washingtonexaminer.com — As we mourn the loss of Maronite Patriarch Emeritus Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir, we are reminded of his legacy of being a courageous defender of the sovereignty of Lebanon in the face of Syrian occupation. It is striking that he passed at a moment when tensions between Iran and the United States are running high and threaten to drag Lebanon into an unwanted conflict. Lebanon is a unique experiment in religious pluralism with religious freedom, freedom of the press, and a rich Christian history. Entangling foreign influence jeopardizes Lebanon’s sovereignty and causes instability, which could wreck Lebanon’s multiconfessional society. The only institution with the strength to defend Lebanese sovereignty is the Lebanese Armed Forces. U.S. support for the LAF is crucial to the role they play in providing stability and displacing other armed groups within Lebanon. With Congress in the throes of appropriation season, now is the time to consider what more we can do to strengthen the LAF as part of U.S. policy to counter destabilizing foreign influence and maintaining religious pluralism in Lebanon.

Lebanon, historically the heart of Christianity in the Middle East, is the last safe haven for Christians in the region. The current Lebanese political system, where Christians hold the presidency and half of the Parliament, is the only one in the Middle East where all religious sects share a delicate balance of political power. Iran, through its proxy Hezbollah, is positioning itself to force a realignment of power, by which Christians would lose their 50% share. If such a scenario were to be realized, it would result in a mass exodus of Christians from Lebanon. Given Iran’s growing presence in Syria and Iran’s increasing influence in Iraq through proxy militias in Christian areas, Lebanon would become the final domino to fall in Iran’s Shia Crescent, granting it access to the Mediterranean and Israel’s border. Should Iran draw Lebanon into a regional conflict or indirectly take control of the government, the Christian community would suffer irreversible and fatal consequences.

Thankfully, Lebanon is not yet a proxy state of Iran, and Hezbollah is far from controlling the government, only holding one major ministry: the Ministry of Health. Lebanon’s legitimate security institution, the LAF, can be used to weaken Hezbollah from within, by depriving the terrorist organization of its mandate to protect the southern border and by unquestionably displacing Hezbollah in domestic security. For over 10 years, the U.S. has invested in making the LAF a professional fighting force. Now, U.S. security assistance should focus on giving the LAF the distinct and prohibitive competitive advantage over Hezbollah. This is the best way to declaw Hezbollah from within and to avoid a conflict, internal or external, that would cause unspeakable human suffering on all sides. In addition, the LAF has to maintain and increase its vigilance against other destabilizing armed threats, such as the many Palestinian armed factions and the infiltration of ISIS through the enormous 1.5 million displaced Syrians in Lebanon, creating a fertile ground for terrorist groups. The examples of terrorists sprouting from camps are numerous, such as Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi, and consistently increasing. Lebanon must also secure its porous border with Syria, over which fighters and weapons cross almost unchecked.

President Trump meeting with Kim Yong Chol this past January 18 in the Oval Office. (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead, File) by foxnews.com —North Korea has executed five officials for their part in the failed second summit between President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, according to a South Korean newspaper. […]

  By Zeina Antonios and Leila Molana-Allen report — In Syria, we often hear about opponents of the Assad regime who have been behind bars since the beginning of the country’s civil war. But another group of detainees remain surrounded in secrecy. There are more than 600 Lebanese citizens still in detention in Syria, after […]

by Nyree McFarlane —thenational.ae — Lebanese soprano Hiba Tawaji, 31, found fame four years ago via the French version of talent quest, The Voice, and her latest career milestone also comes out of France. The Arabic singer is the voice of Princess Jasmine in the French version of Disney’s new film Aladdin. She sang Parler […]

