(2020-08-16). Lebanon: Pearl on the New Silk Road or Zone of Dark Age Chaos. strategic-culture.org 
Many voices have been quick to enter the chorus of commentators hypothesizing the manifold possible causes of the devastating explosions which occurred on the afternoon of August 4 in Beirut which has led to mass anarchy and the surprising While I have no great novel contribution to offer in that growing array of hypotheses (which are slowly turning into noise), I would like to share an insight which addresses a too-often-overlooked aspect of the role of…
(2020-08-16). Video: Israeli-UAE Peace Deal Marks Tectonic Shift in Middle Eastern Balance of Power. globalresearch.ca The Middle East is on the brink of the new tectonic shift in the regional balance of power. The previous years were marked by the growth of the Iranian and Hezbollah influence and the decrease of the US grip on …
(2020-08-16). Real Life Heroes: delivering aid under fire. news.un.org Working from a field office in Yemen, Sonia Almassad ensures that UN relief aid reaches those who need it, in the war-torn country. She was previously posted in her home country, Syria, where she negotiated with armed groups on both sides of the conflict, sometimes at great personal risk.
(2020-08-16). History will record such betrayal to Palestinians: envoy. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 16 (MNA) — Referring to UAE-Israeli tie normalization, Iranian Ambassador to Islamabad Seyyed Mohammad Ali Hosseini said that history will record such betrayal to Palestinians.
(2020-08-16). Tehran-Vienna flights resumed on Sat. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 16 (MNA) — Abbas Bagherpour, the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Austria, announced on Saturday the resumption of flights from Tehran to Vienna by Iran Air.
(2020-08-16). Ghalibaf congrats Lebanon victory in 33-day war anniversary. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 16 (MNA) — In messages to his Lebanese counterpart and Secretary General of Hezbollah Resistance Movement, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf offered congratulations on the anniv. of Lebanon victory in the 33-day war.
(2020-08-16). Beirut Explosion: It Is Late, But It Is Early Morning If We Insist. popularresistance.org Nothing happens in Beirut and Lebanon that is transparent; plots of all kinds unravel against the ordinary hopes of the population. After the deadly explosion, it was impossible to imagine that the most reasonable explanation would be accepted. Rumors flew around, except the rumors did not have their impact. It was clear to the people that this time — unlike so many times previously — it was their own political system that had to be held accountable for the enormous explosion, which came in the midst of a pandemic, a currency and economic crisis, and a long-standing and unresolved political quagmire.
(2020-08-16). US Sanctions Are Strangling A Lebanon In Crisis. popularresistance.org The Lebanese econ ≠o ≠my crashed into the equiv ≠a ≠lent of a brick wall some ≠time in the last few months of 2019. The Lebanese pound (or lira), which was pegged to the dol ≠lar and appeared to be sta ≠ble for well over two decades, start ≠ed to decline at a rate that threat ≠ened the com ≠plete col ≠lapse of the econ ≠o ≠my. In the mean ≠time, the Trump admin ≠is ≠tra ≠tion had been busy build ≠ing a "Great Wall" of sanc ≠tions around Lebanon, even as the coun ≠try as a whole was drown ≠ing in a moun ≠tain of debt. | The firs…
(2020-08-15). [World Report] Lebanon faces humanitarian emergency after blast. thelancet.com The explosion in Beirut is further straining the health system and food supplies, as well as risking the country's COVID-19 response. Sharmila Devi reports.
