياق مسلسل التعري الذي حققته وتحققه الثورة اللبنانية الشعبية في يومها ال 36 فهي قد عرت تفاهة عقول ومستوى الحكام المحكومين وأصحاب شركات الأحزاب كافة المستسلمين للمحتل وللتمسك بالكراسي كل على طريقته وبذمية وبباطنية.

ومع الثوار نقول لكل الأطقم الرسمية والسياسية والحزبية…عالبيت وبيكفي قرفتونا وخربتوا البلد وكلكن يعني كلكن..

*الكاتب ناشط لبناني اغترابي
عنوان الكاتب الالكتروني
Phoenicia@hotmail.com
رابط موقع الكاتب الالكتروني على الإنترنت
http://www.eliasbejjaninew.com

تغريدات متفرقة للياس بجاني للأيام الثلاثة الماضي

ايلي الفزلي نموذج للسياسي المتذاكي والمتشاطر الذي تسعى الثورة للتخلص منه
الياس بجاني/20 تشرين الثاني/2019
ايلي الفرزلي شاطر وذكي ولبق ولغويا روعة ولكنه يمثل الثقافة البالية التي تريد الثورة التخلص منها وتحرير لبنان من فن تدوير زواياها.

حبذا لو أن هناك من ينصح الرئيس بأن يقلل من إطلالاته الإعلامية
الياس بجاني/20 تشرين الثاني/2019
الرئيس عون بات عدو نفسه وحزبه فمع كل رسالة يوجهها إلى الشعب يزداد زخم الإنتفاضة ويفقد هو أكثر المصداقية والدور .. وبس هيك

البيك ناسي انو هو أول كلن يعني كلن
الياس بجاني/20 تشرين الثاني/2019
مهما كانت خطايا ومساوئ الصهر الفاشل والكارثة الوطنية فهو نقطة ببحر البيك وليد ولا يمكن أن يجاريه بسورنته وأيرنته وتقلباته والإنتهازية . حدا يفيق البيك من غفوته تا يوقف تغريدات افلاطونية وكأنه من غير خامة كلن يعني كلن يلي هو أولن .. وما حدا استفاد من الإحتلال السوري أكثر منه وهو أول من طعن 14 آذار …وانقلب ع الحريري وفات بحكومة الميقاتي وغطاها.. كفى اهانة لذاكرة اللبنانيين
*جنبلاط: العهد انتهى في الشارع وباسيل من الوجوه التي انتهت/اضغط هنا لقراءة تصريح السيد جنبلاط الذي هو موضوع التغريدة

وطن الأرز المقدس ووطن القديسين والرسالة لن تغلبه الأبالسة
الياس بجاني/19 تشرين الثاني/2019
شعبنا العظيم بمواجهة محتل إيراني وحكام مرتزقة وأصحاب شركات احزاب خانعين وطاقم سياسي طروادي.. لنصلي لينصر الله شعبنا ويحميه

شبيحة بري والسيد هم غرباء عن لبنان ولا يشبهون اللبنانيين بشيء
الياس بجاني/19 تشرين الثاني/2019
سقطت كل الأقنعة وتعرت كل الوجوه المتأيرنة والمتفرسنة..وجوه شبيحة بري والسيد هم غرباء عن لبنان ولا يشبهون اللبنانيين بشيء. هم مجرد مرتزقة ومأجورين والشعب اللبناني لم يعد يخافهم رغم وحشيتهم والهمجية

ثقافة زقاقية واحدة تجمع ما بين قطعان أصحاب شركات الأحزاب
الياس بجاني/19 تشرين الثاني/2019
بالشتم ع مواقع التواصل ما في فرق بين شبيحة السيد وبري وجنبلاط والحريري وباسيل وعون وجعجع وفتى الكتائب. غنمية وصنمية وثقافة واحدة.

لسنا بحاجة إلى صنم جديد/قائد الجيش موظف وبس هيك
الياس بجاني/19 تشرين الثاني/2019
كفانا تأليهاً لسياسيين وزعماء. من هنا فإن قائد الجيش موظف وعندما يقوم بواجباته لا يشكر ولا يمجد ولا يؤله وإلا فنحن نسوّق لصنم جديد.

الحزب القومي السوري ميليشيا ارهابية ومرتكب واخطر من حزب الله
الياس بجاني/18 تشرين الثاني/2019
الحزب القومي ملحق بنظام الأسد واخطر بمليون مرة من حزب الله. كلام مسؤوله ع MTV نفاق ومحاولة للقفز ع بوسطة الحراك. حل الحزب ضرورة

The post الياس بجاني/لا حكومة أخصائيين أو مستقلين ولا حتى حكومة ملائكة سيكون لها أي فائدة ما لم تضع في سلم أولوياتها استعادة الدولة من دويلة حزب الله appeared first on Elias Bejjani News.

Because you have kept my word of patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world/لأَنَّكَ حَفِظْتَ بِثَباَتٍ كَلِمَتي، فأَنَا أَيْضًا أَحْفَظُكَ مِن سَاعةِ ٱلتَّجْرِبَةِ ٱلمُزْمِعَةِ أَن تَأْتِيَ على ٱلمَسْكُونَةِ بِأَسْرِهَا

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وَلأَنَّكَ حَفِظْتَ بِثَباَتٍ كَلِمَتي، فأَنَا أَيْضًا أَحْفَظُكَ مِن سَاعةِ ٱلتَّجْرِبَةِ ٱلمُزْمِعَةِ أَن تَأْتِيَ على ٱلمَسْكُونَةِ بِأَسْرِهَا
رؤيا القدّيس يوحنّا03/من07حتى13/:”يا إِخوَتِي، قالَ ليَ ابْنُ الإِنسان : «أُكْتُبْ إِلى مَلاكِ ٱلكَنيسَةِ ٱلَّتي في فِيلادِلِفيَة: هذَا ما يَقُولُهُ ٱلقُدُّوسُ ٱلحَقُّ ٱلَّذي لَهُ مِفْتَاحُ دَاوُد، والَّذي يَفْتَحُ ولا أَحَدَ يُغلِق، ويُغْلِقُ ولا أَحَدَ يَفْتَح! إِنِّي عَالِمٌ بِأَعْمَالِكَ: ها إِنِّي جَعَلْتُ أَمَامَكَ بَابًا مَفتُوحًا لا يَقْدِرُ أَحَدٌ أَنْ يُغلِقَهُ، لأَنَّكَ مَعَ ضُعْفِ قُوَّتِكَ حَفِظْتَ كَلِمَتِي ومَا أَنْكَرْتَ ٱسْمِي. وها إِنِّي أُعْطِيكَ أُنَاسًا مِنَ مَجْمَعِ ٱلشَّيْطَان، يَدَّعُونَ أَنَّهُم يَهُود، وهُمْ لَيسُوا بِيَهُود، بَلْ يَكْذِبُون؛ فهَا إِنِّي أَجْعَلُهُم يَأْتُونَ ويَسْجُدُونَ عِنْدَ رِجْلَيْك، ويَعْرِفُونَ أَنِّي أَنا أَحْبَبْتُكَ. وَلأَنَّكَ حَفِظْتَ بِثَباَتٍ كَلِمَتي، فأَنَا أَيْضًا أَحْفَظُكَ مِن سَاعةِ ٱلتَّجْرِبَةِ ٱلمُزْمِعَةِ أَن تَأْتِيَ على ٱلمَسْكُونَةِ بِأَسْرِهَا، لِكَي تُجَرِّبَ سُكاَّنَ ٱلأَرْض. إِنِّي آتِي عَاجِلاً، فَتَمَسَّكْ بِمَا لَدَيْكَ لِئَّلاَّ يَأْخُذَ أَحَدٌ إِكْليلَكَ. أَلظَّافِرُ أَجْعَلُهُ عَمُودًا في هَيْكَل إِلهي، ولَنْ يَخْرُجَ مِنْهُ أبَدًا، وأَكْتُبُ عَلَيهِ ٱسْمَ إِلهِي، وٱسْمَ مَدِينَةِ إِلهِي، أُورَشَليمَ ٱلجَدِيدة، ٱلنَّازِلَةِ مِنَ ٱلسَّماءِ مِن عِنْد إِلهِي، وَٱسْمِي ٱلجَدِيد. مَنْ لَهُ أُذُنانِ فَلْيَسْمَعَ ما يَقُولُهُ ٱلرُّوح لِلْكَنائِس”.

Because you have kept my word of patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world
Book of Revelation 03/07-13/:”‘To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut,who shuts and no one opens: ‘I know your works. Look, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but are lying I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you. Because you have kept my word of patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth. I am coming soon; hold fast to what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. If you conquer, I will make you a pillar in the temple of my God; you will never go out of it. I will write on you the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem that comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name. Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.”

“يَسُوعُ يؤنب المُدُنَ الَّتي جَرَتْ فيها أَكْثَرُ أَعْمَالِهِ القَدِيرَة، لأَنَّهَا مَا تَابَتْ
إنجيل القدّيس متّى11/من20حتى24/:”شَرَعَ يَسُوعُ يُبَكِّتُ المُدُنَ الَّتي جَرَتْ فيها أَكْثَرُ أَعْمَالِهِ القَدِيرَة، لأَنَّهَا مَا تَابَتْ، فَقَال:«أَلوَيْلُ لَكِ يا كُورَزِين! أَلوَيلُ لَكِ يا بَيْتَ صَيْدا! لأَنَّهُ لَو جَرَى في صُورَ وصَيْدا مَا جَرَى فيكُمَا مِنْ أَعْمَالٍ قَدِيرَة، لَتَابَتَا مِنْ زَمَانٍ في المِسْحِ والرَّمَاد! ولكِنَّي أَقُولُ لَكُم: إِنَّ صُورَ وصَيْدا، سَيَكُونُ مَصِيرُهُمَا، في يَومِ الدِّين، أَخَفَّ وَطْأَةً مِنْ مَصِيرِكُما! وأَنْتِ يَا كَفَرْنَاحُوم، أَلَنْ تَرْتَفِعي إِلى السَّمَاء؟ فَإِلى الجَحيمِ سَتَهْبِطِين! لأَنَّهُ لَوْ جَرى في سَدُومَ مَا جَرى فيكِ مِنْ أَعْمَالٍ قَدِيرَة، لَبَقِيَتْ إِلى اليَوم! لكنِّي أَقُولُ لَكُم: إِنَّ أَرْضَ سَدُوم، سَيَكُونُ مَصِيرُهَا، في يَوْمِ الدِّين، أَخَفَّ وَطْأَةً مِنْ مَصِيرِكِ!.»

Jesus reproach the cities in which most of his deeds of power had been done, because they did not repent
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 11/20-24/:”Then Jesus began to reproach the cities in which most of his deeds of power had been done, because they did not repent. ‘Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.But I tell you, on the day of judgement it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will be brought down to Hades. For if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I tell you that on the day of judgement it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom than for you.’”

The post Because you have kept my word of patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world/لأَنَّكَ حَفِظْتَ بِثَباَتٍ كَلِمَتي، فأَنَا أَيْضًا أَحْفَظُكَ مِن سَاعةِ ٱلتَّجْرِبَةِ ٱلمُزْمِعَةِ أَن تَأْتِيَ على ٱلمَسْكُونَةِ بِأَسْرِهَا appeared first on Elias Bejjani News.

سمير عطا الله: صادرات إيران…إذ تشكو إيران من التحريض على النظام، تنسى أنها أكبر قوة تحريضية عرفها العالم في ثلث القرن الأخير منذ نهاية الحرب الباردة/صالح القلاف: إيران تواجه مرحلة خطيرة والفرصة ملائمة لإسقاط النظام

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صادرات إيران…إذ تشكو إيران من التحريض على النظام، تنسى أنها أكبر قوة تحريضية عرفها العالم في ثلث القرن الأخير منذ نهاية الحرب الباردة.
سمير عطا الله/الشرق الأوسط/21 تشرين الثاني/2019

إيران… المرحلة خطيرة والفرصة ملائمة لإسقاط هذا النظام!
صالح القلاب/الشرق الأوسط/21 تشرين الثاني/2019

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صادرات إيران…إذ تشكو إيران من التحريض على النظام، تنسى أنها أكبر قوة تحريضية عرفها العالم في ثلث القرن الأخير منذ نهاية الحرب الباردة.
سمير عطا الله/الشرق الأوسط/21 تشرين الثاني/2019
تقوم الثورات، خصوصاً الديني منها، على قاعدتين:
المظلومية والمعصومية، خصمها ظالم دائماً، وهي لا يمكن أن تخطئ.
لذلك، عندما تتعرض صورة الثورة للاهتزاز، تذهب إلى أقصى حالات القمع والعنف.
فالخصم هنا لا يتعرض لأناس من شعبه وجلدته، وإنما إلى متفوقين تميزهم هالة «إلهية»، ويعصمهم تكليف إلهي في مصائر الناس والأمم.
وإلَّا كيف يمكن للثورة أن تصدّر نموذجها إلى الخارج، إذا كان هشاً وسريع العطب.
حتى الآن كانت إيران تتفرج على شكاوى الغير.
مظاهرات في لبنان، وقتلى في العراق، وجماهير في الجزائر.
فجأة، رأت الانتفاضة عندها.
وعلى الطريقة، أو النسخة اللبنانية والعراقية، أي ليس في العاصمة وحدها، بل في جميع أنحاء البلاد.
ومثلما حدث في البلدين تماماً، كانت السلطة هي التي أشعلت فتيل الاحتجاج، عندما حاولت أن تجرب طاقة الناس على المزيد من الاحتمال.
طُعن النظام الإيراني في مركز كبريائه: النفط.
إنه ليس قادراً على تصديره فحسب، بل عاجز عن توفيره لمواطنيه.
وبهذا المعنى وقف المحتجّون إلى جانب «الشيطان الأكبر» في حرب العقوبات وعض الأصابع.
من يمكنه الاعتراض على مضاعفة أسعار الوقود وسط الحالة الاقتصادية المزرية؟
طبعاً، الأميركيون والصهاينة.
تخيل حكومة دولة تتطلع إلى مئات الآلاف من شعبها، يرفعون الشكوى ضد البطالة والفقر والركود، فلا تجد ما تقوله لهم سوى أنهم أميركيون وصهاينة.
ليس الفاسد والسارق والمجوِّع والشره الذي لا يشبع هو المسؤول، بل الذي خرج من منزله في المدن والقرى يرفض هذا البؤس الوطني من أجل سياسة عديمة تبني البوارج والصواريخ والسلاح النووي وكل ما هو غير صالح للاستعمال، وتتخلف في كل ما هو حاجة وطنية ماسة.
تفتح الثورة الإيرانية النار على شبابها في سائر أنحاء البلاد يتحدون القمع بوجوه واضحة أمام كاميرات التلفزيون وصدور عارية.
وهذا أيضاً قاسم مشترك آخر مع المحتجين في لبنان والعراق حيث لا يهتم الشباب لكاميرات الشرطة.
للرغيف لون واحد وللجوع طعم واحد، وللكلام صلاحية ينتهي زمنها في كل مكان.
إذ تشكو إيران من التحريض على النظام، تنسى أنها أكبر قوة تحريضية عرفها العالم في ثلث القرن الأخير منذ نهاية الحرب الباردة.
من أميركا اللاتينية إلى آسيا مروراً بأوروبا. وما يحدث في مدنها اليوم شيء بسيط جداً مما أصاب مدن الآخرين بسبب صادراتها، على أنواعها.

