Lebanon judge orders former central bank chief to remain in jail

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In this handout picture released by Lebanon's Central Bank on November 24, 2022, the governor of the Central Bank Riad Salameh stands next to stacks of gold bars on shelves at the bank's headquarters in the Lebanese capital Beirut. (AFP)
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A vehicle believed to be part of former Lebanese central bank chief Riad Salameh's convoy arrives at the Justice Palace in Beirut, Lebanon September 9, 2024. (REUTERS)
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Updated 10 September 2024
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Lebanon judge orders former central bank chief to remain in jail

  • Salameh was long feted as a financial wizard in Lebanon but left office with his reputation shredded by corruption charges at home and abroad

BEIRUT: A Lebanese judge ruled on Monday that Riad Salameh, the country’s former central bank governor, will remain in jail while facing an investigation into corruption charges involving tens of millions of dollars in public funds.

Beirut First Investigative Judge Bilal Halawi issued an arrest warrant against Salameh after the former official had earlier been detained for questioning over a series of financial crimes, including money laundering and the embezzlement of $42 million, during his time at the Banque du Liban.

Salameh was taken to the Justice Palace in Beirut from the headquarters of the Internal Security Forces Directorate, where he had been held since last week.

Secrecy surrounded Salameh’s transfer, with mock convoys used to mislead the media and dozens of angry depositors who came to the Justice Palace to demand the former official remain in custody.

Salameh left Halawi’s office in handcuffs after more than two hours of questioning.

Security staff prevented people lining the Justice Palace’s corridors, including judicial officers, from photographing Salameh as he entered and left.

Several attorneys attended Salameh’s first session following his detention.

Halawi scheduled a second hearing for Salameh next Thursday and requested the testimony of several witnesses.

Salameh, 74, was central bank governor for three decades until July 2023.

He had long been regarded as a financial expert, but left office with his reputation badly tarnished amid accusations of corruption and the catastrophic collapse of the Lebanese financial system in 2019.

Salameh’s media office said that he had previously cooperated in more than 20 criminal investigations in Beirut and Mount Lebanon, and has been cooperating with the investigation since his detention.

Following the 2019 financial crisis, Salameh is facing a large number of legal cases in both Lebanon and European countries.

Caretaker Justice Minister Henry Khoury said that the red notice issued by Interpol against Salameh was still in effect.

He also said that Salameh’s case was still pending before the French Court of Cassation, where his lawyers had appealed the decision issued by the French Court of Appeal in Paris to confirm the seizure of his property.

Salameh has denied previous corruption accusations.

Halawi on Monday began questioning Salameh amid heavy security.

The former official appeared calm during questioning, and at one point Halawi told him he could sit down if he was tired.

The judge told Salameh: “I would like you to give answers that convince the public opinion.”

Questioned about the $42 million, Salameh said that it was not depositors’ money, but from consultations.

Last Tuesday, Prosecutor Judge Jamal Al-Hajjar detained Salameh after questioning him for three hours.

Mark Habka, Salameh’s lawyer, said: “Salameh’s interrogation is a routine procedure, and the judge is obliged to issue an arrest warrant to complete the interrogation later.”

He stressed that “the circumstances of the session were not normal because the media misled the public opinion and portrayed Salameh as a fugitive from justice, while he willingly came to the session.”

“There are several politicians who do not want the truth to be revealed, and Salameh is speaking in the sessions based on documents and naming individuals,” he said.

 


US aid officials attend meetings in Israeli prison accused of torture, sexual violence

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US aid officials attend meetings in Israeli prison accused of torture, sexual violence

  • ‘I can’t sleep at night knowing that it’s going on,’ USAID official tells The Guardian
  • Lawyer: ‘The situation there is more horrific than anything we’ve heard about Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo’

LONDON: US aid officials are attending daily meetings at Israel’s Sde Teiman base, where widespread use of torture and sexual violence is employed against Palestinian prisoners, reports allege.

It follows a decision in July to move Israel’s humanitarian relief hub to the desert base, three USAID officials told The Guardian.