(2020-08-15). Lebanon will get US financial aid after blast only if it conducts 'systemic reforms' — official. rt.com 
The US and its "international partners" will offer financial aid to Lebanon, which is struggling to deal with the economic fallout of the massive port blast — but only if it commits to "real change," a senior US official said. | US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, David Hale laid out Washington's conditions for aid as he spoke in Beirut on Saturday. The senior diplomat was on a three-day trip to the Lebanese capital. | "When we see Lebanese leaders committed to real change, change in word and deed, America and its international partners will respond to systemic reforms with sustained finan…
(2020-08-15). How The US Helped Push Lebanon To The Brink Of Collapse. popularresistance.org As the people of Lebanon suffer through one of the worst economic crises in their nation's conflict-ridden history, the Donald Trump administration is exploiting the disaster to force regime change and weaken Lebanese resistance groups. | A massive explosion on August 4 devastated Lebanon's capital Beirut, killing more than 150 people, wounding thousands, leaving hundreds of thousands homeless, and ravaging a sizable chunk of the city. | The massive blast also destroyed Lebanon's most important port, where 80 percent of food was imported into the country.
(2020-08-15). Lebanon's oligarchs and imperialist backers seek to exploit outrage over Beirut port blast. wsws.org Amid mass anger over the port explosion, a campaign against Hezbollah is bound up with the US aggression against Iran.
(2020-08-15). Turkey, Syria, and the Kurds. zcomm.org For over two decades, Kurdish leader Abdullah àñcalan has been held in the Turkish prison on ƒ∞mralƒ± Island. In this op-ed for Jacobin, he calls for a "democratic nation project" able to unite citizens of different ethnic backgrounds and cultural traditions.
(2020-08-15). Dissecting the Beirut coverup: Ammonium nitrate not explosive and Lebanon was nuked before. thealtworld.com We start with the text below in response to a RT cleaned this off, which reports the Israeli bombers at 30 seconds onward: | We also burn Rick Sanchez as a fake anti-Zionst who went to RT because of equally fake media prosecution. We recognize the "OP…
(2020-08-15). Rouhani meets with new Iranian envoys. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 15 (MNA) — Iran's new ambassadors to six countries met with President Hassan Rouhani in Tehran before embarking on their new missions.
(2020-08-15). Russia showed its seriousness on defending intl. law: envoy. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 15 (MNA) — Iranian Ambassador to Moscow Kazem Jalali said that Russia's vote against the unprincipled and destructive US resolution shows its determination to uphold international law and oppose unilateralism.
(2020-08-15). US should thank Dominican for saving it from total isolation. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 15 (MNA) — Referring to the failure of US bid to extend an arms embargo on Iran, Ambassador to Pakistan Seyyed Mohammad Ali Hosseini said that the US should be so thankful of the Dominican Republic that saved it from total isolation.
(2020-08-15). Real Life Heroes: the Syrian film-maker cleaning COVID wards in the UK. news.un.org Hassan Akkad, an award-winning Syrian film-maker, fled the war in his country four years ago and now lives as a refugee in the United Kingdom. Following the outbreak of COVID-19, he decided to help those affected by the pandemic, by becoming a cleaner at a London hospital.
(2020-08-14). Beirut blast death toll rises to 178, with 30 still missing. thecanary.co 
The death toll from last week's massive explosion in Lebanon's capital has risen to nearly 180. An estimated 6,000 people were injured and at least 30 are missing, the United Nations (UN) said on Friday 14 August.The explosion has affected operations at six hospitals, up from an initial three, and damaged more than 20 clinics in the parts of Beirut worst hit by the blast, the UN's humanitarian affairs agency said in a report. The report said: A preliminary rapid assessment within a 15-kilometre radius of the explosions has revealed that, out of 55 medical facilities, only half are fully operational and around 40%…
(2020-08-14). UK must 'stop demonising people and consider its own role' in the refugee crisis, campaigners say. thecanary.co The UK must stop "demonising" refugees and consider its own role in creating the circumstances they are escaping from, campaigners say. | Many refugees have risked their lives to reach the UK this year by crossing the English Channel in everything from kayaks to a paddling pool. | The list of countries they hail from is diverse, but many have left nations wracked by conflicts the UK has played a part in. | Places like Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and Libya have all seen direct British military involvement. | Meanwhile, a small number of migrants have been seen coming from Yemen. It is suffering the worst humanitarian…
(2020-08-14). Lebanon: Beirut Blast Victims Call for International Enquiry. telesurenglish.net In Lebanon, the victims of the Beirut Blast called for an international investigation into what happened at the capital's port on August 4. They demand that those responsible for the explosion be charged with crimes against humanity. | RELATED: | "The victims of the massacre are asking for support from the international community to achieve justice and truth through an international trial and investigation," lawyer Nada Abdelsater said, str…
(2020-08-14). Disaster in Lebanon seen as 'opportunity' by U.S. & Israel. liberationnews.org 
What the people of Lebanon need now is solidarity and an immediate and massive aid effort, proportionate to the damage done, and given to all without political strings.
