English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For April 22/2020
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani

#elias_bejjani_news
 

The Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
http://data.eliasbejjaninews.com/eliasnews21/english.april22.21.htm
 

News Bulletin Achieves Since 2006
Click Here to enter the LCCC Arabic/English news bulletins Achieves since 2006

Bible Quotations For today

You have already spent enough time in doing what the Gentiles like to do, living in licentiousness, passions, drunkenness, revels, carousing, and lawless idolatry
First Letter of Peter 04/01-11:”Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same intention (for whoever has suffered in the flesh has finished with sin), so as to live for the rest of your earthly life no longer by human desires but by the will of God. You have already spent enough time in doing what the Gentiles like to do, living in licentiousness, passions, drunkenness, revels, carousing, and lawless idolatry. They are surprised that you no longer join them in the same excesses of dissipation, and so they blaspheme. But they will have to give an account to him who stands ready to judge the living and the dead. For this is the reason the gospel was proclaimed even to the dead, so that, though they had been judged in the flesh as everyone is judged, they might live in the spirit as God does. The end of all things is near; therefore be serious and discipline yourselves for the sake of your prayers. Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaining. Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. Whoever speaks must do so as one speaking the very words of God; whoever serves must do so with the strength that God supplies, so that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ. To him belong the glory and the power for ever and ever.:

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on April 21-22/2021

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/

Amer Fakhoury Foundation Donations
COVID-19 Cases, Deaths Improving in Lebanon, Abiad Says
Aoun holds meetings related to rationalization of subsidies and the Levantine economic market
Rahi: New Govt Must Restore the State's Esteem
Judge Aoun Enters Mecattaf Firm as Supporters Scuffle with ISF
Hariri in Rome for Talks with Pope, Italian PM
Bassil from Bkirki: We'll Fight for Victory, Govt. Formation
FPM Slams 'Assault' on Protesters, Fahmi Says ISF to Protect Properties
Report: Government Formation Deadlock Persists
Arab Parliament Calls on International Community to Support Lebanon
Fahmy's office emphasizes support for peaceful demonstration, affirms security forces’ keenness to protect private and public property
Lebanese Pro-Hizbullah Academic Sheikh Sadek Al-Naboulsi: Smuggling Across Lebanon-Syria Border – A Legitimate Act Of Resistance

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on April 21-22/2021

Chemical Weapons Watchdog Votes to Suspend Syria's Rights
Syria's Idlib to Get First Batch of Covid-19 Vaccines
Iran, Saudis Hold Talks in Baghdad, Few Expect Quick Results
US lays out elements of sanctions relief for Iran to revive nuclear deal: WSJ
US, Iran ‘not near’ conclusion of talks over nuclear deal: Official
Iran adds advanced machines at Natanz uranium enrichment plant: IAEA
Ex-Mossad chief Pardo has no criticism of hit on Iran's Natanz
U.S. chooses defeat in Afghanistan/America's many enemies will be encouraged and emboldened
Greece to Lend Patriot Battery to Saudi as Huthi Attacks Spike
'Powerful' Blast Rocks 'Sensitive' Israeli Missile Factory
Germany Plans to Pull Troops Out of Afghanistan from July 4
Navalny's life in 'serious danger', must be treated abroad - U.N. experts
Putin warns foreign rivals against 'crossing red line' with Russia
U.S. Attorney General launches investigation into Minneapolis Police
US pushing ahead, kicking Turkey out of F-35 program over Russian S-400s:
Turkey under pressure: Will Biden be 1st US president to recognize Armenian genocide?

Canada/Statement by Minister of Foreign Affairs on the conclusion of the Conference of the States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention
 

Titles For The Latest The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on April 21-22/2021

Iran’s missiles, drone arsenal a growing 'destabilizing threat' - report/Seth J. Frantzman/Jerusalem Post/April 21/2021
Sudan annuls its Israel boycott law/Daniel Sonnenfeld/The Media Line/April 21/2021
Supreme Court Might Reverse Chauvin Convictions because of Maxine Waters/Alan M. Dershowitz/Gatestone Institute/April 21/2021
Turkey: Erdoğan's Biggest Political Rival/Burak Bekdil/Gatestone Institute/April 21/2021
Islamic State Executes Another Coptic Christian, Threatens Western “Crusaders”/Raymond Ibrahim/April 21/2021
Muslims and Christians should learn from their shared history/Saud Al-Sarhan/Arab News/April 21/2021

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on April 21-22/2021

مؤسسة عامر فاخوريAmer Fakhoury Foundation
21 نيسان/201
لقد حصلنا مؤخرًا على فرصة للتبرع بالمال لقرية في لبنان عانت كثيرًا في ظل النظام القائم الحالي. وفي هذه المناسبة نقدم جزيل الشكراً للأب جوهر لمساعدتنا في ضمان وصول الأموال إلى العائلات المحتاجة. وعملاً بأهداف مؤسستنا نأمل أن نواصل نشر رسالتنا ومساعدة ضحايا الإرهاب. شكراً لكل من تبرع لمؤسستنا ويساعد في تحقيق أهدافنا
Amer Fakhoury Foundation
April 21/2021
Recently we got a chance to donate money to a village in Lebanon who has been suffering a lot under the current regime in place. Thank you to Father Jawhar for helping us ensure that the money went to the right families. We hope to continue spreading our message and helping victims of terrorism. Thank you to everyone who has donated to our foundation and has helped make this possible.
https://www.facebook.com/FakhouryFoundation/videos/1105179913322798

COVID-19 Cases, Deaths Improving in Lebanon, Abiad Says
Naharnet/21April/2021
Director of the Rafik Hariri International Hospital, Firass Abiad on Wednesday said the Covid-19 indicators in Lebanon are improving with a decline in the number of cases and deaths. The “daily number of new cases, test positivity rate, hospitalizations, and deaths” are indicators of an improvement, said Abiad on Twitter. The restrictions enforced early this year have surely helped in the falling numbers, he added. “Several local studies estimate that 40% of the populace have already been infected. Adding those vaccinated, around 45% of the population may be immune. This is still far from the required threshold to attain herd immunity, though it can help decrease community spread,” added Abiad. Raising vigilance about new variants and the need for people to continue taking precautions, he said: “It is important to note that the current waves of infection in countries such as Brazil and India have occurred in populations where almost 50% had attained immunity. The spread is caused by new variants, something that can happen in other countries including Lebanon.” Abiad noted that a combination of targeted vaccination, precautions, and the fact that around 40 percent of the populations have been infected “may explain the decline in deaths, but is too small to explain the drop in daily new cases.”
 

