English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese
Related, Global News & Editorials
For July 10/2020
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
The Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
http://data.eliasbejjaninews.com/eliasnews19/english.july10.20.htm
News Bulletin Achieves Since 2006
Click Here to enter the LCCC Arabic/English news bulletins Achieves since 2006
Bible Quotations For today
And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will
be forgiven; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 12/10-12/:”And everyone
who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven; but whoever
blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. When they bring you
before the synagogues, the rulers, and the authorities, do not worry about how
you are to defend yourselves or what you are to say; for the Holy Spirit will
teach you at that very hour what you ought to say.’”
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese &
Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on July 09-10/2020
66 New Coronavirus Cases Recorded in Lebanon
US chief General Kenneth F. McKenzie carries messages of support to Lebanese
army, warning to Hezbollah
Lebanon PM’s lawyers admit to suing AUB, threaten Al Arabiya English
Hassan Expects ‘Shocking’ Rise in COVID-19 Due to Repatriations
Pompeo Pledges to Stop Iran Oil Exports to Hezbollah
France Urges Lebanon Reforms to Obtain Financial Support
Aoun meets MP Makhzoumi, Baalbek Festival concert organizers: Lebanon will
regain its distinguished role
Hariri visits Rai: Real reform is needed to regain control of LBP
Hariri Meets Rahi: Authority Seeks to Change Lebanon’s Free-Market Economy
Berri meets US ambassador, delegation of Muslim Scholars Gathering
Constitutional Council suspends appointment mechanism law contested by President
Aoun
Diab: Govt. Has Honored Policy Statement, No Intention to Change Economic System
Ghajar Says Power Supply to Improve within 48 Hours
Lebanon not planning to negotiate with Iran on fuel imports, says energy
minister
Petty crime booms in crisis-struck Lebanon/Jacob Boswall/Al Arabiya
English/Thursday 09 July 2020
More hurdles lie ahead for Lebanon’s struggling tourism industry/Finbar
Anderson/Al Arabiya English/Thursday 09 July 2020
Exhibition of photos chronicling social unrest in Lebanon opens in Washington
DC/Najia Houssari/Arab News/July 09/2020
Lebanon must turn on Hezbollah to save its economy/Hussain Abdul-Hussain/Arab
News/July 09/2020
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on July 09-10/2020
Explosion heard in western Tehran: Iran state media
Iraq PM Pays Respects to Hashemi's Family, Calls Him 'Hero'
Would Biden Rejoin the Iran Nuclear Deal?
Iran to Bolster Syria’s Defense System
France sees risk of jihadists among fighters dispatched by Turkey to Libya
Battle looms for Sirte as Erdogan accused of targeting ‘oil crescent
Turkey Escalates in Libya with Naval, Air Maneuvers
Libya’s Haftar Vows to Fight Turkey
Chemical weapons body condemns Syria for using sarin, chlorine on village in
Hama
OPCW Condemns Syrian Regime over Sarin Attacks
Likud Lobby for Full Annexation of the West Bank
U.S. Invites China to Arms Control Talks, Seeing Opening
Supreme Court Orders Trump Financial Records Released to NY Prosecutors
Moscow Push to Reduce U.N. Cross-Border Aid to Syria Fails
Titles For
The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources published on July 09-10/2020
Iran’s nuclear defiance fueling Israeli fears/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh//Arab
News/July 09/2020
Angela Merkel right to promote EU solidarity in key speech/Cornelia Meyer/Arab
News/July 09/2020
Why are Palestinians Committing Suicide?/Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone
Institute/July 09/2020
Thomas Jefferson: Good or Evil Based on the Left’s Agenda/Raymond Ibrahim/July
09/2020
Iran Facilitates Honor Killings/Noor PahlaviAsharq Al-Awsat/July 09/2020
How Much Do We Really Know About Bank Risks?/Mark Gongloff/Bloomberg/July,09/2020
China’s Economic Dragon Is Spitting Fire Again/John Authers/Bloomberg/July,09/2020
The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News &
Editorials published
on July 09-10/2020
66 New Coronavirus Cases Recorded in Lebanon
Naharnet/July 09/2020
Lebanon on Thursday witnessed a major one-day surge in the number of confirmed
coronavirus cases. In its daily statement, the Health Ministry said 44 of the
cases were recorded among residents and 22 among expats who arrived in Lebanon
in recent days. Thirty-three of the local cases have been traced to known
sources while the 66 cases raise the country’s tally to 2,011 -- among them 36
deaths and 1,368 recoveries. The infected expats have arrived from Ivory Coast,
Nigeria, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Denmark. The local cases have been
meanwhile recorded in Bourj al-Barajneh (1), Shiyyah (1), Ghobeiri (1), Haret
Hreik (5), Jnah (2), Sfeir (1), Mreijeh (1), Maamoura (1), Baabda district (1),
Naccache (1), Dekwaneh (1), Wadi al-Zayneh (1), Aramoun (1), Amrousiyeh (10),
Hay el-Sillom (3), Kayfoun (5), Qmatiyeh (1), el-Mina (5), Zgharta’s Kfarhatta
(1), Minieh (1), Taalabaya (3), Bednayel (1) and al-Bazouriyeh (1).
US chief General Kenneth F. McKenzie carries messages of
support to Lebanese army, warning to Hezbollah
The Arab Weekly/July 08/2020
Threat of Hezbollah’s weapons for Lebanon, region highlighted.
BEIRUT –The visit of US Central Command chief General Kenneth F. McKenzie to
Lebanon on Wednesday carried several messages, especially regarding the role of
Hezbollah in Lebanon and the mounting pressures in the US Congress to cut aid to
the Lebanese army.
It was McKenzie’s fourth visit to Lebanon since 2019.
On Wednesday, he met with Lebanese military and political officials, led by
President Michel Aoun, who praised military cooperation between the two
countries and called for further development.
McKenzie’s one-day visit coincided with the approaching third anniversary of the
operation launched by the Lebanese army against ISIS in the border area with
Syria.
Aoun praised the support provided by the United States to the Lebanese army in
that campaign. McKenzie also stressed the continued support of the US military
leadership to the Lebanese army. He pointed to the Lebanese army’s distinct
capabilities in various combat and training levels, as reinforced by good,
continuous training. Political sources say that McKenzie’s visit stressed the
importance of continued US cooperation with the Lebanese army, sending a clear
message that Washington has no intention of cutting aid to Lebanon’s military,
at least not in the short run, despite the controversy in Congress. McKenzie is
perceived as one of the most reserved voices about calls by some White House
hawks and Republicans in Congress to cut aid to the Lebanese army. He had
announced last June that he was against stopping that aid, stressing that the
US’s relationship with the Lebanese military is important “to balance the
capabilities of the Hezbollah militia.”
Hezbollah, which is classified as a terrorist organisation by the United States
and other Western and Arab countries, has kept its hold on Lebanon’s internal
politics with the help of its military arsenal. The pro-Iran party has managed
in recent years to bolster that arsenal; and intelligence reports say it now has
precision weapons in its possession.
Some US analysts believe that continued support for the Lebanese army cannot
bear fruit considering the growing strength and influence of Hezbollah. They
also note that the Lebanese army has previously cooperated with Hezbollah in
several situations, the last of which was on the Syrian-Lebanese border. The
Lebanese army, in fact, is accused of turning a blind eye to Hezbollah’s
activities. For that reason, some in the US say it is necessary to put an end to
US support. An initiative supported by Republican Senator Ted Cruz proposed
withholding 20% of US military assistance to the Lebanese army unless Aoun is
able to demonstrate that he is taking the necessary steps to end Hezbollah’s
influence. During his meeting Wednesday with Aoun, McKenzie is said to have
focused on the risks posed by Hezbollah’s continued wielding of weapons. This
poses a particular problem for Lebanon as it seeks assistance from reluctant
international lenders in order to weather the stifling financial and economic
crisis that could lead to its collapse.
This crisis has recently extended to the Lebanese army, which announced its
decision to remove meat from soldier’s food menu as part of austerity measures.
Aoun, who also serves as commander in chief of the Lebanese Armed Forces, is one
of Hezbollah’s most prominent political allies, and has repeatedly defended the
party in regional and international forums, making it difficult to believe that
he and his party, the Free Patriotic Movement, can make any real moves to
pressure Hezbollah over its possession of weapons. Observers say that
Hezbollah’s weapons constitute an issue that transcends its obvious local
dimension and effects regional and international levels. Cutting aid to the
Lebanese army may have adverse effects, they say, as Hezbollah could use the
measure to argue that Lebanon is battling a conspiracy targeting not only the
“axis of resistance,” but Lebanon and the Lebanese people.
Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah said in a televised speech on
Tuesday evening on the party’s Al-Manar TV channel that “the policy pursued by
America towards Lebanon now is the policy of siege and sanctions, which will not
weaken Hezbollah but rather strengthen it and weaken America’s allies.”
Nasrallah reiterated his call for the Lebanese state to diversify its foreign
options by shifting east. He offered to help Lebanese authorities import oil and
its derivatives from Iran with payment in Lebanese pounds. US Secretary of State
Mike Pompeo replied that the US strives to “prevent Iran from selling crude oil
to Hezbollah.” He called on all countries to classify the pro-Iran party as a
terrorist organisation. McKenzie’s visit to Beirut, a big recipient of US
military aid, comes after Hezbollah stepped up criticism of US Ambassador to
Lebanon Dorothy Shea on Tuesday, accusing her of blatant interference in
Lebanese affairs.A US Embassy statement said McKenzie “reaffirmed the importance
of preserving Lebanon’s security, stability, and sovereignty…”Several dozen
protesters, some waving Hezbollah flags, gathered at Beirut airport in a protest
that the group’s al-Manar TV said carried several messages against
Washington.These included a rejection of a US Embassy plan to hold a memorial
for 241 US service personnel killed in 1983 by a bomb attack in Beirut during
McKenzie’s visit, an al-Manar broadcaster said.
Lebanon PM’s lawyers admit to suing AUB, threaten Al
Arabiya English
Joseph Haboush/Al Arabiya English/July 09/2020
The lawyers of Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab have admitted to the
premier's lawsuit against the American University of Beirut and slammed the
university for a so-called "orchestrated media campaign." Amal Haddad, one of
the two attorneys who penned a letter responding to Al Arabiya English's report
titled "Lebanon’s PM Diab sues AUB for $1 mln, asks for overseas payment,"
admitted that the prime minister was demanding compensation for the 35 years he
worked at AUB. Diab has "demanded that this compensation be transferred to his
account abroad, and this is his right, especially since the amounts he is asking
for have their source outside Lebanon," Haddad told Daraj, an independent
digital media platform. On July 7, Al Arabiya English published an article
citing two senior AUB officials and two other sources with knowledge of the
lawsuit. Diab, they said, has asked for nearly $1 million in retirement funds
and severance pay. The officials and sources who spoke to Al Arabiya English
said that Diab has no right to either since he did not retire and was never
asked to leave his post as Vice President for Regional External Programs (REP).
Diab, the officials said, can still return to the university as a professor in
the Faculty of Engineering. In the letter from Haddad and Naji al-Boustany, the
attorneys said that Diab had the right to pursue legal measures for information
published by Al Arabiya English. The statement said that the article's
information was "not true," and "legally incorrect," without elaborating or
specifying which points were inaccurate. Nevertheless, the attorneys admitted
Diab filed a lawsuit to a Beirut judge regarding the prime minister's
"entitlements and benefits upon 35 years of contractual relationship" with AUB.
The attorneys also alleged "defamation" in Al Arabiya English's original
article, while the attorneys blasted AUB's "negative" and deleterious" stance
against Diab since 2017.Diab's lawyers also accused AUB of resorting to "media
leaks ... for intimidation purposes. "The orchestrated media campaign ...
tarnishes the heritage and history of this university," the lawyers said.
Hassan Expects ‘Shocking’ Rise in COVID-19 Due to
Repatriations
Naharnet/July 09/2020
Health Minister Hamad Hassan on Thursday said he expects a “shocking” rise in
COVID-19 coronavirus cases due to the repatriation of thousands of Lebanese
expats. “The number of coronavirus cases will be striking but that is closely
linked to repatriating Lebanese expats,” said Hassan at a joint press conference
held with Education Minister Tarek Majzoub and President of the Lebanese
University, Fouad Ayyoub. The press conference was held against the backdrop of
a COVID-19 case in which a student at the Lebanese University tested positive
for the virus.
“The Lebanese University took all necessary steps regarding disinfecting the
building and will run tests on the students who got in contact with the infected
student,” said Majzoub. “We will soon issue a health protocol to keep up with
the upcoming academic year, and will soon launch with the Minister of Health and
related authorities a plan to return to schools, institutes and universities,”
he added. For his part, Ayyoub said: “Exceptional and bold measures were taken
at the University," to prevent the spread of the virus.
Pompeo Pledges to Stop Iran Oil Exports to Hezbollah
Washington - Elie Youssef/ Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 9 July, 2020
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said Washington would stop possible
Iranian oil exports to its ally Hezbollah in Lebanon. “We’ll do everything we
can to make sure that Iran cannot continue to sell crude oil anywhere, including
to Hezbollah in the region so that the resources that fund and underwrite the
world’s largest state sponsor of terror won’t be made available to them,” Pompeo
told a news conference in Washington on Wednesday. “That would be unacceptable
for them to do that,” he said in response to a question on Iran possibly sending
oil to Lebanon.
“Hezbollah is a terrorist organization and we are supportive of Lebanon as long
as they get the reforms right and they are not a proxy state for Iran in
Lebanon," he added. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said on Tuesday that his
group was in discussion with the government about Iran supplying refined oil
products to Lebanon in exchange for Lebanese pounds. During his press conference
Wednesday, Pompeo also urged the UN Security Council to extend an arms embargo
on Iran and said the US and partner forces last month seized a vessel carrying
arms to Houthi militias in Yemen. “The Security Council must extend the arms
embargo on Iran to prevent further conflict in the region,” he said. “No serious
person can possibly believe Iran will use any weapon it receives for peaceful
ends.”