إيران… المرحلة خطيرة والفرصة ملائمة لإسقاط هذا النظام!
صالح القلاب/الشرق الأوسط/21 تشرين الثاني/2019
المفترض، بدل كل هذه المظاهرات «الإزعاجية» التي بقيت تتواصل وتتكرر حتى قبل وفاة الولي الخميني نفسه وحلول علي خامنئي، هذا الذي أطلق عليه حسن نصر الله لقب «حُسْين هذا الزمان»، أن تكون الإطاحة بهذا النظام الإيراني المتخلف والبدائي قد تمت مبكراً، وقبل أن يحقق كل هذا التدخل «الإلحاقي» في العراق وفي سوريا وفي لبنان، وبالطبع في اليمن وفي الشؤون الفلسطينية، حيث إذا أردنا قول الحقيقة أن انقلاب «حماس» على منظمة التحرير و«فتح» والسلطة الوطنية كان في حقيقة الأمر انقلاباً إيرانياً تمت تغطيته بعباءة «قطرية»!
وإن المؤكد، وبكل يقين، أن هذه الانتفاضة الجديدة التي عمّت إيران بمعظمها ليس سببها الأساسي زيادة أسعار النفط والمحروقات النفطية في هذا البلد «البترولي»، بل تراكم استبداد نظام الولي الفقيه ووصول تجبره إلى حدود لم يعد بالإمكان تحملها في هذا البلد العريق الذي يستحق شعبه، بكل مكوناته، أن ينعم بديمقراطية حقيقية وكما في كل دول الحريات العامة التي ليس من بينها تركيا هذه التي فرض رجب طيب إردوغان نفسه عليها وتخلى عن «علمانيته» وأصبح «مرشداً» للتنظيم العالمي لـ«الإخوان» المسلمين.
والغريب أن الرئيس حسن روحاني الغارق في المشاكل والإشكالات حتى أعلى عمامته لم يتوانَ من أن يقول في ذروة هذه الانتفاضة الإيرانية، إن إيران ليست العراق وليست لبنان، متناسياً أن مشكلة هذين البلدين العربيين هي التدخل الإيراني السافر في شؤونهما الداخلية، وحيث أصبح العملاء الإيرانيون بميليشياتهم وبقيادة الجنرال قاسم سليماني أصحاب القرارات الفعلية، إنْ في بلاد الأرز وإنْ في بلاد الرافدين، وأيضاً إنْ في سوريا، هذا البلد الذي كان يعتبر سعيداً والذي ستعود إليه سعادته لا محالة.
ولعل ما هو معروف بالنسبة للإيرانيين كلهم ولكل المتابعين للمشاكل والإشكالات الإيرانية منذ عام 1979 وحتى الآن، هو أن هذا النظام ما إن تخلص من شاه إيران واستبداده وقمعه حتى ابتلي بنظام تحت عمامة أول ولي فقيه له كل شياطين الكرة الأرضية، وحيث كانت البدايات التخلص إنْ بالإعدامات المعلنة، وإنْ بالاغتيالات السرية من معظم قادة «المسيرة الثورية»! ومن بينهم حسين منتظري وشريعة مداري وغيرهما، وإلزام رئيس أول جمهورية إسلامية الذي هو أبو الحسن بني صدر بمغادرة إيران في جنح الظلام، وحيث أصبح لاجئاً سياسياً في فرنسا التي لا يزال يعيش فيها حتى الآن.
ثم، وإن المعروف أن مصير الذين أحاطوا بزعيم إيران الديني في البدايات وكانوا قد تبوؤوا مواقع قيادية رئيسية وأساسية قد غدوا كلهم، وليس بعضهم فقط، قيد الإقامة الإجبارية، وباتوا مهددين في هذا العهد، عهد علي خامنئي، بالقتل وبالإعدام، وأصبحوا ينتظرون اللحاق بمن سبقوهم إلى هذا المصير المرعب، ومن بينهم حتى هاشمي رفسنجاني الذي كان يعتبر أحد رجال هذه الثورة الإيرانية المعاصرة التي أطاحت نظام الشاه السابق محمد رضا بهلوي في عام 1979 وأيضاً حتى الرئيس السابق أحمدي نجاد وغيره.
فماذا يعني هذا؟! إنه يعني أنه كانت هناك ولا تزال فرص ملائمة للتخلص من هذا النظام الاستبدادي الذي أفقر إيران وأهان شعبها، والذي أدخل هذا البلد، صاحب التاريخ العظيم والحاضر البائس، في مآزق كثيرة وفي حروب متعددة، أكثرها دموية وأبشعها خسائر بشرية حرب الأعوام الثمانية مع العراق، وبعدها كل هذه الحروب التي جرى افتعالها لاحقاً إنْ في بلاد الرافدين، وإنْ في سوريا ولبنان واليمن وبقيادة الجنرال الطرزاني قاسم سليماني، ومشاركة كل هذه البؤر الطائفية والمذهبية، مثل الحشد الشعبي و«حزب الله» والحوثيين وبعض التشكيلات «العلوية» في سوريا.
وعليه، فإن المفترض أن يتم التخلص من هذا النظام الذي أدخل إيران وأدخل المنطقة العربية كلها في هذا النفق المظلم، وفي كل هذه الأزمات والحروب الداخلية ذات الطابع المذهبي، وبإشراف علي خامنئي وحسن روحاني، وهذا كله قد جعل الشعب الإيراني الشقيق يكتوي بنيران المجاعات والصراعات المدمرة التي كانت بدأت مع بدايات هذا النظام الدموي المتخلف في عام 1979 واستمرت كل هذه السنوات الطويلة.
والآن، وقد أصبحت هناك هذه الانتفاضة المباركة التي بدأت بمنطقة عربستان (الأحواز)، والتي ما لبثت أن عمّت إيران كلها فإنه على قوى المعارضة بقيادة «مجاهدين خلق» أن تبادر إلى توحيد صفوفها عسكرياً وسياسياً، وأن تغتنم هذه الفرصة التي غدت سانحة بالفعل لتخلص الشعب الإيراني بكل مكوناته القومية والدينية والمذهبية من هذا النظام الاستبدادي المتخلف الذي جثم على صدر هذا البلد العظيم كل هذه السنوات الطويلة منذ عام 1979 وحتى الآن، وأدخله في حروب وصراعات مدمرة وبلا نهاية.
إنه لم يعد هناك أي مجال للمناكفات الجانبية بين مكونات الشعب الإيراني القومية والمذهبية؛ فالجميع ومن دون أي استثناء باتوا مستهدفين حتى بما في ذلك الفرس والآذاريون الذين يعتبرون أنهم أصحاب هذا النظام الذي لا أصحاب له إلا أتباع الخميني الذين هم بدورهم قد تفرقوا «أيدي سبأ»، كما يقال، والذين باستثناء هذه المجموعة الاستبدادية التي في واجهتها علي خامنئي وحسن روحاني وبعض الجنرالات، الذين من بينهم قاسم سليماني، باتوا مطاردين ومحاصرين ومشاريع إعدامات ينتظرون أدوارهم ليلتحقوا بكل الذين سبقوهم إلى أعواد المشانق وميادين الإعدامات والاغتيالات التي طالت عدداً كبيراً من الذين غدوا من نزلاء القبور الدارسة. إنها مرحلة، أي هذه المرحلة، في غاية الخطورة وإنه لم يعد هناك أي مبرر لعدم انخراط الجميع، جميع مكونات الشعب الإيراني في إطار نضالي واحد عسكرياً وسياسياً وكل شيء؛ فالفرس مستهدفون وكذلك الآذاريون والكرد والعرب وغيرهم، وهذا يعني ضرورة رتق كل هذه التشققات القومية والمذهبية وبسرعة؛ وذلك حتى لا تضيع هذه الفرصة السانحة حقاً كما ضاعت فرص سانحة سابقة؛ فهذا النظام الاستبدادي أصبح في أكثر لحظاته ضعفاً، والمعروف أن تمدده العسكري والسياسي والاستخباري بات مصاباً بالإعياء، وهكذا فإن اليد العليا قد أصبحت لقوى المعارضة التي يجب أن تلتف وبالضرورة حول منظمة «مجاهدين خلق» التي أصبحت طليعية وأساسية في هذا المجال بحكم نزولها إلى خنادق المواجهة العسكرية والسياسية حتى قبل عام 1979، والتي كانت فعلاً وحقاً وحقيقة الخصم الأكبر والرئيسي لشاه إيران السابق محمد رضا بهلوي، والتي كانت أيضاً أول من اصطدم بنظام الخميني وخاض معه حروباً طاحنة وعلى مدى سنوات طويلة. لقد جاءت هذه الانتفاضة، انتفاضة الشعب الإيراني بكل مكوناته، في هذه الظروف الإقليمية الملائمة، حيث هذه المنطقة بمعظمها تغلي الآن بالمواجهات والصدامات الواعدة، وهذا يتطلب أن توحد المعارضة الإيرانية صفوفها؛ فاللحظة التاريخية للقضاء على هذا النظام الظلامي قد أصبحت متوفرة، وهي فرصة يجب ألا تضيع كما ضاعت فرص متعددة سابقة، ولعل ما يعزز كل هذا أن النظام الخامنئي أو الخميني – لا فرق – بات يعيش أسوأ فتراته وأضعفها، وأن امتداداته في هذه المنطقة باتت تقترب من الانهيار، والدليل هو كل هذا الذي يجري في العراق العظيم حقاً وفي «المحميات» الإيرانية الأخرى كضاحية بيروت الجنوبية، وكبعض أجزاء الجنوب اللبناني، وكباقي ما تبقى من سوريا و«كمحمية» الحوثيين التي غدت تلفظ أنفاسها الأخيرة.

The post سمير عطا الله: صادرات إيران…إذ تشكو إيران من التحريض على النظام، تنسى أنها أكبر قوة تحريضية عرفها العالم في ثلث القرن الأخير منذ نهاية الحرب الباردة/صالح القلاف: إيران تواجه مرحلة خطيرة والفرصة ملائمة لإسقاط النظام appeared first on Elias Bejjani News.


كون كوكلن: ملالي إيران يواجهون أياماً صعبه/د. ماجد زافيزادا: الشكر لترامب فالملالي في طريقهم للإفلاس/Con Coughlin/Hard Times for Ayatollahs In Iran/Majid Rafizadeh: Thanks to Trump, the Mullahs Are Going Bankrupt

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Iran: Hard Times for Ayatollahs
كون كوكلن: ملالي إيران يواجهون أياماً صعبه
Con Coughlin/Gatestone Institute/November 21/2019

Thanks to Trump, the Mullahs Are Going Bankrupt
د. ماجد زافيزادا: الشكر لترامب فالملالي في طريقهم للإفلاس
Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone Institute/November 21/2019

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Iran: Hard Times for Ayatollahs
كون كوكلن: ملالي إيران يواجهون أياماً صعبه
Con Coughlin/Gatestone Institute/November 21/2019
It is an irony that not even the most devoted supporters of the ayatollahs can ignore that a country such as Iran, that prides itself on being one of the world’s largest oil producers, is unable to produce enough fuel to satisfy the needs of its own population.

These are, moreover, hard times for the ayatollahs in many other respects. Not only are the leaders coming under pressure at home for their disastrous handling of the economy. They are also seeing their efforts to export Iran’s Islamic revolution to other corners of the Middle East being roundly rejected, with anti-Iran protests taking place in Iraq and Lebanon.

With the Iranian economy under such intense pressure as a result of the sanctions, however, the regime has little room for manoeuvre, so it faces a stark choice: either radically reform its conduct or continue to face the wrath of the Iranian people.

With the Iranian economy under such intense pressure as a result of the sanctions, the regime has little room for manoeuvre, so it faces a stark choice: either radically reform its conduct or continue to face the wrath of the Iranian people.

Any suggestion that the wide-ranging sanctions regime the Trump administration has imposed against Iran was not having the desired effect has been roundly refuted by the nationwide protests that have erupted in response to the regime’s decision to increase petrol prices.

Critics of American President Donald J. Trump’s announcement that he was withdrawing the US from the Iran nuclear deal last year and imposing a fresh round of sanctions against Tehran have argued that the measures would fail to have the desired effect, and claimed that the ayatollahs would be able to circumvent the sanctions by trading with countries such as China, that remained committed to the nuclear deal.

Those arguments have now been decisively proved wrong after Iranians took to the streets in towns and cities in their tens of thousands throughout the country in protest at the regime’s decision at the end of last week to raise the price of petrol by 50 percent, as well as rationing the amount drivers could purchase to 60 litres a month without being obliged to pay a higher premium.

It is an irony that not even the most devoted supporters of the ayatollahs can ignore that a country such as Iran, that prides itself on being one of the world’s largest oil producers, is unable to produce enough fuel to satisfy the needs of its own population.

While the requirement to raise fuel prices is deeply embarrassing for the government of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, however, it has not stopped the regime from responding with its characteristic brutality to anti-government protests.

Precise casualty figures are hard to come by, not least because the regime has responded to the latest protests by closing down access to the internet, the classic response one expects to see from an authoritarian state under pressure.

Unofficial reports compiled by Iranian exiles suggest that around 200 people have been killed and around 3,000 injured after Mr Rouhani ordered Iran’s security forces to deal with the protests, which he said amounted to rioting.

“People have the right to protest,” Mr Rouhani said shortly after the anti-government protests began, “but protests are different from riots. We should not allow insecurity in our society.”

Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, went even further, claiming the protests were nothing more than “sabotage and arson” being carried out by “hooligans, not our people. The counter-revolution and Iran’s enemies have always supported sabotage and breaches of security and continue to do so.”

As often happens when the Iranian regime finds itself under pressure, such as the Green Revolution in 2009, when there were mass protests against the result of the presidential election, the ayatollahs resort to the brute force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Basij, the IRGC’s volunteer militia, to crush dissent. The regime employed similar measures during the Green Revolution, when thousands of Iranian protesters, who were dismayed at the prospect of former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad serving another four-year term of office, staged the largest anti-government protests Iran had witnessed since the 1979 Islamic revolution.

It is too early to say yet whether the current wave of protests will gather the same momentum, especially as the regime has become more adept at crushing anti-government opposition.

Regular outbursts of dissent have been reported throughout Tehran since the end of last year, mainly in response to the crippling effect the US sanctions regime is having on the economy, where inflation is running at around 40 percent, and the collapse in the value of the rial, the national currency, has caused dramatic rises in the cost of basic staples, with red meat and poultry rising by 57%, milk, cheese and eggs by 37%, and vegetables by 47%.

These are, moreover, hard times for the ayatollahs in many other respects. Not only are the leaders coming under pressure at home for their disastrous handling of the economy. They are also seeing their efforts to export Iran’s Islamic revolution to other corners of the Middle East being roundly rejected, with anti-Iran protests taking place in Iraq and Lebanon.

Indeed, fears that the protests currently taking place in Iran might spiral out of control, as they have done recently in both Iran and Lebanon, has prompted some lawmakers in the Iranian parliament, or Majlis, to call for the increase in petrol prices to be reversed.

*Con Coughlin is the Telegraph’s Defence and Foreign Affairs Editor and a Distinguished Senior Fellow at Gatestone Institute.

© 2019 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.

Thanks to Trump, the Mullahs Are Going Bankrupt
د. ماجد زافيزادا: الشكر لترامب فالملالي في طريقهم للإفلاس
Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone Institute/November 21/2019

One of the reasons behind IMF’s gloomy picture of Iran’s economy is linked to the Trump administration’s decision not to extend its waiver for Iran’s eight biggest oil buyers; China, India, Greece, Italy, Taiwan, Japan, Turkey and South Korea.

Iran’s national currency, the rial, also continues to lose value: it dropped to historic lows. One US dollar, which equaled approximately 35,000 rials in November 2017, now buys you nearly 110,000 rials.

On November 12, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani acknowledged for the first time that “Iran is experiencing one of its hardest years since the 1979 Islamic revolution” and that “the country’s situation is not normal.” (Image source: Tasnim News/CC by 4.0)

The critics of President Trump’s Iran policy have been proven wrong: the US sanctions are imposing significant pressure on the ruling mullahs of Iran and the ability to fund their terror groups.

Before the US Department of Treasury leveled secondary sanctions against Iran’s oil and gas sectors, Tehran was exporting over two million barrel a day of oil. Currently, Tehran’s oil export has gone down to less than 200,000 barrel a day, which represents a decline of roughly 90% in Iran’s oil exports.

Iran has the second-largest natural gas reserves and the fourth-largest proven crude oil reserves in the world, and the sale of these resources account for more than 80 percent of its export revenues. The Islamic Republic therefore historically depends heavily on oil revenues to fund its military adventurism in the region and sponsor militias and terror groups. Iran’s presented budget in 2019 was nearly $41 billion, while the regime was expecting to generate approximately $21 billion of it from oil revenues. This means that approximately half of Iran’s government revenue comes from exporting oil to other nations.

Even though Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, boasts about the country’s self-sufficient economy, several of Iran’s leaders recently admitted the dire economic situation that the government is facing. Speaking in the city of Kerman on November 12, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani acknowledged for the first time that “Iran is experiencing one of its hardest years since the 1979 Islamic revolution” and that “the country’s situation is not normal.”

Rouhani also complained: “Although we have some other incomes, the only revenue that can keep the country going is the oil money. We have never had so many problems in selling oil. We never had so many problems in keeping our oil tanker fleet sailing…. How can we run the affairs of the country when we have problems with selling our oil?”

Thanks to the US policy of “maximum pressure,” the Islamic Republic’s overall economy has taken a major beating as well. Lately, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has again adjusted its forecast for Iran’s economy and pointed out that Iran’s economy is expected to shrink by 9.5% rather than 6% by the end of 2019.

One of the reasons behind IMF’s gloomy picture of Iran’s economy is linked to the Trump administration’s decision not to extend its waiver for Iran’s eight biggest oil buyers; China, India, Greece, Italy, Taiwan, Japan, Turkey and South Korea. Instead of showing economic growth in 2019, Iran’s economy would be 90% of its size by the end of 2019 in comparison to two years ago, based on a recent report from the World Bank.

Iran’s national currency, the rial, also continues to lose value: it dropped to historic lows. One US dollar, which equaled approximately 35,000 rials in November 2017, now buys you nearly 110,000 rials.

In addition, the Islamic Republic appears to be scrambling to compensate for the loss of revenues it is encountering. A few days ago, for example, Iran’s leaders tripled the price of gasoline. It appears a sign of desperation to generate revenues in order to fund their military adventurism in the region and support their proxies and terror groups.

This increase immediately led people to rise up against the government. In the last few days, several Iranian cities have become the scenes of widespread protests and demonstrations. The protests first erupted in Ahvaz and then spread to many other cities in the Khuzestan province as well as in the capital Tehran, and Kermanshah, Isfahan, Tabriz, Karadj, Shiraz, Yazd, Boushehr, Sari, Khorramshahr, Andimeshk, Dezful, Behbahan and Mahshahr.

Tehran’s diminishing resources have also caused Iranian leaders to cut funds to the Palestinian terror group Hamas and the Lebanese militant group, Hezbollah. Hamas was forced to introduce “austerity plans” while Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Iran’s proxy, Hezbollah, has also called on his group’s fundraising arm “to provide the opportunity for jihad with money and also to help with this ongoing battle.”

To the likely dismay of Washington’s critics, President Trump’s Iran policy has been heading in the right direction. By escalating economic sanctions, the ruling mullahs and their proxies are going bankrupt. Other nations now need to join the US by also adopting a “maximum pressure” policy — even if they would rather continue to do business with Iran and undermine President Trump’s administration — to them, a “twofer”. If Iran succeeds in developing its nuclear weapons breakout capability, in the end it will be used to blackmail precisely them.

*Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a business strategist and advisor, Harvard-educated scholar, political scientist, board member of Harvard International Review, and president of the International American Council on the Middle East. He has authored several books on Islam and US foreign policy. He can be reached at Dr.Rafizadeh@Post.Harvard.Edu

© 2019 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
With the Iranian economy under such intense pressure as a result of the sanctions, however, the regime has little room for manoeuvre, so it faces a stark choice: either radically reform its conduct or continue to face the wrath of the Iranian people.

The post كون كوكلن: ملالي إيران يواجهون أياماً صعبه/د. ماجد زافيزادا: الشكر لترامب فالملالي في طريقهم للإفلاس/Con Coughlin/Hard Times for Ayatollahs In Iran/Majid Rafizadeh: Thanks to Trump, the Mullahs Are Going Bankrupt appeared first on Elias Bejjani News.

برسم القضاء اللبناني…القضاء الإسرائيلي يتهم نتنياهو بالرشوة والاحتيال وخرق الثقة مما قد ينهي دوره السياسي والحزبي/Netanyahu Charged With Bribery, Fraud and Breach of Trust, Capping a Dramatic Political Year

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برسم القضاء اللبناني…القضاء الإسرائيلي يتهم نتنياهو بالرشوة والاحتيال وخرق الثقة مما قد ينهي دوره السياسي والحزبي

هآرتس/21 تشرين الثاني/2019

أُعلن قبل قليل في كافة وكالات الأنباء بأنه لأول مرة منذ قيام دولة إسرائيل يتم اتهام رئيس وزراء لا يزال في الحكم بالرشوة.

Netanyahu Charged With Bribery, Fraud and Breach of Trust, Capping a Dramatic Political Year
Netael Bandel/Haarez/November 21/2019
Netanyahu becomes first sitting prime minister in Israel’s history to be charged with bribery, in case involving quid-pro-quo with telecom tycoon
For the first time in Israel’s history, a sitting prime minister is accused of bribery: Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit announced Thursday Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would be charged with bribery, fraud and breach in three corruption cases, dubbed Cases 4000, 2000 and 1000.
The indictment comes after a four-day hearing with Netanyahu’s defense team last month, followed by weeks of intensive discussion at the attorney general’s offices.
Case 4000
Case 4000 is considered the most serious, and revolves around an alleged bribery deal between Netanyahu and businessman Shaul Elovich, who controlled the Bezeq telecommunications company and the Walla News site. According to the indictment, Netanyahu and Elovich engaged in a quid-pro-pro deal in which Netanyahu – as communication minister – led regulatory steps directly tied to Elovich’s businesses and interests that yielded the tycoon some $500 million.
In return, according to the indictment, Netanyahu and his wife Sara made consistent requests to alter the coverage on the Walla News website in order to serve the Netanyahus’ interests and target their opponents. Elovich allegedly pressed the editors of the website to comply with the Netanyahus’ demands. Substantial circumstantial evidence convinced Mendelblit that both Elovich and Netanyahu were aware of the quid-pro-quo, though there is no evidence of an explicit coordination of the deal.
Netanyahu’s attorneys argued that favorable coverage does not constitute a bribe and that in any case the prime minister didn’t try to skew the coverage in his favor but rather pushed for balanced coverage out of ideology. In addition, they claimed all decisions made by Netanyahu in his role as communication minister were approved by the ministry’s professional staff.

The post برسم القضاء اللبناني…القضاء الإسرائيلي يتهم نتنياهو بالرشوة والاحتيال وخرق الثقة مما قد ينهي دوره السياسي والحزبي/Netanyahu Charged With Bribery, Fraud and Breach of Trust, Capping a Dramatic Political Year appeared first on Elias Bejjani News.

الياس بجاني/قراءة في كلمة الرئيس عون بذكرى الإستقلال: لا يزال الرئيس يعيش في حالة إنكار كاملة لواقع الانتفاضة وللمتغيرات التي فرضها الشعب/نصّ رسالة الرئيس عون (عربي-انكليزي) في ذكرى الاستقلال عام 1988 مع فيديو ونص رسالة الأمس/Aoun’s Independence Day Addresses for 1989 & 2019

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قراءة في كلمة الرئيس عون بذكرى الإستقلال: لا يزال الرئيس يعيش في حالة إنكار كاملة لواقع الانتفاضة وللمتغيرات التي فرضها الشعب
الياس بجاني/22 تشرين الثاني/2019

النص الكامل لكلمة الرئيس عون في ذكرى الإستقلال لعام 2019
21 تشرين الثاني/2019/وكالة الأنباء الوطنية

President Aoun’s address on eve of Lebanon’s 76th Independence Day
NNA/November 21/2019

نصّ الرسالة التي وجهها الرئيس العماد عون إلى اللبنانيين بمناسبة ذكرى الاستقلال عام 1989 بالغتين العربية والإنكليزية

General Michel Aoun’s 1989 Independence Day Address to the Lebanese People.

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قراءة في كلمة الرئيس عون بذكرى الإستقلال: لا يزال الرئيس يعيش في حالة إنكار كاملة لواقع الانتفاضة وللمتغيرات التي فرضها الشعب

الياس بجاني/22 تشرين الثاني/2019

بداية فكلمة الرئيس عون يوم أمس في ذكرى الإستقلال كانت في السياسة وفي شقيها الوطني والإستراتيجي مخيبة للآمال، وهي جاءت بمحتواها وكأنها من غير عالم، ومن غير كوكب، رغم نبرتها الصوتية العالية.
كلمة من كتبها للرئيس لا يعيش نبض الشارع، ولا يدرك ما يريده المنتفضون من أهلنا، ولا عنده حتى فكرة ولو صغيرة عن مطالبهم وأوجاعهم وأسباب غضبهم وثورتهم وشعار “كلن يعني كلن”.

كلمة إنشائية لم تكن لهذا الزمن، ولا لأي زمن كالزمن إلي يعيشه لبنان وأهله في الوقت الراهن.

كلمة هي رزم لكلام مفرغ من أي محتوى عملي ملموس، وكان فيها الرئيس شاكياً وواعظاً ومنتقداً وغارقاً في مفاهيم المؤامرة، ولم يكن فيهاً مسؤولاً وواعياً لما يدور من حوله ليشخص العلل ويعطي الحلول.

كلمة لم يكن محتواها واضحاً، ولا محاكياً لعقول وتطلعات وأسئلة الناس، خصوصاً المنتفضين منهم، ولما كانوا يتوقعونه منه بعد 36 يوماً على انتفاضتهم الشعبية، وبعد إطلالاته السابقة المرتبكة والمستفزة لكراماتهم.

كلمة تؤكد أوهام وعقم وعدم صدقية وحقيقة شعار الرئيس والعهد القوي الذي مله وضجر الناس من ببغائية تكراره.

كلمة غريبة ومغربة عن واقع انتفاضة 17 تشرين الثاني، وليس فيها ما يبين بأن ملقيها واعي للمتغيرات العميقة والكبيرة التي أحدثتها.

ولا هو متفهماً ومتقبلاً لحقيقة سقوط الهالات الصنمية الكاذبة لكل الحكام وأصحاب شركات الأحزاب والطاقم السياسي، ولحقيقة انكشاف تام للحكم والحكام حتى للأطفال.

كلمة ليست لهذا اللبنان المنتفض شعبه العظيم على حكامه وأحزابه وسياسييه الغرباء عنه بضمائرهم وفكرهم وممارساتهم وأنماط حياتهم.

تناسى الرئيس بأن القرار الحر الذي ذكره في كلمته هو غير موجود في القصر الرئاسي، ولا في مجلس النواب، ولا في سرايا الحكومة، بل في يد حاكم دويلة حزب الله.

القرار الفعلي هو بيد حزب الله الذي يغطيه الرئيس على حساب الدستور والقسّم ويتمسك علناً وعملياً بورقة تفاهمه معه.

تلك الورقة اللادستورية التي تلغي كل ما هو حرية وسيادة واستقلال ودولة وقرار سلم وحرب وإستراتجية وعلاقات سوية مع العالمين العربي والدولي وتلحق لبنان بملالي إيران وبمشروعهم المذهبي والتوسعي والإحتلالي.

كما اغفل الرئيس حقيقة أساسية وهي بأن الفساد هو الاحتلال، وأن لا حل لأي مشكلة كبيرة أو صغيره في ظل دويلة هذا الاحتلال والخطوط الحمراء التي يفرضها السيد نصرالله يمينً وشمالاً خدمة لمشروع الملالي على حساب لبنان واللبنانيين.

أما الغائب الكبير عن كلمة الرئيس فكان غياب، بل تغييب القرارات الدولية الثلاثة الخاصة بلبنان وهي: اتفاقية الهدنة وال 1559 وال 1701. ..
وهذه القرارات الثلاثة بكافة بنودها لا يمكن للبنان أن يتحرر ويستعيد سيادته واستقلاله إلا من خلالها.

يتذكر شعب لبنان العظيم اليوم عيد الاستقلال، وهو عملياً استقلال مغيب ومصادر.

فعسى أن يتغير هذا الواقع الإحتلالي المأساوي ويُستعاد الاستقلال بكل مندرجاته، وقريباً بإذن الله ليصبح للذكرى معنى حقيقي وواقعي ومعاش.
*الكاتب ناشط لبناني اغترابي
عنوان الكاتب الالكتروني
Phoenicia@hotmail.com
رابط موقع الكاتب الالكتروني على الإنترنت
http://www.eliasbejjaninew.com

النص الكامل لكلمة الرئيس عون في ذكرى الإستقلال لعام 2019
21 تشرين الثاني/2019/وكالة الأنباء الوطنية

اضغط هنا لمشاهدة فيديو الكلمة
“أيتها اللبنانيات، أيها اللبنانيون،
عشية الذكرى السادسة والسبعين للاستقلال أتوجه إليكم، مع علمي أنه ليس وقت الخطب والكلام والاحتفالات. إنه وقت العمل، العمل الجدي الدؤوب، لأننا في سباق مع الزمن فالتحديات كبيرة وخطيرة، وقد فاتنا الكثير من الوقت.
حكومة جديدة ينتظرها لبنان وتعقد عليها الآمال، كان من المفترض أن تكون قد ولدت وباشرت عملها. إلا أن التناقضات التي تتحكم بالسياسة اللبنانية فرضت التأني لتلافي الأخطر، وأيضا للتوصل الى حكومة تلبي ما أمكن من طموحاتكم وتطلعاتكم، تكون على قدر كبير من الفعالية والانتاجية والانتظام، لأن التحديات التي تنتظرها ضخمة، والاستحقاقات داهمة.
أيها اللبنانيون،
ستة وسبعون عاما مرت منذ صار لبنان وطنا مستقلا، عرف خلالها مراحل قاسية تعرض فيها استقلاله للخطر، ومع كل محنة نزداد يقينا أن المحافظة على الاستقلال أصعب من الحصول عليه؛ فالاستقلال هو القرار الوطني الحر والمستقل، غير الخاضع لأي شكل من أشكال الوصاية، صريحة كانت أو مقنعة، وهذا ما نتشبث به اليوم ودائما، بكل ما أوتينا من عزم وقوة، ومهما كان الثمن.
إن الصفقات والتسويات التي تُعد لمنطقتنا، ومحاولات فرضها، تهدد ليس فقط استقلال الدول المعنية بل أيضا كيانها ووجودها.
من هنا، فإن تأكيدنا على استقلال لبنان لا يعني خصومة مع أي دولة أو استعداء لأحد، إنما نحن نسعى إلى صداقة صادقة والتعاطي بإيجابية مع من يصادقنا، ولكن، انطلاقا من قرارنا الحر وعلاقة الند للند، وقبول ما يلائم وطننا من مقترحات، ورفض ما يشكل ضررا له. وإذا كانت السياسة فن الممكن، فهي أيضا رفض اللامقبول.
وليست التسويات الدولية وحدها ما يهدد استقرار الدول، ففي الداخل اللبناني خطر محدق يتهدد مجتمعنا ومؤسساتنا واقتصادنا هو الفساد.
لقد أضحت مكافحة الفساد شعارا استهلاكيا يُستحضر كلما دعت الحاجة، لا سيما من قبل الغارقين به، ولكن، عند أبسط إجراءات التنفيذ، تبدأ الخطوط الحمر المذهبية والطائفية بالظهور.
المعركة هنا قاسية، لا بل من أقسى المعارك، لذلك توجهت إليكم، أيها اللبنانيون، طالبا المساعدة، فلا أحد غيركم قادر على جعل كل الخطوط متاحة. ولا أحد غيركم قادر على الضغط من أجل تنفيذ القوانين الموجودة، وتشريع ما يلزم من أجل استعادة الأموال المنهوبة وملاحقة الفاسدين.
وأكرر هنا ندائي إلى المتظاهرين للاطلاع عن كثب على المطالب الفعلية لهم وسبل تنفيذها، لأن الحوار وحده هو الطريق الصحيح لحل الأزمات.
لقد كسرت التحركات الشعبية التي حصلت أخيرا بعض المحرمات السابقة وأسقطت، إلى حد ما، المحميات، ودفعت بالقضاء الى التحرك، وحفزت السلطة التشريعية على إعطاء الأولوية لعدد من اقتراحات القوانين الخاصة بمكافحة الفساد .
إن تسليط الضوء على مكامن الفساد عبر الإعلام وفي الساحات، صحي ومساعد، وكذلك تقديم المعلومات والوثائق المتوافرة إلى القضاء. ولكن، أن يتحول الإعلام والشارع والجدل السياسي الى مدع، ومدع عام، وقاض، وسجان في آن، فهذا أكثر ما يسيء إلى مسيرة مكافحة الفساد، لأن إطلاق الاتهامات العشوائية وإصدار الأحكام المبرمة، والتعميم، قد تجرم بريئا، ولكنها بالتأكيد تجهل المرتكب الحقيقي وتسمح له بالإفلات، وأيضا بمتابعة نشاطه في الفساد.
لقد أعطيتم دفعا للقضاء، فدعوه يقوم بواجبه…
وهنا يأتي دوركم، أيها القضاة؛ إن المطلوب منكم اليوم أن تلتزموا قسمكم فتقوموا بواجبكم “بأمانة”، وأن تكونوا “القاضي الشريف الصادق”؛ فمكافحة الفساد، أينما بدأت، فإن حُسن ختامها عندكم، والانتصار فيها رهن شجاعتكم ونزاهتكم.
منذ العام 2017 أحلتُ تباعا على القضاء ما يزيد عن 18 ملفا تتعلق بقضايا فساد ورشاوى في إدارات الدولة، وإلى اليوم لم يصدر أي حكم بأي منها. وإذا كانت العدالة المتأخرة ليست بعدالة، فإن التأخر في بت قضايا الفساد هو تشجيع غير مقصود للفساد، ونحن نعول اليوم على التعيينات القضائية الأخيرة من أجل تفعيل دور القضاء وتحصين استقلاليته للوصول إلى سلطة قضائية مستقلة وشجاعة ومنزهة، تكون السيف القاطع في معركة القضاء على الفساد. وأكرر أنني سأكون سدا منيعا وسقفا فولاذيا لحماية القضاء، وأعني بذلك أنني سأمنع كل تدخل فيه انطلاقا من قسمي المحافظة على الدستور والقوانين.
أيها اللبنانيون،
نحن على أبواب المئوية الثانية للبنان الكبير، ونجد أنفسنا رهينة أزمة اقتصادية حادة، ناتجة من سياسات اقتصادية خاطئة ومن فساد وهدر في الإدارة على مدى عقود من الزمن.
فلتكن السنة المقبلة سنة استقلال اقتصادي فعلي، من خلال تغيير النمط الاقتصادي الريعي إلى اقتصاد منتج عبر دعم الزراعة والصناعة وتبني سياسات تحفيزية ليصبح إنتاجنا تنافسيا في الأسواق الخارجية. وكذلك تخصيص كل الاهتمام بالقطاع التكنولوجي واقتصاد المعرفة الذي يمكن للبنان أن يكون منافسا جديا فيه.
نعم فلنجعل منه عام استقلال اقتصادي فعلي، من خلال بدء حفر أول بئر للنفط في البحر، ومن خلال إقرار قانون الصندوق السيادي الذي سوف يدير عائدات البترول على أن يلتزم أعلى معايير الشفافية العالمية.
فلنجعل منه عام استقلال جغرافي عبر التمسك بكل متر من المياه في المنطقة الاقتصادية الغنية بالثروات الطبيعية، تماما كما تمسكنا بكل شبر من أرضنا، وكما نسعى لتحرير ما بقي منها تحت الاحتلال الإسرائيلي.
فلنجعل منه عام استقلال بيئي من خلال تحريج الجبال، وخصوصا ما طالته الحرائق أخيرا.
ولنجعل منه أيضا عام استقلال اجتماعي فعلي بدءا بإقرار قانون الحماية الشاملة المعروف بضمان الشيخوخة.
أما الاستقلال الناجز فيكون عبر تحررنا من نزاعاتنا الطائفية والمذهبية، والبدء بالخطوات اللازمة لإرساء الدولة المدنية.
إنه وقت العمل، والحكومة العتيدة سوف تجدني حاضرا لمواكبة عملها، ودافعا لتحقيق الانجازات.
أيها العسكريون،
لا يمكن للاستقلال أن يمر من دون التوجه إليكم، فأنتم كنتم ولا زلتم وستبقون درع الوطن، وحماة استقلاله وسياج وحدته.
إن أصعب المهمات التي قد تواجه عسكريا هي المهمات الداخلية كما هو حاصل معكم، إذ عليكم أن تحموا حرية المواطن الذي يريد التعبير عن رأيه بالتظاهر والاعتصام، وأن تحموا أيضا حرية التنقل للمواطن الذي يريد أن يذهب الى عمله أو الى منزله.
ونجاحكم في هذه المهمة الدقيقة هو ميزان ثقة المواطنين بكم، والثقة غالية لا تعوض.
أيها اللبنانيون وأخص الشباب منكم،
إن تفلت الخطاب في الشارع هو من أكبر الأخطار التي تتهدد الوطن والمجتمع، فلا تنسوا أنكم بعد انتهاء هذه الأزمة ستعودون إلى المنزل، إلى الحي، إلى المدرسة، إلى الجامعة، إلى العمل… ستعودون للعيش معا، فلا تسترسلوا في خطاب الكراهية والتحريض لأن الهدم سهل ولكن البناء شاق، ولا تهدموا أسس مجتمعنا الذي يقوم على احترام الآخر وعلى حرية المعتقد والرأي والتعبير.
لقد قاسى أجدادكم الويلات ليحافظوا على وجودهم الحر وكيانهم المستقل، وعرف أهلكم كل أنواع المعاناة في حرب داخلية مدمرة قضت على معظم أحلامهم وخطفت زهرة عمره.
الأمانة اليوم بين أيديكم، والعبرة لمن اعتبر.
عشتم وعاش لبنان.”

