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Lebanese activist famed for kicking ministerial bodyguard in groin to face court

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by middleeasteye.net -- An activist who became an icon after kicking a bodyguard of a Lebanese minister in the groin, has been told she will face trial in November. During demonstrations that erupted across Lebanon on 17 October last year, Malak Alawiye kicked the gun-wielding bodyguard of Education Minister Akram Chehayeb to prevent him from firing on protesters. The incident was caught on camera and the footage went viral on social media, with supporters of the demonstrators rallying around Alawiye. A judicial source told AFP that Alawiye was summoned to a military court on Wednesday, where she was told she will face trial in November for bodily harm and insulting the security forces.

The protest movement was ignited in October by a tax on voice calls made with WhatsApp and other messaging apps. It has since grown into the biggest challenge yet to a patriarchal, sectarian and nepotistic political system that has governed the country for decades. Earlier this month, Human Rights Watch criticised Lebanon for resorting to military courts to try several other civilians involved in the protest movement. "Military courts have no business trying civilians," the watchdog said in a statement. "Lebanon's parliament should end this troubling practice by passing a law to remove civilians from the military court's jurisdiction entirely."

Bahaa Hariri Breaks Silence in Rare Statement

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by Naharnet -- Lebanese-Saudi billionaire Bahaa Hariri, the eldest son of slain ex-PM Rafik Hariri, issued a rare statement Tuesday in which he denied playing behind-the-scenes roles in Lebanon’s troubled political life. “For a while now, Lebanese media outlets have been circulating news related to Sheikh Bahaeddine Hariri that have nothing to do with reality, following 15 years of intentional silence on his side, during which he stayed away from Lebanon and did not even exploit his commercial projects for personal or political marketing,” the statement said. It noted that Bahaa’s visit to Saudi Arabia in 2017 was made at an invitation from the Saudi leadership. “Anyone who gets invited by the kingdom meets the invitation, except for its enemies from the Iranian militias and their cronies,” the statement added.

As for reports that he sent an envoy to Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat in November 2017, Hariri’s statement clarified the ambiguity. “In fact Jumblat communicated with Sheikh Bahaa Hariri via WhatsApp and spoke of threats facing the country, most importantly his speculation that the Israeli entity would launch a destructive war on Lebanon and the region. Accordingly, an agreement was reached on a meeting between him and an envoy dispatched by Sheikh Bahaeddine Hariri and this is what happened,” the statement said. Turning to Bahaa Hariri’s relation with ex-minister Ashraf Rifi, the statement said the Lebanese-Saudi billionaire sent him armored cars “after his security was exposed by the ruling authorities at the time,” noting that Rifi and his team had “unveiled the killer of his father, Martyr Premier Rafik Hariri, according to the report of the United Nations International Independent Investigation Commission.” “They did not engage in any communication after that,” the statement added.

IMF begins talks with Lebanese officials in effort to resolve nation’s financial crisis

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by arabnews.com - NAJIA HOUSSARI - BEIRUT: Meetings between Lebanese officials and a delegation from the International Monetary Fund began on Tuesday in an attempt to find a solution to the nation’s financial crisis. Lebanon asked the IMF six days ago for help to develop an economic rescue plan in light of a $1.2billion Eurobond debt that is due for repayment on March 9. It is the first of three looming debts due between now and June, worth $2.5bn in total, plus an additional $2bn in interest on a $30 billion debt portfolio.

The participants in the meetings will include Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab, central bank Governor Riad Salameh and representatives of the Banking Control Commission of Lebanon. “Lebanon’s economic and financial crisis is being addressed to mitigate its repercussions,” President Michel Aoun told the UK’s Senior Defense Adviser for Middle Eastern Affairs, Lt. Gen. Sir John Lorimer. “The IMF will provide its technical expertise in setting up a plan. “The unstable situation in several Middle Eastern countries in general, and in Syria in particular, has negatively affected Lebanon.” Amal Movement MP Yassin Jaber said: “Lebanon will wait for what the IMF delegation has to say. It will advise Lebanon and will not impose anything. It will then be up to the 20-minister cabinet to decide whether or not to take the advice.” The economic uncertainty has caused chaos in the money markets, and anger at what many see as profiteering by the banks and money changers. They have hiked the exchange rate against the dollar to 2,500 Lebanese pounds, even though the official exchange rate remains at 1,507, and in defiance of an agreement to limit the rate to 2,000 pounds. “The banks’ practices are a form of systematic fraud. They are confiscating the depositors’ money after having (imposed) high interest rates and reaped huge profits,” said MP Mohammad Kabbara.