France Urges Lebanon Reforms to Obtain Financial Support
Naharnet/July 09/2020
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian urged Lebanese authorities to
initiate reforms in order to obtain financial support from the "international
community" and save Lebanon’s crumbling economy from collapse, indicating that
he will visit Beirut “within days,” media reports said on Thursday.
"Today there is a risk of collapse. The Lebanese authorities must regain
control, allow me to tell our Lebanese friends: We are really ready to help you,
but help us to help you,” Le Drian said in comments in the French Senate on
Wednesday.
"I am very worried about the situation. Worried and sad. Half of the Lebanese
population lives below the poverty line. There were commitments made by the
Lebanese authorities. These reforms are not there," stated the official.
Le Drian added saying that the government of PM Hassan Diab pledged to carry out
a series of reforms within the “100-day deadline since it gained confidence. But
these reforms were not made. We know well what should be done regarding
transparency, regulating the electricity sector, fighting corruption, and
reforming the financial and banking system." Le Drian also said at the Senate
Foreign Affairs Committee that "it is absolutely clear that all political
partners have insufficient awareness of the risk of collapse."He stressed that
"France and the international community will not be able to do anything if the
Lebanese do not take the initiatives that are essential to their recovery."
Aoun meets MP Makhzoumi, Baalbek Festival concert
organizers: Lebanon will regain its distinguished role
NNA/July 09/2020
President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, stressed that “Lebanon cannot
move away from culture, even in its darkest conditions”, asserting the Lebanese
will in facing crises “With firm faith to overcome them and preserve Lebanon’s
distinctive role in numerous fields, which will be restored after current
difficult conditions”.
The President’s stances came during his reception a delegation of organizers of
the Baalbek International Festival concert (without audience) under the title
“Voice of Resilience”, on the occasion of the first Centenary of “Great Lebanon”
declaration, today at the Presidential Palace.
The meeting was attended by: National Defense Minister, Zeina Akar, Tourism
Minister, Ramzi Msharrafiyeh, Health Minister Hamad Hassan, and Culture
Minister, Abbas Murtada, in addition to Chairperson of Baalbek International
Festivals, Mrs. Nayla De Freij, leader of the Philharmonic Orchestra who led the
musical band, Maestro Harout Vaslian, and ceremony participants and
contributors.
At the beginning of the meeting, Mrs. De Freij thanked President Aoun for his
patronage of the concert held by the committee, stressing that “This sponsorship
allowed us to transmit our voice so far, and as public and private sectors, to
more than 15 million people in the world, which is a number that is expected to
increase day by day through social media. This is the image of Lebanon that we
wish to highlight and show to the whole world. I thank those who participated in
the success of this work for every effort exerted”.
For his side, President Aoun welcomed the delegation, and expressed his
happiness for the meeting. “In light of the accumulation of crises and
misfortunes in Lebanon, it was bold to present a ceremony of this type, which
carried various messages to the whole world, which is the language of music, and
the most important of which, is that Lebanon cannot move away from culture even
in the darkest circumstances” President Aoun said.
The President also praised the exerted efforts in which all of Lebanon
contributed to, and was witnessed by all the Lebanese, stressing that “The
cultural dimension is evolving in Lebanon, whether in language, music or
literature”.
Then, President Aoun pointed out that reachingthis large number of people around
the world is the most evident proof of success, hoping that members of the
delegation persevere in carrying out artistic and cultural work to keep its
audible messages, expressing his hope that next year Baalbek will again witness
a work that will be the end of crises, and which highlights Lebanon’s
longstanding cultural heritage.
MP Fouad Makhzoumi:
President Aoun met Head of the National Dialogue Party, MP Fouad Makhzoumi,
accompanied by his political adviser, Dr. carol Zwein, and discussed with him
the current situation.
After the meeting, Makhzoumi stressed “The necessity to implement the reforms
required by the international community from Lebanon, especially with regard to
the file of electricity and the fight against corruption and waste”. Makhzoumi
also asserted the importance of dealing seriously with the International
Monetary Fund, “Since without reforms, Lebanon’s position will remain suspended,
if not deteriorate more and more”. MP Makhzoumi also called for a judicialaudit,
especially in Central Bank accounts, to “Seek the assistance of a global company
for this purpose, and to be transparent in this issue, which would uncover
corruption files and lift protectionfrom spoilers, especially as it is a
necessary prelude to recover looted funds”.
Then, Makhzoumi stated that the Governmentmust urgently “Put solutions on short
and medium terms, concerning the electricity issue because people are living
very harsh conditions”, stressingthe importance of reaching solutions to the
collapse of the national currency and the high cost of basic materials.
Head of “Qaoulouna Wal Aamal”:
The President received head of “Qaoulouna Wal Aamal” Association, Sheikh Ahmad
Al-Qattan, and the director of the association’s office, Mr. Mohammed Fneish,
and discussed with them the current situation and the situation of Beqaa.
Sheikh Al-Qattan praised the President’s national stances, his management for
the country’s affairs and his adherence to Lebanon’s sovereignty and
independence and preserving the dignity of the Lebanese. Sheikh Al-Qattan also
raised a number of demands in the Beqaa region in general, and Barr Elias town
in particular.
Father Abou Kasem, and Head of Jezzine Municipalities’ Union:
President Aoun met President of the Catholic Information Center, Father Abdo
Abou Kasem, and the Head of the Union of Jezzine Municipalities, Khalil Harfoush,
and discussed with them development affairs.--Presidency Press Office
Hariri visits Rai: Real reform is needed to regain control
of LBP
NNA/July 09/2020
Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri visited today Maronite Patriarch Bechara
Boutros Rai in Bkerki. They held a meeting attended by former Minister Ghattas
Khoury, advisors Hani Hammoud and Daoud al-Sayegh, the Patriarchal Vicar General
Bishop Hanna Alwan, and the Director of the Maronite Patriarchate's Media and
Protocol department Walid Ghayad.
After the meeting, Hariri said: "I met with the Patriarch today and it is an
honor to be here. We discussed several issues, particularly the present
situation. We consider this edifice a place for dialogue and moderation in
Lebanon. The relationship between Bkerki and us has always been solid and I
always adhere to it because Lebanon needs constructive dialogue in the interest
of the Lebanese."
He added: "Lebanon is going through its worst economic situation. There is an
inclination in this government and this presidency to change the Lebanese
liberal economic system. Some say 'No we don't want to change the system' but
all the actions and comments that we see in the media regarding the economy aim
to change the liberal economic system. They accuse us of building a rentier
economy. Tourism was at its peak in Lebanon in 2005 before the martyrdom of
Rafic Hariri and until 2010 and when tourism is fine, agriculture, industry and
airport are fine. I heard that we have to go towards agriculture and industry.
This is good and necessary. But I wonder how we can have industry or agriculture
without electricity? How can we transport our industry and agriculture without
roads? How can we export them without ports and airport? How will tourists come
to the country if we don't think about development? We had previously reached 10
million people using the airport, and some criticized Rafic Hariri for having
set up an airport for six million passengers. In the future, when stability
returns, we will need an airport that can accommodate 15 or 20 million
passengers. The most important thing is political, security and regional
stability. Lebanon today is paying regional prices that it should not pay, and
this is the main problem. Our youth are leaving the country, unemployment is
increasing, and all this is because of instability."
Hariri continued: "We all witnessed appointments taking place without a
mechanism, and this mechanism was sent back to Parliament because the Mandate
refused it, knowing that it allows to appoint experts. We want to appoint
experts. Judicial appointments did not take place, and the amendment to the
Electricity Regulatory Authority law and all these matters do not serve
Lebanon's interest in reform. If we want to control the Lebanese pound, there
must be real reform steps in order for the international community to see that
Lebanon is taking real steps. The longer we delay that, the more the presidency
and the state delay that, the more harmful it will be to Lebanon, and this
affects the exchange rate of the LBP."
He added: "I want to talk about the forensic investigation. They want to put the
entire blame on the Central Bank and on the banks, while it is the state that
borrowed 90 billion dollars. What is better for us to investigate: who spent the
90 billion or who gave the 90 billion? Whoever gave this amount was obliged to
give it because the state requested it to spend it. The Future Bloc previously
presented two laws in 2006 and 2008 to have a financial audit of the state since
the Taef Accord. Let us do this audit on all ministries and governments because
they are responsible for the spending. We should also conduct this audit in the
electricity sector. Don't the 46 billion spent on electricity need to be
audited?"
He concluded: ""I am always honored to visit the Patriarch, and I always
consider that the Patriarchate is essential in Mount Lebanon and all of Lebanon,
and this relationship is essential for us."
Question: The patriarch spoke about legitimacy and you are saying the same
thing. Are you in the process of forming an opposition front under the wing of
his eminence?
Hariri: The patriarch spoke of the suffering of the Lebanese and not about
politics. He said that Lebanon cannot bear anymore, and you can see where we are
concerning the economic situation and the solutions. The solutions exist, and
the government has to look at them differently than it does today.
Question: What did you discuss with the patriarch within the framework of
rebuilding the state?
Hariri: To rebuild the state we shouldn't work as before. The problem today is
that they are still working in the same way as before. When the revolution
started, the Lebanese said: You cannot continue like this, but they are still
working as before. I tell the Lebanese: Don't say there is no hope. Hope should
always be there and solutions exist. We all know what stops the solutions today,
and how we can achieve these solutions. There is a political challenge in the
country between changing the Lebanese system and reforming this liberal system
so that it can follow the right path. Some want to change the system as we heard
in the speeches. In short, there is a project to nationalize the country and
merge the banks into two or three banks, so that the country becomes similar to
regional economies that are favored by some, such as the Iranian economy. Some
wonder: What is wrong with the Iranian economy?
Question: Is your visit to your ally, from whom you once said that only
martyrdom would separate you, still far away?
Hariri: It is true that nothing separates me from him in strategic matters, but
I want to say something: Saad Hariri made enough sacrifices in the country. I
receive criticism from my own team or from the Future Movement because I always
make compromises. But for whose interest did I make these compromises? Is it for
my own interest? Surely not. It is for the interest of the country. Others today
do not want to make any concessions in the interest of the Lebanese. There is no
fundamental disagreement with the Lebanese Forces. Rather, there is disagreement
over some issues that should be clear to some political parties.
Question: Being the son of the martyr Rafic Hariri, and a person concerned with
the affairs of the country, even if you are not in power, is there any
possibility to help hungry Lebanon today?
Hariri: We have to help ourselves. We have to know our size as a country in the
region, and we must not allow the world to manipulate us. If we let the world
manipulate us, our situation will remain as is. Today there is a very big
regional conflict and we are the ones paying the price. Why? Everyone knows why
we are paying the price. But this does not mean that we are unable to talk to
each other and get out of this crisis. Each side must make sacrifices, and there
are parties that must make more sacrifices than others.
Question: What about you?
Hariri: I made sacrifices. What more can I sacrifice?
Question: Is there a French initiative that the French Foreign Minister will
bring during his visit to Lebanon?
Hariri: I hope so. France has always been a friend of Lebanon, and still is. It
looks at this Lebanese crisis in light of what its foreign minister said, that
the Lebanese should help themselves and try to reform.
Question: While you try to impose your conditions, the appointments come in
favor of one party. So why not accept the designation and then impose your
conditions?
Hariri: Everyone sees the appointments, but I experienced them before. Lebanon
today cannot bear 3 or 6 months to form a government. Lebanon needs a government
that makes decisions quickly in the first two or three months of its life, and
some of these decisions will be difficult, but we must take them and make
reforms. This reform will upset all political parties, including the Future
Movement. Let no one think that any party will be satisfied with this reform.
The basis for reform is that no one will be satisfied, in order to get politics
out of the work of the state. Partisans should not be in the state, but rather
there should be people working for the benefit of the Lebanese citizen.
After the meeting, Patriarch Rai held a lunch in honor of Hariri, during which
discussions continued.--Hariri Press Office
Hariri Meets Rahi: Authority Seeks to Change Lebanon’s
Free-Market Economy
Naharnet/July 09/2020
Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri said Thursday that Lebanon is going through
its worst economic crisis in history and that the ruling authority seeks to
change Lebanon's competitive and free market regime. "Lebanon is going through
its worst economic crisis in history. The government and (presidential) term
want to change the free economic system to something else,"said Hariri in
remarks to reporters after meeting Maronite Patriarch Beshara el-Rahi in Bkirki.
“We have seen a series of appointments without a mechanism, and the judicial
appointments did not happen, which all badly serve Lebanon,” he said. “Only
reforms benefit Lebanon and each minute wasted affects the currency value,”
stressed Hariri, noting the high increase in unemployment rate. On the
controversy over a foreign auditing firm to audit the Central Bank’s accounts,
the ex-PM emphasized that “Lebanon's successive governments and ministers are
responsible for spending billions and must all be audited including the
electricity file.” Hariri said that Rahi’s Sunday sermon criticizing the
political authority “reflects the pain and suffering of Lebanese. Solutions and
hope are always there,” he said. Talks between Hariri and Rahi focused on the
general situation in the country, the National News Agency said. According to
al-Markazia media, Hariri is set to hold talks with several religious and
spiritual leaders in Lebanon.
He had met on Wednesday with Greek Orthodox Metropolitan of Beirut Elias
Aude.During his talks with Aude, Hariri reiterated that he is not seeking to
return to the PM post.
Sunni Elite Politicians in Bkirki
LCCC/July 09/2020
A Sunni elite politicians delegation headed by Saniora visited Bkirki today and
assured their loud and strong support for the recent sovereign stance taken by
the Maronite Patriarch Al Raei that calls for neutralization of Lebanon,
reclaiming its confiscated decision making process and reinstating Lebanon's
relation with both Arabic and international countries.