Aoun holds meetings related to rationalization of subsidies and the Levantine economic market
NNA/21April/2021 
The economic situation was the focus of the meetings which were held today by President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, especially the issue of rationalizing subsidies and the President’s proposal to establish an economic market which includes Arab Mashreq countries: Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Jordan.
Rationalization of Subsidies:
The President received a joint delegation from the Parliamentary Committee for National Economy, Trade, Industry and Planning, and the Economic and Social Council.
The delegation included: Chairman, MP Farid Boustany, Committee Reporter, MP Ali Bazzi, Chairman of the Economic and Social Council, Mr. Charles Arbid, Council Director General, Mr. Mohammed Said El-Din, and Council Vice-Chairman, Mr. Saad El-Din Hamidi Sakr.
President Aoun was handed the participatory paper which was agreed upon as an entry point to redirect subsidies, which was issued by a group of specialized experts and representatives of international institutions, who met in the presence and participation of several concerned ministers, MPs and political parties, where research focused on redirecting subsidies to those who deserve and achieving a just social policy.
The delegation proposed two strategic directions, first of which is to start quickly in implementing a number of urgent measures for a 12-month period, dealing with petrol, gas, diesel, medicines, wheat, electricity and other materials, in parallel with working to reduce public sector expenditures in US Dollars and transferring the current subsidy policy towards providing direct cash assistance in line with the gradual lifting of subsidies. The second strategy deals with implementation of rapid complementary measures associated with the start of work on the gradual lifting of subsidies.
The participatory paper also emphasized the necessity of understanding and cooperation with the International Monetary Fund and international organizations, based on an integrated government program for rescue, reform and recovery, in addition to the implementation of required reforms so that the social protection strategy becomes part of the program.
For his side, the President deliberated the mechanism to be adopted to implement this paper, describing it as important in this context, even if it was delayed for some time. President Aoun also stressed the need to seek quick and practical solutions for the issue of subsidies.
Levantine Economic Market:
President Aoun met a delegation from the National Authority to support his initiative which aims at regional cooperation and the establishment of an economic market which includes Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Jordan.
The delegation included: Dr. Ghada El-Yafi, Lawyer Bushra El-Khalil, Journalist Thoraya Assi, Dr. Hassan Jouni and Dr. Riad Khalifa.
The delegation conveyed the authority’s support for the initiative which the President had launched, which is integrated with the wider Arab market, that will also include other security, social and cultural fields in the future.
For his part, Dr. El-Yafi pointed out that the openness of these countries to each other will lead to the restoration of the historical connections that were deliberately cut, as well as the elimination of fabricated tensions, and thus to economic growth and prosperity supported by the re-networking and equal restoration of the infrastructure between those countries.
“This openness will contribute to stopping the depletion of the true wealth of our country, I mean migration in general, especially the brain drain and youth, as well as the migration of living forces of the distinctive historical components in our societies” El-Yafi said.
After that, the President responded and stressed that “Work must be done to put the idea of establishing a joint Arab-Levantine market into practice, thus creating a favorable atmosphere, and forming a majority of supporters with solidarity between them”.
“This will contribute to making this idea a pioneer among various peoples of the region, which requires coordination with Mashreq Arab countries, since the matter requires marketing and media activity, in addition to the exchange of expertise leading to the adoption of laws. In this context, common will is important” President Aoun added.
“This market would create more job opportunities and establish joint institutions and our goal is to keep our children on our land” the President concluded.
MP Roger Azar: The President met MP, Roger Azar and addressed with him general affairs, Keserwan developmental needs, Jounieh Highway issue and Bouar governmental hospital kidney department.-- Presidency Press office.

Rahi: New Govt Must Restore the State's Esteem
Naharnet/21April/2021
Maronite Patriarch Beshara el-Rahi on Wednesday reiterated calls for the formation of a government in Lebanon to introduce reforms and prevent politicians from controlling the judiciary. Rahi called for “the formation of a government that will restore the State's esteem, and carry out reforms, and free the judiciary from politicians so that it can rule justly,” he said at the special session of the Assembly of Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops in Lebanon. Highlighting Lebanon’s crippling economic crisis that has driven the majority of Lebanese into poverty, Rahi reiterated: “The economic crisis is stifling. We requested an international conference on Lebanon just like other countries.” Rahi has repeatedly urged Lebanese politicians to put their differences aside and work for the country’s interest. He also voiced calls for neutralization of Lebanon and for an international conference to steer the country out of its multiple crises.
 

Judge Aoun Enters Mecattaf Firm as Supporters Scuffle with ISF
Naharnet/21April/2021
Mount Lebanon Prosecutor Judge Ghada Aoun managed Wednesday to enter the offices of the Mecattaf money exchange firm in Awkar, after bringing workers to break open a metallic gate, as minor scuffles erupted outside between her supporters and the Internal Security Forces. Al-Jadeed TV said metal workers who left the firm confirmed that they managed to break open “the internal gate leading to the room containing the data.”Lawyer and activist Rami Ollaiq, who has supported the judge in her actions and several raids on the firm’s offices, meanwhile told al-Jadeed that Aoun “has started a session for receiving the remaining data.”According to the National News Agency, the judge left the company's offices in the evening, taking with her computers and files. Earlier in the day, the firm had prevented the judge from entering its offices, arguing that she is not in charge of the file anymore, the National News Agency said. Supporters of the judge had earlier removed an outer gate of the firm to help her get inside in her car, after which security forces arrived and pushed them away from the company’s premises. The development comes a day after the Higher Judicial Council asked the Judicial Inspection Board to look into Aoun’s controversial actions while asking her to abide by the state prosecutor’s decisions. The Council added that the Inspection Board will question Aoun over “her breach of the obligation of reticence, her failure to honor her repeated pledges before the Council, her refrainment from appearing before the public prosecution, and her stances and behavior after the state prosecutor issued a decision redistributing tasks at the Mt. Lebanon prosecution.”The Council also reassured that any probe in any judicial file will be continued until the end by the relevant judicial authorities regardless of the identity of the judge in charge and regardless of any non-judicial considerations, urging all judges to “always honor their oaths” and to “respect the rule of law.”State Prosecutor Gahssan Oueidat had recently removed Aoun from investigations into suspected violations by the Mecattaf money exchange company. Accompanied by State Security agents, Aoun had carried out several raids on the company’s offices in Awkar last week, defying Oueidat’s decision.

Hariri in Rome for Talks with Pope, Italian PM
Naharnet/21April/2021
Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri arrived Wednesday evening in Rome for talks with Pope Francis and top Italian officials. ةA statement issued by Hariri’s press office said the PM-designate will meet the pope on Thursday morning.
In the evening, he will meet with Italian PM Mario Draghi and Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio.

Bassil from Bkirki: We'll Fight for Victory, Govt. Formation
Naharnet/21April/2021
Free Patriotic Movement chief MP Jebran Bassil announced Wednesday that the FPM will “fight till the end until the government’s formation,” during a visit to Bkirki at the invitation of Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi. “We know that right will win in the end and that the truth is what saves peoples in the eras of major crises… We know that the sacrifices will be big,” Bassil said, ahead of meeting the patriarch. “When we demand right and truth, it is because we believe that they are the path to reform and salvation, and we will keep fighting until the government is formed,” Bassil added, noting that he will have a televised address on politics and the government at 11am Saturday. The talks were then continued over a dinner banquet.

