LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
July 01/2019
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
The Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
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Bible Quotations For today
The one who believes and is baptized will be saved; but the one
who does not believe will be condemned
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 16/15-20:”‘Go into all the
world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation. The one who believes and
is baptized will be saved; but the one who does not believe will be condemned.
And these signs will accompany those who believe: by using my name they will
cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes in
their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they
will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover. ’So then the Lord
Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the
right hand of God. And they went out and proclaimed the good news everywhere,
while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that
accompanied it.”
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese
& Lebanese Related News published on July 01/2019
2 Dead, 2 Hurt in Armed Clash Involving Gharib's Convoy
Clashes in Aley leave two dead
Aoun holds contacts to control situation, calls for a meeting by National
Defense Supreme Council
Hariri contacts PSP, Democratic Party, Bassil, Ghairb, security members to
restore calm to Aley district
Hassan appeals to Druze community members to remain calm, prevent targets of
sedition
Wahhab Warns Jumblat and His Son over Interception of Bassil Convoy
PSP Supporters Intercept Bassil's Convoy in Aley Towns
Bassil Stresses FPM Not Sectarian, Says Some Annoyed by Its Alliances
Hariri, Jumblat to Meet Next Week in Berri's Presence
Hariri 'Won't Resign' but May 'Change Alliances'
Hariri Acts after Lebanese Workers Brutally Beaten in Kazakhstan
Lebanon: Hariri to Meet Jumblat Next Week Upon Berri’s Initiative
Nasrallah’s rhetoric driven by fear, hate and grudges
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports
And News published on July 01/2019
Trump meets Kim, becomes 1st US leader to step into North Korea
Syria says four killed as Israeli jets hit targets in Homs and Damascus
Russia offers Iran advanced S-400 air defense weapons
Arab coalition intercepts Houthi drones targeting Saudi Arabia
The drone attacks come amid heightened tensions between the US and Iran.
Iran: Ball in Europe’s Court on Nuclear Deal Future
Trump Steps into North Korea in Historic Fi
Ankara Says Ready to Retaliate after Libya's Haftar Vows Turkish Assets Attack
Algeria Arrests Prominent War Veteran
Russian President Sets Priorities for Syria, Ignores Political Settlement
Syria Present in G20 amid US-Turkish Dispute over Kurds
Palestinian Presidency to Trump: No One Can Force Us to Waive our Rights
Israel Releases PA Minister Following Hours of Detention
Yemeni Former FM Reveals Reason Behind His Resignation
Pro-Houthi MP Accuses Militias of Torturing Hodeidah Residents
Erdogan Says Turkey Will Take ‘Necessary Measures’ in Response to Haftar’s
Threats
Taliban Kills Eight Election Commission Employees in South Afghanistan
Israel Refuses d to Transfer Salaries of Hamas Employees
Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources published
on July 01/2019
Nasrallah’s rhetoric driven by fear, hate and grudges/Nadim Koteich/Arab
News/June 30/2019
Trump meets Kim, becomes 1st US leader to step into North Korea/AFP/June 30/2019
Syria says four killed as Israeli jets hit targets in Homs and Damascus/TOI
STAFF and AFP/July 01/2019
Russia offers Iran advanced S-400 air defense weapons/DEBKAfile/June 30/2019
What Will Iraqis Do After the Storming of the Bahrain Embassy/Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Asharq
Al Awsat/June 30/2019
The rise and fall of the Iran nuclear deal/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab News/June
30/2019
Britain rebukes Iran’s use of hostages as foreign policy tactic/Nazli Tarzi/The
Arab Weekly/June 30/2019
The Latest English LCCC Lebanese &
Lebanese Related News published on July 01/2019
2 Dead, 2 Hurt in Armed Clash Involving Gharib's Convoy
Naharnet/June 30/2019
Two bodyguards were killed and a third was injured in an armed clash involving
the convoy of State Minister for Refugee Affairs Saleh al-Gharib in the Aley
town of Qabrshmoun on Sunday. A Progressive Socialist Party supporter was also
wounded in the incident. The two bodyguards succumbed to their wounds in
hospitals while the third bodyguard is said to be in a "very critical
condition." Gharib was in the convoy but escaped unharmed. Conflicting reports
have emerged on who opened fire first.Lebanese Democratic Party sources
described the incident as an "armed ambush" and "an attempt to assassinate
Minister Jebran Bassil.""PSP members opened fire, not knowing that the convoy
belongs to Minister Saleh al-Gharib," the sources said. PSP sources meanwhile
said Gharib's convoy "forced its way as some young men were removing burning
tires in the al-Shahhar area and the bodyguards opened fire."Voice of Lebanon
radio (93.3) reported earlier that Gharib's bodyguards exchanged fire with the
gunmen after they opened fire on the convoy. Gharib told An Nahar newspaper that
he is “seeking pacification despite the bloodshed.” He added that the gunmen are
“well-known.”VDL (93.3) said "more than ten gunmen from the PSP" opened fire
heavily on Gharib's convoy and that "things were militarily organized.”PSP
supporters had earlier intercepted Bassil's convoy in several Aley towns,
prompting the army to intervene. Al-Jadeed television said Bassil intended to
head to the town of Kfarmatta to meet with a Druze spiritual leader before
calling off the visit, noting that his convoy was not in the Qabrshmoun area
during the incident with Gharib’s motorcade. LBCI television said Bassil had met
with Gharib in the town of Shamlan where “everyone agreed on calling off the
visit” to Kfarmatta and that Gharib’s convoy was attacked after he left the
meeting.
Clashes in Aley leave two dead
Annahar Staff/30 June/2019
The gunfire exchange came against the backdrop of rising tensions between the
Free Patriotic Movement, an ally of Gharib's Lebanese Democratic Party, and
Walid Jumblatt's PSP.
BEIRUT: Tensions reached a boiling point Sunday after clashes erupted between
Minister of State for Refugee Affairs Saleh al-Gharib's convoy and Progressive
Socialist Party supporters in the town of Qabr Shmoun, Aley. The gunfire
exchange came against the backdrop of rising tensions between the Free Patriotic
Movement, an ally of Gharib's Lebanese Democratic Party, and Walid Jumblatt's
PSP. The LDP and PSP, both from the Druze sect, have also clashed in the past.
Tensions simmered from the onset after PSP loyalists attempted to block FPM
leader Gebran Bassil from passing through to the nearby village Kfar Matta as he
was scheduled to meet with party members in the district of Aley. Reports
suggested that Gharib's convoy fired on those blocking the road, which was
disputed by his office, arguing that it was actually PSP members who fired
first. Two of his bodyguards were killed while a third one remains in critical
condition. Bassil's tour of the district and visit was later canceled, as Prime
Minister Saad Hariri held talks with the Foreign Minister, PSP, LDP, and
Internal Security Forces officials to bring calm to the area. Meanwhile,
President Michel Aoun called for an emergency meeting of the Higher Defense
Council. Jumblatt has long criticized Bassil's policies, specifically his
handling of the Syrian refugee crisis. He has accused him of infringing on the
powers of the Prime Minister as well while also holding a grudge over Bassil's
reluctance to hand him an extra-ministerial portfolio during the Cabinet
negotiations earlier this year.
Aoun holds contacts to control situation, calls for a
meeting by National Defense Supreme Council
NNA - Sun 30 Jun 2019
President of the Republic, Michel Aoun, conducted a series of contacts to
control the security situation that occurred this afternoon in the district of
Aley, NNA correspondent reported. Meanwhile, the President has summoned members
of the Supreme Council for National Defense to a meeting tomorrow morning at
Baabda Palace in wake of the arising developments.
Hariri contacts PSP, Democratic Party, Bassil, Ghairb,
security members to restore calm to Aley district
NNA - Sun 30 Jun 2019
Prime Minister Saad Hariri held a series of contacts this evening, including
Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil, Progressive Socialist Party and Democratic Party
officials, Internal Security Forces Director-General, Major General Imad Othman,
and Military Intelligence Director, stressing on the urgent need to contain the
incident in the Mountain region. Hariri emphasized on exerting maximum effort to
calm the situation and restore things to normal.
Hassan appeals to Druze community members to remain calm,
prevent targets of sedition
NNA - Sun 30 Jun 2019
In an issued statement by His Eminence, Druze Sheikh Aql Naim Hassan, he called
on members of the Druze community to maintain a state of tranquility and prevent
the goals of sedition from being achieved in the Mountain. "In wake of the
ongoing attempts to sow strife and divide ranks, all liberal members of the
Druze Unitarian community are called upon to remain calm, preventing the targets
of sedition and prey from being achieved," said Hassan in his statement.The
Druze Sheikh Aql urged citizens to render the voice of reason, wisdom and
awareness above all, and to work together to prevent and thwart the attempts of
sedition.