(2020-08-14). It is late, but it is early morning if we insist a little. mronline.org 
Nothing happens in Beirut and Lebanon that is transparent; plots of all kinds unravel against the ordinary hopes of the population.
(2020-08-14). The Politics of War: What is Israel's Endgame in Lebanon and Syria? counterpunch.org 
On August 4, hours before a massive explosion rocked the Lebanese capital, Beirut, Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, issued an ominous warning to Lebanon. "We hit a cell and now we hit the dispatchers. I suggest to all of them, including Hezbollah, to consider this," Netanyahu said during an official tour of a military facility
(2020-08-14). Turkey may suspend ties with UAE, withdraw ambassasdor. yenisafak.com After the United Arab Emirates' controversial deal to normalize ties with Israel, Turkey may downgrade its relations with the UAE, Turkey's president has said."We may take steps to suspend diplomatic ties with the UAE or withdraw our ambassador," Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters in Istanbul after Friday prayers.On Israel, Erdogan called its recent solidarity with Egypt and Greece and steps towards Palestine unacceptable.In signing a maritime pact last week, Athens and Cairo continued efforts to box in Ankara's territory in the Mediterranean based on small islands near Turkish shores, violating the interests of…
(2020-08-14). 'Fidel Lives in Those Saved by Cuban Doctors' Ambassador Says. telesurenglish.net Cuba's Ambassador to Canada Josefina Vidal took part in a virtual conference on the legacy of Fidel Castro, the leader of the Cuban revolution, which was held on the occasion of the 94th anniversary of his birth. | RELATED: | "Fidel Castro is still alive in each of the lives that our doctors save. He is alive in any corner of the world where people say 'Thank you Cuba'," Vidal said. | When the world is going through the COVI…
(2020-08-14). US claims seizure of oil supplies bound for Venezuela, Iran contests claim. peoplesdispatch.org Iranian ambassador to Venezuela stated that the US claims of seizure of ships belonging to Iran was false and an attempt at "psychological warfare"
(2020-08-14). Battleground Beirut: Western Colony or Back to the East? globalresearch.ca This article was originally published on As much as Covid-19 has been instrumentalized by the 0.001% to social engineer a Great Reset, the Beirut tragedy is already being instrumentalized by the usual suspects to keep Lebanon enslaved….
(2020-08-14). UN and partners launch $565 million appeal for Lebanon. news.un.org The UN and aid partners are seeking $565 million to address the overwhelming needs in Lebanon following the deadly explosions that flattened large areas of the capital, Beirut, nearly two weeks ago.
(2020-08-14). Trump already milked PG states to serve his Israeli friend BB. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 14 (MNA) — Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah Secretary-General, said that US President Donald Trump has already milked some of the Persian Gulf states to serve his Israeli friend Benjamin Netanyahu.
(2020-08-14). UAE-Israel Deal: How Breakthrough Agreement Could Help Keep Netanyahu in Power. sputniknews.com While the deal between Israel and the UAE has received mixed reaction, with Palestinians recalling their ambassador and Turkey threatening to follow suit, experts say that it is only a matter of time until more countries join the chorus for peace.
