Avoiding Further Polarisation in Lebanon
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The Monthly-Issue113-DECEMBER 2011 English
PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS DRAFT LAW (2) COST OF LIVING INDEX LEBANON’S TELECOMMUNICATIONS December 2011 | SECTOR 113 THE MONTHLY INTERVIEWS iimonthly THE SPANISH AMBASSADOR TO www. .com # Published by Information International sal LEBANON JUAN CARLOS GAFO issue number THE STATE APPROPRIATES PRIVATE LAND AND SELLS ITS OWN Lebanon 5,000LL | Saudi Arabia 15SR | UAE 15DHR | Jordan 2JD| Syria 75SYP | Iraq 3,500IQD | Kuwait 1.5KD | Qatar 15QR | Bahrain 2BD | Oman 2OR | Yemen 15YRI | Egypt 10EP | Europe 5Euros INDEX 4 THE STATE APPROPRIATES PRIVATE LAND AND SELLS ITS OWN 7 PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS DRAFT LAW (2) 11 COST OF LIVING INDEX 12 CHARLES HELOU TERMINAL 15 LEBANON’S TELECOMMUNICATIONS SECTOR 17 MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT BUILDING 18 MINISTRY OF INDUSTRY 20 CLERGY IMMUNITY Page 28 Page 7 21 BEIRUT MUNICIPALITY WORKERS UNION 23 SAINT GEORGE SCHOOL- ZALKA 25 THE DEMENTIAS BY DR. HANNA SAADAH 26 A PARABLE ABOUT HUMANITY BY DR. SAMAR ZEBIAN 27 WHERE COULD THE SECRET OF LIFE BE FOUND? Page 12 BY ANTOINE BOUTROS 28 THE MONTHLY INTERVIEWS: THE SPANISH AMBASSADOR TO LEBANON JUAN CARLOS 41 SYRIAN ACCUSATIONS AGAINST FUTURE GAFO MOVEMENT 30 ARMENIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH 42 OCTOBER 2011 TIMELINE 32 HOW DOES ONE BECOME AN ARMENIAN 46 SHURA COUNCIL ELECTIONS IN THE ORTHODOX CLERGYMAN? SULTANATE OF OMAN 33 SAFADI FOUNDATION 47 REAL ESTATE PRICES IN LEBANON - OCTOBER 2011 35 POPULAR CULTURE 48 FOOD PRICES - OCTOBER 2011 36 MYTH #52: SIMILARITY OR OPPOSITION 50 OLIVE OIL 37 MUST-READ BOOKS: SEXUAL ENCOUNTERS IN THE MIDDLE EAST 50 BEIRUT RAFIC HARIRI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT - OCTOBER 2011 38 MUST-READ CHILDREN’S BOOK: “ENJOYS PLAYING” 51 THE MONTHLY’S RECEPTION 39 LEBANON FAMILIES: HAYMOUR FAMILIES 40 DISCOVER LEBANON: JAJ 3 | EDITORIAL NOUHAD’S REMAINS OR LEBANON’S Nouhad Nasser Eddine was unaware that a terrible person begging employment fate was awaiting her on the dawn of October 15, and hospitalization of his/her 2011 on the “so called” Byblos-Beirut highway “Zai’m”. -
Lebanon: Vigil Insight Economic and Political Situation Alert 18 June 2021
Lebanon: Vigil InSight Economic and Political Situation Alert 18 June 2021 Twenty nations agree to provide increased aid to “suffering and hungry” Lebanese army suggesting institutions are on the brink of collapse. KEY CONCERNS FOR AID AGENCIES WORKING IN LEBANON ● There is a SIGNIFICANT risk that continued public protests could evolve into food riots, and already rising crime will increase as low income groups struggle to feed themselves and many of the more powerful profit from the crisis. ● Traffic disruptions due to road closures have also been reported in Tripoli city. Road-blocking protests are LIKELY to continue in the near term and could escalate, especially after dark. Security forces may use tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse crowds and reopen obstructed roads. (see also Aid Security Risk in Lebanon) OVERVIEW Incidents Jan-Mar 2021 The Lebanese Army is asking for international aid. A French organised UN donor conference for the Lebanese army, held on 17 June (the same day as a general strike), drew promises of food, fuel, medical supplies, and spare parts from Western and Arab donors including the US. This follows army chief General Joseph Aoun’s March public complaint that troops were “suffering and hungry”, reiterated in a speech on 15 June. Western states see the army – which is widely respected across the political and religious divides – as a bulwark against Iranian-backed Hezbollah. General Aoun also criticised the country’s political leaders this week, saying “we are forced to turn to allied states to secure aid and I am ready to go to the end of the world to procure assistance”. -
Protest and State–Society Relations in the Middle East and North Africa