Wahhab Warns Jumblat and His Son over Interception of
Bassil Convoy
Naharnet/June 30/2019
Arab Tawhid Party leader ex-minister Wiam Wahhab on Sunday warned Progressive
Socialist Party leader ex-MP Walid Jumblat and his son MP Taymour Jumblat after
PSP supporters intercepted the convoy of Free Patriotic Movement chief MP Jebran
Bassil.“What is happening in concurrence with Bassil’s tour is not befitting of
you, Walid Beik, nor of Taymour, who is a promising, polite and respectable
young man,” Wahhab tweeted. “Road blockers are harming the image of our villages
and as far as I know, dozens of reconciliations have taken place. Is
reconciliation seasonal? Enough with isolating our regions, let us allow people
to show openness towards each other,” Wahhab added. PSP supporters on Sunday
blocked several roads in the Aley district to prevent the passage of Bassil’s
motorcade. TV networks said several areas witnessed popular gatherings where PSP
supporters intercepted Bassil’s convoy, prompting the army to intervene several
times.
PSP Supporters Intercept Bassil's Convoy in Aley Towns
Naharnet/June 30/2019
Supporters of the Progressive Socialist Party on Sunday blocked several roads in
the Aley district to prevent the passage of the convoy of Free Patriotic
Movement chief MP Jebran Bassil.
TV networks said several areas witnessed popular gatherings where PSP supporters
intercepted Bassil’s motorcade, prompting the army to intervene several times. A
video circulated on social media shows PSP supporters blocking the road in the
town of Kfarmatta to impede the convoy’s movement. The video shows army troops
charging against young men in a bid to reopen the road. Bassil had kicked off a
tour of the Aley region in the morning and is expected to meet later in the day
with Druze spiritual leader Nassreddine al-Gharib, State Minister for Refugee
Affairs Saleh al-Gharib and MP Talal Arslan’s son Majid. PSP leader ex-MP Walid
Jumblat had earlier tweeted that “the best way to respond to provocation
resulting from arrogance is ignoring the person.”
Bassil Stresses FPM Not Sectarian, Says Some Annoyed by Its
Alliances
Naharnet/June 30/2019
Free Patriotic Movement chief MP Jebran Bassil on Sunday emphasized that the FPM
is not sectarian while noting that some parties are “annoyed” by its political
alliances. “We stand on a firm ground of understandings that annoys a lot of
parties, so they try to undermine them,” Bassil said during a visit to the Mt.
Lebanon town of Kahale. The FPM’s understandings “are too strong to be shaken
and they are the guarantee of national unity,” he underscored. “Our
understandings are the guarantee for a strategic return at the political,
economic, administrative, developmental, touristic and agricultural levels,”
Bassil went on to say. Responding to accusations, the FPM chief stressed that
his movement is “outside sectarian alignments,” in remarks in the town of Sofar.
“We defend every aggrieved and our thought is not only patriotic but rather
Levantine, through which we address people through their dignity, pride, living
and need for development,” he added. “It is true that the majority of us are
Christian and it is true that some are taking advantage of our calls for
restoring partnership to accuse the FPM of being sectarian, but what is truer is
that the FPM was launched in the very beginning based on patriotic thought and
from a national incubator, which is the incubator of the Lebanese Army,” Bassil
said. “Our movement is a national movement par excellence and it does not settle
for speaking about patriotism and non-sectarianism but rather practices them,”
he added.
Hariri, Jumblat to Meet Next Week in Berri's Presence
Naharnet/June 30/2019
The upcoming week is expected to witness an improvement in the relation between
Prime Minister Saad Hariri and Progressive Socialist Party leader ex-MP Walid
Jumblat, media reports said. “The frankness and reconciliation meeting between
them will be held following an initiative from Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri,”
ministerial sources told Asharq al-Awsat daily in remarks published Sunday.
Berri is expected to “attend” the meeting, which “will definitely be held before
the end of next week,” the sources said. “Berri immediately played an important
role at the beginning of the escalation between Jumblat and al-Mustaqbal
Movement and he intervened at the right time,” the sources revealed. “The
immediately heeded his call for halting the exchanges,” they said.
Hariri 'Won't Resign' but May 'Change Alliances'
Naharnet/June 30/2019
Prime Minister Saad Hariri will not resign but might “change his alliances”
should Free Patriotic Movement chief and Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil maintain
his current political conduct, a media report said.
Hariri informed President Michel Aoun of this stance during their latest
meeting, al-Hayat daily reported on Sunday, quoting informed sources. “He will
no longer accept any encroachment on his powers,” the sources said. “President
Aoun listened to Hariri with sympathy, acknowledging that some of Bassil’s
stances should not have such a sectarian course,” the sources added. “He said
that he is adamant on continuing cooperation with the premier, promising to
mediate with the Foreign Minister to pacify his political rhetoric,” the sources
went on to say.
Hariri Acts after Lebanese Workers Brutally Beaten in Kazakhstan
Naharnet/June 30/2019
Prime Minister Saad Hariri has asked High Relief Commission chief Maj. Gen.
Mohammed Kheir to intervene after a number of Lebanese workers in Kazakhstan
were brutally beaten over an “Instagram picture.”A statement issued by Hariri’s
office said the premier asked Kheir to carry out the necessary contacts to
facilitate the return of the workers to Lebanon. “Maj. Gen. Kheir immediately
conducted a series of phone calls that involved the Kazakh authorities and the
officials of the company and the Lebanese community, inquiring about the
situations of the company’s Lebanese employees and workers,” the office said.
“He was informed by them that the clash was contained and that efforts were
underway to put an end to its repercussions,” Hariri’s office added. Lebanese
Ambassador to Kazakhstan Giscard Khoury meanwhile said an Instagram picture
showing a Lebanese worker and a female Kazakh colleague was behind the assault,
noting that “there could be other reasons but certainly they are not related to
the reports about a sex tape.” “We contacted the Kazakh Foreign Ministry and the
security departments and we received reassurances that they are carrying out
efforts to ensure the safety of the Lebanese,” Khoury said in a TV interview,
adding that the Lebanese citizens were present at a police station for safety
reasons ahead of possible deportation. “The authorities have formed a panel of
inquiry,” he said. Videos that went viral on social media show Lebanese and Arab
workers being brutally beaten at the hands of Kazakh colleagues. Other videos
show evacuation buses being pelted with stones. The picture, in which Lebanese
worker Elie Daoud appears in a jokingly suggestive pose with a female Kazakh
colleague, was deemed insulting to Kazakh women and the country as a whole.
Daoud later recorded a video in which he apologized to the Kazakh people and
president.
Lebanon: Hariri to Meet Jumblat Next Week Upon Berri’s
Initiative
Beirut - Mohammed Choukeir/Asharq Al Awsat/June 30/2019
The strained relationship between Lebanon’s Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri and
Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) leader Walid Jumblatt is expected to witness a
breakthrough the upcoming week, ministerial sources told Asharq Al-Awsat.
The reconciliation meeting is expected to take place upon an initiative from
Speaker Nabih Berri.
The sources said Berri played an important role immediately after the escalating
campaigns between Jumblatt and the Future Movement culminated last Sunday when
Hariri commented on Jumblatt’s tweets.
They explained that Berri intervened at the right time, and both Hariri and
Jumblatt immediately responded to his initiative and put an end to the
campaigns. They pointed out that the channels of communication between the
Progressive Party and the Future Movement were reopened.
The recent parliamentary session saw a friendly exchange between Hariri and MP
of Progressive Party Marwan Hamadeh, who was a witness to Berri’s efforts to end
the media campaigns, some of which carried unprecedented expressions between the
two parties.
The same sources confirmed that Berri’s mediation was welcomed by both parties
which paved the way for the meeting in the coming days at the invitation of the
Speaker.
They expect the meeting to be held before the end of next week. This was decided
during a meeting between Hariri and Berri at the presence of PM Hamadeh, on the
sidelines of the last parliamentary session.
The reconciliation meeting will lead to clearing the atmosphere between the two
and even reconfirm their alliance, according to the sources.
In the same context, Minister of Industry Wael Abou Faour asserted that the
coming days will also see a better strong relationship between the two parties,
out of common concern, pointing out that Berri’s efforts will have the “magical
touch” in bridging the gap between the allies.
The debate on disagreements is to reach a common ground between the two,
stressing the relationship is solid and stable based on sound foundations, Abu
Faour said during a ceremony at the Lebanese University in Rashaya.
Speaking at the same ceremony, Future bloc MP Mohammad al-Qarawi stressed that
the strong and solid relationship between the Future Movement and the
Progressive Socialist Party aims to build an independent and just state based on
Taif Agreement, adding that they what unites them is stronger than any
momentarily political disparity. In a radio interview, MP Bilal Abdullah said
the Future Movement and PSP entered into the truce following Berri’s efforts.
Abdullah indicated that the relationship with the Movement is not as it should
be, noting that they should treat each other as allies once again and this
requires consultation on some issues.
