Turkey Tips the Balance in Libya - But for How Long?

A Weekly Political News Magazine

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Issue 1802- May - 29/05/2020

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Editorial

A Weekly Political News Magazine

Ever since 2011, Libya has been in a never-ending cycle of conflict and civil war. Since the fall of long time dictator Muammar Gaddafi, two rival political factions have formed both claiming the right to rule over Libya. The Triploi based Government of National Accord (GNA) led by Fayez al-Sarraj was formed out of a UN brokered deal in 2015.

Meanwhile, the Eastern Libya based Libyan National Army led by Khalifa Hafter was formed in 2014. In recent years, both factions have been at war against each other, as they have garnered support from different international players. While Hafter seemed to be on the verge of a decisive victory late last year, Turkey sent over forces to protect its GNA ally in Tripoli. Yasmine El-Geressi writes this week’s cover story, which focuses on Turkey’s role in the proxy war, and the strategic reasons behind its involvement in the conflict.

Now that the first wave of the Coronavirus seems to have subsided, some governments have started looking for ways to return back to normality. In the case of the Iranian regime, a return to normality meant a return to spewing anti-Semitic remarks as Iranian leadership called Israel a “tumour that needed to be removed”. World leaders such as Angela Merkel and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo condemned these remarks, while Israel warned Iran not to test its military capabilities.

Joseph Braude writes on these latest developments as he notes how Israel retaliated against these threats by launching a cyber attack on Iran’s traffic system causing it to temporarily crash.

The UK is the worst COVID-19 affected country in Europe as the death rate is on the brink of reaching 38,000 people. The UK government has been criticised for being ill prepared for the crisis, as many NHS doctors and nurses have complained over a lack of personal protective equipment (PPE). Speaking anonymously to Majalla, an NHS doctor criticised the government’s Coronavirus strategy, which they cite for costing the lives of thousands. The doctor further warns that life will never get back to pre-Coronavirus normality until we have a viable vaccine.

The US-Taliban deal has been a controversial development. While the Taliban have pledged a reduction of violence, evidence shows that it has been increasing its insurgency operations. Meanwhile, ISIS has also been doing a series of attacks, which the government has been blaming solely on the Taliban, leaving little reason to be optimistic for harmony between the government and the Taliban. Nevertheless, there is a glimmer of hope as both entities have been complying with the clause of prisoner releases. Ali El Shamy writes on the latest developments in Afghanistan as the Taliban has been recently meeting with government officials in Kabul.

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A Weekly Political News Magazine

16 The Government Strategy is a Shambles:’ UK‘

Doctor Speaks Out on the Coronavirus

Issue 1802- May - 29/05/2020

14 Tehran Ruler Threatens Genocide,

Sustains a Cyber-Blow

Can Now Wrest Its 20 Iraq Sovereignty From Iran

24 Sweden’s Coronavirus Strategy

Should Not Be the World’s

Pandemic Exposes Dangers of 30 The the Informal Economy

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The Museum of Quarantine 3

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COVID- 19: How Much Protection

44 Do Face Masks Offer

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An aerial view of the Grand Mosque and Kaaba in the centre of Saudi Arabia›s holy city of during the ,24 Mecca on May early hours of Eid al-Fitr, the Muslim holiday which starts at the conclusion of the holy fasting month of Ramadan. - Getty

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A Colombian Huitoto indigenous man sails on a raft along the Takana river in Leticia, department of Amazonas, Colombia on May 19-during the COVID 2020 ,20 coronavirus pandemic. - Getty

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U.S. Coronavirus Deaths Top 100,000 as Country Reopens US deaths from the novel coronavirus topped 100,000 on Wednesday even as the daily average death toll declines, businesses reopen and Americans emerge from lockdowns across the country.

About 1,400 Americans have died on average each day in May, down from the peak of the outbreak in April when 2,000 people a day died on average. The U.S. death toll is higher than fatalities from the seasonal flu going back to the 1957-1958 season, when 116,000 died. In about three months, COVID-19 deaths exceed the number of Americans killed in the Korean War, Vietnam War and the U.S. conflict in Iraq from 2003-2011 - combined. The coronavirus has killed more people than the AIDS epidemic did from 1981 through 1989.

now killed more than 350,000.

Protests, Looting Erupt in Minneapolis Over Racially Charged Killing

by Police

South Korea Coronavirus Spike Stirs Second Wave Concern, Social Distancing Crackdown South Korea reported 79 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, the most in nearly eight weeks, triggering the return of tougher social distancing curbs amid the spectre of a second wave of disease in a country praised for containing the first outbreak. At least 82 cases this week have been linked to a cluster of infections at a logistics facility run by Coupang Corp, one of the country’s largest online shopping firms, in Bucheon, west of Seoul, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said. The new cases on a third straight day of rising infections took South Korea’s tally to 11,344 with 269 deaths by midnight on Wednesday. A robust testing programme this year was credited with keeping deaths comparatively low in a global pandemic that has

Protesters clashed with riot police firing tear gas for a second night in Minneapolis on Wednesday in an outpouring of rage over the death of a black man seen in a widely circulated video gasping for breath as a white officer knelt on his neck. The video, taken by an onlooker to Monday night’s fatal encounter between police and George Floyd, 46, showed him lying face down and handcuffed, groaning for help and repeatedly saying, “please, I can’t breathe,” before growing motionless. The second day of dem-

onstrations, accompanied by looting and vandalism, began hours after Mayor Jacob Frey urged prosecutors to file criminal charges against the white policeman shown pinning Floyd to the street. Floyd, who was unarmed and reportedly suspected of trying to pass counterfeit bills at a corner eatery, was taken by ambulance from the scene of his arrest and pronounced dead the same night at a hospital. The policeman shown kneeling on Floyd’s neck and three fellow officers involved were dismissed from the police department on Tuesday as the FBI opened an investigation.

Boris Johnson Faces Backlash Over Influential Adviser’s Travels During Lockdown British Prime Minister Boris Johnson sought to face down a rebellion in his own party after he defended a top aide accused of sowing confusion over lockdown rules by driving his child and sick wife more than 250 miles from London to be near

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Russian mercenaries fighting for eastern forces, adding to concerns of a new escalation in the conflict. “Russian military aircraft are likely to provide close air support and offensive fire,” the United States Africa command said in a statement it posted on its website and on Twitter. Libya’s civil war has drawn in regional and global powers with what the United Nations has called a huge influx of weapons and fighters in violation of an arms embargo. Russia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt support the eastern-based Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan National Army, which launched an offensive last year to seize the capital Tripoli.

However, in recent weeks the Government of National Accord (GNA) has with extensive Turkish backing pushed Haftar back from his foothold in southern Tripoli and from some other parts of the northwest. his family in northern England. Cummings is facing calls to resign, both from opposition politicians and members of the governing Conservative Party, whose leader, he advises. In a highly unusual move for an adviser, Cummings gave a press conference on Monday. He said he believed he acted “reasonably” and within the law. He has so far been backed

by Johnson and other senior government ministers. Some have accused Cummings of breaking the “spirit” of the lockdown guidance. There are also worries his actions will undermine the government’s coronavirus guidance, encouraging the 66 million people living in the UK to follow their own interpretations of the rules.

minate sanctions waivers that had allowed Russian, Chinese and European companies to carry out work originally designed to make it harder for Iranian nuclear sites to be used for weapons development. The waivers, which officials said expire on July 27, covered the conversion of Iran’s Arak heavy water research reactor, the provision of enriched uranium for its Tehran Research Reactor and the transfer of spent and scrap reactor fuel abroad. In a statement, U.S.

China Parliament Advances Hong Kong Security Law as Tensions with U.S. Rise

U.S. to End Sanctions Waivers Allowing Some Work at Iran Nuclear Sites The United States said on Wednesday it will terSecretary of State Mike Pompeo gave no precise justification for the move, which will halt some work originally designed to make it more difficult for Iran to potentially develop fissile material for nuclear bombs. However, Pompeo said Washington would extend for 90 days a waiver allowing foreign work at a Russian-built nuclear power plant at Bushehr to ensure safety.

U.S. Military Says Russia Deployed Fighter Jets to Libya The U.S. military said on Tuesday that Russia has deployed fighter aircraft to Libya to support

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China’s parliament approved a decision on Thursday to go forward with national security legislation for Hong Kong that democracy activists in the city and Western countries fear could erode its freedoms and jeopardise its role as a global financial hub. China says the legislation will aim to tackle secession, subversion, terrorism and foreign interference in the city but the plan, unveiled in Beijing last week, triggered the first big protests in Hong Kong for months. Riot police were out in force in Hong Kong as its lawmakers debated another piece of legislation, a bill to criminalise disrespect of China’s national anthem, while the United States piled on pressure aimed at preserving the city’s autonomy.

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Turkey Tips the Balance in Libya But for How Long?

Ankara’s Intervention Has Prolonged and Exacerbated a Deadly War that is Far From Over 10

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In the past month – and recent days, in particular – Turkey has deepened its imprint in Libya as it chalked up a series of victories, culminating in the seizure of a key airbase and the town of al-Asabaa from Haftar’s forces.

The Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA), which was formed in 2015 through a UN-brokered agreement approved by the Security Council, has struggled to establish control over the country.

Formally, the GNA has been supported by the United States and the European Union, but its main backers in recent years have been Italy, Turkey and Qatar.

The UAE, Egypt, France and Russia have all been supporting Field Mashal Khalifa Haftar, who since 2014 has built a military alliance that has consolidated control in eastern Libya — through campaigns in Benghazi and Derna — and expanded into much of southern Libya.

Libyans wave their national flag as they take part in a celebration marking the Libyan revolution, which toppled strongman Moamer Kadhafi, in Benghazi on February 17, 2020. )(Getty

by Yasmine El-Geressi While the coronavirus pandemic consumes the world’s attention, the Libya crisis is worsening rapidly. Recent developments are threatening the stability of the nation that has been in turmoil since a civil war which saw the intervention of NATO countries and the toppling of Muammar Gaddafi’s regime in 2011. Since then the country has progressively fragmented and has drawn in regional powers, tipping the country ever deeper into a proxy battle that’s collapsed peace efforts to heal the country’s rifts and shuttered 90% of oil production in the OPEC member state.