President Aoun’s address on eve of Lebanon’s 76th Independence Day
NNA/November 21/2019
President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, said in his address on the eve of Lebanon’s 76th Independence Day:
“My fellow Lebanese ladies and gentlemen,
As I address you on the eve of Lebanon’s 76th Independence Day, I am well aware that this is no time for speeches, literature and celebrations.
It’s time for action, serious and relentless action, because we are in a race against time, for challenges are tremendous and dangerous, and we have already lost a lot of time.
The new government that Lebanon awaits and around which hopes are placed was supposed to see the light and embark on its work, but the contradictions that govern the Lebanese politics imposed carefulness in view of avoiding dangers and coming up with a government that would live up to your ambitions and aspirations as much as possible, and would be highly efficient, productive and orderly, because the challenges ahead are huge and the deadlines imminent.
My fellow Lebanese,
Seventy-six years have gone by since Lebanon became an independent nation. Throughout these years, the country went through rough periods during which its independence was jeopardized; and with every passing crisis, we become all the more aware that it is harder to preserve independence that to earn it.
Indeed, independence means a free and independent national decision, away from any form of custody, whether explicit or masked, and this is what we hold on to, today and every day, with all our resolve and strength, and at all costs.
The deals and settlements that are being devised for our region, and the attempts to impose them, not only threaten the independence of the concerned States, but also their being and very existence.
Therefore, affirming Lebanon’s independence neither implies hostility towards any State nor enmity towards anyone. On the contrary, we seek sincere friendship and positive approach to those who befriend us, but on the basis of our free decision, a peer-to-peer relationship, the acceptance of suggestions that suit our nation and the rejection of those that harm it; and if “politics is the art of the possible”, it is also the rejection of the unacceptable.
International settlements do not pose the sole threat on the stability of the State; on the Lebanese internal arena, there is a looming danger that threatens our society, institutions and economy: corruption.
Fighting corruption has become a tagline, used every time there is a need for it, even by those who are steeped in corruption. Yet, upon the adoption of the slightest execution procedures, confessional and sectarian red lights begin to surface.
The battle here is tough, rather one of the toughest. I therefore turned to you, fellow Lebanese, asking for help, because no one else can make all lines available, and no one else can exert pressure for the implementation of existing laws and adoption of the needed legislation to recover the looted funds and pursue the corrupt.
Here I reiterate my call to the demonstrators to learn first-hand their effective demands and the means to enforce them, because dialogue is the sole correct path to the resolution of crises.
The popular movements that have taken place lately have broken some established taboos, toppled the untouchables to a certain extent, prompted the judiciary to act, and stimulated the legislative branch to give priority to a set of anti-corruption bills.
It is healthy and useful to shed the light on corruption hotbeds through the media and on the streets, and so is the submission of available incriminating information and documents to the judiciary.
Nevertheless, what undermines the most the anti-corruption track is when the media, the streets and the political debate become the plaintiff, the general prosecutor, the judge and the jailer at the same time; because sending out random accusations, issuing final judgments and generalizing may criminalize an innocent, but it certainly allows the real perpetrators to remain anonymous, go unpunished and pursue their corrupted activity.
You have given momentum to the judiciary, so let it do its job…
And this is where lies your role, Judges;
What is required of you today is to commit to your oath, to carry out your duty “faithfully” and to be “honorable honest judges”; because no matter where it begins, the fight against corruption will end well in your hands, and its victory depends on your courage and integrity.
Since 2017, I have successively deferred to justice eighteen files related to cases of corruption and bribery in State administrations. To date, no verdict has been issued in any of them. If late justice is no justice, then the late settlement of corruption cases is an inadvertent encouragement on corruption. Today, we rely on the recent judicial appointments to activate the role of the judiciary and reinforce its autonomy, to reach an independent, brave and fair judicial branch which would be the spearhead of the battle against corruption. I repeat that I will be a robust barrier and a ceiling of steel to protect the judiciary. In other terms, I will ban any interference therein based on my oath to preserve the Constitution and the laws.
My fellow Lebanese,
We are on the threshold of the second Centenary of Greater Lebanon, and we find ourselves hostages of an acute economic crisis resulting from wrong economic policies and from corruption and waste in the administration throughout decades.
Let the coming year be a year of effective economic independence, through the conversion of the rentier economic pattern into a productive economy, by supporting agriculture and industry, adopting stimulating policies to make our production competitive on foreign markets, and dedicating all the attention to technology and knowledge economy, a sector in which Lebanon can be a serious competitor.
Yes, let us make it a year of effective economic independence by starting to drill the first off-shore oil well, and by adopting the law on the sovereign fund which will manage oil revenues, provided that it follows the highest global transparency standards.
Let us make it a year of geographical independence by holding on to every meter of water in our economic zone which is rich with natural resources, exactly as we hold on to every inch of our land, and as we seek to liberate the territories that are still under Israeli occupation.
Let us make it a year of environmental independence through the reforestation of mountains, especially those that were lately affected by fires…
Let us make it a year of effective social independence as well, starting with the adoption of the comprehensive protection law, also known as old-age security.
As for the full-fledged independence, we can only achieve it if we liberate ourselves from confessional and sectarian disputes, and begin with the necessary steps to establish the Civil State.
It’s time for action and the government-to-be will find me ready to accompany its work and willing to push forward for the fulfillment of the achievements.
Fellow soldiers,
Independence Day cannot pass by without addressing you because you were and you remain the shield of the country, the protectors of its independence and the bulwark of its unity.
The toughest missions that a soldier may face are domestic issues, as in your case, whereas you have to protect the freedom of the citizens who wish to express their opinion through demonstrations and sit-ins, and to protect as well the freedom of movement of the citizens who wish to go to work or home. Your success in this critical mission is the gauge of the citizens’ confidence in you, and confidence is precious and irreparable.
Dear Lebanese youth in particular,
The uncontrollability of the rhetoric on the street is one of the biggest dangers that threaten the nation and the society, so do not forget that in the aftermath of this crisis, you will go back to your home, neighborhood, school, university, work…You will go back to living together, so do not elaborate on the rhetoric of hatred and incitement because destruction is easy but construction is hard. Do not destroy the foundations of our society which rests upon the respect of the other and on the freedoms of belief, opinion and expression.
Your ancestors suffered greatly to preserve their free existence and independent being, and your parents went through all sorts of suffering in a devastating internal war that destroyed most of their dreams and hijacked the best years of their life.
Today, the legacy is in your hands and it is up to you to learn the relevant lesson.
Long live Lebanon!”

نصّ الرسالة التي وجهها الرئيس العماد عون إلى اللبنانيين بمناسبة ذكرى الاستقلال عام 1989
أيها اللبنانيون:
لأكثر من سنة خلت، عندما عُهد إليّ بكرة النار المشتعلة، قلت لكم أن المطلوب ليس الإتيان برئيس يُهدي ما تبقّى من وطنكم، بل برئيس يسترد ما أُخذ ويستعيد ما فُقد.
وتساءلت في رسالتي الاستقلالية الأولى إليكم ” هل المطلوب الانصياع للإرادات الخارجية المتوافقة على استعجال المجيء برئيس رهينة فنكون شاهد زور على رصاصة الرحمة تطلق في رأس الكيان؟ “. أما في شأن الإصلاح الذي بات حاجة وطنية جماعية ماسّة فسألتكم ” هل المطلوب أن نحقّق إصلاحاً مشروطاً لشعب لا حول له ولا قرار، ممنوع عليه التعبير عن رأيه في إصلاحه، ومحظور عليه الجهر بانتمائه إلى أرضه ودولته وهويته ؟ “. وعاهدتكم حينذاك على العمل لتحقيق ” قيامة لبنان الواحد القوي على أنقاض لبناناتهم الطائفية الهزيلة “.
يومذاك كنا نعرف أن توافق المصالح بين الارادات الخارجية تلك هو الذي يصرّ على استعجال المجيء برئيس شكلي لجمهورية وهمية. وكنا نعرف جيداً أن مثل هذا الرئيس سيكون أداة احتلالية أخرى وجسر عبور للاحتلال من لبنان المحتل إلى ما تبقّى من معاقل سيادة للوجود اللبناني الحرّ. لذلك رفضنا أن نكون شاهد زور على اغتيال الكيان.
كذلك رفضنا أن يُفرض على شعبنا إصلاح مزعوم لا رأي له فيه، لأن كل إصلاح لا ينبع من إرادة الشعب الحرة، ولا يراعي حاجاته وطموحاته، لن يكون ركيزة استقرار وعامل توازن في المعادلة الوطنية المنشودة. فالذين كانوا سبباً في الحرب على لبنان، سواء أولئك الذين عبثوا بتركيبته الطائفية أو السياسية، وفجّروا توازنه وأمنه واستقراره الداخلي… أولئك الذين تولّوا توزيعه على خريطة مصالحهم الإقليمية المتوافقة مع مصالح من يزعمونهم أعداء استراتيجيين، فقسّموه دوائر وأحزمة وخطوط تماس وواقيات صدم… وأولئك الذين لم يروا في لبنان وشعبه أكثر من رقم فائض في المعادلة الإقليمية وعقبة يجب إزالتها تسهيلاً لإعادة رسم مصالحهم على خريطة التسوية للمشكلة الشرق أوسطية، أو كل الذين وقفوا متفرّجين طوال خمس عشرة سنة على مأساة لبنان أن كل هؤلاء ليسوا مؤهّلين، ولا يحق لهم أو لأحدهم، أن يفرضوا حلاً لمشكلة وطن تسبّبوا في تفكيكه، ولمعاناة شعب كانوا هم سبب كل ما أصابه من آلام ومآسٍ وأحزان.
أوليس كل ما عانيناه طوال خمس عشرة سنة كان نتيجة للاحتلالات والتدخلات الخارجية، التي نجحت في استغلال بعض الثغرات في نظامنا الديمقراطي؟
أوليس أن الحرب علينا كلها كانت تحت عنواني استرداد السيادة وتحقيق الإصلاح؟!.
فأي سيادة استُردت وأي إصلاح تحقق، لكي تُضاء شموع الابتهاج وتقام مهرجانات النصر لما تمّ في الطائف من إنجازات مزعومة وبطولات زائفة؟.
لقد صمد شعبنا خمس عشرة سنة كالحة السواد، كما صمد سنة ونيف منذ إسقاط اتفاق التعيين السوري الأميركي في قصر منصور، فجاءوا يوقّعون في الطائف صك تنازل عما تبقّى، ويتلون فعل ندامة وتوبة واعتذار عن صمود الشعب وشهادة الشهداء ومقاومة التسلّط والاحتلال.
كذلك فإن ما يعتبرونه إنجازاً في الطائف لا اسم له سوى الخيانة والفشل.
إنه خيانة كاملة وفشل لبناني في حمل النظام السوري على الاعتراف بلبنان، وبالتالي الإقرار الصريح بوجوب الانسحاب من كافة الأراضي اللبنانية المعترف بها عربياً ودولياً.
أما الذين ذهبوا إلى الطائف لانتزاع هذا الاعتراف وذاك الإقرار، فقد عادوا من هناك بعدما وقّعوا لدمشق وثيقة مذلّة تخوّلها حق تعيين الرئاسة والوزارة، وتمحضها حق تقرير إبقاء قوّاتها في لبنان إلى ما تشاء وحيثما تشاء، إضافة إلى أنهم شرّعوا حق التدخل في الشؤون اللبنانية السياسية والأمنية الداخلية كافة. أما هؤلاء الذين تنازلوا عن البقاع والشمال والجنوب فليعلموا أن أي جزء من أرض لبنان لن يكون هدية لأحد لأن أحداً لا يملك حق التصرّف بذرّة من ترابه.
إنه فشل عربي ذريع، بدأ بتراجع اللجنة العربية الثلاثية عن تقريرها في وجه التعنّت السوري، وانتهى بفشل الجامعة العربية في حمل أحد أعضائها على التقيّد بميثاقها، وبذلك تكون هذه الجامعة قد فشلت ليس فقط في منع حصول سابقة اعتداء دولة عربية قوية على دولة عربية مستضعفة ، بل بتسجيل سابقة أشدّ خطورة هي اعتراف الأسرة العربية بأمر عدواني واقع، وشرعنة اعتداء عضو على آخر واحتلال دولة أراضي دولة أخرى.
وبمقدار ما كان الطائف خيانة لبنانية وفشلاً عربياً فإنه أيضاً فشل دولي موصوف ومكشوف. فالأسرة الدولية التي لم تبادر مجتمعة إلى فرض ميثاق الأمم المتّحدة وشرعنة حقوق الإنسان وتنفيذ القرارات الدولية بوجوب انسحاب دولتين محتلتين من أراضي دولة عضو مؤسس، هذه الأسرة نفسها هل كانت خادعة أم مخدوعة عندما سارعت متفرّقة إلى تأييد الطائف الذي يُشرّع الاحتلال ويبرئ العدوان ويؤمّن تغطية دولية للتسلّط والهيمنة ضد ميثاق الأمم المتّحدة؟ وكيف يمكن أن تفشل دول العالم الحر في إنقاذ مصداقيتها تجاه منع انتهاك حقوق الإنسان في لبنان، وفي مقدّمتها حق تقرير المصير. كذلك كيف يمكن أن تفشل الشيوعية والاشتراكية في منع سقوط مصداقيتها تجاه زعمها دعم حركات التحرير والتحرر ونصرة الشعوب المستضعفة في العالم؟!.
وبأي منطق يوفّق العالم بين تقاعسه في دعم حق لبنان في تقرير مصيره بنفسه في الوقت الذي يهلّل لسقوط جدار برلين التقسيمي؟.
أيها اللبنانيون ،
إن العالم كله يعرف أن ما جرى في الطائف هو خطأ جسيم يبلغ حدّ الجريمة، وسواء اعترف بذلك أم لم يعترف فإن الجريمة تبقى الجريمة، والخطأ الجسيم يبقى خطيئة مميتة ضد القانون الدولي العام ومبادئ الحق والعدل والسلام. لكنها ليست المرّة الأولى، ولن تكون الأخيرة، التي يقع فيها شعب صغير ضحية المصالح الدولية وثمناً لتوازن القوى الإقليمية الذي تستوجبه لعبة الأمم الجارية في مكان ما وزمان معين. غير أن التاريخ حافل بالشواهد على حتمية انتصار الشعوب في وجه المؤامرات الكبيرة، وتغلّب إرادة الصمود والتحرر على نزعات
السيطرة والاستعباد. وقد أثبت شعبنا في هذا المجال القدرة والأهلية والجهوزية اللازمة للصمود والتصدّي، وإسقاط كل المشاريع المشبوهة، وتمزيق وثائق الذل التي يحاولون فرضها عليه.
أيها اللبنانيون،
لطالما أعلنّا وأثبتنا بالبرهان تلو البرهان أننا لسنا عشّاق حرب وهواة سلاح، بل طلاب حق وسعاة سلام. وهل كثير علينا أن نصرّ على حقنا في السيادة على أرضنا والحوار الحر في ما بيننا لترسيخ إصلاحنا الذي يُراعي حاجاتنا ويحقق لشعبنا الحرية والعدالة والمساواة.
هل من الجريمة أن نقول لسوريا وغيرها أننا نريد معها أفضل العلاقات ولكن خارج التهديد بالمدفع، وبعيداً عن التهويل بالقوّة والاستقواء ، وبعد جلاء آخر جندي عن أرضنا.
هل أن مطالبة جامعتي الدول العربية والأمم المتحدة بأن تكونا منسجمتين مع ميثاقهما ومبادئهما تعتبر خروجاً عن الإجماعين الدولي والعربي؟.
إذا كان هذا المفهوم الخاطئ الذي تدنّى إليه عالم نهاية القرن العشرين، وإذا كنّا مرغمين على الاختيار ما بين الانصياع لهذا المفهوم الظالم أو التمرّد عليه، فليعرف الجميع أننا متمرّدون رافضون، مصرّون على أن نربح كرامتنا واستقلالنا وحريتنا وإن اضطررنا لمواجهة العالم. كما أننا نرفض بدون تردّد أكذوبة التوحيد في ظل الاحتلال لأنها تؤدّي إلى التذويب، بمقدار ما نرفض أي شكل من أشكال التقسيم.
من هذه القناعات والمنطلقات الثوابت نحن نخوض اليوم المعركة الأشد شراسة في مسيرتنا نحو الاستقلال. بل لعلّها المرّة الأولى في تاريخنا التي نخوض مسيرة استقلال حقيقية من أجل استقلال حقيقي ونهائي. مسيرة التحرير هذه هي التي ستؤكّد الشقيق والصديق والعدو، وفي ضوء ذلك سنحدّد علاقاتنا الواضحة بمحيطنا والعالم بعيداً عن مشاعر الخوف والضعف والتعقيد. أيها اللبنانيون شعباً وقيادات ومقامات، إنّ ما أدعوكم إليه في هذه المناسبة ليس أكثر من الإجابة عن سؤال : هل أنتم مقتنعون حقاً بأن ما يجري هو الطريق الصحيح إلى لبنان سيد حرّ ومستقلّ ، يوفّر الأمن والعدل والاستقرار لجميع أبنائه؟.
إذا كان ردّكم ” لا ” فإن مسيرة التحرير بانتظاركم وهي تتسع لكل الإرادات والسواعد والخناصر.
أيها اللبنانيون في كلّ مكان من لبنان والعالم ،
لبنان لكم ، كلّه لكم جميعاً، وسينتصر لبنان؟
عاش لبنان

