Geagea: Dialogue with Hezbollah, its Allies Is a Waste of Time

Arab World

November 30th, 8:01am

Beirut - Thaer Abbas

Head of the Lebanese Forces Samir Geagea. (Lebanese Forces)

Head of the Lebanese Forces Samir Geagea usually prefers to remain optimistic, in contrast to the dreariness in Lebanon that is grappling with an unprecedented economic crisis. The situation has also worsened with the country plunging in presidential vacuum with rival political forces failing to elect a successor to Michel Aoun and with questions being raised about the legitimacy of the caretaker government. “We need to double efforts to end the crisis,” Geagea told Asharq Al-Awsat. He said his main concern now lies in easing the social suffering that has hit the weakest segments of society the hardest and also ensuring the election of a president that will effectively mark the beginning of the road to salvation. However, Geagea believes that the election of a president to simply fill a vacancy is not the right way to resolve the crisis. He stressed that Lebanon needs a president who would be different than Aoun. Choosing one who is just like him will only endlessly prolong the crisis, he warned. Rather, the election of a competent president would bring hope to Lebanon, he noted. Geagea openly holds Hezbollah and its allies responsible for the crises plaguing the country, and therefore, he sees no point in holding dialogue with them. “We believe that the other party, meaning the ‘resistance axis’, is the reason why we are here today. We cannot hold dialogue over ending the crisis with the parties that caused it,” he explained. Moreover, he remarked that even the daily practices of this camp bode ill for Lebanon. He elaborated by saying: “Since the eruption of the crisis three years ago, the other camp boasted the majority in parliament and the government. Did it do anything to address the crisis? Did it cease the heinous practices it was committing? In both cases, the answer is no.” Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati had a vision over how to partially ease the electricity crisis, but the other camp prevented him from doing anything. Asked if he is hopeful about the election of a president, Geagea said: “We have not reached a dead end. There are 15 lawmakers who have positioned themselves in the center. Some have voted for candidates who have no chance of becoming president and others have submitted blank votes.” “We, as an opposition group, have openly declared that we want the election of a president who can kick off the recovery process and contribute to it. We don’t want a president who is just there to fill a vacuum. We want a president who can help in the required recovery process,” he urged. “We hope the others realize the need for this,” he said. Geagea said he was willing relinquish the LF’s candidate for the presidency and Michel Moawad was willing to abandon his run if there was a “convincing alternative who enjoys the desired qualifications and can garner the most votes.” On the LF’s support for holding the presidential elections with two thirds quorum at parliament and its differences with Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rai who called on Sunday for the regular quorum to be adopted, Geagea said there is no dispute because “we have not taken a final decision over the issue.” “This issue is being proposed at the wrong time. What’s the point of bringing it up right now?” he continued. “This issue had never been brought up before the resistance axis came to power in Lebanon. It is being raised to obstruct the elections, not resolve it,” he added. “In the past, parliamentary blocs used to respect themselves and the people who voted for them. They used to go to parliament and elect a new president even if they had not secured the majority that they needed,” he remarked, noting how Suleiman Franjieh was elected president in 1970 with only a one vote margin over his nearest rival. “The MPs need to show enough dignity and honor to show up at parliament and hold the elections,” said Geagea. “The withdrawal of one MP from the electoral session is understandable, so is the withdrawal of a bloc, but it is shameful for the elections to be obstructed every time when their candidate doesn’t have the highest chance of winning,” he stressed. He acknowledged that the LF did it “once or twice or even more” just so it could influence the positions of other blocs, “but we never refrained from showing up to elections like others are deliberately doing in order to make rivals yield to their demands.” At this, Geagea was critical of Speaker Nabih Berri whom he said should ensure that work is maintained at the only functioning constitutional institution. He should therefore, call on the heads of blocs that are refraining from showing up at the polls to be present at the electoral sessions. “The resistance axis is obstructing the elections and it is not doing so in wait of an international settlement,” he charged. During the first elections session, Hezbollah wanted the election of Suleiman Franjieh as president, but it did not have enough support for the candidate, so it has resorted to obstructing the polls until head of the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) MP Gebran Bassil has a change of heart, “which I believe will be very unlikely.” “What sort of logic is this? If no consensus is available, then there is no need to show up at elections?” wondered Geagea. “Whoever wants consensus must speak to other parties and propose their candidate and qualifications. The consensus they are after is for us to support the Hezbollah candidate, which is impossible for us and mad for them to envisage,” he declared. “Until further notice, the only hope lies in the 65 MPs, excluding the resistance axis,” he said, while expressing his disappointment in some MPs who chose to play a centrist role. Geagea stressed that it was “impossible” to reach an understanding with Hezbollah and the FPM. “We have seen their practices and know their true colors.” “Even after the country collapsed, they still hold the same positions and carry out their same old practices that cannot yield solutions to the crises. They have not derived any lessons from what has happened,” he went on to say. “I am not waiting for anything from them, but will look to the other MPs who are not part of the resistance axis,” he revealed. “We are working tirelessly every day to persuade various MPs, but it is a very challenging task,” he admitted. “Hezbollah has its own major project that is rooted in religion, history and geography, and therefore, it wants to hold dialogue to impose its conditions. That is why we will not talk to them because it is a waste of time when we don’t have a minute to spare,” he stated.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/4016226/geagea-dialogue-hezbollah-its-allies-waste-time