Israel consolidated all of its Gaza aid oversight bodies into the Joint Coordination Board, which operates at Sde Teiman and coordinates with the US, UN and various NGOs.

The US has a regular presence at the site as part of its mission to facilitate urgent humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Sde Teiman was chosen by Israel as a holding facility for Palestinian prisoners in the wake of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack.

But extensive reporting by human rights groups, involving eyewitness accounts, has revealed that thousands of Palestinians who passed through the facility were subjected to severe physical and psychological abuse, torture and sexual violence.

Despite this, two USAID officials continue to visit Sde Teiman daily for meetings with Israeli and UN staff as part of the JCB.

A USAID official told The Guardian: “I can’t sleep at night knowing that it’s going on. It’s another form of psychological torture to make someone work there.”

It is unclear whether USAID staff have witnessed the section of Sde Teiman where Palestinian prisoners are detained, with one report saying the JCB operates out of “a handful of makeshift trailers.”

The reports issued by human rights groups on Sde Teiman cite whistleblowers and former prisoners to allege a consistent pattern of brutality by Israeli soldiers at the site.

The violence against Palestinian prisoners includes rape, beatings, electrocutions and force-feeding.

One Israeli doctor who worked at the facility reported that prisoners were “routinely” amputated due to aggressive handcuffing.

Since Oct. 7, about 4,000 Palestinians have passed through the prison, with at least 35 dying, the New York Times reported in May.

Khaled Mahajneh, a lawyer who visited Sde Teiman, told +972 Magazine: “The situation there is more horrific than anything we’ve heard about Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo.”

Israel has claimed that only 24 prisoners remain in the facility, and that a planned new wing would improve conditions.

But Tal Steiner, executive director of the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel, told The Guardian: “We have no indication that the living conditions in the camp have indeed been improved, as our lawyers have still not had access to the camp to assess that.”

One of the most controversial incidents at Sde Teiman took place earlier this year when a Palestinian prisoner was left in critical condition after being gang-raped by 10 Israeli soldiers, who were later investigated.

The decision to launch an investigation led to violent rioting and attacks by Israeli groups in support of the soldiers.

Israel moved its humanitarian oversight body to Sde Teiman from Hatzor airbase north of Gaza.

Weeks before, USAID chief Samantha Power visited the airbase, saying: “I think what’s happening in this room is incredibly important.”

Yet sources told The Guardian that the relocation has been a “closely guarded secret,” with internal communication listing the new site as nearby Beersheva instead of Sde Teiman.

Power, who previously served as US ambassador to the UN and senior adviser to former President Barack Obama, has faced mounting criticism within USAID over her failure to permit more aid to Gaza by way of agreements with Israel.

In March, 76 staffers sent a letter to a USAID bureau condemning the agency’s “silence on the suffering of Gaza.”

In response to The Guardian, USAID claimed that it is “working closely to ensure more effective dialogue between humanitarian partners and the Israeli government to improve the safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of humanitarian movements into and throughout Gaza. Due to security considerations, we do not comment on the specific locations of our staff.”


Nile basin nations say key accord has come into force

Updated 1 min 16 sec ago
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Nile basin nations say key accord has come into force

  • Egypt and Sudan decline to sign the water-sharing agreement

KAMPALA: A regional partnership of 10 countries says an agreement on the equitable use of water resources from the Nile River basin has come into force despite the notable opposition of Egypt.

The legal status of the “cooperative framework” was formally confirmed by the African Union after South Sudan joined the treaty, the Nile Basin Initiative said in a statement Sunday.
Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania have ratified the accord. Egypt and Sudan declined to sign, while Congo abstained. Kenya has not yet deposited its ratification documents with the African Union.

FASTFACTS

• The accord ‘is a testament to our collective determination to harness the Nile River for the benefit of all, ensuring its equitable and sustainable use for generations to come,’ the Nile Basin Initiative said.

• Tensions in the region have increased, stemming in part from Ethiopia’s construction of a $4 billion dam on the Blue Nile, a key tributary of the Nile River.