Berri meets US ambassador, delegation of Muslim Scholars
Gathering
NNA /July 09/2020
House Speaker, Nabih Berri, on Thursday received at his Ain-el-Tineh residence a
delegation of the Muslim Scholars Gathering, headed by Judge Sheikh Ahmed Al
Zein. On emerging, Sheikh Al Zein said that they discussed with the Speaker the
overall situation in Lebanon and the broad region, especially the dire
livelihood conditions currently endured by the Lebanese citizens. Al Zein added
that the Speaker briefed them on the steps he is undertaking to address this
difficult situation and the ongoing discussions with the government, political
forces and within the Parliament, in the context of seeking solutions to get out
of the current crisis. Sheikh Al Zein warned of attempts by the enemies of
Lebanon to stir confessional and sectarian strife in the country, hailing the
role undertaken by the Speaker as a symbol of national and Islamic unity and an
active contributor to preserving national coexistence.
On the other hand, Speaker Berri met MPs Mohammed Al Hajjar, Ali Fayyad and
Mohammed Khaweja, with the country's general situation and legislative matters
featuring high on their talks. This afternoon, Berri met with US Ambassador to
Lebanon, Dorothy Shea.
Constitutional Council suspends appointment mechanism law
contested by President Aoun
NNA/July 09/2020
The Constitutional Council decided to suspend the effect of Law No. 7 of
3/7/2020 contested by President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, concerning
the extension of the appointment mechanism in first category positions in public
administrations, pending review.
Diab: Govt. Has Honored Policy Statement, No Intention to
Change Economic System
Naharnet/July 09/2020
The government has “honored its Policy Statement” and it does not intend to
“change the free economic system,” Prime Minister Hassan Diab said on Thursday.
“We will carry on with our work and we have the courage to say everything we
think of, without any political or private motive or interest,” Diab said at the
beginning of a Cabinet session. “The government has committed to its Policy
Statement, we have a full list of the finalized files and the pending files, and
we are ready to explain in detail to anyone who has a desire to know the truth,”
the PM added. “We have decided to audit the central bank’s accounts including a
forensic audit as a first step, and I’m with expanding this audit to include all
state institutions,” Diab went on to say. Welcoming objective criticism because
it “rectifies the government’s work,” the premier decried that some critique is
not based on this principle. Responding to remarks by ex-PM Saad Hariri, Diab
added: “This government does not have the intention to change the free economic
system, but the problem lies in understanding the concept of the free economic
system, whether it is the prevalent ‘free economic chaos’ in the country or
perhaps the system of ‘free waste of funds.’”
Ghajar Says Power Supply to Improve within 48 Hours
Naharnet/July 09/2020
Energy Minister Raymond Ghajar announced Thursday that power supply will improve
within 48 hours. Separately, Ghajar said there are no plans to “negotiate with
Iran over the import of fuel,” while noting that there are talks with Iraq.
Lengthy power cuts have plunged the country into darkness in recent weeks,
adding to the gloom of the deepening economic crisis. The country's electricity
company and the powerful operators of generators have been rationing power since
late June as fuel supplies dwindle amid a delay in the arrival of fuel
shipments. Ghajar has blamed the delay on the recent counterfeit fuel scandal.
Lebanon not planning to negotiate with Iran on fuel
imports, says energy minister
Reuters/July 09/2020
Lebanon is suffering an acute financial crisis and hard currency liquidity
crunch
BEIRUT: Lebanon currently has no plan to negotiate with Iran for the import of
fuel, energy minister Raymond GHajjar said on Thursday, after the leader of the
Tehran-backed Hezbollah group said it was talking to the Lebanese government
about the idea. Hezbollah’s Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said on Tuesday a “calm
discussion” was underway with the government over the idea of Lebanon buying
refined products from Iran in Lebanese pounds, easing the pressure on Beirut’s
hard currency reserves.
Lebanon is suffering an acute financial crisis and hard currency liquidity
crunch. The Lebanese pound has lost some 80% of its value since October, when
the long-brewing crisis came to a head. “There is no plan to negotiate with Iran
at present about importing fuel and the current discussion is with Iraq,”
GHajjar said, referring to talks with the Iraqi government over possible fuel
supplies. Referring to Nasrallah’s comments, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
said on Wednesday taking oil from Iran would be unacceptable. “It would be
sanctioned product for sure, and we’ll do everything we can to make sure that
Iran cannot continue to sell crude oil anywhere, including to Hezballah in the
region...,” he said.
Petty crime booms in crisis-struck Lebanon
Jacob Boswall/Al Arabiya English/Thursday 09 July 2020
Holding a gun, a desperate man stuffs a large packet of diapers into a plastic
bag. “Quickly, quickly,” he demands as the cashier clears what little cash is in
the till.
The robbery, recorded on CCTV, is not an isolated incident. Another video
circulating the same day on social media shows a woman being mugged in broad
daylight on what appears to be a street in Beirut’s affluent Ashrafieh
neighbourhood. The assailant grabs the woman’s handbag, pulls her to the ground,
before speeding off on a motorcycle. Her child, witness to the whole incident,
remains standing on the pavement. Other robberies have been happening
off-camera. Last week, a group of young men on motorcycles stole food from a
bakery in the northern city of Tripoli, protesting Lebanon’s economic situation
and the rising cost of living.
Measuring petty crime
Behind the videos lies a worrying trend. Statistics from Lebanon’s Internal
Security Forces (ISF) show an overwhelming increase in monthly theft rates. Many
incidents are the result of a relatively new phenomenon for Lebanon – petty
crime. “The robbery of shops and pharmacies is new. It is connected to the
economic situation,” an ISF source, speaking under condition of anonymity, told
Al Arabiya English. “This is not a security problem, but an economic problem,”
the source said, adding that the ISF was finding it difficult to curb theft
rates due to Lebanon’s crumbling economy. The cost of living in Lebanon has
sky-rocketed since the country’s local currency, the Lebanese lira, began
devaluing sharply in October last year.
Imported food items such as meat are completely off the menu for many – but even
simpler locally-grown foods such as tomatoes and garlic have doubled in price.
The crisis, combined with the coronavirus lockdown, has put at least half of the
Lebanese population under the poverty line.
Figures obtained by Al Arabiya English show a 22 percent year-on-year increase
in theft; by May 2020, the ISF recorded a total of 863 incidents of theft,
compared to 705 the previous year. Although petty crime is a new development,
similar year-on-year increases in theft are not unheard of. “Between the years
2013 and 2014, we had an increase of around 100 percent,” the source recalled,
referring to a politically turbulent year for the country. The average number of
robberies recorded per month in 2014 was 190 – slightly more than the current
average of 170 robberies per month.
The overwhelming reaction to thefts like the one captured on camera last week,
has been sympathetic. Diapers – one of Lebanon’s many imported products – are
prohibitively expensive for most Lebanese people.
“I stopped buying diapers a while ago because their price is through the roof…
it’s only gonna get worse,” commented one Twitter user.
The role of organized crime
Pierre Al-Khoury, a public affairs researcher and member of the Board of
Directors of the Lebanese Economic Association, noted that Lebanon has not seen
such petty crime rates since the Lebanese civil war. But Khoury also believes
that organized crime may also play a large role in the increase in robberies
seen so far in 2020. “Let's not quickly assume that poor and angry citizens are
behind this phenomenon,” he continued. “Lebanon now is a perfect terrain for
growing systematic and organized crime [including] drug dealing, money
laundering and blackmailing rich people.”
ISF statistics show that theft is not the only crime on the increase. Murder has
seen a year-on-year increase of 124 percent, with 92 recorded cases by May 2020.
This year has also shown a leap in car theft, with 303 cases by May, compared to
191 at the same time last year.
Organized crime has recently been targeting rich Lebanese citizens whose stashed
cash is easy pickings. As trust in the Lebanese banking system has eroded,
citizens are keeping more money in their homes. During the first month of
Lebanon’s protests, one of Lebanon’s largest insurance groups saw sales of
“cash-in-safe” insurance policies quadruple.
More hurdles lie ahead for Lebanon’s struggling tourism
industry
Finbar Anderson/Al Arabiya English/Thursday 09 July 2020
He hasn’t used the television in months, and Hadi Abdelnour is struggling to
find the cable to connect it to his laptop. There’s only one other person in the
office, located on the ground floor of an early twentieth century building in
the stylish Gemmayze district of Beirut.
Empty white desks sit between empty white walls. Neatly folded white bed linen
is stacked in one corner of the room. The other ten staff are working from home
as a result of coronavirus precautions, but just weeks ago Abdel Nour was
wondering if he would have to close down the business for good.
He finds the cable and a graph flickers onto the television. The bars,
representing monthly profit for Byout Beirut, Abdelnour’s short-term holiday
lettings company, rise steadily before falling sharply last autumn.
“These are sad graphs for us,” he said. “You see the drop.”
The tourism sector is a significant source of revenue for Lebanon, contributing
nearly 20 percent of the country’s gross domestic product for the past several
years. However, the industry has been devastated in recent months. Abdelnour
first started to worry in October, normally a strong month for his business as
customers start to book for the Christmas period. However, as the street value
of the Lebanese lira began to edge away from its official value of around 1,500
to the dollar and capital controls were gradually imposed on dollar deposits, a
nationwide protest movement sprang up against widespread corruption and economic
mismanagement by the political establishment. The effect on Abdelnour's industry
was immediate. Occupancy rates for the AirBnb rentals service dropped from 50
percent in September, to 25 percent two months later, according to data company
AirDNA.
As the New Year came and went, Byout’s profits had more or less stabilized. That
was around the time news came from China’s Wuhan province of a hitherto unknown
virus. COVID-19, as it would become known, spread with devastating speed and
effect. On March 11, one day after Lebanon recorded its first death from the
virus, the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic. For those like
Abdelnour working in the hospitality and tourism sectors, it became clear that
the coronavirus posed a far greater threat than Lebanon’s protest movement a few
months previously. As part of a package of emergency measures implemented to
check the spread of the disease, the airport was shut and the country was thrown
into lockdown in mid-March. By April, in which Byout registered lower takings
than its very first month in operation, Abdelnour was weighing up whether or not
to shut down. On top of coronavirus, he also had to consider the accelerating
pace of Lebanon’s economic decline. By May, the lira was trading on the high
street at half its official value.
Lockdown eased, bookings go up
However, as the lockdown was gradually eased, bookings started to gradually
increase. With the airport closed and capital controls locking dollar deposits
inside the country, Abdelnour saw properties in holiday locations like those in
the mountainous Faraya fully booked. Some were taking mini-breaks while others,
he suggested, are booking apartments simply to get some space from their
families after the pressure of lockdown. “If people are locked down here, there
are no airports and they cannot move, it’s a no brainer that local tourism is
going to work,” says Kamal Mouzawak, restaurateur and founder of Souk el-Tayeb,
a local business that operates a number of guest houses. However, Mouzawak has
had to completely change his business model to account for the scarcity of the
dollar and the collapsing value of the lira. A room at Beit Douma, a
traditionally styled stone guest house in the spectacular northern mountains,
used to be priced at $200, or 300,000 lira at the official rate.
“Now we’re selling the room for 250,000 Lebanese lira,” says Mouzawak. “Prices
have to be very affordable because Lebanese people have less money now.”Prime
Minister Hassan Diab has earmarked tourism as a key means of attracting dollars
from abroad, highlighting the importance of reaping any possible rewards from
the summer season. Those in the sector, however, are not optimistic. “I think
that for 2020, it’s over,” said Pierre Achkar, president of the Hotel Owners
Association. Lebanon, he lamented, is, “unstable politically … It’s not the
right destination to visit at the moment, especially for tourism.”
While Beirut's airport has now reopened at reduced capacity, Abdelnour doesn't
see an immediate recovery for his lettings business ahead. This doesn't mean
it's going to have a big boost for business because there are still a lot of
external airports that are closed,” Abdelnour said. “For instance all the
Lebanese Saudis that want to come and spend the summer here, they still can't
come. The Saudi airport is still closed, the Kuwaiti airport is still closed ...
Not everyone from the Khaleej is going to be able to come.” Hotels are dealing
with occupancy figures in the single figures, when they should be around 65 to
75 percent, Achkar said. Any travelers to Lebanon are unlikely to relieve the
hospitality sector as they are more likely to be Lebanese expatriates with
family in the country, rather than tourists, he suggests. Furthermore, any
benefit in attracting foreign tourists due to a comparatively strong dollar is
unlikely to offset the skyrocketing cost of imported necessities such as
cleaning materials, the hotelier added. If the situation continues to worsen,
Achkar said, more hotels are likely to follow Le Bristol, the 70-year-old hotel
that in April closed its doors indefinitely. For the moment, Abdelnour and his
short term lettings business have weathered the coronavirus storm, but if the
economy continues to deteriorate, he doesn’t know how long the business can
survive. If the economic collapse means that their takings in August resemble
those of April, he said, “We’re going to close the company.”
Exhibition of photos chronicling social unrest in Lebanon
opens in Washington DC
Najia Houssari/Arab News/July 09/2020
MEI’s ‘Lebanon Then and Now’ showcases upheaval from 2006 onwards
BEIRUT: The Washington-based Middle East Institute (MEI) will launch its online
exhibition “Lebanon Then and Now — Photography from 2006 to 2020” this weekend.
The show, which runs until September 25, focuses on the lingering effects of
Lebanon’s civil war, highlighted by the uprisings that began in the fall and
continue today as Lebanon faces its worse post-war crisis amid economic and
political chaos. Rita Nammour, chairperson of the Beirut Museum of Art, USA and
president of the Association for the Promotion and Exhibition of the Arts in
Lebanon (APEAL), both of which collaborated with the Paris-based Institut du
Monde Arabe (IMA) in partnership with MEI to co-produce the show, said that
“Lebanon Then and Now” couldn’t be more timely. “We are living in a nightmare,”
she said. “Lebanon’s currency has been devalued to alarming levels and poverty
is soaring. Hopes and dreams expressed in the early days of Lebanon’s protests
appear shattered, but people are holding on.”Nammour hopes the exhibition can
“remind the world of Lebanon’s aspirations for a better future.”
The immersive virtual exhibition offers a tour of images captured by 17
photographers and a filmmaker that show the dizzying social, political, and
economic upheavals that have rocked Lebanon for the past 16 years.
