by EPHREM KOSSAIFY – arabnews.com — NEW YORK: The UN Security Council on Friday called on Lebanese political parties to distance themselves from external conflicts and instead focus on the urgent implementation of political and economic reforms that are needed to unlock international financial support and alleviate the “dire needs” of the Lebanese population. Members of the council, the most important body within the UN, urged Lebanese parties to implement “a tangible policy of disassociation from any external conflicts as an important priority, as spelled out in previous declarations, in particular the 2012 Baabda Declaration.” The Baabda Declaration was designed to underscore Lebanon’s neutral position with regard to events in the region.

The powerful Lebanese Shiite party Hezbollah, which serves as the strategic arm of the Iranian regime in the region, has been involved in the Syrian civil war, fighting alongside the Assad regime, and in Iran’s proxy wars in Yemen and Iraq. Council members welcomed a meeting of the Lebanese cabinet that took place on Jan. 24 but urged the authorities to quickly implement necessary reforms, including the adoption of a budget for 2022 that reflects previous agreements with the International Monetary Fund.

by devdiscourse.com — Lebanon received a letter from Luxembourg authorities asking for information relating to Lebanon Central Bank Chief Riad Salameh’s bank accounts and assets, a senior Lebanese judicial source confirmed to Reuters. The source did not elaborate. A spokesperson for Luxembourg’s judiciary confirmed to Reuters in November https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/luxembourg-judicial-authorities-open-criminal-case-related-lebanon-central-bank-2021-11-15 it had opened “a criminal case” […]

NNA – The Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States, Archbishop Paul Gallagher, confirmed from the Grand Serail that he came to Lebanon carrying the message of His Holiness Pope Francis, “it is a message of hope for a country that means a lot to him, and we are here to support the Lebanese and to assure them that we stand by their side in the face of challenges, and the decision for Lebanon’s recovery is a purely Lebanese decision on which efforts must be combined.” Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, on Thursday welcomed at the Grand Serail Archbishop Gallagher, and an accompanying delegation. During the meeting, Premier Mikati welcomed Archbishop Gallagher, saying: “We are proud of the affinity that His Holiness Pope Francis expresses towards all the Lebanese, and shares their pain and suffering that has impacted most aspects of their lives.” Mikati added: “We appreciate your call for Lebanon to remain a project of peace and a homeland for tolerance and pluralism, where all sects and religions come together.”

The PM added, “We are persisting and determined to implement the government’s reform program despite all obstacles and difficulties, and we are all convinced, as you stated yesterday, that reforms are the ones to help Lebanon, along with the support of the international community.” Archbishop Gallagher, in turn, indicated: “Change is coming to Lebanon, and we pray that it will be for the good of this country, and in the name of His Holiness the Pope and the universal Catholic Church, we will always stand by Lebanon’s side.”

NNA – The following is US Ambassador Dorothy C. Shea’s address as delivered marking one year anniversary of the assassination of Lokman Slim:

“Let me begin by renewing my sincere condolences to the family of Lokman Slim as well as to all of those gathered here and beyond, who loved him, who worked with him. All of us here were affected by his work. Lokman stood for the rule of law.  He was a champion of free speech, democracy, and civic participation. He was never intimidated by the repeated threats made against him.  In his life, he fought for justice and accountability.  In his death, he deserves those things.   It is an extremely sad occasion for us all to mark the one-year anniversary of his assassination and it is even more troubling to see that there has yet to be justice. There has yet to be accountability.

كتب الرئيس العماد ميشال سليمان : لم نشكك لحظة واحدة بقدرة قوى الامن الداخليي وفرع المعلومات على تحرير الطفل المخطوف ليس فقط لكفاءة الجهاز الامني المشهودة وسرعة تحركه بل ايضاً لعدم تغطية المجرمين من قبل اي طرف. الحمد لله على سلامة الولد وعودته سالماً الى اهله والتحية الى قوى الامن وفرع المعلومات مع بالغ التقدير […]