SIPRI Policy Paper PROTEST AND STATE– 56 SOCIETY RELATIONS IN October 2020 THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA dylan o’driscoll, amal bourhrous, meray maddah and shivan fazil STOCKHOLM INTERNATIONAL PEACE RESEARCH INSTITUTE SIPRI is an independent international institute dedicated to research into conflict, armaments, arms control and disarmament. Established in 1966, SIPRI provides data, analysis and recommendations, based on open sources, to policymakers, researchers, media and the interested public. The Governing Board is not responsible for the views expressed in the publications of the Institute. GOVERNING BOARD Ambassador Jan Eliasson, Chair (Sweden) Dr Vladimir Baranovsky (Russia) Espen Barth Eide (Norway) Jean-Marie Guéhenno (France) Dr Radha Kumar (India) Ambassador Ramtane Lamamra (Algeria) Dr Patricia Lewis (Ireland/United Kingdom) Dr Jessica Tuchman Mathews (United States) DIRECTOR Dan Smith (United Kingdom) Signalistgatan 9 SE-169 72 Solna, Sweden Telephone: + 46 8 655 9700 Email: [email protected] Internet: www.sipri.org Protest and State– Society Relations in the Middle East and North Africa SIPRI Policy Paper No. 56 dylan o’driscoll, amal bourhrous, meray maddah and shivan fazil October 2020 © SIPRI 2020 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of SIPRI or as expressly permitted by law. Contents Preface v Acknowledgements vi Summary vii Abbreviations ix 1. Introduction 1 Figure 1.1. Classification of countries in the Middle East and North Africa by 2 protest intensity 2. State–society relations in the Middle East and North Africa 5 Mass protests 5 Sporadic protests 16 Scarce protests 31 Highly suppressed protests 37 Figure 2.1. -
American University of Beirut Hizballah
AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF BEIRUT HIZBALLAH: THE SURVIVAL OF GROWTH by MARCUS BURKE HALLINAN A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts to the Department of Political Studies and Public Administration of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at the American University of Beirut Beirut, Lebanon July 2016 AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF BEIRUT THESIS, DISSERTATION, PROJECT RELEASE FORM Student Name: Hallinan Marcus Burke Last First Middle Master’s Thesis Master’s Project Doctoral Dissertation I authorize the American University of Beirut to: (a) reproduce hard or electronic copies of my thesis, dissertation, or project; (b) include such copies in the archives and digital repositories of the University; and (c) make freely available such copies to third parties for research or educational purposes. I authorize the American University of Beirut, three years after the date of submitting my thesis, dissertation, or project, to: (a) reproduce hard or electronic copies of it; (b) include such copies in the archives and digital repositories of the University; and (c) make freely available such copies to third parties for research or educational purposes. __________________________________________________ Signature Date ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I first would like to thank my family, my mother, Kelly, father, Gerald, Jesse, Emily, Lola and Cali, who had been supportive of this life changing decision to attend the American University of Beirut in 2013. I could not have done it without you. Thank you and I love you. I would also like to thank Catherine Batruni for the countless proof readings of this paper, responding to my endless questions and for being a truly great friend. -
2020 World Leaders: a Pronunciation Guide
PRIMER Published September 17, 2020 • Updated February 9, 2021 • 12 minute read 2020 World Leaders: A Pronunciation Guide Pat Shilo Executive Coordinator @Pat_Shilo This guide lists the names, titles, and pronunciations of a wide range of foreign leaders from around the world. This is not a comprehensive list; it particularly includes countries that are critically important to US national security and foreign policy. The names and titles are from the CIA World Fact Book and recent media sources. Foreign leaders for each country are listed in descending order of potential engagement with US policymakers. Pronunciations are based primarily on Voice of America’s pronunciation guide. Upcoming election information has also been included for positions with scheduled elections. Africa Algeria Head of State: President Abdelmadjid Tebboune @TebbouneAmadjid (ab-dahl-mah-JEED teh-BOON) Since: December 12, 2019 Democratic Republic of Congo Head of State: President Felix Tshisekedi (fee-LIKS chee-seh-KEH-dee) Since: January 25, 2019 Next Election: December 2023 Djibouti Head of State: President Ismail Omar Guelleh @IsmailOguelleh (HIHS-mah-ihl OH-mahr GEH-leh) Since: May 8, 1999 Next Election: April 2021 Head of Government: Prime Minister Abdoulkader Kamil Mohamed (Ab-dool-kaw-der Kah-meel moh-HAH-mehd) Since: April 1, 2013 Appointed by the president Egypt Head of State: President Abdel Fattah el-sisi @AlsisiOcial (AHB-dehl FAH-tah ah-SEE-see) Since: June 8, 2014 Next Election: March 2024 Head of Government: Prime Minister Dr. Mostafa Madbouly (mohs-tah-fah -