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Until recently, Haftar had the edge in Libya. By the end of 2019, his forces had made inroads into the capital’s suburbs and he seemed poised to enter Tripoli after a yearlong offensive before the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, took the bold step of declaring overt support for the GNA. Turkey’s foray is motivated by its own strategic, political and economic interests.

In November last year, Erdogan signed an agreement on maritime boundaries in the east Mediterranean with Serraj. The agreement threatens to block the EastMed project: a proposed Cypriot-Greek-Israeli pipeline to Europe. Turkey was left out of the pipeline because of the historical dispute over Cyprus. It is the third-largest island in

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the Mediterranean split into a Turkish half in the north and a Greek half in the south since 1974. Both sides claim sovereignty over the valuable gas reserves discovered ten years ago off the coast of Cyprus. Erdogan intends for Turkey to partake in the exploits and can now count on the support of the UN-backed party in Libya. Alongside its goal to undermine the emerging security and energy framework in the Eastern Mediterranean, Ankara desires to tip the balance in its favour in the power struggle with regional rivals and to secure its financial and energy interests in Libya and the broader Eastern Mediterranean.

Erdogan is now challenging Haftar’s influence in the eastern Mediterranean. In the past month – and recent days, in particular – Turkey has deepened its imprint in Libya as it chalked up a series of victories, culminating in the seizure of a key airbase and the town of al-Asabaa from Haftar’s forces.

The general has since announced a partial withdrawal from Tripoli’s front lines.

Along with sending troops and thousands of Syrian militiamen, Turkish drones and air defense systems have helped the GNA to reverse the LNA’s gains and altered the course of a war.

But, despite the GNA’s gains in the past month, the war is far from over. On April 27, Haftar declared military rule in the country’s east and this week, he called on his forces to rally against Turkey. In an audio message addressed to his forces, urged them to battle the “colonial” intervention

by Turkey until its defeat, in a reference to one-time Ottoman control of Libya. Haftar’s comments were released as U.S. President Donald Trump appealed for a rapid deescalation of the conflict in Libya in a call with Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan.

Haftar’s forces still launch missile attacks

on Tripoli each day and control Libya’s oil.

They will also remain difficult to displace from Tarhouna, their last stronghold and a key staging and logistics post for Haftar in western Libya. As Ankara’s allies in Tripoli attempt counterattacks against pro-Haftar strongholds, Turkey risks being dragged deeper into the war. Further escalation is a distinct risk and could both backfire for Ankara and come at the expense of Libyans at large.

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Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar sits during talks with Greek Foreign Minister in Athens, on January ,17 2020. (Getty)

The clear division between the east and west looks set to deepen, leading to a new stage of slow, grinding conflict.

Meanwhile, Libyans who prior to Turkey’s intervention were sitting on the fence and did not claim allegiance to either side in the war also have criticised Turkey’s intervention. resignation of UN Special Representative to Libya Ghassan Salamé further undermined chances of reviving them. Instead, the Haftar camp returned to its military solution strategy, and the GNA did the same. In the same month, Haftar-allied tribal seized Libya’s eastern oil terminals, blocking exports, saying they did not want to see Libya’s oil revenues used to pay for Turkish and Turkey-backed forces. This shutdown has cut off almost all state revenues that were keeping the Tripoli government afloat.

Turkey’s intervention has prolonged and exacerbated an already deadly war. The clear division between the east and west looks set to deepen, leading to a new stage of slow, grinding conflict. It has also pushed the country further even from a negotiated political solution. Diplomatic initiatives in January, in Moscow and then in Berlin, provided a glimmer of hope that negotiations would indeed begin, but these failed to produce any meaningful results, and the

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Domestically, there are also signs of fatigue with Turkey’s military campaigns abroad which has little buy-in among ordinary Turkish citizens. Public support for Turkey’s recent Idlib intervention was markedly lower than for Turkey’s other military campaigns in Syria. At the same time, the coronavirus pandemic will likely increase the public’s questioning of foreign military campaigns.

Ankara will be hard-pressed to avoid any major loss of lives of its soldiers, while also maintaining the image of a successful policy to cultivate support for its Libya operations. Meanwhile, Libyans who prior to Turkey’s intervention were sitting on the fence and did not claim allegiance to either side in the war also have criticised Turkey’s intervention.

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Tehran Ruler Threatens Genocide, Sustains a Cyber-Blow Israel and Iran Trade Increasingly Punitive Cyber Attacks on One Another’s Infrastructure

by Joseph Braude As the first wave of the coronavirus outbreak appears to have crested, older patterns of conflict and foreign policy are re-asserting themselves. Iranian leader Khamene’i took the occasion of Qods Day to return to genocidal rhetoric. In so doing, he elicited harsh denunciation from Western capitals and an ominous warning against escalation from Jerusalem. Such an escalation appears to be well underway in cyberspace, with Israeli and Iranian militaries trading increasingly punitive attacks on one another’s infrastructure.

KHAMENE’I DRAWS CONDEMNATION AND WARNING On May 22, during Iran’s annual Qods Day — observed

virtually this year out of coronavirus concerns — Ayatollah Khamene’i declared that “the Zionist regime is a deadly, cancerous tumor in the region,” and added that “it will undoubtedly be uprooted and destroyed.”

While this marked no notable departure from Tehran’s decades-old position, it succeeded in generating a chorus of opposition from Western capitals.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said, “We sharply condemn what the Iranian leadership said,” and, in a gesture to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s thenongoing visit to Germany, noted that “we are not in agreement on all questions, but we are friends, we are partners.” U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo swiftly condemned Khamene’i’s remarks, tweeting that “The United States condemns Supreme Leader Khamenei›s disgusting and hateful anti-Semitic remarks,” and

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Ayatollah Khamene’i declared that “the Zionist regime is a deadly, cancerous tumor in the region,” and added that “it will undoubtedly be uprooted and destroyed.

ISRAEL LAUNCHES CYBER COUNTERATTACK AGAINST IRAN In the last week, intelligence leaks have confirmed an escalation of the cyber war underway between Israel and Iran. Several weeks ago, in early May, Iran’s heavily trafficked Bandar Abbas port terminal came to a sudden halt. The technical infrastructure which regulates the traffic flow all crashed at once, ¬creating massive backups. Satellite photographs for several days thereafter depicted miles-long traffic jams on highways leading to the Shahid Rajaee port, as well as dozens of loaded transport ships detained in a waiting area off the coast.

adding that “we know Khamenei’s vile rhetoric does not represent the Iranian people’s tradition of tolerance.” He also noted that both Khamene’i and Foreign Minister Javad Zarif are effectively “echoing Hitler’s call for genocide.”

For their part, Israeli reactions signified Jerusalem’s view that Khamene’i’s speech was as much harbinger as provocation, and warned Tehran against kinetic escalation. Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Benny Gantz responded to Khamene’i’s address by noting that “Israel faces major challenges across a variety of fronts.

Khamene’i’s declaration that Israel is a ‘cancerous growth’ exemplifies this better than anything. As someone who is well versed in the Iranian file, and has prepared the IDF’s capacities in this area, I don’t advise them to test us.”

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Dmitri Alperovitch, the founder and former chief technology officer of CrowdStrike, a highly regarded cybersecurity firm, observed that the strike on Bandar Abbas “is in line with Israeli policy of aggressively responding to Iranian provocation, either kinetically or through other means … Any time you see Iranian escalation, as with their buildup of rocket capacity in Syria, you have consistently seen Israeli retaliation with bombing runs on those positions. So it appears they have now applied that doctrine in cyberspace.”

This incident was both preceded and followed by Iranian cyber-attacks on Israeli infrastructure. In late April, the head of the Israeli Water Authority›s security department, Daniel Lacker, reported, ”We have received a number of reports regarding a cyber attack on the... systems. No damage was reported during the incident.»

Subsequent analysis by Israeli cyber officials identified the malware as bearing the signature of one of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps’ offensive cyber units. One intelligence official, unimpressed by the calibre of the ineffective strike, described Iran’s cyber capabilities as “miserable.”

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‘The Government Strategy is a Shambles:’ UK Doctor Speaks Out on the Coronavirus

An NHS Frontline Physician Describes What It’s Like to Fight Against COVID19- and Highlights the Hypocrisy in Clapping for the Health Service

by Yasmine El-Geressi Even before the coronavirus hit the Britain, exhaustion, anxiety, and stress were already endemic in the UK’s overstretched National Health Service.

Then came the government’s mishandling of the crisis, which has left health workers unprotected in battlefield conditions due to widespread shortages of personal protective gear and testing. Now, there’s festering anger among health professionals who for their safety and the safety of their patients.

The virus has also changed their relationships with their patients, co-workers and families, and some are struggling under the psychological weight of the crisis. I conducted an interview with an NHS physician who requested anonymity to speak freely.

The doctor’s remarks have been edited for clarity and brevity

varies across trusts. Many live with vulnerable adults themselves and therefore risk exposing their loved ones to the virus. Others have chosen to completely isolate themselves from their families for months to keep them safe. Meanwhile, on duty we are constantly dealing with physically and mentally demanding situations, whether that’s breaking bad news to families who couldn’t visit sick relatives due to government guidance, or witnessing fit and well patients deteriorate rapidly deteriorate after illness onset. Understandably, this puts all healthcare professionals under enormous mental and psychological strain. It is important to note that much of the workforce are classified as junior doctors, many of whom are between the ages of 24 and 35. Having these highly traumatic events unfolding in front of you every single day for months is enough to exacerbate and ruin anyone’s mental health.

Can you give us some insight into how you and your colleagues are feeling right now?

Do healthcare workers have enough personal protective equipment (PPE)?

Feelings of exhaustion, stress and anxiety are palpable among doctors and nurses in hospitals.