Nasrallah’s rhetoric driven by fear, hate and grudges
نديم قطيش: دوافع ومحركات خطاب السيد حسن نصرالله هي مركبات الخوف والكراهية
والأحقاد
Nadim Koteich/Arab News/June 30/2019
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/76242/%d9%86%d8%af%d9%8a%d9%85-%d9%82%d8%b7%d9%8a%d8%b4-%d8%af%d9%88%d8%a7%d9%81%d8%b9-%d9%88%d9%85%d8%ad%d8%b1%d9%83%d8%a7%d8%aa-%d8%ae%d8%b7%d8%a7%d8%a8-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b3%d9%8a%d8%af-%d8%ad%d8%b3%d9%86/
When Al-Qusayr, a Sunni city in western Syria close to the border with Lebanon,
was retaken from Syrian revolutionary fighters by Lebanese Shiite group
Hezbollah in the summer of 2013, the battle marked a brutal shift in events:
From a national popular uprising against a dictator into a sectarian war that
transcends national borders.
Fighters from Hezbollah captured the moment on camera, as a group of them waved
from the minaret of the city’s Sunni mosque a flag with “Ya Hussein” emblazoned
on it. The video went viral and dovetailed with how Hezbollah leader Hassan
Nasrallah frames his battle in Syria.
From the outset of the Syrian revolution, he understood that any military
intervention there could not simply be justified along the lines of “resisting
Israel.” So, early on, Nasrallah warned that “armed groups are within close
proximity of the Shrine of Zaynab,” adding that “they might choose to demolish
it.” By calling on this deep, passionate and contentious memory, Nasrallah set
the stage for a communications strategy based on fear and hatred.
Nasrallah succeeded in sublimating the war with continuing Imam Al-Hussein’s
battle. He was settling centuries-old scores with the innocent Sunnis of Al-Qusayr
and beyond; or so he led his fighters and community to believe.
The Al-Manar TV channel, Hezbollah’s media arm, played a major role in
mobilizing the Shiite community to support the party’s role in Syria, investing
in similarly divisive themes. It covered the funerals of fallen Hezbollah
fighters extensively, broadcasting angry, yet proud, crowds chanting “Zainab
won’t be taken hostage twice” alongside huge portraits of Nasrallah.
Through such historical parallelisms, the communications strategy that Nasrallah
devised and championed contextualized the battle in Syria with hate and revenge,
rendering innocent Sunni civilians in Syria “legitimate” targets and rallying
Shiite support for a war that possesses all the features of a massacre.
From the outset of the Syrian revolution, Nasrallah understood that any military
intervention there could not simply be justified along the lines of “resisting
Israel.”
Nasrallah doubled down on his success in Syria, applying the same strategy to
rally support for his party’s role in Yemen. During the mourning rituals of
“Ashura” — commemorating the day Al-Hussein was killed in the Battle of Karbala
— Nasrallah said: “We will carry the Yemeni flags along with the flags of
consolation (a black flag bearing Al-Hussein’s name) and we will cheer for the
resisting, struggling, oppressed Yemenis in the same way we cheer for
Al-Hussein.”
In another Ashura ceremony, he bundled all the battles Hezbollah is fighting
throughout the region into one big theme. “Through the war fronts, the convoys
of the martyrs, the wounded, the families of martyrs, the mujahideen, we prove
to Al-Hussein that we have not left him,” Nasrallah said.
After a stampede tragedy during Hajj rituals in Makkah in September 2015,
Nasrallah opted for a similar strategy. More than 2,000 pilgrims were crushed to
death, with Iranians the nationality most affected. As a result, saber-rattling
was unleashed in Iran, with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei saying that the victims
were “murdered” by the Saudis. Nasrallah described the accident as “a disaster,”
adding that the worst is that “no one is allowed to speak, complain or cry, just
as was the case in Karbala.”
His communication and mobilization strategy is aptly built on the well-known
Shiite slogan, “Every day is Ashora, every land is Karbala,” in a manner that is
applicable to each and every political, military or even tragic development. It
is a one-size-fits-all strategy, driven by fear, hate and grudges.
During several Ashura ceremonies, Nasrallah collapsed in tears, inflaming the
passions of his followers and sharpening their hatred for the killers of
Al-Hussein, no matter whether they are the real ones or the contemporary Sunnis
who are their mere descendants.
In fact, anti-Sunnism is a fixed feature of Iran’s political culture, to which
Hezbollah subscribes. The Safavid empire bloodily converted Iran from Sunni to
Shiite Islam in the early 16th century, under the rule of Shah Ismail I. It was
a brutal process that planted the seeds of an anti-Sunni political identity,
defined by a sharp sense of otherness.
Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the Islamic revolution in Iran, emerged more
than four centuries later as the embodiment of the unintended effects of what
Ismail started, turning Iran into a theocratic state.
Hate speech rooted in the enforced conversion process in Iran gave way to
festive hate occasions, one of which is “the celebration of the death of Omar
ibn Al-Khattab,” who was the second caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate that led
Islam after Prophet Muhammad. Iran’s late President Hashemi Rafsanjani once
criticized these practices. He blamed the rise of Daesh on such hate culture, to
which Hezbollah is an adjunct and of which Nasrallah emerged as a preacher.
Under the banners of Al-Hussein, Zaynab and other Shiite figures, the Sunnis of
Syria and Iraq have been killed, wounded, displaced and imprisoned in their
millions. In the same divisive spirit, Nasrallah has become the Arabic-speaking
threat-man of Iran against Saudi Arabia, the UAE and beyond.
There were times when Nasrallah’s portraits were raised in Sunni capitals, even
in Al-Azhar itself, cheering the bravery of a man they saw fighting Israel and
defending Palestine. It wasn’t until the war in Syria that they realized that
“the road to Jerusalem,” which Nasrallah claims he is fighting to liberate, goes
over their dead bodies and destroyed cities.
Once a symbol of bravery and resilience, Nasrallah will go down in history as
the man who helped bring the worst episodes in the history of Islam back to life
in the 21st century.
**Nadim Koteich is a political satirist, commentator and talk show host. His
show "DNA" airs Monday to Friday on Al Arabiya. He is a columnist with Asharq
Alawsat. Twitter: @NadimKoteich.
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on
July 01/2019
Trump meets Kim, becomes 1st US leader to step into North Korea
AFP/June 30/2019
*Trump said he would invite Kim to the White House
*The two countries agreed to resume nuclear talks within weeks,
adds ‘speed is not the object’
PANMUNJOM, Korea: With grins and handshakes, President Donald Trump welcomed
North Korea’s Kim Jong Un at the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone Sunday,
seeking to revive talks on the pariah nation’s nuclear program in a bid for a
legacy-defining accord. Trump then became the first American leader to step into
North Korea.
The brief photo-op, another historic first in the yearlong rapprochement between
the two technically warring nations, marks a return to face-to-face contact
between the leaders since talks broke down during a summit in Vietnam in
February. But it does little to erase significant doubts that remain about the
future of the negotiations and the North’s willingness to give up its stockpile
of nuclear weapons.
Trump’s brief crossing into North Korean territory marked the latest milestone
in two years of roller-coaster diplomacy between the two nations, as personal
taunts of “little rocket man” and threats to destroy the other have been ushered
out by on-again, off-again talks, professions of love and flowery letters.
“It’s a great honor to be here,” Trump said, “It is a great day for the world.”
Kim hailed the moment, saying of Trump, “I believe this is an expression of his
willingness to eliminate unfortunate past and into a new future.”Peering into
North Korea from atop Observation Post Ouellette, Trump told reporters that
there has been “tremendous” improvement since his first meeting with the North’s
leader in Singapore last year. Trump claimed the situation used to be marked by
“tremendous danger” but “after our first summit, all of the danger went
away.”But North has yet to provide an accounting of its nuclear stockpile, let
alone begin the process of dismantling its arsenal. The meeting at the truce
city of Panmunjom also represented a striking acknowledgment by Trump of the
authoritarian Kim’s legitimacy over a nation with an abysmal human rights
record. Trump’s summit with Kim in Vietnam earlier this year collapsed without
an agreement for denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula. He became the first
sitting US president to meet with the leader of the isolated nation last year,
when they signed an agreement in Singapore to bring the North toward
denuclearization.
Syria says four killed as Israeli jets hit targets in Homs
and Damascus
TOI STAFF and AFP/July 01/2019
Damascus claims to have intercepted several incoming missiles fired from
Lebanese airspace; observer says Iran-linked bases targeted; no comment from IDF
Syria said Israeli jets attacked several military sites near the capital
Damascus and the central city of Homs early Monday, killing four civilians,
including an infant. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based
war monitor, said Israel launched strikes both from the air and from sea, which
targeted Iranian-linked bases near Homs and at least 10 targets near Damascus,
including a base where the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corp forces are
headquartered and a weapons research center.
