Riad Salameh – Central Bank governor — 

BEIRUT (AP) — — An investigative judge said Tuesday she may sue Lebanon’s police chief, accusing him of preventing a security force from bringing in for questioning the central bank governor, who is accused of corruption. Judge Ghada Aoun told The Associated Press that central bank governor Riad Salameh failed to show up for questioning for a fourth time on Tuesday. She alleged that the banker was defying judicial orders because he has political protection. Salameh, who is accused of corruption and dereliction of duty during Lebanon’s historic economic meltdown, is facing a lawsuit filed by a Lebanese anti-corruption group. The value of the national currency has plunged, foreign reserves are running low and the highly indebted government has been unable to agree on an economic recovery plan. Many hold Salameh partly responsible for the financial crisis, blaming him for policies that only drove national debt up and caused the currency to tumble. Salameh, 71, has been in the post for nearly three decades and enjoys backing from most politicians, including the country’s prime minister.

Salameh is also being investigated in several countries including Switzerland, Luxembourg and France for potential money laundering and embezzlement. Local media reported in recent months that Salameh, his brother and an aide have been involved in illegal businesses, including money transfers abroad despite the informal capital controls imposed at home. Aoun had issued an order to appear to Salameh earlier this month. But Salameh dismissed the lawsuit against him as political, saying it lacked evidence. It was filed by a group of lawyers known by the name “The People Want to Reform the Regime.” Salameh has called for Judge Aoun to be dismissed from the case and accused her of bias. Salameh’s case revealed divisions within Lebanon’s security agencies after a force from State Security, an intelligence department, went to his home and office to bring him in for questioning and no one answered when they knocked on the door. Aoun said she then told the force to break in after he failed to show up for questioning for a fourth time. At that point, she said, members of the Internal Security Forces, or police, warned State Security agents that they cannot go in by force otherwise “there will be a confrontation.” Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi denied there were divisions within the two security agencies, saying they are both carrying out their duties, according to the state-run National News Agency.

By Najia Houssari — arabnews.com — — BEIRUT: The situation in Lebanon is deteriorating, said former Prime Minister Saad Hariri during a meeting with his parliamentary bloc on Sunday. Hariri met his supporters after he had paid his respects at the grave of his father, Rafik Hariri, on the 17th anniversary of his assassination in Beirut. Prime Minister Najib Mikati and former premier Fouad Siniora also prayed at the grave. Hariri said that his home in Beirut will remain open, and the Future Movement will continue to work with the people and provide services and assistance to them, and it will never abandon its people.

The anniversary is a few weeks after Hariri announced he was leaving politics for now and would not run in upcoming parliamentary elections. Thousands gathered in front of Hariri’s tomb in Beirut for a moment of silence at 12:55 p.m., to commemorate the murder. The supporters raised blue Future Movement banners and pictures of Saad Hariri, cheering and waving as he walked past them. One supporter said: “How will become of life in Lebanon? The day of the assassination was a dark one, and it has gotten darker with Hariri’s withdrawal from political life.” A woman from Tariq Al-Jadida said: “They killed the father and betrayed the son, so we became orphans, but we will never hand over our fate to them.” The size of the crowd at Martyrs’ Square in downtown Beirut surprised event organizers. People climbed the stairs of the Al-Amin Mosque next to the tomb and filled the parallel road. The Future Movement did not invite its supporters to participate but supporters rallied for the commemoration on social media.

By Agnes Helou — defensenews.com — BEIRUT — Lebanon’s Navy is expected to receive this year multi-purpose boats from Italy and Protector-class coastal patrol boats from the United States, but the country still hopes to revive frigate negotiations with Italy. Last month, the Lebanese Navy received a donation from Italy of a 12-meter-long multi-purpose boat known as a Rigid Inflatable Boat, an 8000-liter fuel tanker and two 20-passenger vans. “A similar donation is expected to be received during July 2022. The Navy also expects to receive a donation [of] 100,000 Euros worth from the Italian side for the maintenance of the Multi Beam Echo Sounder and the updating of the software used in the production of nautical charts,” Navy Commander Senior Capt. Haissam Dannaoui told Defense News. However, Dannoui said no agreement has been reached with the Italian government about a potential donation of frigates. “The project of frigates provided as an Italian donation has not yet taken shape, and the detailed specifications of these frigates have not been discussed,” he said. “If the situation in the country improves, the Navy aspires to re-launch this project and to set the detailed specifications for such boats.”