General Michel Aoun’s 1989 Independence Day Address to the Lebanese People.
My Dear Fellow Lebanese,
It’s been more than a year since I was handed the banner, and I told you at the time that you needed a President who will not surrender what was left of the country, but rather a President who will reclaim what was lost and take back what was taken away.
I also wondered in my first Independence Day address to you: “Must we submit to the many outsiders who had conspired to appoint a hostage President, thus making us false witnesses to the final blow they were dealing to our existence as a nation?” As to the reforms that had become a national urgency, I asked you: “Must we implement conditional reforms on a people that has no say in the matter, that is forbidden from expressing its will on the reforms, and that is prevented from proclaiming its unity with its land, its sovereign State, and its identity?”
I pledged to you then that I will work to achieve “the resurrection of a strong and unified Lebanon from the ashes of their many and pitiful sectarian Lebanons”. We knew at the time that the convergence of interests between the outsiders is what was driving the push for a figurehead President of a virtual Republic. There was no question in our mind that such a President will be just another tool in the hands of the occupation and a bridgehead from already occupied Lebanon to the remaining holdovers of a free and sovereign Lebanese existence. That was why we refused to be a false witness to the assassination of the nation. Similarly we refused forcing on our people the so-called reforms over which it had no say. Reforms that do not flow from the free will of the people, or that do not include the people’s needs and future vision, are not foundations for stability, nor are they a balancing factor in the desired national equation.
There were those who were a cause of the war in Lebanon, including those who messed up with its sectarian and political composition, and who destroyed its equilibrium, security, and internal stability. There were those who split the country apart over the map of their regional interests and in complete complicity with the country’s presumed strategic enemies, and who went on to divide it up into districts and front lines and buffer zone. Others who saw Lebanon and its people as no more than another number in the regional equation, or an obstacle that must be removed to facilitate the redrawing of their interests on the resolution map of the Middle Eastern conflict. Or those who stood by for fifteen years watching the tragedy of Lebanon unfold.
All of them are incompetent and have no right to impose a solution to the problem of a nation that they themselves dismembered, or to a people upon whom they themselves inflicted pain, misery, and endless suffering. Isn’t all that we suffered for fifteen years the result of foreign occupations and outside interference, both of which managed to exploit the weaknesses in our democratic system? Wasn’t the war against us under the headline of recovering sovereignty and implementing reforms?
We ask them: What sovereignty has been restored, and what reforms have been implemented, so we rejoice and celebrate victory for the achievements of Taif?
Our people resisted for fifteen long and dark years, as they resisted for more than a year now since we foiled the Syrian-American plot of imposing a President on us in Villa Mansour and denounced the Taif signing off on what remained of the country. We heard their contrition, their penance, and their apologies for the steadfastness of our people, the sacrifice of our martyrs, and our resistance against oppression and occupation.
There are no better names for what they consider an achievement in Taif than treason and failure. It is the utmost Lebanese treason for failing to get the Syrian regime to recognize Lebanon as an independent and sovereign nation, which would have required the Syrians to acknowledge their inevitable withdrawal from all Lebanese territory as recognized by the Arab League and the United Nations. Some may have gone to Taif to extract that recognition and demand that acknowledgement. Yet they came back after signing off to Syria a humiliating document that grants that country the right to appoint our President and our government, and that relinquishes to Syria the right to indefinitely maintain its forces in Lebanon anywhere on its territory. Moreover, they legitimized the precedent of giving an outsider the right to interfere in Lebanon’s political affairs and its internal security matters. As to those who surrendered the Bekaa, the North, and the South, let them know that no part of Lebanon’s territory will be a gift to anyone, because no one owns the right to dispose of a single grain of sand from it.
It is also a terrible Arab failure, starting with the Tripartite Committee recanting on its own report in reaction to Syrian obstructionism, and ending with the failure of the Arab League to make one of its members comply with its charter. By failing to prevent the precedent of one powerful Arab country aggressing a weaker one, the League also failed in allowing the more dangerous precedent of the Arab World formally acquiescing to the fait accompli of an aggression, to the legitimization of one member of the League attacking another, and to the occupation by one member state of the territory of another.
To the extent that Taif was both an act of Lebanese treason and an act of Arab failure, it becomes a de facto international failure. The international community failed by not taking the initiative to impose the United Nations Charter, uphold Human Rights, and implement its own resolutions calling for the withdrawal of two occupying countries from the territory of a founding member state of the UN. Was that community a victim or an accomplice when it hurried to support the fallacy of Taif which legitimizes occupation, exculpates aggression, and provides an international cover for oppression and hegemony against all articles of the United Nations Charter? How can the nations of the Free World fail to salvage their credibility when they failed to prevent abuses of human rights in Lebanon, foremost of which is the right to self-determination? And how can the nations of the Socialist and Communist camps fail to salvage their own credibility in regard to their claims of supporting liberation movements and vindicating oppressed nations and peoples? According to what logic can the world reconcile its failure to support Lebanon in its rightful quest for self-determination, with its celebration of the fall of the Berlin Wall?
My Fellow Lebanese,
The world knows that Taif was a major and grave wrongdoing that bordered on the crime, and whether it admits it or not, a crime remains a crime and a major mistake becomes a deadly sin against international law and the principles of justice, peace, and rights. It is not the first time, nor will it be the last, that a small nation falls prey to the interests of mightier countries and becomes the price to pay for a balance between regional forces in the geopolitical game of a given time and place. Yet History is replete with examples of the inevitable victory of peoples in the face of big conspiracies against them, and the vindication of the will to resist and gain freedom over oppression and enslavement.
Our people have demonstrated in this context their capability, competence, and readiness to fight and resist, and ultimately bring down all suspicious schemes against them and tear apart the deeds of humiliation that are imposed on them.
We have repeatedly stated and proven time and again that we are not warmongers and lovers of deadly weapons. We are seekers of peace and disciples of rights. Is it too much for us to insist on our right to sovereignty over our land and on carrying out a free dialogue among ourselves to formulate our own version of reforms that will accommodate our needs and provide for our people freedom, justice and equality?
Is it a crime to tell Syria and others that we want better relations with them, only without the threat of cannons and the intimidation of superior force, and after the evacuation of the last foreign soldier off our land? Is our demand to the Arab League and the United Nations that they comply with their charters and principles a departure on our part from Arab and international consensus? If the world at the end of the twentieth century continues to wrongfully violate its basic principles, and if we the Lebanese are being forced to choose between acquiescing to those violations and rebelling against them, then let everyone know that we are rejectionist rebels. Rebels who are determined to win our dignity, independence, and freedom back, even if we have to confront the whole world. We categorically reject the big lie of unification under occupation because it will lead us to disappear and cease to exist, inasmuch as we categorically reject any form of partition.
With these firm and basic convictions we are fighting the most vicious battle in our march to independence. Indeed it may be the first time in our history that we fight a genuine battle for a real and definitive independence. It is this liberation march that will tell friend and brother from foe and enemy, and through that lens we will define our clear relationships with our environment and the world, without any feelings of fear, weakness, or confusion.
To all the Lebanese people and leadership,
All I am asking of you in this occasion is to answer one question: “Are you genuinely convinced that what is taking place is the right path for a free, sovereign, and independent Lebanon, that will provide security, justice, and stability for all its people?
If your answer is “no”, then the march of liberation is yours and needs your every competence, skill, and will.
My Fellow Lebanese scattered in all Four Corners of Lebanon and the World, Lebanon is yours, and it belongs to all of you, and it will be victorious.
Long Live Lebanon.
General Michel Aoun

الصورة المرفقة: العماد عون في كندا/مونتريال يتناول القربان في كنيسة دير ما مطانيوس من الأباتي سيمون عساف سنة 2002

The post الياس بجاني/قراءة في كلمة الرئيس عون بذكرى الإستقلال: لا يزال الرئيس يعيش في حالة إنكار كاملة لواقع الانتفاضة وللمتغيرات التي فرضها الشعب/نصّ رسالة الرئيس عون (عربي-انكليزي) في ذكرى الاستقلال عام 1988 مع فيديو ونص رسالة الأمس/Aoun’s Independence Day Addresses for 1989 & 2019 appeared first on Elias Bejjani News.

Detailed LCCC English News Bulletin For November 22/2019

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Detailed LCCC English News Bulletin For November 22/2019

Click Here to read the whole and detailed LCCC English News Bulletin for November 22/2019

Click Here to enter the LCCC  Arabic/English news bulletins Achieves since 2006

Titles Of The LCCC English News Bulletin
Bible Quotations For today
Latest LCCC English Lebanese & Lebanese Related News 
Latest LCCC English Miscellaneous Reports And News
Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources

The post Detailed LCCC English News Bulletin For November 22/2019 appeared first on Elias Bejjani News.

A Bundle Of English Reports, News and Editorials For November 21-22/2019 Addressing the On Going Mass Demonstrations & Sit In-ins In Iranian Occupied Lebanon in its 36th Day

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A Bundle Of English Reports, News and Editorials For November 21-22/2019 Addressing the On Going Mass Demonstrations & Sit In-ins In Iranian Occupied Lebanon in its 36th Day
Compiled By: Elias Bejjani
November 21-22/2019

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News published on November 21-22/2019
Lebanese president calls corruption biggest danger to the country
Aoun Blames Govt. Delay on Lebanese ‘Contradictions’, Invites Protesters to Dialogue
Protesters Block Roads across Lebanon after President Speech
Trump Says U.S. Ready to Work with New Govt., Lebanon’s Dollar Bonds Surge
U.N. Coordinator for Lebanon Denies Meddling in Govt. Formation
French Embassy Urges Formation of ‘Active and Credible’ Govt.
Lebanon: Fears of Open-ended Political Crisis Amid Communications Interruption
Lebanon’s Speaker Invites MPs to Meet on Returning Stolen Funds
Berri Calls Parliamentary Session, Presidency Cancels Independence Reception
Berri Urges Lebanese to Show Unity, Protect Independence
Baabda Palace cancels Independence Day reception due to current situation
Tarraf after meeting with Rahi pins hope efforts will yield good results in Lebanon
Statement of the Office of the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon
UNIFIL Commander to NNA: Israeli violations of Lebanon’s sovereignty and 1701 escalate tension
Kanaan from Bkerki: Financial situation is dangerous yet rescuing it still possible
Lebanese Army Rejects Bloodshed in Dealing with Protesters
Protesters Storm Central Bank Headquarters to Recite Statement
Hezbollah, Amal Criticize Lebanese Army Behavior
Report: France Could Launch an Initiative for Lebanon
Argentina considering ‘softening’ the country’s position on Hezbollah
Lebanese Pupils Protest against ‘Outdated’ Curriculum
Students lead protests in Lebanon as President Aoun set to speak
Jarrah Hits Back at Financial Prosecutor, Accuses Him of Corruption
Army Seizes Explosives in Jabal Mohsen
Court Session of ex-Israeli Collaborator Amer Fakhoury Postponed
Soldier who Shot Abu Fakhr Dead Charged with Murder

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News published on November 21-22/2019
Lebanese president calls corruption biggest danger to the country
The National/November 21/2019
Politicians have yet to form new government as protests continue and Lebanon sinks deeper into financial crisis
Lebanese President Michel Aoun said on Thursday that corruption was the biggest threat to the country. “Inside Lebanon, there is a grave danger to our society, institutions and economy. It is corruption,” Mr Aoun said in a 13-minute televised speech on the eve of Lebanon’s 76th Independence Day. Mr Aoun has tried to appease the Lebanese people by vowing to fight corruption in his four media appearances since mass protests started on October 17, sparked by the government raising taxes to fix the faltering economy. Political parties have yet to form a new government since prime minister Saad Hariri resigned on October 29 and the country is sinking deeper into a financial crisis that protesters blame on its ruling elite. Mr Aoun said he recognised that fighting corruption had become a convenient “consumerist slogan” often repeated by politicians, but that its implementation consistently failed because of “sectarian red lines”.
“That is why I turn to you, oh Lebanese people, asking for your help,” he said. “No one else but you can press for implementing existing laws and the necessary legislation to recover looted funds and prosecute corrupt people.”Protests have pressured the Lebanese judiciary, which has often been accused of failing to act against corruption, to file charges against high-profile officials and politicians, including former ministers, in the past weeks.
Mr Aoun criticised judges for failing to act on more than 18 corruption files that had been brought to their attention since 2017. He praised protesters for “breaking taboos” and “pushing the judiciary to take action”, but also chastised them for “criminalising innocents” and “hate speech”.
Protesters frequently insulted politicians during the first weeks of demonstrations, particularly Mr Aoun’s son-in-law and caretaker foreign minister Gebran Bassil, who also leads the Free Patriotic Movement, the party founded by the president. As a solution to the economic crisis, Mr Aoun promised that by next year, oil and gas would be drilled off the coast of Lebanon. Experts have warned that despite politicians’ promises, income from potential offshore oil and gasfields could take years to materialise. Responding to one of the key demands of protesters, Mr Aoun promised to “liberate” Lebanon from “sectarianism and to start the necessary steps towards a civic state”. The Taif agreement that ended Lebanon’s 15-year civil war in 1990 outlined a transition to a non-sectarian state, but this was never implemented. Mr Aoun’s early media appearances were poorly received. Violence flared after an hour-long interview on November 12 in which he said that those unhappy with Lebanese politicians could emigrate.

Aoun Blames Govt. Delay on Lebanese ‘Contradictions’, Invites Protesters to Dialogue
Naharnet/November 21/2019
President Michel Aoun on Thursday blamed the delay in forming a new government on Lebanon’s “contradictions,” as he re-invited protesters to dialogue with him. “The time is not for speeches but rather for hard work… The challenges are dangerous and we’ve wasted a lot of time,” Aoun said in an address to the nation on the eve of Lebanon’s Independence Day. “The government should have been formed by now and started its work, but the contradictions that govern Lebanese politics have necessitated carefulness in order to avoid a more dangerous situation,” the president added. Renewing his invitation to protesters to send representatives to the presidential palace for talks, Aoun said he wants to “closely explore their actual demands and means to implement them,” stressing that “dialogue is the only correct way to resolve crises.”As for the latest anti-corruption drive in the country, the president said “the recent popular protests have broken some taboos and relatively some protections, prompting the judiciary to act and encouraging the legislative authority to give priority to a number of anti-corruption draft laws.”“I will be a firm bulwark that protects the judiciary and by that I mean that I will prevent any interference in it,” he pledged. Addressing the armed forces, he added: “You must protect the freedom of citizens who want to express their opinion through demonstrations and you also have to protect the freedom of movement of citizens who want to go to their work or home.”Protesters have repeatedly rejected calls for talks with the president, noting that their demands are well-known. Lebanon’s unprecedented protest movement, which broke out on October 17, has been calling for a complete overhaul of a political elite accused of inefficiency and corruption. After the government stepped down on October 29, protesters demanded a fresh cabinet composed of experts not affiliated with any of the traditional political parties. But Aoun in a recent interview argued that a government made up solely of independent technocrats would not represent the people or be able to set policies. “Where should I look for them? On the moon?” he said, arguing true independents were scarce in a country where most people follow a specific political party.

Protesters Block Roads across Lebanon after President Speech
Naharnet/November 21/2019
Protesters blocked several key roads across Lebanon on Thursday evening shortly after a televised address by President Michel Aoun. The protesters first blocked the vital Ring highway in central Beirut. Road-blocking action later spread to the highway that links Beirut to the South with protesters blocking it in the Naameh area. Roads were also blocked in Tripoli’s al-Qobbeh, central Bekaa and al-Beddawi. The army meanwhile prevented protesters from blocking the road near the presidential palace in Baabda. In his speech, Aoun blamed the delay in forming a new government on Lebanon’s “contradictions,” as he re-invited protesters to dialogue with him, noting that he wants to “closely explore their actual demands and means to implement them.” Addressing the armed forces, he added: “You must protect the freedom of citizens who want to express their opinion through demonstrations and you also have to protect the freedom of movement of citizens who want to go to their work or home.”Protesters have repeatedly rejected calls for talks with the president, noting that their demands are well-known. Lebanon’s unprecedented protest movement, which broke out on October 17, has been calling for a complete overhaul of a political elite accused of inefficiency and corruption. After the government stepped down on October 29, protesters demanded a fresh cabinet composed of experts not affiliated with any of the traditional political parties. But Aoun in a recent interview argued that a government made up solely of independent technocrats would not represent the people or be able to set policies. “Where should I look for them? On the moon?” he said, arguing true independents were scarce in a country where most people follow a specific political party.

