by Tom Rogan — washingtonexaminer.com — With telling embarrassment, Iran is rowing back comments made by an adviser to the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The problem? The adviser inadvertently admitted that Iran values Lebanon only as its puppet. Speaking on Monday, retired Gen. Morteza Qorbani told an Iranian news outlet that Iran did not […]

by By CLAIRE PARKER – AP —PARIS (AP) — Lebanon cannot expect to receive international aid for its battered economy until a new government undertakes serious reforms, diplomats decided at a closed-door meeting in Paris on Wednesday. The international group, led by France and the United Nations, met to discuss conditions for helping ease turmoil in Lebanon, which is facing its worst financial crisis in decades and political uncertainty amid an ongoing protest movement. Lebanese businesses and households are growing increasingly desperate as cash supplies there have dwindled. Representatives from several countries, including the United States, and international financial institutions agreed on a set of principles Lebanon must meet before it can expect to receive foreign cash.

U.S. Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs David Schenker said attendees agreed to give technical advice to Lebanese institutions but they won’t provide the bailout that caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri requested. Hariri had called on Saudi Arabia, France, Turkey, the United States, China, and Egypt to send funds to help Lebanon finance imports. “There’s no aid package; there is no bailout,” Schenker told The Associated Press. “Lebanon is not being saved from its financial mess.” Schenker said the group is considering sending some humanitarian aid to Lebanon to alleviate residents’ suffering, though it was unclear when or how much. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said in closing remarks that the group supports protesters who have taken to the streets since Oct. 17 to call for an end to corruption and the overhaul of the Lebanese political system. “The Lebanese have mobilized for many weeks to demand reforms. They must be heard,” he said. Le Drian called the “institutional void” that has existed since Hariri resigned as prime minister on Oct. 29 “worrying.”

by aawsat.com —Asharq Al-Awsat received the draft statement that will be issued by the meeting of the International Group in Support of Lebanon, which will be held in Paris later on Wednesday. According to the statement, representatives from China, Egypt, Germany, Italy, Kuwait, Russia, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the European Investment Bank, the European Union, the International Monetary Fund, the Arab League and the World Bank participated in the meeting, in addition to a Lebanese delegation. Members of the international community recognize that Lebanon is facing a crisis that puts it on the brink of an economic collapse and greater destabilization, the statement read.

by naharnet.com —Speaking after the meeting, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said any international financial support for Lebanon hinges on the formation of what he called a “reformist government.” “The only standard should be this government’s effectiveness in terms of the reforms awaited by the people. Only this approach will allow all the participants in this meeting and others to mobilize in order to offer Lebanon all the support it needs,” Le Drian said. The secretary general of the Lebanese Foreign Ministry Hani Chemaitelly, who represented Lebanon at the meeting along with other mid-level officials, meanwhile told LBCI television that the atmosphere at the meeting was positive and that the ISG “sent a clear message on being committed to helping and embracing Lebanon.” The TV network for its part reported that Chemaitelly held bilateral talks in Paris with Le Drian, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs David Schenker, director of the Middle East and North Africa department at the French foreign ministry, Christophe Farnaud, and his counterpart at the French foreign ministry. The ISG was created in 2013 by then U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to help Lebanon deal with the fallout of the war in neighboring Syria. It gathers agencies of the U.N., the European Union, Arab League, United States, China, France, Germany, Russia, Italy and Britain.

by diplomatie.gouv.fr —1. A meeting of the International Support Group for Lebanon (ISG), jointly chaired by France and the Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon, was held in Paris on December 11th. China, Egypt, Germany, Italy, Kuwait, Russia, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the United States, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the European Investment Bank, the European Union, the International Monetary Fund, the League of Arab States, the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation took part in the meeting. Representatives of the Lebanese authorities also attended the discussions.

2. Lebanon has been left without a government for more than six weeks since Saad Hariri resigned on October 29th. The Group considers that preserving Lebanon’s stability, unity, security, sovereignty, political independence and territorial integrity requires the urgent formation of an effective and credible government capable to meet the aspirations expressed by all the Lebanese that will have the capacity and credibility to deliver the necessary substantive policy package of economic reforms, and that will be committed to dissociate the country from regional tensions and crisis. It is urgent for the new government to be in place as quickly as possible.

by aawsat.com — French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian on Tuesday urged the Lebanese to form a new government swiftly or risk a financial crisis worsening and threatening the country’s stability. “(They should) form a government quickly because any delay will continue to worsen the situation,” Le Drian told a news conference. Furthermore, Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister said stability in Lebanon was “very, very important” to the kingdom. Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud said he would not “pre-judge” a conference planned this week in Paris to support Lebanon, which is facing its worst economic crisis since the 1975-90 civil war. “I’ll wait for the results of the conference.” The Lebanese people and the political system need to find a way forward that guarantees its stability and sovereignty, he told a news conference following a Gulf Arab summit in Riyadh in response to a question regarding aid to Lebanon.