State news agency SANA said that Syrian air defense had intercepted several of
the incoming missiles that were fired from Lebanese airspace. The report said
four civilians, including a “month-old baby,” were killed and 21 people injured
in explosions in Sahnaya, a neighborhood of Damascus. It blamed the deaths on
“Zionist aggression.” SANA gave no further details on the sites targeted.
However, the Observatory for Human Rights said the strikes had targeted a
research center and a military airport west of the city of Homs where the
Hezbollah Shiite terror group and Iranians are deployed. Rami Abdel Rahman, the
observatory chief, said the strikes injured some of these forces.
In the Damascus area, the monitor said strikes targeted the 91st Brigade base
where the IRGC were headquartered and a research facility in Jamraya. Jamraya,
which lies just over 10 kilometers (seven miles) northwest of Damascus, is home
to several military positions and a branch of the Syrian Scientific Studies and
Research Center (SSRC). The US has repeatedly imposed sanctions on the SSRC for
its alleged role in chemical weapons production. France has also imposed
sanctions on the agency.
Israeli airstrikes reportedly hit the facility in May 2013 and again in February
2018. The monitor said that at some sites large blasts were caused by exploding
ammunition depots and they had noted lots of ambulances heading to the sites.
There was no response from the Israel Defense Forces, which rarely comments on
reported strikes. The Israeli military has acknowledged carrying out hundreds of
airstrikes in Syria in recent years on targets linked to Iran, which is backing
President Bashar Assad’s regime in the Syrian civil war. The reported strikes
came just hours after an Israeli satellite imagery analysis company said Syria’s
entire S-300 air defense system appeared to be operational, indicating a greater
threat to Israel’s ability to conduct airstrikes against Iranian and pro-Iranian
forces in the country. Satellite photos released by ImageSat International
appear to show all four missile launchers of the S-300 air defense system in the
raised position in the northwestern Syrian city of Masyaf on June 30, 2019.
Until now, only three of the country’s four surface-to-air missile launchers had
been seen fully erected at the Masyaf base in northwestern Syria.Israel has
threatened to destroy the S-300 system if it is used against its fighter jets,
regardless of the potential blowback from Russia.
Russia offers Iran advanced S-400 air defense weapons
DEBKAfile/June 30/2019
Moscow invites Tehran to bid for S-400 aid defense systems, Russia media
reported on Sunday, June 30. Neither the US nor Israel figures in those reports,
or last week’s deployment of US F-22 stealth jets to Qatar, amid a tense US-Iran
standoff. The Russian Federal Service of Military-Technical Cooperation military
cooperation service was quoted as announcing: “We are open for discussions on
delivering S-400 Triumph air defense systems, including to Iran… We have not
received an official request from our partners on this matter yet.” The advanced
S-400 can intercept cruise missiles as well as warplanes. It is now on offer to
Iran although Moscow refused to supply them to the Islamic Republic last month.
DEBKAfile notes: This turnabout has come shortly after Presidents Donald Trump
and Vladimir Putin met in Osaka on the sidelines of the G20 summit and indicates
that they made no progress towards bridging their differences on the Iranian and
Syria issues. The offer also signified the failure of the American, Russian and
Israeli national security advisers, John Bolton, Nikolai Patrushev and Meir
Ben-Shabbat, to reach a consensus on these issues when they met in Jerusalem
five days ago. On that occasion Patrushev stated that “Moscow has an interest in
safeguarding Israel’s security.”Our military sources note that Tehran may find
an opportunity to accept Moscow’s proposition in the course of the 5th
International Military-Technical Forum taking place at the National Park in the
Russian capital, with the participation of 120 nations and armies. If this
transaction does indeed go through, Iran will be the second Middle East nation
to purchase the Russian S-400 weapons system, after Turkey, which expects
delivery before the end of this year. In Osaka, our military sources add,
President Trump told Turkish President Reccep Erdogan that Washington has
withdrawn the threat of sanctions on his government for purchasing S-400s from
Russia, although it is the first NATO member to buy arms from Moscow.
Arab coalition intercepts Houthi drones targeting Saudi Arabia
Arab News/June 30/2019
*The Houthi militia targeted a civilian residential area in the southern
province of Asir
*The Iran-backed Houthis have increasingly used drones to target southern Saudi
Arabia
The Saudi-led Arab coalition intercepted two drones targeting Saudi Arabia that
were launched by the Houthi militia in Yemen. Coalition spokesperson Col. Turki
Al-Malki told Saudi news agency, SPA, that the Houthi militia targeted a
civilian residential area in the southern province of Asir at 11:45 p.m. local
time on Saturday. No casualties were reported. The Houthi affiliated news
channel, Al-Masirah, reported late Saturday that the Houthis targeted Saudi
airports in Abha and Jizan with Qasef-2K drones. The Iran-backed Houthis have
increasingly used drones to target southern Saudi Arabia, including two recent
strikes on the Abha airport. On June 12, a Houthi missile attack on Abha airport
wounded 26 civilians, drawing promises of "stern action" from the coalition. And
on June 23, another Houthi attack on Abha airport killed a Syrian national and
wounded 21 other civilians, according to the coalition.
The drone attacks come amid heightened tensions between the
US and Iran.
Iran: Ball in Europe’s Court on Nuclear Deal Future
London - Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 30 June, 2019
Tehran stated Saturday that the ball is now in the court of Europe to protect
Iran from US sanctions and prevent it from scaling back its compliance with the
nuclear agreement with world powers. The European states didn’t make any new
step during the meeting in Vienna on Friday to persuade Tehran to stick to the
limits imposed by deal, the Iranian envoy said. Iran stopped abiding by the
imposed terms on the 8th of May after the US withdrew from the deal and
reimposed sanctions. Several times, Iran would criticize the European states’
delay to establish and activate a special mechanism of trade with it in order to
alleviate the burden of sanctions on its economy. Fars News Agency quoted a
reliable source as saying that Iran would soon exceed the limit of enriched
uranium stipulated in the nuclear deal after the states failed to meet the
demands of Tehran. Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said on Saturday that
Iran would resist any US sanctions, just as it persevered during the 1980s
Iran-Iraq war when the forces of the then-Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein launched a
chemical attack on an Iranian town. “We persevered then, and will now,” Zarif
tweeted in reference to the chemical attack on Sardasht. “We’ll never forget
that Western world supported & armed Saddam. … Security Council never condemned
his gassing of our people.”On June 28, 1987, Iraqi forces targeted Sardasht with
a chemical weapon – during the war between the two countries that lasted eight
years – killing 119,000 and wounding thousands. During these years, the UN
Security Council passed a resolution denouncing the use of a chemical weapon but
the US used the veto right. The war, which erupted in Sep., left around one
million dead and financial losses of around $400 billion. It is accounted as one
of the longest military battles in the 21st century, and the bloodiest. It
reached an end after the Security Council issued resolution 598, and both
parties accepted it.
Trump Steps into North Korea in Historic First
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/June 30/2019
Donald Trump stepped onto North Korean soil in a historic first Sunday as he met
Pyongyang's leader Kim Jong Un in a moment of high diplomatic drama on the
world's last Cold War frontier.
Moments after becoming the only sitting U.S. president to set foot inside North
Korea, Trump brought Kim back over the dividing line for a meeting where they
agreed to start working-level talks on Pyongyang's nuclear weapons. Trump also
said he had invited the young leader to the White House "anytime he wants to do
it". "It's a great day for the world and it's an honor for me to be here," Trump
said. "A lot of great things are happening." As they sat down for discussions,
Kim said their "handshake of peace" in a location that was "the symbol of the
division of north and south" showed that "we are willing to put the past behind
us."
The impromptu meeting in the DMZ -- after Trump issued an invitation on Twitter
on Saturday -- came with negotiations between Pyongyang and Washington at a
deadlock. Their first summit took place in a blaze of publicity in Singapore
last year but produced a vaguely-worded pledge about denuclearization. A second
meeting in Vietnam in February intended to put flesh on those bones broke up
without agreement. Contact between the two sides has since been minimal -- with
Pyongyang issuing frequent criticisms of the US position -- but the two leaders
exchanged a series of letters before Trump turned to Twitter to issue his offer
to meet at the DMZ. Trump's entry onto North Korean soil -- which he said was
uncertain until the last moment -- is an extraordinary sequel to the scene at
Kim's first summit with Moon last year, when the young leader invited the South
Korean to walk over the Military Demarcation Line, as the border is officially
known.
Moon seized on last year's Winter Olympics to broker the process between
Pyongyang and Washington, after tensions soared in 2017 as the North carried out
multiple missile launches and its biggest nuclear test to date, while Trump and
Kim traded mutual insults and threats of war.
The significance of the meeting in the no-man's-land often referred to as the
world's last Cold War frontier was "obvious", said Stimson Center Asia analyst
David Kim. "It's historic for Trump to be the first US President enter North
Korea soil, historic for Moon to meet, albeit briefly, with both leaders."The
meeting had the "potential to kick-start stalled negotiations", he told AFP, but
added that working-level discussions would be crucial. "What we need is
substance, not theatrics."