(2020-08-14). Further Escalating Tensions, Trump Administration Seizes Alleged Iranian Fuel Bound for Venezuela. commondreams.org Iran's ambassador to Venezuela, Hojad Soltani, said that neither the ships nor their owners are Iranian but did not address whether the gasoline came from his country. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/bella_1.jpg …
(2020-08-13). How the US helped push Lebanon to the brink of collapse, and now threatens more sanctions. thegrayzone.com While the media blames the crisis in Lebanon solely on corruption, the US government unleashed a "maximum pressure" campaign to…
(2020-08-13). Palestine recalls ambassador from UAE after it establishes diplomatic ties with Israel. rt.com 
The Palestinian ambassador to the UAE is being recalled over Abu Dhabi's decision to establish diplomatic ties with Israel, which Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has called "treason." | The ambassador was recalled from Abu Dhabi on Thursday in response to the deal between Israel and the UAE, which became the first Gulf Arab state to officially establish diplomatic relations with Tel Aviv. | Abbas has called on the UAE to reverse Thursday's decision, which formalizes years of sub rosa rapprochement between Israel and the oil-rich state, and urged other Arab nations not to follow its example "at the expense…
(2020-08-13). Lebanon parliament grants sweeping powers to military in Beirut. thecanary.co 
Lebanon's parliament has approved a state of emergency in Beirut in its first session since the explosion in the city last week.It has granted the military sweeping powers amid rising anger and political uncertainty in the capital.The blast that killed more than 170 people and injured at least 6,000 others changed the face of the city and forced the government to resign.People walk past debris from destroyed buildings in Beirut (Felipe Dana/AP)Before resigning, the government declared a state of emergency in Beirut that granted the military sweeping powers including the power to declare curfews, prevent public ga…
(2020-08-13). Lebanon's Gov't Resigns, But Protesters Demand Structural Change. zcomm.org "The fall of cabinets and even the holding of early parliamentary elections are not necessarily signs that fundamental transformation is underway in Lebanon"
(2020-08-13). US Color Revolutions: From Eastern Europe to Egypt, Iran, Now Lebanon. globalresearch.ca It is necessary to study, how US color-techniques are applied for regime-change in Egypt (Tahrir) — Iran (Green Movement) and now Lebanon (Cedar Revolution + "Day of Rage"). | The US engineering of these all-but-spontaneous undercover "Color …
(2020-08-13). Deaths of children in northeast Syria 'could have been averted': UNICEF. news.un.org The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) has expressed "deep alarm" over reports that eight children — all under the age of five — have died in Syria's Al Hol camp, where several thousand children are languishing in dire conditions.
(2020-08-13). Zarif to leave Tehran for Lebanon on Friday. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 13 (MNA) — A number of Lebanese media outlets reported that Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif will leave Tehran for Beirut on Friday.
(2020-08-13). Lebanon: Bellwether, Battleground, And Bastard Child Of The Mideast. popularresistance.org When I was a kid, "Beirut" became a cultural shorthand for any chaotic and violent urban setting. In the 1990s, my hometown rappers — the Wu Tang Clan — repeatedly shouted out the Lebanese city (plus one of its civil war antagonists, the P.L.O. — Palestinian Liberation Organization); but so did Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Neil Young, Snoop Dogg, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Eminem, and the Dead Kennedys. In the 2001 Hollywood blockbuster Spy Game, CIA agents played by Brad Pitt and Robert Redford sprint through rubble and gunfire along the Green Line dividing war-torn 1980s Beirut's Christian East and Musl…
(2020-08-12). Turkey Marks 100 Years Since Treaty of Sèvres. Renewed Hostilities with Greece. globalresearch.ca Yesterday marked the 100-year anniversary from when the Treaty of Sèvres was signed. The Treaty of Sèvres saw the Ottoman Empire dismembered, with Greece, Syria and Armenia gaining old lost lands, an independent Kurdistan established, and France, Britain and Italy …
(2020-08-12). Beirut: A tragedy that threatens the region with war and chaos. thealtworld.com On the 4th August 2020 an apocalyptic event took place in the main port of Lebanon's capital city, Beirut. Two explosions tore the city apart. The first explosion was registered on multiple mobile phone videos. The second ripped through the city with terrifying force, killing an estimated 220 and injuring more than 7000. Many victims are still missing as the search for survivors and bodies continues in the aftermath of thirty seconds that has left Beirut and Lebanon reeling with shock. | Three hundred thousand people are reported to be homeless although it is suspected that all estimated numbers are conservative.