FPM Slams 'Assault' on Protesters, Fahmi Says ISF to Protect Properties
Naharnet/21April/2021
The Free Patriotic Movement on Wednesday condemned what it called security forces’ “assault on peaceful demonstrators” during the entry of Judge Ghada Aoun into the Mecattaf money exchange firm in Awkar. In a statement, the FPM said the protesters were present on the public road and that they “did not attack public or private property and did not assault any of the security forces.”“All what they were doing was a peaceful, civilized and democratic expression of their right to recover the stolen money of the Lebanese and to allow the judiciary to continue its investigations to know the fate of the funds that were arbitrarily transferred to abroad without any ethical, professional or legal standards,” the FPM added. It accordingly called on caretaker Interior Minister Mohammed Fahmi to “take the necessary punitive measures against those who gave the orders for assaulting peaceful citizens.”Fahmi had earlier called for keeping any demo peaceful as he stressed that security forces are keen on protecting private and public property.
 

Report: Government Formation Deadlock Persists
Naharnet/21April/2021
None of the external proposals to help put together a Lebanese government has yielded concrete and practical results. Not even the reports on possible European sanctions against parties obstructing the government formation, al-Joumhouria newspaper reported on Wednesday. The only practical suggestion to resolve the government impasse is Speaker Nabih Berri’s proposal to form a 24-minister line-up based on the 8+8+8 formula without granting veto powers to any political party, said the daily. But, the impasse preventing Berri’s proposal from reaching its end is the differences between parties on naming two Christian ministers out of 12 in the Cabinet. Naming the Christian ministers is distributed as follows: 7 ministers of President Michel Aoun’s share (including an Armenian minister), 2 ministers of Marada Movement, 1 minister of the National Party, and the two Christian ministers that both, Aoun and PM-designate Saad Hariri, refuse the other to name. Baabda sources say: "The major problem hindering this initiative is who names these two Christian ministers, as whoever names them gets a one-third-plus-one ministerial share.”Aoun and Hariri are also still in conflict over naming the ministers for the interior and justice portfolios, said the daily. Baabda sources referred to the latest flurry of diplomatic mobility towards Lebanon. The recent Western and Arab foreign communications and visits “did not reap a result,” they said, and the amount of advice therein was much more than realistic practical proposals. The government file is standing idle and sources at Baabda Palace criticized Hariri saying since his designation six months ago, he “does not want to form a government, and has no plan of undertaking any positive development."The initial task of a new government is to launch a path to stop the economic and financial collapse in Lebanon, and to reconstruct the parts that were destroyed by the port explosion on the fourth of August.

Arab Parliament Calls on International Community to Support Lebanon
Naharnet/21April/2021
The Arab Parliament called on Arab states, the international community and international donors to “stand and show solidarity with Lebanon at this critical time the country is passing through, to help it get out of its economic crisis,” al-Joumhouria daily reported on Wednesday. In a statement, the Arab Parliament Speaker Adel al-Asoumi stressed the “importance of all parties engaging in an urgent dialogue to reach consensus on forming a government of national competencies to face the existing economic challenges and develop a clear roadmap to implement the necessary reforms and save the country from the current crisis.”He stressed the need for a “comprehensive and final solution because the situation bears no more delay.”Al-Assoumi stressed “the firm position of the Arab Parliament regarding full support for everything that enhances the security and stability of the Lebanese Republic, achieves the supreme national interest of the Lebanese people, and fulfills their aspirations for security, development and stability."

Fahmy's office emphasizes support for peaceful demonstration, affirms security forces’ keenness to protect private and public property
NNA/21April/2021
The office of caretaker Minister of Interior and Municipalities, Muhammad Fahmy, issued the following statement: "In view of the popular protests taking place in the Aoukar region, the Minister of Interior stresses his support for peaceful expression in any demonstration or movement, and affirms at the same time the security forces’ keenness to protect private property just like they do public property. The minister hopes all citizens will abide by the laws and demonstrate peacefully without violating any property."

Lebanese Pro-Hizbullah Academic Sheikh Sadek Al-Naboulsi: Smuggling Across Lebanon-Syria Border – A Legitimate Act Of Resistance
MEMRI/21April/2021
Source: France 24 Arabic TV (France)
Lebanese political science professor Sheikh Sadek Al-Naboulsi, who is affiliated with Hizbullah, said that he hopes Lebanese and Syrians will be able to undo the American economic pressure and sanctions by cooperating with countries such as Russia and China. He made these remarks in an interview that aired on OTV (Lebanon) on April 16, 2021. Al-Naboulsi said that Western powers were forced to shift towards economic sanctions and pressure due to the failure of their military endeavors in Syria. He added that Syrians and Lebanese are driven to breaking the laws and smuggling in their basic needs due to American economic pressure, and this is considered a form of resistance. For more information about Al-Naboulsi, see MEMRI TV clips nos. 8053, 7834, and 7157.
Sheikh Sadek Al-Naboulsi: "I have no doubt that the shift from military pressure to economic pressure was caused by the failure of [the West's] military endeavor in Syria. Today, we and Syria are facing a new kind of war. Our hope is to undo this economic siege by means of cooperation with globally influential countries, and particularly, Russia and China."
Interviewer: "In this context, Hizbullah considers the act of smuggling to be legitimate."
Al-Naboulsi: "Absolutely. Absolutely. Smuggling is an integral part of the resistance, and the defense of the interests of the Lebanese. Today, as a result of the American pressure and sanctions, the Lebanese and Syrians have no choice but to cross the border, to break some laws, in order to secure their basic needs."

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on April 21-22/2021

Chemical Weapons Watchdog Votes to Suspend Syria's Rights
Agence France Presse/April 21/2021
Member states of the global chemical weapons watchdog voted Wednesday to strip Syria of its rights at the organisation in an unprecedented step after a probe blamed Damascus for poison gas attacks. A motion backed by countries including France, Britain and the United States to suspend Syria's "rights and privileges" obtained the required two-thirds majority in the vote at the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). "In light of this result the draft resolution is adopted," said Jose Antonio Zabalgoitia Trejo, the chairman of the meeting of the OPCW's member states who had gathered at its headquarters in The Hague. Eighty-seven countries voted in favour of the motion, 15 including Syria, Russia, China and Iran voted against, and 34 abstained, OPCW officials said. A total of 136 out of the agency's 193 member states voted. The measures are in response to an OPCW investigation last year that found the Syrian air force had used the nerve agent sarin and chlorine gas in three attacks on the village of Latamenah in 2017. The motion said the OPCW "decides, after careful review, and without prejudice to the Syrian Arab Republic's obligations under the (Chemical Weapons) Convention, to suspend the following rights and privileges." These include the right to vote in either the annual conference of all member states or the OPCW's executive council, to stand for election in the executive council, or to hold any office in the agency, it said.