It is also not unusual for us to be working 7 consecutive -12hour on call shifts, although this

The availability of PPE can vary from trust to trust, but I am aware of many that have had to depend on the goodwill of volunteers to make the scrubs that we so desperately need to make up for shortages due

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A man walks past a mural celebrating NHS workers by artist Lionel Stanhope at Hilly Fields, South London on April ,11 2020 in London, England. (Getty)

to unprecedented demand. There is also a worrying discrepancy between the PPE provided for NHS workers and what is used in countries such as China where healthcare workers wear layers of protective equipment. Moreover, the continual shifting of guidance around PPE has left us feeling confused and vulnerable.

There were reports that NHS staff are being gagged from speaking out about widespread shortages of PPE. Have you or your colleagues received warnings from NHS bodies not to raise your concerns publicly?

Although I have not experienced this personally, and while I am aware of the media’s tendency to overuse hyperbole when there is a major news story, I was not surprised to read reports of doctors being warned not to make any comments about shortages on social media, as well as avoiding talking to journalists. I am sure many doctors and nurses who feel their safety, and by extension, that of their families, has been compromised through the lack of sufficient amounts of PPE of the right specification have tried to speak out.

What do you think of the way the government has handled the crisis?

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The government’s lockdown dithering, and its failure to procure enough Covid19- tests and PPE undoubtedly led to worst death toll in Europe.

The government’s strategy has been a shambles since its inception, particularly when you contrast it to other countries such as South Korea and Singapore who reacted immediately and have excelled in containing the coronavirus through expansive testing, contact tracing and quarantining. Countries closer to home, such as Germany where the death toll is far lower, have also shone unforgiving light on the UK’s strategy. The government’s lockdown dithering, and its failure to procure enough Covid19- tests and PPE, even when it became evident that the UK was just weeks away from experiencing a similar trajectory in death rates to coronavirus-battered Italy, undoubtedly led to worst death toll in Europe. Moreover, flights have continued into the UK from the world›s worst-

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hit coronavirus hotspots throughout the pandemic with no checks on incoming passengers. What is most concerning at this current stage of the pandemic is that UK’s strategy dangerously continues to leave too many questions unanswered even as we emerge from lockdown.

Has this made you think differently about local and national leadership?

I tend to avoid partisan politics but there is an overarching sense that the governing body is driven by selfish interests. This was made clear when MPs received an above inflation pay rise and were offered extra 10,000£ to help with homeworking office costs, while NHS workers who have made profound sacrifices are rewarded with a possible two-year pay freeze and weekly clapping.

How do you feel about the public clapping for the NHS every Thursday at 8pm?

While it is a nice gesture which my colleagues and I appreciate, when viewed through a political lens against the backdrop of a country that just a few months ago voted in a government that has critically overstretched and underfunded the NHS for over a decade, in what seems like an attempt to speed up its plans to privatise the health service, all our clapping begins to look like deep hypocrisy. From a public health perspective, the irony is the people congregating on streets and bridges while breaching

When viewed against the backdrop of a country that just a few months ago voted in a government that has critically overstretched and underfunded the NHS for over a decade, all our clapping begins to look like deep hypocrisy.

social distancing rules are increasing the risk of putting more pressure on the NHS. It is important people observe social distancing at all times. Finally, clapping doesn’t put food on the table. You would be surprised to hear about the very low starting salaries for junior doctors and nurses that barely covers their bills and rent, despite working over 65 hours a week at times. This needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency.

Do you think we’ll have a second, deadlier wave?

History has shown that subsequent second waves of outbreaks of disease can be deadlier than the initial wave of disease. As governments around the world loosen restrictions, some countries such as china have already reported a resurgence in cases — prompting fears that a new wave of infections is imminent. Most viruses follow a seasonal pattern, and although not enough is known about SARS-CoV2- to predict if it will have the same seasonality, I believe that is likely that we could see a second wave in the coming Autumn and Winter months.

Will the NHS cope with what is to come?

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A demonstrator wearing a face mask holding signs reading «PPE» (personal protective equipment) protests about the lack of PPE for NHS nursing staff, outside of St Thomas› Hospital in central London, while Britain›s Prime Minister Boris Johnson was in intensive care on April 2020 ,7. (Getty)

Most viruses follow a seasonal pattern, and although not enough is known about SARS-CoV2- to predict if it will have the same seasonality, I believe that is likely that we could see a second wave in the coming Autumn and Winter months. low to avoid overwhelming the health system. We have already seen images of packed trains and tubes as the easing of the lockdown started in England.

As we interact with others outside of our household, cases will likely rise again and effective mitigation relies on people’s individual decisions to comply with the guidance.

Fast-forward to Spring 2021, what do you think life will like will look like?

It’s very difficult at this point to assess how well the NHS has managed as we move past the first wave of the pandemic. The virus infection and death rates, and the numbers of patients admitted to Intensive Care Units and require mechanical ventilation are striking. Patients suffering from coronavirus and other illnesses, who under normal circumstances would have required ICU admission and ventilation have been turned down purely based on age and comorbidities. It is chilling to think that someone in their early 60s who is still fit enough to work, is not fit enough to be ventilated.

Therefore, I am not sure if it can be said that the NHS has coped, and if the second wave is even larger, it could be catastrophic.

Can you give some examples of tangible things the general-public can do to help frontline workers?

The easing of lockdowns does not mean a return to pre-pandemic normality. As people are getting more freedom to engage in social and economic activities, they need to continue the public health measures that we have already been practicing to keep infections

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Around the world, hope for a return to normalcy is pinned on a vaccine, but some viruses, such as influenza, mutate so rapidly that vaccine developers have to release new formulations each year. So far, the Sars-CoV2- coronavirus seems fairly stable, but it is acquiring mutations as it passes from person to person and there is a chance it could mutate in a way that could make a lasting, universal vaccine difficult to create. Until we have that crucial vaccine, we will have to get used to our new normal of social distancing which will continue to change how we work, how we travel and how we socialise with each other.

What has been one good thing that you’ve noticed during this outbreak?

The pandemic has sparked a spirit of unity and solidarity. Another major positive has been the technological response to the covid19- health care crisis. Telemedicine has quickly made its way to the forefront to healthcare delivery. Integrating digital solutions has facilitated remote telephone and video doctor-patient consultations which have obvious benefits during the pandemic and I hope they will be part of the future of medicine to increase efficiency and productivity.

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Iraq Can Now Wrest Its Sovereignty From Iran A New Prime Minister Looks to Bring Shiite Militias Under Baghdad’s Control 20

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If there were ever a moment for Iraq to shake off Iranian influence, the time is now—not only because conditions are ripe in chief.

Iranian-backed Iraqi militias such as Kataib Hezbollah, Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq, and Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada, among others, operate outside the jurisdiction of the Iraqi state. They are part of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), an umbrella military organization that is nominally under Iraqi command but that in fact plays an integral part in projecting Iranian power throughout the region.

Previous Iraqi administrations tried, but ultimately failed, to limit the influence of the armed militias.

Iraq’s prime minister from 2014 to 2018, Haider alAbadi, sought to bring the militias under the control of the state and to limit their political ambitions. He demanded that the militias make their spending transparent and separate their military and political wings. But in the end, Iranian-backed politicians outmaneuvered Abadi and backed his much friendlier replacement, Adel Abdul-Mahdi, who became prime minister in October 2018. Abdul-Mahdi increased the PMF’s budget by 20 percent in 2019 and enabled the Iranian-backed militias to expand their presence in strategic regions, including along the Iraqi-Syrian border, across which they have moved almost freely.

An Iraqi protester wears a face mask during an anti-government demonstration on AlJumhuriyah bridge in the capital Baghdad, on May 10,2020. (Getty)

by Hamdi Malik Mustafa al-Kadhimi, Iraq’s new prime minister as of May 12, has already announced a bold intention. In a short government manifesto he submitted to the Iraqi Parliament, Kadhimi emphasized his plans to “impose the state’s prestige” by bringing armed groups under government control. To observers of post-Saddam Hussein Iraq, the manifesto’s meaning is clear: the damage to the state’s “prestige” has, after all, come mainly from pro-Iranian militant groups who answer to the commanders of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), rather than to Iraq’s commander

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Kadhimi has indicated that he has plans to end this state of affairs. Recent developments in Iraq and in the wider region suggest that the new prime minister has a much better chance than his predecessors did of curbing the militias’ influence and consequently, that of Iran.

A TURNING TIDE A popular uprising has wracked Iraq since October 2019—one that even a brutal crackdown did not manage to quell and that persisted until the spread of the novel coronavirus quieted the streets. The protesters

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were predominantly Shiite, and they vehemently objected to Iran’s meddling in their county. To show the bitter resentment that they felt toward Iran, in November 2019, some slapped their shoes against banners of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader. Many did not even bother to cover their faces. Major General Qasem Soleimani, then the commander of the IRGC’s expeditionary Quds Force, came in for his fair share of insults from the demonstrators, too.

The demonstrations led to the resignation of AbdulMahdi and, for the first time since the overthrow of Saddam Hussein in 2003, put an anti-Iranian, Shiite, national current at the center of Iraq’s political landscape. The protesters demanded a sovereign state free from Iranian interference, and Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the highest Shiite authority in the country, supported them.

Khadimi takes the reins following directly on these events—and because of them, the new prime minister may see his way clear to limit Iran’s influence in the country.

Sistani’s role is particularly important. Back in 2014, ISIS wrested vast swaths of Iraqi territory from the Baghdad government, and Sistani issued a fatwa calling on all able men to take up arms and join the fight under the state’s security institutions. Instead, militias aligned with Iran took the opportunity to create the PMF—a parallel military organization with a budget of $2.16 billion and 135,000 armed fighters. The organization has been a key element in the IRGC’s plans

To expect Iran’s influence to vanish from Iraq overnight would be naive, but certainly the circumstances under which Kadhimi begins his tenure are the best aligned of any in recent years to the purpose of restraining Iran’s hand.

to exert influence in Iraq and beyond.

