English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For April 07/2020
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani

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Bible Quotations For today

When you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go you and take you where you do not wish to go
John 21/15-19: “When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’ A second time he said to him, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Tend my sheep.’ He said to him the third time, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ And he said to him, ‘Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep. Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.’ (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, ‘Follow me.’

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on April 06-07/2021

Elias Bejjani/Visit My LCCC Web site/All That you need to know on Lebanese unfolding news and events in Arabic and English/http://eliasbejjaninews.com/

Ministry of Health: 2296 new infections, 36 deaths
Lebanon Receives Shipment of Sinopharm Vaccine
Lebanon Vaccine Rollout Neglects Refugees, Migrants, Says HRW
Hezbollah fugitive can't appeal over Hariri murder: Court
Rahi meets U.S. Ambassador
Report: Egypt, Arab League Join the Efforts to Solve Lebanese Govt Impasse
Israeli Troops Cross Technical Fence with Lebanon
Hariri to Meet Pope on April 22
BDL Agrees to Submit More Documents to Forensic Audit Firm
Macron Urged to Freeze 'Doubtful' Lebanese Assets
Bassil Yet to Travel to Paris, Hariri 'Doesn't Want to Meet Him'
Sarraf Hands Bitar 'Important Information, Documents' Linked to Port Blast
Fahmi Says Rahi’s Efforts to Ease Govt Deadlock were Helpful
Berri meets Department of Tenders’ Director General, cables his Jordanian counterpart
Virtual meeting between MoF, Central Bank representatives and ALVAREZ & MARSAL: Central Bank committed to audit
'A Space to Listen': Lebanese Tackle Crisis on Clubhouse

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on April 06-07/2021

Sudan Abolishes Israel Boycott Law
World powers, Iran, US launch indirect talks to revive nuclear deal
Iran wants US to lift all sanctions in ‘one step’ to revive the nuclear deal: Araqchi
White House not anticipating taking actions against Iran amid nuclear negotiations
World Health Day 2021: Together we can reach a fairer and healthier world
Recording emerges of heated exchange between Jordan’s Prince Hamzah and army chief
Jordan bans reporting on Prince Hamzah
Israeli President Rivlin grants Netanyahu mandate to form new government
Mysterious attack in the Red Sea
Arkansas becomes first state to outlaw gender-affirming treatment for trans youth
Donald Trump slides down 300 spots on Forbes list of world's billionaires
Turkey pursues soft expansion strategy in Mauritania and Sudan
Al-Qaeda affiliate attacks UN troops in Mali, 40 jihadists killed
U.S. 'Concerned' over 20-Year Jail Term for Saudi Aid Worker
 

Titles For The Latest The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on April 06-07/2021

The Iranian Equivocations and the Hackneyed Stratagems/Charles Elias Chartouni/April 06/2021
Erdogan claims rumblings of coup over letter signed by 104 naval officers/
Andrew Wilks/The National/April 06/ 2021
America and its military need a blockchain strategy/Trevor Logan/FDD/April 06/2021
Jordanians need to unite in this moment of crisis/Osama Al-Sharif/Arab News/April 06, 2021
When a much hailed 25-year strategic pact is simply a mirage/Rami Rayess/Alarabiya/April 06/2021
 

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on April 06-07/2021

Elias Bejjani/Visit My LCCC Web site/All That you need to know on Lebanese unfolding news and events in Arabic and English/http://eliasbejjaninews.com/

Ministry of Health: 2296 new infections, 36 deaths
NNA/April 06/2021
The Ministry of Public Health announced 2296 new coronavirus infection cases, which raises the cumulative number of confirmed cases to 482798.
36 deaths have been recorded over the past 24 hours.

Lebanon Receives Shipment of Sinopharm Vaccine
Naharnet/06 April ,2021
Lebanon received on Tuesday 50 thousand doses of the Chinese-developed Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine, the National News Agency said. A Qatar Airways plane carrying a shipment of the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine arrived at Beirut’s Rafik Hariri International Airport, added NNA.
In February, Lebanon started a mass vaccination campaign that Health Minister Hamad Hassan said would cover everyone living in the country regardless of their nationality. It aims to cover 80 per cent of the population by the end of the year but the rollout has been slow.

Lebanon Vaccine Rollout Neglects Refugees, Migrants, Says HRW
Agence France Presse/06 April ,2021
Lebanon's vaccine rollout is at risk of marginalising refugees and migrant workers who make up a third of the crisis-hit country's population, Human Rights Watch warned on Tuesday. "With one in three people in Lebanon a refugee or migrant, a third of the population risks being left behind in the vaccination plan," said HRW researcher Nadia Hardman. "The government needs to invest in targeted outreach to build trust with long-marginalised communities or the Covid-19 vaccination effort is doomed to fail." In February, Lebanon started a mass vaccination campaign that Health Minister Hamad Hassan said would cover everyone living in the country regardless of their nationality. It aims to cover 80 per cent of the population by the end of the year but the rollout has been slow. Only 233,934 doses have been administered as of April 5 mostly due to the limited quantity of vaccines available, HRW said.
"Only 2.86 percent of those vaccinated and 5.36 percent of those registered to receive vaccinations are non-Lebanese." More than 19,900 Palestinian refugees and health workers and 6,701 Syrian refugees are eligible in the first phase of the vaccine rollout, HRW said.
Citing data collected by the United Nations, it warned that "Syrian and Palestinian refugees have died from Covid-19 at a rate more than four and three times the national average, respectively," and urged authorities to ensure the equitable distribution of vaccines. Lebanon says it hosts more than 1.5 million Syrians, nearly a million of whom are registered as refugees with the UN. Official estimates put the number of Palestinian refugees in the country at 180,000 but the actual number could be as high as 500,000. Lebanon is also home to tens of thousands of foreign workers. The small Mediterranean country has recorded 480,502 coronavirus cases, 6,443 of them fatal. The pandemic piled new misery on a country already grappling with its worst economic crisis since the 1975-1990 civil war.  The World Bank has allocated $34 million to inoculate two million of Lebanon's six million inhabitants. The health ministry has allowed the private sector to import additional vaccines to speed up the process. As a result, "some politicians have already started securing vaccines for their constituents," HRW warned. This is "raising fears that the distribution of vaccines will be based on political affiliation". In February, authorities came under fire after 16 lawmakers jumped the vaccine queue and received secret jabs in parliament in violation of a World Bank agreement. "It has quickly become clear that there are serious gaps in the plan's implementation," Hardman said.

Hezbollah fugitive can't appeal over Hariri murder: Court
AFP/Published: 06 April ,2021
A fugitive Hezbollah suspect convicted of the assassination of Lebanon's former prime minister Rafic Hariri cannot appeal against the verdict until he turns himself in, a UN-backed court said Tuesday. Salim Ayyash was found guilty in absentia and sentenced to life imprisonment last year by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon in the Netherlands over the killing of Hariri in a suicide bombing in Beirut in 2005. The 57-year-old Ayyash remains on the run, with Hassan Nasrallah, the head of the Shiite Hezbollah movement, refusing to hand him over or to recognise the court's authority. Ayyash's defence team appealed against the decision in January but the court said on Tuesday that under its rules that he was not allowed to do so while still a fugitive from justice. "The legal framework for in absentia proceedings at the STL does not contemplate a defence appeal in absentia," the court said in a statement on the decision by a majority of the court's judges. "Counsel for Mr Ayyash have not been appointed nor accepted by Mr Ayyash, who absconded and has not been found. An arrest warrant against Mr Ayyash is outstanding." The court added that Ayyash under international law retained "the right to appeal the judgments if he appears, or request a retrial". Prosecutors have appealed against the acquittal of three other suspects -- also in absentia. Sunni billionaire politician Hariri was among 22 people killed in a huge truck bombing that also injured 226 others. Ayyash also faces a separate case at the tribunal for three attacks on politicians in Lebanon that is due to open in June. The United States in March offered a reward of $10 million to find Ayyash. The State Department said it would offer the reward for "information leading to the location or identification" of Ayyash or "information leading to preventing him from engaging in an act of international terrorism against a US person or US property."

Rahi meets U.S. Ambassador
NNA/06 April ,2021
Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rahi met Tuesday in Bkerki with U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon, Dorothy Shea, over the current general developments.

Report: Egypt, Arab League Join the Efforts to Solve Lebanese Govt Impasse
Naharnet/06 April ,2021
Lebanon is expected to receive this week the Arab League Assistant Secretary-General Hossam Zaki, and the Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shukri who will relay a message from the Egyptian President to his Lebanese counterpart, media reports said on Tuesday. Zaki is expected to arrive in Beirut on Thursday, according to reports. Meanwhile Shukri is to visit Beirut on Wednesday carrying a message from President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi to Lebanon’s President Michel Aoun. In preparation for Zaki’s visit, caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab discussed the preparations with Ambassador Abdel-Rahman Al-Solh. Cairo is joining the efforts aiming to facilitate the formation of a delayed government in Lebanon, since the resignation of Diab’s cabinet. The local TV channel MTV reported that Shukri will undertake an endeavor to overcome the obstacles facing the formation of a government. To this end, he will meet with a number of Lebanese figures, including Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri.