Lyne Sneige, director of the MEI Arts and Culture Center described the
content of the show. “Some of Lebanon’s finest young photographers chronicle the
tensions and the unresolved issues that led to the current crisis in response to
the country’s political and financial collapse,” she said. Lebanon-based curator
Chantale Fahmi selected the images from two recent exhibitions: The IMA’s
“Lebanon: Between Reality and Fiction,” which opened in Paris in September 2019
and APEAL’s “Revolt,” held in the heart of Beirut, which showcased large-scale
reproductions mounted outside the dilapidated Egg — which Fahmi described as
“the hollow ruin of a wartime cinema that became a hub for intellectuals,
academics, activists and students seeking to make sense of a set of
circumstances gripping the country by the throat.”Fahmi sought to weave themes
from the Paris and Beirut shows into a tapestry of suppressed and unaddressed
injustices and war legacies. “The collection illuminates the power of
photography, both artistic and journalistic, as a conveyor of reality and
emotion,” she explained.
Fahmi added that Lebanon’s photography sector has been “developing in exciting
way” over the past decade, with photographers working with foreign news agencies
and taking advantage of Lebanon’s vibrant arts scene to nurture their talent.
Kate Seelye, vice president for arts and culture programs at MEI, said: “The
recasting of the two exhibitions will deepen the understanding of how the past
informs and shapes the present. Additionally, this show speaks to the importance
of international collaborations, as galleries like ours seek to replace physical
audiences with global eyeballs for now.”
Lebanon must turn on Hezbollah to save its economy
Hussain Abdul-Hussain/Arab News/July 09/2020
A Lebanese protester holds a placard in front of Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque during
a demonstration in central Beirut, on June 6, 2020. (AFP)
Lebanon is in a state of severe economic stress. The price of almost every good
has soared beyond the affordability of many citizens. Legions are out of work.
Businesses are locked in a dire existential struggle. There is perhaps no more
accurate judgment on the state of an economy than the currency market. In this
respect, although the Lebanese pound remains officially — fantastically, one
might add — pegged at just over 1,500 to the dollar, in truth it takes close to
9,000 pounds to exchange for a dollar. That is an 83 percent devaluation in the
market’s faith in the economy.
Many Lebanese, however, are unaware that their national crisis is in fact of
Lebanon’s own making. Mostly, they blame an American embargo — one that does not
really exist. This misplacement of blame blinds the country to the real cause of
its malaise: Hezbollah. Except for sanctions imposed by the US Treasury
Department’s anti-terrorism arm, the Office of Foreign Assets Control, on a few
Lebanese entities and individuals connected to Hezbollah — the self-proclaimed
“Party of God” — there are no financial restrictions on the state of Lebanon or
any of great substance against its institutions, public or private.
But, even without being under sanctions, foreign direct investment — usually the
engine of economic growth — shies away from Lebanon. Foreign investors are
simply unwilling to bring their money into a country that lives in a state of
perpetual war, with Hezbollah currently involved in regional entanglements in
Syria, Yemen and Iraq, while also threatening to go to war with Israel.
When the Friends of Lebanon group convened an international donor conference in
Paris two years ago that came to be known as Cedre, it pledged a rescue package
worth $11 billion. The only conditions were that Beirut should get its act
together and eradicate corruption and privatize state utilities — especially the
highly inefficient Electricite du Liban. It is noteworthy that, even though
pledging donors included the US and Saudi Arabia, neither made their
contribution contingent on disarming Hezbollah — an organization that both
nations classify, for good reason, as a terrorist group. Perhaps they understood
that corruption is the lifeblood of Hezbollah, so if Lebanon actually managed to
reform away corruption, it would also see off Hassan Nasrallah and his acolytes.
The tragedy is that Lebanon cannot reform. Hezbollah, with its powerful militia,
won’t let it. And because reform is out of the question, Lebanon is increasingly
dependent on remittances from its vast diaspora. Such transfers are among the
highest in the world, but no modern economy can be built on such a broad and
deep rentier system: It saps ambition and entrepreneurship. The country
desperately needs to change.
But Lebanon cannot change. When the Lebanese economy started on its most recent
decline in October, Lebanese citizens took to the streets to demand reform.
Hezbollah accused them of being agents of foreign powers. Any hint that
Hezbollah was to blame for the economic collapse was suppressed by the party’s
thugs, who beat up protesters in the streets. Violence was not the only
Hezbollah tool, however. The party also launched a misinformation campaign that
depicted Lebanon as a victim of US sanctions, like the group’s allies Syria and
Iran.
Next, Hezbollah and its supporters connected every discussion in Lebanon to
Israel. Whatever the subject or the problem, they repeated the mantra that the
party was preparing not only to launch war on Israel, but to completely destroy
Lebanon’s southern neighbor and send Israelis back to “where they came from.” It
didn’t matter how tenuous or improbable the connection. Yet, when complaints
about the price of bread are answered with “war on Israel,” there is no room in
the narrative for macroeconomic plans or support for business.
They have turned the country into an Iranian missile base with which to threaten
Israel and blackmail America.
For Hezbollah and the Lebanese oligarchs it controls, the story of Lebanon is
one of war and only of war. They have turned the country into an Iranian missile
base with which to threaten Israel and blackmail America. And Tehran is
unwilling to let go of its investment. It is this that has been the recipe for
Lebanon’s unfolding economic disaster.
Hezbollah’s tall tales and delusional plans about destroying Israel create a
mixture that distorts reasoning. It is no surprise, then, that many ordinary
Lebanese blame America for the country’s ills. But they must stop, for it is
only by identifying Hezbollah as the scourge of Lebanon that the Lebanese might
begin to find a way out of the morass and begin to pressure the political class
to jettison the group. So far, however, that hasn’t happened. So far, Lebanon is
blaming everyone else and is unwilling to turn on its enemy within.
Hussain Abdul-Hussain is the Washington bureau chief of Kuwaiti daily Al-Rai and
a former visiting fellow at Chatham House in London. Copyright: Syndication
Bureau
Disclaimer: Views expressed by writers in this section are their own and do not
necessarily reflect Arab News' point-of-view
The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News
published on July 09-10/2020
Explosion heard in western Tehran: Iran state media
Reuters/Friday 10 July 2020
An explosion was heard in western Tehran on Friday, the official IRIB news
agency reported, citing online reports. There have been multiple explosions
around military, nuclear and industrial facilities in the past week. IRIB did
not provide any additional information about the cause of the blast or possible
casualties.
Iraq PM Pays Respects to Hashemi's Family, Calls Him 'Hero'
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 9 July, 2020
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi paid his respects on Wednesday to the
family of slain scholar and government advisor Hisham al-Hashemi, pledging to
"avenge" his death. Hashemi, 47, was a specialist in militant movements and had
developed a vast network of top decision-makers, armed groups, and rival
parties, often mediating among them. He was shot dead outside his Baghdad home
on Monday night by gunmen on motorcycles, leaving behind a wife, three sons, and
a daughter. On Wednesday, Kadhimi paid his respects to the family, calling
Hashemi -- a personal friend and advisor -- a "hero". "Those afraid of a word
can only be described as cowards. Hisham did nothing but try to help Iraqis
through his words," said Kadhimi, hugging the deceased's tearful three sons Issa,
Moussa, and Ahmed. Their names translate in Arabic to Jesus, Moses, and another
name for the Prophet Mohammed. The three boys had rushed outside their home on
Monday after hearing gunshots and helped neighbors pull their father's
bullet-riddled body from his car. "This behavior is not Iraqi. Iraqis don't kill
Iraqis," Kadhimi said. "I will avenge him, and God willing his killers will not
go free. I am your brother, and Issa, Moussa, and Ahmed are my children," the
premier told Hashemi's widow. "This is my duty and the state's duty," he added.
Hashemi was a renowned researcher on the Islamic State group and had more
recently become outspoken against rogue armed actors in Iraq. He was no stranger
to intimidation efforts, but those close to him told AFP he had received more
serious threats from Iran-backed groups in recent weeks. Experts have voiced
fear that Hashemi's killing would usher in a dark era in which prominent voices
critical of political parties and armed groups would be violently silenced.
Already, there has been no accountability for more than 550 people killed in
protest-related violence since October, when mass rallies slammed Iraq's
government as corrupt, inept, and beholden to neighboring Iran. Among them are
around two dozen activists who were shot dead, often by masked assailants on
motorcycles.
Would Biden Rejoin the Iran Nuclear Deal?
Beirut- Hussam Itani/Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 9 July, 2020
With Biden having established a significant lead over Trump in the polls, many
in the Middle East have been asking themselves how the former would deal with
Iran, especially the Arab states that are threatened by Iran, and face problems
that diplomacy has failed to solve.
In the latest opinion poll released by CNN, 53% of those polled said that they
would vote for Biden in November, while only 41% said that they would vote for
Trump. Trump is trying to mount a comeback, but it seems unlikely that he will
manage the kind of significant achievement, neither domestically nor globally,
needed to dramatically alter the numbers and overturn Biden’s lead, which is
dramatic indeed. Joe Biden supported the nuclear agreement that the Obama
administration signed with Iran in 2015, and his position on sanctions raises
many questions. Last April, he and several Democrats called for the easing of
sanctions to allow Iran to obtain medical aid that would help it confront the
coronavirus epidemic. He also criticized the cancellation of the nuclear
agreement in 2018, which made him the preferred candidate in American circles
that support a comprehensive settlement with Iran.
Nevertheless, it seems that two issues must be brought to our attention when
assessing Biden's position on Iran in general. First, internally, the
administration that will enter the White House next November, whether Republican
or Democrat, will be faced with massive pressing challenges. These problems
begin with the country’s catastrophic economic situation, with unprecedented
unemployment rates resulting from the epidemic and its implications on the
economy that was almost totally paralyzed. They extend to include the growing
ethnic and class divisions between whites and blacks, rich and the poor and all
other social and economic identities. It goes without saying that the axis of
American politics has been shifting away from external issues to domestic
policies since the end of the Cold War at the latest. Voters' interest in
foreign policy has significantly diminished, as some speculate about a "return
to isolationism", a tendency that prevailed in the United States before the
Second World War. Long overdue solutions to deep domestic issues will take
precedence, as foreign policy will be of secondary importance to the
administration.
Second, Biden’s position on Iran is nuanced, which contrasts with the current
administration’s approach of total hostility. The American media’s "reference"
for this divergence in approach is a television interview given by Biden’s
foreign policy advisor Antony Blinken. In it, he declares that the United
States, with Biden as president, would return to the nuclear agreement provided
that Iran accepts to abide by it first and that Washington, with its partners,
develops a stronger and longer-term agreement to monitor any Iranian activity
that the West may deem unacceptable, while admitting that things have changed
since the Trump administration withdrew from it and that complex new
negotiations are called for. Another Biden adviser, Jake Sullivan, believes that
both those who supported and opposed withdrawing from the agreement
underestimated the efficacy of the new sanctions imposed on Iran by Trump,
noting that they are “very effective sanctions, in the narrow sense of the
word.”Thus, the statements and declarations made by the Biden campaign have been
contradictory and paint a complex picture that is very different from the
widespread simplification that a Biden presidency would lead to the immediate
lifting of sanctions and a return to the old agreement. The situation in the
region and Iran has changed profoundly since 2018, due to the sanctions and the
changing region’s political climate, to say nothing about the Iranian regime
itself and the disputes concerning Ali Khamenei’s successor and the citizens’
restlessness.
Iran to Bolster Syria’s Defense System
Damascus - Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 9 July, 2020
Iran will strengthen the Syrian army, especially its air defenses, announced
Iran’s armed forces chief of Staff Major General Mohammad Bagheri after meeting
with Syrian Defense Minister General Ali Ayoub. “We will strengthen Syria's air
defense systems to improve military cooperation between the two countries,” said
Bagheri, adding that the deal will "further enhance our will to confront
pressures by the US." Speaking at a press statement after signing a
comprehensive military-security agreement, Bagheri stated that Turkey must
realize that solving its security issues is done through negotiation with the
Syrian side, not with a military presence on Syrian territory. The Iranian
official criticized Turkey's failure to honor its pledges, saying Ankara is a
little late in implementing its commitment to the Astana talks. For his part,
Ayoub said the US administration failed to “subjugate Syria, Iran, and the axis
of resistance,” describing the Syrian-Iranian ties as “strategic and firm.”
"Bilateral military and security cooperation is qualitative and ongoing...
despite increasing pressure and the mounting severity of threats," he said.
Ayoub vowed to confront "any new challenges with more determination ... with the
efforts of all the Syrian people and cooperation with friends and allies
determined to confront terrorism in all its forms.” Addressing Caesar's law
which came into effect last month, Ayoud said it comes against the Syrian
people, stressing that they will confront it. He indicated that Syria maintained
its government structure since 2011 and will undoubtedly emerge victorious out
of the war, despite Israeli pressures. Ayoub noted that Tel Aviv is a strong
partner in the war on Syria, adding that terrorist gangs are part of the Israeli
aggression.
France sees risk of jihadists among fighters dispatched by
Turkey to Libya
The Arab Weekly/July 08/2020
Accusations come ahead of EU foreign ministers’ videoconference July 13, when
France could ask for sanctions against Ankara.
PARIS--French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian described the situation in
Libya as “grave,” emphasising the risk that mercenaries and militants dispatched
by Turkey to Libya could include “some former leaders of jihadist groups.”
His accusations come ahead of an EU foreign ministers’ videoconference July 13,
when France could ask the ministers to consider new sanctions against Ankara.
During a hearing held by the French Senate’s committee on foreign affairs,
defence and armed forces, the French foreign minister said Turks are duplicating
their pattern in Syria in Libya.“We are witnessing a Syrianisation of Libya.
This is not a merely symbolic Syrianisation because the forces that are backing
the Government of National Accord of Fayez al-Sarraj are forces organised by the
Turks around militias from Libya’s western region,” Le Drian said. “They
are dispatched by Turkey as proxies or as combat troops and transported by plane
to go fight in Libya.”
In response to claims that his country supports the Libyan National Army (LNA)
led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, Le Drian said France had provided “advice
and political support” to the LNA in 2014-2015 during the LNA’s fight against
the ISIS. “But the situation has changed today,” he added.