Trump Says U.S. Ready to Work with New Govt., Lebanon’s Dollar Bonds Surge
Naharnet/November 21/2019
U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed Washington’s readiness to cooperate with a new Lebanese government that meets the needs of the Lebanese people, Lebanon’s National News Agency said. Trump remarks came in a cable he sent to President Michel Aoun to greet him on the occasion of Lebanon’s Independence Day. “The American people share my best wishes for Lebanon’s Independence Day. The friendly relations between the Lebanese and American peoples are strong. The United States is ready to work with a new Lebanese government that meets the needs of the Lebanese by building a stable, prosperous, independent, and secure country,” Trump’s letter said, according to an English-language report carried by NNA. Lebanon’s dollar bonds meanwhile surged on Thursday in the wake of Trump’s reported remarks and Speaker Nabih Berri’s call for a parliamentary session next week.

U.N. Coordinator for Lebanon Denies Meddling in Govt. Formation
Naharnet/November 21/2019
U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jan Kubis on Thursday denied interfering in the country’s cabinet formation process. “Following some misleading media reports, the Office of the U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon (UNSCOL) would like to reconfirm its position concerning the government formation,” the office said in a statement. It reminded that Kubis has called on Lebanon’s leaders to “urgently nominate the Prime Minister-designate, start the mandatory process of parliamentary consultations and to maximally accelerate the process of the formation of the new government of personalities known for their competence and integrity, trusted by the people.”“Such a Cabinet, formed in line with the aspirations of the people and supported by the broadest range of political forces through the Parliamentary vote of confidence, will also be in a better position to appeal for support from Lebanon’s international partners,” the office quoted Kubis as saying.“The Special Coordinator has not otherwise intervened in the details of government formation, its character or its composition as that remains a sovereign matter for Lebanon and its people to decide,” it stressed.

French Embassy Urges Formation of ‘Active and Credible’ Govt.
Naharnet/November 21/2019
The French embassy in Beirut on Thursday greeted the Lebanese on the eve of their Independence Day, stressing that “France will always stand by Lebanon, with which it has a very solid relation.”“Today, as the country writes a new chapter of its history, amid a dire economic course, France strongly hopes for the formation of an active and credible new government as soon as possible,” the embassy said in a statement. It added that the new government should “take fundamental and necessary measures to revive the country and meet the aspirations of the Lebnese.”The U.S. embassy in Beirut meanwhile marked Lebanon’s Independence Day in a tweet saying: “With the Lebanese people. Today and Tomorrow.”

Lebanon: Fears of Open-ended Political Crisis Amid Communications Interruption
Beirut – Mohammed Shukeir/Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 21 November, 2019
A well-informed minister, who has been following-up on intermittent contacts to form a new government, said he was fearing a political deadlock at the peak of the economic and financial crisis.
The minister, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the concerned parties were urgently required to agree on a rescue government that could stop the deteriorating situation, adding that communication over the appointment of a new prime minister were currently interrupted. He also questioned President Michel Aoun’s stalling in setting a date for parliamentary consultations and stressed that the delay in the designation of the premier-designate was “no longer acceptable.”All parties have to recognize that the birth of the government should lead to a “positive shock” that would meet the demands of the popular movement, the minister underlined. The senior minister, who preferred to remain anonymous, said that most of the channels of communication were closed, and that the road to the presidential palace was “politically” blocked, in light of Aoun’s insistence on forming a mixed government of specialists and politicians. He noted that the positions of the country’s main political parties were clear and divided between “a team that insists on forming a government of politicians and technocrats, and another that believes that the government of experts is inevitable.” Quoting caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri, the minister said that the Lebanese people “no longer accept us, and don’t want to hear from us.”“The people have the right to raise their voice; and this obliges us to meet their demands, and work immediately to provide solutions to their problems,” he quoted Hariri as saying, adding that the caretaker prime minister did not understand some parties’ rejection of forming a government of technocrats.”

Lebanon’s Speaker Invites MPs to Meet on Returning Stolen Funds
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 21 November, 2019
Lebanese Speaker Nabih Berri called on Thursday for two parliamentary committees to meet to discuss draft legislation on banking secrecy and returning stolen state funds. Berri’s call comes after more than a month of nationwide protests against the country’s ruling elite and which have included demands for tackling rampant corruption and the looting of state resources. He said the joint meeting of the parliamentary finance and justice committees would be held on Nov. 27, state news agency NNA reported. Lebanon’s parliament, besieged by angry protesters Tuesday, for a second time postponed a session to discuss draft laws which critics charge would let corrupt politicians off the hook by granting amnesty to thousands convicted of a range of offenses. The demonstrators see the draft law as a way to clear powerful figures charged with or convicted of crimes ranging from tax evasion to breaches of environmental regulations. Lebanon has since October 17 been rocked by an unprecedented wave of popular street revolt that have cut across sectarian lines. What started with protests against a plan to tax online phone calls made through WhatsApp and other applications has turned into a broader popular revolt against the perceived ineptitude and corruption of the entire ruling class. Amid the crisis, Prime Minister Saad Hariri bowed to street pressure and resigned on October 29.

Berri Calls Parliamentary Session, Presidency Cancels Independence Reception
Associated Press/Naharnet/November 21/2019
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has called for a session next Wednesday to study draft laws related to banking secrecy and retaking stolen state money. Berri’s call came two days after protesters prevented legislators from reaching the parliament building to draft and study new laws. The protesters say parliament has no right to draft laws in the presence of a government acting in caretaker capacity. President Michel Aoun’s office meanwhile announced that a ceremony to celebrate Independence Day at the presidential palace on Friday has been canceled because of “the current situation.”A military parade is still scheduled to mark the anniversary at a barracks southeast of Beirut.

Berri Urges Lebanese to Show Unity, Protect Independence
Naharnet/November 21/2019
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri on Thursday called on Lebanese to show unity and “protect independence.”“The same as the Lebanese made their independence 76 years ago through unity, all Lebanese are today asked to protect independence or rather to recreate it through bolstering their unity and avoiding the traps of sedition,” Berri said in a statement marking Independence Day.

Baabda Palace cancels Independence Day reception due to current situation
NNA/November 21/2019
Due to the current situation in the Lebanon, the traditional annual Independence Day reception at Baabda Presidential Palace will be cancelled, a statement by the Palace’s Directorate General of Protocol and Public Relations said on Thursday.

Tarraf after meeting with Rahi pins hope efforts will yield good results in Lebanon
NNA/November 21/2019
Maronite Patriarch, Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi, on Thursday welcomed European Union Ambassador to Lebanon, Ralph Tarraf, who paid him a protocol visit after assuming his diplomatic duties in Lebanon. The meeting had been an occasion to broach the most recent developments on the local and international scenes. “It was of extreme importance for me to listen to his Beatitude’s point of view on the situation in Lebanon with its various religious, political, and economic aspects, as well as to listen to his analysis and reading of the situation,” Tarraf said in the wake of his meeting with the Maronite Patriarch.
“We touched on the current situation in the country and the demonstrations that have been lately witnessed up and down Lebanon. We also tackled the challenges facing the political system, and the possibility of finding swift solutions to standing issues,” the EU diplomat added.
Tarraf relayed Rahi’s optimistic view; he then hoped that things would improve in Lebanon and that the efforts that were being exerted to remedy the situation in Lebanon would bear fruit.

Statement of the Office of the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon

NNA/November 21/2019
Following some misleading media reports, the Office of the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon (UNSCOL) would like to reconfirm its position concerning the government formation. UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jan Kubis has called upon the leadership of Lebanon to urgently nominate the Prime Minister-designate, start the mandatory process of parliamentary consultations and to maximally accelerate the process of the formation of the new government of personalities known for their competence and integrity, trusted by the people. Such a Cabinet, formed in line with the aspirations of the people and supported by the broadest range of political forces through the Parliamentary vote of confidence, will also be in a better position to appeal for support from Lebanon’s international partners.
The Special Coordinator has not otherwise intervened in the details of government formation, its character or its composition as that remains a sovereign matter for Lebanon and its people to decide.–Kubis’ Press Office

UNIFIL Commander to NNA: Israeli violations of Lebanon’s sovereignty and 1701 escalate tension
NNA/November 21/2019
In response to a question by the National News Agency on the recent Israeli violations of Lebanese airspace, UNIFIL Commander, Major General Stefano Del Col, noted that “UNIFIL recorded an increase in Israeli violations of Lebanese airspace this week, including low-altitude sorties over Tyre carried out by Israeli fighter aircraft in the early morning of November 20, causing panic among the residents.” Maj. Gen. Del Col said “Israeli violations of Lebanon’s sovereignty and the 1701 escalate tensions, especially as these sorties are carried out at a low altitude, undermining our efforts to build public confidence towards a stable security environment in southern Lebanon.” The UNIFIL Commander said he strongly objected in a letter addressed to the Israeli army, requesting an immediate halt to these sorties in full respect of Resolution 1701 and Lebanese sovereignty.

Kanaan from Bkerki: Financial situation is dangerous yet rescuing it still possible

NNA/November 21/2019
“Strong Lebanon” MP Ibrahim Kanaan on Thursday visited Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Bechara Boutros Rahi, in Bkerki, with talks reportedly touching on most recent developments in the country, especially the financial and economic situation. On emerging, MP Kanaan stressed the importance of the approval of the state budget draft 2020, saying such a matter assures the Lebanese people and provides the necessary funds for the functioning of state institutions. In reply to a question about the delay in the call for parliamentary consultations, MP Kanaan said the importance of the existing consultations lies with their outcome, stressing that the solution should be political through a government and the adoption of a budget without taxes.”Lebanon is capable of getting out of the crisis through a government and the endorsement of a budget without taxes and through reforms,” Kanaan maintained. The Lawmaker stressed the need for reason, integration and dialogue between the popular movement and political sides as a means to get out of the current crisis. Kanaan also deemed the current financial situation as dangerous yet rescuing it still possible.

Lebanese Army Rejects Bloodshed in Dealing with Protesters
Beirut – Thaer Abbas/Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 21 November, 2019
The Lebanese army leadership rejects bloody clashes with anti-government demonstrators who took to the streets on October 17 to protest rising poverty and ask for better state services, a Lebanese official with knowledge of military affairs said. The army considers bloodshed a red line, the official told Asharq Al-Awsat. Constitutionally, the military institution falls under the authority of the Lebanese government. But since neither the cabinet nor the Higher Defense Council have met since the eruption of protests, the army hasn’t received any political instructions on ways to deal with demonstrators. It was up to its leadership to decide what action to take to open roads blocked by the protesters while taking into consideration that they are Lebanese citizens and not terrorists or foreign enemies, said the official. The army sought to open roads through dialogue with the protesters and certain decisive measures while avoiding clashes. The military leadership is confident about its decision and will not hesitate to apply similar measures if needed, the official added. There were limited clashes with protesters because the army is not trained to deal with protests, he told Asharq Al-Awsat. He said pressure keeps piling after the leadership decided to put 90 percent of its reservists in service. “But we will continue to carry out our duty.” The official said political parties had no role in the first three days of protests when angry Lebanese took to the streets over proposed new taxes. The masses included the poor as well as the wealthy who wanted to express frustration at the deteriorating economic and financial crisis. He added that the majority of protesters were youth from colleges and universities, who are seen as the biggest constituents in the 2022 parliamentary elections. Prime Minister Saad Hariri resigned his government on Oct. 29 in response to the protests, which snowballed into calls for the entire political elite to step aside.

Protesters Storm Central Bank Headquarters to Recite Statement
Naharnet/November 21/2019
Five young men and women belonging to the Youth Movement for Change on Thursday stormed the headquarters of the central bank on Hamra Street in protest at the bank’s so-called financial engineering operations and other banking measures. “They entered through the main gate and gathered in the lobby as one of them started reciting a statement, but guards forced them to leave the lobby and the statement was recited outside the bank,” the National News Agency said. A video circulated on social media shows the guards charging against the protesters at the bank’s gate to push them out. TV networks said riot police also took part in the confrontation. The statement criticized “banks’ exploitation and the policies of the central bank governor,” noting that the governor’s “financial engineering operations granted banks illicit gains that benefited top depositors.”
Protesters from the same group had stormed the headquarters of the Association of Banks in Lebanon in recent weeks.

Hezbollah, Amal Criticize Lebanese Army Behavior
Beirut – Caroline Akoum/Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 21 November, 2019
Hezbollah and the Amal Movement have lashed out at the Lebanese army and the Internal Security Forces (ISF) accusing them of not exerting enough efforts to open roads to lawmakers who failed to attend a parliamentary session that had been scheduled for Tuesday. Anti-government protesters, who have taken to the street since October 17, forced on Tuesday Amal leader Speaker Nabih Berri to adjourn the session to a date that will be set later after they blocked all roads leading to the parliament building in downtown Beirut. Berri and a member of his parliamentary bloc, caretaker Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil, blamed the security apparatuses for failing to open the roads. Amal’s condemnations were backed by Hezbollah. The Shiite party’s deputy Ali Ammar brought up the issue again on Wednesday when he said: “We saw officers and soldiers indifferently watching deputies who were insulted on checkpoints.”
For his part, Ali Khreis, an MP from Berri’s bloc, told Asharq Al-Awsat: “If we wanted to open the roads (leading to parliament) we could have opened 100 roads. However, we are fighting sedition.”The deputy said Amal Movement is avoiding bloodshed in the streets. “The parliament session was supposed to be held last Tuesday under guarantees by the Lebanese army and the ISF to keep the roads open. However both apparatuses did not deal seriously with this matter,” Khreis said. He added that the roads to the legislature were blocked despite the presence of only 1,500 protesters around the parliament building.
The Interior Ministry and the Internal Security Forces did not issue any official responses to the accusations. However, military sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that “the Lebanese army abided by it tasks. Army officers were not tasked to oversee the roads near the parliament building. This was the mission of the ISF.”The source added that the army was positioned in areas where all roads were open.

Report: France Could Launch an Initiative for Lebanon
Naharnet/November 21/2019
France could dispatch a new envoy to discuss an “initiative” to salvage Lebanon’s crumbling economy, al-Akhbar daily reported on Thursday. Ministerial sources said that information from the French capital indicate that the Elysee Palace is sending a new envoy to Lebanon in order to discuss the possibility of a “rescue” initiative on the economic level, according to the pro-Hizbullah daily. Last week, France dispatched to Lebanon Christophe Farnaud, head of North Africa and Middle East Department at the French Foreign Ministry. He held talks with senior Lebanese officials. “The French do not prefer Lebanon’s collapse. They fear it could trigger a wave of refugees to Europe, or affect their political influence in this region of the world, or affect their troops operating in the south as part of the international emergency forces, as well as their investments in oil and gas and their CEDRE projects,” said the sources. They said such an endeavor could not take place without US and British approval. About a conference that may be held in Paris, if the French effort turns successful, the sources pointed out that “it is too early to talk about the results before the launch of the initiative.”

Argentina considering ‘softening’ the country’s position on Hezbollah
Jerusalem Post/November 21/2019
Elected president Alberto Fernandez may plan to make a distinction between the political and Military wings of the Lebanese organization
Elected Argentinian president Alberto Fernandez is considering making changes to his country’s statement regarding Hezbollah as terrorist organization. The change includes distinguishing between its military and political wings, according to the statement received by the Israeli embassy in Argentina. Ynet reports. This announcement was made at the President’s office in a meeting between him and the Israeli ambassador. There, he spoke of his desire to make correction to the Hezbollah announcement made in July. This mean softening the decision regarding the Lebanese organization. State sources in Jerusalem have stated in response that “it’s unclear if it’s an experiment or his true intention”. Those same sources added that it would be very difficult for Argentina to reverse its decision, mostly seeing as the American administration will not see eye-to-eye with them and that such a decision would make it difficult for the country to exchange intel with other western countries. In Israel the estimation is that the one trying to make the change is former president and current vice president of Fernandez, Christina Kirchner. Elected president Fernandez, who used to be Kirchner’s vice president, has already confronted her in the past over an agreement she was signed onto with Iran regarding the investigation of a terrorist attack in Buenos Aires. This is why in Jerusalem they are finding it hard to believe Fernandez is supportive of the decision, and suspect the announcement has to with pressure from Kirchner and her party. Last July Argentina instructed to freeze assets of Hezbollah members and effectively defined Hezbollah a terrorist organization. The announcement was made in conjunction with American State Secretary Mike Pompeo’s visit to the country, and during the 25-year commemoration events to the attack in the Jewish community center in Buenos Aires where 85 people were killed. Argentina accused Hezbollah and Iran of committing the attack, both of which denied their involvement in the event. Moreover, Argentina blamed the Shi’ite organization of another terrorist attack in Buenos Aires in 1992 where 29 people were killed. Argentina may have put the blame on Hezbollah for another 1994 attack, though no one has been convicted of committing the crime as of yet.

Lebanese Pupils Protest against ‘Outdated’ Curriculum
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/November 21/2019
Several hundred school pupils protested Thursday in Lebanon against what they described as an outdated curriculum that makes no mention of the multi-confessional country’s 15-year civil war. The protest outside the education ministry in Beirut was the latest in a nationwide anti-government street movement to have gripped Lebanon since October 17. “Our history books need to be thrown out,” 16-year-old Jana Jezzine said as around her protesters waved the national flag and one woman made a show of burning a schoolbook. History lessons in school textbooks stop with the withdrawal of French troops in 1946 — three years after the end of France’s 23-year mandate over Lebanon. But a lack of consensus over a common version of the 1975-1990 civil war in the country has led to it being completely omitted from the curriculum. Likewise, textbooks make no mention of key events afterwards, such as the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon in 2000 or the mass protests that ended Syria’s military presence in 2005. Eighteen-year-old Aya Haider said she had endlessly studied the First and Second World Wars, but had been taught almost nothing of her country’s recent history. “I know nothing about the civil war,” she told AFP, in a country where each religious community has its own version of historical events. “My parents and friends told me that people would get stopped because of their identity cards,” she said, referring to militiamen singling out members of certain religious sects at checkpoints during the conflict. The rest, she says, she learned in dribs and drabs through acquaintances during the recent anti-graft protests. Since last month, Lebanese from all religious backgrounds have taken to the streets en masse to cry out against what they view as an incompetent and corrupt ruling class. School pupils and university students have emerged as a leading force during the demonstrations in recent weeks, saying they will gladly lose a year’s schooling to help rebuild their country. Lebanon’s economy is under severe strain after a series of political crises compounded by the eight-year war in neighboring Syria, and youth unemployment stands at more than 30 percent.