The accord, which came into force on Sunday, “is a testament to our collective determination to harness the Nile River for the benefit of all, ensuring its equitable and sustainable use for generations to come,” the Nile Basin Initiative said in its statement. “This is a moment to congratulate the governments and people of the Nile riparian countries, and all partners and stakeholders, for their patience, resolve, and dedication to this cause.”
The lack of ratification by Egypt and Sudan — desert nations that have raised concern over any attempts to diminish their shares of Nile water — means the accord will prove controversial.
Tensions in the region have increased, stemming in part from Ethiopia’s construction of a $4 billion dam on the Blue Nile, a key tributary of the Nile River. Egypt fears the dam will have a devastating effect on water and irrigation supplies downstream unless Ethiopia takes its needs into account. Ethiopia plans to use the dam to generate badly needed electricity.
The accord’s rights clause states that Nile basin states “shall in their respective territories utilize the water resources of the Nile River system in an equitable and reasonable manner.”
Measuring 6,695 kilometers, the Nile is the longest river in the world, with one tributary, the White Nile, starting in South Sudan and the other, the Blue Nile, in Ethiopia.
Amid the dispute with Ethiopia, Egypt has recently appeared to strengthen its position in the Horn of Africa by pledging security cooperation with Somalia, which opposes Ethiopia’s efforts to seek access to the sea via the Somali breakaway territory of Somaliland. Under the terms of an agreement reached last week, Egypt could deploy peacekeeping troops to Somalia when the mandate of AU peacekeepers expires at the end of 2024.
Egypt, a founding member of the Nile Basin Initiative, has long asserted its rights to Nile water according to the terms of an agreement.
The agreement between Egypt and the UK gave downstream Egypt and Sudan rights to the Nile water, with Egypt taking 55.5 billion cubic meters and Sudan 18.5 billion cubic meters of the total of 84 billion cubic meters, with 10 billion lost to evaporation.
That agreement, first signed in 1929, took no account of the other nations along the river basin that have been agitating for a more equitable accord.

 


Houthis say US, UK jets hit Red Sea Al-Saleef district in Hodeidah

US Central Command forces, alongside UK Armed Forces, conduct strikes on Houthi targets in militia-controlled areas of Yemen.
Updated 14 October 2024
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Houthis say US, UK jets hit Red Sea Al-Saleef district in Hodeidah

  • Rashad Al-Alimi accuses Iranian regime of orchestrating ‘new colonial schemes’ in Yemen
  • Iranian FM meets Houthi chief negotiator Mohammed Abdul Sallam in Muscat

AL-MUKALLA: US and UK jets launched two strikes against targets in Yemen’s Houthi-held western province of Hodeidah on Monday, the Houthi-run Al-Masirah said, the latest in a series of military operations against the militia in response to attacks on civilian shipping.

The Houthis did not provide additional information about the targeted areas or whether there were any human or property losses.

The US military usually says that its strikes on Houthi areas target drone and missile launchers, as well as drone boats poised to strike ships.

It comes as Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met Houthi chief negotiator Mohammed Abdul Sallam in the Omani capital on Monday, as the president of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council accused Tehran of orchestrating “new colonial schemes” in Yemen.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry said that Araghchi “held a meeting in Muscat” with Abdul Sallam on Monday but provided little information about the agenda.

According to Houthi media, Abdul Sallam discussed ending Israel’s “aggression” against Palestinians and Lebanese, as well as “the latest developments in the region.”

Iran has long been accused of providing the Houthis with advanced weapons, media and political support, allowing the militia to seize power in Yemen a decade ago, seize new territory across the country, and fuel a war that has killed tens of thousands of Yemenis and displaced millions more.

The Houthis have recently promised to support Iran against any Israeli attacks.

The Houthis are part of the Axis of Resistance, which includes Iran-backed groups in the region, such as Lebanon’s Hezbollah, Palestine’s Hamas and Iraq’s Islamic Resistance.

Araghchi’s meeting with the Houthi official came hours after Rashad Al-Alimi, the chairman of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, called on Yemenis to band together to counter Iran’s agenda in Yemen and end the Houthi coup.