The Hanoi summit foundered amid disagreements on what the North -- which has
carried out six nuclear tests and developed missiles capable of reaching the
entire US mainland -- would be willing to give up in exchange for relief from
sanctions that have crippled its economy. Soo Kim, a former CIA analyst now with
RAND Corporation, said the North's "gravitational force has pulled Trump across
the DMZ", calling it an "alluring elixir of wile, threatening rhetoric,
stalling, and dangling of the remote possibility of resuming dialogue". Such a
meeting has long been sought by the North, but "Kim didn't have to lift a finger
to get Trump to cross the DMZ", she added. "It was, in all appearances, by
Trump's volition."The DMZ has been a regular stop for US presidents visiting the
South, a security ally -- although Trump's helicopter was forced to turn back by
fog in 2017 -- while Panmunjom saw the first two summits between Moon and Kim
last year.
Ankara Says Ready to Retaliate after Libya's Haftar Vows Turkish Assets Attack
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/June 30/2019
Ankara will retaliate against any assault from Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar's
forces, which he had ordered to attack Turkish ships and interests in the
country, Turkey's defense minister said Sunday. "There will be a very heavy
price for hostile attitudes or attacks, we will retaliate in the most effective
and strong way," Hulusi Akar told Turkish state news agency Anadolu. He said
Turkey's efforts in Libya sought to "contribute to peace and stability in the
region". "It should be known that we have taken all kinds of measures to deal
with any threat or antagonistic action against Turkey," Akar added. Haftar
ordered his self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA) to target Turkish ships and
companies, ban flights and arrest Turkish nationals in Libya, his spokesman said
Friday. The LNA, which holds eastern Libya and much of the country's south,
launched an offensive to take the capital in early April.
The new threat came after anti-Haftar forces retook the strategic town of
Gharyan in a surprise attack which was a blow to the strongman's push for
Tripoli. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan confirmed his country backs the
internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) and provides
weapons to it under a "military cooperation agreement." He told reporters on
June 20 that Turkish backing had allowed Tripoli to "rebalance" the fight
against Haftar, who has the backing of the United Arab Emirates and Egypt. Akar
was in Japan with Erdogan for the G20 summit in Osaka. The president has yet to
react to Haftar's order. When asked about the threat on Saturday, Erdogan said
he was not aware of it, but Turkey would take necessary measures after
evaluating the situation.
Algeria Arrests Prominent War Veteran
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/June 30/2019
Algerian authorities have arrested a well-known veteran of the war of
independence against France, his grandson and media outlets said Sunday, after
he reportedly criticized military chief Ahmed Gaid Saleh. Lakhdar Bouregaa, who
is in his 80s, was arrested at his home in the upscale Hydra neighborhood
overlooking Algiers on Saturday and taken to a intelligence services base,
grandson Imad Bouregaa said. He told the DzVid news website that his
grandfather's arrest was linked to comments he made about Gaid Salah, Algeria's
strongman since the ouster in April of veteran president Abdelaziz Bouteflika.
"My grandfather said that Gaid Salah wanted to impose his own candidate in
presidential elections" to replace Bouteflika, he said. Bouteflika resigned
after weeks of protests against his rule, only hours after close ally Gaid Salah
demanded impeachment proceedings against him. Gaid Salah has since been pushing
for polls to choose a successor but a planned election on July 4 was scrapped
after the only two candidates were rejected. Bouregaa's arrest was also reported
by several media outlets in Algeria, including French-language daily Liberte,
and sparked criticism on social media. His arrest has "shocked" many of those
who took part in the 1954-1962 war of independence against French colonial rule,
human rights activist Fodil Boumala said in a statement posted on Facebook. It
was a "serious blunder", said the statement signed by dozens of university
professors. Bouregaa, who was a commander of the National Liberation Army (ALN)
which fought the French and a founder in 1963 of the Front for Socialist Forces
(FFS), one of Algeria's oldest opposition parties. The FFS said it was "angry"
and "dismayed" at his arrest. Liberte said Bouregaa had contacted his children
to inform them of his arrest but could not say where he was being held or the
reason for his detention. There was no immediate word from the authorities on
the arrest.
Russian President Sets Priorities for Syria, Ignores
Political Settlement
Moscow - Raed Jaber/Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 30 June, 2019
Russian President Vladimir Putin outlined the essential requirements to complete
eliminating the remnants of “tension hotbeds” in Syria and facilitating the
return of the refugees by supporting the Syrian government, through
international aid, and launching reconstruction projects that should support the
modernization of the Syrian economy under the legitimate leadership. Recently,
Moscow has been sending signals about the prospects of returning to negotiations
in Geneva or working to revive the negotiating process. Over the past two years,
the Russian focus was on the cease-fire issues and distribution of Syrian areas
as “de-escalation zones”, but that soon turned into large areas of operations
during which Russia settled the battles for the regime. Idlib is the only
remaining area which is facing a continuous military escalation for weeks now.
In the meantime, Moscow launched the ideas of the return of refugees and the
launching of reconstruction operations and urged the international community to
deal with these two issues, without allowing a debate on the need of
re-launching the political process approved by the Security Council in its
Resolution 2254. In their discussions with the United Nations, Russian officials
have focused, over the past two years, on restricting the implementation of
international resolutions in the stalled efforts to form and launch the
Constitutional Committee. Moscow has strongly criticized the statements of
international envoys or Western capitals that sought to recall the need to
launch the political track, according to the vision developed by former
international envoy to Syria, Staffan de Mistura.
Moscow has failed to convince the international community to limit the debate on
reconstruction and the return of refugees, and also failed to convince the Arab
countries to normalize relations with the Assad regime. However, the political
developments in the region especially on the Iranian issue and the growing
criticism of Tehran's regional policies, gave Moscow a chance to rearrange its
priorities and sent more than once indirect signals indicating its readiness to
deal with the issue of removing Iran from Syria by stressing that all foreign
forces must leave the country. It also maintained channels of close contact with
Israel from one side, and with Arab countries from another. Moscow is dealing
with the possibility of reaching agreements on Syria from its bases, including
building on what has been achieved so far, because undermining it means chaos
again in the country, and establishing a framework that meets the needs of all
regional parties, Russian sources told Asharq Al-Awsat.
In this sense, Putin’s speech at the meeting of BRICS group on the sidelines of
the Osaka summit can be understood that the first task in Syria is to complete
the elimination of the “tension hotbeds.”In the same sense, it can be assumed
that the international community will deal with the priorities outlined by Putin
during and after the summit. The urgent measures in Syria are the appropriate
way to resolve other crises and conflicts, whether in Afghanistan, Venezuela,
the Middle East or the Korean peninsula, Putin said at the BRICS meeting. He
noted that Russia provided assistance to Syria's legitimate government, and with
that, it is possible to stop the bloodshed on a large scale. Putin did not deny
that the road to victory in Syria was risky, according to a previous statement
in an interview with the Financial Times. The Russian leader noted that after
careful consideration and discussions with the top officials and military
leaders, he considered that the positive outcome of Russia’s active involvement
in Syrian affairs would be much greater for Russia and its interests than the
consequences of non-intervention and negative perception of the growing
international terrorism near its borders. After evaluating Russia’s intervention
in Syria, Putin recalled the results saying that a large number of insurgents
were eliminated and the region geographically close to his country was
stabilized, thus directly ensuring Russia’s security. He also indicated that
Moscow established good and practical relations with all the countries of the
region, and its locations in the Middle East have become more stable.In
addition, Russian forces were able to maintain Syrian institutions and prevent
the outbreak of chaos there and significantly developed its armed forces after
they received an unimaginable experience that it could not have gained in a
peaceful atmosphere, according to Putin.
Syria Present in G20 amid US-Turkish Dispute over Kurds
Osaka - Ibrahim Hamidi/Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 30 June, 2019
Western diplomatic sources affirmed Saturday that Syria was present in all its
aspects in the bilateral meetings on the sidelines of G20 Summit in Osaka, while
Syria's Kurds represented a US-Turkish point of dispute. The US-Russian parties
also discussed reducing the Iranian power in Syria with European countries
calling on Moscow and Ankara to rescue the de-escalation agreement in Idlib.
Also highlighted, was the US-Turkish tension due to Washington’s support of
Syria’s Kurds and the purchasing of S-400, under the Russian-Turkish agreements
in Syria. Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, in a press
conference after meeting US President Donald Trump in Osaka, that some of
Turkey's allies are backing the terrorist attacks inside Syria. Erdogan noted
that some of the allies support groups such as Kurdistan Workers' Party and
People's Protection Units that had committed ethnic purging, recruited minors
and compelled individuals to migrate. The Turkish president continued that there
are serious problems and contradictions related to combatting terrorism in
Syria. Further, Trump said that Erdogan sought to eradicate the Kurds, “and I
said, ‘You can’t do that. You can’t do it.’ And he didn’t do it.” The US
president was hinting as to when Turkey deployed forces, last year, to delve
into regions seized by Syrian Democratic Forces. Trump told Erdogan that the
purchase of S-400 is a problem -- Washington has expressed several times its
rejection of the deal and granted Turkey until the 31st of next month to pull
out of it because purchasing the Russian defense system contradicts with its
participation with F-35 jet fighters.