Sistani is now actively seeking to strip these militias of their religious legitimacy. Under the supervision of one of the cleric’s close confidants, four Shiite paramilitary factions affiliated with Sistani—the Abbas Combat Division, the Imam Ali Combat Division, the Ali Akbar Brigade, and the Ansar al-Marja’iya Brigade—defected from the PMF in April and expressed their intention to help others do the same. By giving his affiliated factions the nod to secede from the PMF, Sistani is effectively withdrawing his endorsement from the factions that remain loyal to the IRGC—a snub that could seriously damage the religious legitimacy of the Iranian-backed factions.

Those factions were already reeling from the U.S. airstrike that assassinated Soleimani and the PMF leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in early January. The two charismatic commanders were instrumental in consolidating Iran’s influence in Iraq and in unifying the country’s Shiite factions. Their loss has left a void that Brigadier General Esmail Qaani, Soleimani’s successor, has not been able to fill. As a result, Iraq’s pro-Iranian factions occupy their weakest position in

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Iraqi PM-designate Mustafa al-Kadhimi who is at the parliament for vote of confidence in Baghdad, Iraq makes a speech on May 2020 ,06.

(Getty)

ing in recent years. Anecdotal evidence backs this claim. In March 2019, Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Lebanon’s Hezbollah, asked supporters to donate money, suggesting that the Iranian-supported militants were short of funds. In February 2020, a high-ranking Iranian politician recalled that Soleimani came to him looking to raise funds for the IRGC’s proxies in Syria.

Iran’s proxies in Syria are not only on the ropes financially; they are also under military pressure from Israel. Gadi Eisenkot, chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces, stated in January 2019, “We struck thousands of [Iranian] targets without claiming responsibility.” Among such targets are Iraqi militias that also belong to the PMF. In late April 2020, Defense Minister Naftali Bennett told the Israeli news media that his country was stepping up its campaign against Iran in Syria: since the beginning of the year, Israel has conducted at least 11 raids against targets affiliated with Iran.

years—just in time for the new prime minister to begin bringing the militias under state control.

To expect Iran’s influence to vanish from Iraq overnight would be naive, but certainly the circumstances under which Kadhimi begins his tenure are the best aligned of any in recent years to the purpose of restraining Iran’s hand.

The new prime minister can start by freezing further expansion of the PMF. Then Kadhimi should divide President Barham Salih can be a powerful ally to Ka- responsibility among the various leaders across the dhimi in this endeavor. He has taken a more active role military organization. When Muhandis was the PMF’s in politics than did his predecessor, Fuad Masum, the sole leader, he liaised directly with Soleimani, who president when Abadi attempted to bring the militas to exercised considerable control. Kadhimi should strucheel. Salih even played a major part in selecting Ka- ture the organization differently, such that leadership dhimi, enraging the pro-Iranian factions in late March is shared—and among the group’s leaders, he should when he refused to nominate their candidate for the appoint some who believe in a sovereign Iraq, in order premiership. Salih said that he would rather resign than to balance the commanders loyal to Iran. At the same appoint someone to the position who would be rejected time, Kadhimi must put effective auditing in place to by the protesters. make the PMF’s spending more transparent. He should establish a good working relationship with the units IRAN ON THE ROPES that have broken with the PMF and facilitate the defection of others, should the pro-Iranian militias refuse If there were ever a moment for Iraq to shake off Ira- to implement his reforms. A Shiite paramilitary force nian influence, the time is now—not only because that operates under the jurisdiction of the Iraqi state conditions are ripe in Iraq but because they are ripe will offer an alternative to the rogue Shiite militias led in Iran. The administration of U.S.President Donald by Iran.

Trump has pursued a policy of maximum pressure against Iran that has taken a toll on the country’s abil- Iraq’s new prime minister has momentum behind him. ity to support its regional proxies. According to Brian He has only to implement his plan.

Hook, U.S. Special Representative for Iran, the Islamic Republic has been forced to reduce its military spend- This article was originally published on ForeignAffairs.

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Sweden’s Coronavirus Strategy Should Not Be the World’s But Aspects of It Are Worthy of Consideration

by Josh Michaud No country has been as simultaneously praised and criticized as Sweden has for its response to the novel coronavirus. Each day brings new discussion, much of it heated, of the merits of the

Swedish model. In general, opinions fall into one of two camps: those saying the country has found a uniquely effective way to address the pandemic (as Nils Karlson, Charlotta Stern, and Daniel B. Klein have argued in these pages) and those saying it has found a uniquely reckless way of endanger-

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ing the health of its people. What both sides agree on is that the Swedish experience holds lessons for others, either as a model to be emulated or as a cautionary tale. At the end of the day, however, .the two camps are mostly talking past each other While there is some debate about what the “Swedish model” actually is, many would likely agree there are two primary differences between that country’s response and responses of other Western countries. One is that the Swedish government has taken a remarkably hands-off approach to managing the pandemic—an approach from which other countries could learn as they prepare for the long haul. The other characteristic that distinguishes Sweden’s response is its undeclared but widely acknowledged objective of achieving herd immunity. Here, other governments would do well to heed warning signs and be wary of following .Sweden’s lead

A LIGHTER TOUCH

A senior couple eat dinner keeping distance from the rest of their family despite the fear around the world of spreading the Coronavirus (COVID19-) on April 2020 ,18 in Ostersund, Sweden. (Getty)

Most European countries imposed lockdowns and other coercive measures to slow the spread of the virus—but not Sweden. Rather than issuing mandatory restrictions on social or economic activity, the Swedish government placed responsibility for risk reduction on individuals and businesses. The government released guidelines and recommendations on how individuals could help flatten the curve by hand washing, physical distancing, and avoiding nonessential travel. But it didn’t threaten penalties or incarceration if recommendations weren’t followed. There were no “shelter-in-place” orders and no need to determine which workers were “essential” and which ones were “nonessential.” Children remained in school (though universities closed) and people continued to congregate in restaurants, parks, and other pub.lic spaces Even without heavy-handed threats from the government, people in Sweden have for the most part followed recommendations and changed their behavior. Google mobility records indicate that people in the county that surrounds the capital, Stockholm, have reduced their trips to retail and entertainment establishments by between 20 and 40 percent and their use of public transit by between 30 and 40 percent during the pandemic,

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Rather than issuing mandatory restrictions on social or economic activity, the Swedish government placed responsibility for risk reduction on individuals and businesses. roughly equivalent to the declines seen in neighboring countries. The government sees this more relaxed, less coercive policy as more prudent and durable, because Swedes have largely avoided the fatigue and stress that the citizens of other nations have endured under lockdown. Polls indicate that a large majority of Swedes support their government’s management of the pandemic so far and express appreciation that they can maintain some .semblance of normalcy in their lives By contrast, those who have endured lengthy periods of lockdown in other countries are grappling with a mounting social and emotional toll. Social isolation and loneliness resulting from distancing measures can exacerbate mental health issues. In a recent poll of American adults by the Kaiser Family Foundation, 45 percent of respondents reported that their mental health had suffered from pandemic-related stress. In countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom, many acknowledge the need for social distancing but also express growing fatigue with restrictions. Policies that help alleviate these pressures without endangering public health are worthy of serious consid.eration One way some countries under lockdown might safely follow Sweden’s lead is by allowing people to access public parks and other open spaces.

Swedes have also enjoyed outdoor seating in restaurants, with adequate physical distancing—another low-risk activity that might be responsibly replicated. Overall, there is a growing consensus that different environments have different risk profiles for coronavirus transmission, so places not in the midst of an uncontrolled outbreak can safely

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consider a more flexible approach—one that eases restrictions while encouraging hygienic behaviors .such as the use of masks or face shields in public Any relaxation of social-distancing measures would of course have to be pursued carefully and strategically and coupled with adequate public education as well as monitoring to ensure adherence to guidelines. Sweden may have a leg up on other countries when it comes to compliance with voluntary guidelines because of its unusually high levels of public trust. Still, there is likely room outside Sweden for a more nuanced approach that will make the pandemic easier to manage in the .long run

A HIGH-STAKES BET Although Sweden’s laissez-faire approach to social distancing is worthy of consideration by other countries, its apparent pursuit of herd immunity is probably not. Some Swedish officials have denied that herd immunity is the government’s eventual goal, but the country’s leading state epidemiologist and other top officials have cast some doubt on those denials by repeatedly claiming that Sweden is rapidly approaching herd immunity, spurred along by its relaxed distancing policies. In April, for instance, representatives from Sweden’s public health agency estimated that one-third of the people in Stockholm would be immune by the beginning of May. More recently, authorities estimated that between 20 and 25 percent of Stockholm County’s 2.4 million residents were already immune as of early May

The lesson to be drawn from the Swedish experience may well be that a more rational approach to social distancing need not go hand in hand with a drive toward herd immunity that results in preventable deaths.

and that Stockholm would reach herd immunity, with between 40 and 60 percent of the city’s population exposed and protected with antibodies, by .mid-June Official proclamations notwithstanding, there is little reason to believe that Sweden currently enjoys a particularly broad level of population immunity. For starters, scientists have yet to conclusively determine that prior infection really confers immunity or, if it does, for how long (though recent evidence is encouraging on this front). And some of the government’s immunity estimates are modeled extrapolations, derived through questionable methods. Independent modelers believe four percent to seven percent of the country’s population has been infected to date, not much different from their estimates for France, Italy, Spain, and the United States, which range from four to nine percent. For the city of Stockholm, two seroprevalence studies conducted by Swedish universities in April and early May found that 7.5 percent and ten percent of people tested there

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A medical staffer at Sophiahemmet hospital talks on a cell phone inside a tent for testing and receiving potential coronavirus COVID19patients on April 2020 ,7 in Stockholm. (Getty)

especially those in elder care homes. According to the government, the mortality rate in April for those over 60 years old increased by 25 percent, and it increased by 50 percent or more for those over 80 years old. Immigrant communities have also been hard hit, recording the highest infection .rates in Stockholm Sweden’s total death rate from the pandemic, about 366 per one million people, falls somewhere in the middle of the pack compared with rates in other Western countries: many times higher than Norway and Denmark, higher than the United States and the Netherlands, but lower than Italy, Spain, and France. This is despite the fact that Sweden has excellent health services, low population density, few crowded households, and relatively low rates of chronic conditions known to be risk factors for severe COVID-19 .illness and death

had SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. Finally, based on the reported deaths in Stockholm County (1,855), and Sweden’s own COVID-19 infection fatality rate estimate (0.6 percent), it is possible to generate a crude estimate that 12 or 13 percent of residents in the Stockholm region have been infected to date. Considering that the seroprevalence estimates from other hard-hit cities such as Wuhan (ten percent), London (ten percent), and Madrid (11 percent) are in a similar range, the official estimates that Stockholm might be approaching 40 to 60 percent immunity by June are even harder .to believe What limited progress the country has made toward broader immunity, moreover, has come at serious cost to the health of at-risk populations, including the elderly, immigrants, and minorities.