Snubbed by Gulf, Lebanon's PM Diab hosts Iranian official

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Snubbed by Gulf, Lebanon's PM Diab hosts Iranian official

by reuters --- BEIRUT: Lebanon’s Prime Minister Hassan Diab, who is getting the cold shoulder from Gulf Arab states, yesterday met Iran’s parliament speaker, the first senior foreign official to visit since Diab’s government took office. The heavily armed Hezbollah, an ally of Iran, is a main backer of Diab’s cabinet, which took office last month after efforts failed to strike a deal with Saad Al-Hariri, a traditional Western ally. Gulf Arab states had long channeled funds into Lebanon. But now, alarmed by the rising influence of Hezbollah, Lebanon’s rich neighbors appear loathe to help it out of an unprecedented economic and financial crisis. The crisis came to a head last year as slowing capital inflows led to a liquidity crunch and protests erupted against the ruling elite. Banks are curbing access to cash, the Lebanese pound has slumped, inflation has spiked and firms are shedding jobs. Foreign donors say they will only help once Lebanon enacts long-delayed reforms. Analysts say Hezbollah’s role in forming Lebanon’s new cabinet could make it harder to get aid from Western and Gulf states that are worried about Tehran’s clout in the region. Diab has said his first trip abroad would be to the Arab region, particularly the Gulf monarchies. But none of them have officially commented on the government nor extended public invitations to Diab. An Arab diplomat in the Gulf said only Qatar had invited Diab to visit so far. “No other government in the Gulf will invite him,” the diplomat said. Qatar did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether it had sent an invitation.

Lebanese Mossad agent fears deportation to Lebanon: report

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by dailystar.com.lb -- BEIRUT: An Israeli online newspaper reported Monday that a Lebanese man, who worked for the Israeli Mossad, fears deportation to Lebanon, claiming that Israel refuses to help him. The Times of Israel says that Benjamin Philip-not his real name- worked for the Mossad since 2011, during which time he helped gather information on Lebanon’s Hezbollah. While the paper does not give his current whereabouts, it says Philip is seeking asylum in Europe.“However, if this [asylum] fails [...] it appears he will be sent back to Lebanon,” the report said. He said that if deported, he will face years of imprisonment, “a scenario that he, a gay man, cannot accept, knowing that such a sentence in a Lebanese prison would mean rape and torture,” the paper said. Philip added that his decision to go public with his story came “out of a sense of desperation, hoping — as a last-ditch effort — that by making his case public, he could pressure Israel and the Mossad to help him, as he says they promised to do.”

Lebanon airline scraps plan to accept only US dollars amid backlash

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by middleeasteye.net -- Lebanon's state-owned carrier Middle East Airlines (MEA) revoked a decision to accept payment only in US dollars after a backlash on Sunday, Lebanese media said. The country is in the throes of an economic meltdown and a biting liquidity crunch that has seen the local currency depreciate and banks impose stringent controls on withdrawals and transfers abroad, AFP said. News of the decision, which was first reported late Saturday, drew dozens of people to MEA's ticket office at Beirut airport where they tried to buy tickets in Lebanese pounds before the decision was due to take effect on Monday, Reuters reported. Former foreign minister Gebran Bassil declared the decision illegal. Writing on Twitter, parliamentarian Fouad Makhzoumi said the move put the Lebanese under effective "house arrest" and must be cancelled. President Michel Aoun said airfares should be priced in Lebanese pounds in line with the law.

It's not too late for Lebanon: A view from the ground

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It's not too late for Lebanon: A view from the ground

by thehill.com -- John Craig is former U.S. Ambassador --Lebanon today can be likened to a bus without brakes, its driver hurtling toward a brick wall. One can see the impending collapse of the country’s economy and national currency, a perfect storm that’s been in the making for at least ten years. However, the passengers on this bus — the Lebanese people — are not sitting idly by. They have risen up against those who drove Lebanon toward its collapse, and many have abandoned it midway, taking from the country all they could carry. The Transatlantic Leadership Network held a conference earlier this month at the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington D.C. dedicated to Lebanon’s turmoil. All-star experts gathered in an effort to discuss best ways forward. One was one of the most reputable members of Lebanon’s parliament: Neemat Frem.

Frem left the comfort zone of a successful 25 years in the private business sector to run for parliament. After winning the seat, he began his public service with a simple question that ended up demonstrating the gravity of problems in Lebanon: How many paid employees were there in Lebanon’s public sector? Frem could not obtain the answer from anyone. Frem instructed the Central Audit Bureau to his parliamentary committee, officially requesting a bottom-up audit of all 150 governmental departments and directorates. The report displayed stunning results: Lebanon’s public sector workforce stands at 256,000 employees and 100,000 retirees — out of a total Lebanese workforce of 1.2 million. Almost a third of the country’s workforce was on the public sector payroll.