Ghinwa Obeid| The Daily Star BEIRUT: All eyes are on Wednesday’s meeting in Paris that will gather an international support group to tackle the situation in Lebanon at a time when the country is facing worsening economic and a political stalemate. The one-day conference, which mainly aims to push Lebanon to form a new government, is co-chaired by France and the United Nations. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian Tuesday urged the Lebanese to form a new government swiftly or risk a worsening financial crisis and threatening the country’s stability. “[They should] form a government quickly because any delay will continue to worsen the situation,” Le Drian was quoted as saying by Reuters. According to the draft of a concluding statement from the conference published by local radio station Voice of Lebanon (93.3), the participating countries will stress that maintaining Lebanon’s stability will require a quick government formation. In light of the difficult economic situation and the liquidity issue facing the country, the attendees are also expected to push Lebanon to adopt a series of reforms that would restore financial stability, fix long-standing issues in the Lebanese economic system and combat corruption.

Last year, France hosted the CEDRE meet for Lebanon, where donors pledged over $11 billion in grants and soft loans to boost the country’s flagging economy and finance key infrastructure projects. The ISGL brings together the United Nations, the governments of China, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States, along with the European Union and the Arab League. Lebanon’s delegation to the conference headed to France Tuesday and, according to a source close to the delegation, it includes Foreign Ministry Director General Hani Chemaitelly, Finance Ministry Director-General Alain Bifani, Hazar Caracalla, an economic adviser to caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri, and Central Bank representative Raja Abou Asli. The source said he expects the conference to be “a declaration of good intentions with recommendations.” Local media also reported that the first session of the conference would be closed and would not include the Lebanese delegation, which will join the attendees in the second session to present their take on the situation.

by gulfnews.com – Bassam Za za  — Abdul Rahman Kakheya, 25, and his 22-year-old sister, Rama, died in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli. The engagement party of Abdul Rahman and his fiancé, Mariam, was scheduled for December 13. The victims’ sister escaped with a shoulder injury after she miraculously pulled her way out of the house in Al Asafiri neighbourhood of Al Mina area. After the deaths, angry protesters attacked the municipality headquarters in Tripoli Tuesday, smashing windows and setting a room on fire. The attack in the country’s north came as heavy rainfall blocked roads and strained major infrastructure across Lebanon. The country is already roiled by anti-government protests since October 17 and a plunging economy.

Negligence

Locals told the local LBC TV station that the collapse was the result of negligence, saying that the municipality has repeatedly ignored calls by the owners to renovate the old house. The victims’ neighbours and friends were quoted as claiming that the family had lodged a request to have their poorly-maintained house renovated, but Al Mina Municipality rejected this, saying that a special permission was required for this as the site was important from an archeological perspective. “I cannot comment on whether or not the victims’ family approached Al Mina Municipality to have their house renovated. However, I can confirm that there are several properties in different neighbourhoods within our jurisdiction that have been categorised as archeological sites, and require written permissions to be renovated. There will be an investigation … God bless the victims’ souls,” an official at Al Mina Municipality told Gulf News over the phone.

by middleeasteye.net — Finbar Anderson — When the waters finally receded, Lebanese in the south Beirut suburb of Jnah were left looking at a carpet of brown sludge and stains running up every wall. “The guys and I have been working for hours to clean this up,” said Mohammad, a 22-year-old man working in a glazing shop. He swept as he talked, a grim look on his face as he assessed the damage to his stock. Everything from power saws to wood had been swept away in the flooding that hit the neighbourhood on Monday. Rains turned the roads into rivers, with Mohammad estimating the water reaching a height of around 1.5 metres. The damage to the tools and glass ran well into thousands of dollars, he estimated.

Mohammad’s neighbour, also a glazier, cleaned his store wearing just one shoe. The other had been swept away, along with much of his stock. That which hadn’t been lost to the waters was ruined. He held out his sodden receipts book, showing how ink and pages had been moulded together into one mass. In a nearby carpenter’s shop, every one of its four large saws was now broken. Damp sawdust covered the floor and the planks of wood lining the walls all bore a distinctive mark where they had been soaked in floodwater.