Asked whether there is a risk of ISIS elements infiltrating Europe today, The
French foreign minister replied: “It is likely that certain armed elements that
have accompanied the Turks have been infiltrated by some former leaders of
jihadist groups. This is why we face a grave situation.”Le Drian insisted on the
need to respect the agreements reached in Berlin last January and on strict
implementation of the UN arms embargo on Libya. Turkish intervention in Libya
remains a source of concern for France. Le Drian said Paris still expects
“clarifications” from Turkey about the behaviour of its naval forces during a
June 10 incident. It also expects a follow up by the Atlantic alliance on the
“aggressive behaviour” of Turkey during the French-Turkish encounter that day.
The incident unfolded quickly in the Eastern Mediterranean when Le Courbet, a
French frigate under NATO command, tried to inspect a Tanzanian-flagged cargo
ship suspected of smuggling arms to Libya in violation of a UN embargo. The
French armed forces’ ministry said the frigate was harassed by three Turkish
navy vessels escorting the cargo ship. A Turkish ship flashed its radar lights
and its crew put on bulletproof vests and stood behind their light weapons, it
said. According to French daily Le Monde, French naval forces have witnessed
several cases of flagrant arms smuggling by Turkish vessels to Libya over the
last few months. NATO ordered an investigation on the June 10 incident, but its
contents are classified and NATO has not commented on its outcome. Two European
diplomats told the media that France sent a letter to NATO Secretary-General
Jens Stoltenberg in early July saying the report did not “correctly establish
the facts.”
After a series of disagreements — from Turkey’s purchase of weapons from Russia
to gas drilling operations near Cyprus — France concluded that suspicions of
Turkish arms smuggling to Libya were too serious to ignore, four NATO diplomats
and officials told Reuters. France has suspended its participation in NATO’s
Mediterranean mission, Sea Guardian, instead offering its assets to a European
Union mission that is upholding the UN arms embargo but does not involve Turkish
ships, diplomats said. “What do you do when you have a NATO surveillance mission
… and one of those in the alliance is the one doing the trafficking, while
saying it is implementing the (UN) embargo?” said an official from France’s
armed forces ministry, requesting anonymity because of the sensitivity of the
matter. French Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly told the European Parliament
on July 2 that NATO must make Ankara realise it cannot “violate” NATO rules. But
French diplomats also say Paris is not looking to expel Turkey, and NATO has no
formal mechanism to punish or expel members. Still, NATO could threaten to
remove assets from Turkey, such as a radar, Patriot missiles or NATO AWACS
aircraft.
“The ambivalence of Turkey, with one foot in each camp, is the troubling
factor,” said Marc Pierini, a former EU ambassador to Turkey with the Carnegie
Europe think tank. France made four concrete demands of NATO in its July letter
to Stoltenberg, the contents of which were laid out to Reuters.
It wants all 30 allies to reaffirm their commitment to respecting the UN arms
embargo on Libya, to ensure NATO signals are not used during national missions,
to improve coordination between the NATO and EU missions in the Mediterranean
and to avoid similar incidents in the future.
At the last NATO defence ministers’ meeting in late June, via video link, eight
countries including Germany, Italy and Spain backed seeking a more cooperative
approach from Turkey. Yet there is a risk of a longterm rift within NATO if
Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan does not change course, analysts say.
“Turkey considers itself big enough now to be independent from all sides,”
Pierini said.
Battle looms for Sirte as Erdogan accused of targeting ‘oil
crescent
Mohammad El Shamaa/Arab News/July 10/2020
CAIRO: A military buildup around the Libyan city of Sirte has raised fears of a
major battle for control of the area’s strategic oil reserves.The Libyan
National Army (LNA), which has occupied Sirte since May, accused Turkey of
targeting the oil-rich city and supplying militias in the area with weapons.
NLA spokesman Ahmed Al-Mesmari said that western Libya is under total Turkish
control. He said that Turkey aims to reach Libya’s “oil crescent,” a coastal
region home to most of its oil export terminals. The NLA is closely monitoring
Turkey’s moves in Sirte and Al-Jufra, he added. “We expect an attack on Sirte by
Turkey and the militias at any time,” Al-Mesmari said. His statement was
confirmed a few days ago on a social media account affiliated with Turkey, which
posted a map of areas under its control as well as the latest developments in
Libya.
The map showed areas under the control of Khalifa Haftar, LNA commander, and the
Government of National Accord (GNA). It also featured arrows illustrating that
Sirte and Al-Jufra are the next targets of the GNA, despite a no-fly zone on the
area imposed by the LNA. The developments led UN Secretary-General Antonio
Guterres to warn against a military buildup near Sirte. The warning came after
LNA troops led by Haftar retreated and GNA troops led by Fayez Al-Sarraj, prime
minister of the GNA of Libya, advanced. In a UN Security Council meeting chaired
by Germany via video conference, Guterres said foreign interference in Libya had
reached “unprecedented levels.” He condemned the violation of a cease-fire in
place since 2011, which also called for the handing over of advanced military
equipment and a declaration of the number of mercenaries involved in the
conflict. However, Guterres did not name the parties who violated the
cease-fire.
Turkey Escalates in Libya with Naval, Air Maneuvers
Ankara - Saeed AbdulrazekAsharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 9 July, 2020
Turkish and Russian chiefs of staff have discussed the latest developments in
Libya in addition to Moscow's call on Ankara to mediate with the Government of
National Accord to agree on a ceasefire and join the peace process. Their talks
came as the Turkish Navy announced that it would conduct massive naval exercises
off Libya. The expected maneuvers would be called “Naftex” and would take place
off the Libyan coast in three different regions. The Turkish naval drills will
occur in international waters with the participation of 17 warplanes and eight
naval vessels to “prove Turkey’s ability to control the region by air and sea.”
The maneuvers were announced following the visit of Turkish Naval Forces
Commander Adm. Adnan Ozbal to Tripoli last week. Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi
Akar and Chief of Staff Yasar Guler visited Tripoli as well and inspected the
Turkish warship ‘TCG Giresun’ off Libya. "Turkey is with the Libyan brothers. No
one should doubt it, we will not give up on it," Akar said. Turkey does not rule
out the possibility of striking Al-Jufrah airbase, learned BulgarianMilitary.com,
citing military experts. Such suspicions came after a video of the exercises was
circulated online showing Turkish Air Force F-16 aircraft refueling in the air.
Military expert Yuri Lyamin believes that the conflict in Libya continues to
develop along the path of further escalation, especially after the recent
destruction of Hawk anti-aircraft missile systems at Al-Watiya airbase. The
Turkish presidency described the attack on the air defense system at the base as
a “legal violation.”Guler and his Russian counterpart Valery Gerasimov discussed
Libya on Wednesday, during a phone call. This followed a statement by Russian
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov that Turkey and Russia are working on an
immediate ceasefire in Libya.
Libya’s Haftar Vows to Fight Turkey
Cairo - New York - Khalid Mahmoud and Ali Barada
Libyan National Army (LNA) commander Khalifa Haftar said that the fight against
Turkish aggression will not stop as a battle loomed on the horizon in Sirte amid
ongoing reinforcements by the Government of National Accord, led by Fayez al-Sarraj.
In a speech at the Military College in the city of Tocra, Haftar said that
international quests for a political and fair settlement shouldn’t be exploited
for bringing invaders and mercenaries in addition to reinforcing the enemy’s
capabilities. Haftar further hailed friendly and brotherly states, mainly the
UAE and Egypt, that support the Libyans and the armed forces against Turkish
greed. His speech came as pro-Sarraj local media reported new military
reinforcements were sent to the forces of the Turkey-backed GNA in locations
near Sirte. Minister of State for the Middle East and North Africa James
Cleverly said “the UK is deeply concerned at the ongoing conflict, fueled by
reckless international interventions, and the unacceptable humanitarian and
human rights cost.”“It is shocking that the World Health Organization ranked
Libya first in the world, ahead of Afghanistan and Syria, in numbers of attacks
on health facilities and staff from January to May 2020,” he said. US Permanent
Representative Kelly Kraft also stressed that there is no place for foreign
mercenaries or proxy agents, especially forces fighting on behalf of Russia.
Kraft expressed concern about what is going on in the cities of Sirte and Jafra
close to the Libyan Oil Crescent, and stressed having reports that weapons and
mines are transferred to Libyan areas for control, in clear violation of Libyan
sovereignty. “It is more urgent than ever that foreign interferences in the
Libyan conflict cease,” France's UN ambassador Nicolas de Riviere said. “The
risks of regional escalation and a "Syrianization" of Libya are real. Despite
the relative calm and the stabilization of the front line on the Sirte-Joufra
axis, the continued military reinforcement of both camps is worrying,” he added.
Chemical weapons body condemns Syria for using sarin,
chlorine on village in Hama
Reuters, Amsterdam/Thursday 09 July 2020
The executive branch of the world’s chemical weapons watchdog on Thursday
condemned the use of banned sarin and chlorine bombs by Syria’s air force, but
stopped short of taking direct action to penalize Damascus. It followed a report
in April by Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons investigators,
which found that Syrian Sukhoi Su-22 military planes and a helicopter dropped
the bombs on the village of Ltamenaha in the Hama region in March 2017. Syria,
which joined the OPCW in 2013 to avert military intervention by the United
States over a previous chemical attack, has said it fully destroyed a stockpile
of chemical weapons declared to the OPCW, but inspectors have found undeclared
toxins and munitions during site visits. In a vote of 29-3, a decision was
adopted by the politically-divided 41-member Executive Council of the OPCW in
The Hague. Nine countries abstained.
A stronger response to Syria’s violation of the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention
could follow at the next meeting of the OPCW’s full membership, the Conference
of States Parties, which starts in late November. “The Council ...condemned the
use of chemical weapons as reported by the OPCW Investigation and Identification
Team (IIT), which concluded that there are reasonable grounds to believe that
the Syrian Arab Republic used chemical weapons in Ltamenah, Syria in March
2017.” It “establishes that the Syrian Arab Republic failed to declare and
destroy all of its chemical weapons and chemical weapons production facilities,”
the decision said. Along with its military ally Russia, Syria has repeatedly
denied the use of chemical weapons in the civil war. The OPCW council said it
“expresses deep concern that the Syrian Arab Republic did not cooperate with,
and provide access to, the IIT.”
Thursday’s decision gave Damascus 90 days to declare “the facilities where the
chemical weapons, including precursors, munitions, and devices, used in the 24,
25, and 30 March 2017 attacks were developed, produced, stockpiled, and
operationally stored for delivery.”In the event Damascus fails to meet the
deadline, the council will recommend taking action limiting Syria’s OPCW
membership rights at the Conference of States Parties later this year. The CSP
could also recommend reporting Syria to the UN Security Council.
OPCW Condemns Syrian Regime over Sarin Attacks
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 9 July, 2020
Member countries of the global chemical weapons watchdog decided on Thursday to
take action on a probe that explicitly blamed the Syrian regime for nerve gas
attacks for the first time, diplomats said. The report issued in April by a new
investigations team at the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons
(OPCW) found that the Syrian air force used sarin gas and chlorine on the
village of Lataminah in March 2017. Proposed by France, the motion called for
Syria to "rectify the situation" and urged the head of the OPCW to report back
on the matter, French ambassador Luis Vassy said in a speech to the council this
week. It also referred the situation to the annual meeting of all member
countries in November with "recommendations for measures which could be taken...
in the event of lack of redress." UK ambassador Peter Wilson said in a tweet
that countries had voted to "take action on the IIT (Investigation and
Identification Team) report" calling it a "resounding majority vote for an end
to CW (chemical weapons) use." The motion was passed by 29 votes, with three
against and nine abstentions. Only Russia, China and Iran voted against the
decision at the OPCW's executive council -- its decision-making body comprising
41 of its 193 member states -- accusing Syria of breaching the Chemical Weapons
Convention, AFP reported. The first ever report by the OPCW's new investigations
team found that two Syrian fighter jets dropped bombs containing the nerve agent
sarin on Lataminah and that a helicopter dropped a barrel bomb full of chlorine
on the village. The team was set up in 2018 under Western pressure to identify
the perpetrators of attacks. Damascus and its backer Moscow have dismissed the
probe's conclusions, alleged that chemical weapons attacks were faked, and
accused Western powers of politicising the OPCW, which won the Nobel Peace Prize
in 2013. According to AFP, Syria has continued to deny the use of chemical
weapons and insists it has handed over its weapons stockpiles under a 2013
agreement, prompted by a suspected sarin attack that killed 1,400 in the
Damascus suburb of Ghouta.
Likud Lobby for Full
Annexation of the West Bank
Tel Aviv- Nazir Majli/Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 9 July, 2020
Israel’s plans to annex parts of the West Bank is facing many obstacles from
within the US administration and Israeli government, however, a Likud lobby is
pressuring for full annexation. Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan is
leading the initiative for fully annexing the lands under Israeli sovereignty as
he has previously supported the plan of US President Donald Trump, including the
establishment of a Palestinian state in the Gaza Strip and 70 percent of the
West Bank. Dagan has threatened to withdraw his support if Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu abandons his plans to annex the Jordan Valley and
northern West Bank. He announced that a large group of the settlers has agreed
to a compromise out of respect for Trump, however, if there are advisors in
Washington who are pressuring Israel to limit itself to a symbolic annexation
and the government accepts it, they will demand a full annexation.
Dagan stressed that this is not directed at Netanyahu, but rather to help him
withstand the pressure. He explained that the US administration is asking the PM
for a unified position with the Blue and White party on the size of the
annexation. Journalist Jacob Bardugo said Netanyahu should be worried about this
move because it could lead to the emergence of strong political leadership that
could succeed him. The settlers are also supported by Likud Central Committee
head Haim Katz, who is an important figure of the party and enjoys large support
among the far-right. Katz confirmed that he would soon invite his council to
take the necessary decisions, stressing that it was not against the Prime
Minister, but rather to help him. Member of Knesset Ariel Kallner, who is a
settler as well, supports the calls for full annexation, warning the Jordanian
leadership against objecting the plans. Kallner was responding to an earlier
statement of Jordan’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Daifallah Fayez where he
denounced the Israeli excavations at the Temple Mount. Settler Kallner also
indicated that the Temple Mount and the West Bank are Israeli lands, adding that
Jordan should be concerned with its sovereignty over its land. Earlier,
Netanyahu announced that negotiations are still ongoing with the US
administration over the implementation of the annexation plan.