Palestinian Presidency to Trump: No One Can Force Us to
Waive our Rights
Ramallah - Kifah Ziboun/Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 30 June, 2019
The Palestinian presidency described US President Donald Trump's statements
during the press conference in Osaka, Japan, as “discouraging” saying the US
administration was not aware of the failure of the Manama workshop. Spokesman
for the Palestinian presidency Nabil Abu Rudeineh, described in a press
statement the conference as a “stunning failure,” despite the “policy of
punishment and intimidation used by the Trump administration against everyone.”
Abu Rudeineh said the US team behind the plan was “totally biased toward
Israel,” and “cannot offer solutions that can lead to a lasting and just
peace.”The road to peace was clear and must be based on the UN resolutions and
the Arab Peace Initiative, not on economic illusions that replace land for peace
with prosperity for peace, according to the spokesman. “We say that national
rights are not pieces of real estate that are purchased and sold and that
arriving at a political solution that guarantees freedom, dignity, independence
and justice for our people must precede any economic programs or projects
because that will create stability and security for everyone,” Abbas charged.
The Presidency’s statements are not new concerning the US peace plan, but they
were in response to Trump who said that a peace agreement between the
Palestinians and the Israelis would never be concluded if it was not signed
during his term. Speaking at a press conference in Osaka at the end of the G20
economic summit, Trump said there is a “very good chance” his proposal for
solving the decades-long conflict could succeed. Trump said he believes
the Palestinians, who have boycotted his administration since his recognition of
Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, want an agreement, adding that if they agreed, he
will reinstate the financial support. Trump suspended all financial assistance
to Palestinians, including aid given to hospitals and associations concerned
with coexistence with Israel. “I ended that money because a year ago I heard
they were saying nasty things and I said, ‘Wait a minute, we’re trying to make a
deal, we’re trying to help them and they’re saying these nasty things, we’re not
gonna pay,'” he said. Trump's recent comments came two days after the Bahrain
workshop, which included the introduction of the economic part of the US peace
plan known as the “deal of the century”, a workshop boycotted and strongly
attacked by the Palestinians. Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO)
Executive Committee Secretary Saeb Erekat noted that Palestine rejects all
Trump’s resolutions relating to the Palestinian issue and will continue to
reject these decisions. Netanyahu and the US team do not want peace on the basis
of international law and justice, he noted, adding that they want peace and
prosperity for the settlers believing that those who went to Manama support
their plan. Unlike Trump, the Palestinians believe that the “deal of the
century” will not see the light, and say the economic workshop has failed as
well. The PA's boycott of the economic workshop did not prevent a number of
Palestinians from attending it but were met with a storm of intense criticism
inside the Palestinian territories.A few Palestinian businessmen attended the
economic workshop, despite a prior threat from the PA. The Palestinian security
services arrested a businessman who participated in the Bahrain workshop, and
Israeli sources quoted Palestinian security sources as saying that Saleh Abu
Mayaleh was arrested upon his arrival in Hebron from Bahrain. The authorities
tried to arrest other businessmen, but they fled to Israel or areas in the West
Bank controlled by Israel. Israeli sources said some businessmen will also try
to travel abroad via Israel so they would not be arrested.
Israel Releases PA Minister Following Hours of Detention
Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 30 June, 2019
Israeli occupation authorities released on Sunday the Palestinian Minister of
Jerusalem Affairs, Fadi Hadmi, hours after he was detained from his home in
Jerusalem. Muhannad Jabara, Hadmi’s lawyer, said there was no reason behind his
arrest, it's clear that it came as a result of pressures by the Israeli right
wing on the Israeli government, after Hadmi engaged in a tour with the Chilean
president in Al-Aqsa Mosque. Jabara said Israeli intelligence and police cops
questioned Hadmi during his detention over alleged claims of violating the
so-called Israel’s sovereignty over Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque. The
Israeli claims came due to Hadmi's accompanying of the Chilean president in his
tour. Jabara noted that the minister refused to cooperate with the Israeli
intelligence investigators and stressed his right to meet with his lawyer first.
Yemeni Former FM Reveals Reason Behind His Resignation
New York - Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 30 June, 2019
Yemeni Foreign Minister Khaled al-Yamani announced the reason behind his
decision to resign on June 10. He said in an interview with Al-Arabiya that his
decision was due to comments he had made on the Foreign Ministry’s performance.
“Without Saudi Arabia’s support, the Yemeni government would not have been able
to do its job,” he was quoted as saying. He accused the Iran-backed Houthi
militias of not wanting to reach an agreement because of Iran. He said the
militias are trying to evade their legal responsibilities and benefit from the
smuggling operations through the port of Hodeidah. Yamani called on UN Envoy to
Yemen Martin Griffiths to be clear on the implementation of Security Council
resolutions and references. He also pointed out that the UN has made serious
mistakes in the Yemeni issue, in reference to treating the legitimate Yemeni
government and Houthi militias on equal basis. The former FM expressed his
confidence in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, pointing out that the formulation of
their relationship with the legitimate government needs continued dialogue,
which is currently happening.
Pro-Houthi MP Accuses Militias of Torturing Hodeidah Residents
Sanaa - Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 30 June, 2019
A pro-Houthi MP attacked the Iran-backed militias’ leadership during a meeting
for deputies in Sanaa. He accused it of intentionally torturing Hodeidah
residents by not providing them with electricity to overcome summer season’s
heat despite sufficient amount of fund available for that.
MP Abdu Bishr, who is known for opposing the group’s policies, said that its MPs
have announced adding the prices of oil derivatives sold in areas that fall
under the militias’ control to implement electricity project for Hodeidah’s
residents, but these funds “seem to have lost their way to an unknown
destination.”Bishr called on Sanaa deputies, who are subject to the group, to
take firm stances in order to know the fate of these funds, which are collected
for Hodeidah’s electricity. He pointed out that these funds are being looted and
seized by Houthi leaders. Bishr was a minister in the coup government before he
was ousted. Houthis have attacked his home in Sanaa a few days ago and arrested
two of his bodyguards. Hodeidah residents told Asharq Al-Awsat that life is no
longer bearable in the city due to summer heat and the lack of electricity. They
said only Houthi leaders and their followers have access to electricity, which
is being supplied for them for free. Residents stressed that the militias have
imposed huge sums on private generator owners, who sell electricity for people.
This has caused a hike in prices, preventing a number of people from access to
their basic needs.
Erdogan Says Turkey Will Take ‘Necessary Measures’ in Response to Haftar’s
Threats
Cairo - Khaled Mahmoud/Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 30 June, 2019
Head of the Libyan National Army (LNA) Marshal Khalifa Haftar announced Saturday
waging war against Turkish assets on Libyan territories, speaking of a “brutal
Turkish invasion” on his country. In an official response to Haftar’s threats,
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday that his country will take
“necessary measures.” In a press conference on the sidelines of G20 Summit in
Osaka, Japan, Erdogan said he hasn’t heard about this decision. “If there is an
order like this from Haftar, my colleagues will study (it). We have already
taken the necessary measures regarding this anyway, and after this, we will take
much more different measures,” he said. Haftar ordered on Friday strikes against
Turkish ships anchored in Libya’s territorial waters in retaliation to Ankara’s
flagrant offensive. Benghazi’s Benina Airport, which is under Haftar forces’
control, canceled all flights to and from Turkey’s Istanbul, demanding
passengers there to cancel their Istanbul-Benghazi tickets and book another
Istanbul-Damascus-Benghazi ticket. Eastern Libyan forces loyal to Haftar will
ban any commercial flights from Libya to Turkey and Turkish ships from docking
in the country, LNA Spokesman Ahmed al-Mismari said.
Any aircraft arriving from Turkey attempting to land in the capital Tripoli
would be treated as hostile, said Mismari, adding that the same would apply to
Turkish ships docking at Libyan ports. “Turkish strategic sites, companies and
projects belonging to the Turkish state (in Libya) are considered legitimate
targets by the armed forces,” he noted. However, Fayez al-Sarraj’s UN-recognized
Government of National Accord (GNA) said, in return, that it will continue to
deal with Turkey. Undersecretary of the Tripoli-based GNA’s Ministry of
Transport said air traffic from Misrata and Mitiga to Turkey “will not be
affected by LNA’s threats.”Meanwhile, Mismari said his forces had lost 43
soldiers in the battle over the town of Gharyan, which was taken by GNA forces
on Wednesday. Mesmari accused Ankara of “directly” helping GNA forces “with its
soldiers, planes and ships.”The LNA, which holds eastern Libya and much of the
country's south, seized Gharyan two days before launching its offensive on
Tripoli in early April.