Something Remarkable Is Happening in African Football

Opinion

November 30th, 5:56am

Sean Jacobs

Sean Jacobs - Jacobs is a professor of international relations at the New School

Something exciting is happening in the World Cup: The five teams representing Africa in the tournament have African coaches. This may not sound exceptional. Gregg Berhalter, who coaches the United States team, is a New Jersey native; Hansi Flick, who manages the German squad, hails from Heidelberg. But typically, African national teams have relied on European coaches — mostly unknown in their home countries, effectively mercenaries bouncing around the world — when big tournaments come around. If an African country hired an African coach, he would be summarily fired right before a big tournament, even if he took the team through the qualifiers. Not this year. Of the five African coaches, four made their careers in top-tier European football: Aliou Cissé was born in Senegal and Rigobert Song in Cameroon. But both made their careers in the English Premier League. Cissé immigrated to France when he was young. Song made his debut for the Cameroonian national team in the 1998 World Cup, but joined a French team shortly afterward before going on to England. Walid Regragui was born outside Paris, and played for a string of French teams before starting a coaching career in Morocco. Otto Addo, who is coaching the Ghanaian team, was born and grew up in Hamburg and played in the German Bundesliga. Only Jalel Kadri is a product of his home country’s leagues, having played and coached in Tunisia. African football is discovering the power of the diaspora. Of course there’s a long history of the Black diaspora playing a part in events on the continent: Kwame Nkrumah, the Ghanaian independence leader, incorporated pan-Africanist thought by way of America and Britain into his program when he took power in 1957. Since the era of democratization in the early 1990s, some African countries and their leaders — in Senegal and Ghana, for example — have been more open to the political and economic power and expertise of the diaspora beyond mere remittances. That seems to have accelerated in the new century. And we are increasingly watching this kind of solidarity on the football field. Take Cissé, the coach for Senegal. He has been at his coaching job the longest and is probably the most interesting of the lot. He was appointed in 2015 and coached Senegal in the 2018 World Cup, in which the team performed admirably well and was eliminated only on a bizarre technicality. Under him, Senegal won the 2022 African Cup of Nations. But it’s not just his winning record that keeps Cissé in a job. Another reason for his longevity is that he understands the pressures of his players. He was captain of the last great Senegal team, the 2002 squad. That team shocked everyone at the World Cup in South Korea and Japan by beating the defending champion, France, in the opening match and making it as far as the quarterfinals. Cissé understands that he derives his strength as a coach from his deep connection to Senegal. In an interview this year, he said, essentially, that people from the diaspora understand their home countries in a way that outsiders cannot. He cited technical and tactical expertise as crucial to successful coaching, but added: “It’s also important to know about the country’s past. For me, if you don’t know about the past, it’s difficult to talk about the future.” The prominence of coaches like Cissé comes as African countries’ relationship with their diasporas is changing. There are now millions of African immigrants and their descendants in Europe. From Algerians who moved to France in the 1960s to near-daily arrivals of irregular African migrants in Italy today, Europe has been becoming Blacker for decades. Even as these groups