Maronite Archbishop Appeals for International Aid for Lebanon

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by ncregister.com -- Doreen Abi Raad -- BEIRUT — ’The horrific double explosion on Aug. 4 in Beirut, Lebanon, destroyed half of the Middle Eastern country’s capital, especially regions inhabited by Christians. The disaster — considered one of the world’s most powerful non-nuclear explosions — is the result of the detonation of 2,750 metric tons of ammonium nitrate stored for years in a port warehouse. It killed 200 people, injured more than 6,500 and left 300,000 people homeless. The tragedy comes as Lebanon’s economy is collapsing, pushing the population further into poverty. Maronite Catholic Archbishop Paul Abdel Sater of Beirut spoke to the Register at the chancery, where destruction from the explosion, like so much of Beirut, is obvious. Breezes blow from blasted-out windows of the chancery’s lobby. Makeshift glass sheets cover the damaged windows in the archbishop’s office, his desk chipped and splintered from the impact of glass shards. Archbishop Abdel Sater spoke of his anguish in seeing the Lebanese people suffer, the absence of the government in assuming its role in reconstruction, the expression of solidarity and care on the part of Pope Francis through the visit of the Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and the rise in emigration of Lebanon’s Christians. He urged the international community to support Lebanon so that it may continue — as Pope St. John Paul II had proclaimed of Lebanon — as a “message.”

What was the greatest pain for you as a shepherd, related to the blast?

The greatest pain was a few minutes following the explosion when an employee and a priest were injured here at the chancery. We took them to the hospital. Seeing all these people — fathers, mothers, husbands, wives — who were all bleeding, walking aimlessly in their house clothes looking for a hospital to receive them. It was sad to see how much the Lebanese people have been robbed of their dignity. And the only thing I was thinking about was that this person I see now, bleeding, is a father who is important in the life of his family. Or a mother who sacrificed so much for her family. And they have been treated this way by an unknown evil person or persons (who perpetuated the explosion). For what?’ What makes me sad is that Lebanon is a country where the human person is losing his and her dignity and it’s a country that has sacrificed many of its children.

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Pope Francis: Telegram of condolence to victims of Nice attack

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by Catholic Herald -- Christopher Altieri -- — Pope Francis has sent a telegram expressing his condolences to families of victims and reiterating his spiritual closeness to the Catholic community and the entire French people, in the wake of a brutal knife attack in Nice’s Notre Dame church that left three people dead on Thursday morning and several others injured. Addressed to the Bishop of Nice, André Marceau, and signed by the Cardinal-Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin, the message calls the incident a “savage attack” and promising that “Pope Francis joins in prayer with the suffering of families affected and shares their grief.” The Holy Father further prays that “the Lord bring them the comfort and he commends the victims to his mercy.” Pope Francis goes in to condemn, “in the strongest possible way such violent acts of terror,” and renews assurances of his spiritual closeness to the Catholic Community of France and all the French people,” whom he calls to unity.

The message entrusts all France to the protection of Our Lady, and concludes with the Apostolic Blessing to all those affected by this tragedy, which the Holy Father offers “with all [his] heart.” Details continue to be sketchy, but early reports say two of the three victims died in the church proper, while a third fled the scene to a nearby café and later succumbed to her wounds. Police arrived quickly on the scene. A witness reportedly reportedly alerted authorities to the attack by availing herself of an alarm system the city had put in place in the wake of another deadly attack four years ago. Police fired several rounds, wounding and subduing the attacker. Witness reports say the attacker shouted Allahu akbar! or “God is great!” — an Islamic cri de guerre — as he undertook the attack. The suspect is in hospital, and French anti-terrorist police are leading the investigation, while French President Emmanuel Macron was in the city early Thursday afternoon to survey the scene of the attack and offer support.

Lebanon, Israel in second round of maritime border talks

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By AFP -- NAQURA, Lebanon — Lebanon and Israel, still technically at war and with no diplomatic ties, launched a second round of maritime border talks on Wednesday under UN and US auspices to allow for offshore energy exploration. The talks, expected to last for two days, were being held at a base of the UN peacekeeping force UNIFIL in the Lebanese border town of Naqura, guarded by army roadblocks and with UN helicopters circling above. After years of quiet US shuttle diplomacy, Lebanon and Israel this month said they had agreed to begin the negotiations in what Washington hailed as a "historic" agreement. The announcement came weeks after Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates became the first Arab nations to establish relations with Israel since Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994. Lebanon — which last saw military clashes with Israel in 2006 — insists that the negotiations are purely technical and don't involve any soft political normalisation with Israel. "Today's session is the first technical session," said Laury Haytayan, a Lebanese energy expert who said she expected "detailed discussions on demarcation".

Talks later wrapped up and were set to resume at 10 am (08:00 GMT) Thursday, the state-run National News Agency reported. A Lebanese source familiar with negotiations said that the first round of technical talks were “positive”. ‘Maximalist approach’ Lebanon, mired in its worst economic crisis since the 1975-1990 civil war, is looking to settle the maritime border dispute so it can press on with its offshore quest for oil and gas. The search for hydrocarbons has already heightened tensions in the eastern Mediterranean, following repeated Turkish exploration and drilling operations in waters claimed by both Cyprus and Greece. In February 2018, Lebanon signed its first contract for drilling in two blocks in the Mediterranean with a consortium comprising energy giants Total, ENI and Novatek. Exploration of one of the blocks is more controversial, as part of it is located in an 860 square-kilometre area claimed by both Israel and Lebanon. Lebanon is expected to adopt a “maximalist approach”, said Haytayan.