Taliban Kills Eight Election Commission Employees in South Afghanistan
Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 30 June, 2019
Taliban militants killed eight election commission employees on Saturday night
inside a district center in Afghanistan's southern province of Kandahar,
officials said. The employees of the Independent Election Commission were
stationed at the government office in Maruf district to register voters when
hard-line militants launched the attack. Taliban has claimed responsibility for
the attack, Reuters reported. Taliban spokesman, Qari Yousuf Ahmadi, said they
killed election commission employees and 57 members of the Afghan National
Defence and Security Forces (ANDSF). They also captured 11 others with five
vehicles and a large cache of weapons during the attack at the district center.
However, according to Afghan government officials, the Taliban had exaggerated
the casualty figures. Qaseem Azad, a secretary of the Kandahar police said ANDSF
suffered some casualties, without providing further details. According to
Reuters, the fight between the Taliban and Afghan forces has intensified even as
leaders of the Taliban and US officials held peace talks to end 18 years of war
in Afghanistan.
Israel Refuses d to Transfer Salaries of Hamas Employees
Ramallah - Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 30 June, 2019
Israel has rejected a demand by Hamas to allocate $5 million of the Qatari money
to employees’ salaries, Kan 11 News Agency reported. It also sent a firm message
to Hamas that if it does not stop the firing of incendiary balloons, the
fighting will resume. This took place before the two parties agreed on resuming
the truce in Gaza Strip. The report noted that Hamas is insisting on renewing
the salaries to its employees due to the organization’s difficult economic
situation and criticism it could get. Hamas had received, end of 2018,
salaries from Qatar but was then forced to ask that the money be channeled to
other projects. Later, the flow of money was halted which caused tensions in
Gaza. A new crisis erupted Mid-June over the Qatari money when envoy Mohammed
al-Emadi entered the Gaza Strip with $10 million to distribute to 100,000 needy
families, Hamas demanded money for its employees’ salaries and refused to allow
the distribution of money to the needy. It was the demands of Hamas that
resulted in a delay in the distribution of funds. A few days later, Hamas agreed
to accept part of the money and only $6 million were distributed over 60,000
needy families in Gaza. The remaining $4 million were deposited by the Qatari
envoy in a bank in Gaza until Israel allows it to be transferred to salaries for
Hamas officials. Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar himself approved the decision that
was reached on Thursday night to return to the ceasefire and stop the firing of
the incendiary balloons, after Israel sent a strong message through the
mediators that "if the firing of balloons does not stop, Gaza risks a
war."According to sources, the efforts to prevent the deterioration continued
until midnight on Thursday and were on the verge of failure. Only at the last
moment, the "green light" was given from Sinwar, allowing the agreement to be
reached. Further, an Egyptian security delegation is expected in Gaza next week
to fixate the truce and try to move to the next phase. Hamas spokesman Hazem
Qassem stated that the delegation would discuss the truce, the understanding
with the occupation and breaking the siege over Gaza.
Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources published
on July 01/2019
What Will Iraqis Do After the Storming of the Bahrain
Embassy?
Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Al Awsat/June 30/2019
The storming of the Bahraini Embassy in Al-Mansour in Baghdad, which is supposed
to be one of the most guarded and secure neighborhoods in the city, is of great
concern.
The concern, in reality, is not for the Embassy of Bahrain or its interests, but
rather for Baghdad and Iraq, and its sovereignty — both present and future.
The Wall Street Journal has reported that a drone that recently attacked Saudi
Arabia came from Iraq, and not from Yemen, as Iran and its Houthi proxies have
claimed.
This is added to a list of events that undermine the sovereignty of Iraq, and
undermine respect for the decisions of the politicians who were chosen by the
Iraqi people to lead it.
The storming of the Embassy of Bahrain was not surprising for observers of
Iranian propaganda, or in Baghdad itself, where a series of events preceded the
storming, including a lecture intended to discredit and attack Bahrain, in which
unfortunately Palestinian politicians participated.
It is the right of Iraqis to object to the “Peace to Prosperity” workshop in
Manama, and to reject the concept of peace, though no political project was
presented there and no one bought or sold anything. In addition, no Israeli
official was present at the workshop, which was not the first of its kind in the
region.
However, we know that Iran wanted to launch a counterattack, or a rebound as
football commentators say, as a reaction to being blockaded — a blockade that
was itself a consequence of Iran’s threats to states of the region; Yemen,
Syria, Palestine, Lebanon, and Iraq itself.
Iraqi leaders are facing a clear-cut Iranian targeting of their state, its
sovereignty and its resources. For the Tehran regime considers Iraq a soft
territory, a country where it could resolve its battles with its opponents, the
US, the Gulf states, and also the European states at a later stage.
It will transform Iraq into another Lebanon through using its Sunnis, Shiites,
and Kurds, using the competition among its leaders and parties, and exploiting
the militias that it has built and is managing.
In my perspective, Tehran, because of its crisis, is speeding up the process of
imposing its hegemony on Iraq and of using it in its battle, disregarding the
declarations of its president and prime minister who have promised that they do
not want Iraq to be part of any war, and that they will not allow the use of its
territory in any American attack on Iran.
The dilemma is that what is happening is the total opposite. In front of Iraqis’
eyes and ears, it is Iran that is using Iraq’s territories to wage attacks on
its opponents, and it is Iran that wants to implicate Iraq in the crisis and
future battles, and wants to impose on Iraq to take Iran’s side and not be a
neutral country.
Will Iraqis accept becoming the firewood in the upcoming war? Is the Iraqi
government able to do anything to prevent Iran from using its territory? The
situation is not easy, but burying heads in sand and ignoring Iranian excesses
will lead to one known result; no government or genuine state would survive
without facing the problem right from the beginning.
The first thing is to be frank about the problem with the Iraqi people, rather
than ignore it. No one expects Iraq to be other than a good neighbor to Iran,
but not to be one of its governorates, or one of its military trenches against
its opponents.
As President Barham Salih explained, the nature of the relationship with Iran,
its importance, and Iraq’s concern for it, are justified, and express the
awareness of the political leadership in Baghdad that the problem does not lie
in Manama, Riyadh, or Washington, but rather in Tehran; it is to there that the
message should be sent not to use Iraq’s territory, men, and resources for its
malign objectives.
In the past few months, Iran has waged propaganda campaigns through its groups,
loyalists, and media to incite against the brothers and friends in Iraq in a way
that gives the impression that it is preparing for a great battle — not against
the Gulf people or the Americans, but first and foremost against the Iraqi
government and the state institutions such as the parliament, the media, and
social groups. This is the imminent Iraqi problem. Therefore this is the real
threat to Iraq, its unity, sovereignty, stability, security, and resurrection
plan, rather than the threat to Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, or Palestine.
The rise and fall of the Iran nuclear deal
د.مجيد زافيزادا: صعود وسقوط الإتفاق النووي الإيراني
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab News/June 30/2019
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/76244/%d8%af-%d9%85%d8%ac%d9%8a%d8%af-%d8%b2%d8%a7%d9%81%d9%8a%d8%b2%d8%a7%d8%af%d8%a7-%d8%b5%d8%b9%d9%88%d8%af-%d9%88%d8%b3%d9%82%d9%88%d8%b7-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a5%d8%aa%d9%81%d8%a7%d9%82-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%86/
The Iran nuclear deal was struck between the Islamic Republic and a group of
world powers known as the P5+1 — the permanent members of the UN Security
Council (the US, UK, Russia, France and China) plus Germany — in 2015. As I
mentioned at the time, when the agreement was reached and celebrated, the Joint
Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), as it is known, was flimsy, unlikely to
last and had fundamental flaws, including the sunset clauses that removed the
restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program after the expiration of the deal.
Iran’s military sites, such as Parchin, which is reportedly where nuclear
development and research is conducted, were also out of the reach of
International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors. In addition, there was no
reference to Iran’s ballistic missile program, which is a core pillar of its
foreign policy and appears to be linked to the nuclear program. Furthermore,
Iran’s breakout time — the amount of time needed to produce enough weapons-grade
uranium for one nuclear bomb — was set at only one year.
The West hoped that the nuclear deal was going to be transformational, meaning
that it would change the Iranian regime’s behavior in the region, empower the
country’s “moderates,” and put an end to its nuclear defiance and threats.
But, from the perspective of the Iranian leaders, the nuclear deal was never
going to change the revolutionary ideals of the Islamic Republic. Instead, it
was a transitional, temporary deal. In their desperation to sign an agreement
with Iran, Western leaders appear to have paid too high a price. In other words,
through the nuclear deal, the Islamic Republic effectively bought itself a blank
check to advance its aggressive, zero-sum policies across the Middle East.