are integrated — and shape popular culture, politics, the economy and, of course, sports — many still maintain some allegiance to their ancestral homes and go back to visit regularly, send remittances and follow Moroccan or Cameroonian news as closely as they would in Marrakesh or Yaoundé. (Social media cements this relationship even further.) But there is another important change underway, reflective of the rising power and relevance of Africa to Europe. African players are increasingly on the center stage of world football. Though African players have a long history in Europe, it wasn’t until the mid-1990s that they began to star in the top leagues there. At first, they were signed for their “speed” and “natural strength.” But coaches like José Mourinho and Roberto Mancini also appreciated their skill, leadership and smarts. Players like Michael Essien, Didier Drogba, John Obi-Mikel, Samuel Eto’o and Yaya Touré became global stars by the first decade of the 21st century. Sadio Mané of Senegal was a key part of Liverpool F.C.’s attack for years (and the team struggled after his departure for Bayern Munich). His national teammate, the defender Kalidou Koulibaly, captained Napoli before he moved to Chelsea. Today, a majority of Africans — like most football fans across the world — follow the top European leagues. Football in this way cultivates a sort of pan-African identity, even if it is only for 90 minutes at a time. And there is a kind of continental solidarity that emerges for many African fans during the World Cup. If your home country’s team has made it, you first support it; when it gets eliminated, you support whichever African country is doing well. As the novelist Chimamanda Adichie put it during the 2010 World Cup, your “nationalism expands its boundaries as your country loses.” The results after a week of matches have been mixed. Morocco and Senegal, after stumbling in their opening matches, have bounced back with convincing victories. Cameroon, Ghana and Tunisia have been less convincing. But as Argentina’s loss to Saudi Arabia or Germany’s to Japan remind us, the World Cup can be full of surprises. No team from Africa has yet made it beyond the quarterfinals of the World Cup. But I and the millions watching across the continent this year are cheering on these new head coaches, and hoping for the impossible. The New York Times

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/4016066/sean-jacobs/something-remarkable-happening-african-football

Saudi Arabia Says Did Not Request to Host Football World Cup

Sports

November 30th, 5:50am

Asharq Al-Awsat

Saudi Arabia has not submitted a request to host the FIFA World Cup. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Saudi Ministry of Tourism reiterated on Wednesday that the Kingdom had not submitted an official request to host the FIFA World Cup. In a tweet, it said Saudi Arabia is always keen on hosting major sports events as part of its efforts to promote sports and internal tourism in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030. Minister of Sports Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki al-Faisal had told CNN last week that his country had no intention at the moment to host the World Cup in 2030. He added that the Kingdom was focused on bidding to host the 2026 Women's Asian Cup and the men’s Asian Cup 2027. He said Saudi Arabia has already won the right to host the 2034 Asian Games and attention is now centered on preparing stadiums and infrastructure to host the event.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/4016061/saudi-arabia-says-did-not-request-host-football-world-cup

UN Special Coordinator Warns Oslo Accords Are ‘Slipping Away’

Arab World

November 29th, 8:46am

Washington - Ali Barada

UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wennesland. (UN)

The UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wennesland, warned that the Palestinian-Israeli once again reached a "boiling point," stressing that the settlement expansion and restrictions continue to squeeze the "economic and physical space for developing a viable Palestinian State." He warned that the current context leads to the disappearance of the principles that underpin the Oslo Accords, including the two-state solution. Wennesland was briefing the Security Council on the situation in the Middle East and noted that after decades of persistent violence, illegal settlement expansion, dormant negotiations, and deepening occupation, "the conflict is again reaching a boiling point." He indicated that "high levels" of violence in the occupied West Bank and Israel in recent months, including attacks against Israeli and Palestinian civilians, increased use of arms, and settler-related violence, have "caused grave human suffering." He condemned the recent bombings in Jerusalem that killed two Israelis, calling for "a clear rejection of such terrorist acts," and the violent attack by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in Hebron that risks aggravating an already tense environment. The official asserted that all parties were responsible for acting against extremists and speaking out against such acts of violence and incitement. Wennesland noted that the "fragile calm" was recently interrupted by the launching of four rockets toward Israel by Palestinian gunmen and subsequent Israeli airstrikes against what it said were Hamas movement targets. "Once again, we are reminded that the mix of militant activity, debilitating closures, absence of the legitimate Palestinian Government, and hopelessness create an ever-present risk of escalation." "My team and I have in recent weeks visited areas where violence has been severe, and I continue to hold discussions with a range of Palestinian and Israeli officials, as well as international and regional actors, to address the dangerous dynamics," he added. The UN official warned that demography is moving faster than politics. "In a few years, exponential population growth in the West Bank and Gaza will make it increasingly difficult, if not impossible, to manage the economic, political, and security situation." Moreover, he warned that the principles that underpin the Oslo Accords are "slipping away," noting that "political leadership is required to reset the trajectory toward a two-state solution." "Failing to address the underlying causes of conflict, as well as the negative trends I just outlined, and without demonstrating a clear political path forward, the conflict will only escalate, causing more bloodshed and misery, and have a deeply destabilizing effect on the entire region." Wennesland urged taking necessary steps towards a two-state solution, which still garners considerable support among Palestinians and Israelis. "Through incremental but tangible steps, we can build a bridge between where we are now and the conditions necessary for a peaceful resolution of the conflict based on United Nations resolutions, international law, and previous agreements," he said. He called on both sides to "stop unilateral steps that undermine peace, including settlement expansion or legalization, demolitions, and displacement. Furthermore, Wennesland urged all parties and the international community to strengthen Palestinian institutions, improve governance, and shore up the fiscal health of the Palestinian Authority (PA). However, he stressed that a "common approach" where the "two-state solution is the guiding political direction is essential to halting the current negative trajectory." "Neither can turn away from the realities of geography and demography that are reshaping the landscape, which, combined with [fast] expanding settlements east of the 1967 lines, reflects an increase in friction points and a deepening conflict."

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/4014361/un-special-coordinator-warns-oslo-accords-are-%E2%80%98slipping-away%E2%80%99

Iran Rejects UN Investigation into Repression of Protests

Iran

November 29th, 7:37am

London - Asharq Al-Awsat

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani (AFP)

Iran rejected cooperation with the newly-appointed independent UN committee to investigate the country's repression and crackdown on anti-government protests. Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said that Iran would not cooperate with the political committee set up by the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) He stressed that the hasty use of human rights mechanisms and adopting "political and instrumental" approaches toward such issues were "rejected" and failed to contribute to the human rights concept. Kanaani indicated that Tehran "strongly protested against the interventionist and baseless statements of the German authorities." The 47 member states of the UNHRC decided during an urgent meeting held at the initiative of Germany and Iceland to appoint a team of investigators to shed light on human rights violations during the protests crackdown in Iran. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk demanded Iran end its "excessive" use of force to quell the protests that erupted after the death of a young Iranian-Kurdish woman, Mahsa Amini, while in the custody of the morality police. In response to the UN move, Iran summoned the German ambassador to protest "interventionist" remarks by German officials and Berlin's key role in holding a UNHRC special session on Iran. The official IRNA news agency reported that the German ambassador was summoned to the Foreign Ministry after Berlin's initiative to hold the special meeting. Kanaani said that Iran has evidence of the involvement of Western countries in the protests sweeping the nation. He added: "We have specific information proving that the US, Western countries, and some US allies have had a role in the protests." Iran did not announce an official death toll of the protesters. However, Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani said that about 50 policemen were killed in the protests since September, in the first official death toll, without disclosing whether this number includes fatalities among the Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) or not. Mahabad MP Jalal Mahmoudzadeh said earlier that 105 people were killed during the crackdown launched by the authorities to quell the protests.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/4014246/iran-rejects-un-investigation-repression-protests