Syria's Idlib to Get First Batch of Covid-19 Vaccines
Agence France Presse/April 21/2021
A first batch of Covid-19 vaccine doses was expected to arrive Wednesday in war-torn northwestern Syria, where millions of people live in dire humanitarian conditions, a UN official said. The 53,800 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine were dispatched to the rebel-dominated region as part of the Covax facility, which ensures the world's poorest economies get access to jabs for free. "Once the vaccines arrive, we are prepared to start vaccination to priority groups through our implementing partners," said Mahmoud Daher, a senior official with the UN's World Health Organization (WHO). The delivery will be the first to Syria as part of the Covax programme, which has already sent vaccine doses to more than 100 different territories worldwide. The vaccine doses are intended for the extended northwestern Syrian region, which includes the jihadist-dominated Idlib enclave. The first categories of people to be vaccinated in the coming days in the Idlib region will be medical personnel involved in the battle against the pandemic and first aid responders. The next group will be people above the age of 60, followed by people from younger age groups with chronic diseases, said Daher, who is based in the Turkish city of Gaziantep. Much of the Idlib enclave is controlled by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a jihadist organisation that includes ex-members of Syria's former Al-Qaeda franchise. Other regions of Syria will also receive vaccine doses through Covax, under which 92 countries are eligible. Imad Zahran, a media officer for the Idlib region's health department, told AFP that the vaccination campaign was expected to begin early next month and would last approximately three weeks. According to the WHO, a separate 912,000 doses have been allocated to Syria for a first phase of vaccination in regime controlled and semi-autonomous Kurdish areas. The aim is to vaccinate 20 percent of the population by year's end. Vaccination for health workers has started in government-controlled areas but not with doses received as part of the Covax programme.The official Covid-19 death toll in Syria is low compared to some other countries in the region but credible data collection across the conflict-ravaged country is almost impossible. Syria's war has killed more than 388,000 people since it started in 2011 with the repression of anti-government protests.

Iran, Saudis Hold Talks in Baghdad, Few Expect Quick Results
Associated Press/April 21/2021
A first round of direct talks between regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran signaled a possible de-escalation following years of animosity that often spilled into neighboring countries and at least one still-raging war. But few expect quick results. The talks, hosted by Iraq earlier this month, were confirmed Tuesday to The Associated Press by an Iraqi and a Western official in Baghdad. They came as the Biden administration paves the way for re-opening diplomatic channels in the region. Saudi Arabia is recalibrating its regional position after losing an unflinching supporter in President Joe Biden's predecessor, Donald Trump. Iran, meanwhile, has calculated that a gradual detente with Riyadh, a long-time U.S. ally, will work in its favor during renewed nuclear talks with Washington and world powers.
Saudi Arabia has sought talks with Iran as the kingdom tries to end its years-long war in Yemen against Iran-backed Houthi rebels. In recent months, the Houthis have increasingly launched missiles and bomb-laden drones at the kingdom, targeting crucial sites and oil infrastructure. Ending that war could be a bargaining chip for the Iranians as they seek sanctions relief from from nuclear talks in Vienna. The hosting of Saudi-Iran talks is also a significant step for Iraq, which has ties with both the U.S. and Iran and has often borne the brunt of Saudi-Iran rivalry. A senior Iraqi official said recent trips by Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi to Riyadh and the United Arab Emirates have been key in bringing Iranian and Saudi interlocutors to the table.
Details of the initial meeting, first reported by The Financial Times, have been sparse. The thorny subject of the Yemen war figured prominently, the Iraqi official said. The Saudi-Iran rivalry has played out on multiple fronts, mostly in Yemen, as well as in Iraq and Lebanon — both home to powerful Iran-backed militias. A breakthrough in Iran-Saudi talks could have far-reaching repercussions in those countries and across the region. It was not clear how much progress, if any, was made in the talks, but the Western diplomat suggested there will be more meetings. The pro-Iran Lebanese newspaper, al-Akhbar, said a new round of talks would be held in Baghdad next week, following a "very positive" first meeting. "My understanding is that these talks will be ongoing and mediated by Baghdad," the diplomat said. Both the diplomat and Iraqi official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the secretive contacts with the media. They declined to elaborate, saying they wanted to give Iraqi mediation efforts a chance to succeed.
Neither Iran nor Saudi Arabia have offered official confirmation that the talks took place, though Iranian officials have alluded to them, and welcomed them. The Iranian ambassador to Iraq on Tuesday praised Baghdad's recent diplomatic efforts, hinting at the Saudi-Iran talks without mentioning the kingdom. "It seems that the regional and international situation has created a more positive atmosphere for the resolution of some problems between Iran and other nations," Iraj Masjedi told the state-run IRNA news agency in an interview in Baghdad. "We would be happy if Iraq could be able to play any role in the direction of Iran's closeness with nations that we have some challenges with."When asked whether Iraq's mediation has borne fruit, he said the talks "have not reached any clear result and not met any remarkable progress." Iran and Saudi Arabia have long been regional rivals. Relations worsened considerably in 2016, when Riyadh removed its diplomats after protesters attacked its embassy in Tehran and consulate in Mashhad in retaliation for the kingdom's executing the Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr. Those posts have remained closed ever since. At the time, Iraq offered itself as a possible mediator between the two countries. Apart from Iraqi lobbying efforts, other key shifts in the wake of the Biden presidency paved the way for the talks. Saudi Arabia is seeking to improve relations with the Biden administration which, unlike the Trump administration, has criticized the kingdom's human rights record, particularly after the 2018 killing of dissident Saudi writer and Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi.
The Saudis also want to test "whether Iranians have control over the Houthis, whether they are willing to exercise it," said Randa Slim, director of the Conflict Resolution and Track II Dialogues Program at the Middle East Institute. "It's a testing phase of wills, and interest."Meanwhile, changes in Iran's handling of Iraq also played a role. The intelligence arm of Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard held sway over Iraq through Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani. But Soleimani's killing in a 2020 U.S. drone strike in Baghdad has seen Iran's Intelligence Ministry grow more powerful there, said the Iraqi official. The Guard reports directly to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and holds hard-line views. The Intelligence Ministry reports to Iran's relatively moderate President Hassan Rouhani. While cooperating, the two services are rivals within Iran's theocracy. This change of guard was key in bringing Iranians to the table in Baghdad, Iraqi officials said. "They have a new view, a new discourse, they want a stronger Iraq," one Iraqi official said of the Intelligence Ministry officials. "The (Guard) calculated differently, they wanted the opposite, a weak Iraq was more beneficial to them."

US lays out elements of sanctions relief for Iran to revive nuclear deal: WSJ
Tuqa Khalid, Al Arabiya English/21 April ,2021
The United States laid out aspects of sanctions relief it is willing to provide Iran amid the ongoing Vienna-based talks between world powers to revive the 2015 nuclear deal, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday. “[US President Joe] Biden’s administration has signaled it is open to easing sanctions against critical elements of Iran’s economy, including oil and finance,” the WSJ cited people familiar with the matter. Diplomats from Britain, China, France, Germany, Iran and Russia have been meeting regularly since early this month to discuss reviving the 2015 nuclear deal, while US diplomats are participating indirectly in the talks. The deal was thrown into question when the US withdrew in 2018 and sanctioned Iran, which in turn started ramping up its nuclear activities. Under the 2015 deal, Iran agreed to curb its nuclear work in return for relief from US and other sanctions. Tehran has insisted that all Trump-era sanctions on Iran be lifted before taking any real action to return to the deal, trying to get more concessions from Washington before taking any real action, especially in light of growing pressure at home due to economic hardship worsened by the US sanctions. “The US is open to lifting terror sanctions against Iran’s central bank, its national oil and tanker companies and several key economic sectors including steel, aluminum and others,” the WSJ reported. “Washington has also signaled potential sanctions relief for sectors including textiles, autos, shipping and insurance, all industries Iran was earmarked to gain from in the 2015 agreement,” a senior European official told WSJ. However, officials said Washington is not currently considering lifting its “foreign terrorist organization” designation of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The US designated the IRGC in 2019 under former President Donald Trump’s administration. It was unprecedented move, marking the first time Washington has formally labeled another country’s military a terrorist group.
*With Agencies