سجعان قزي

@AzziSejean

اللبنانيّون من مختلفِ الطوائفِ مَعنيّون أخلاقيًّا وجُغرافيًّا بالصراعِ العربيِّ ــــ الفارسيِّ في الـمِنطقة، فهم يَنتمون إلى العالمِ العربيِّ. ومعنيّون أخلاقيًّا ووطنيًّا بالنزاعِ بين السُنّةِ والشيعةِ في لبنان، فهما مكوِّنان أساسيّان في الشراكةِ الوطنيّة. أنْ نكونَ معنيّين لا يُبرِّرُ مطلقًا الانحيازَ عسكريًّا إلى الصراعِ في المنطقةِ، ومذهبيًّا إلى النزاعِ في لبنان. وأنْ نكونَ حياديّين لا يَعني أن نساويَ بين مَن يساعدُ دولةَ لبنانَ وشعبَه في كلِّ المجالاتِ (دولُ الخليجِ العربيّةُ)، وبين مَن يواصِلُ الهيمنةَ على دولةِ لبنان والإساءةَ إلى شعبِه (إيران وحلفاؤها). وأنْ نكونَ حياديّين لا يَعني أيضًا أن نساويَ بين مَن التزمَ مشروعَ الدولةِ (غالِبيّةُ السُنّةِ)، وبين مَن يَلتزِمُ مشروعًا مناقِضًا الدولةَ (حزبُ الله).

ليس اللبنانيّون ضِدَّ إيران وحزبِ الله لأنهما شيعةٌ، وليسوا مع القِوى السنيّةِ الوطنيّةِ لأنّها سُنّية. الخِيارُ الوطنيُّ يُحدِّدُ الـمَعيّةَ بمنأى عن الانتماءِ الطائفيّ. أصلًا ليس الحيادُ الامتناعَ عن الدفاعِ عن النفسِ وعن استقلالِ كيانِ لبنان وسيادةِ دولتِه ومصالحِ شعبِه أكان المعتدي لبنانيًّا أو غريبًا. حدودُ الحيادِ هي حدودُ سيادةِ لبنان. وحدودُ السيادةِ ألّا يَعتديَ أحدٌ علينا وألّا نعتديَ على أحد.

في هذين الواقِعين اللبنانيِّ والإقليميِّ ينحازُ لبنانُ إلى ذاتِه. فلبنانُ، شعبًا ودولةً وكِيانًا ونِظامًا، يتعرّضُ اليومَ لحربٍ غيرِ معلَنةٍ، ولانقلابٍ من دونِ بَلاغات. تجاهَ هذه الحالات، تَستَسلمُ الشعوبُ أو تُقاوم. وحَسْبي أنَّ اللبنانيّين أهلُ مقاومة (وإنَّ الأمسَ لذاكِره قريب). لذلك لا حرجَ في اتّخاذِ موقِفٍ صريحٍ وشُجاعٍ لصَدِّ الحربِ ووقفِ الانقلاب هذا لا يَنتهِكُ مفهومَ الحياد. مؤسِفٌ أنْ يَفرِضَ علينا حزبُ الله وإيرانُ، رغمًا عنّا، هذا الموقفَ، فيما نَطمَحُ إلى أفضلِ صداقةٍ مع إيران وأحسنِ شراكةٍ مع جميعِ شيعةِ لبنان. يَزعَمُ حزبُ الله أنّه لا يُوجِّهُ سلاحَه نحو الداخل اللبنانيّ (!!!)، لكنَّ مواقفَه وتصاريحَه ضِدَّ شركائِه في الوطن وأصدقاءِ لبنان مؤذيةٌ أكثرَ من سلاحِه. السلاحُ يَقتلُ فردًا بينما الموقفُ يَقتلُ وطنًا.

by Selina Denman — thenationalnews.com — Lebanese fashion designer Rami Kadi is launching his first collection of non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, dubbed Lucid Algorithms. The collection of 120 NFTs will be available for sale from 5pm, Dubai time on Wednesday on www.rami-kadi.com. A launch event will run alongside the start of the sale at the Theatre of Digital Art in Madinat Jumeirah. “NFTs will change history, they are not just for art and fashion, everything is logged into the ‘cloud’. It is like a closed contract, with owners having access to the physical and the virtual. It can never be reproduced – I am the creator and you are the owner,” the designer explains. “When you buy a Rami Kadi NFT, first, you can come to our studio to customise your own couture piece, inspired by these NFTs. Second you can dress your avatar, in 2D or 3D, and third, you will be invited to all our future events in the physical world and in the meta verse.”