Israeli Troops Cross Technical Fence with Lebanon
Naharnet/06 April ,2021
Israeli troops crossed the technical fence in Kroum al-Sharaqi region in the outskirts of Meis al-Jabal, and combed the area without violating the Blue Line, the National News Agency reported on Tuesday. NNA said an Israeli unit composed of 20 soldiers, crossed the technical fence that separates between the Lebanese and occupied Palestinian territory. They combed the disputed area and inspected it without crossing the Blue Line, added NNA.

Hariri to Meet Pope on April 22
Naharnet/06 April ,2021
Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri was informed Tuesday by Papal Ambassador to Lebanon, Monsignor Joseph Spiteri, that Pope Francis will meet him at the Vatican on April 22, Hariri’s press office said.
Hariri had requested the meeting around two weeks ago, the office added. The PM-designate’s schedule will also include a meeting with the Vatican’s Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the press office said.

BDL Agrees to Submit More Documents to Forensic Audit Firm
Naharnet/06 April ,2021
Representatives of Banque du Liban -- Lebanon’s central bank -- met Tuesday via Zoom with officials from the Finance Ministry and Alvarez & Marsal and agreed to provide the New York-based firm with more documents and information to allow it to conduct a forensic audit requested by the Lebanese government, the National News Agency said. The meeting was also attended by the government’s commissioner to the central bank. “During the meeting, it was stressed that BDL’s central council is committed to the auditing process and to carrying out a series of steps as of Friday and until the end of the month, which will be related to providing the documents and information requested by the A&M firm after the law lifting banking secrecy was approved,” NNA said. Below are the key points agreed during the meeting:

“1. The central bank shall provide the government’s commissioner with updated information by Friday, 9/04/2021 at the latest, and it shall specify the documents whose preparation time would exceed the end of April.
The central bank shall begin collecting the needed documents so that they be available to the government’s commissioner, and which will be handed over to the A&M firm upon the reactivation of the contract signed with it.”
The conferees also agreed to maintain communication in order to “reactivate the forensic audit file and evaluate the ongoing progress.”

Macron Urged to Freeze 'Doubtful' Lebanese Assets
Agence France Presse/06 April ,2021
President Emmanuel Macron should freeze suspect assets held by Lebanese officials in France to break a "political-economic mafia" that has plunged Lebanon into crisis and misery, an open letter said Tuesday. Macron called for radical reform in Lebanon after a deadly Beirut port blast and has expressed exasperation at the lack of change, as the former French mandate territory remains mired in political stalemate. Analysts have said that sanctions such as asset freezes could be the most effective lever for Paris to pressure Beirut, even if France has so far not explicitly indicated it is ready for such a measure. Macron should issue instructions "with a view to implementing the legal mechanism for freezing assets of doubtful origin held in France by Lebanese political and economic leaders," said the letter published in France's Le Monde daily signed by more than 100 Lebanese civil society figures. It said that a "political-economic mafia is responsible for the misery, hunger and insecurity from which more and more Lebanese suffer." The letter suggested that such a legal process should draw on the precedent set over ill-gotten assets owned in France by some African leaders and former Syrian vice president Rifaat al-Assad.
"This endemic corruption on a grand scale has scandalously enriched Lebanese political leaders" by emptying the treasury and embezzling aid sent after the civil war, the letter alleged. It was signed by lawyers, doctors, journalists and activists, including prominent political scientist Karim Emile Bitar, former Lebanese culture minister and U.N. Libya envoy Ghassan Salame and former MP and TV host Paula Yacoubian. The letter was drafted after French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said in March that "the time has come" to raise international pressure on Lebanon to form a government. Lebanon's prime minister-designate Saad Hariri and President Michel Aoun again failed last month to agree on a new government cabinet after months of deadlock, as the country sinks deeper into economic crisis. A steep depreciation of the Lebanese pound along with an explosion of poverty and unemployment have eroded purchasing power and fueled anger among the population. The outgoing government of premier Hassan Diab resigned in the wake of an August 4 explosion at Beirut's port that killed more than 200 people and sparked protests against the entrenched ruling class. The development comes after media reports said Macron would meet Wednesday with Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil who was hit with U.S. sanctions in November last year.

Bassil Yet to Travel to Paris, Hariri 'Doesn't Want to Meet Him'
Naharnet/06 April ,2021
Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassi is still in Lebanon and did not travel Tuesday to Paris, contrary to the latest media reports, sources close to him said. Bassil has however “received an invitation from the Elysee to visit Paris and his travel is hinging on a phone call to inform him of the date of a meeting whose nature is yet to be defined,” the sources told LBCI TV. “He has not sought the meeting or the visit and he does not need a mediator with the French side, seeing as he is in constant contact with the French,” the sources added. Elysee Palace press office sources meanwhile declined to confirm or deny whether Bassil will visit Paris. French President Emmanuel Macron’s advisers Emmanuel Bonne, Patrick Durel and Bernard Émié are meanwhile “exerting daily efforts” and communicating with the Lebanese parties that met with Macron in 2020 at the Pine Residence, LBCI added.
Sources close to PM-designate Saad Hariri meanwhile told MTV that Hariri “does not want to meet” with Bassil, seeing as the cabinet formation negotiations should be with President Michel Aoun and not with Bassil. “Hariri is convinced that meeting Bassil in Paris will not lead to any result,” the sources added. “Let President Aoun give up the one-third-plus-one share now and the government will be formed now,” the sources said.

Sarraf Hands Bitar 'Important Information, Documents' Linked to Port Blast
Naharnet/06 April ,2021
Former defense minster Yacoub Sarraf on Tuesday testified before Judge Tarek al-Bitar, the lead investigative judge in the Beirut port blast case. In a statement, Sarraf said he had personally requested to testify in order to unveil “important information” that he possesses regarding the case.
He added that he handed Bitar a file containing information and documents that he had collected, hoping his contribution will lead to “unveiling the facts and holding accountable those responsible for the crime and those who were negligent.”Sarraf added that he is willing to help Judge al-Bitar in anything that he might request.

Fahmi Says Rahi’s Efforts to Ease Govt Deadlock were Helpful
Naharnet/06 April ,2021
Caretaker Interior Minister Mohammed Fahmi met with Patriarch Beshara el-Rahi on Tuesday and voiced “optimism” on the government formation. After their meeting in Bkirki, Fahmi said: “I am optimistic, we should all be optimistic. The Patriarch's efforts (to ease the government deadlock) have opened a gap in the government (impasse) file.”He said the security situation in Lebanon was under full control, pointing out that security apparatuses always conduct pre-emptive security measures to prevent chaos.

Berri meets Department of Tenders’ Director General, cables his Jordanian counterpart
NNA/06 April ,2021
Speaker of the House, Nabih Berri, on Tuesday cabled his Jordanian counterpart, Abdel Moneim Al-Awdat, condemning any attempt to undermine the security and stability of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. "On my personal behalf and on behalf of the Lebanese Parliament, we affirm our keenness on the stability of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,” Speaker Berri stated in his cable, adding: "We take the opportunity to reaffirm the strengthening of cooperation relations between the two parliament councils in the various legislative and diplomatic fields in the interest of both countries and peoples.” On the other hand, Berri received in Ain el-Tineh, the Director General of the Department of Tenders, Jean Ellieh. Berri also met with His Eminence Ayatollah Sayyed Ali al-Sistani’s Bureau Chief in Lebanon, Hajj Hamid al-Khafaf.

Virtual meeting between MoF, Central Bank representatives and ALVAREZ & MARSAL: Central Bank committed to audit
NNA/06 April ,2021
The Ministry of Finance held a virtual meeting through "Zoom" that brought together representatives from the Ministry of Finance, the Central Bank of Lebanon, and the forensic audit company Alvarez & Marsal, in addition to the government commissioner to the Central Bank.
During the meeting, the Central Council of the Central Bank affirmed the latter's commitment to the audit process and to taking several steps, as of next Friday and until the end of the month, related to securing the documents and information required for A&M, especially after passing the law to lift banking secrecy.