US, Iran ‘not near’ conclusion of talks over nuclear deal: Official
Joseph Haboush, Al Arabiya English/21 April ,2021
The United States and Iran are “not near” the conclusion of talks over a new nuclear deal and the outcome is still uncertain, a senior State Department official said Wednesday. After the second round of indirect talks between the US and Iran in Vienna, the official said there was some progress, “but we’re not in a situation that is radically different from where we were at the conclusion of round one.”What has been achieved is a greater clarification of what the US and Iran need to do to come back into full compliance with the JCPOA, an acronym for the Iran nuclear deal signed in 2015. “There’s still disagreements, in some cases pretty important ones, on our respective views about what is meant by a return to full compliance,” the State Department official told reporters during a phone briefing. Asked to elaborate, the official said the differences were over which sanctions the US would need to lift and what exactly Iran needed to do in order to come back into full compliance with the JCPOA. Nevertheless, the official said “full compliance for compliance” was being discussed. Iran previously suggested a step-by-step approach, but the revealed, “that’s no longer on the agenda.”
The US is open to various proposals and sequencing, but Washington will not agree to acting first and removing all sanctions, the official said. As for the next steps, the State Department official said he expected a “multi-round” dialogue and that the US would not rush to meet any deadlines. “Our hope is to get [a deal] as soon as possible ... but we’re not going to go fast at the expense of the solidity of the understanding that we’re seeking to reach.”

Iran adds advanced machines at Natanz uranium enrichment plant: IAEA
Reuters/21 April ,2021
Iran has installed extra advanced centrifuges at its underground uranium enrichment plant at Natanz that was hit by a blast last week, a report by the U.N. atomic watchdog on Wednesday showed, deepening Iran's breaches of its nuclear deal with major powers. The explosion and a power outage damaged an unknown number of centrifuges and Iranian state TV has shown footage of machines that it says were replaced there. Iran has blamed Israel for the explosion. Israel has not commented formally on it. The International Atomic Energy Agency report was not clear on how many centrifuges are in use but it gave "up to" numbers of advanced machines installed at the plant that were higher than previously indicated. The report made no mention of the explosion or its effect on the plant's activity. "On 21 April 2021, the Agency verified at FEP that: ... six cascades of up to 1,044 IR-2m centrifuges; and two cascades of up to 348 IR-4 centrifuges ... were installed, of which a number were being used," the IAEA report to member states said, referring to the underground Fuel Enrichment Plant at Natanz. The report was seen by Reuters. According to a previous report, the IAEA verified on March 31 that Iran was using 696 IR-2m machines and 174 IR-4 machines at the FEP. Wednesday's report is the latest evidence that Iran is pressing ahead with the installation of the advanced machines, even though it is not allowed to use them to produce enriched uranium under the 2015 agreement. The accord only lets Iran produce enriched uranium at its underground Fuel Enrichment Plant (FEP) at Natanz with first-generation IR-1 centrifuges, which are far less efficient than the advanced models. Wednesday's report also said Iran informed the IAEA that it plans to install four more cascades, or clusters, of IR-4 centrifuges at the FEP, where both of the IR-4 cascades it had planned have now been installed. European parties to the agreement have seen progress in the first two rounds of indirect U.S.-Iran negotiations to revive the deal but said on Wednesday that there were still major hurdles to overcome. The United States withdrew from the accord in 2018 and re-imposed sanctions on Iran under President Donald Trump, who objected to the deal and sought to wreck it. Iran responded as of 2019 by breaching many of the deal's restrictions on its nuclear activities.

Ex-Mossad chief Pardo has no criticism of hit on Iran's Natanz

Yonah Jeremy Bob/Jerusalem Post/April 21/2021
Pardo suggested Israel support the two-phase approach of the Biden administration – especially the second phase of lengthening and strengthening the JCPOA.
Former Mossad chief Tamir Pardo has no criticism of an alleged Mossad operation against Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility as counterproductive to ending the nuclear threat, The Jerusalem Post has learned. In an op-ed published in Foreign Policy on Tuesday along with chairman of Commanders for Israel’s Security Maj.-Gen. (Ret.) Matan Vilnai, Pardo wrote that the hit on Natanz earlier in April and the Islamic Republic’s response of increasing its uranium enrichment accentuate “both the risks associated with Iran’s nuclear and regional ambitions and the urgent need to address them.”However, this in no way was meant as a criticism of any operation, which the former Mossad chief would avoid given his support for the agency as well as being out of office for five years means he no longer has the full intelligence picture.  Rather, it was meant to highlight the risks and instability in the region until the nuclear issue is resolved diplomatically. The former Mossad chief, both in the op-ed and in recent public appearances, does criticize any broad Israeli strategy based on publicly banging heads with the US over a return to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear deal. Rather, he wrote, “the United States and Israel share a similar assessment of the Iranian nuclear threat and regional menace but are also strongly committed to the same goal of preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.”
Further, he said, “Yet, in practice, no issue has divided Israeli and US policies and leaders more than the Iran nuclear deal,” and that it is crucial going forward “to avoid the distrust and acrimony between the United States and Israel,” that characterized maneuvering around the JCPOA.
Instead of lecturing to the US to achieve a new deal that fulfills all of Israel’s security concerns, Pardo suggested Israel support the two-phase approach of the Biden administration – especially the second phase of lengthening and strengthening the JCPOA.
Splitting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and current Mossad Director Yossi Cohen who believe covert action combined with sanctions pressure can achieve more of Israel’s security goals, he said, “Despite the shortcomings in the deal, no alternative diplomatic platform for dealing with the immediate crisis is available. Pardo expressed special concern that the Biden administration must find ways to roll back Iranian progress regarding advanced centrifuges and making sure International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors get more unfettered access.

U.S. chooses defeat in Afghanistan/America's many enemies will be encouraged and emboldened
Clifford D. May/The Washington Times/April 21/2021
If the Taliban were not teetotalers, they’d be shopping for champagne about now in response to President Biden’s decision to unconditionally withdraw all U.S. troops from Afghanistan by Sept. 11, 2021. On that date, they will celebrate both the worst terrorist attack ever on American soil — carried out by their ally, al Qaeda — and their own victory over Americans exactly 20 years later. Then they can begin the project of resurrecting what they call the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan — one link in a future caliphal chain.Gen. Colin Powell is among those who approve of Mr. Biden’s decision, noting that the Soviets also “got tired and marched out and back home. How long did anybody remember that?”Actually, Islamists around the world remember vividly. It was their successful battle against the Soviet Union that fueled al Qaeda’s rise. Two years later, the U.S.S.R. ceased to exist, a development they see as not merely coincidental.By choosing defeat, the United States confirms the Islamist faith that the global jihad enjoys divine endorsement. Islamists will redouble their efforts wherever they can. As for Iran’s rulers, who also regard themselves as jihadis, they can now be confident that Mr. Biden represents no threat and will give them the deal they want — a deal that paves the way for them to rule a nuclear-armed Islamic state openly committed to “Death to America!” America’s adversaries in Beijing, Moscow and Pyongyang are being encouraged and emboldened as well.