Weakened by Showdown with US, Iran Faces Outcry Over Plane Downing
UK £2 Issue 239, Year 5 EU €2.50 January 12, 2020 www.thearabweekly.com Lebanon’s Five years after Tunisian parliament faltering Charlie Hebdo deals stinging blow tourism sector massacre to Islamists Page 21 Page 19 Page 5 Weakened by showdown with US, After Sultan Qaboos dies, Iran faces outcry over plane downing first Omani Iranians are unlikely to quietly accept their government’s responsibility in the catastrophe Thomas Seibert transition in Istanbul 50 years fter a roller-coaster week Mohammed Alkhereiji that saw the assassina- tion of a top Iranian gen- A eral by the United States, London an Iranian calculated retaliation against US troops in Iraq, attempts he death of Sultan Qaboos at de-escalation and the death of bin Said Al Said, the region’s 176 people in a plane crash caused longest-ruling monarch, at by an Iranian missile, the regime in T the age of 79, ushered in the Tehran finds itself embattled and first Omani leadership transition in weakened both internationally and nearly 50 years. at home. Sultan Qaboos, who died January It was embroiled in a major new 10, was rumoured to have been suf- domestic and international crisis af- fering from cancer for several years ter it had to admit January 11 that it and his health took a turn for the had downed a Ukrainian passenger worse last year, sparking rumours of jet earlier in the week. an imminent succession. The killing of Qassem Soleimani, Ending years of speculation over the head of Iran’s al-Quds Force, who would succeed Qaboos, who January 3 in Baghdad, was a major was unmarried and had no heirs, the blow to the Iranian regime but its Omani government announced that leaders sought to capitalise on the Culture Minister Haitham bin Tariq event, which triggered an outpour- Al Said, a cousin of the late sultan’s, ing of grief that saw thousands of would be the new sultan of the Gulf Iranians attend funeral ceremonies. -
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MENU Policy Analysis / Articles & Op-Eds Hezbollah Finances: Funding the Party of God by Matthew Levitt Feb 13, 2005 ABOUT THE AUTHORS Matthew Levitt Matthew Levitt is the Fromer-Wexler Fellow and director of the Reinhard Program on Counterterrorism and Intelligence at The Washington Institute. Articles & Testimony atthew Levitt contributed this paper to the project "Terrorism Financing and State Responses in M Comparative Perspective," sponsored by the Center for Homeland Defense and Security at the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California. This paper and others were published in March 2007 in Terrorism Financing and State Responses: a Comparative Perspective, edited by Jeanne Giraldo and Harold Trinkunas. Introduction It is a painful reality that no counterterrorism technique or effort, however extensive, international, or comprehensive, will put an end to terror attacks or uproot terrorism. There will always be people and groups with entrenched causes, an overwhelming sense of frustration, a self-justifying worldview, and a healthy dose of evil, who will resort to violence as a means of expression. The goal of counterterrorism, therefore, should be to constrict the environment so that it is increasingly difficult for terrorists to carry out their plots of destruction and death -- making it harder for terrorists to operate at every level, such as conducting operations, procuring and transferring false documents, ferrying fugitives from one place to another, and financing, laundering, and transferring funds. This includes cracking down not only on operational cells, but on their logistical and financial support networks as well. In fact, one can so constrict a terrorist group's operating environment that it will eventually suffocate. -
A Hezbollah Foundation Intended to Inculcate Jihad and the Shaheed Culture Within Shiite Society in Lebanon