Members of the Lebanese Naval Forces conducted training on two U.S. Coast Guard ships at the Beirut Naval Base earlier this month, according to the Lebanese Army official website. The website said this was “training members of the Naval Forces to use boats that will be a donation to the navy during 2022.” Dannoui told Defense News the Navy is set to receive from the United States “three Protector-class boats, 27 meters long each, with a total weight of 93 tons. These boats are considered as coastal patrol boats that contribute to enhancing the ability of the navy to carry out the tasks assigned to it.” He said the exercises taking place with the two U.S. ships included those focused on sharing experiences in the field of damage control on board boats, exchanging experiences in the field of search and rescue and a workshop on boats donated by the American side. Dannoui said the Protector-class vessels are expected in late 2022 or early 2023.

By BY BASSEM MROUE ASSOCIATED PRESS — From his small music shop on Beirut’s Hamra Street, Michel Eid witnessed the rise and fall of Lebanon through the changing fortunes of this famed boulevard for more than 60 years. Hamra Street was the center of Beirut’s glamour in the 1960s and 1970s, home to Lebanon’s top movie houses and theaters, cafes frequented by intellectuals and artists, and shops selling top international brands. It saw a revival the past decade, thriving with international chain stores and vibrant bars and restaurants. Now many of its stores are shuttered. Poverty-stricken Lebanese and Syrian refugees beg on its sidewalks. Trash piles up on its corners. Like the rest of Lebanon, the economic crash swept through the street like a destructive storm.

At 88 years old, Eid remembers the bad times, during Lebanon’s 1975-1990 civil war, when Hamra saw militias battling, assassinations at its cafes and, at one point, invading Israeli troops marching down the street. Nothing was as bad as now, Eid says. “We have hit rock bottom,” he said. Few customers come to his Tosca Music Shop and Electronic Supplies, which sells records and a variety of electronic clocks, calculators and watches. His business has dropped 75%.

Lebanon’s economic meltdown, which began in October 2019, was the culmination of the country’s post-war era. The war’s militia leaders became the political leadership and have kept a lock on power ever since. They ran an economy that at times boomed but was effectively a Ponzi scheme riddled with corruption and mismanagement. The scheme finally collapsed in what the World Bank calls one of the world’s worst economic and financial crises since the mid 1800s. The currency’s value evaporated, salaries lost their buying power, dollars in banks became inaccessible, prices skyrocketed in a country where nearly everything is imported.

by english.aawsat.com — The International Support Group for Lebanon (ISG) has openly joined forces to push the Lebanese authorities to hold the parliamentary elections on their scheduled date on May 15. The ISG met in Beirut on Friday to review preparations for the upcoming polls. Echoing the recent Security Council press statement on Lebanon, and recalling its previous statements, the ISG reiterated its call for free, fair, transparent and inclusive elections, as scheduled on May 15, an official statement said. It added: “The ISG noted that while the international community was deeply committed to and had provided significant financial, material, technical and political support to Lebanon’s electoral process, the elections are first and foremost a right and expectation of the people of Lebanon and a sovereign responsibility which is incumbent on the authorities to deliver on.” Three months before the election, the International Support Group urged “expeditious preparatory work respecting the existing legislative framework and the constitutional timelines.”

The ISG also called on the relevant authorities to “promptly make available all the necessary resources and intensify technical and administrative preparations to ensure the timeliness and integrity of the electoral process.” The ISG brings together representatives of the United Nations and the governments of China, France, Germany, Italy, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States, in addition to the European Union and the Arab League. It was launched in September 2013 by the UN Secretary-General with former President Michel Sleiman to help mobilize support and assistance for Lebanon’s stability, sovereignty and state institutions. In its statement, the ISG urged “relevant bodies to allocate the necessary financial resources to hold the elections in Lebanon and abroad, enable the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities and the Supervisory Commission for Elections to be fully functional, and ensure timely organization for the conduct of the diaspora voting.”