According to a New York Times analysis, Stockholm suffered more than twice the usual number of deaths last month compared with a baseline from previous years. These deaths, due to COVID-19, have been heavily concentrated among the elderly,

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Proponents of the Swedish model contend that the country’s relatively higher death rate will look better with time, especially if there is a second wave of the disease. This is a high-stakes bet, and it assumes that many must die now in order to protect the country in the future. But Sweden’s COVID-19 death toll has soared without bringing the country much closer to herd immunity, at least not in light of the available evidence. In countries that lack Sweden’s advantages, the human cost of a push to.ward herd immunity would likely be even higher Four months into the pandemic, there is little question about the best way to guard against unnecessary COVID-19 deaths: widespread testing, effective contact tracing, rapid isolation, and extra efforts to ensure the safety of the elderly and other at-risk populations. Sweden could do a better job of incorporating the latter measure into its response—and other countries could continue to implement all of them with or without strict lockdowns. The lesson to be drawn from the Swedish experience may well be that a more rational approach to social distancing need not go hand in hand with a drive toward herd immunity that re.sults in preventable deaths This article was originally published on ForeignAf.fairs.com

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Gebran Bassil›s Dispute with Hezbollah

by: Elie Fawaz

When the Lebanese Civil War ended, Rafic El Hariri set out to bring back normal life to Lebanon, and of course, he started with the political apparatus of the country. As such he made a constitutional return to the sectarian political system. This time, however, Lebanese Christians were unsatisfied with these arrangements outlined in the Taif Agreement, as they felt little attachment to the leaders who were representing them in office. They did not feel that President Hrawi represented them, nor were they sold on Michel Murr, who was at the time the most powerful Orthodox politician. This frustration from the Christians stemmed from the fact that their most powerful leaders during the civil war, Aoun and Geagea, were exiled and imprisoned, respectively.

At the time, the late Maronite Patriarch, Nasrallah Sfeir, and Archbishop of the Beirut Greek Orthodox Church, Elias Odeh, tried to express the grievances of the Lebanese Christian communities to pillars of the state and the Syrian guardianship. However, both Lebanese and Syrian representatives did not take such grievances into consideration. The new constitutional government established new councils and ministries, which would be divided among the sects of Lebanon. For instance under the new arrangements, the Shiites would have control over the Council of the South while the Druze would be in charge of the Ministry of the Displaced and the Sunnis managed the Council for Development and Reconstruction.

Hundreds of millions of dollars were spent on these councils, but this high price tag did not reflect the political efficacy of said councils. Nevertheless, this arrangement remained until the assassination of Prime Minister Hariri in 2005. Following the assassination, or because of it, the Syrian army withdrew from Lebanon. Meanwhile, Samir Geagea was released from prison and General Aoun returned from his Parisian exile.

General Aoun’s return to Lebanon undoubtedly came as a result of a coordinated effort between Hezbollah and Syria. In 2006, Michel Aoun signed an agreement with Mar Mikhail and Hezbollah and it was at that moment in which he joined the opposition alliance of minorities. By doing so, the general abandoned the principles he was preaching during his Parisian exile, principles that included the existence of a strong civilian state and a national army’s monopoly over weaponry. Moreover, by signing this agreement the Christian “leaders” officially accepted the political arrangement set under the Taif Agreement, which is something they had previously rejected.

It was not possible to establish a fourth council for the Christian community; as such it was given leadership over the energy sector. While the other three councils do have some accomplishments to their names, the same cannot be said for the energy ministry. In addition to its lack of achievements, the energy sector has become a huge liability for the state as it has resulted in a deficit for the treasury amounting to billions of dollars. While Lebanese citizens suffer from daily blackouts, the Free Patriotic Movement has used its control over the energy sector to finance its leadership over the Christian community.

The energy crisis has always been a point of contention both in traditional media and social media, as two main factions always clash on this issue, the Free Patriotic Movement and Nabih Berry’s Amal Movement.

However, the announcement of plans to build a new power plant in Selatta has once again caused political squabbling between Hezbollah and the Free Patriotic Movement (both of which are in support of the construction of the plant) and the Amal Movement (which rejects it).

Nabih Berri’s position is based on the conditions that the International Monetary Fund has given to the state before it could borrow funds. In said conditions, the state had to greatly reduce its energy projects from 18 projects worth about five and a half billion US dollars to 6 projects worth less than two billion US dollars. The state can either choose to accept these conditions or lose access to the funding it desperately needs.

Bassil Gebran’s recent implicit criticisms of Hezbollah shouldn’t be seen as signs of the group returning to its pro-sovereignty and civil society ideologies. Rather it comes from the fact that he believes that Hezbollah is in need of his Christian “cover” and therefore cannot touch its control over the energy sector. In reality, such formalities of “minority group” alliances and support are not necessary in Hezbollah and Iran’s current conflict with the United States. Moreover, if the time comes when Hezbollah needs a “Christian cover”, then it can call on the services of another Christian group as there are several other alliances from that community that would be more than happy to take the Free Patriotic Movement’s place in Baadba.

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The Pandemic Exposes Dangers of the Informal Economy And It Is Not Just Developing Countries That Are in Trouble

by Pascale Joassart-Marcelli The novel coronavirus has wreaked havoc on the global economy, shuttering businesses, disrupting supply chains, and causing millions of people to lose their jobs. But the pandemic has been especially devastating for the world’s two billion or so informal workers, who constitute roughly 60 percent of the global labor force and often earn less than 2$ per day. These workers, particularly in developing countries, face a looming economic calamity.

Unlike workers in the formal economy, who benefit from legal and social protections, informal workers earn their living without a safety net. They are mostly women and mostly self-employed, engaged in occupations as varied as street vending, domestic work, transportation, and garbage collection. Some also work as off-the-books day laborers in factories, farms, and other formal businesses that don’t extend full rights or protections to all of their employees. Measures taken by many countries to fight the pandemic—including lockdowns implemented without significant assistance for those whose jobs are affected— have threatened the livelihoods of informal workers and pushed them further into poverty, hunger, and homelessness. In just a few weeks, millions of informal

jobs have been lost and millions more have been put at risk.

But the crisis in the informal economy is not affecting just poor countries—it is hurting rich ones, too. Nearly a fifth of all workers in the United States are informal, and they are particularly vulnerable to the health threat posed by the new coronavirus as well as to its economic consequences.

The popular image of the informal American worker may now be a laborer in the technology-enabled “gig economy”—such as a driver for Uber or Lyft—but the shift toward a larger informal economy began under U.S. President Ronald Reagan. Regulations on employers loosened after 1980, allowing businesses to gradually offload risks onto subcontractors, day laborers, and other flexible workers. Lack of worker protections now makes the coronavirus crisis particularly acute in the United States: it is not just a health crisis or an economic crisis but a deeper social crisis decades in the making.

THE RISE OF THE INFORMAL WORKER Throughout the developing world, the pandemic has exposed entrenched social inequalities. In India, where

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A food delivery rider poses for a photograph while wearing a N95 respirator on March 2020 ,8 in Cardiff, United Kingdom.

(Getty)

upward of 90 percent of jobs are informal, the International Labor Organization (ILO) estimates that over 400 million workers are likely to sink into deep poverty (defined as earning less than 2$ per day) thanks to the nationwide lockdown announced on March 24. The existence of large informal economies in many poor countries also increases the risk that COVID19-, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, will spread among the most vulnerable workers, who depend on daily earnings and cannot afford to stop working. Informal workers already face adverse health conditions, such as poor nutrition, limited access to sanitation, and chronic disease linked to air and water pollution. Unsurprisingly, informal workers have led protests demanding emergency public assistance in Colombia, Malawi, Uganda, and elsewhere. Some governments have taken small steps to support informal workers during the crisis. For example, in Peru, where almost three-quarters of jobs are informal, the government offered the poorest workers a one-time payment of about 100$. But many countries have done little or nothing to help such workers weather the pandemic.

Informal workers are also at risk in the developed world. Since the 1980s, informal labor arrangements

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It is not the lockdowns that have caused economic insecurity but the informalization of the economy that has taken place in recent decades. have become increasingly common in industrialized nations. As economies became more globalized and governments embraced neoliberalism, demand for cheap and disposable labor increased along with the supply of people willing to work informally, including immigrants and other vulnerable people barred from formal jobs. In the United States, the public blamed big government for the economic turmoil of the 1970s, leading to drastic cuts in welfare spending and the deregulation of numerous industries over the next four decades. In this regulatory vacuum, the informal economy grew: more and more jobs lacked employment security, health-care coverage, sick days, pensions, and severance packages. In other words,

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informality arose out of deliberate decisions by elected officials to dismantle welfare, ignore or remove hardfought labor protections, skimp on affordable housing, and, more recently, prioritize financial firms over workers, reject universal health care, and neglect immigration reform.

The share of American workers engaged in informal work has crept steadily higher in recent decades. Between 2005 and 2015, the percentage of U.S. workers whose main jobs were informal rose from ten percent to 16 percent.