'A Space to Listen': Lebanese Tackle Crisis on Clubhouse
Agence France Presse/06 April ,2021
In a break from social media mud-slinging and Lebanon's perennially polarised debates, audio app Clubhouse is hosting a new kind of conversation in the crisis-hit country. Users say it is achieving a little miracle: free-wheeling political discussions across party lines which don't descend into blows. Lebanese both at home and abroad have welcomed the break from the acrimony dominating TV and social media platforms. "Clubhouse helped people on opposing ends of the political spectrum understand each other's perspectives," said Paula Naoufal, a 25-year-old journalist active on the app.
"It gave people a space to listen, unlike Twitter and Instagram, which aren't as interactive." The live audio app, launched nearly a year ago, is accessible only on Apple mobile devices -- but the coronavirus pandemic has boosted its popularity in the Middle East.
Syrian users have used it to discuss the 10-year-old conflict and life in exile, while Saudis tackle political reform, racism and transgender rights, despite growing fears of state surveillance. In cash-strapped Lebanon, Clubhouse is a something of a premium service, with an iPhone costing more than ten times the minimum monthly wage. But experts, journalists and expats active in its virtual "rooms" say they are carving out a space for constructive conversation between people who either never engage with each other or are usually at odds. "Clubhouse has become a safe space for people to hear each other and more importantly learn from each other and about each other," said Joe Khawly, a Lebanese journalist living in Washington DC. "It's creating a space where people from different religions and political affiliations are able to virtually meet and talk directly."
- Out of the bubble -
Unlike other social media platforms curated by algorithms, Clubhouse avoids echo chambers. A wide range of participants with radically different leanings chat in real time on a gamut of topics, including Lebanon's long list of woes.
The small Mediterranean country has been hit by a succession of crises that have exacerbated political divides among backers of traditional factions and created a growing movement demanding the removal of the entire ruling class. Wissam Fakih, a Lebanese expat also living in Washington, said Clubhouse had helped her understand the views of young Lebanese who still support established parties. Some "are trying to seek a way out or to seek reforms from their own side of the narrative," the TV producer told AFP.
Fakih gave the example of a Clubhouse talk on the reforms needed to stem Lebanon's financial crunch. Participants discussed the need for a new cabinet, nearly eight months since premier Hassan Diab handed in his resignation. To Fakih's surprise, party loyalists in the conversation veered away from the narratives deployed by their leaders. "Everyone seemed to agree that the new cabinet needs technocrats, otherwise we are falling into the same trap" as in previous administrations, she said.
'Yearning for connection' 
Lebanon is reeling from the triple blow of the coronavirus pandemic, an economic collapse and last year's cataclysmic explosion at Beirut port -- meaning there is no shortage of hot topics for debate. Chat rooms on Clubhouse include "No one is coming to save us" and "What's on the table for change in Lebanon?" Another tackles the wrangling between premier-designate Saad Hariri and president Michel Aoun over forming a government: "Between Hariri and Aoun: with or against?" And with strict coronavirus restrictions in place since January robbing the Lebanese of one of their favourite pastimes, many say Clubhouse is helping satisfy their hunger for real talk. Ali Fawaz, who runs online writing service The Write Words, said "the app surfaced - out of nowhere - at an ideal time. Everyone in Lebanon was yearning for connection and conversation." The 28-year-old said Clubhouse allowed him raw access to politicians and pundits, including a former minister, who are usually inaccessible to the public. "Clubhouse truly hit home for me because of the unadulterated, unfiltered conversation you get to have with public personalities," Fawaz said. "It's by far the closest encounter I've had with a lot of these people, who have chequered pasts and who have never been questioned for it."

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on April 06-07/2021

Sudan Abolishes Israel Boycott Law
Agence France Presse/06 April ,2021
Sudan's cabinet approved a bill Tuesday abolishing a 1958 law on boycotting Israel, after Khartoum and Israel struck a deal to normalize ties. "The council of ministers approved a bill repealing the 1958 boycott of Israel law," it said in a statement. It also emphasized "Sudan's firm position on the establishment of a Palestinian state within the framework of a two-state solution." The 1958 law was in line with the policies of Arab nations at the time towards Israel. Penalties for those who violated its stipulations, such as trading with Israelis, included up to 10 years in jail and a hefty fine. But the political landscape has changed as Sudan, along with Gulf countries and Morocco, have built bridges with the Jewish state in deals mediated by the administration of former US president Donald Trump. Sudan agreed to normalize ties with Israel in October last year, in a quid pro quo for Washington removing the country from its "state sponsors of terrorism" blacklist months later. Khartoum maintained a rigid anti-Israel stance during the three-decade Islamist rule of former president Omar al-Bashir, who was ousted amid mass protests in April 2019.  A post-Bashir transitional government has been pushing for re-integration with the international community and to rebuild the country's economy after decades of US sanctions and internal conflict. The bill will be presented for final approval from the country's ruling Sovereign Council, made up of military and civilian figures, before it is passed into law.

World powers, Iran, US launch indirect talks to revive nuclear deal
Reuters/06 April ,2021
European intermediaries began shuttling between Iranian and U.S. officials in Vienna on Tuesday as they sought to bring both countries back into full compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal that Washington abandoned three years ago. Iran has steadily overstepped the accord's limits on its nuclear programme in response to the United States' withdrawal from the accord under then-President Donald Trump in 2018 and its reimposition of sanctions that have crippled the Islamic Republic's economy. While Tehran has repeatedly rebuffed "direct and indirect negotiations" with its old foe, Washington said on Monday it expected the discussions to be difficult. Neither side expected any early breakthrough. Even without face-to-face talks, however, the presence of both Iran and the United States in the same location marks a step forward. "We are confident that we are on the right track, and if America's will, seriousness and honesty is proven, it could be a good sign for a better future for this agreement," Iranian government spokesman Ali Rabiei told reporters. The remaining parties to the deal briefly met at a Viennese hotel for preparatory talks in the Austrian capital, where the pact was originally reached in 2015. Russia's envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Mikhail Ulyanov, said after the meeting that the parties had tasked two expert-level groups on sanctions-lifting and nuclear issues to identify concrete measures to move forward. The experts were set to begin technical work later on Tuesday with the aim of marrying lists of sanctions that the United States could lift with nuclear obligations Iran should meet. "The restoration of #JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or nuclear deal) will not happen immediately. It will take some time. How long? Nobody knows. The most important thing after today’s meeting of the Joint Commission is that practical work towards achieving this goal has started," Ulyanov tweeted.
INTERMEDIARIES
Officials from Britain, France and Germany will act as intermediaries between Iran and the United States, shuttling between both delegations. Russia and China, also part of the accord, are present as well.
The U.S. delegation, headed by special envoy Rob Malley and sanctions expert Richard Nephew, are based in a nearby hotel. "This is going to involve discussions about identifying the steps that the U.S. has to take and identifying the steps that Iran is going to have to take," Malley told NPR radio on Tuesday morning. President Joe Biden's administration wants to revive the accord but says this requires negotiations. Tehran has dismissed any direct engagement for now in talks with Washington. Under the 2015 accord, U.S. and other economic sanctions on Tehran were removed in return for curbs on Iran’s nuclear programme to make it harder to develop a nuclear weapon. Tehran has long denied it is enriching uranium for any other purpose than civilian nuclear energy.
CHALLENGES
Highlighting the difficulties of getting a breakthrough, Majid Takht-Ravanchi, Iran's envoy to the United Nations and a former nuclear negotiator, put the onus on Washington. "The US has so far failed to honor @POTUS campaign promise to rejoin the JCPOA. So this opportunity shouldn't be wasted," he said on Twitter. "If US lifts all sanctions, Iran will then cease all remedial measures." Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say on all state matters, has opposed any gradual easing of sanctions. Diplomats said the talks could continue for several days to resolve some of the less contentious issues before resuming in several rounds over the coming weeks. The objective is some form of an accord ahead of June's Iranian presidential election, an EU official said, although Iranian and U.S. officials have said there is no rush. The Biden administration has also said it wants to build a "longer and stronger agreement" that would deal with other issues, including Iran's long-term nuclear programme, its development of ballistic missiles, and its support for proxy forces across the Middle East. "But we're much better off talking about all of that if we could at least put the current nuclear issue to the side and not have to worry every day about what the latest Iranian announcement will be," Malley told NPR. Ali Shamkhani, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, dismissed that option on Twitter. "Regardless of whether Europe has the will or ability to persuade #USA to lift all sanctions at once & Washington's return to its commitments, there will be no possibility for Iran entering talks in the new fields, more than JCPOA, under any circumstances."