The Jerusalem Post, an Israeli newspaper, reported a source familiar with the
discussions as saying that the White House peace team is expected to further
discuss the plans with the participation of Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner,
Special Representative for International Negotiations Avi Berkowitz, and
National Security Council Member Scott Leith. He said that the Israeli
government’s plan to impose its sovereignty on areas in the West Bank is still
possible in the current month of July. Meanwhile, Israel’s newly appointed UN
representative, Gilad Erdan, said the international opposition of the annexation
plans should not be underestimated, noting that he will explain the importance
of this step for Israel’s interests. Erdan indicated, in a radio interview, that
Israel’s unilateral withdrawals from the Gaza Strip did not lead to peace, and
that the only thing that will ensure its presence would be the establishment of
borders.
U.S. Invites China to Arms Control Talks, Seeing Opening
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/July 09/2020
The United States on Thursday again invited China to talks on arms control,
saying it saw an opening with Beijing on three-way negotiations with Russia
despite intense disagreements. "The United States welcomes China's commitment to
engage in arms control negotiations. As such, prudent next steps will need to
include face-to-face meetings between the United States and China," State
Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said. President Donald Trump's
administration has been demanding that a rising China take part in talks on a
successor to the New START treaty, which caps the nuclear warheads of Cold
War-era superpowers the United States and Russia. China did not join initial
US-Russia talks last month in Vienna on the treaty, which expires in February.
But China on Wednesday said it was willing to participate in arms control
negotiations with the United States -- with the major caveat that Washington
reduce its arsenal to the much smaller size of Beijing. Fu Cong, director
general of the Department of Arms Control at China's foreign ministry, charged
that the US stance was "nothing but a ploy" to let Washington leave New START
and have a free hand in ramping up its nuclear program. The United States
nonetheless saw the glass as half-full and seized on the statement, saying that
Marshall Billingslea, the US negotiator, would invite China to talks to follow
up. "We will all bring different perspectives and objectives to the negotiating
table and will surely have disagreements," Ortagus said. "But it is time for
dialogue and diplomacy between the three biggest nuclear weapons powers on how
to prevent a new arms race."
- Russia doubts China role -
In Vienna, the United States deplored the Chinese absence and released a photo
of the three nations' flags in an empty room -- infuriating Beijing, which
called the photo a stunt as it had never agreed to participate. Anatoly Antonov,
the Russian ambassador to the United States, said Wednesday it remained "crystal
clear" that China was not ready to participate -- and that Moscow, while not
opposed to Beijing's role, would not join US pressure to bring in the Asian
power. "We are ready for any development of the situation with the New START. We
are not going to save it at any cost, especially the one that Americans insist
upon," he said at the Center for the National Interest. He renewed Russia's call
for US-allied nuclear powers France and Britain to join talks if China enters --
and questioned the ultimate effects if Beijing is part of New START. If the
United States and Russia do not reduce their arsenals, a future treaty could
effectively condone China ramping up its arsenal to the extent of the other two
nations, he said. "A question to those guys who are in favor to invite China --
whether the Russian Federation and the United States are ready to decrease their
quantity of warheads and missiles at the level China has," he asked. According
to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Russia possesses 6,375
nuclear warheads, including those that are not deployed, and the United States
has 5,800.
China was a distant third with 320 warheads. The Trump administration says that
China nonetheless is quickly expanding its military with no requirements of
transparency, belying its desire to be treated as a major power. Russia, as well
as some U.S. Democrats, have called for a simple extension of New START. The
treaty expires February 5, meaning the decision could ultimately fall on Joe
Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential candidate, if Trump loses
re-election.
Supreme Court Orders Trump Financial Records Released to NY Prosecutors
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/July 09/2020
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday that President Donald Trump must hand over
his tax returns to prosecutors in New York but temporarily blocked Congress from
accessing his financial records. The rulings were a setback for Trump's claim to
absolute immunity from criminal investigation but may allow him at the same time
to keep his finances private until after the November presidential election. The
court ruled 7-2 against Trump in a case brought by Manhattan district attorney
Cyrus Vance, a Democrat who is seeking eight years of the president's financial
records in connection with an alleged "hush money" payment made to porn actress
Stormy Daniels. Trump's attorneys had claimed the president was immune from
criminal investigation -- a claim rejected by the court. "Two hundred years ago,
a great jurist of our Court established that no citizen, not even the President,
is categorically above the common duty to produce evidence when called upon in a
criminal proceeding," the court said. "We reaffirm that principle today."The
other case before the nation's highest court concerned a request by
Democratic-led congressional committees for Trump's tax returns and financial
records. In a 7-2 ruling, the court sent the congressional case back to a lower
court for further consideration, earning the president a reprieve of sorts.
Vance called the ruling "a tremendous victory for our nation's system of justice
and its founding principle that no one -– not even a president -– is above the
law.
"Our investigation, which was delayed for almost a year by this lawsuit, will
resume, guided as always by the grand jury's solemn obligation to follow the law
and the facts, wherever they may lead," Vance said. Even if Trump's financial
records are turned over to prosecutors by his accounting firm Mazars they may
remain hidden from public view because of grand jury secrecy. Trump fired off a
string of furious tweets following the rulings. "This is about PROSECUTORIAL
MISCONDUCT," he tweeted. "This is all a political prosecution," Trump said. "Now
I have to keep fighting in a politically corrupt New York. Not fair to this
Presidency or Administration!" Nancy Pelosi, Democratic speaker of the House of
Representatives, said she would continue to press for Trump's financial records
to be handed over to Congress. "The Congress will continue to conduct oversight
For The People, upholding the separation of powers that is the genius of our
Constitution," Pelosi said. "We will continue to press our case in the lower
courts."
Moscow Push to Reduce U.N. Cross-Border Aid to Syria Fails
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/July 09/2020
A Russian bid to get the United Nations to reduce cross-border humanitarian aid
to war-torn Syria was voted down by the Security Council, an official said.
Authorization for the aid, which comes through two crossing points on the
Turkish border -- at Bab al-Salam, which leads to the Aleppo region, and Bab al-Hawa,
which serves the Idlib region -- expires Friday. Under its resolution,
Moscow had wanted to abolish the first crossing point and put a time limit of
six months on the second. Russia needed nine votes and no veto from a permanent
member of the Council to get its resolution passed -- but received only four
votes, announced the President of the Security Council, German Ambassador
Christoph Heusgen. Seven countries voted against it and four abstained. "The
draft resolution has not been adopted, having failed to obtain the required
number of votes," Heusgen said.Diplomats said that Russia, along with China,
Vietnam and South Africa, had voted for the resolution. Against were the United
States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Belgium, Estonia and the Dominican
Republic. Tunisia, Niger, Indonesia and Saint Vincent abstained, the
diplomats said. The vote came after Russia and China on Tuesday vetoed a draft
resolution by Germany and Belgium providing for a one-year extension of the
cross-border authorization and the maintenance of both crossing points. In
an interview with AFP on Wednesday, Washington's ambassador to the UN, Kelly
Craft, said the US opposed any reduction. "We know the right thing to do is to
have both border crossings in the northwest remain open to reach the maximum
amount of Syrians that are in need of humanitarian aid," Craft told AFP. When
asked if the issue was a "red line," she replied, "Yes, absolutely." Russia's
move "is just another attempt for them to politicize humanitarian assistance,"
she said. According to Craft, keeping only one border crossing open would cut
off 1.3 million people living north of Aleppo from humanitarian aid.
- 'Right and wrong' -
The choice to be made between the Western position and that of Russia and China
is "between good and evil, right and wrong," said Craft, noting that Germany and
Belgium "already have a new draft in mind and we are very supportive."The two
European countries submitted their new draft Wednesday evening. In their latest
draft text, obtained by AFP, Germany and Belgium asked for just a six-month
extension of cross-border aid authorization, instead of one year. But they have
kept both border crossings open, and there is no indication that Moscow -- in a
position of strength on the subject, as it was six months ago -- will be
satisfied with the changes. The result of a forthcoming vote on the new draft,
which Russia could again block, is not expected until Friday, when the UN
cross-border authorization expires. Craft in 2019 visited one of the crossing
points from the Turkish side near Bab al-Hawa, an experience that made a lasting
impression and made working with displaced Syrians "a personal issue," she said.
Authorization for cross-border humanitarian aid has existed since 2014, with
periodic extensions. Tuesday's vote was the 15th time that Russia has used its
veto since the start of the Syrian war in 2011, and the ninth for China.
They argue that the U.N. authorization violates Syria's sovereignty, and that
aid can increasingly be channeled through Syrian authorities.
The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources published on July 09-10/2020
Iran’s nuclear defiance fueling Israeli fears
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh//Arab News/July 09/2020
Through the prism of the Israeli leaders, a nuclear Iran is an existential
threat to their country. Former Defense Minister Naftali Bennett did not mince
his words when he warned in 2017: “I have no doubt that the nuclearization of
Iran is the No. 1 existential threat to the state of Israel.”
If we were to assume that there will be a war between a nuclear Iran and Israel,
the damage inflicted on Israel would likely be much more severe due to its
relatively small size. Iran’s land area is approximately 1.6 million square
kilometers, while Israel’s is only about 22,000. This means that Iran is more
than 70 times larger than Israel. Bennett acknowledged that “an attack on Iran
would not destroy the country the way that an attack by Iran on Israel (would).”
The Iranian leaders have indeed repeatedly vowed to destroy Israel. For example,
Hossein Salami, commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, has
made the Iranian government’s plan vehemently clear, stating: “Our strategy is
to erase Israel from the global political map. And it seems that, considering
the evil that Israel is doing, it is bringing itself closer to that.” In
addition, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who reportedly published a book on how to
destroy Israel, in 2018 posted a Twitter tirade against Israel, stating that
“the Zionist regime will perish in the not so far future.”
Whether or not the Iranian leaders ultimately act on their words, Israel has
critical concerns about its rival becoming a nuclear state. From Tel Aviv’s
perspective, the international community is not doing enough to stop Tehran from
obtaining nuclear weapons, with Russia, China, Germany, France and the UK still
advocating the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), aka the Iran nuclear
deal.
The Israeli authorities have vehemently opposed the nuclear deal ever since its
establishment in 2015. Its primary objective was to permanently halt Iran’s
nuclear program, thus eliminating the possibility of a nuclear arms race in the
region and removing the strategic threat that a nuclear-armed Iran might pose
due to its hegemonic ambitions. However, the Western powers compromised on their
original demands and accepted a deal that limited Tehran’s nuclear program for a
set number of years. As Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif told the
Council on Foreign Relations think tank at the time: “Let’s establish a
mechanism for a number of years. Not 10, not 15 — but I’m willing to live with
less.” This is how the sunset clauses came about and Israel became enraged.
The sunset clauses will allow the Iranian regime to eventually resume enriching
uranium to the level it desires, spin as many advanced centrifuges as it wants,
make its nuclear reactors fully operational, build new heavy water reactors,
produce as much fuel for its reactors as it desires, and maintain higher uranium
enrichment capability with no restrictions.
Not only are the European powers, along with Russia and China, determined to
keep the nuclear deal, they appear to be disregarding Iran’s latest violations
of the JCPOA. The International Atomic Energy Agency last month reported that
Tehran is violating all the restrictions of the nuclear agreement, is not
allowing inspectors to monitor some of its sites, and is declining to answer
questions concerning undeclared nuclear sites and activities.
Meanwhile, although Israel would likely wish for the US to take military action
to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear state, there is little appetite in
Washington and among the American public for a direct military confrontation
with yet another country in the Middle East.
With the international community reluctant to act on Iran’s nuclear violations,
and with it inching closer to becoming a nuclear state, Israel is running out of
options to counter Tehran. The Iranian regime already has enough enriched
uranium to refine to produce a nuclear bomb if it so desired.
From Tel Aviv’s perspective, the international community is not doing enough to
stop Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
Desperate to stop Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, the Israeli leaders seem
to be taking matters into their own hands. Kuwait’s Al-Jarida newspaper last
week reported that Israel carried out a cyberattack that caused a fire and
explosion at Iran’s Natanz nuclear site. The newspaper wrote: “This is likely to
be an electronic attack on the computer network that controls the storage
compression tanks.”
Heightened tensions between Iran and Israel over Tehran’s nuclear defiance could
spiral into a wider war. In order to prevent a major military confrontation, the
international community must take immediate action to hold the Iranian leaders
accountable for their nuclear violations and give assurances to the regional
powers that Iran will not become a nuclear state.
*Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a Harvard-educated Iranian-American political scientist.
Twitter: @Dr_Rafizadeh
Angela Merkel right to promote EU solidarity in key speech
Cornelia Meyer/Arab News/July 09/2020
German Chancellor Angela Merkel this week made her first trip abroad since the
outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), as she visited Brussels to
address the European Parliament and kick off Germany’s EU presidency, which
lasts for the next six months.
Merkel departed from her business-as-usual approach vis-a-vis the EU, which had
lacked vision ever since she last chaired it in 2007. Wednesday’s speech was
nothing short of visionary. In it, she delineated the five core principles of
Germany’s EU presidency: Civil rights for every citizen, cohesion of the union,
the environment, digitalization, and Europe’s position in the world.
The first task of her presidency will be to pass the EU’s multiannual financial
framework for 2021 to 2027, which is the bloc’s budget. This budget will include
a €500 billion ($566 billion) COVID-19 rescue package. In her speech, Merkel
stated that extraordinary times necessitate extraordinary measures and she fully
endorsed the bailout, which she and French President Emmanuel Macron had jointly
proposed in May.