(2020-08-12). Replaying the 'Syria Scenario' in Lebanon. thealtworld.com The US and its clients are trying to exploit the crisis to advance their plans to destroy Hezbollah. They should know better. | Let us start at the end, without getting bogged down in the details and analyses that fill the Lebanese and Arab media these days: The current ferment in Lebanon, which resulted in the resignation of Hassan Diab's government over the Beirut Port explosion, will eventually lead to the demise of Lebanon's corrupt ruling elite and the 1989 Taif Agreement that brought it to power and established the sectarian carve-up system that sustains it. | The Lebanese people want genuine democratic ref…
(2020-08-12). Podcast: The Beirut Explosion, Economic Terror and the Drumbeat of War Against Hezbollah. thealtworld.com Lebanese journalists Laith Marouf and Marwa Osman recount their experience living through the recent blast that destroyed much of Beirut, an explosion that not only occurred during a period of rapid economic decline but of increasing public outrage over corruption and Western sanctions that have squeezed Lebanon dry. | elcome to Lebanon is re…
(2020-08-12). How Israel views the Beirut explosion and Hezbollah's involvement. thealtworld.com "Hezbollah controls the Harbour of Beirut and is knowledgeable of everything happening in it. It uses its influence to smuggle its shipments through and prefers to keep these shipments at the harbour to prevent Israel from bombing them." | "Hezbollah controls Lebanon and forced the choice of General Michel Aoun as a President and of Hassan Diab as a Prime Minister. Moreover, through its influence in the parliament and the cabinet, it is enforcing the protection of its arsenal and of its presence as a powerful armed organisation". | "Israel will use its influence to prevent any financial support from reaching Leba…
(2020-08-12). Lebanon should look East and abandon the West. thealtworld.com Post-blast Lebanon has everything to gain from rejecting the West's neoliberal demands and embracing China's Belt and Road | As much as Covid-19 has been instrumentalized by the 0.001% to social-engineer a Facing oh-so-timely color-revolution-style "protests," the current Lebanese government led by Prime Minister Hassan Diab has already resigned. | Even before the onshore portion of the port blew up, Beirut had requested a US$10 billion…
(2020-08-12). Macron Lectures Lebanon: The Condescending Politics of Aid. globalresearch.ca The
(2020-08-12). US needs terrorists in region: Bashar al-Assad. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 12 (MNA) — Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said that the United States is in desperate need of terrorists in the region including ISIL terrorist group and seeks to support terrorists using Caesar sanctions law against Syria.
(2020-08-12). German foreign minister visits blast-stricken Lebanon. yenisafak.com German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas arrived in Beirut on Wednesday for a short visit to meet with Lebanese President Michel Aoun. | Maas will also attend the funeral of a German diplomat, who died in a massive blast that rocked the Beirut port on August 4. | According to Lebanese media, the top German diplomat will not meet any Lebanese officials except President Michel Aoun during his visit. | Ahead of his arrival in Beirut, Maas underlined the importance to carry out reforms in Lebanon as demanded by the international community. | He said aid pledged during Sunday's donor conference for Lebanon will not be given…
(2020-08-12). Turkey renovates 1,700-year-old tomb in northern Syria. yenisafak.com Afrin — just across Turkey's southern border — was liberated from the terrorist YPG/PKK by Turkey's Operation Olive Branch in 2018, but has still been subject to occasional attacks by the YPG/PKK terror group.Turkey continues to take care of the cultural assets in the area, thus, the restoration work was carried out by the Turkish southern Hatay province's Regional Directorate of Foundations.The renovation work, which started around six months ago and is planned to be completed at the end of the year, is being meticulously carried out by expert teams.According to the General Directorate of Foundations…