Iran wants US to lift all sanctions in ‘one step’ to revive the nuclear deal: Araqchi
Tuqa Khalid, Al Arabiya English/06 April ,2021
Iran wants the United States to lift all sanctions against it in “one step” to revive the 2015 nuclear deal, Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Abbas Araqchi said on Tuesday. “They (Americans) have left the JCPOA, and they have imposed sanctions. So obviously if they want to come back, they will have to lift all those sanctions, all together, in one step,” Araqchi, deputy foreign minister for political affairs, told Press TV. Arqachi insisted that Tehran would not suspend its enrichment of uranium to 20 percent fissile purity in return for the release of $1 billion of its funds blocked in other countries because of US sanctions reimposed on Iran since 2018. Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh reiterated that if Washington wanted to rescue the deal, it "must terminate the entire nuclear sanctions all at once." Iran and the US began indirect talks through European intermediaries in Vienna on Tuesday to revive the deal that Iran agreed in 2015 with six world powers - the United States, France, Britain, Russia, Germany and China. Since taking office in January, President Joe Biden has taken steps, perceived as extending an olive branch to Iran, to revive talks over the nuclear deal which has unraveled since his predecessor Trump pulled the US out of the agreement in 2018. Biden reversed Trump’s determination that all UN sanctions against Iran had been restored and the State Department eased stringent restrictions on the domestic travel of Iranian diplomats in New York. Yet, Tehran adamantly demanded that all Trump-era sanctions on Iran be lifted before taking any real action to return to the deal. The regime repeatedly made threats of upping their nuclear activities, effectively “turning up the heat” on Biden, trying to get as many concessions from Washington as possible before taking any real action.
- With Reuters

White House not anticipating taking actions against Iran amid nuclear negotiations
Tuqa Khalid, Al Arabiya English/06 April ,2021
US President Joe Biden’s administration is not anticipating taking any actions against Iran during ongoing negotiations to revive the 2015 nuclear deal, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said on Tuesday. “We are not anticipating taking any steps at this moment. We will allow the negotiations to continue,” she said in response to a question on whether the White House’s position remained one of no lifting sanctions until Iran complies with nuclear restrictions under the deal. Iran and the US began indirect talks through European intermediaries in Vienna on Tuesday to revive the deal that Iran agreed in 2015 with six world powers - the United States, France, Britain, Russia, Germany and China. Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Abbas Araqchi said on Tuesday Tehran wants Washington to lift all sanctions against it in “one step” to revive the deal. “They (Americans) have left the JCPOA, and they have imposed sanctions. So obviously if they want to come back, they will have to lift all those sanctions, all together, in one step,” Araqchi, deputy foreign minister for political affairs, told Press TV.

World Health Day 2021: Together we can reach a fairer and healthier world
NNA/06 April ,2021
On 7 April 2021, World Health Day will be commemorated globally, under the theme “Together for a fairer, healthier world”. On this occasion, the World Health Organization (WHO) calls for urgent action to eliminate health inequities and mobilize action to attain better health for all and leave no one behind. Inequities have always existed. Despite improvements in health outcomes globally and in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, these gains have not been shared equally across different countries or communities. The COVID-19 pandemic has had grave consequences for people already experiencing inequities. The pandemic has disproportionately impacted those people already socially, economically, or geographically disadvantaged, and evidence shows a worsening trend of dispararities and inequity across the Region. "Health is a fundamental human right. Every person deserves to live a healthy life regardless of their age, gender, ethnicity, disability, economic situation or employment. Progress in tackling health disparities has been slow worldwide, including in the Region in which many countries are experiencing emergencies and conflict and we have the largest number of displaced people in the world," said Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari, WHO, Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean. In addition to conflict, several factors contribute to inequities such as poverty, unemployment, environmental challenges, gender inequalities, and most recently, the COVID-19 pandemic. All of these factors and others have a negative affect on the provision of services to communities and ultimately on their health and well-being. Working to tackle the root causes of inequity, last week, the WHO Regional Office launched the report of the Commission on Social Determinants of Health in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. "This report provides detailed analysis of inequities among and within countries of the Region and recommends fairer policies and actions to achieve health equity. I call on all our partners and stakeholders to take these recommendations forward and ensure that no one is left behind," added Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari. On World Health Day 2021, WHO is calling on leaders to monitor health inequalities and address their root causes to ensure that everyone has access to the living and working conditions that are conducive to good health and to quality health services where and when they need them, and to invest in primary health care to achieve health for all by all. The WHO Regional Director noted that the regional“Vision 2023: Health for all by all: a call for action and solidarity”, was aligned with this year’s theme and that achieving health for all by all was essential to meet the challenges of today and to build the resilience of tomorrow.
 

Recording emerges of heated exchange between Jordan’s Prince Hamzah and army chief
Tuqa Khalid, Al Arabiya English/06 April ,2021
An audio recording emerged on several social media platforms seemingly of a heated exchange between Jordan’s former Crown Prince Hamza bin Hussein and the country’s army chief, amid one of the worst crises the Jordanian palace has seen in decades. According to the recording, chief-of-staff General Youssef Huneiti can be heard asking the Crown Prince to avoid posting on social media and avoid speaking publicly at social occasions, as that causes “people to talk.” Al Arabiya English could not independently verify the authenticity of the audio recording. However, the prince’s voice is recognizable, and the recorded exchange is in line with the video message Hamza released through the BBC on Saturday, in which he said he was under house arrest and had been told to stay at home and not to contact anyone. “I'm asking his royal highness starting from today to stop attending these events, stop meeting with these people... and stick to family visits, and that there be no tweets,” Huneiti said. Hamza is then heard asking for the men to bring around the army chief’s car. “You come to me, telling me what to do and what not to do… in my country. You’re coming to threaten me… What is this? You’re telling me not to go out to see people… Are the security services threatening me?” the prince said. Huneiti replied: “We are not threatening.” Hamza responded: “Mismanagement of the country is my fault? The failure taking place is my fault? … You come to my house to tell me the heads of security services are threatening me? Don’t leave your house, don’t see anyone but your family and don’t tweet?”
“Sir, get in your car and leave,” he said.
“Excuse me. I respect you and your organization. But you do not speak to me in this manner… Get in your car and get out of this house.” He added: “I am a free Jordanian, the son of my father (King Hussein). I have the right to mix with my people, people of my country, and to serve my country, as I promised him and swore to him when he was on his deathbed.”The Crown Prince asked the army chief: “Where were you 20 years ago? I was a Crown Prince by orders of my father, may he rest in peace. I vowed to him to continue serving my country and my people as long as I lived.”
The army chief responded: “Sir, we are not threatening you. We’re telling you, you have crossed red lines.”"Next time, don't come and threaten me in my house. The house of Hussein. God help you," the Crown Prince ended the conversation saying. Hamza had said earlier in the week he was given a warning from the Chief of Staff of the Jordanian Armed Forces, the Chief of Police, and the Chief of Security Services that he should not leave his house, that he could only visit family, that he could not tweet, and that he could not communicate with people. He also stressed that he was not part of any foreign conspiracy and denounced the ruling system as corrupt. The former Crown Prince had been told to halt actions used to target the country's "security and stability", the military said earlier on Saturday. In a statement published on the state news agency, it said this was part of a broader, ongoing security investigation in which a former minister, a member of the royal family and unnamed others were detained. Army chief Yusef Huneity denied reports that Prince Hamza had been arrested but said he was told to "stop activities that are being exploited to target Jordan's security and stability". He did not specify what such actions were.
- With Agencies

Jordan bans reporting on Prince Hamzah
The National/April 06/2021
The move comes a day after Prince Hamzah bin Hussein signed a letter affirming loyalty to King Abdullah
Jordan’s public prosecutor on Tuesday banned all coverage of a rift between King Abdullah II and his half-brother Prince Hamzah bin Hussein. Discussion of the royal feud in local news, online or on social media is now banned, Public Prosecutor Hassan Al Abdallat said on Tuesday.
This was to “preserve the secrecy of the investigations conducted by the security services into the associates of Prince Hamzah,” he said. The authorities on Saturday night arrested 16 people, including the former chief of the royal court Bassem Awadallah and royal family member Sharif Hassan Ben Zaid.
The announcement came hours after Prince Hamzah, who is accused of destabilising the state, signed a letter pledging loyalty to King Abdullah. Separately, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan delivered a message of support from Riyadh in a meeting with his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Al Safadi, Jordan’s foreign minister said on Tuesday.  Jordan’s public prosecutor on Tuesday banned all coverage of a rift between King Abdullah II and his half-brother Prince Hamzah bin Hussein. Discussion of the royal feud in local news, online or on social media is now banned, Public Prosecutor Hassan Al Abdallat said on Tuesday. This was to “preserve the secrecy of the investigations conducted by the security services into the associates of Prince Hamzah,” he said. The authorities on Saturday night arrested 16 people, including the former chief of the royal court Bassem Awadallah and royal family member Sharif Hassan Ben Zaid. The announcement came hours after Prince Hamzah, who is accused of destabilising the state, signed a letter pledging loyalty to King Abdullah. Separately, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan delivered a message of support from Riyadh in a meeting with his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Al Safadi, Jordan’s foreign minister said on Tuesday. Mr Al Safadi said that the meeting affirmed solidarity between the two nations. He also said that Mr bin Farhan arrived in Riyadh on Monday. “The ministers affirmed that the security and stability of the two nations are indivisible and they stand together to face all challenges,” a statement from the Jordanian Foreign Ministry read. Mr Al Safadi is also the deputy prime minister and on Sunday used a news conference to lay out the accusations against Prince Hamzah and the 16 associates who were arrested by officials. The former crown prince was not arrested or detained, officials said, although the military ordered him to stop taking action that could be used to harm the stability of the nation.
 