By Reem Abulleil – thenationalnews.com — For more than a decade, Tunisian Malek Jaziri and Egyptian Mohamed Safwat have been the leading Arab players on the men’s tennis tour, but a new protagonist has emerged from the region, looking to make his way to the top of the sport. Lebanon’s Hady Habib only kickstarted his professional career in earnest mid-last year, after graduating from Texas A&M University in May. In his final months as an ‘Aggie’, Habib was the No 1-ranked college tennis player in the United States – a fitting way to close the door on one chapter of his career before starting a new one in the pros. Since graduation, the 23-year-old Habib has picked up four ITF titles, including one at a $25k-level tournament in Sharm El Sheikh, where he defeated in the final former top-30 player Lukas Rosol, who famously beat Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon in 2012. “It gives you incredible belief,” Habib told The National after clinching the trophy last Sunday. “I actually watched him a few years back play against Rafa and beat him on TV, and it’s just a pleasure to play him. And winning is huge. “His level obviously isn’t at his prime right now. But still, he knows how to play and he’s got experience, so it’s definitely a huge win for me, giving me some good confidence for the rest of the year.”

Habib was born in Houston, Texas before moving to Lebanon with his family at the age of six. He got introduced to tennis at Mtayleb Country Club in Beirut when he was nine after dabbling in swimming and basketball. “I just started playing tennis and I got good at it really fast,” Habib said. “I was really enjoy playing so I gave it a shot and I kept playing and that eventually turned into true love for the sport. “My parents actually told me, ‘Is this what you want to do? Is tennis your thing?’ I was like, ‘Yeah, 100 per cent this one I want to do’ and that’s why we decided to move out of Lebanon.” After eight years in Lebanon, Habib returned to the US, first training in California before heading to Nick Bollettieri’s IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. As a 16-year-old, he was ranked as high as No 77 in the world junior rankings, which helped him catch the eye of college recruiters. He eventually landed a scholarship in his home state and began his college tennis career at Texas A&M while pursuing a degree in sports management.

سجعان قزي

@AzziSejean

ليس الموارنةُ أبناءَ ممالكَ وإمبراطوريّاتٍ وسلطناتٍ، لكنّهم واجَهوا الممالكَ والإمبراطوريّاتِ والسَلْطناتِ. هم أبناءُ الإيمانِ وآباءُ المقاومة. آمَنوا باللهِ والإنسانِ والأرض، وقاوموا الظُلمَ والاضْطهاد. الصليبُ رمزُهم والقيامةُ قَدَرُهم. الفداءُ رسالتُهم والحياةُ مُشتَهاهُم. الاستسلامُ خطيئةٌ لا يَقترِفونَها والسلامُ فضيلةٌ يَنشُدونَها. خطُّ سيرِهم هو الحرّيةُ. مهما تَعرّجَ في الأمكنةِ يَستمرُّ قَويمًا في الأزمنة. سَلكَه الموارنةُ غابرًا وحديثًا بين الأشواكِ والتضحياتِ والشهداءِ والأمجاد. الحريّةُ هي دائمًا وطنهُم الأمّ. هي الريشةُ التي ترسُمُ حدودَ وجودِهم ومعيارَ علاقتِهم مع الآخَرين. نَزحوا في هذه الأمّةِ من بقعةٍ إلى أُخرى ليَبقَوا في ظلالِ الحرّيةِ، كما يَتبعُ البَحّارةُ نجمةَ الصُبح، والغِزلانُ ينابيعَ المياه، والطيورُ ربيعَ النسَمات.

نَشَأت المارونيّةُ بداياتِ القرنِ الخامسِ على مفهومِ القيمِ. والتزَمت الجماعةُ المارونيّةُ نمطَ حياةٍ مميَّزًا يلتقي مع إيمانِها باللهِ وبتعاليمِ الإنجيل. فالقديسُ مارون كان ناسِكًا لا ملِكًا، ومثالًا لا فيلسوفًا. نمطُ حياتِه كان هو الفلسفةَ والكلمةَ والموعِظَة. النُسْكُ أَزْهرَ شَعبًا مؤسِّسًا في لبنان، وبنّاءً في العالم العربي، وبارزًا في العالم، وصامدًا في كلِّ مكان. حين واظبَ الموارنةُ على تلك الخُطى تمكّن قادتُهم الأوائل، وفي طليعتِهم البطريركيّةُ، من تأسيسِ دولةِ لبنان، وحين تواطأ بعضُ قادتِهم لاحِقًا على المفاهيمِ المارونيّةِ وثوابتِها وقيمِها وحلفائِها التاريخيّين، عرضّوا هذه الدولةَ البهيّةَ للخطر. لا يجوزُ للّذين في ما مضى سَحبوا لبنانَ من فَمِ سايكس/بيكو أن يُقْدِمَ اليومَ بعضُهم على تقديمِ لبنان إلى مؤامرةٍ إقليميّةٍ تَقضي عليه.