By 2018, at least a third of the U.S. adult population had engaged in some form of informal work, according to the Federal Reserve. That same year, the ILO estimated that informal employment accounted for 30 million jobs in the United States—or 19 percent of the total labor force.

These workers are ill-equipped to handle routine health problems, let alone a pandemic. They have no choice but to go to work, even if they are sick.

They are also disproportionately people of color, immigrants, and women. Economic and racial inequality has profoundly affected the way Americans experience the coronavirus crisis. Data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and from local public health agencies show that African Americans and Latinos are more likely to die from COVID19- than non-Latino whites, challenging the notion that the disease is a “great leveler.” And death figures for these groups are most likely understated, given that vulnerable minority populations often lack access to testing and health care.

Pundits are quick to point to individual “underlying conditions” such as obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes as an explanation for these disparities. But among the biggest risk factors for COVID19- are social and economic inequality, which have been exacerbated by the informalization of the economy.

The pandemic has been especially devastating for the world’s two billion or so informal workers, who constitute roughly 60 percent of the global labor force and often earn less than 2$ per day.

Many at-risk informal workers have suddenly been classified as “essential,” keeping the economy going during the pandemic even though they lack basic labor protections. These include restaurant workers, farmworkers, caretakers, cleaners, and delivery workers— none of whom can work from home. Thanks to this labor, more fortunate Americans can telework safely without having to expose themselves to the virus. What remains of the formal economy depends heavily on goods and services produced and delivered by informal workers.

Such workers have limited access to the health care and other benefits needed to weather the pandemic and keep themselves and others safe. Even those whose employment is technically on the books, such as Uber drivers and Instacart shoppers, face a raft of disadvantages because they are classified as independent contractors.

Many struggle to win unemployment benefits because their employers fail to pay insurance premiums or report wage data to state agencies.

It remains unclear how the major relief and emergency measures passed by Congress, allocating over 2$ trillion for paid sick leave, unemployment benefits, and food

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A policeman (R) wearing a coronavirusthemed outfit composed of helmet, mace and shield, gestures towards a vendor at a market to raise awareness about social distancing, during a government-imposed nationwide lockdown as a preventive measure against the COVID19coronavirus, in Chennai on April ,2 2020. (Getty)

protections of workers, and formalizing economic security for most working people.

Since the Great Depression, however, subsequent economic crises have had the opposite effect. They have allowed legislators to gut existing welfare programs, relax government regulations, demonize immigrants, and bail out large corporations that often rely on informal workers to fill their most menial jobs.

The five major recessions since the early 1970s have eroded much of the country’s social safety net, driving many workers into the informal economy. In fact, net job growth in the decade after the Great Recession of 2008 was driven almost entirely by jobs created in the informal economy. The United States has created “bad jobs” much faster than “good jobs,” and American workers are suffering as a result. The employment figures much touted by U.S. President Donald Trump prior to the pandemic masked the fact that 44 percent of workers, or 53 million people, earned low wages, as defined by researchers at the Brookings Institution.

Many of these workers were informal, laboring without legal and social protections.

assistance, will help informal workers, because these measures contain onerous eligibility requirements and significant loopholes. But they likely won’t help the millions of informal workers who are unable to document wages and hours of work prior to the pandemic or who are ineligible for food stamps and sick leave because of their immigration status. What is clear is that the pandemic has deepened the precariousness of informal work in the United States, just as it has in India and other developing countries. Many workers don’t know how they will pay for their next meal, let alone their rent, making it more likely that they will continue working regardless of the risk.

TIPPING POINTS Major crises sometimes expose the root causes of societal and economic problems, encouraging reform and change.

The Great Depression set in motion the New Deal, which created the foundation of a new social contract that was further solidified in the years following World War II. The New Deal put in place social safety nets and laid the groundwork for more collective bargaining, facilitating the growth of the middle class, expanding social and legal

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It doesn’t have to be this way. The coronavirus pandemic seems to have generated an upsurge of solidarity. A number of organizations, such as the One Fair Wage Emergency Fund, the Restaurant Workers’ Community Foundation, the National Domestic Workers Alliance, and the Undocumented Workers Relief Funds, have stepped up to protect informal workers and fill the gaps left by government programs in various U.S. cities.

Although the work of these organizations is extremely important, it is not enough. If Americans want to minimize the most pernicious effects of the current crisis and better prepare for future crises, they must expand the social safety net and extend protections to informal workers.

The highly politicized protests to end state-imposed stayat-home orders in Florida, Michigan, Oklahoma, and other states may be intemperate and even reckless, but they reflect deep economic insecurities among middle- and lowincome Americans. Unfortunately, these demonstrations attack the wrong target. It is not the lockdowns that have caused economic insecurity but the informalization of the economy that has taken place in recent decades. To build a stronger country and healthier society, the United States must start using its coronavirus relief programs to require and provide greater protections for all working people, formalizing the informal economy by recognizing its significance.

This article was originally published on ForeignAffairs.com.

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Afghan Government Stuck in Perpetual Taliban-ISIS Cycle Recent Months Have Exposed the Weaknesses of the US-Taliban Deal

by Ali El Shamy On February 29, 2020, the United States and the Taliban signed a peace deal in Doha, Qatar. The deal has been one of the most contentious treaties in recent history, as it proponents praise it for being an important step towards ending the US’s almost 20 year long military engagement in Afghanistan, while others see it as a white flag that will allow the Taliban to do a hostile takeover on the country. Another point of contention is the reduction of violence clause, while the deal did not stipulate that the Taliban and government forces end their fighting, it was expected that

there would be a major reduction in clashes. Thus far, the Taliban has not honoured this end of the deal as it has been resuming its attacks on civilian and government targets. Nevertheless, developments over the past week have shown some promise of a prospective amity between both sides of the conflict.

CONTINUED VIOLENCE FROM TALIBAN IN SPITE OF DEAL During the negotiations and eventual signing of the deal in Doha, it was evident that it would not lead to the reduction of violence.

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The fact that the Afghan government did not take part in negotiations, nor sign the deal meant that two possible scenarios were likely to happen. First and foremost, as the government did not agree to the deal, it had no obligation to reduce its crackdown on the Taliban, especially if the latter chose to carry on with its attacks in spite of its commitments it promised to the United States. Second, the Taliban could exploit the end of its war with the US to refocus all its energy towards attacking the government. Both these scenarios were likely to happen because the deal never explicitly obligated the Taliban to stop its attacks; rather the US expected the group to reduce violence after the signing of the deal. The circumstances of the deal’s signing did display many holes early on, however there is little evidence to show that the deal might have worked in the first place. Shortly after the deal was signed, three anonymous American officials spoke to NBC news stating that the US government had gathered intelligence indicating that the Taliban didn’t have any intention to honour the terms put forward in the deal.

An Afghan security personnel carries a newborn baby from a hospital, at the site of an attack in Kabul on May 2020 ,12. (Getty)

These warnings turned out to be true. Not only did the Taliban continue its operations as if no deal was signed, it actually intensified its attacks throughout the country. The supposed glimmer of hope that the Trump administration brought to the war torn country simmered in a matter of days. Both American and Afghan officials cite a surge in violence from the Taliban’s part, as a recent report from the Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction stated that Taliban attacks on government forces were “above seasonal norms” last March.

While the Afghan Security Council stated that since March 1, the Taliban have been carrying out an average of 55 attacks a day.

A NEW BLAME GAME The presence of ISIS cells in Afghanistan has made peace the prospects of peace efforts more complex. ISIS insurgents are neither allied with the Taliban or the government, and they have opposed any peace efforts between both parties. In recent months, several devastating attacks on civilians and government facilities have put forward a new blame game in Afghanistan.

While ISIS has claimed responsibility for several of the attacks, the Afghan government has repeatedly placed the blame on the Taliban, which then denies all involvement in such attacks. As a result, Afghanistan has been living through a perpetual blame game, whereby a terrorist attack happens which ISIS claims responsibility for, then the government blames the Taliban for said attack to which the Taliban washes its hands from. On March 6, days after the deal was signed ISIS claimed responsibility for a series of explosions in western Kabul, which killed 32 civilians and wounding 80 others. Quickly after the attack, the Taliban issued a statement denying all responsibility for it. May 12, 2020 was one of the bloodiest days in modern Afghan history, as two deadly attacks took place in the country. The first was an attack conducted by armed gunmen who targeted a maternity hospital in Kabul killing more than 15 people including two newborn babies. That same day, a funeral procession for a police officer

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Both American and Afghan officials cite a surge in violence from the Taliban’s part, as recent report from the Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction stated that Taliban attacks on government forces were “above seasonal norms” last March. While the Afghan Security Council stated that since March 1, the Taliban have been carrying out an average of 55 attacks a day.

Nangarhar was also targeted as 25 other people lost their lives at the hands of insurgents. Again ISIS claimed responsibility for the attacks, while the Afghan government pointed the finger at the Taliban, and the Taliban once again denied. This time American officials, such as Zalmay Khalilzad, the chief negotiator of the Afghan peace deal backed the Taliban’s claims of innocence as they stated that evidence pointed towards ISIS as the responsible culprit. Nevertheless, May 12 was an important turning point since Afghan president Ashraf Ghani vowed to resume armed offensive against the Taliban, once again dampening the possibility of a viable peace deal between both entities.