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Lebanese banks make plans to delist overseas as capital deadline looms

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By Tony Akleh -- arabianbusiness.com -- The ongoing economic crisis in Lebanon has placed additional pressure on the banking system, prompting lenders to delist global depositary shares (GDS) from international stock exchanges. The move has been taken to minimise unnecessary costs outside Lebanon in order to meet the challenge of raising their capital by February 2021. If they can't raise capital by 20 percent, they risk having to exit the market, according to a directive sent out by Riad Salameh, governor of Lebanon's central bank. BLOM Bank has applied for the withdrawal of its GDSs from trading on the EUROMTF and the Official List of Luxembourg Stock Exchange, as well as for the withdrawal from trading on the London Stock Exchange, with a proposed implementation of November 24.

BLOM Bank has applied for the withdrawal of its GDSs from trading on the EUROMTF and the Official List of Luxembourg Stock Exchange Prior to this decision, the traded GDSs witnessed low volumes and limited liquidity this year, making administrative costs outweigh the benefits. The GDSs and its underlying shares will continue to trade on the Beirut Stock Exchange. Bank Audi has also announced that it has applied for the cancellation of the listing of its global depository receipt (GDR) from the London Stock Exchange with effect from November 16 although they will continue to be listed and traded on the Beirut Stock Exchange.

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Claudine Aoun daughter of Lebanese President says open to peace with Israel, under conditions

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The daughter of Lebanese President Michel Aoun Raoukouz and chairman of the National Committee for Women in Lebanon, Claudine Aoun, said in an interview with the local television network Al-Jadid that she supports peace with Israel. During the interview, Aoun said: “We have our problems. The question of marking the borders, our natural resources and the Palestinian outposts. These are problems that make our economy difficult. Once these problems are resolved, I do not see a problem with Lebanon signing a peace agreement with Israel.” . “Before talking about peace, we must demarcate the borders and solve the problems related to our land,” she wrote on September 24, referring to a dispute over the maritime border between the countries, which is currently being negotiated with Israel via indirect US-brokered talks, and several minor land disputes. In Sunday’s tweet, Aoun added that the Palestinian refugee issue would have to also be solved — one of the core problems of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which is only likely to be resolved as part of a general peace agreement between the two sides. “Once these problems are solved, I would not object to the prospect of a peace agreement between the Lebanese state and Israel,” she said.

Second round of US aid to Lebanon in question after August blast

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By By Kate Scanlon -- Washington, D.C. Newsroom, (CNA).- As Lebanon continues to deal with fallout from the massive August explosion that devastated parts of the capital, Beirut, advocates for Lebanese Christians call for continued U.S. aid and collaboration with local NGOs, while one State Department official says that conversations about additional aid have stalled. On Oct. 19, the Daily Star, an English-language newspaper in Beirut, reported that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Lebanese President Michel Aoun by phone that the United States would send additional aid to rebuild areas damaged by the port explosion in Beirut earlier this year. An official State Department read-out of the call between the leaders did not mention such a pledge, and a spokesperson for the State Department did not return a request for comment on whether Pompeo had pledged additional aid to the president, but an official within the State Department said conversations about a second round of aid have stalled within the government.

Lebanese authorities attributed the Aug. 4 blast in the port of the country’s capital and largest city to “highly explosive material stored unsafely.” The explosion left 190 dead, more than 6,500 injured, and three people missing, as well as approximately $15 billion in direct damage. In the aftermath of the explosion, the United States pledged more than $17 million in initial aid for Lebanon for food assistance and medical supplies. Some advocates called for additional relief funds in response to the disaster, pointing to approximately 300,000 people officials said have been displaced from their homes. Al Jazeera reported 70,000 homes were among the buildings damaged in the explosion. Advocates for Lebanese Christians told CNA that funds dedicated specifically to reconstruction were vital, because much of the damage occurred in neighborhoods with a Christian majority. If these Christians are unable to return to their homes, it could shift the demographics of the city—and the country—by destabilizing the Christian community there.

They also stressed that working with established partners in NGOs would safeguard funds from Lebanon’s corrupt government. A State Department spokesperson told CNA that the U.S. government provided more than $750 million to Lebanon last year, and that the United States has provided more than $41.6 million in supplemental foreign assistance and redirected $11.5 million in USAID Mission funding to help Lebanon respond to the COVID-19 crisis. According to data from the Department of State, the United States has provided more than $4 billion total in foreign assistance to Lebanon since 2010. “American assistance to Lebanon saves lives, strengthens our strategic partners, ensures key services reach the Lebanese people and refugees, and counters Hezbollah's narrative and influence,” the spokesperson said in an email. The spokesperson added that the U.S. government “directly supported the Lebanese people in the aftermath of the port explosion,” by providing “immediate humanitarian assistance to meet emergency needs,” including emergency food, shelter, and medical assistance. “We continue to work with our partners in Beirut to identify additional recovery needs,” the spokesperson said.

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