רמה כ ז מל ו תשר מה ו ד י ע י ן למ( )מ" כרמ ז מה י עד מל ו ד י ע י ן ול רט ו ר רמה כ ז מל ו תשר מה ו ד י ע י ן ( למ מ" ) כרמ ז מה י עד מל ו ד י ע י ן ול רט ו ר רמה כ ז מל ו תשר מה ו ד י ע י ן ( למ מ" ) כרמ ז מה י עד מל ו ד י ע י ן ול רט ו ר רמה כ ז מל ו תשר מה ו ד י ע י ן ( למ מ" ) כרמ ז מה י עד מל ו ד י ע י ן ול רט ו ר The Association for the Revival of Resistance Legacy: A Hezbollah foundation intended to inculcate jihad and the shaheed culture within Shiite society in Lebanon March 12, 2020 Overview An important component in building the so-called resistance society is the inculcation of the values of jihad and shahada (heroic death for the sake of Allah) among the Shiite population in general and the younger generation in particular. An examination of Hezbollah’s civilian institutions revealed that they are also engaged in cultivating the shaheed culture, each in its own way and according to its field of specialization (education, culture, art, youth organizations, etc.). In addition, Hezbollah established a designated foundation named the Association for the Revival of Resistance Legacy, whose activity is dedicated to the promotion of shaheed culture. The Association for the Revival of Resistance Legacy (hereinafter: the association) is engaged in a wide variety of activities: publishing books on the lives of shaheeds; disseminating shaheeds’ wills and pictures and stories on their lives on social media; establishing museums; setting up monuments; promoting jihadi “tourism sites;” holding exhibitions and seminars; and operating a center dedicated to keeping shaheeds’ belongings and documenting their lives, in Beirut's southern suburb. -
Reform, Recovery and Reconstruction Framework First Consultative Group Meeting: Co-Chairs' Summary 31 March 2021
Reform, Recovery and Reconstruction Framework First Consultative Group Meeting: Co-chairs' Summary 31 March 2021 1. The first Consultative Group (CG) meeting of the Reform, Recovery and Reconstruction Framework (3RF) took place on 31 March 2021 in virtual format. In accordance with the institutional arrangements of the 3RF, the meeting was co-chaired by the Government of Lebanon, Lebanese civil society, European Union (EU) and United Nations (UN). 2. Building on the 3RF, developed by the EU, UN and World Bank Group in December 2020 in consultation with the Government, civil society and the private sector, the members of the Consultative Group discussed the urgent needs of the population affected by the Port of Beirut explosion within the context of a deepening political and economic crisis, increased poverty and worsening food security, all exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. 3. Beyond the loss of life and many injuries, as well as the widespread physical damage and the loss of income, the members of the Consultative Group recognized the fact that the Beirut port explosion has deepened the crisis. 4. Members of the Consultative Group emphasized the need and urgency to assume responsibility to promote and support recovery and reconstruction in response to the Port of Beirut explosion, and to ensure effective coordination between different levels of government and the range of other stakeholders. 5. The Consultative Group underlined the importance of the 3RF guiding principles of inclusion and leaving no one behind; gender equality and women’s empowerment; transparency and accountability, including anti-corruption and justice; sustainable livelihoods for the impacted communities, and a green recovery. -
Executive Database 10 September 2020 Nb
EXECUTIVE DATABASE 10 SEPTEMBER 2020 NB: THIS DATABASE IS BASED ON INFORMATION RECEIVED FROM SA MISSIONS POLITICAL DESKS FOREIGN MISSIONS COUNTRY HEAD OF STATE DATE OF HEAD OF GOVERNMENT DATE OF MINISTER OF FOREIGN CAPITAL CITY INAUGURATION (PRIME MINISTER) APPOINTMENT AFFAIRS African Union HE Mr Matamela Cyril 12/02/2020 HE Mr Moussa Faki 14/03/2017 Addis Ababa (AU) Ramaphosa Mahamat Chairperson Chairperson of the African Union Commission0 Islamic Republic HE Mr Ashraf Ghani 29/09/2014 Chief Executive 29/09/2014 HE Haroon Kabul of Afghanistan Chakhansuri (acting) President Mr Abdullah Abdullah Minister of Foreign Affairs 23/01/2020 Republic of HE Mr Ilir Rexhep Metaj 24/07/2017 HE Mr Edi Rama 15/09/2013 HE Mr Edi Rama Tirana Albania President Prime Minister Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs 21/01/2019 Gent Cakaj Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs (with full responsibility as a Minister) 22/01/2019 Democratic HE Mr Abdelmadjid Tebboune 19/12/2019 HE Mr Abdelaziz Djerad 28/12/2019 HE Ms Sabri Boukadoum Algiers People’s President Prime Minister presiding Minister of Foreign Affairs Republic of over the Council of and International Algeria Ministers Cooperation Head of Government 02/04/2019 Principality of HE Bishop Joan Enric VIVES I 16/05/2019 HE Mr Xavier Espot 17/07/2017 HE Mrs Maria Ubach Font Andorra La Andorra SICILIA Zamora Vella Minister of Foreign Affairs (Co-Prince of Andorra) Prime Minister (Letters to each HE Mr Emmanuel Macron Co-Prince) (Co-Prince of Andorra) Republic of HE Mr João Manuel 26/09/2017 HOS is -