Merkel has come a long way to now endorse the European Commission raising debt
to be redistributed to the countries most affected by the pandemic, especially
as much of it is in the form of grants. Germany has always been one of the more
frugal EU countries, opposed to a mutualization of debt between the economically
stronger north and the heavily indebted south.
In April, Macron sounded the alarm bells in a Financial Times interview, stating
that, if the EU did not support the worst-hit countries, it could potentially
face a breakup. He pleaded for solidarity. He listed historical examples: The
Treaty of Versailles after the First World War, where mean-spiritedness and a
lack of compassion led to more strife, and the post-Second World War Marshall
Plan, where generosity and magnanimity led to peace and prosperity in Europe for
decades.
At the time of his interview, Macron was in lockstep with Italy and Spain, which
demanded so-called “coronabonds,” much to the chagrin of the frugal countries in
the north, which opposed any mutualization of debt.
Both sides have a point. Before the coronavirus pandemic hit, France and Italy
had debt-to-gross domestic product ratios of 98.4 and 138. 8 percent,
respectively; while the numbers looked much better for Germany and the
Netherlands, which stood at 59.8 percent and 48.6 percent, respectively (EU
guidelines impose a 60 percent ceiling). When looking at recent OECD forecasts,
the economies of France, Italy and Spain are expected to shrink by more than 14
percent, compared to less than 10 percent in the Netherlands and Germany.
By May, Macron had been able to get Merkel on to his side. He abandoned the idea
of coronabonds and Merkel agreed to usher in a sizable rescue package through
the EU budget in the form of debt. France needed to disassociate itself from
Italy’s position, while Germany needed to break ranks with the frugal four (the
Netherlands, Austria, Denmark and Sweden).
It will not be easy to pass the budget. Merkel acknowledged so much when she
said it would require compromise on all sides. Other than the frugal four, the
Visegrad states (the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Poland) resent having
to finance the worst-hit countries in the south because they have not been so
severely impacted by the virus. We will probably not see a compromise by next
week’s EU summit, but Merkel is hopeful of getting there before the summer
recess — not an easy task, given that many of the negotiations will need to take
place via videoconference. According to one senior German diplomat, that slows
efficiency by about 80 percent. Aside from the budget, it was noteworthy that
Merkel addressed the issue of civil liberties. This was a hidden jibe in the
direction of Hungary and Poland, which have been accused of using the pandemic
to crack down on freedoms. It also demarcated her red lines. After all, the EU
is not just about the economy — it is, first and foremost, based on shared
values.
Digitalization and the environment are also important. European Commission
President Ursula von der Leyen had launched her “Green Deal” shortly before the
pandemic broke. Europe must also step up to the plate in terms of digital
technology and connectivity if it wants to remain competitive in the 21st
century.
Cohesion and Europe’s place in the world are incredibly important. Merkel’s
speech showed that Germany and France are again marching in lockstep. Solidarity
is crucial, as Macron pointed out in his FT interview. Italian Prime Minister
Giuseppe Conte doubled down that he saw the future of the union as being
endangered if he did not get support for his own public investment program.
Merkel’s speech showed that Germany and France are again marching in lockstep.
In 2017, Merkel had left Macron out in the cold after he announced his vision of
Europe in front of I.M. Pei’s pyramid at the Louvre as he assumed office. He had
spoken then of solidarity and of the need for Europe to assume its rightful
place among the family of nations. What Merkel said about those two agenda
points this week was not too far away from Macron’s vision.
Merkel is right when she says that extraordinary times call for extraordinary
measures. They also call for solidarity and foresight over the direction of
travel, both of which she delineated in her speech. Moreover, the EU has no
chance of reaching any major agreements when France and Germany walk in opposite
directions. Them heading in the same direction does not necessarily guarantee
agreement, but it makes it much more likely. This holds true all the more since
the UK chose to leave the EU.
*Cornelia Meyer is a business consultant, macroeconomist and energy expert.
Twitter: @MeyerResources
Why are Palestinians Committing Suicide?
Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute/July 09/2020
Last year, Palestinian activists took to the streets of the Gaza Strip to
protest economic hardship and demand that Hamas provide solutions for soaring
unemployment and poverty rates. The protests, held under the banner "We want to
live!," were brutally suppressed by Hamas's security forces and militiamen.
Such calls by human rights organizations are dismissed out of hand by Hamas
leaders, whose only concern is the iron grip of their power.
Hamas, after 13 years of criminal negligence, rejects responsibility for the
wellbeing of its people. Astoundingly, it continues to succeed in convincing the
world that Israel is to blame for the misery of its own people. This convenient
and toxic lie enables it to continue receiving money and weapons from its
friends in Iran and Hezbollah to tighten its death grip on the Gaza Strip.
For Hamas, jihad (holy war), not a decent life for its people, is what matters.
Tragically, it seems that young Palestinians in Gaza are getting the message --
loud and clear.
Why is Hamas chasing Palestinians to cemeteries and to the homes of grieving
families? Because its leaders are terrified that the world will wake up to the
fact that their ruinous rule is driving young men and women to commit suicide.
(Image source: iStock)
The Palestinian terror group Hamas is making a serious effort to prevent
journalists from reporting about a surge in suicide rates in the Gaza Strip.
Hamas does not want the world to know that young men and women living under its
rule in the Gaza Strip, have, as a result of economic hardship and oppression,
been taking their own lives.
In the past week alone, four Palestinians from the Gaza Strip reportedly
committed suicide in separate incidents -- by gunfire, pills, self-immolation,
and jumping from a tall building. The suicides have embarrassed Hamas, whose
leaders decided to take strict measures to stop the news from leaking to the
media.
Thirteen years after its violent takeover of the Gaza Strip, Hamas is still
seeking to present a rosy picture of the situation there. Hamas wants to show
the world that life for many Palestinians under its Islamic rule and repressive
measures is wonderful.
The reality, however, is a bit different. Under Hamas control, the Gaza Strip
has suffered from rising unemployment, elevated poverty rates, and a sharp
contraction of the private sector.
Since 2017, the Palestinian Authority government in the West Bank has reduced
payments for electricity supplied by Israel to the Gaza Strip and cut salaries
for its employees, exacerbating the local economic crisis. Since 2014, Egypt's
crackdown on the Gaza Strip's extensive tunnel smuggling network has exacerbated
fuel, construction material, and consumer goods shortages.
Last year, Palestinian activists took to the streets of the Gaza Strip to
protest economic hardship and demand that Hamas provide solutions for soaring
unemployment and poverty rates. The protests, held under the banner "We want to
live!," were brutally suppressed by Hamas's security forces and militiamen.
Hundreds of activists were detained by Hamas, which saw the economic protests as
part of a "conspiracy" to "create instability and anarchy" and undermine its
dictatorial regime in the Gaza Strip.
One of the organizers of the protests was Sleman Alajoury, a 24-year-old
activist and unemployed university graduate from the northern Gaza Strip.
Alajoury was detained several times by Hamas for his role in the widespread
protests, described as the worst since Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip
after toppling the government of PA President Mahmoud Abbas in 2007.
On July 4, one year after the protests were crushed by Hamas, Alajoury's body
was discovered inside his home in the Sheikh Zayed suburb in the northern Gaza
Strip. His friends and family members said that the young man had committed
suicide with a single shot to the head.
In his last posting on Facebook, a few hours before he took his life, Alajoury
wrote that his suicide was aimed at seeking "salvation." He also wrote that
"complaining to anyone but God was an act of humiliation."
Alajoury's words are perceived by many Palestinians as implicit criticism of
Hamas over its failure to improve living conditions in the Gaza Strip and its
ongoing crackdown on young activists campaigning for a better life, democracy
and freedom of speech.
Ramzi Mahmoud Suleiman, a friend of Alajoury, said that Alajoury had suffered
greatly under Hamas's oppressive measures. Suleiman said that Alajoury had been
detained by Hamas security forces, who raided his home on a number of occasions.
Another friend, Shaher al-Habbash, revealed that Alajoury was frequently
targeted by Hamas because of his political and social activities in the Gaza
Strip. "Hamas's Internal Security Force arrested him several times," al-Habbash
said. "They attacked his family home and humiliated him during his interrogation
inside Hamas prisons. They even raided the home during his sister's wedding;
this bothered him a lot."
Alajoury was the fourth Palestinian to take his own life in the Gaza Strip last
week. Several other cases of suicide attempts have been recorded there in the
past few weeks.
Instead of addressing the problem, Hamas is now trying to sweep Alajoury's
tragic death under the carpet.
Some Palestinians who attended his funeral or visited the family home to offer
condolences have been detained by Hamas security officers and militiamen.
One Palestinian, Basim Othman, wrote on Facebook that his brother, Fadi, and
three other men were "kidnapped" by members of Hamas's military wing, Ezaddin
al-Qassem, after attending the funeral. "Our message is clear: Hamas is a
terrorist organization," Othman wrote. "We will teach the kidnappers and their
families a lesson."
Another Palestinian, Ramez Mahmoud, wrote on his Facebook page that he had
escaped a kidnap attempt by the Hamas militiamen after the funeral of Alajoury.
"I just survived a kidnaping attempt by security forces belonging to Hamas and
its military wing," Mahmoud said. "They kidnapped my friend, journalist Yusef
Hassan, and others who came to offer condolences to the Alajoury family."
A Palestinian human rights group condemned the Hamas crackdown on Alajoury's
friends and other activists and called for a thorough examination into the
increased spate of suicides in the Gaza Strip.
"The [Hamas] security services in Gaza arrested at least nine persons in three
separate incidents on July 4, 2020, who were attending the funeral of Sleman
Alajoury," the Al-Mezan Center For Human Rights said in a statement.
"Al-Mezan's field investigations show that members of the security services in
Gaza arrested Ghasan Sadi Musalam, 37, Fadi Mohammed Othman, 38, and Khalil Adib
Salim, 33, at around 1:30 pm near Beit Lahia's cemetery in the northern Gaza
Strip, just after they had left Alajoury's funeral."
The human rights group also pointed out that Hamas had arrested two journalists
who were covering the funeral. They were identified as Ahmed al-Ras, 35, and
Helmi al-Ghoul, 26, and were interrogated about the nature of their work, before
being released.
"Four more persons were arrested after visiting the deceased man's family to pay
their respects," Al-Mezan revealed.
"Officers of the security services traveling in a blue vehicle and a white
mini-bus stopped the four men, two of whom were identified as Yousef Khalil
Hassan, and Ahmed Awni al-Mahali, and transferred them to the police station,
before releasing all four the same day."
The human rights group said that some of those detained by Hamas were summoned
back for further interrogation in the coming days. "Others reported being beaten
and verbally abused during interrogations surrounding posts they made on social
media that called for peaceful assemblies, and their cell phones were
confiscated," the group added.
"Al-Mezan condemns the incidents and demands a halt to the arbitrary arrests and
summons orders that are carried out in violation of due process, and stresses
that duty-bearers are obligated, under Palestinian and international law, to
promote public liberties and respect human rights, notably freedom of opinion,
expression and peaceful assembly. Al-Mezan further affirms that the problem of
suicide in Gaza is symptomatic of the rising level of frustration and despair
felt among Palestinian inhabitants."
Such calls by human rights organizations are dismissed out of hand by Hamas
leaders, whose only concern is the iron grip of their power. For Hamas,
Palestinians who commit suicide imperil its regime, even -- and perhaps more so
-- after their death.
Why is Hamas chasing Palestinians to cemeteries and to the homes of grieving
families? Because its leaders are terrified that the world will wake up to the
fact that their ruinous rule is driving young men and women to commit suicide.
Hamas, after 13 years of criminal negligence, rejects responsibility for the
wellbeing of its people. Astoundingly, it continues to succeed in convincing the
world that Israel is to blame for the misery of its own people. This convenient
and toxic lie enables it to continue receiving money and weapons from its
friends in Iran and Hezbollah to tighten its death grip on the Gaza Strip. For
Hamas, jihad (holy war), not a decent life for its people, is what matters.
Tragically, it seems that young Palestinians in Gaza are getting the message --
loud and clear.
*Khaled Abu Toameh, an award-winning journalist based in Jerusalem, is a
Shillman Journalism Fellow at Gatestone Institute.
© 2020 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No
part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied
or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
Thomas Jefferson: Good or Evil Based on the Left’s Agenda
Raymond Ibrahim/July 09/2020
Thomas Jefferson statue, Portland.
Before the “progressive” Left began tearing down American monuments, they tried
to use the Founding Fathers’ names to their advantage.
Thus, for Barack Obama, “Islam has been woven into the fabric of our country
since its founding.” The main “proof” of this dubious claim is that Thomas
Jefferson, whose statues are being torn down, owned a Koran. This simple fact
supposedly “demonstrates that from the very beginning of our country, we had
people who were visionary, who were religiously tolerant, who believed that
knowledge and wisdom could be gleaned from any number of sources, including the
Qur’an,” exulted Keith Ellison, before being sworn into the House of
Representatives on Jefferson’s Koran.
Over a decade later, in January 2019, Rashida Tlaib, another Muslim elected to
the House of Representatives, announced that she too would be sworn in on
Jefferson’s Koran. “It’s important to me because a lot of Americans have this
kind of feeling that Islam is somehow foreign to American history,” Tlaib said.
“Muslims were there at the beginning… Some of our founding fathers knew more
about Islam than some members of Congress now,” she added, implying that any of
her counterparts who are critical of Islam are low-browed cavemen in comparison
to the supposedly “open minded” founders of this nation.
Similarly, according to Denise Spellberg, author of Thomas Jefferson’s Qu’ran:
Islam and the Founders, Islam’s holy book “was really a bestseller” in early
America. “By using Jefferson’s Quran,” she said of the aforementioned Muslim
politicians, “they’re affirming the fact that Islam has a long history in the
United States, and is in fact an American religion.”
How much of any of this is true? Next to none.
For starters, Jefferson’s Koran was produced under the usual circumstances: to
understand and therefore better resist Europe’s ancient foe. Indeed, from
Christendom’s original contact—or rather collision—with Muslims in the seventh
century, “infidels” always turned to the Koran for answers, to understand what
all this “jihad” business was about.