Speaking on the eve of the 61st anniversary of the Oct. 14 revolution, Al-Alimi accused Iran of attempting to partition Yemen by supporting the Houthis, warning that the militia poses an “existential challenge” to the Yemeni people, their identity, and their relations with the regional and international communities.

“In the face of these extremely intertwined challenges, we have a historical responsibility to unite the republican ranks and stand firm against the new colonial schemes through which the Iranian regime seeks to confiscate our people’s will, and tear their identity and social fabric,” the Yemeni leader said.

The Yemeni leader also condemned Israeli airstrikes on Houthi-held Yemeni territory and demanded that the Houthis end their attacks on international shipping lanes and stop exploiting Yemen’s outrage over Israel’s war in Gaza.

“The enormity of Iran’s role will not cause us to ignore Israel’s extremist behavior throughout the region and condemn its repeated aggression against Yemen, its people’s capabilities and national sovereignty,” Al-Alimi said.

Following Houthi drone and missile attacks on Israeli towns, Israeli jets launched two waves of strikes against Houthi-held Hodeidah in July and September, targeting power stations, ports and fuel storage facilities.

The Houthis have been attacking ships in the Red Sea and other seas off Yemen with drones, ballistic missiles and drones since November last year in a campaign in which the Yemeni militia claims to be supporting the Palestinian people and pressuring Israel to end its war in Gaza.

The US responded to the Houthi attacks by forming marine task forces to protect ships, designating the Houthis as a terrorist organization and launching strikes on Houthi targets in Sanaa, Hodeidah and other Yemeni areas controlled by the militia.


Lebanese Executives Council praises Saudi Arabia’s humanitarian support for Lebanon

Updated 14 October 2024
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Lebanese Executives Council praises Saudi Arabia’s humanitarian support for Lebanon

  • Rabih El-Amine thanked King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for their efforts to assist the Lebanese people

LONDON/BEIRUT: The president of the Lebanese Executives Council thanked the government and people of Saudi Arabia for their “unwavering support” for his country amid Israel’s attacks on Hezbollah.

In a press briefing on Monday, Rabih El-Amine thanked King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for their efforts to assist the Lebanese people and acknowledged the Kingdom’s continued solidarity and “steadfast allyship” with Lebanon.

A second Saudi relief plane, operated by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center, left from Riyadh on Monday, carrying food, medical supplies and shelter aid to Beirut International Airport.

El-Amine highlighted the immediate establishment of a humanitarian aid bridge as a testament to Saudi Arabia’s support, adding: “The Kingdom has yet again shown itself to be Lebanon’s big sister.”

He continued: “In addition to the generous support from Saudi Arabia, we are also receiving aid from the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Turkiye, Egypt, and many others. We are immensely grateful to these brotherly nations and are seeking their continued support in helping Lebanon achieve a ceasefire to preserve what remains of our beautiful country.”

El-Amine issued an urgent appeal for more humanitarian assistance to address the devastation affecting millions across the country wrought by the Israeli offensive, especially in large parts of Beirut, the south of the country and the Bekaa regions, which have been heavily impacted.

“Since last October, Lebanon has been thrust into a conflict that the country neither desired nor can sustain. Despite our solidarity with Gaza, the situation has escalated into devastation,” he said.

According to the LEC, the destruction has left many Lebanese citizens displaced, with homes reduced to rubble and temporary shelters springing up across streets, beaches and overcrowded displacement centers.

“The aid we anticipate from generous and concerned nations should be directed precisely where it’s most needed — toward the innocent Lebanese civilians who have been swept into this conflict against their will.

“Consequently, we earnestly urge the Lebanese government to rise to the occasion and effectively assist its people during these trying times, with the eyes of the world upon us, it is imperative that we act with integrity to acknowledge the suffering and losses endured by our citizens.

“In all fairness, we should commend the resilience and resourcefulness of the Lebanese people as they navigate these uncertain waters. The spontaneous solidarity among the citizens has played a vital role in welcoming and supporting the displaced, often stepping in where official institutions have faltered,” he added.