by By Tom Perry and Ellen Francis — BEIRUT, (Reuters) – The heavily indebted Lebanese government approved a draft budget to cut its large deficit on Friday, aiming to ward off a financial crisis which top leaders have warned is bearing down on the country unless it carries out reforms. The draft 2019 budget, which will cut the deficit to 7.5% of GDP from 11.5% in 2018, is seen as a critical test of the government’s will to launch reforms that have been put off for years by a state riddled with corruption and waste. Lebanon’s bloated public sector is its biggest expense, followed by the cost of servicing a public debt equal to some 150% of GDP, one of the world’s heaviest debt burdens. The budget could help unlock some $11 billion in financing pledged at a Paris donors’ conference last year for infrastructure investment, if it wins the approval of donor countries and institutions. “Now, praise God, we are done. The budget is complete,” Information Minister Jamal Jarrah said after a cabinet session. One more meeting to seal the process will be held at the presidential palace on Monday before the draft is referred to parliament for approval.

Fears the budget would lead to cuts to state salaries, pensions or benefits triggered weeks of strikes and protests by public sector workers and military veterans. Measures to rein in the public sector wage bill include a three-year freeze in all types of state hiring and a cap on extra-salary bonuses. State pension will also be taxed. However a temporary public sector salary cut mooted by some early in the process was not included. A big chunk of the deficit cut stems from tax increases including a 2% import tax and a hike in tax on interest payments. The government also plans to cut some $660 million from the debt servicing bill by issuing treasury bonds at 1% interest rate to the Lebanese banking sector.

“THE JURY’S STILL OUT”

The final cabinet approval had been obstructed by a dispute over whether more needed to be done to bring the deficit lower. But Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil, speaking to local media, said “all the clauses and articles” had been agreed. Nobody had raised any objections when Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri said “we are done” at the end of the session, he added. Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil, who had been demanding further debate, signalled no objection to the cabinet decision. “We have started along the path of controlling the deficit and reducing it and we will continue through subsequent budgets,” Al-Jadeed television quoted him saying.

  by John Pontifex — catholicherald.co.uk —Archbishop Warda says that, with the exception of Hungary, Western governments have failed to help An Iraqi Church leader has met Britain’s Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt and called on the Government to provide urgent help to prevent persecuted minority faith groups from dying out in their ancient homelands. At […]

by aawsat.com —Lebanese parliament Speaker Nabih Berri spoke on Wednesday of clear progress in the issue of demarcating the southern maritime border with Israel. He had held talks on the issue with visiting acting US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs David Satterfield. The official is in charge of negotiations on this file […]

by Arab News –– DUBAI: The success that Lebanese director Nadine Labaki’s third film, “Capernaum,” continues to find across the world is astounding — even to her. Just one year ago, “Capernaum” won the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival — a jury chaired by Cate Blanchett — after a 15-minute standing ovation. The film went on to be nominated for both a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for Best Foreign Film, with Labaki becoming the first woman from the Arab world to receive that honor. Now, perhaps most surprisingly, “Capernaum” has become an unexpected blockbuster in China, reportedly grossing $44 million in just over two weeks. “It’s crazy! I can’t believe it! I really can’t. Why there? It’s all very new, so I still don’t know what it means exactly, but we’re soon going to find out,” Labaki tells Arab News in Cannes. With its success in China, along with the US, Middle East and across Europe, “Capernaum” has reportedly become the highest grossing Arabic-language film in history. “There’s been rumors going on for the past two to three days, and it’s like, ‘What?’ I still can’t believe it. It’s living proof that an Arab film with no actors can actually be a box office hit — can actually return money, make money for investors. You know how much we’re struggling in the Arab world to make films, find money, find funding, find investment. Especially for a Lebanese film,” Labaki says.

[Xinhua] — Greek Ambassador to Lebanon Franciscos Verros said on Monday that Lebanon and Greece are working on increasing tourism exchange between the two countries. “The Lebanese are well known for being great fans of Greece’s tourism, especially when it comes to island destinations such as Myconos and Santorini,” Verros told Xinhua in an interview […]

Beirut (AFP) — Hundreds of retired Lebanese security personnel protested Monday over feared pension cuts and tried to storm the government’s headquarters in Beirut as ministers mulled an austerity budget inside. For weeks, the government has been discussing budget cuts required to unlock $11 billion in aid pledged to the Mediterranean country in Paris last […]