Beginning with John of Damascus (b. circa. 675)—who concluded that “[t]here are
many other extraordinary and quite ridiculous things in this book which he
[Muhammad] boasts was sent down to him from God”—till the modern era,
non-Muslims, particularly Christians and Europeans, reached an unwavering
consensus: that the Koran, that “most pitiful and most inept little book of the
Arab Muhammad,” not only promoted hate and violence, but was full of “ugly and
vulgar filth,” including by portraying paradise as a “sexual brothel” for those
who die waging jihad, to quote the eighth century’s Nicetas Byzantinos, who had
and closely studied a copy of Islam’s holy book.
Even the first English translation of the Koran (based on a French translation)
was produced at a time when the Muslims of North Africa (“Barbary”) were
terrorizing virtually every corner of Europe and enslaving at least 1.25 million
Europeans. From 1627 to 1633, Lundy, an island off the west coast of Britain,
was even occupied by the Islamic slavers, whence they raided and pillaged
England and Ireland at will.
In this context, the motive of Alexander Ross, the translator of this first
English language Koran (published 1648), was so that, in “viewing thine enemies
in their full body, thou maist better prepare to encounter and, I hope, overcome
them.” He continued:
There have been continual wars, and will be still between us. It concerneth
every Christian who makes conscience of his ways, to examine the cause and to
look into the grounds of this war [as laid out in Islam’s sacred book].
As for Jefferson’s Koran—the first English translation made directly from the
original Arabic (1734)—its translator, George Sales, noted in his introduction
“the calamities brought on so many nations by the conquests” of Islam, which
helped “occasion all the detestation with which the name of Mohammed is loaded.”
He further implored “Providence” for having “reserved the glory of its [the
Koran’s] overthrow.”
Even the Smithsonian, in a typical article meant to put a “progressive” spin,
concedes that “Jefferson bought this book while he was a young man studying law,
and he may have read it in part to better understand Islam’s influence on some
of the world’s legal systems.”
And “better understand Islam’s influence” he most certainly needed to do, when
Barbary’s Muslims turned their attention to and began enslaving American
sailors. In an effort to ransom them and establish peaceful relations, Jefferson
and John Adams—then ambassadors to France and England respectively—met with
Tripoli’s ambassador to Britain, Abdul Rahman Adja. Following this diplomatic
exchange, the Americans laid out the source—that is, the Koran—of Barbary’s
hitherto inexplicable animosity in a letter to Congress, dated March 28, 1786:
We took the liberty to make some inquiries concerning the grounds of their
[Barbary’s] pretentions to make war upon nations who had done them no injury,
and observed that we considered all mankind as our friends who had done us no
wrong, nor had given us any provocation. The ambassador answered us that it was
founded on the laws of their Prophet, that it was written in their Koran, that
all nations who should not have acknowledged their authority were sinners, that
it was their right and duty to make war upon them wherever they could be found,
and to make slaves of all they could take as prisoners, and that every Musselman
who should be slain in battle was sure to go to Paradise.
Although America tried for years to buy peace—including by paying an annual
tribute (jizya) amounting to 16 percent of the federal budget—war was
inevitable. Therefore, on becoming president, Jefferson led America in its first
war as a nation: the Barbary Wars (1801-1805; 1815).
Even the editor’s note of the very first American edition of the Koran, which
came out in 1806, one year after the First Barbary War ended, makes clear that
it was not published for the “cultural enrichment” of Americans, but to inform
them why they had been at war. “Thou wilt wonder,” the editor observes, “that
such absurdities hath infected the better part of the world, and wilt avouch,
that the knowledge of what is contained in this book, wilt render that law
[sharia] contemptible.”
The facts are simple: from Islam’s birth to the present, non-Muslims—including
Thomas Jefferson—always turned to the Koran to understand why its adherents
maintained a “pious” hostility for them. In so doing, they were simply making
use of Sun Tzu’s famous dictum on war: “know thy enemy.”
That many today are committed to rewriting this and other unflattering facts
about Islam in ways that exalt Muhammad’s creed and make wary Americans appear
xenophobic and “unenlightened” is part and parcel of the Left’s over all war on
America.
As for Thomas Jefferson himself, the Left loves or hates him according to which
better helps further their agenda. Regardless, whether they judge him by today’s
standard on race—which by definition is anachronistic and indicts virtually
every single American and European before the twentieth century—or whether they
project their own “progressive” (i.e., asinine) mentality onto him, they lie,
exclusively for their benefit.
Iran Facilitates Honor Killings
Noor PahlaviAsharq Al-Awsat/July 09/2020
Romina Ashrafi was fourteen, Fatemeh Barahi was nineteen, Reyhaneh Ameri was
twenty-two. Each of them was murdered by an immediate family member, heinous
murders that have received much needed attention in the international community
in recent weeks. As a young woman with two little sisters, one fifteen, I feel a
deep sense of disgust when reading about these killings and the minimal
penalties perpetrators face for committing them.
I am grateful everyday for the home in which I was raised, particularly for the
father I am so fortunate to have. While most people grow into adulthood with a
sobering understanding that parents are not as perfect as they seemed when we
were little, I never had that realization with regard to my father. He is the
most honorable person I know. To me, he is both kind and strong, a person to
whom I owe the sense of physical and emotional safety I grew up with despite the
political threats we often faced.
My father has fostered a sense of self-respect in my sisters and me, and though
he is not the most touchy-feely man in the world, the most he has ever snapped
at any of the women in his household is when we take too long to get in the car
before a flight for which he insists we arrive four hours early.
Romina, Fatemeh, and Reyhaneh and millions of women in Iran, by contrast, were
born into a society in which their lives were never truly their own. They were
raised in fear even in the places where they should have felt safest, at home.
They were not raised to be independent and command respect, but instead as
property. They fell victim to fanaticism and dangerous beliefs which throughout
our country, and the Middle East, have taken too many lives.
I had known before that “honor killings” were a social problem in Iran. However,
frankly, I was unaware of the depth of the problem and didn’t know it had such
deep roots in our homeland. In many families, the belief has been passed down
that family patriarchs “own the blood” of their daughters, and thus can exercise
whatever punishment they see fit, for an act as innocuous as saying the wrong
thing. These beliefs are supported by the male dominated society outside the
home, one built and enforced by the Islamic Republic, leaving nowhere for these
girls to seek aid.
As more details emerged about these murders, I became more and more sickened.
Romina’s killing, for one, was a process. After learning of her relationship
with a boy of whom he did not approve, her father bought rat poison and told his
wife to convince Romina to kill herself so he wouldn’t have to deal with the
shame. At the very least, she could hang herself, he urged his wife. In the end,
after consulting with his attorney to ensure he wouldn’t earn a lengthy
sentence, he slit his daughter’s throat with a scythe as she slept.
These horrific crimes, “honor killings”, comprise a staggering 30% of all
murders in Iran, a number which undoubtedly underestimates the reality of the
situation given the lack of attention historically given to these crimes which
allows many of these crimes to go unreported. In the last forty-one years, they
have had the government’s backing. Yet with the public attention brought on by
14-year-old Romina’s murder, even the Islamic Republic has had to strategically
respond to the pressure.
It was notable for me that these three murders occurred in three different areas
of Iran: Gilan, Kerman, and Khuzestan. This showed that though these “honor
killings” may appear more frequently in some parts of the country, it is truly a
national problem.
Before Romina, Fatemeh and Reyhaneh were Gilani or Kermani or Khuzestani, they
were Iranians, and all Iranians must stand up and fight to end such murders. We
must have a dialogue addressing not only the structural facilitator of these
killings, the Islamic Republic, but also the cultural forces behind it. We must
appreciate that we are in a time in which strong social media networks give us
the benefit of having discussions that can bypass both censorship and
self-censorship.
Unfortunately I’ve never lived anywhere in Iran but my primary counselors are my
parents and my grandmother. When I spoke with my grandmother, she noted that
though the matter has its roots in social traditions, governments have a
responsibility to protect the lives of their citizens, even from their own
families.
In Western nations with modern laws, states act swiftly against parents who
abuse their children and can even remove such a child from the parents’ custody
and put them in the care of the state. When I read that despite Romina’s pleas
not to be returned to the custody of her implacable father, she was mercilessly
sent back anyways, I burned with rage. My grandmother told me of the many great
men and women who, prior to the revolution, worked to codify progressive laws to
establish protections for women and girls, and it pains me to hear of the
regression of our nation into these brutal circumstances.
She told me of Mehrangiz Manoucherian who worked diligently to create and ratify
the Family Protection Law. It was a progressive law for its time but Khomeini
attacked it as “the elimination of the Muslim family” and ordered its revocation
in April of 1979. This, itself, shows the enmity and resentment Khomeini and his
cadre had with women. My grandfather strongly supported the ratification of the
Family Protection Law and spoke to foreign reporters about how proud he was of
it. Khomeini revoked this same law one month after taking power.
“Honor killings” in Iran did not start with the Islamic Republic. This is a
cultural issue. It is flawed traditions that consider women a man’s property
that promote such crimes. But why does government exist other than to secure
people's safety? These brutal acts must be addressed with laws that protect
women and a strong executive backing. The problem is that the Islamic Republic
instead supports those who consider Romina, Fatemeh, and Reyhaneh their father
or husband’s property.
*This article was first published in the Independent Persian.
How Much Do We Really Know About Bank Risks?
Mark Gongloff/Bloomberg/July,09/2020
Hey, remember the financial crisis? Or what some of us now call “the Good Old
Days?” When, sure, all the money was on fire, but you could at least hug your
parents without fear of putting them in the hospital?
One of the few upsides of the current nightmare relative to the previous one is
that banking is no longer a runaway train dragging the economy over a cliff, but
an apparent engine of stability. Not only are banks not failing, they’re still
making loans and protecting deposits and doing all the other stuff we want them
to do.But behind that reassuring facade trouble may be brewing. Today’s healthy
banking sector is no accident, and owes much to the work of regulators after the
previous crisis. They made banks more transparent about their capitalization and
periodically tested them against theoretical economic stresses.
But over time, stress tests have gotten less stressful, and risk levels have
gotten less transparent, write former FDIC chief Sheila Bair and Thomas Hoenig.
Some of this is meant to be temporary, to unburden banks during the latest
crisis. But you can bet lobbyists will push to make the changes permanent. And
that will raise the risk we’ll have to relive those Good Old Days all over
again. Of course, the other big lesson of both crises is that a blizzard of Fed
cash hides a lot of ills, in banking and otherwise. Despite the worst economic
downturn since the Great Depression, stocks are near all-time highs and credit
markets are humming smoothly. Legendary hedge-fund manager and employee-recorder
Ray Dalio recently argued it’s gotten so ridiculous that markets are no longer
free but mere playthings of central banks.Karl Smith and Robert Burgess respond
that markets are still free, in fact; the Fed’s cash is just the grease that’s
keeping them from locking up and collapsing.
China’s Economic Dragon Is Spitting Fire Again
John Authers/Bloomberg/July,09/2020
China, its troublesome credit system and its shaky relationship with the West
dominated global markets for years. Then it gave the world the coronavirus. And
now, somehow it has slipped from attention, dropping down investors’ lists of
concerns. This is strange because something important is afoot. Chinese stock
markets have far outperformed the rest of emerging markets this year, almost
closing a gap that has persisted for decades. China has hosted economic growth,
but its equity markets have not logged the returns seen elsewhere — until now.
China has also, contrary to all expectations earlier this year, seen a
noticeable appreciation in the currency, a hot spot in the country’s
relationship with the West. Last August, Chinese authorities allowed the yuan to
weaken and exceed the level of 7 to the dollar, in what appeared to be a
retaliation for US threats of added tariffs. Then earlier this year, after a
trade ceasefire of sorts had been negotiated, it again broke above 7, this time
because of concerns about the damage that the coronavirus would wreak. Now, in a
development that suggests a degree of strength in China, and also may remove
some heat from its trans-Pacific relationship with the US, the yuan has almost
returned to the 7 level.
While currency valuations are important, the most significant market “tell” of
Chinese economic strength comes from industrial metals prices. At the margin,
China has been setting prices for industrial metals for years as it has gone
through its growth spurt. And so the 20% rally in Bloomberg’s industrial metals
index (combined with a gain of more than 30% for iron ore on China’s Dalian
exchange since April) suggest that China is getting its act together again.
This is a remarkable turnaround, only six months from the beginning of the
pandemic. How has it been achieved?
The best guess is that China has pressed the pedal on expanding credit once
more, but not by using orthodox monetary policy and not in a way that weakens
the currency.
The stimulus applied by Shanghai’s big equity bubble in 2007, and then by the
huge extra spending and credit easing that started in late 2008 to deal with the
last global financial crisis, was on a different scale from the stimulus that is
now being applied. Much of that was achieved via shadow banks, shown by the
yellow line, whose opaque structures led to concerns that China could stage its
own repeat of the Lehman crisis. The People’s Bank of China has spent the last
few years in an explicit attempt to avert this risk, and now appears to have
shadow banking under control. That has allowed them to unleash a 20% increase in
liquidity, through traditional banks and through the bond and equity markets.
For the short term, this can only be positive. Questions will rightly continue
about whether the Chinese regime, attempting to use a communist command
structure to regulate a capitalist economy, can possibly endure. It is only a
few months since the Communist Party’s inadequate response to the early stages
of the pandemic appeared to be heralding major change. But for the short term,
China appears to have been able to right its ship, and to find the money to keep
its economy nicely afloat.
This could be a vital precondition for a cyclical upturn in the emerging
markets. They also need to contain the economic damage done by the pandemic, and
this is far from certain in major countries such as India and Brazil. And they
would be greatly helped by a further weakening of the dollar. Emerging
currencies have picked up a little in the last month, but would be helped by
much more dollar weakness.
If these preconditions can be met, however, the world is beginning to show the
symptoms of previous periods when China was in the ascendant. Along with strong
industrial metals, we also have a gold price that is as high as it was the last
time that China was stimulating with full force at the beginning of the last
decade. Nobody knows how long it can last, but it looks like the Chinese
economic machine might be able to drive one more economic cycle.