For many Lebanese, the flooding is yet another example of their leaders’ chronic mismanagement of the country – a situation that has taken protesters to the streets daily since 17 October. “The state, the government, doesn’t do anything,” a passerby said. Questions over infrastructure While the neighbourhood has flooded before, Monday’s storms were particularly severe. “It usually happens once or twice a year, but this is the first time we’ve had to send the children home,” said Taghrid Hussein, the headmistress of a local school. The few children that remained in the early afternoon helped to sweep water from the school’s entrance.

by dailystar.com.lb — Emily Lewis — BEIRUT: Caretaker Energy Minister Nada Boustani Monday awarded Lebanese company ZR Energy the contract for importing 150,000 tons of gasoline on behalf of the state to avoid a fuel crisis, after the announcement was delayed a week. ZR Energy offered to provide 95 octane gasoline at market price, plus $38.90 per ton, with a fee of $0.80 for discharge at any additional port. The caretaker minister was originally set to announce the winning bid on Dec. 2, but decided to postpone the conclusion of the bidding by a week to “allow more competition,” after only two companies submitted offers. Three companies had submitted bids to the state tender by Monday: ZR Energy, Lebneft FZE and Oman Trading International. A fourth company, which Boustani did not identify, also submitted a bid but did not provide the correct documents as outlined in the book of terms. Boustani had published the book of terms and opened the offers live on television in an effort to “increase transparency.”

Oman Trading International offered to provide gasoline at market rate, plus $46.80 and $1 for discharge at an additional port, while Lebneft FZE offered $39.36 with $0.75 for an additional port. The 150,000 tons make up around 10 percent of Lebanon’s annual gasoline consumption. According to the minister, this first attempt to hold tenders for the state to import gasoline was a “trial run” to decide whether the state could in the future be responsible for purchasing a larger share of Lebanon’s fuel needs. “Congratulations to the winning company and to the Lebanese people, the state has entered the market,” Boustani said after she announced the winning offer put forward by ZR Energy.

ZR Energy, registered in Dubai, is owned by Lebanese businessmen Teddy and Raymond Rahme, who founded the ZR Group in 2005 and are stakeholders in several Lebanese banks. Raymond Rahme is implicated in a U.S. lawsuit involving the death of American businessman and arms dealer Dale Stoffel in 2004 in Iraq, where he allegedly acted as a middle man between Iraqi Defense Ministry officials and Stoffel’s company. The $25 million paid to Rahme’s Lebanese account by Iraqi officials was never transferred to Stoffel, who was assassinated on Dec. 8, 2004. Rahme is also implicated in a lawsuit filed by Kuwaiti logistics firm Agility and French telecoms company Orange for the misappropriation of millions of dollars. The Daily Star could not reach Rahme for comment Monday. Boustani said at Monday’s news conference that “the market is always open to any company that wants to import petroleum products,” and that the ministry would announce a tender for the import of diesel Wednesday. She repeated her assertion that the first shipment of gasoline should arrive within 15 days “if the procedures are finished quickly.” However, according to the tender documents, the shipment may not arrive in Lebanon until Jan. 6.

BEIRUT (AP) Bassem Mroue— Lebanese journalists are facing threats and wide-ranging harassment in their work — including verbal insults and physical attacks, even death threats — while reporting on nearly 50 days of anti-government protests, despite Lebanon’s reputation as a haven for free speech in a troubled region. Nationwide demonstrations erupted on Oct. 17 over a plunging economy. They quickly grew into calls for sweeping aside Lebanon’s entire ruling elite. Local media outlets — some of which represent the sectarian interests protesters are looking to overthrow — are now largely seen as pro- or anti-protests, with some journalists feeling pressured to leave their workplaces over disagreements about media coverage.

The deteriorating situation for journalists in Lebanon comes despite its decades-old reputation for being an island of free press in the Arab world. Amid Lebanon’s divided politics, media staff have usually had wide range to freely express their opinions, unlike in other countries in the region where the state stifles the media. The acts of harassment began early in the protests. MTV television reporter Nawal Berry was attacked in central Beirut in the first days of the demonstrations by supporters of the militant group Hezbollah and its allies. They smashed the camera, robbed the microphone she was holding, spat on her and kicked her in the leg. “How is it possible that a journalist today goes to report and gets subjected to beating and humiliation? Where are we? Lebanon is the country of freedoms and democracy,” Berry told The Associated Press.

Outlets like MTV are widely seen as backing protesters’ demands that Lebanon’s sectarian political system be completely overturned to end decades of corruption and mismanagement. Rival TV stations and newspapers portray the unrest — which led to the Cabinet’s resignation over a month ago — as playing into the hands of alleged plots to undermine Hezbollah and its allies. Many of those outlets are run by Hezbollah, President Michel Aoun’s Free Patriotic Movement and the Amal Movement of Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. These media regularly blast protesters for closing roads and using other civil disobedience tactics, describing them as “bandits.”

