Trump’s “Peril,” After “Rage” And “Fear”

ook ReviewsB Trump’s “Peril,” After “Rage” And “Fear”

Woodward’s Book Explores the Turbulent Aftermath of Biden’s Election

By Mohammad Ali Salih - Washington

Another book by the Washington Post’s Bob Woodward (this time with fellow journalist Robert Costa), another set of secrets about Washington’s politics disclosed and distributed all over the world, and another wave of criticism about Woodward’s writing style and the accuracy of some of the “secrets.” “Peril” is Woodward’s third book about the presidency of Donald Trump, after “Fear” and “Rage.” Although the general criticism of Trump and his administration has been repeated in books, reports, tweets and texts, in “Peril”, Woodward, as usual, selected a harvest of extensive interviews with top leaders and news-makers. That enabled him to find new information directly from their sources, aside from already published accounts. Here are some of them: In the aftermath of last year’s presidential elections, as Trump refused to accept the results, Trump had a conversation with Vice President Mike Pence in which he pressured Pence to invalidate the election results of a few states that Trump thought he actually won. On the evening of January 2021 ,5, Pence told Trump he had no power to do it. Pence said his staff found no respectable lawyer who would say he had that power. Trump asked, pointing at a TV that was showing his supporters outside the White House, “Well, what if these people say you do?» Pence disagreed and Trump shouted back, “You’ve betrayed us. I made you. You were nothing.” Then, there was the story of House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy. As the TV was showing Trump’s supporters inside the Congress building, he called Trump and asked him to order his supporters to leave the building. But Trump said that McCarthy should be ashamed for not supporting the riot— “Well, Kevin, I guess these people are much more upset about the election than you are.” Woodward wrote about this conversation between Trump and McCarthy in the White House at lunchtime: Trump: “You want a cheeseburger and fries?” McCarthy: “I’ll have a cheeseburger, but I’m fat. No fries. Salad. Take the bun out.” Trump, later: “You want some ice cream?” McCarthy: “I’ll have some fruit.” Trump ordered ice cream for himself. Then there was the story of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell who, while not publicly supporting the riot, blamed the Democrats. He had always been an extreme partisan, and looked at politics in Washington as a war with the Democrats in which each side was either a winner or a loser – no compromises. So, he blamed, not Trump, but Democrat Joe Biden who had just defeated Trump: “He (Biden) is doing what every Democratic president wants to do, which is to push this country as far left as possible, as rapidly as possible. They all want to be the next FDR (former President Franklin D. Roosevelt).” Riots or not, ransacking the Congress or not, it was war between socialism and democracy, McConnell had always believed. Then, there was the story of General Mark A. Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who, not a politician, thought the riots were not about socialism and democracy, as McConnell believed: “Blood was shed to support the belief that retaining power by mob rule against the law would be almost cool,” he told Woodward. Woodward disclosed that, the day after the riots at the Congress, General Milley called his Chinese counterpart, General Li Zuocheng, and told him: “We are not going to attack. Everything’s fine. But democracy can be sloppy sometimes.” Then there was the story of Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, although less partisan than his fellow McConnell, was

President Donald Trump boards Marine One as he and first lady Melania Trump depart the White House ahead of Joe Biden›s inauguration on Jan. ,20 2021, in Washington, D.C. (Eric Thayer/Getty Images/ TNS) nevertheless a staunch supporter of Trump, even after Trump left the White House: “I think he’s redeemable. I think he’s got magic and I think he’s got darkness.” On a second occasion, Graham said to Trump: “Mr. President, there’s just no way this party can grow without you. You are the leader of the Republicans.” During a third occasion, Graham said: “My job is to maintain what’s left of the John McCain wing of the Although the general criticism of Trump and his administration has been repeated in books, reports, tweets and texts, in “Peril”, Woodward, as usual, selected a harvest of extensive interviews with top leaders and news-makers.