Israeli President Rivlin grants Netanyahu mandate to form new government
David Rosenberg/Arutz Sheva/April 06/2021
President Rivlin grants Netanyahu mandate to form new government
Israel's president taps Netanyahu candidate to try to form government and serve additional term as Prime Minister. Israeli President Reuven Rivlin has tasked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Tuesday with forming a new government. Rivlin announced Tuesday afternoon that he has decided to grant Netanyahu a mandate for the premiership, following consultations with representatives of parties from the incoming 24th Knesset. Rivlin’s nomination will grant Netanyahu selected a 28-day mandate to attempt to cobble together a governing coalition with the support of at least 61 MKs. The results of the consultations, that were open to all, lead me to believe that no candidate has a realistic chance of forming a government that will have the confidence of the Knesset,” Rivlin said during the opening of his announcement Tuesday afternoon. “In fact, if the law would allow me to do so, I would give the decision back to the representatives of the people, to the Knesset. But as I have said, I cannot do so according to law. In the position in which we find ourselves today, the law obliges me to entrust one of the candidates with forming a government."
"After consulting with the representatives of all the factions in the Knesset, the following picture has emerged: 52 MKs requested that I entrust MK Benjamin Netanyahu with forming a government. 45 MKs requested that I entrust MK Yair Lapid with forming a government. 7 MKs requested that I entrust MK Naftali Bennett with forming a government. 16 MKs did not make any recommendation to me."
Netanyahu, Rivlin continued, has a "slightly higher chance" of being able to form a government, thus the president is compelled to turn to him with the mandate.On Monday, Rivlin met with representatives from all 13 parties in the incoming Knesset, and received their recommendations for the premiership. "I know the position held by many, that the president should not give the role to a candidate that is facing criminal charges, but according to the law and the decision of the courts, a prime minister can continue in his role even when he is facing charges. Moreover, the question of giving the role to a candidate facing criminal charges was one of intense political and public disagreement over the recent election campaigns. Because of that, I believed that the president should avoid deciding based on that consideration out of a sense of responsibility for the institution of the presidency and the trust in which it is held by all parts of the people. The President of the State of Israel is not a substitute for the legislature or for the judiciary. It is the role of the Knesset to decide on the substantive and ethical question of the fitness of a candidate facing criminal charges to serve as prime minister."
"Given this state of affairs, when there is no majority of 61 Knesset Members supporting a particular candidate, and without additional considerations indicating the chances of the candidates to form a government, I have come to a decision based on the numbers of recommendations, which indicates that MK Benjamin Netanyahu has a slightly higher chance of forming a government. Accordingly, I have decided to entrust him with the task of doing so."
Currently, no candidate has secured the support of a majority of MKs. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is backed by 52 MKs, including the Likud, Shas, United Torah Judaism, and Religious Zionist parties.
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid of the Yesh Atid party is backed by 45 MKs, including Yesh Atid, Blue and White, Labor, Yisrael Beytenu, and Meretz. Yamina chief MK Naftali Bennett has the backing of his own party’s seven MKs. Sixteen MKs have refused to endorse any candidate, with the New Hope party, the United Arab List and Joint Arab List all refusing to back a candidate. If Netanyahu is unable to form a government with the backing of 61 MKs within the 28-day period allotted, President Rivlin is authorized to grant up to 14 days in extensions or to retract the mandate. If the mandate returns to the president, he can select another candidate or turn to the Knesset, giving the legislature a deadline for finding a candidate who can receive the backing of a majority of MKs.
 

Mysterious attack in the Red Sea
Arutz Sheva/April 06/2021
Intelligence ship linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guards reportedly attacked
The ship which was allegedly attacked, the Saviz, is reportedly an intelligence vessel linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guards. The alleged attack took place off the coast of Yemen. Iran and Israel have reportedly targeted each other's ships recently. Last month, the Wall Street Journal reported that Israel has been targeting Iranian oil shipments to Syria since as early as 2019. According to the report, the attacks were carried out using a variety of weaponry that has been confirmed to include naval mines as well as other, more advanced techniques. This comes as a larger part of Israel’s undeclared war against Iranian assets of all kinds in Syria. Israel has, until now, practiced a policy of strict nondisclosure on the matter. It is suspected that this revelation is motivated by the Biden administration’s attempts to draft a Middle East policy. Also last month, an Israeli-owned container ship was attacked by an Iranian missile in the Arabian Sea. There were no casualties, but the ship was damaged. The ship was on its way from Tanzania to India. The ship's crew decided to continue sailing to India where an assessment of the damage would be conducted. The Israeli government believes that this was a deliberate Iranian attack, in retaliation for another attack on an Iranian ship about two weeks earlier off the coast of Syria

Arkansas becomes first state to outlaw gender-affirming treatment for trans youth
CNN/April 06/2021
Arkansas became the first state in the US to prohibit physicians from providing gender-affirming treatment for trans people under age 18 after the state's General Assembly voted Tuesday to override the governor's veto of an anti-trans bill that he called a "vast government overreach."
The state's Republican-controlled House voted to override Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson's veto of HB 1570 Tuesday afternoon, with the Republican-controlled Senate doing the same shortly after. The action was swiftly denounced by LGBTQ advocates, who vowed to mount a legal challenge against the law.

Donald Trump slides down 300 spots on Forbes list of world's billionaires
Dan Verbin/Arutz Sheva/April 06/2021
Trump’s wealth reportedly decreased by one third while he was president. During the same period, the S&P 500 increased by seventy percent. Former President Donald Trump has fallen hard in the annual Forbes ranking of the world’s billionaires, tumbling 300 spots. According to the business magazine, Trump’s wealth decreased by nearly one third during his time in the White House, from $3.5 billion to $2.4 billion. During the same period, the S&P 500 increased by seventy percent. The S&P is a stock market index that measures the performance of 500 large companies on American stock exchanges. If Trump had sold all his assets on his first day in office, paid capital gains taxes on all of it, then put all that money into an investment fund tracking the S&P, he would have come out of the presidency $1.6 billion wealthier than he currently is, Forbes reported. Trump’s current estimated net worth of $2.4 billion puts him in the 1,299 spot on the Forbes Billionaires List. Last year Trump was sitting in the 1,001 spot. While Trump is actually richer this year than he was last year, when the pandemic economy was in free fall, his rivals have made so much money in the past year that Trump has been surpassed.