Greece to Lend Patriot Battery to Saudi as Huthi Attacks Spike
Agence France Presse/April 21/2021
Greece will lend a Patriot missile battery to Saudi Arabia to protect its critical energy infrastructure, Greek officials said Tuesday, as the Gulf kingdom grapples with growing attacks by Yemen's Huthi rebels. Saudi Arabia, the top crude exporter which leads a military coalition against the Huthis, relies heavily on US-made Patriots to intercept missiles and drones fired at the kingdom on a near daily basis by the Iran-aligned rebels. "We signed the agreement to transfer a Patriot battery here in Saudi Arabia," Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias said in a statement during a visit to Riyadh with Defence Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos. In a separate statement, Panagiotopoulos said the Patriot would be "deployed in the coming period and operate on Saudi Arabian soil... to protect critical energy infrastructure from terrorist threats".There was no immediate comment from Saudi authorities, who have not disclosed how many Patriots the kingdom currently has. The announcement comes after the United States announced in May last year that it was pulling out four of its Patriots from Saudi Arabia. Two of those anti-missile batteries were deployed following September 2019 attacks on two Saudi oil installations, strikes that caused turmoil on global energy markets after they temporarily halved the kingdom's crude output. Although the Huthi rebels claimed responsibility, Riyadh and Washington held Iran responsible, a charge Tehran denied. In recent months, the Huthis, who are battling the Saudi-led coalition that intervened in Yemen's war in 2015, have stepped up drone and missile strikes on Saudi targets, including its oil facilities.

'Powerful' Blast Rocks 'Sensitive' Israeli Missile Factory
Naharnet/April 21/2021
A powerful explosion has taken place at a sensitive defense factory during a test in central Israel, causing no casualties, Israeli media reports said. The explosion occurred during a “routine test” by the Tomer factory for advanced weapons, which develops rocket engines, the Ofek satellite launchers and houses various types of missiles, the website of Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported. Locals said they heard an explosion and saw a mushroom cloud, with some filming it. In response to the blast, the factory said "this was a controlled test with no exceptional circumstances."The factory is located in central Israel near the Ramle area, and in proximity to residential areas. The company manufactures missiles for use by the Israeli army and other Israeli defense systems. They are the manufacturers behind Israel's Arrow 4 missile interception system. Haaretz said senior Israeli defense officials are investigating what went wrong, and whether guidelines were adhered to.

Germany Plans to Pull Troops Out of Afghanistan from July 4
Agence France Presse/April 21/2021
Germany's defence ministry on Wednesday said it planned to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan in early July, after the United States announced plans to pull out by September 11. "The current thinking... is to shorten the withdrawal period. A withdrawal date of July 4 is being considered," a ministry spokesman told AFP, stressing that the final decision would be made by NATO. NATO had agreed last week to begin their troop drawdown by May 1. The 9,600-strong NATO training and support mission, which includes the US troops and depends heavily on Washington's military assets, includes personnel from 36 NATO members and partner countries. With 1,100 troops, Germany has the second biggest contingent of soldiers after the United States in the country. The withdrawal comes despite a deadlock in peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government.But Secretary of State Antony Blinken defended the US decision to leave, saying the terror threat had moved elsewhere and resources had to be refocused on challenges like China and the pandemic.

Navalny's life in 'serious danger', must be treated abroad - U.N. experts
Reuters/April 21/2021
U.N. human rights experts called on Russia on Wednesday to allow jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny to be medically evacuated and treated abroad, saying they believed his life was at risk. Navalny has been kept in harsh conditions in a high-security penal colony and "denied access to adequate medical care", conditions that may amount to torture, they said in a statement. "We urge the Russian authorities to ensure Mr. Navalny has access to his own doctors and to allow him to be evacuated for urgent medical treatment abroad, as they did in August 2020," said the U.N. experts. The Kremlin critic, 44, began a hunger strike three weeks ago. He is serving a 2-1/2-year sentence on old embezzlement charges that he says were trumped up. Navalny returned to Russia in January after treatment in Germany for what German authorities say was poisoning in Russia with a banned nerve agent. The Kremlin denies any blame. The U.N. experts voiced alarm at his deteriorating health, saying: "We believe Mr. Navalny’s life is in serious danger." "We are deeply troubled that Mr. Navalny is being kept in conditions that could amount to torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment in a facility that reportedly does not meet international standards," they added.They said that Navalny's current imprisonment and past attacks on him, including with Novichok, are "all part of a deliberate pattern of retaliation against him for his criticism of the Russian government and a gross violation of his human rights". --

Putin warns foreign rivals against 'crossing red line' with Russia
AFP/April 21/2021
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday warned Russia's foreign rivals against "crossing the red line" with Moscow, as he gave a state of the nation speech amid deep tensions with the West. "In some countries, they have started an obscene custom of blaming Russia for anything," Putin told gathered lawmakers and regional governors in a speech broadcast on national television."It's some kind of sport -- a new kind of sport." The Russian president added that Moscow wants "good relations" with all members of the international community -- even with those that it does not see eye to eye. "But if someone perceives our good intentions as weakness... let them know that Russia's response will be asymmetric and harsh," he said. "I hope that no one will think of crossing the red line in relation to Russia. And where it will be -- we will determine that ourselves," he added.Moscow has seen its diplomats in recent months expelled from a host of Western countries, which have imposed sanctions on Russia over allegations of cyber attacks, hacking and the poisoning of Navalny.

U.S. Attorney General launches investigation into Minneapolis Police

Reuters/April 21/2021
 U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced on Wednesday the Justice Department was opening an investigation into policing practices by the Minneapolis Police Department that would look at everything from excessive use of force, to whether it discriminates against people with behavioral health disabilities.

US pushing ahead, kicking Turkey out of F-35 program over Russian S-400s:
Joseph Haboush, Al Arabiya English/21 April ,2021
As signs continue to take a turn for the worse, the United States officially kicked Turkey out of its F-35 fighter jet training program on Wednesday, according to Turkish state-run media. Washington sanctioned Turkey’s military procurement agency in December over Ankara’s purchase of Russia’s S-400 surface-to-air missile system despite previous warnings that such a system could be used to collect data on the US F-35 fighter jet. The Trump administration announced the expulsion of Turkey from the F-35 production program along with the sanctions and bans on military export licenses. Asked for confirmation that the Pentagon notified Turkey of the official expulsion, a Defense Department official said Washington’s position had not changed. “The S-400 is incompatible with the F-35, and Turkey has been suspended from the program. We continue to move forward with the process of formally removing Turkey from the F-35 partnership, as announced in July 2019,” Defense Department spokesperson Jessica Maxwell told Al Arabiya English. Turkey pushed ahead with the purchase of the Russian system, but called for dialogue to resolve the issue with the US.
Despite former President Donald Trump’s close ties with Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Trump administration did not hold these talks and announced sanctions as a result of the move. President Joe Biden has yet to hold talks with his Turkish counterpart despite having phone calls with almost all leaders of major capitals.And as Biden makes human rights a central part of his domestic and foreign policy, Turkey continues to become polarized in Washington. Turkey also warned Biden earlier this week against becoming the first US president to recognize the Armenian genocide. Doing so, Turkey’s foreign minister said, would further harm bilateral ties. Meanwhile, Biden’s support for the Kurdish SDF in Syria continues to draw the ire of Ankara.