El-Amine acknowledged it would be difficult to ensure all of the aid went to the people who required it most.

“Unfortunately, guaranteeing that aid reaches the right people is beyond our control, we can only hope and appeal to the government and its institutions to fulfill their responsibilities and ensure that assistance reaches those in most need,” he said.

“Thankfully, organizations like KSrelief are collaborating closely with trusted local partners to ensure the aid is effectively distributed to those who require it most, which gives us a sense of optimism,” he said.

Lebanon’s humanitarian crisis is further exacerbated by economic difficulties and the large refugee population, including 1.5 million Syrians and half a million Palestinians. El-Amine highlighted the significance of Saudi Arabia’s diplomatic role in addressing these challenges.

“Saudi Arabia’s role on the international stage, alongside other partners, is crucial in alleviating regional tensions,” he said.

The conflict has brought attention to Lebanon’s political impasse, as the country has been without a president for months. The council praised Saudi Arabia’s continued efforts to help resolve the political deadlock by urging the Lebanese parliament to elect a new president and form an effective government.

“This task has been challenging, largely due to Iran’s influence through Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Lebanese people, in general, do not desire war or to fight for Iran. While they sympathize with Gaza, they are not willing to sacrifice Lebanon in the process,” El-Amine said.

“They are calling for an immediate ceasefire, the election of a new president, and the formation of an effective government; our ultimate goal is to rebuild the country and foster national reconciliation while upholding the constitution, ensuring that only the Lebanese army has the authority to bear arms in defense of the nation.”


Iran says ‘no grounds’ for indirect talks with US

Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi speaks during a joint press conference with his Iraqi counterpart in Baghdad.
Updated 14 October 2024
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Iran says ‘no grounds’ for indirect talks with US

  • “Currently, we don’t see any grounds for these talks, until we can get past the current crisis,” Araghchi said in Muscat
  • The talks, he said, had been halted “due to the specific conditions of the region”

TEHRAN: Iran said Monday it currently sees “no grounds” for its indirect talks with the United States via intermediary Oman, citing the crisis in the Middle East.
In June, Tehran said it had engaged in indirect talks with Washington via Muscat, despite the two countries having no diplomatic relations.
US news website Axios reported at the time that officials from Iran and the United States held indirect talks in Oman “on how to avoid escalating regional attacks.”
On Monday, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi visited the Gulf sultanate as part of a regional tour in which he met allies and Middle East powers after Israel vowed to retaliate against Tehran’s recent missile attack.
“Currently, we don’t see any grounds for these talks, until we can get past the current crisis,” Araghchi told reporters in Muscat.
The talks, he said, had been halted “due to the specific conditions of the region.”
Iran fired 200 missiles at Israel on October 1 in what it said was retaliation for the killing of Tehran-aligned militant leaders in the region and a general in Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.
Israel has vowed to respond
Oman has long mediated between Iran and the United States, which cut ties after the 1979 Islamic revolution.
In Muscat, Araghchi met Mohammed Abdel Salam, a senior official of the Tehran-backed Houthis in Yemen.
The Houthis, alongside Hezbollah, Hamas and others, are part of the so-called axis of resistance of Iran-backed, anti-Israel armed groups.
The United States is Israel’s close ally and by far its largest provider of military assistance.
Araghchi also held talks with his Omani counterpart Badr Albusaidi over the developments in Lebanon and Gaza, and called for an “immediate end” to the conflict, said Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei.
Oman’s foreign ministry said the two officials agreed on “harnessing diplomacy as an essential tool for resolving disputes and conflicts” in the region.
While in Oman, Araghchi spoke on the phone with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.
Araghchi slammed what he called US obstruction of the United Nations Security Council in relation to the wars in Lebanon and Gaza as “a disaster” during the call.
China is a permanent member of the council.
Before arriving in Oman, Araghchi was in Baghdad for talks with Iraqi officials.
Last week, he visited Qatar and Saudi Arabia where talks mainly revolved around establishing a ceasefire in Lebanon and Gaza as well as ways to contain the conflict.