'Everything Everywhere All at Once' Wins at Gotham Awards

Entertainment

November 29th, 6:48am

Asharq Al-Awsat

Ke Huy Quan poses with the Outstanding Supporting Performance at the 2022 Gotham Awards in Manhattan, New York City, New York, US, November 28, 2022. (Reuters)

“Everything Everywhere All at Once" won best feature at the 32nd Gotham Awards on Monday, taking one of the first major prizes of Hollywood's awards season and boosting the Oscar hopes of the anarchic indie hit of the year. Also taking an award for his work on the film was Ke Huy Quan, the “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” child star who made a lauded comeback in “Everything Everywhere All at Once" and won for best supporting actor. “This time last year, all I was hoping for was a job,” said an emotional Quan who had nearly given up acting before landing his role in the film. “For the first time in a very long time, I was given a second chance.” The Gotham Awards, held annually at Cipriani Wall Street, serve as a downtown celebration of independent film and an unofficial kickoff of the long marathon of ceremonies, parties and campaigning that lead up to the Academy Awards in March. Presented by the Gotham Film & Media Institute, the Gothams last year heaped awards on Maggie Gyllenhaal's “The Lost Daughter” while also, with an award for Troy Kotsur, starting “CODA” on its way to best picture. But aside from any possible influence, the Gothams are also just a star-studded party that gets the industry back into the awards-season swing. Last year's ceremony was the first fully in-person award show for many after a largely virtual 2020-2021 pandemic-marred season. This year, the Gothams were held amid mounting concern over the tepid box-office results for many of the top awards contenders. Though moviegoing has recovered much of the ground it lost during the pandemic, adult audiences have inconsistently materialized in theaters this fall. But in feting “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” the metaverse-skipping action adventure directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheiner, the filmmaking duo known as “the Daniels,” the Gothams selected an unlikely runaway success. Released in March, “Everything Everywhere All at Once” made more than $100 million worldwide against a $14 million budget, making it A24's highest grossing film. The warm affection for the absurdist film now has it poised to potentially play underdog at the Oscars. The film also recently led nominations to the Film Independent Spirit Awards. “This movie has been celebrated by the Asian American community, by the immigrant community, by people with weird brains, people who are overwhelmed or sad,” said Scheiner accepting the award with his filmmaking partner. “This award is for you guys. Your stories matter. You matter.” While the Gothams are known for exalting the hardscrabble pursuit of lower budget filmmaking, one of its many tribute awards went to another box-office force in Adam Sandler. The 56-year-old actor-comedian, who this year starred in the well-received Netflix basketball drama-comedy “Hustle,” provided the night's most raucous speech, after an introduction by “Uncut Gems” filmmakers Josh and Benny Safdie. Sandler, explaining that he had been too busy to prepare remarks, claimed his speech was written by his two daughters. His career, as he read, was launched with two guiding principles: “People in prison need movies, too," and: “TBS needs content.” The Gotham award, Sandler read, “means a lot to him seeing as most of the awards on his trophy shelf are shaped like popcorn buckets, blimps or fake mini Oscars that say Father of the Year which he sadly purchased himself while wondering in a self-pitying fog through the head shops of Time’s Square.” The Gothams give gender neutral acting awards, which meant that some awards favorites this year that wouldn't normally be head-to-head, like Brendan Fraser (“The Whale”) and Cate Blanchett (“Tár”), were up against each other. Todd Fields’ “Tár,” starring Blanchett as a renowned