The NFTs are being minted on Cardano, a public blockchain platform that is open-source and decentralised, and uses Ouroboros, the first peer-reviewed, verifiably secure blockchain protocol. “I’m very happy to be the first couturier designer that is launching an NFT in the Arab world and I am the first designer launching their NFT on Cardano,” says Kadi. On his decision to launch on Cardano, rather than competitor Ethereum, Kadi points out a number of factors. “First because the fees on Ethereum are quite high, second, Cardano is eco-friendly and sustainable for the environment and, third, because I see a lot of potential for growth on Cardano,” he says.

DUBAI/BEIRUT, (Reuters) – Two years into an economic meltdown the World Bank says is one of the worst recorded, Lebanon’s rulers have proposed a way to plug a huge hole in the financial system they were blamed for making: savers will foot most of the bill, not banks or the state. The plan, seen by Reuters, seeks to revive the moribund banking system by making depositors cover more than half the $69 billion gap, which is three times the size of Lebanon’s economy. It includes converting a large portion of dollar deposits to Lebanese pounds at rates that wipe out much of their value. The state, central bank and commercial banks will contribute $31 billion, or less than half. Agreement on a plan of action is vital for securing an International Monetary Fund bailout and setting the nation on the road to recovery. The new plan needs cabinet approval.

Till now, disputes between politicians and banks about the size of losses and who should pay have stalled any agreement. This latest plan still needs to convince the IMF. But ordinary Lebanese, many driven into poverty, will have little or no say. “It is the victim that has to bear most of the burden,” said Toufic Gaspard, an economist who has advised the IMF and Lebanese finance ministry. “Their logic is unacceptable by any standard of logic anywhere in the world.” Savers have faced ‘haircuts’ in other crises around the world, although small depositors are usually protected. Savers in Lebanon with less than $150,000 will have dollars preserved – amounting to about $25 billion – but, like other depositors, the money will be paid out over 15 years. They have already largely been frozen out of their accounts for two years. Yet the scale of Lebanon’s crisis, the worst since its 1975-1990 civil war, dwarfs most other global examples. Lebanese government debt was, by some estimates, an eyewatering 500% of gross domestic product in 2021, while the same sectarian leaders who ran the nation into trouble still wield influence now.

by thenationalnews.com — Vatican Foreign Minister Archbishop Paul Gallagher criticised Lebanon’s elite for exploiting problems in the country for their personal gain. ”Let there be an end to the few profiting of the suffering of many,” the archbishop said during a visit to Beirut. “No more letting half-truth continue to frustrate people’s aspirations,” he said […]

إنّ الكشف عن عشرات شبكات التجسس الإسرائيلية،التي عملت محلياً واقليميا على مراقبة القوى العسكرية وكذلك على مراقبة حزب الله والفصائل الفلسطينية، على يدّ شعبة المعلومات، بالأمس كما في العام ٢٠٠٩،  بالإضافة إلى الكشف عن شبكات الإرهاب وخلايا داعش تُثبت وتُؤكّد أن لا بديل عن الدولة والقوى الشرعية في امتلاك عناصر القوة وحصرية السلاح من أجل […]

BEIRUT (Reuters) – A decision by Lebanon’s leading Sunni Muslim politician to step back from politics and boycott a parliamentary election in May must not be used as an excuse to call for a delay, the Maronite Christian patriarch said on Sunday. Cardinal Bechara Boutros Al-Rai said he was surprised by three times-former prime minister Saad al-Hariri’s decision and said he hoped Sunnis would still take part so the election “expresses the position of all Lebanese”. “Given the importance of this parliamentary (election), we must all confront attempts to circumvent it,” Rai said, noting the new parliament would elect President Michel Aoun’s replacement. Referring to Hariri’s decision, he said “it is not allowed for some to invoke the new reality and promote the postponement of the parliamentary elections”. He did not say to whom he was referring.

Lebanon’s 2018 election produced a majority for the heavily armed, Iran-backed Shi’ite group Hezbollah and its allies, who include Aoun. Its adversaries hope to overturn this in May. Rai is a critic of Hezbollah https://www.reuters.com/world/lebanons-top-christian-cleric-criticizes-hezbollah-leaked-video-2021-04-01, saying it has harmed Lebanon by dragging it into regional conflicts. Hezbollah, designated a terrorist group by Washington, is part of an Iran-led alliance vying for regional influence with U.S.-allied Gulf Arab states. While none of Lebanon’s main parties have called for an election delay, many observers believe this may well suit a number of influential players, though not adversaries of Hezbollah, such as the Christian Lebanese Forces party. Western states want the vote to go ahead on time. Saad will leave a fractured Sunni community in his wake.