Turkey pursues soft expansion strategy in Mauritania and Sudan
The Arab Weekly/April 06/2021
ANKARA – Turkey is seeking to fill the vacuum left by the boycotting countries’ dwindling interest in both Mauritania and Sudan after the reconciliation process set in motion by the Al-Ula summit in Saudi Arabia this January. The boycotting countries, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt, later known as the boycotting quartet, had in June 2017 suspended diplomatic and economic ties with Qatar. They have since opted for reconciliation with Doha and its allies after the Gulf Cooperation Council agreement in Al-Ula. In recent days, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan invited the president of the Sovereignty Council in Sudan, Abdel Fattah Burhan, and Mauritanian President Muhammad Ould Ghazouani to visit Ankara, in a step that illustrates a Turkish strategy of soft expansion in the two countries.To attract Nouakchott and Khartoum, the Turks have focused on promises of investments and new projects. These promises resonated with officials in the two countries after Khartoum and Nouakchott failed to gain the support that they were expecting when they backed the boycotting quartet against Qatar, Turkey and the Muslim Brotherhood.
Turkey is seeking to draw the lessons from its approach towards Sudan, which ended in its humiliating exclusion after the fall of Omar Bashir’s regime. This time, Ankara wants to play a political, economic and cultural role that will withstand any political turbulence.
Sudan did receive Gulf support in the post-revolutionary period after the fall of Islamist ally Omar Bashir. However, the internal complications during Sudan’s transitional phase lowered the enthusiasm of Khartoum’s Gulf backers, who found themselves drawn toward other priorities, including the Gulf reconciliation process, normalisation of relations with Israel and the repercussions of Joe Biden’s accession to the presidency in the United States. Mauritania obtained support for vital development sectors in the country, especially in its fight against terrorism and radical Islamist currents, including the Muslim Brotherhood, during the rule of former President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, who espoused the cause of anti-Islamism.
Observers say Turkey wants to benefit from the dissatisfaction of the Mauritanians and the Sudanese with their Gulf donors. However, it will not be confine itself to making promises to Nouakchott and Khartoum, especially since the cost of projects in the two countries is relatively low and provides opportunities for Turkish companies to promote their cultural and religious presence through aid programmes as Ankara tries to restore the influence it lost over the past few years. The Sudanese Sovereignty Council said that President Burhan, received Friday an invitation from Recep Tayyip Erdogan to visit Turkey. On Sunday, Turkish Vice-President Fuad Oktay invited the Mauritanian president to visit Ankara when both met at the Diori Hamani International Airport in Niger’s capital Niamey, after attending the inauguration of President Mohammad Bazum.
The Turks are working to return to Sudan and regain the influence they lost with the fall of Bashir, as they try to win back the 2018 agreement on the island of Suakin, which would have provided them with a vital location on the Red Sea. Until now, Turkish officials have been satisfied with making various aid promises to Sudan without any new expression of interest in Suakin, in a gradual strategy that prepares the ground for a positive Sudanese response.
In Mauritania, Ankara’s efforts to infiltrate Mauritanian society have doubled since Erdogan’s visit there in February 2018. These efforts were crowned by the signing of several agreements between the two countries in the fields of minerals, fishing, maritime economy and tourism, in addition to a memorandum of understanding in the field of agriculture and an agreement on protecting and promoting investments between the two countries. The visit, the first of its kind by a Turkish president seemed to open the door to Turkish interests in Mauritania, which is located in a strategic area on the Atlantic Ocean and on a gateway to sub-Saharan Africa. There is no doubt that Turkey’s most recent invitation to the Mauritanian president is part of drive to establish closer ties with the current leadership in Nouakchott, as well as a bid to exploit the economic crisis that Mauritania faces on top of its chronic lack of resources.
Turkey also seeks to enhance its presence in the country through religious charity projects such as the training of imams and through charitable organisations. Although relatively limited in scope, the activities of these charities are used by Turkey to boost its reputation. Much like the donation of small number of chicken to Tunisian farmers in recent weeks, Turkish organisations found propaganda value in food parcels they provided Monday to 300 Mauritanian families on the eve of Ramadan.
Last September, the Mauritanian government began work to establish a training centre for imams and preachers with the aim of “improving their oratory skills and academic standards,” according to the ministry of Islamic affairs. Turkey has also channelled its soft power through the educational sector in Mauritania by a number of projects including efforts aimed at encouraging Mauritanian students to study in Turkish universities. Observers point out that Ankara’s bet on Mauritania and Sudan has another goal, which is to use the two countries as a gateway for Turkey as it seeks to widen it influence in the African continent and to compete with international powers in the countries of the Sahel and east Africa.

Al-Qaeda affiliate attacks UN troops in Mali, 40 jihadists killed
The Arab Weekly/April 06/2021
BAMAKO--More than 40 jihadists, including a senior commander, were killed last week after they attacked United Nations peacekeepers in northern Mali, the UN force MINUSMA said on Monday. A UN source previously said about 20 of around 100 assailants were killed in a three-hour counter-attack after they raided a camp of Chadian peacekeepers, leaving four troops dead. But on Monday, MINUSMA chief Mahamat Saleh Annadif said a search of the battlefield on Sunday and Monday showed that the death toll among the attackers was roughly twice this number. “As of today, we have counted more than 40 dead terrorists, including a right-hand man to Iyad Ag Ghaly, by the name of Abdallaye Ag Albaka,” Annadif told AFP. Ag Ghaly, a veteran jihadist, is leader of the shadowy Group to Support Islam and Muslims (GSIM) in the Sahel, affiliated with Al-Qaeda. Ag Albaka, a former mayor of the town of Tessalit, has long been seen as being one of Ag Ghaly’s lieutenants, entrusted with a senior military role in northern Mali, the cradle of a 2012 insurgency that has since spread to Niger and Burkina Faso. A UN security source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Ag Albaka was Number Three in the GSIM organisation. The attack targeted a Chadian contingent of MINUSMA at Aguelhok in northern Mali, around 200 kilometres (120 miles) from the border with Algeria. The dawn raid was carried out by a mobile force on motorbikes and in vehicles. “The peacekeepers have inflicted a serious setback on the terrorists, that’s for sure, even though we are mourning the death of four peacekeepers”, said Annadif, who is also the secretary general’s special representative for Mali. Four jihadists were captured on Friday and handed over to Malian forces, the security source said. The UN also said 34 of its troops had been injured. The number of wounded had earlier been put at 19. MINUSMA, whose deployment to Mali began in 2013, is a 15,000 strong mission, of which 12,000 are troops. It has lost more than 140 members to hostile acts, the highest death toll of any UN peacekeeping mission. Ten fatalities have occurred this year alone. The force has been criticised in some quarters for failing to respond aggressively to the insurgency.

U.S. 'Concerned' over 20-Year Jail Term for Saudi Aid Worker
Agence France Presse/April 06/ 2021
The United States expressed concern Tuesday after a Saudi aid worker was sentenced to 20 years in jail, in a ruling that his family condemned as "brutal and unjust." Abdulrahman al-Sadhan, an employee of the humanitarian group Red Crescent, was picked up from his Riyadh office by Saudi Arabia's secret police in March 2018, according to his family. His arrest was apparently linked to an anonymous Twitter account he used to criticize the Saudi regime over human rights and social justice issues, they said. A Saudi anti-terrorism court on Monday sentenced Sadhan to 20 years in prison followed by a 20-year travel ban, according to his sister and multiple campaign groups, including the London-based ALQST. His family is expected to appeal the sentence. "We are concerned by reports that a Saudi counterterrorism court sentenced Saudi aid worker Abdulrahman al-Sadhan to 20 years in prison followed by a 20-year travel ban," the U.S. State Department said in a statement. "We will continue to monitor this case closely throughout any appeals process. "As we have said to Saudi officials at all levels, freedom of expression should never be a punishable offense." There was no immediate reaction from Saudi authorities. Areej al-Sadhan, the aid worker's San Francisco-based sister who has campaigned aggressively for his release, also expressed disappointment over the sentence. "No words can describe how I feel!" Areej wrote on Twitter after the sentencing. "This BRUTAL & UNJUST ruling is just a reminder of the horrible situation the Saudi (people) are in." Areej has claimed that her brother's arrest followed a Twitter data breach by Saudi infiltrators in 2015, which campaigners say led to the unmasking and arrests of anonymous critics of the government. Under de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia has carried out a sweeping crackdown on critics and dissenters, arresting activists, journalists, clerics and even royal family members. US President Joe Biden has vowed to press Saudi Arabia harder on human rights. In February, Washington released a long-delayed intelligence report that accused Prince Mohammed of approving journalist Jamal Khashoggi's 2018 murder in the kingdom's Istanbul consulate. But it did not slap any direct sanctions on the prince, a decision that has frustrated campaigners.
 

The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on April 06-07/2021

The Iranian Equivocations and the Hackneyed Stratagems
Charles Elias Chartouni/April 06/2021
شارل الياس شرتوني: المراوغات الإيرانية والحيل المبتذلة
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/97688/charles-elias-chartouni-the-iranian-equivocations-and-the-hackneyed-stratagems-%d8%b4%d8%a7%d8%b1%d9%84-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%8a%d8%a7%d8%b3-%d8%b4%d8%b1%d8%aa%d9%88%d9%86%d9%8a-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85%d8%b1/

