Lebanon foils three suicide attacks planned by militants linked to IS
February 23, 2022, 5:20 pm

Lebanon foils three suicide attacks planned by militants linked to IS

Lebanon presidency palace

The Xinhua reported, Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi said Wednesday that Lebanese security forces foiled three suicide attacks planned by militants linked to the Islamic State (IS) group in Beirut's southern suburbs.

Mawlawi said at a press conference that militants had planned to carry out attacks in late February by using rocket-propelled grenades, gunfire, as well as suicide vests rigged with explosives that could have killed many people.

He added that two suspects were arrested on the same day and are being held in custody, with explosives, weapons and munitions seized.

Lebanon probes two Houthi-affiliated TV sations operating from Beirut

The Xinhua noted that the IS controlled areas in northeastern Lebanon from 2014 to 2017, and claimed two suicide bombings in Beirut's southern suburbs in 2015 that killed over 40 people.

Source: xinhua

Ukraine declares state of emergency, urges its citizens to leave Russia UK government asks regulator Ofcom to review Russia Today's broadcast in UK

Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.