Turkey under pressure: Will Biden be 1st US president to recognize Armenian genocide?
Joseph Haboush, Al Arabiya English/21 April ,2021
Pressure is mounting on Joe Biden to fulfill his campaign promise of becoming the first US president to recognize the Armenian genocide, but Turkey has already warned Washington that such a decision will further harm bilateral ties. Every year on April 24, Armenians worldwide hold demonstrations to commemorate the estimated 1.5 million people killed by the Ottoman Empire. Armenia says this was an attempted extermination of its population. Turkey, meanwhile, admits that Armenians were killed but denies that it was genocide. On the campaign trail, Biden pledged to declare the killing of Armenians as a genocide. Yet, the White House and State Department have been tight-lipped over potential plans to follow through. “As a presidential candidate, President Biden commemorated the 1.5 million Armenian men, women, and children who lost their lives in the final years of the Ottoman Empire. He said then that we must never forget or remain silent about this horrific campaign,” a State Department official told Al Arabiya English. “This administration is committed to promoting respect for human rights and ensuring such atrocities are not repeated,” the official added. The White House refused to comment when asked if Biden would speak later in the week on the matter. Biden has yet to speak to Erdogan since taking office despite having phone calls with almost all leaders of major capitals. The US president has also been pressed by Republicans and Democrats alike to take a more rigid stance against Turkey. Last month, a group of more than 35 senators penned a letter to Biden about the genocide. “Administrations of both parties have been silent on the truth of the Armenian genocide. We urge you to break this pattern of complicity by officially recognizing that the Armenian genocide was a genocide,” the letter read. Vice President Kamala Harris co-sponsored a resolution two years ago to recognize the genocide in Armenia when she was a senator. In 2019, the Senate passed a resolution after Congress did the same to recognize the genocide. When the letter arrived at then-President Donald Trump’s desk, he refused to sign. The three presidents before Trump also moved against such a decision. Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff Tuesday repeated the plea for Biden to deliver on his promise. “We’ll look to you later this week to see if you will join the leaders in France, Germany, the European Union, the Vatican and 49 states in recognizing the genocide,” Schiff said in an open letter to Biden. While the Armenian lobby is considered influential in Washington, so too is Turkey’s. Former US presidents stopped short of following through on campaign promises for fear of ruining ties with a strategic NATO ally in Ankara. Turkey’s military plays an important role in the organization. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has seen his support for the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood and attempts to expand Turkish influence in the Eastern Mediterranean result in strained ties with the international community. Erdogan has also drawn the ire of Europe and Washington for Turkey’s purchase of Russia’s S-400 surface-to-air missile system despite previous warnings that such a system could collect data on the US F-35 fighter jet. For its part, NATO members said the purchase of weapons from Moscow violated pledges from member states to decrease dependence on Russian weapons.

Canada/Statement by Minister of Foreign Affairs on the conclusion of the Conference of the States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention
April 21, 2021 - Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada
The Honourable Marc Garneau, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today issued the following statement:
“Canada is pleased that the Conference of the States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention adopted the draft decision entitled “Addressing the Possession and Use of Chemical Weapons in the Syrian Arab Republic.” This decision underscores the international community’s commitment to hold Syria to account for its possession and use of chemical weapons. The victims of the Syrian regime’s war crimes deserve to see those responsible held accountable for their heinous actions.
“Syria continues to violate the Chemical Weapons Convention [CWC] and terrorize its people by using toxic substances against them. The international community has demonstrated that this abhorrent behaviour has consequences. With the adoption of this decision, the Assad regime loses its voting rights at the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons [OPCW] and can no longer hold offices at the OPCW, until it complies with the CWC.
“The decision’s importance is even more apparent following the conclusions of the OPCW’s Investigation and Identification Team [IIT] that there are reasonable grounds to believe the Syrian Arab Air Force perpetrated a chemical weapon attack with toxic chlorine gas on February 4, 2018, in Saraqib.
“The attack in Saraqib is the eighth case of chemical weapons use attributed to the Assad regime in five years. The use of chemical weapons is an abhorrent breach of international law, and the perpetrators of these crimes must face justice without delay.
“As a state party to the CWC, Syria has an obligation to fully and verifiably eliminate its chemical weapons program. Canada once again calls on the Assad regime to declare its entire supply of chemical weapons so that it may be verifiably destroyed, as required under the CWC.
“Canada commends the IIT for its work. We are a steadfast supporter of the OPCW and will continue to work with our partners to prevent the use of chemical weapons.”
 