Students lead protests in Lebanon as President Aoun set to speak
Tommy Hilton, Al Arabiya English/Thursday, 21 November 2019
Students led protests in Lebanon on Thursday as President Michel Aoun is due to give a speech the evening before the country’s Independence Day. Students staged sit-ins outside schools and businesses in Tripoli, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA). Local media also reported students outside schools elsewhere in the country including Sidon, Beirut, and Halba. Aoun will give a speech at 8:00 p.m. Lebanon time (10:00 p.m. Dubai time), said the NNA, on the eve of Lebanon’s 76th anniversary of independence. However, the Palace’s Directorate General of Protocol and Public Relations announced on Thursday afternoon that the traditional annual Independence Day reception at Baabda Presidential Palace has been cancelled. Aoun has refused to resign amid protests, and claimed in a tweet on Thursday that US President Donald Trump told him the US is ready to work with a new Lebanese government that responds to the needs of its people. Also on Thursday afternoon, Lebanese House Speaker Nabih Berri called for a parliamentary session next week to discuss draft legislation on banking secrecy and returning stolen state funds. Berri had previously said that the Lebanon is like a sinking ship that will go under unless action is taken, but has voiced his opposition to protests. The country remains in political and economic deadlock following former Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s resignation and a looming economic collapse. On Tuesday, it was reported that Lebanon’s caretaker information minister Jamal al-Jarrah, who is a member of Hariri’s Future bloc, and two former telecommunication ministers could face corruption charges. Their cases have been referred to a special judicial panel on accusations of wasting public funds. Corruption among the political elite is one of the causes of the nationwide demonstrations which erupted in October. Protesters blocked the Lebanese parliament from meeting to discuss a controversial amnesty law on Tuesday.

Jarrah Hits Back at Financial Prosecutor, Accuses Him of Corruption
Naharnet/November 21/2019
Caretaker Information Minister and ex-Telecom Minister Jamal Jarrah on Thursday lashed out at Financial Prosecutor Ali Ibrahim, accusing him of corruption and of exceeding his jurisdiction. Jarrah’s remarks come a day after Ibrahim filed lawsuits against him and against two other former telecom ministers – Nicolas Sehnaoui and Butros Harb – over charges related to wasting public funds. Jarrah is being additional sued over “embezzlement.”Accusing Ibrahim himself of corruption, Jarrah said the financial prosecutor had been accused of offenses pertaining to the Judges Solidarity Fund, real estate transactions and favoritism. Protesters “have carried your pictures at Martyrs Square. Of course you have the right to defend yourself through the judiciary and media outlets and this is a natural right, but you don’t have the right to hurl accusations at others,” the ex-minister added. “Judge Ibrahim knows that he has to maintain the confidentiality of investigations, so why is he leaking false information to the press? He is usurping the roles of the state prosecutor, the justice minister and parliament,” Jarrah decried. “We are under the law and we are willing to discuss all the tasks we carried out at the telecom and information ministries,” the ex-minister added, urging an end to “distortion and falsification.”He also said that he is willing to meet with any journalist to discuss any file.

Army Seizes Explosives in Jabal Mohsen
Naharnet/November 21/2019
The army on Thursday confiscated a quantity of explosives in the Tripoli neighborhood of Jabal Mohsen. “An Intelligence Directorate patrol raided the house of Lebanese citizen Z.Kh. in the Jabal Mohsen area, Tripoli, arresting him along with R.Kh. and A.S.,” an army statement said.
“A quantity of explosives was seized in their possession,” it added. “The detainees and the seized material were referred to the relevant authorities as an investigation got underway,” the army said. The veteran politician argued that it was time for an “investigation of the investigators”. He vowed to continue as prime minister despite potential court dates and intense political pressure. “I will continue to lead this country, according to the letter of the law,” he said.”I will not allow lies to win.”

Court Session of ex-Israeli Collaborator Amer Fakhoury Postponed
Associated Press/Naharnet/November 21/2019
A court session in the case of Lebanese-American ex-Israeli collaborator Amer Fakhoury was postponed Thursday because of his illness, state-run National News Agency said. NNA said the session in the southern city of Nabatiyeh was postponed until Dec. 5.Lebanon and Israel have been officially at war since Israel’s creation in 1948. Fakhoury had worked as a senior warden at the Khiam Prison in southern Lebanon that was run by the Israeli-backed militia known as South Lebanon Army. e was detained after returning to his native Lebanon from the U.S. in September. Outside the courthouse in Nabatiyeh, scores of people, including former Khiam prison detainees, gathered outside the building known as Palace of Justice. Former detainees have accused Fakhoury of major abuses at the prison.

Soldier who Shot Abu Fakhr Dead Charged with Murder
Associated Press/Naharnet/November 21/2019
State-run National News Agency reported Thursday that the soldier who shot and killed the protester Alaa Abu Fakhr in Khalde last week has been charged by a military prosecutor with murder. The agency said that a colonel who was on the scene with the soldier at the time of the shooting was also charged Thursday. On Nov. 12, Abu Fakhr was shot dead by the soldier, who was trying to open a road closed by protesters in Khalde, marking the second death since widespread protests against Lebanon’s ruling elite began Oct. 17. The soldier, who has been under detention since the day of the shooting, and the colonel were referred to a military investigative judge who will start questioning them on Monday, according to NNA.

Titles For The Latest Lebanese LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on November 21-22/2019
President Aoun’s address on eve of Lebanon’s 76th Independence Day/NNA/November 21/2019
Argentina considering ‘softening’ the country’s position on Hezbollah/Jerusalem Post/November 21/2019
A most peaceful revolution/Georgi Azar/Annahar/November 21/2019
Shortages of food and medical supplies loom over Lebanon protests/Matthew Amlôt and Lauren Holtmeier/Al Arabiya English/November 21/2019
Gebran Bassil: Lebanon’s controversial power broker and potential next president/Tommy Hilton/Al Arabiya English/November 21/2019
With Uprisings Pervasive Today, Where is the Arab World Heading in the Coming Decade/Michael Young/Carnegie MEC/November 21/2019
Tripoli protesters mull the return of PM Saad Hariri/Jacob Boswall/Al Arabiya English/November 21/2019

The Latest Lebanese LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on November 21-22/2019
President Aoun’s address on eve of Lebanon’s 76th Independence Day
NNA/November 21/2019
President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, said in his address on the eve of Lebanon’s 76th Independence Day:
“My fellow Lebanese ladies and gentlemen,
As I address you on the eve of Lebanon’s 76th Independence Day, I am well aware that this is no time for speeches, literature and celebrations.
It’s time for action, serious and relentless action, because we are in a race against time, for challenges are tremendous and dangerous, and we have already lost a lot of time.
The new government that Lebanon awaits and around which hopes are placed was supposed to see the light and embark on its work, but the contradictions that govern the Lebanese politics imposed carefulness in view of avoiding dangers and coming up with a government that would live up to your ambitions and aspirations as much as possible, and would be highly efficient, productive and orderly, because the challenges ahead are huge and the deadlines imminent.
My fellow Lebanese,
Seventy-six years have gone by since Lebanon became an independent nation. Throughout these years, the country went through rough periods during which its independence was jeopardized; and with every passing crisis, we become all the more aware that it is harder to preserve independence that to earn it.
Indeed, independence means a free and independent national decision, away from any form of custody, whether explicit or masked, and this is what we hold on to, today and every day, with all our resolve and strength, and at all costs.
The deals and settlements that are being devised for our region, and the attempts to impose them, not only threaten the independence of the concerned States, but also their being and very existence.
Therefore, affirming Lebanon’s independence neither implies hostility towards any State nor enmity towards anyone. On the contrary, we seek sincere friendship and positive approach to those who befriend us, but on the basis of our free decision, a peer-to-peer relationship, the acceptance of suggestions that suit our nation and the rejection of those that harm it; and if “politics is the art of the possible”, it is also the rejection of the unacceptable.
International settlements do not pose the sole threat on the stability of the State; on the Lebanese internal arena, there is a looming danger that threatens our society, institutions and economy: corruption.
Fighting corruption has become a tagline, used every time there is a need for it, even by those who are steeped in corruption. Yet, upon the adoption of the slightest execution procedures, confessional and sectarian red lights begin to surface.
The battle here is tough, rather one of the toughest. I therefore turned to you, fellow Lebanese, asking for help, because no one else can make all lines available, and no one else can exert pressure for the implementation of existing laws and adoption of the needed legislation to recover the looted funds and pursue the corrupt.
Here I reiterate my call to the demonstrators to learn first-hand their effective demands and the means to enforce them, because dialogue is the sole correct path to the resolution of crises.
The popular movements that have taken place lately have broken some established taboos, toppled the untouchables to a certain extent, prompted the judiciary to act, and stimulated the legislative branch to give priority to a set of anti-corruption bills.
It is healthy and useful to shed the light on corruption hotbeds through the media and on the streets, and so is the submission of available incriminating information and documents to the judiciary.
Nevertheless, what undermines the most the anti-corruption track is when the media, the streets and the political debate become the plaintiff, the general prosecutor, the judge and the jailer at the same time; because sending out random accusations, issuing final judgments and generalizing may criminalize an innocent, but it certainly allows the real perpetrators to remain anonymous, go unpunished and pursue their corrupted activity.
You have given momentum to the judiciary, so let it do its job…
And this is where lies your role, Judges;
What is required of you today is to commit to your oath, to carry out your duty “faithfully” and to be “honorable honest judges”; because no matter where it begins, the fight against corruption will end well in your hands, and its victory depends on your courage and integrity.
Since 2017, I have successively deferred to justice eighteen files related to cases of corruption and bribery in State administrations. To date, no verdict has been issued in any of them. If late justice is no justice, then the late settlement of corruption cases is an inadvertent encouragement on corruption. Today, we rely on the recent judicial appointments to activate the role of the judiciary and reinforce its autonomy, to reach an independent, brave and fair judicial branch which would be the spearhead of the battle against corruption. I repeat that I will be a robust barrier and a ceiling of steel to protect the judiciary. In other terms, I will ban any interference therein based on my oath to preserve the Constitution and the laws.
My fellow Lebanese,
We are on the threshold of the second Centenary of Greater Lebanon, and we find ourselves hostages of an acute economic crisis resulting from wrong economic policies and from corruption and waste in the administration throughout decades.
Let the coming year be a year of effective economic independence, through the conversion of the rentier economic pattern into a productive economy, by supporting agriculture and industry, adopting stimulating policies to make our production competitive on foreign markets, and dedicating all the attention to technology and knowledge economy, a sector in which Lebanon can be a serious competitor.
Yes, let us make it a year of effective economic independence by starting to drill the first off-shore oil well, and by adopting the law on the sovereign fund which will manage oil revenues, provided that it follows the highest global transparency standards.
Let us make it a year of geographical independence by holding on to every meter of water in our economic zone which is rich with natural resources, exactly as we hold on to every inch of our land, and as we seek to liberate the territories that are still under Israeli occupation.
Let us make it a year of environmental independence through the reforestation of mountains, especially those that were lately affected by fires…
Let us make it a year of effective social independence as well, starting with the adoption of the comprehensive protection law, also known as old-age security.
As for the full-fledged independence, we can only achieve it if we liberate ourselves from confessional and sectarian disputes, and begin with the necessary steps to establish the Civil State.
It’s time for action and the government-to-be will find me ready to accompany its work and willing to push forward for the fulfillment of the achievements.
Fellow soldiers,
Independence Day cannot pass by without addressing you because you were and you remain the shield of the country, the protectors of its independence and the bulwark of its unity.
The toughest missions that a soldier may face are domestic issues, as in your case, whereas you have to protect the freedom of the citizens who wish to express their opinion through demonstrations and sit-ins, and to protect as well the freedom of movement of the citizens who wish to go to work or home. Your success in this critical mission is the gauge of the citizens’ confidence in you, and confidence is precious and irreparable.
Dear Lebanese youth in particular,
The uncontrollability of the rhetoric on the street is one of the biggest dangers that threaten the nation and the society, so do not forget that in the aftermath of this crisis, you will go back to your home, neighborhood, school, university, work…You will go back to living together, so do not elaborate on the rhetoric of hatred and incitement because destruction is easy but construction is hard. Do not destroy the foundations of our society which rests upon the respect of the other and on the freedoms of belief, opinion and expression.
Your ancestors suffered greatly to preserve their free existence and independent being, and your parents went through all sorts of suffering in a devastating internal war that destroyed most of their dreams and hijacked the best years of their life.
Today, the legacy is in your hands and it is up to you to learn the relevant lesson.
Long live Lebanon!”

A most peaceful revolution
Georgi Azar/Annahar/November 21/2019
When disgruntled Lebanese protesting societal dysfunction flooded the street on October 17, few had envisioned that an impassioned momentum would be garnered and sustained.
BEIRUT: Exactly one year ago, marking Lebanon’s 75th Independence Day, I wrote an op-ed lamenting the country’s abysmal reality, calling it a failed state; and for good reason.  Its economy was in shambles, its infrastructure was crumbling before our very eyes and the government formation crisis had entered its seventh month. That very government would be assembled two months later only to resign before the year’s end in the wake of the popular uprising that has gripped Lebanon for the better part of a month. 12 months after that opinion piece, not much has changed on those fronts. Yet in the midst of our many ailments, a renewed sense of hope has emerged fueled by a collective awakening.  A collective awakening that has broken religious and social constructs that had clutched Lebanon since the conclusion of its bloody civil war almost 30 years ago. A collective awakening that has shattered the unwritten and suppressive guidelines that had shielded our ruling political class. A collective awakening that has paved the way for Lebanese to rewrite the rulebook of a peaceful revolution and what it entails.
When disgruntled Lebanese protesting societal dysfunction flooded the streets on October 17, few had envisioned that an impassioned momentum would be garnered and sustained.
Many, young and old, including our decades-old political class, discounted the movement; and many still do. They accused demonstrators of inciting violence, before castigating their many displays of non-violence. They accused the older generation of spurring sectarian wounds, before scolding students in search of a better tomorrow. They even attempted to change the narrative, labeling the country’s financial crisis as a product of the revolution, instead of its root cause. Yet the sense of community, fraternity, and camaraderie that has developed is palpable to the staunchest of cynics. Beirut and its public spaces have become a beaming hub of honest discussions and debates. Finally, the public sphere, defined as a space in social life where individuals can come together to freely discuss and identify societal problems to be tackled through political action, has been returned to its rightful owners.
Cleaning efforts, initiated by hundreds of volunteers, have put the cumulative performances of all our previous environment ministers to shame. From recycling tents in Martyr’s Square to the poor being fed and clothed, finally, the stereotype of Lebanese passiveness is being ruptured.
Over 30 days since that first rally in downtown Beirut and officials across the political spectrum continue to collude, connive and conspire as evidenced by the establishment’s concerted opposition to the independent candidate Melhem Khalaf in the race to head the Beirut Bar Association. Khalaf, a law professor at Saint Joseph University, emerged victorious this week in what many hope to be the first of many triumphs.
Over 30 days since that first rally in downtown Beirut and officials continue in their shady dealings, attempting to pass dubious legislation that possibly pardons previous financial crimes; only to be stopped by thousands of courageous men and women who blocked roads in central Beirut preventing lawmakers from reaching the parliament.  In what could only be described as a show of unity nourished by a collective awakening, men and women from all walks of life gathered in the early hours of Tuesday morning to block the seven different roads leading to parliament. They faced riot police, with women protesters forming a live barrier between the two sides, as well as live ammunition after an MP’s convoy fired shots in the air to keep protesters at bay.
A woman desperately hangs on to a young man who is being dragged away by riot police as they attempt to clear protestors blocking a road leading to parliament on Tuesday, November 19, 2019 (Myriam Boulos) Men, women, and children have all been catalysts for change, putting aside differences that had long divided them. Women, as Dr. Jack Tohme noted, have moved passed their supportive roles, taking a leading constructive role of development and dignity for a better future for the children.As Lebanon nears its 76th Independence Day, a united demand for the end of the status-quo has reignited a sense of unfettered patriotism, long lost to sectarian politics that had placed leaders before country. One year later, one can’t help but revel at the progress, all the while gazing ahead at the future we’ve all been longing for.