?A GLIMMER OF HOPE ON THE HORIZON In spite of heated tensions between the Afghan government and the Taliban, there have been a series of prisoner exchanges. This is an important development as a core part of the deal called on the Afghan government to release 5,000 Taliban prisoners, while the Taliban had to release 1,000 government soldiers who are held captive. Thus far, the government has released 2,000 Taliban fighters, while the group for its part freed 347 government fighters. Moreover, as of the writing of this piece, representatives from the Taliban are currently in Kabul as they are holding discussions with the government on further prisoner releases. This is also a positive outcome as far as the Trump administration is concerned, as Washington has slowly been withdrawing troops out of Afghanistan. As it stands, 13,000 US soldiers have started to move out of the war torn country, and more are expected to go back home provided that the Taliban abides by the terms set forth in the deal. While the Trump administration will undoubtedly use this as a victory to bolster his 2020 re-election campaign, the unpredictability of Afghanistan has shown that early celebrations can quickly end up becoming false alarms.

o

pinion

Iran’s Patience Game Ensures a Prolonged Wait for Sovereignty Dreams

by Alia Mansour

Recently, there have been good signs that pointed towards a possible decline of Iranian interference in the region. First, there has been the recent appointment of Mustafa Al-Kadhimi as the new prime minister of Iraq and his successful formation of government. Then, there have been talks of an Iranian withdrawal from Syria as its bases and militias there have been facing targeted attacks from Israel.

Finally, in Lebanon Hezbollah gave the Diab government the greenlight to take out a loan from the International Monetary Fund.

In Iraq, some people have considered Iran’s inability to block Al-Kadhimi’s appointment, as well the Iraqi parliament’s confidence in the new Prime Minister as the beginning of the end of Iran’s intereference in Iraq’s affairs. Al-Kadhimi hails from a journalistic background, as he was a writer for “Al Osboeia” magazine, he then became a coloumnist and editor-inchief for the Iraq section of Al-Monitar International. Shortly after Haidar Al Abadi became president of Iraq, Al-Khadhimi became the new head of Iraqi intelligence.

the establishment political class since his work with the Iranian opposition has brought him close to the United States, additionally he has shown to be quite pragmatic and liberal. The government officials and ministers he appointed also share his political sentiments and vision.

He is also the first person to form a functioning government since the resignation of Adel Abdul Mahdi, as both Mohammed Tawfiq and Adnan al Zarfi failed to form governments of their own. As such, on May 7, 2020, the Iraqi political deadlock was finally broken after parliament approved of Al-Kadhimi’s new government.

Ever since gaining parliamentary approval, Al-Kadhimi undertook a number of bold decisions that have come at odds with Iranian power. He decided to free all those who had been arrested during the protests that broke out late last year. He also decided to start paying reperations to the families of those who were killed during the protests, and he appointed new security officials who do not have any history of working with Iranian militias.

He also reappointed Abdul Wahab al Saadi as the head of the Iraqi CounterterEver since the American invasion of Iraq rorism Service after being removed from and the fall of the Saddam Huissein re- the post in September 2019. The US asgime, Iraq has been ruled by a politicians sasination of Qasim Soleimani and Abu who mainly hail from Shiite backgrounds Mahdi al-Muhandis also helped ignite Aland most of whom are loyal to the Ira- Kadhimi’s public image, as he emerged nian regime. Al-Kadhimi is part of a new as a hero who stood against Iranian hegeneration of Iraqi politicians who do not gemony in Iraq, it should be noted though subscribe to such pro-Iranian sentiment. that he has never claimed any involveAs a matter of fact, Al-Kadhimi’s stanc- ment in that operation. Furthermore, he es display a great divergence away from was already a well known figure even be-

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fore the January 3 events.

Al-Kadhimi has a tough task ahead of him. Iraqi citizens are facing deteriorating economic and living standards which have slowly been declining as a result of Saddam Huissien’s wars, international sanctions and the American invasion.

Moreover, Iraq has become a hotspot for instabiliy and terrorism utlimattly leading to the rise of ISIS. For now, Al-Kadhimi will have to find ways to alleviate the living standards, mitigate the spread of the Coronavirus and prevent a resurgence of ISIS. These circumstances are perhaps the biggest reasons why Iran did not block the appointment of Al-Kadhimi. One musn’t forget that Iran has also faced a number of setbacks such as the assasination of its regional orchestrator, Qasim Soleimani, increased sanctions, and the rise of protests in Iraq as well as in its own backyard. However, Iran’s setbacks doesn’t mean that it will withdraw entirely from Iraq since that would go against its foreign policy of “spreading the Islamic Revolution”. Ever since Khomenei hijacked the Iranian Revolution 41 years ago, the Islamic Republic has been on a mission to take over the Middle East in the name of “spreading the Islamic revolution”. As such, it would be foolish to think that Iran would easily let go of the influence it has over Iraq.

Iran’s ambitions do not contradict Al-Kadhimi’s intentions to reform and improve the conditions of Iraq and the Iraqis.

However, a lack of international support

might cause Al-Kadhimi’s rebuild project to fail even before it started.

In Syria, Israeli strikes have prompted Iran to step back; moreover the Caesar Act has prevented Russia from starting its rebuild project in Damascus. Nevertheless, this step back does not mean that Iran will call all its militias back to Tehran.

Lebanon needs its own miracle because Iran is currently exercising full control of Beirut through its oldest and most loyal ally, Hezbollah. The group currently controls all political apparatuses in the country and claims to be doing so in the name of “civil harmony”.

Iran’s regional hegemony project has cost it a lot, but it won’t throw away 40 years of effort because of popular and economic pressures. It is still waiting for an opportunity to come to a new agreement with the US, though it might have to wait until after the next elections for such an opportunity to arise. Iran is still holding on to the puppet strings of the region, even if it’s changing its method it is still maintaining its end goal. As Khamenei said a few days ago, his country is engaged in a perpetual political and intellectual soft war, which sometimes evolves into a hard war.

Stopping Iran’s ambitions will need a coordinated effort from all of those who live under its iron grip, if that doesn’t happen then our dreams for sovereignty will remain dreams for the forseable future.

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Iran’s regional hegemony project has cost it a lot, but it won’t throw away 40 years of effort because of popular and economic pressures. It is still waiting for an opportunity to come to a new agreement with the US

A Weekly Political News Magazine

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Issue 1802- May - 29/05/2020

Khalifa Haftar: The Libyan General in a Battle for Control of the Capital www.majalla.com

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The Museum of Quarantine

An Exhibition of Our Pandemic Times

by Jessica Gelt It is a simple yellow Post-it Note with a message

written in childish scrawl: “Happy Birthday Daddy.” A second Post-it Note features a rudimentary drawing of what appears to be a princess. Both are pressed up against the curb — held there by a piece of wood.

The piece, signed, “Peter,” is among more than 75 contributions to the Museum of Quarantine on Quebec, an outdoor community gallery, and home to all manner of telling ephemera related to life in the coronavirus era, in the winding hills of the Hollywood Dell neighborhood of Los Angeles. Creative director, architect and artist Ann Morrow Johnson started it on the gray

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Speaking of hugs, one of Johnson’s favorite pieces was among its first entries. It’s a lovely hand-drawn picture of halved lemons above the words “Thought you could use a squeeze.” trying to alleviate by making art.

Her paintings are featured, along with all kinds of community contributions that together provide a touching, humorous and at times downright silly folk-art narrative of this surreal moment in history.

(To reduce the chance of crowds and maintain social distancing at the museum, The Times has been asked not to divulge the exact location.)

Johnson catalogs each contribution to the museum on Instagram in a feed she created after launching the project in mid-April with a sign stating the museum’s name and purpose: Add art, crafts or cool found stuff to this wall, please. She included a watercolor of her own, two old relief studies and a “pup self-examination station,” which really was just a mutt-height mirror with doodles on it (and which has been the only piece to be stolen).

She also writes the equivalent of wall text for the museum’s exhibits. The caption accompanying the Instagram photo of Peter’s message reads, “Sharpie on Post-it Note. Potentially the next generation’s Banksy, the artist draws on banal materials and unexpected placement in a public space to create a strikingly heartfelt and arresting message.”

Ann Morrow Johnson de Rivera created the Museum of Quarantine on an empty streetfacing wall near her driveway during the coronavirus pandemic on May 2020 ,21 in Los Angeles, California. (Los Angeles Times)

fence bordering her property.

“We’re trying to find ways to interact digitally, but having something that feels like it’s a physical presence in the real world has made a huge difference in the way I connect to people,” said Johnson, who in quarantine experienced a deep sense of despair and isolation that she began

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A square of pink felt, festooned with the word “soap” and stitched to a fabric head with a tidy blond bun, is captioned: “‘Soap,’ Mixed Media.

Dali-style surrealism and crafting are blended here into an examination of the fact that after all the hand washing and sanitizing, human beings have all become the embodiment of soap.”

Walk by the wall in the flesh, and it resonates with the psychic buzz of community, even though

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you are unlikely to see anyone else perusing its intriguing offerings. Johnson said she has never witnessed another person contributing, but she has heard them, as was the case when somebody spent an exorbitant amount of time hammering a bracket to secure a heart emblazoned with the words “you are amazing.”

Johnson later discovered, to her unbridled joy, that the heart turns into a crazy LED light show for a few hours each night — erupting in white and shades of flickering pink that draw gawking passersby out for an evening stroll.

A -1,000piece puzzle featuring a hodgepodge of celebrities below the Hollywood sign — Dustin Hoffman in “Tootsie,” Arnold Schwarzenegger in “The Terminator,” Tom Hanks in “Forrest Gump” — was mounted and hung on the wall as the contribution of neighbor Bill Atchinson and his family.

“My wife and I have no art talent, but we had this puzzle,” Atchinson said, unintentionally reenforcing the trope that art is in the eye of the beholder.

The puzzle is missing four pieces, likely destroyed

by Atchinson’s dogs, he said, but this flaw added a bit of mystery to the wall as evidenced by Johnson’s caption: “Hollywood — Puzzle & Resin. Locally relevant, and the missing pieces feel particularly apropos.”

“It’s such huge ray of sunshine every time I go up there to see what’s new,” she said. “It gives me something to look forward to in these dark days.”

Atchinson said he has watched the wall take shape, and it has brought great joy to the neighborhood during a difficult, socially distanced time.

“You can’t go up and hug each other right now,” he said. “But you can hug each other with that wall.”

Speaking of hugs, one of Johnson’s favorite pieces was among its first entries. It’s a lovely hand-drawn picture of halved lemons above the words “Thought

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A passerby looks at “The Plague Tree,” a community gallery of sorts in Houston by retired lawyer Marley Lott. (Los Angeles Times)

you could use a squeeze.”