By Najia Houssari — arabnews.com — BEIRUT: Lebanese officials on Thursday began internal discussions in preparation for a response to US envoy Amos Hochstein, who has urged them to settle a maritime border dispute with Israel. Hochstein conveyed ideas for advancing the negotiations, which have been stalled for several months. After he met Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Thursday, presidential adviser and former minister Elias Abi Saab said: “We evaluated the meetings that took place, where is Lebanon’s interest, and what are the next steps for this visit. There is a step forward in what the mediator presented, but nothing is final yet, and we will see how its results will be. “Some things must be completed internally, and there are things that Hochstein will present later.”

Hochstein, who is the US State Department’s senior adviser for global energy security, arrived in Lebanon on Tuesday to revive talks between Lebanon and Israel over a maritime border dispute that is holding up oil and gas exploration. While the ideas he conveyed to the Lebanese side were not revealed, it was reported that he had “made a positive offer regarding Line 23, giving Lebanon the area of 860 sq. km that it demands, in addition to preserving the entire Qana field.” Before leaving Lebanon on Wednesday evening, Hochstein said that Lebanon had an opportunity to reach a deal. “We are at the moment of bridging the gaps in the maritime delimitation file,” he said.

He linked reaching an agreement with addressing the economic crises that Lebanon is mired in, emphasizing that Lebanon needed to support itself. “Let’s see something that works, that the reforms that are necessary are passed, are in place, and are serious, and then the international community will support Lebanon,” he said. The head of the Lebanese Phalange Party, Sami Gemayel, said in response to the visit: “In a failed state, the international negotiator must negotiate with all the political and security authorities and turn into a judge of peace among them.” Businessman Bahaa Hariri tweeted: “The time has come for the maritime border demarcation file to witness the birth of a solution that is far from the political class’s quotas and the mistakes that Lebanon made as a result of its influence. “Reaching an agreement as soon as possible may be a step toward mitigating the severity of the economic collapse.”

Lebanese interior Minister Mowlawi by alarabiya.net — Lebanon on Thursday banned Bahraini opposition forces from holding two events in the country, amid strained ties between Beirut and Arab nations of the Gulf. The decision comes weeks after Lebanon ordered the expulsion of members of Bahrain’s leading opposition party, Al-Wefaq, after they held a news conference […]

By BASSEM MROUE Associated Press — BEIRUT — Lebanon’s government approved Thursday the state budget for the current year, with a 17% deficit, the prime minister said. He described the development as a first step in reforms desperately needed in the crisis-hit country. The budget will now be sent to parliament for discussion and once lawmakers approve, it will go into effect. A two-day parliament session on the budget has been scheduled for Feb. 21. For more than two years, Lebanon has been undergoing its worst economic crisis and the newly appointed government has done little to stem the meltdown. Talks with the International Monetary Fund have failed to make progress amid deep disagreements between the government, the central bank and the banking sector. Prime Minister Najib Mikati told reporters after a Cabinet meeting Thursday that the budget projects spending of 47 trillion Lebanese pounds (about $2.24 billion, according to the exchange rate on the parallel market in Lebanon), while revenues stand at 39 trillion pounds ($1.86 billion), with a deficit of about 17%. The government has been meeting almost daily since late January to discuss the budget.

It was not clear what exchange rate will be used as the official rate still stands at 1,500 Lebanese pounds to the dollar while the price on the parallel market has reached more than 21,000 pounds to the dollar. Several other rates are used for bank withdrawals amid harsh informal capital controls that deprived people of access to their savings. Critics say that the government deficit will be covered by printing money. That would lead the Lebanese pound, which has lost more than 90% of its value over the past two years, to lose even more value in the coming months. In what appears to be a move to boost budget figures, the government removed a 5 trillion Lebanese pound loan to the country’s corruption-plagued electricity company from the budget. The electricity sector, where $40 billion were wasted over the past decades, is still widely dysfunctional with power cuts reaching 22 hours a day.