Shortages of food and medical supplies loom over Lebanon protests
Matthew Amlôt and Lauren Holtmeier/Al Arabiya English/November 21/2019
New regulations to protect bank solvency during Lebanon’s street protests are already impacting medical supplies and could soon create shortages of food and other essentials, according to business owners.
The highly indebted country was already in a precarious financial position before the protests shut down banks for several weeks, prompting many Lebanese businesses and individuals to try to withdraw their deposits and draw down credit lines on fears of future shortages.
In response, banks have imposed withdrawal limits, reduced credit lines and there is a growing shortage of hard currency needed for imports.
“I have a hospital now. Their CT scanner broke down and they needed a part. I couldn’t supply the part,” said Wassim Boustany, the owner of General Medical Equipment (GME), a distributor of medical equipment in Lebanon, at the time of the interview.
Businesses are now struggling to get hold of dollars for imports as the central bank restricts supply, so businesses have to resort to the black market where dollars cost 20-25 percent more than the official currency peg bracket of 1,507.5-1515 pounds to the dollar.
“I can’t afford to pay the loss of 25 percent, so the CT scanner is down now. [The hospital] is trying to get dollars from the bank, but I don’t know if they will succeed,” he explained.
Salma Assi, the business unit director at medical supplies importer Benta Trading, said spare parts for medical equipment were in short supply. “No one has spare parts in stock … there is equipment in the hospitals that are stopping because we don’t have parts to replace the old parts,” he said.
Businesses also report that their credit facilities have been drastically reduced and restrictions on transfers.
“Effectively we’re not able to operate, we’re not able to pay money abroad practically,” said Jeanine Ghosn, managing director of Gabriel Bocti, an independent food and beverage distributor.
Lebanon’s central bank governor Riad Salameh told reporters last week that authorities have “no desire” to impose capital controls – a phrase used to refer to a set of measures to limit the flow of foreign capital in and out of an economy.
Although authorities have yet to institute a formal system of capital controls, banks have been imposing de facto controls on customers as a way to preserve solvency. Last week the rating agency Standard & Poor’s noted that, “Notwithstanding unofficial capital controls imposed by banks, we expect deposit outflows to accelerate during the rest of the year … The recent imposition of restrictions on foreign-currency deposit withdrawals by banks raises questions about the monetary and banking regime.”
The Association of Banks in Lebanon on Sunday said that the transfer of hard currency abroad should be only to cover “urgent personal expenses,” while banks were also told to limit weekly withdrawals from US dollar accounts to $1,000.
Businesses have been unable to pay their overseas suppliers and have had orders stuck at the border, as it now appears cash is now required to pay for customs. One importer reported being able to use a cashier check.
Credit facilities – a crucial cog in the trade finance machine – have been cut or halted completely by banks, often without warning.
“The cancelation of overdraft facilities and credit lines has resulted in a halt of transfer of funds. We cannot transfer funds,” Boustany explained.
The situation has been further exacerbated by banks restricting access to cash – regardless of client deposits. “We have euros, dollars, and lira in the account, and they’re not sending our transfers,” said Joe Abdallah, the chairman of food distributor Moussallem & Partners.
“There’s no capital controls officially, but this will make us lose credibility with our suppliers eventually because the official line is something, but the reality is completely different,” Ghosn said.
Many importers believe that serious food and medical supply shortages could emerge within a few weeks as imports begin to dry up. The country relies heavily on imports – the UN Food and Agriculture Organization estimates Lebanon needs to import 80 percent of its cereal grain crop consumption.
This system of ad hoc banking policies, similar to formal capital controls, disproportionately affect regular banking clientele, according to Jamil Chaya, assistant professor in finance at Rafik Hariri University. Bigger and better-connected clients have more access to circumnavigate these controls and access financial instruments, with small and medium-sized businesses and lower and middle-income households hit worst.
Several businesses report their relationships with banks have come under strain. “The banks in Lebanon used to help us, and now everything has suddenly stopped,” Boustany said.
Despite the harmful effects of the restrictions, Lebanese banks are in a difficult position. In his televised address last week, Salameh noted that people have withdrawn $3 billion from banks due to economic fears. Financial institutions do not maintain a supply of cash for all of the deposits on their books, meaning that a bank faces serious risk should an escalating situation of withdrawals ensue, as customers demand more cash than the bank has on hand – which could force it to collapse.
“Banks do need some form of capital controls, because it is true that there are a lot of withdrawals … Unusual times call for unusual measures, and countries have used capital controls to get out of hard times,” noted Chaya.
This will come, however, as little comfort to those businesses and individuals that are suffering serious financial burden.
“I’m from the generation of the war, and we faced a lot of war and crisis, and I’ve never seen anything like this. Even under the bombs, the banks would open one to two hours a day,” added Salma Assi.

Gebran Bassil: Lebanon’s controversial power broker and potential next president
Tommy Hilton/Al Arabiya English/November 21/2019
Before nationwide protests erupted across Lebanon last month, Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil had been widely touted as Lebanon’s next president in waiting, handpicked by his father-in-law, the current President Michel Aoun. A month later, he has become a hate figure for many protesters, who have called into question his future – and that of the whole political establishment.
But who is Bassil, and is he still a viable candidate for presidency?
Early years and the Free Patriotic Movement
Gebran Bassil was born June 21, 1970 in Lebanon.
Raised as a Maronite Christian, he graduated from the American University of Beirut (AUB) with a degree in civil engineering in 1992 and a Master’s in Communications in 1993. In 1999, he married Chantal Michel Aoun, the daughter of former army general and disputed Prime Minister Michel Aoun, who was then in exile having fought a “war of liberation” against Syrian forces at the end of the Lebanese Civil War. Bassil’s political career began in the late 1990s, when he worked as a political activist for Aoun’s movement to oppose Syrian forces occupying Lebanon. Aoun established the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), which Bassil now leads, in 2005 after protests led to the withdrawal of the Syrian army from Lebanon. That year the FPM won 21 seats in parliament, becoming the second biggest parliamentary bloc. Bassil contested a seat for the FPM in his hometown of Batroun, but failed to win. Nevertheless, he played a prominent role in the FPM under Aoun, which signed a memorandum of understanding with Hezbollah in 2006. This move created the “March 8” political alliance, in opposition to the “March 14” alliance led by Saad Hariri’s Future Movement, and Bassil remains allied to Hezbollah today, despite the FPM being a largely Christian and previously anti-Syrian party.
Minister and FPM leader
Bassil was appointed Minister of Communications after the FPM entered government in 2008, despite not being an MP. The following year he became Minister of Energy and Water. As Energy Minister, Bassil was accused of corruption relating to $33 million revenues reportedly linked to the sale of data for Lebanon’s offshore reserves. Bassil became leader of the FPM in September, 2015, following Aoun’s ascendancy to the Presidency. The FPM membership reportedly favored Alain Aoun, the president’s nephew, but President Michel Aoun himself favored Bassil – allegedly the reason Alain stood aside and Bassil was elected. In the 2018 parliamentary elections, the FPM won 29 MPs – making it the largest bloc in parliament. Bassil won a seat in a district including his hometown Batroun.
Foreign Minister
Two years before, Bassil had been appointed Minister for Foreign Affairs and Emigrants in 2016.
Under his tenure, key issues have included President Saad Hariri’s resignation in 2017 and the ongoing developments in the war in Syria – where Bassil’s Iran-backed Hezbollah allies are fighting alongside Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. As Minister for Foreign Affairs and Emigrants, Bassil has gained notoriety for his anti-migrant rhetoric, for example when he said that Syrian refugees should return home despite the ongoing war and that Lebanon should put Lebanese workers first. Bassil has repeatedly appealed to the large Lebanese diaspora to support the country, including by keeping up remittances which are a crucial part of the Lebanese economy.Bassil and the FPM’s alliance with Hezbollah, which is designated as a terrorist organization by countries including the US, UK, and Saudi Arabia, has strained relations with members of the international community. Hezbollah-affiliated politicians and banks have been the target of US sanctions, with the US recently threatening to extend sanctions to the organization’s allies.
‘Public enemy number one’
While demonstrators have called for the fall of the entire government, Bassil has emerged as the target of a popular profane chant and is seen by many as the embodiment of the political establishment. “For the revolution, public enemy number one is Bassil, as he is the face of corruption and his antagonistic and condescending attitude has alienated and ostracized the majority of the Lebanese,” explained Makram Rabah, a lecturer at AUB. For many, Bassil’s unpopularity has ruined his chances of succeeding Aoun as president. “Bassil chances of becoming the next president seem nonexistent,” said Sami Zoughaib, Public Policy Researcher at the Lebanese Center for Policy Studies. “The streets have been quite vocal in their opinion in him: He’s seen as a manifestation of all that is wrong with our current political system.”But others warn not to rule out Bassil. “Just because he is no longer the favorite for the presidency, it does not mean that his allies Hezbollah – and Bassil himself – won’t push for it,” said Rabah.

With Uprisings Pervasive Today, Where is the Arab World Heading in the Coming Decade?
Michael Young/Carnegie MEC/November 21/2019
A regular survey of experts on matters relating to Middle Eastern and North African politics and security.
Eugene Rogan | Director of the Middle East Center at St. Antony’s College, Oxford University, author of The Arabs: A History (Penguin 2009) and The Fall of the Ottomans: The Great War in the Middle East, 1914-1920 (Penguin 2015)
In 2011, Arab states split into three categories. There were the republics whose people rose up demanding regime change and gave us the Arab Spring. There were the monarchies who, with the brief exception of Bahrain, resisted the call of popular revolt. And there were those states with a recent history of civil war that hesitated. In 2019, they hesitate no more. Sudan, Algeria, Lebanon, and Iraq know the price that comes with civil disorder. But even they reached breaking point with corrupt regimes and inequality dividing an ever growing body of have-nots from an ever smaller elite that has it all.
Suddenly it no longer looks like the Arab Spring ended or failed. It looks as though what started in 2011 is continuing, with setbacks and interruptions but continuing nonetheless. Without ever mentioning democracy, the Arab peoples are demanding government accountable to the people, they are demanding social justice, and they are rejecting autocracy and kleptocracy. They have been remarkably consistent over the past decade, and remarkably courageous in the pursuit of their legitimate demands. One hopes they have learned the lessons of 2011 and won’t repeat the mistakes that delivered the hard-earned gains of popular revolution to the forces of counterrevolution. And one wonders how much longer the monarchies can resist the popular will for good governance. By all evidence, the Arab world is undergoing a tectonic change, and the coming decade promises further challenges to the established order.
Amr Hamzawy | Senior research scholar at the Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law in the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University
The meager results of the 2011 democratic uprisings in the Arab world gradually silenced popular calls for democratic change and accountable government. By 2013 Arab majorities, either collectively demobilized from protesting or disenchanted in the face of civil wars and repression, seemed once again willing to accept their governments’ autocratic bargain: food and security in return for submission to unaccountable rulers.
To ensure that the 2011 spring is not revived, Arab governments, with the exception of Tunisia, have passed draconian laws limiting citizens’ freedoms. They have extended the reach of the security services to keep opposition groups and pro-democracy activists in check. Furthermore, Arab governments have allocated more and more of the scarce resources in their states to regime loyalists in the upper echelons of corrupt state bureaucracies and to crony business communities. They have used vast media arsenals to create personality cults around the rulers—presidents, kings, or crown princes—who have been portrayed as their nations’ sole saviors.
Yet, toward the end of 2018 and throughout the last months of 2019, Arab governments unexpectedly started to face popular challenges to their hopes for a Pax Autocratia. In countries not part of the 2011 uprisings, citizens took to the streets demanding political change. In Sudan, Algeria, Iraq, and Lebanon, popular protests were fueled by economic hardship and negative perceptions of their governments’ commitment to improving standards of living and ending corruption. Whereas demands for political change in Sudan and Algeria focused on ending the reign of military controlled autocratic governments that presided over deteriorating economies, staggering corruption, and poor public services, as well as human rights abuses, demands for change in Iraq and Lebanon aimed at transcending sectarian politics. In all four countries, autocratic and sectarian governments will not give up easily. The interplay between them and protesting citizens will continue to shape Arab realities in the next decade.
Intissar Fakir | Fellow in the Carnegie Middle East Program, editor of Sada
Since 2011, the range of transformations that have taken place in the Middle East and North Africa has left very little settled. Notions of governance, popular participation, pluralism—in essence the relationships that tie citizens to their governing structures—are still being negotiated and hashed out.
In Lebanon and Iraq, citizens are challenging sectarian-based political structures that the governments in both countries have relied upon to maintain power and (relative) stability. Elsewhere in the region, the challenging of these very notions is being manifested differently: the election of unconventional and potentially disruptive leaders, proliferating protest movements, increased migration, and even conflict and violence. The desire to undo the status quo and to reimagine political systems and the very foundations of nations is part of a global trend. These are moments of promise and hope for the region, even if there is much to fear.
Amel Boubekeur | Researcher at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales, the School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences, in Paris
What is currently called the Arab Spring 2.0 is actually a continuation of a longer historical accumulation of techniques for opposing authoritarian resilience that has survived through sham elections and the clientelistic redistribution of resources. Rather than just reading what is going on as efforts to get rid of dictators and aim for immediate democratization, as in the so-called Arab Spring 1.0, the ongoing uprisings should invite us to be more attentive to efforts by Arab peoples to regain control of the mechanisms of governance. In a nutshell, people seek to separate the ruling elite from the state. Therefore, sorting out the blurred arrangements between the formal and informal use of the state and power politics will be what the coming decade is about.
This means, among other things, putting pressure on the military—or in some cases on sectarian groups—to stop ruling by hiding behind puppet presidents and mock civilian justice. It means asking monarchies to act as fair arbiters, not as participants in political and economic games. It means inventing new negotiating schemes and replacing opposition parties whose disconnection from the people reinforces the ruling elite’s centrality. Finally, it means addressing how informal economic practices are more useful to leaders’ monopolies than productive economies.
The difficulty in overcoming the informal capture of the state by regimes through the corrupted formal means they enjoy—such as parliament, electoral processes, and political parties—is likely to push Arab societies to continue to push against those in power through unauthorized mass protests, resistance to iniquitous bureaucracies, and the proliferation of local political debates. The rupture seems inevitable although the outcomes are still unclear.

Tripoli protesters mull the return of PM Saad Hariri
Jacob Boswall/Al Arabiya English/November 21/2019
A month into Lebanon’s uprising, Tripolitans are still chanting for the fall of the regime. But for some, the return of ousted Prime Minister Saad Hariri is fast becoming the best option on the table.
Tripoli has been named the “bride” of Lebanon’s anti-establishment revolution which broke out on October 17. Exactly one month later, hundreds are still gathering in the city’s al-Nour square to listen to revolutionary speeches and music well into the night.
It is impossible to forget why this city, where around half of the population live below the poverty line, has been upheld as an example for other protesters across Lebanon. Painted on an enormous abandoned building overlooking the square is a Lebanese flag some fifty meters across. One recent addition to the vast mural is Alaa Abou Fakher, the first fatality of the protests, known to many as the “martyr of the revolution.”
Protesters in Tripoli show no outward signs of relenting in their demands, even after momentum died down in other parts of the country. Sitting with a group of female family members, Hadia, a mother from Tripoli, is confident that the revolutionary spirit is here to stay.
“The number of people are the same – in fact it is growing… we are hoping that [politicians] will see we are staying, and they will agree on fixing the situation we are in,” she told Al Arabiya English.
As for protesters’ demands, “nothing has changed. We have said we want the fall of the regime – from the top of the pyramid to the smallest employee they have. They are all corrupt,” Hadia continued.
The optimism is echoed by many protesters, including Abd al-Rahman, a 25 year-old resident of Tripoli. “The demands are the same. Actually, we are adding more demands. The financial situation has become harder. Now if you go into a house you wouldn’t find even LBP 1,000. Tripoli is an area of poverty,” he said. Unemployment and economic deprivation have been driving factors for protesters in Tripoli – many, including Abd al-Rahman feel there is little reason to return to their jobs.
“Tripoli is an area of poverty. When people talk about Tripoli they think we are all extremists and members of ISIS. But when they come here and see us, they realize we are just normal people,” he continued.
A mural with the Lebanese flag in Tripoli, November 17, 2019. (Emily Lewis)
However, as Lebanon ends its third week without a government, some protesters view the return of caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri as the best option for a country in political gridlock. Hariri resigned on October 29 under pressure from nationwide street protests, automatically causing the resignation of his 30-member Cabinet. Until now, attempts to form a government have foundered due to disagreements between Hariri’s Future Movement and the Free Patriotic Movement, led by Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil.
The stalemate intensified on Saturday when former minister Mohammad Safadi, a candidate backed by all the main parties, withdrew his candidacy after wide scale outrage from protesters.
“If Prime Minister Saad Hariri returned, it wouldn’t matter. We are not going to find someone better than him, to be honest,” Hadia told Al Arabiya English. “But of course we wouldn’t allow them to appoint ministers or MPs from the political class or political parties, as [Hariri] is saying,” she continued.
For Abd al-Rahman, the best candidate for premiership would be someone with no links to the ruling class – “someone from the people.”
“But the best politician would be Saad Hariri,” he added. “Mohammad Safadi, or anyone else – they are all the same. But Hariri is better than the rest. He knows how the game works,” Abd al-Rahman told Al Arabiya English.
Shop-keeper Munzir al-Maamari trusts Hariri because of the former prime minister’s philanthropic investments in Tripoli. “It’s not that I like Hariri. But I find Saad Hariri the most respectable politician … I don’t know how much money he has poured into Tripoli. He used to help, open universities and helped the people of Tripoli a lot. I feel I can trust him because he’s not like the others.”
“We want the country to be fixed. Whether it is Hariri or not Hariri, it doesn’t matter. Today people are asking for the most basic rights, such as roads, free education, hospitals. In short, people are simply asking to live with dignity in their country,” Maamari continued.
One mother, who requested to remain unnamed, told Al Arabiya that she would be happy to see Hariri reinstated as Prime Minister – providing that he carried out meaningful reforms to see the end of corruption.
“Not all of them are corrupt and we should give a chance to reform, this is my opinion. Even Hariri, if he carries out reforms, why not. Him or anyone else. They need to repair what was broken. We will give them a chance,” she told Al Arabiya English, before adding: “This will be the last chance.”
Protesters wave flags at Tripoli’s central roundabout on the evening of November 17, 2019. (Emily Lewis)

The post A Bundle Of English Reports, News and Editorials For November 21-22/2019 Addressing the On Going Mass Demonstrations & Sit In-ins In Iranian Occupied Lebanon in its 36th Day appeared first on Elias Bejjani News.

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