conductor, came into the Gothams with a leading five nominations and went home with an award for Fields' screenplay. But “Till” star Danielle Deadwyler ultimately prevailed in the crowded lead acting category. Deadwyler, who plays Mamie Till-Bradley in the piercing drama, wasn't able to attend the ceremony. “Till” director Chinonye Chukwu accepted on her behalf. Deadwyler's win should add momentum to her Oscar chances, as should the award for Quan, who is best known as the child star of “The Goonies” and “Temple of Doom." The breakthrough director award went to Charlotte Wells for “Aftersun,” the Scottish filmmaker's tender, devastating debut about a father (Paul Mescal) and daughter (Frankie Corio) on vacation. “Aftersun” also earned a shoutout from Daniel Kwan who said “Aftersun” should have won best feature, not “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” Steven Spielberg had been scheduled to introduce a tribute award for Michelle Williams, star of Spielberg's “The Fabelmans.” Filling in was Williams' co-star Paul Dano, who said Spielberg tested positive for COVID-19. Williams spent much of her speech reflecting on how instrumental “Dawson's Creek” co-star Mary Beth Peil was to her as a young actor. Williams was also visibly stunned by a standing ovation. “What is happening?” said a wide-eyed Williams. “I shouldn’t even be out of the house. I just had a baby.” Other winners included Audrey Diwan's “Happening” for best international feature. The French abortion drama, set in 1963 France, took on added relevance after the repeal in the United States of Roe v. Wade. “All That Breathes,” Shaunak Sen's film about a New Delhi bird hospital, took best documentary. Tribute honorees also included Focus Features' Peter Kujawski and Jason Cassidy, and a thunderous tribute to the late Sidney Poitier by Jonathan Majors, who announced a new initiative in Poitier's name to help young filmmakers. “Bravo, Mr. Poitier,” Majors said. “We got your back.” Gina Prince-Bythewood, “The Woman King” filmmaker, was also honored after being introduced by Katheryn Bigelow. Prince-Bythewood said the “Hurt Locker” filmmaker inspired her to believe she could be a director. “Kathryn was my possible,” said Prince-Bythewood. "When you see the trailer to ‘The Woman King,’ do you see incredible women or do you see other? Do you see incredible women to be inspired by or do you see other?” said Prince-Bythewood. “I want you to see yourself in my characters the same way I see myself in yours.”

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/4014191/everything-everywhere-all-once-wins-gotham-awards

Lenderking in the Region to Push Forward Peace in Yemen

Arab World

November 29th, 5:45am

Washington - Ali Barada

US Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking. (US State Department)

The US State Department called on Monday the Iran-backed Houthi militias in Yemen to “immediately cease their attacks on Yemeni ports” and to engage in peace efforts. It added that US Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking started travel on November 27 to Oman and Saudi Arabia to support ongoing peace efforts. “The environment created by the UN-mediated truce presents the best opportunity Yemen has had for peace in several years,” continued the State Department in a statement. “At this critical moment, we remind the Houthis that Yemenis are calling for peace, not a return to war,” it said. “To that end, we call on the Houthis to immediately cease their attacks on Yemeni ports, which are disrupting the flow of much-needed resources and exacerbating suffering across Yemen. Such attacks only risk plunging Yemenis into another pointless cycle of violence and suffering,” it added. “We urge the Houthis to instead seize this opportunity for peace, cooperate with the UN, and accept that the only path forward to ending eight years of destructive war is through a negotiated, inclusive Yemeni-led political settlement,” it stressed.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/4014121/lenderking-region-push-forward-peace-yemen