The Iranian regime gambits are overused and yet sill in course, with no surprises or expectations of change: choreography, agendas, doublespeak and perverse effects. Observers wonder about the odds of a foretold story which never deviates from its original plot, while making too much ado about nothing.The bottom line is whether the Islamic regime in Teheran is willing to normalize its engagement, abide by the normative rules of the international community, and backtrack on its Counter-World order whims and losing wagers. The usual paraphernalia has proven of no use since the agreement of 2015 was flouted all along with the deliberate prevarications of the Iranian regime openly aired through its ideological discrepancies, double entendre, de facto sabotaging of its stipulations, instrumentalisation for political subversion throughout the Larger Middle East, and conventional arms race.
The segmented approach adopted in the initial draft of 2015 has played into the hands of the conservative aisle of the regime, which used it as a ploy to move onwards with its regional expansion policy, recover Iranian sequestered finances, set military outposts, solidify subversion networks under the leadership of the Lebanese Hezbollah, and double down on the destabilization strategy throughout the strategic continuums extending between Syrian, Iraqi, Lebanese and Palestinian interfaces, Yemeni, Saudi and Arab Gulf configurations, and the international terrorist and criminal networks mapped on the very coordinates of mainly Lebanese Shiite migration in South America, Africa and minor diasporas. The main question which lies ahead the projected negotiations is whether these intentional and recurrent equivocations are likely to dispel, revise and usher an alternative course of normalization that will inevitably energize the vigorous civil society liberalizing trends. The Islamic regime is highly apprehensive of the Iranian civil society which have weaned itself from the delusions of the Islamic narrative, it’s multilayered panopticons, failed governance and pervasive corruption.
The looming negotiations are supposed to answer a series of questions regarding the nuclear technical issues: inspection of sites, uranium enrichment, the murky 2030 sunset stipulations, the ballistic missiles experimentations and arms race, the interlocking strategic matters in the Middle East, and the likelihood of a large concertation to address the contending dossiers and the gaping strategic voids (Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Palestinian Territories, Yemen, Bahrain), and the issues of economic development and environmental policies. Far from being new, the planks of the impending negotiations are recurrent themes which bring forth the main interrogation, are they likely to herald a new era, or we are still dealing with an usher syndrome which preempts the chances of a working diplomacy. The ideological blinders of this Islamic dystopia, the vested interests of a corrupt and decaying nomenklatura, the brunt of massive repression and State terrorism should account for the stifled normalization and its correlate thwarted liberalization. The problem is the future of the regime, its regional power politics, oligarchic foreclosures, inability to reform itself and engage an alternative course. In a similar vein, this accounts for the stymied Lebanese Politics preempted by Hezbollah from normalizing, and engaging a reform process direly mandated by the systemic floundering of a dysfunctional, let alone, dying Nation-State.
 

Erdogan claims rumblings of coup over letter signed by 104 naval officers
Andrew Wilks/The National/April 06/ 2021
The letter condemning rumoured plans to abandon a global shipping convention is being used as a distraction from Turkey’s myriad woes, say experts.
A letter from a group of retired Turkish admirals on an 85-year-old maritime treaty has sparked government claims of a bid to launch a military coup – providing a distraction as the country faces record coronavirus numbers amid economic woes.
Responding to speculation that Turkey could withdraw from the 1936 Montreux Convention that governs shipping in the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits, 104 former senior naval officers voiced “concern” about debate over an agreement that played an important role in Turkey’s security and status.
Leading figures from the government and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) portrayed the statement as a part of a conspiracy to mount a coup and compared it to military statements preceding the overthrow of civilian governments in the past.
Ten of the signatories were detained by police early on Monday as prosecutors investigated a potential crime “against the security of the state and the constitutional order”.
“The government overreacted for several reasons and one is that it can’t rule Turkey in a non-crisis environment,” said Berk Esen, assistant professor of political science at Istanbul’s Sabanci University.
“This case gives them an excuse to continue their extraordinary regime. In normal circumstances people would talk about foreign policy failures, economic failures and that’s going to cost the AKP, so they’re constantly looking for issues that are going to change the public debate.”
Since Turkey began easing coronavirus restrictions at the start of March, daily cases have reached record levels, with nearly 45,000 reported on Saturday, a peak since the start of the pandemic.
The lira has plummeted since Mr Erdogan removed the market-friendly central bank governor last month and inflation hit 16 per cent on Monday, its highest since mid-2019.
Talk of a putsch plot has swerved news coverage away from these issues, described by opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu as an effort to “throw a veil over” the country’s problems.
Among those arrested was Cem Gurdeniz, a former admiral credited with the Mavi Vatan, or Blue Homeland, naval doctrine behind Turkey’s claims in the Mediterranean and Aegean seas.
Adm Gurdeniz was unavailable for comment on Tuesday. His wife Rengin said his arrest brought back memories of his imprisonment as part of now discredited trials that targeted the military between 2008 and 2013.
“Ten years ago, we had a 3½ year process,” Ms Gurdeniz told the pro-opposition Cumhuriyet newspaper. “Now I’m experiencing déjà vu in every way. I feel like the same thing is happening again and I’m worried about myself and my country.
“They’ve expressed an opinion and in any other country in the world they wouldn’t be investigated for it.”
But Mr Erdogan said the admirals’ declaration exceeded freedom of speech given Turkey’s history of coups.
“This action, which was undertaken at midnight, is definitely a malevolent attempt,” he said on Monday after a meeting of AKP officials specially convened to discuss the issue.
“We cannot call it freedom of expression. The duty of retired admirals is … not publishing statements about a political debate that includes the implication of a coup.”
Turkey experienced military takeovers in 1960, 1971 and 1980, as well as a 1997 military memorandum that led to the collapse of an Islamist-led coalition. In 2016, rogue members of the military tried to overthrow Mr Erdogan in a failed coup that caused more than 250 deaths.
The 1997 intervention saw the powerful National Security Council force the resignation of Necmettin Erbakan, Turkey’s first Islamist prime minister.
His movement gave birth to the AKP and memories of the military’s role drove Mr Erdogan to curb the influence of the armed forces, viewed as a bastion of the secular values of Turkey’s founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.
During the AKP’s reign, hundreds of military officers were jailed by prosecutors and judges later shown to be members of the Gulenist religious sect that the party was allied with at the time.
A few years later, the 2016 coup attempt was widely seen as a plot led by Gulenist officers, many of whom had risen to fill the commands left vacant by the trials, after Mr Erdogan turned on his former partners.
“Many of these admirals were purged by Gulenists and served time in prison and that certainly thickens the plot,” said Dr Esen.
“But it shows how Erdogan has governed through coalitions and marriages of convenience since he came to power.
“It seems that he uses partners to purge the enemies of those partners and then he changes partners and purges other groups. So you have this circle, this cyclical motion, of partners and targets.”
The retired admirals’ statement also touched on the military’s traditional discomfort over religion in public life by referring to recent photographs purporting to show a serving rear admiral wearing the turban and robe of a religious sect over his uniform.
The suggestion that Turkey could exit the Montreux Convention came after the government said it was going ahead with building a ship canal to the north of Istanbul between the Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea, offering an alternative to the Bosphorus.
Mr Erdogan said the canal will not be bound by the convention.
But many expect the controversy stirred by the statement to die down without any great consequences.
“Turkey will move on to the next crisis,” said Dr Esen.

America and its military need a blockchain strategy
Trevor Logan/FDD/April 06/2021
For the first time, China’s five-year plan for social and economic development calls for the use of blockchain applications in supply chain management, e-governance and fintech, as well as related research and development on smart contracts, asymmetric encryption and consensus algorithms. Chinese military publications have consistently proclaimed that blockchain technology will provide the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) with an edge in intelligence, weapons lifecycle, personnel management and information warfare. Greater investment by the Chinese government in a range of blockchain applications risks positioning Beijing as a leader in this foundational technology at the expense of the U.S. national security.
The PLA views blockchain as a way to combat disinformation domestically. Because blockchain is founded on an immutable ledger, it can also preserve data integrity throughout military supply chains.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has announced his intention to use blockchain to gain “a new industrial advantage.” China appears now to be outpacing America in blockchain patents. Last year, the State Information Center of China and a consortium of private Chinese firms launched a blockchain-based service network (BSN) with the goal of creating a global, Chinese-controlled infrastructure network. This infrastructure could provide China the ability to monitor American citizens’ activity on the network as it expands into the U.S. market.
China is not the only country looking to secure global dominance in blockchain development. Since 2018, a Russian Ministry of Defence research lab has been conducting research on the military applications of blockchain technology, especially around developing intelligent cyber defense systems. Although news reports about the lab have mentioned only defensive capabilities, states can also use blockchain to strengthen offensive capabilities, such as by thwarting typical defenses against command-and-control attacks.
In 2018, a representative of Russia’s intelligence agency, the FSB, proclaimed, “the Internet belongs to the Americans — but blockchain will belong to us.” Russia and China are sending overwhelming numbers of delegates to international forums working on blockchain, such as the International Standards Organization (ISO) and International Telecommunications Union (ITU). By flooding these institutions with proposed standards and adopting blockchain faster than the U.S., Russia and China have the potential to institutionalize their cryptographic algorithms and install “the perfect Trojan,” as Emma Channing, cofounder of an American blockchain advisory company, stated.
A 2020 report from the Value Technology Foundation, IBM, Amazon and Deloitte concluded that if the U.S. does not ramp up its research and investment in this new technology, America could lose its position as a leader in capital investment, internet development and technology, and become increasingly more vulnerable to cyberattacks. Moreover, while the U.S. continues to fall behind the technical curve and is left vulnerable, Russia and China intend to leverage blockchain to harden their network defenses.
To reverse this trend, the U.S. must leverage the inherent advantages of liberal societies regarding innovation in general and regarding blockchain in particular. Authoritarian governments are wary of “public blockchains” — blockchains that face the internet and that anyone can potentially view and interact with. Because they are hard for the state to control, these governments tend to invest less in research and development on public blockchains. However, at present, public blockchains (e.g. Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin) are the only ones gaining traction with a larger consumer market.
Washington should both fund research of public and private blockchains and ensure that America does not let wariness of cryptocurrencies create an overly burdensome regulatory regime for all blockchain applications. Given the technology’s potential, the U.S. military, private cybersecurity firms and security researchers should also explore cybersecurity-related applications of blockchain technology.
The U.S. Department of Commerce should commission a study on China’s BSN, including the security implications of a platform run in part by China’s State Information Center handling American citizen’s data. Meanwhile, as American allies such as Australia and the United Kingdom are thinking strategically about the military, political and economic implications of blockchain, the U.S. should look toward future collaboration with like-minded allies on research and standardization.
For the U.S. military, blockchain’s distributed ledger can make acquisitions data more transparent and auditable. The technology can also help combat single points of failures across the digital infrastructure. The Value Technology Foundation report noted for example that use of a blockchain application known as smart contracts in satellite control systems would make them harder to disrupt by a malicious actor.
For a technology that is billed by enthusiasts as the next internet, it is imperative that America act now to ensure that Russia’s prediction that “the blockchain will belong to us” does not come to fruition. To be sure, there is no guarantee blockchain will achieve this level of influence. However, if there is chance that blockchain is even a fraction as revolutionary as the internet, America cannot afford a wait-and-see approach.
Trevor Logan is a cyber research analyst at the Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation (CCTI) at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and contributes to FDD’s China Program. Theo Lebryk is a CCTI intern and a master’s student in China studies at Peking University. Follow Trevor on Twitter @TrevorLoganFDD. FDD is a nonpartisan think tank focused on foreign policy and national security issues.