Commentaries
Commentaries Can Lebanon Be Saved? Only if Citizens Reinvent Their Society and Avoid a New Civil War Joseph A. Kéchichian Ugly sectarianism returned to Lebanon in early June after the wounding of dozens of protesters who were demanding basic rights, meaningful political and economic reforms, and full-scale accountability in a country where successive leaders had failed to tackle any problem, no matter how trivial. For at least three decades, if not longer, Lebanese politicians routinely vandalized the land, tolerated the rise of a militia that threatened citizens, and demanded that those who were not satisfied emigrate on a more or less permanent basis. The future was bleak, with few prospects for meaningful political or socioeconomic reform. What was the message that Hizballah and Amal, the two leading Shi‘ah parties, wished to telegraph to the rest of Lebanon’s population after the June 6, 2020, protests? Were the Shi‘ah marchers, who flew Hizballah and Amal Movement flags and chanted “Shi‘ah, Shi‘ah, Shi‘ah” in what was a cry of defiance, anxious to topple the constitution? Why were security forces, whose riot units fired teargas at Martyrs Square in downtown Beirut and in Ayn al-Rimanih, a troubled section of the capital city where the 1975–1990 war had started, selective in their responses to confront demonstrators? Was Lebanon on the verge of a new civil war, and were there peaceful alternatives to either reinventing Lebanese society or, according to a scenario that was not far-fetched, were Sunni Muslims and Christians being invited to emigrate at their earliest opportunity, as various social media outlets invited them to? A New Civil War? Lebanon’s current socioeconomic ordeals, which arose from a combination of poor representation, corruption, and economic stagnation, started long before the October 17, 2019, uprisings that shook the Can Lebanon Be Saved? Commentaries Only if Citizens Reinvent Their Society and Avoid a New Civil War 1 ruling establishment. -
The Case of Hezbollah in Lebanon by Mohamad Ibrahim BA, Lebanese
Survival through restrained institutionalization: The case of Hezbollah in Lebanon by Mohamad Ibrahim B.A., Lebanese American University, 2017 A THESIS submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree MASTER OF ARTS Department of Security Studies College of Arts and Sciences KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY Manhattan, Kansas 2019 Approved by: Major Professor Dr. Carla Martinez-Machain Copyright © Mohamad Ibrahim 2019. Abstract This thesis is an in-depth exploration of the evolving nature of domestic strategies adopted by Lebanon’s Hezbollah since its foundation in 1985 until the contemporary time. Based on Joel Migdal’s contributions to the literature on state-society relations, and Samuel Huntington’s understanding of institutionalization, it seeks to highlight and explain important transformations in Hezbollah’s political program, its sustained acquisition of arms, its social mobilization strategy, and its sensitive relationship with a de jure sovereign yet de facto weak Lebanese consociational system. The study proposes an explanation that combines Hezbollah’s ability to take advantage of the segmental autonomy that characterizes the power-sharing arrangements governing the Lebanese political system, and the overall existing political opportunity structure. The core argument is that Hezbollah has been able to become a powerful non-state actor through a process of restrained institutionalization which takes into consideration the need to sustain popular support on one hand, and the sensitive intricacies of Lebanon’s consociational system on the other hand. In other words, Hezbollah has invested its capacities in a way that maximizes its power in the existing political system, while remaining institutionally autonomous to a relative extent from it, and therefore becoming able to pursue its independent interests.