After the nuclear agreement was signed, Iran’s meddling, interventions in the
region and funding of militia groups escalated. Iran also increased its
deliveries of weapons to its militias, as the number of ballistic missiles
deployed by Iran’s proxies rose to an unprecedented level. For example, the UN
revealed in a report that four ballistic missiles fired at Saudi Arabia by
Yemen’s Houthi militia in 2017 appeared to have been designed by Iran. A panel
of experts concluded that the “design, characteristics and dimensions of the
components inspected by the panel are consistent with those reported for the
Iranian-manufactured Qiam-1 missile.” The Iranian support of the Houthi rebels
in Yemen has contributed to the conflict raging on for so long.
The Islamic Republic effectively bought itself a blank check to advance its
aggressive, zero-sum policies across the Middle East.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its elite branch, the Quds
Force, have also infiltrated top security, political, intelligence and military
infrastructures in Iraq, allowing them to make decisions that should be made by
Iraqi leaders and politicians. The IRGC and Quds Force have operatives and
agents across the Arab state.
The nuclear deal allowed the flow of billions of dollars into the Iranian
regime’s treasury, providing the revenues Tehran needed to escalate its military
operations in Syria and guarantee the survival of the Assad regime.
Putting the brakes on Iran’s nuclear program should have been just a means to
achieve the wider goal of curbing Tehran’s regional ambitions. Western leaders’
focus on the narrow objective of checking Tehran’s arsenal — in which they
succeeded — came at the heavy cost of removing leverage on the country’s more
immediately malign and destructive policies.
After US President Donald Trump took office in 2017, he invited Tehran to come
to the negotiating table in order to address the terms of the nuclear deal. Iran
declined and, consequently, the Trump administration withdrew from the JCPOA.
The US Treasury Department then reimposed the sanctions on Iran that were lifted
under the Obama administration. The sanctions on Iran’s energy and shipping
sectors, as well as banking and financial systems, hit the country’s economy
hard.
For a while, the Islamic Republic declared that it would remain part of the
nuclear deal with France, Germany, the UK, China and Russia. But, as the Iranian
leaders began to see that they were incapable of helping them financially and,
as the cash stopped flowing into Tehran’s treasury, they began threatening that
they would pull out of the JCPOA and enrich uranium at a higher level unless
they received financial benefits. Iran has now announced that it will breach the
300 kilogram limit on its stockpile of enriched uranium. According to Tasnim
News Agency, the Iranian government plans to arrange “an unlimited increase in
the enriched uranium stockpile and a second step that Iran could take to back
off from certain commitments.”
In a nutshell, the rise and fall of the nuclear deal should teach the
international community an important lesson: Concessions and appeasement
policies will only empower and embolden the Iranian regime to further pursue its
interventionist and aggressive policies in the region. No amount of concessions
will fundamentally change Iran’s domestic and foreign policies because
concessions are viewed as a weakness by the Islamic Republic.
*Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a Harvard-educated Iranian-American political scientist.
He is a leading expert on Iran and US foreign policy, a businessman and
president of the International American Council.
Britain rebukes Iran’s use of hostages as foreign policy
tactic
Nazli Tarzi/The Arab Weekly/June 30/2019
Transparency is a welcomed turn in Britain’s approach to Iran’s use of British
hostages but the proscription of Iran-funded militants and terrorists will not
stand in the way of the use of hostages as political cards.
The behavioural habit turned foreign policy approach of hostage-taking by
Iranian President Hassan Rohani’s government preserves a rogue tradition that
extends to the 1979 hostage crisis.
Mob attacks, embassy raids and Iran-sponsored threat activity on British and
European soil are no longer simply trails but hallmarks of Iran’s high-risk
foreign policy approach.
In the last year, the rising wave of an approach dubbed “hostage diplomacy”
pushed Westminster to issue stern warnings that indicate the risks for dual
nationals travelling to Iran.
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, former Thomson Reuters Foundation staff member, and
British Council employee Aras Amiri, both taken in Iran, are the latest victims
of Iran’s retributive approach as sanctions raise the chances of domestic
economic meltdown for Tehran’s obdurate clerical rulers.
Iran accused the two British nationals of cooperating with British intelligence.
Zaghari-Ratcliffe, sentenced to 5 years in prison, and Amiri, sentenced to 10
years in prison, are in Iran’s Evin Prison.
At the time the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) posted online
advising: “British-Iranian dual nationals against all travel to Iran; all
British nationals should carefully consider the risks of travelling.”
In contrast to measured advice from the FCO, the fires of Iran’s fallacy over
Ratcliffe were stoked by clumsy remarks from Tory front runner for prime
minister Boris Johnson. At the time, then-foreign minister Johnson, in tune with
Tehran, wrongly alleged that the charity worker was training journalists in
Iran.
His remarks earned Johnson the accusation that his verbal recklessness helped to
expedite the spying charge that landed the mother jail.
Iran’s ambassador has defended decisions reached in her case, posting on
Twitter:
“[I]f… you are not collaborating with intelligence agencies” or “collecting
classified information from them, you may safely travel.”
Iran proclaims adherence to pragmatism but is upping the ante through “continued
arbitrary detention” and “mistreatment” of British citizens associated with
government-associated institutions and “lack of access to legal rights” to those
incarcerated on spying charges, as UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt wrote in
May.
Richard Radcliffe, Nazanin’s husband, has been staging his own peaceful protest
outside the Iranian Embassy in London in solidarity with his wife’s hunger
strike in exchange for unconditional release.
Richard has kept a daily video diary. Speaking on day 11 about the policies
politics and parliament can push for to assist “beyond Nazanin’s case,” he urged
focus on two aspects.
“One for Iranian audiences is the way Iran does use people as diplomatic
leverage… and as bargaining chips,” he said in a video posted on a page
dedicated to the cause of freedom for Nazanin.
Richard also added that the government has not done enough to protect the rights
of British citizens held unlawfully overseas.
While Nazanin informed authorities of her hunger strike, Iranian authorities
responded by cancelling the mother’s weekly visit to see her daughter and in
London, embassy staff erected a metal barricade between Richard and the embassy
as the pressure mounts from the public and MPs from all parties that have been
visited by the anguished father.
These events expose Iran’s insecurities. But they have not deterred its state
media from advancing an audacious defence of the decision to imprison
Zaghari-Ratcliffe and the true intentions of her visit to Iran two years ago.
Opinion articles and online commentaries protest the deadlock in
Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s case and its apparent low rank on the government’s list of
political priorities.
Richard underlined during an interview with BBC that “if you point the finger at
the UK, all you are doing is exculpating those who are truly responsible, which
is the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.”
An article published in the Times late last year disclosed details of a
potential deal spearheaded by Hunt to settle a 400 million pound ($507 million)
debt to Iran in exchange for her release.
Although Britain remained relatively mute about snowballing hostilities between
the United States and Iran, direct comments from Hunt and others mark newfound
courage by the government to rebuke Iran for its hostage-taking industry.
An expose in the Daily Telegraph newspaper suggested that the UK government
intentionally kept the public in the dark about an alleged terror plot
masterminded by Iran-funded Lebanese outfit Hezbollah that MI5 foiled after a
tip from Israel’s intelligence arm, Mossad.
Independent members of Britain’s House of Commons are raising scrutiny by
quizzing the government on why details of the raid were kept secret.
In defying its own promises of diplomatic engagement, Tehran’s conduct will
erode surviving goodwill between both countries whose relations improved only
after the expiry of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s presidency.
The desirability of rapprochement that Britain prefers will also face setbacks
should relations maintain this tempo.
The case of Zaghari-Ratcliffe exposes the self-limiting approach Britain has
adopted, having failed to secure her release, despite calls from her husband to
“use aid for Iran to free her,” the Independent reported.
Despite granting the UK-Iranian dual citizen “diplomatic protection” on March 7,
a decision slammed by some as too little too late, that designation is not an
impenetrable shield that can protect her against harm and medical negligence in
response to Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s hunger strike, which she began January 14.
Britain is also accused of prolonging the move to proscribe Hezbollah, which was
expedited in February. The decision was welcomed by Hunt, who, on Twitter, said:
“We cannot and will not turn a blind eye to Hezbollah’s terrorist activities,”
adding that “they will be proscribed in full by the UK government.”
Indirect actions or inconsistency on Britain’s part stimulated the view of the
ban and associated moves as the country testing its luck at politicking.
The BBC’s diplomatic correspondent provided greater depth to this argument over
Twitter, stating that it “ticks many boxes” that gives “UK something to say…
pleases US and Israeli allies who want more pressure on Iran” and allows the
conservative party camp to “highlight Labour leadership sympathy for anti-Israel
groups” towards the aim of “look[ing] tough in the leadership race.”
Transparency is a welcomed turn in Britain’s approach to Iran’s use of British
hostages but the proscription of Iran-funded militants and terrorists will not
stand in the way of the use of hostages as political cards.