Jordanians need to unite in this moment of crisis
Osama Al-Sharif/Arab News/April 06, 2021
Jordanians have been shocked by this week’s revelations concerning Prince Hamzah bin Hussein and an alleged conspiracy to destabilize the kingdom. The government, in a press conference on Sunday, said an investigation is ongoing and that it will be open and transparent. This is an important message to Jordanians and to the world. The public has a right to know the details of what the conspiracy was all about and the identity of the foreign parties involved. A reference to an Israeli citizen, believed to be associated with Mossad, is a cause for concern and will require further investigation.
Jordan was fortunate to have survived the tumultuous years of the so-called Arab Spring. It did so through its wise leadership and an admirable level of public awareness. It had to battle regional anarchy, especially in neighboring Syria and Iraq. It was able to rebuff attempts by Daesh to destabilize the country and was able to accommodate the waves of Syrian refugees that have put additional burdens on the kingdom’s limited resources.
Then came the pandemic, which tested the government’s ability to deal with a double challenge: Mitigating the health risks while cushioning the economy from further losses. This is still ongoing and it is no secret that, one year on from the first lockdown, the kingdom still faces a surge in virus cases while trying to keep the economy going. The effects of the pandemic have been difficult for a majority of Jordanians, who continue to suffer under tough economic conditions.
These conditions have had deep socioeconomic repercussions, leading to a rise in the level of criticism of the government’s actions and measures. But such public outcry must not be used by outside parties as an excuse to destabilize the kingdom. Jordan plays a pivotal role in regional stability and, despite the challenges it faces, there seems to be a new drive to revive political life in the country. King Abdullah recently underlined the need to review the laws that regulate the kingdom’s political life, including those covering elections and political parties.
With local council elections coming this summer, it is hoped that new laws will be introduced to enable wider public participation. It would be right for the government to launch a public debate on the urgently needed amendments to the election law.
The crisis that erupted this week triggered waves of solidarity and messages of support from all over the world. This is testimony to the kingdom’s role as an essential part of regional security. Jordan needs the support of its allies as it faces difficult economic and health challenges. The government must be assisted in mitigating the effects of rising unemployment and poverty rates, which are reaching critical levels. The economy needs genuine initiatives to attract foreign investment in projects that will create new jobs and help the economy grow to healthy levels.
A number of Gulf countries, led by Saudi Arabia, recently expressed a desire to help Jordan through investments in various projects. The government must seize the moment and prepare a portfolio of projects that will be of interest to foreign investors, especially in the fields of tourism, mining, renewable energy, medical tourism and services. Once more, this must be preceded by amendments to the relevant laws to make it easier and safer for foreign investors to come to Jordan.
The long-term stability of the kingdom relies on a strong and sustainable economy that can create jobs and offset the high poverty rate and its social effects. But, in parallel, there is a need to launch a sustainable process of political reforms that give momentum to a political scenario where Jordanians of all walks of life feel they have a say over their future. Such a process will eclipse the effect of the so-called outside opposition.
Public outcry over the economy must not be used by outside parties as an excuse to destabilize the kingdom.
Moreover, the Hashemites have long been the backbone of the Jordanian state, which celebrates its centenary on Sunday. The current crisis must be resolved within the royal family in order to limit the damage. This requires wisdom and a high sense of responsibility at this critical stage. Jordan has enemies who lurk in the dark, hoping to destabilize the country. Israel’s far right, which is getting stronger and is now holding the key to the formation of future governments, does not hide its malicious intent toward Jordan and its position on the Palestinian question. Above all, Jordanians need to be wary of foreign plots against their state and that is why unity is needed more than ever before.
Osama Al-Sharif is a journalist and political commentator based in Amman. Twitter: @plato010

When a much hailed 25-year strategic pact is simply a mirage
Rami Rayess/Alarabiya/April 06/2021
The Chinese-Iranian 25-year strategic cooperation pact signed last month in Tehran has spurred an unlimited number of contradictory analyses pertaining to the objectives of the partnership, and the main reasons behind it. While important for the geopolitics of the Middle East, the deal is probably closer to a negotiating card rather than a game changer for regional alliances among its influential stakeholders.
China will not contradict its traditional policies towards the Middle East by taking sides, particularly amongst the Gulf states.
In foreign policy matters, over the decades China has signed Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreements (CSP) with several states around the globe. In the Middle East CSPs with Iraq (2015), Saudi Arabia (2016) and the UAE (2018) were signed.
Cooperation with Gulf states has been more expansive. Recently, the UAE became the regional manufacturer of China’s Sinophorm Covid-19 vaccine.
The deal with Iran falls within the parameters of where China is keen to keep its existing steady relationship with the region. Beijing has rarely immersed itself in the conflicts of the Middle East and it has no political reason to do so now.
With a deal value of a muted $400 billion to be invested over 25 years, there has been no official announcement made by either Beijing or Tehran.
If true, it means that China will invest almost $16 billion annually in Iran. Compare that to Chinese investments in the more diversified, industrialized and modernized Saudi economy, where the total does not exceed $5.1 billion annually.
The numbers linked to Iran are doubtful.
Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi bump elbows during the signing ceremony of a 25-year cooperation agreement, in Tehran, Iran March 27, 2021. (File photo: Reuters)
The ambiguity of the treaty says something further about the intents of the two signatories. After the return of the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi from Tehran, his spokesperson Zhao Lijian, intentionally or unintentionally, undermined the growing speculation about the deal.
“The plan focuses on tapping the potentials in economic and cultural cooperation and charting course for long–term cooperation. It neither includes any quantitative, specific contracts and goals nor targets any third party, and will provide a general framework for China–Iran cooperation going forward,” Lijian said at a press conference held last month.
Similarly, the fact sheet published by the Iranian Foreign Ministry revealed that the deal is a roadmap with no particular or specific financial objectives.
While the negotiations started with Iran in 2016, they appear to have been ramped up, with the announcement following on the heels of the first summit between the United States, Japan, Australia and India which convened virtually last month hosted by US President Joe Biden. The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue represents a rope around Beijing’s geopolitical neck.
It appears both China and Iran are testing the waters with Washington, and the West via this agreement. The former has a negotiating card for leverage against the turbulent relations with the US, Tehran can hope to better position itself when discussing anything nuclear, and the lifting of sanctions.
If both countries can benefit economically through the relationship then it’s a bonus. China was a signatory country of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) to address Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
China’s President Xi Jinping only paid a visit to Tehran after the JCPOA was reached and not before.
The country’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to Tehran to sign the latest deal happened after he visited Saudi Arabia and several Gulf states, again within the framework of preserving its traditional balanced policy between the various stakeholders. Yi had not stepped foot in Tehran since his President’s visit in 2016. It is true that China is a powerful global player that does not agree with Washington on several international issues, but its priority remains to reach agreements that improves bi-lateral trade between the two nations.
If the deal with Iran jeopardizes this goal, Beijing will reduce the relationship to the bare minimum. With China, Tehran is no position to impose its own conditions.