An address listed at the bottom of the drawing serves as the metaphorical Easter egg, directing curious museum-goers to a nearby house where they will find a basket of fresh lemons accompanied by a sign inviting visitors to pick as many as they want from the tree in the front yard.

there to see what’s new,” she said. “It gives me something to look forward to in these dark days.”

Johnson said she is not a crier, but this early contribution, signaling the kind of lost connection she so yearned for in the early days of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s safer-at-home order, made her mistyeyed.

It turns out that this expansive, symbolic, nonhierarchal, community-minded art project is contagious. Lott took the idea and started what she has dubbed “The Plague Tree.”

The neighbor behind the lemon art is Meghna Khanna, who responded to a Times interview request by email.

“During this unprecedented time, we are constantly overwhelmed with all of the negatives of COVID19-,” she said. “I want to use this time as an opportunity for more sharing, more collaboration and finding ways to bring everyone together!”

She said the Museum of Quarantine has given neighbors a sense of “being together in this strange time.”

That is certainly true for artist Megan Bourgeois, who moved to the Hollywood Dell from Austin, Texas, five years ago.

Bourgeois has never met, or seen, Johnson, but she regularly contributes her brightly colored creations — interwoven circles resembling geodes or the rings on a tree — to the wall. She credits the project with igniting a personal artistic renaissance.

That’s exactly what Johnson hoped for when she conceived of the Museum of Quarantine, which she has since shared with her godmother, Marley Lott, in Houston.

She initially hung a few teddy bears from the limbs of a Japanese apricot tree in her front yard.

“I have no idea why a single woman has a bunch of teddy bears and panda bears, but I had three or four,” she said, adding that after she hung them, they looked lonely, so she added some Christmas balls.

People walking by picked up where she left off, hanging ballroom dance medals, an empty Clorox wipes bottle decorated with diamonds and pearls, a red ball cap that says “Make America Safe Again” and a dish towel embroidered with the words “Wash your hands,” among other things.

“I like that I don’t know these people,” said Lott, a retired lawyer. “It’s a remote way of communicating, but with a physical object as opposed to email or a web call.”

Back in the Hollywood Dell, Johnson recently mounted one of her watercolors, a melancholy, carefully rendered depiction of downtown Los Angeles as seen from a distance, outlined “I lost my artistic mojo,” Bourgeois said breathlessly by the soft blaze of the setting sun. Houses, over the phone during one of her regular walks tucked in the hillside in the foreground of through the neighborhood. “This was so inspiring the painting, emerge from the shadows of the to me, I almost felt like I had a reason to create art gloaming. again.”

Her caption on Instagram: “View from Quarantine Art stores weren’t open, so she used found materials No. 5.” The picture speaks of longing and loneliness (her preferred medium anyway) including cardboard but also of the great beauty of life, even when and plastic foam. By her count, she has about six viewed from afar. pieces on the wall. She includes her Instagram handle and has nabbed a few new followers.

This article was originally published in the “It’s such huge ray of sunshine every time I go up Los Angeles Times.

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ealth

COVID- 19: How Much Protection Do Face Masks Offer?

Face Masks Combined with Other Preventive Measures Help Slow the Spread of the Disease

by Mayo Clinic

cial distancing, help slow the spread of the disease.

Can face masks help prevent the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)? Yes, face masks combined with other preventive measures, such as frequent hand-washing and so-

So why weren›t face masks recommended at the start of the pandemic? At that time, experts didn›t yet know the extent to which people with COVID-19 could spread the virus before

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symptoms appeared. Nor was it known that some people have COVID-19 but don›t have any symptoms. Both groups can unknowingly spread the virus to others.

These discoveries led the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to do an about-face on face masks. The CDC updated its guidance to recommend widespread use of simple cloth face coverings to help prevent transmission of COVID-19 by people who have the virus but don›t know it.

Some public health groups argue that masks should be reserved for health care providers and point to the critical shortage of surgical masks and N95 masks. The CDC acknowledged this concern when it recommended cloth masks for the public and not the surgical and N95 masks needed by health care providers.

How do the different types of masks work?

Surgical masks:

Also called a medical mask, a surgical mask is a loose-fitting disposable mask that protects the wearer›s nose and mouth from contact with droplets, splashes and sprays that may contain germs. A surgical mask also filters out large particles in the air. Surgical masks may protect others by reducing exposure to the saliva and respiratory secretions of the mask wearer.

At this time, the Food and Drug Administration has not approved any type of surgical mask specifically for protection against the COVID-19 virus, but these masks may provide some protection when N95 masks are not available.

N95 masks:

Actually a type of respirator, an N95 mask offers more protection than a surgical mask does because it can filter out both large and small particles. The name indicates that the mask is designed to block 95% of very small particles. Like surgical masks, N95 masks are intended to be disposable. However, researchers are testing ways to disinfect N95 masks so they can be reused.

Tourists wearing protective facemasks visit the Piazza San Marco, in Venice, on February 2020 ,24.

(Getty)

Cloth masks:

While surgical and N95 masks are in short supply, cloth masks are more accessible and reusable. Although cloth masks and N95 masks have different purposes, both are intended to slow the spread of COVID-19. A cloth mask is worn to help protect others in case the wearer has the virus. An N95 mask helps protect the wearer from getting the virus from others.

Countries that required face masks, testing, isolation and social distancing early in the pandemic seem to have had some success slowing the disease›s spread. Common sense also suggests that some protection is better than none. But wearing

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The CDC updated its guidance to recommend widespread use of simple cloth face coverings to help prevent transmission of COVID19- by people who have the virus but don›t know it. a cloth face mask will lose any value unless it›s combined with frequent hand-washing and social distancing.

Cloth masks are cheap and simple to make. Instructions are easy to find online. Masks can be made from common materials, such as sheets made of tightly woven cotton. The CDC website offers directions for no-sew masks made from bandannas and T-shirts. Cloth masks should include multiple layers of fabric.

How to wear a cloth face mask

Cloth face masks should be worn in public settings where social distancing measures are difficult to maintain, such as in grocery stores, especially in areas of significant communitybased transmission.

Here are a few pointers for putting on and taking off a cloth mask: Place your mask over your mouth and nose.

Tie it behind your head or use ear loops and make sure it›s snug.

Don›t touch your mask while wearing it.

If you accidentally touch your mask, wash or sanitize your hands.

Remove the mask by untying it or lifting off the ear loops without touching the front of the mask or your face.

Wash your hands immediately after removing your mask.

Regularly wash your mask with soap and water in the washing machine. It›s fine to launder it with other clothes.

Finally, here are a few face mask precautions: Don›t put masks on anyone who has trouble breathing, or is unconscious or otherwise unable to remove the mask without help.

Don›t put masks on children under 2 years of age.

Don›t use face masks as a substitute for social distancing.

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it

Khalifa Haftar: The Libyan General in a Battle for Control of the Capital Majalla - London Born in 1943 in Tarhouna, Libya, Haftar was one of the group of officers led by Col Muammar Gaddafi which seized power from King Idris in 1969. He took part in the Libyan contingent against Israel in the Yom Kippur War of 1973. Gaddafi put Haftar - recently promoted to field marshal - in charge of the Libyan forces involved in the conflict in Chad in the 1980s. In 1987, he became a prisoner of war along with 300 of his men after being lulled into a trap and captured, then a major embarrassment for Gaddafi and represented a major blow to Gaddafi›s ambitions in Chad. Having previously denied the presence of Libyan troops in the country, Gaddafi disowned him. This led Haftar and his fellow officers to form a group hoping to overthrow Gaddafi.

He was released around 1990 in a deal with the United States government and spent nearly two decades living in exile in the US state of Virginia, gaining U.S. citizenship.

Haftar lived comfortably in Virginia, relatively close to CIA headquarters, from the early 1990s until 2011. In 1993, he was convicted in absentia of crimes against the Jamahiriya and sentenced to death. He then

moved to Vienna, Virginia. From there, and mostly through his close contacts within the DIA / CIA, he consistently supported several attempts to topple and assassinate Gaddafi.

After the start of the uprising against Gaddafi in 2011, Haftar returned to Libya, where he became a key commander of the makeshift rebel force in the east. Following Gaddafi›s downfall and death, Haftar faded into obscurity until February 2014, when he became commander of the Libyan Army when the General National Congress (GNC) refused to give up power in accordance with its term of office. In May, Haftar launched Operation Dignity against Islamist militants in Benghazi and the east. In March 2015 Libya›s elected parliament, the House of Representatives (HoR) - which had replaced the GNC - appointed him commander of the LNA. Haftar rejected the United Nationsbacked transitional Government of National Accord (GNA) set up in Tripoli in 2016, dismissing it as beholden to militias in the capital. The Libyan armed forces split into the LNA under Haftar›s control and the Libyan Army controlled by the GNA. After three years of military campaigns, in early July 2017, Haftar announced in a

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televised speech that his forces had finally taken full control of Benghazi, the second largest Libyan city. Haftar›s military victory has been regarded by many as the expression of his growing military and political ambitions.

During the summer of 2018, rumors spread about Haftar’s poor health. The French Minister of Foreign Affairs stated that Haftar was in stable condition after he was admitted to a French military hospital.

Haftar recovered very quickly from what seemed to have been a stroke.

By April 2019, Haftar’s troops succeeded in conquering most of the Libyan littoral and had reached the outskirts of the capital Tripoli. On 4 April 2019, Haftar called on his military forces to advance on Tripoli. A year later, the LNA said that it was pulling back from all Tripoli front lines after the GNA took a string of small towns linking Tripoli to the Tunisian border. It also took alWatiya, the LNA›s only airbase near Tripoli and a significant strategic prize, and small towns to the southwest. The eastern forces› setbacks underscored the shifting dynamics of the conflict since Turkey intensified its intervention in January, to help the GNA save off Haftar’s offensive.