For Berry, the media environment worsened as the unrest continued. On the night of Nov. 24, while she was covering clashes between protesters and Hezbollah and Amal supporters on a central road in Beirut, supporters of the Shiite groups chased her into a building. She hid there until police came and escorted her out. “I was doing my job and will continue to do so. I have passed through worse periods and was able to overcome them,” said Berry, who added she is taking a short break from working because of what she passed through recently.

Hezbollah supporters also targeted Dima Sadek, who resigned last month as an anchorwoman at LBC TV. She blamed Hezbollah supporters for stealing her smartphone while she was filming protests, and said the harassment was followed by insulting and threatening phone calls to her mother, who suffered a stroke as a result of the stress. “I have taken a decision (to be part of the protests) and I am following it. I have been waiting for this moment all my life and I have always been against the political, sectarian and corrupt system in Lebanon,” said Sadek, a harsh critic of Hezbollah, adding that she has been subjected to cyberbullying for the past four years. “I know very well that this will have repercussions on my personal and professional life. I will go to the end no matter what the price is,” Sadek said shortly after taking part in a demonstration in central Beirut.

by AFP — Sunni Muslim leaders threw their weight behind the Saad Hariri, the country’s caretaker Prime Minister who resigned in late October over massive public unrest shaking Lebanon, his key contender said Sunday. Businessman Samir Khatib had been put forward as the likely successor to 49-year-old Hariri, but he said a visit to the […]

by AFP — WASHINGTON: Key lawmakers called Sunday for a halt to a Saudi military training program after a shooting rampage at a US naval base in which a Saudi officer killed three American sailors. US Defense Secretary Mark Esper said he has ordered a review of vetting procedures while defending the training program that brought Mohammed Alshamrani to Pensacola Naval Air Station in Florida. Alshamrani, a 21-year-old second lieutenant in the Saudi Royal Air Force, opened fire in a classroom at the base on Friday, killing the three sailors and wounding eight other people before being shot dead by police. The FBI: Rachel L. Rojas, FBI agent in charge said Sunday the shooting was being investigated with the “presumption” it was an act of terrorism, but that authorities had yet to make a final determination.

FBI are reportedly focused on finding several unaccounted for Saudi nationals linked to the shooting, as additional details have emerged about the shooter’s movements in the weeks leading up to the rampage. “The fact that the FBI has not been able to, the reports say, the FBI has not been able to talk to every airman. I mean, I can’t imagine that,” US Senator Scott said on “Fox & Friends.” “If the Saudi government is our ally, our partner, they will make sure that there is full cooperation, not one airman needs to leave this country until the complete investigation.”

Alshamrani was reported to have posted a manifesto on Twitter before the shooting denouncing America as “a nation of evil.” “We need to suspend the program until we investigate,” Senator Lindsey Graham, an influential Republican on national security issues, said on Fox News. “I like allies. Saudi Arabia’s an ally, but there’s something really bad here fundamentally. We need to slow this program down and reevaluate,” he said. US media reported that six Saudi nationals also assigned to the base have been questioned, and that Alshamrani had shown videos of mass shootings at a dinner party the night before the attack. In a pre-taped interview that aired on Fox News Sunday, Esper confirmed that several Saudis have been detained, including “one or two” who filmed the shooting on their cellphones. He said it was unclear if they began filming before the shooting began or after it started.

Authorities believe the gunman made social media posts criticizing the U.S. under a user handle similar to his name, but federal law enforcement officials are investigating whether he authored the words or just posted them, said the official, who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. Also, investigators believe the gunman visited New York City, including Rockefeller Center, days before the shooting and are working to determine the purpose of the trip, the official said. All international students at the Pensacola base have been accounted for, there have been no arrests, and the community is under no immediate threat, Rojas said at a news conference. A Saudi commanding officer has ordered all students from the country to remain at one location at the base, authorities said. “There are a number of Saudi students who are close to the shooter and continue to cooperate in this investigation,” Rojas said. “The Saudi government has pledged to fully cooperate with our investigation.”

Earlier in the week of the shooting, Alshamrani hosted a dinner party where he and three others watched videos of mass shootings, another U.S. official told the AP on Saturday. Alshamrani wounded two sheriff’s deputies, one in the arm and one in the knee, before one of them killed him. Eight others were also hurt. Both deputies were expected to survive. Alshamrani used a Glock 9 mm weapon that had been purchased legally in Florida, Rojas said. Family members and others identified the three dead as Joshua Kaleb Watson, a 23-year-old graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy; Airman Mohammed Sameh Haitham, 19, of St. Petersburg, Florida, who joined the Navy after graduating from high school last year; and Airman Apprentice Cameron Scott Walters, 21, of Richmond Hill, Georgia. The official who spoke Saturday said one of the three students who attended the dinner party hosted by the attacker recorded video outside the classroom building while the shooting was taking place. Two other Saudi students watched from a car, the official said.

VETTING