Republican Party, the Ronald Reagan wing of the Republican Party, that believes that America is an indispensable leader of the world.” Obviously, Graham believed that Trump, although a Conservative Republican, was “an indispensable leader” of the “indispensable leader of the world.” Then there was the story of Woodward himself. As happened after he published the two earlier books about Trump, “Rage” and “Fear” (as well as previous books), Woodward was criticized for his style of: First, quoting people depending on a third party. Second, quoting conversations depending on one participant. Third, quoting people remembering what they had said, which might not be exact. But apparently Woodward’s style has been not objectionable because he continued to publish successful books as “Peril” was number 21. Finally, Trump comments on “Peril” that Woodward “writes fiction, not fact.”

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Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi: The 77th Patriarch of the Maronite Church in Lebanon

By Majalla Illustration by Jeannette Khouri

Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi, or, in the official form, Mar Beshara Boutros Al-Rahi, the 77th Maronite Patriarch of Antioch, was elected patriarch on March 15, 2011, after thirteen voting rounds over five days conducted by the Council of Maronite Bishops since March 11, succeeding Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir who had announced his resignation in February 2011 due to old age.

Patriarch Al-Rahi is considered the first Arab and Maronite in the modern era to participate in the papal elections after participating in the closed council of 2013. He is known for his opinions against Iran, Syria and Hezbollah. He had previously accused Syria of seeking to return to Lebanon and continuing to interfere in its affairs and sees Hezbollah as an Iranian party in Lebanon.

Al-Rahi had previously repeated the call to confine arms to the Lebanese army. He also considered that the MP Michel Aoun is being used to split the Christian ranks and that he is a tool in the hands of Hezbollah. He also has opinions calling for the withdrawal of Palestinian weapons from Lebanon.

Born in the village of Hemlaya in the Matn District of Mount Lebanon Governorate, on February 25, 1940, his father is Youssef Al-Ra’i and his mother is Thamina. He joined the ranks of the Marian Maronite Order, the secondlargest in Lebanon after the Lebanese Maronite Order in 1953.

After demonstrating his permanent vows, the monks sent him to Rome, where he continued his studies in theology and philosophy at the Pontifical University of St. John Lateran Cathedral, until 1975, where he obtained his doctorate in ecclesiastical and civil rights. During that period, he also studied ecclesiastical law and obtained the license of the Roman Rota, which gives him the position of a judge in the Universal Church.

He studied in Lebanon and Italy, worked in the Vatican, and taught theology and church rights in several universities, before becoming a bishop in 1986 and Archbishop of Byblos in 1990.

He headed several church committees from his election as bishop until his election as patriarch. In addition to being the Maronite Patriarch, he is considered the head of the Council of Eastern Catholic Patriarchs. Pope Benedict XVI conferred upon him the title of Cardinal in the Universal Church, and he is the fourth Maronite patriarch to be conferred the title of next Pope, in the Catholic Church.

In 2005, he became the general coordinator of the Committees for the Protection of the Catholic Family in the Middle East.

On March 25, 2011, Patriarch AlRahi took office in the presence of the Catholic Patriarchs, representatives of the Eastern Orthodox Churches, the Evangelists, and all the bishops of the Maronite Church who participated in the election process. The Lebanese

Minister, Saad Hariri, ministers and former presidents of the republic and the Armed Forces Commander, General John Kahwagi, also attended.

In the first sermon he delivered after the ordination, the Patriarch addressed the role and future of the Church and said: “We will live together in this communion of love, in Lebanon, whose “glory” is in its mission. “Woe to a nation in which sects multiplied and religion decreased.” On March 13, 2012, during his visit to Qatar, the Patriarch said that he was proud of belonging to the Arab world, and he also stated that the Arab family need to join hands more and more and cooperate so that each of these countries will succeed and grow.

Al Rahi said in his last sermon in Lebanon that it has become the duty of the country’s leaders, parties, and popular movements to consult among themselves and meet to take national decisions and decide the necessary steps to push the state to change its performance before the great collapse that will not save anyone.