The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on April 21-22/2021

Iran’s missiles, drone arsenal a growing 'destabilizing threat' - report
Seth J. Frantzman/Jerusalem Post/April 21/2021
Its missile arsenal was designed to be an asymmetric kind of threat because Iran has a weak conventional army and weak air force.
Iran’s massive missile arsenal is growing and combined with its drones and cruise missiles makes for a destabilizing force multiplier, the International Institute for Strategic Studies said Tuesday in a report. “Iran’s ballistic-missile systems, supplemented by cruise missiles and UAVs, are intended not only for deterrence, but for battle, including by Iran’s regional partners,” it said. “In a new report, the IISS provides a detailed assessment of Iran’s missiles, and the manner and purposes for which it has been proliferating them.” The IISS was founded in 1958 and is a world-leading authority on global security.
“Nuclear issues are the exclusive focus of the negotiations on the restoration of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (Iran nuclear deal with world powers), which have taken place in Vienna,” the report said. However, while Western powers are focusing on the nuclear-enrichment issue now, there is also interest in “follow-on” talks about Iran’s missile program. It is not clear if Iran is interested, since it has bragged in the past about its growing collection of missiles, their precision and ranges, and it has said they are not up for negotiation.
Iran is a world leader in ballistic missiles, alongside Russia, China and North Korea, from whom it has received know-how and collaboration. Iran’s missile arsenal was designed as an asymmetric threat because it has a relatively weak conventional army and weak air force. Iran has exported shorter-range missiles to its proxies in the region. Iranian 107-mm. rockets have been sent to proxies in Iraq to be fired at US troops, and they have been seized in the past en route to Hezbollah. Iran sent ballistic missiles to its proxies in Iraq in 2018 and 2019, according to reports. It has moved missiles and kamikaze drones and technology to Yemen’s Houthi rebels. They have used these to strike deep into Saudi Arabia at ranges of almost 1,000 km. Iran used cruise missiles and drones to attack Abqaiq, Saudi Arabia, in September 2019. It used its Fateh-110 missiles to strike Kurds in Koya in 2018. Last year, it used its Qiam ballistic missiles to attack US forces at Ain al-Asad airbase in Iraq after the US killed Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force head Qasem Soleimani. “To inform the public policy debate on the latter matters, the IISS has produced a fact-rich technical assessment of Iran’s current missile and uninhabited aerial vehicle (UAV) capabilities and its proliferation of these technologies to Iran’s regional partners,” the report said, adding that it has drawn exclusively from open sources to document some 20 types of missiles. “For now, all of Iran’s ballistic missiles apparently adhere to a self-imposed range limit of 2,000 km. Iran’s priority is to improve precision, notable in several missile systems.” The report also looks at Iran’s “missile doctrine.” This is important to understand Iran’s long-term plans to threaten the region with its array of missiles.
Iran now focuses on “improved precision to be able to deny potential foes their military objectives,” the report said. “Iran’s missile proliferation efforts have profoundly destabilizing consequences for the region because they serve as powerful force multipliers for unaccountable non-state actors, the IISS report concludes.”The IISS warns that Iran has supplied these systems to others. This “demonstrate[s] a greater willingness to take risks, as well as a more offensive outlook for Iran’s missile program in general,” it said. The report looks at Iran’s drones in conjunction with the missile threat. “Iran is expanding its capacity to strike across the region through the continuing development and introduction of armed UAVs and cruise missiles,” the report said. “For example, in September 2019, the 700-km.-range 351/Quds-1 missile was used to strike the Saudi Aramco Khurais oilfield facility; the attack was claimed by Yemeni Houthi rebels but likely planned and executed by Iran. “Iran uses four complementary strategies to provide its non-state actor allies with UAVs, artillery rockets and ballistic missiles: direct transfers, upgrades to existing missiles and rockets, the transfer of production capabilities, and provision via third parties.”
IISS claims that “the advances made over the past decade on the Shahab-3, Ghadr-1 and Safir programs suggest that Iran has developed and applied a rigorous engineering-management process to organize its efforts and created the industrial infrastructure to support liquid-fuel missile production.”
This should be a wake-up call for the region and countries that are negotiating with Iran, because the missile and UAV threat will only grow in the coming years.

Sudan annuls its Israel boycott law
Daniel Sonnenfeld/The Media Line/April 21/2021
Move marks another step in normalization efforts between the countries, expected to benefit both countries significantly
The Sovereign Council and the cabinet of Sudan’s interim government gave its final approval to the annulment of the country’s Israel boycott law, which had prohibited the establishment of diplomatic ties with the Jewish state and forbid business relations between Israeli and Sudanese entities.
The annulment approved on Monday is another step on the path to normalization, which began with a meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and the head of the Sovereignty Council of Sudan, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, in February 2020. The countries officially declared in October 2020 that they would normalize relations, and Sudan joined the Abraham Accords in January. In the ensuing months there has been continued communication between the countries that included visits to Sudan by Israeli delegations, but relations have not been normalized and a peace agreement has not been signed. Meanwhile, the annulment of the law is vital to the progression of relations between the countries. Ambassador Haim Koren, Israel’s former ambassador to Egypt and the country’s first ambassador to South Sudan, who currently serves as a senior research fellow at the Interdisciplinary Center Herzilya, says the annulment of the boycott has symbolic value.
“First of all, there’s a significance here beyond the boycott, an opening to a symbolic recognition of Israel,” he told The Media Line. Sudan, which has a long history of supporting al-Qaida, was notable in its hostility to Israel. The Arab League convened in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum in 1967, where it reached the famous ‘Three Nos’ resolution: “no peace with Israel, no recognition of Israel, no negotiations with Israel.” The peace process between Israel and the African country are part of the larger framework of the Abraham Accords. These accords, named after the shared patriarch of Arabs and Jews according to both Jewish and Islamic tradition, are normalization agreements mediated by the United States under then-President Donald Trump, between Israel, the UAE and Bahrain, which were signed in September 2020. Sudan and Morocco joined months later. The historical agreement facilitated the first peace agreement between an Arab country and Israel since its 1994 peace treaty with Jordan.
While the benefits of normalization between two of the strongest economies in the Middle East, the UAE and Israel, seem obvious, what Sudan and the Jewish state stand to gain from their renewed ties may appear less clear.
Dr. Joshua Krasna, a Middle East expert at Tel Aviv University’s Moshe Dayan Center, and a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute’s Program on the Middle East, explained that, for Israel, international recognition has always been of vital importance, “even more so with Muslim countries, and even more so with members of the Arab League,” he told The Media Line. Sudan ticks both boxes. Any progress that Israel makes in this sphere improves its international standing, and this agreement is doubly important as it “breaks the Arab front that is opposed to the existence of Israel and to recognizing it.”
Krasna also adds that inner political considerations contributed to the agreement’s importance within Israel. March saw the country’s fourth election in two years and politicians seeking to improve their image gain political points from such advances. Although, he stresses, this does not belittle the importance of the diplomatic achievements secured recently for Israel.
Koren highlighted the geostrategic importance of the agreement for Israel. “What we want more than anything is presence and a geostrategic bloc” of allies on the Red Sea, he said. The Red Sea is a vital conduit of trade, connecting Europe and the Middle East to the Far East. Countries are racing to secure their presence in the area and – with Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, South Sudan and, now, Sudan – Israel has a continuous stretch of allies which helps strengthen its presence in the region and protect its trade interests. Additionally, Koren explains that it is important for Western and Israeli security that Israel be able to better keep an eye on the activities of Islamist militias such as Boko Haram, while both parties strive to maintain stability in the region. An agreement with Sudan will enable that.
The recent normalization agreement with Sudan, in addition to the treaties with the UAE, Bahrain and Morocco, contributes to Israel’s international prestige, as a country courted by potential allies, Koren adds. Khartoum is extremely interested in Israel’s advanced agricultural technology and its expertise in solar energy production, said Koren, who once represented Israel in the region. Sudan could be an agricultural powerhouse, and Israeli technologies could certainly help with that, he added. The Sudanese also see Israel as a path to international acceptance and good relations with Washington. Sudan’s past relations with terror organizations has made it a pariah in the international arena, and the country was included on the US State Sponsors of Terrorism list. The international sanctions it faced, combined with the limit on aid it could receive, has brought Sudan’s economy to its knees. Economic aid and international relations that would help its economy are critically important to Khartoum, explains Koren, and peace with Israel is the way forward.
Krasna also emphasized the relationship with Washington as a main reason for Khartoum’s pursuit of normalization with Israel.
“They wanted to improve their relationship with the US … and the Americans’ condition was relations with Israel,” he said. Indeed, as part of the process, Sudan was removed from the State Sponsors of Terrorism list in December 2020 after 27 years. While views on the agreement in Sudan are divided, despite its benefits, Koren believes that the Sudanese government is certainly interested in furthering the agreement, and is simply acting slowly and carefully, with political uncertainty affecting both the African country and its possible ally on the shores of the Mediterranean.

Supreme Court Might Reverse Chauvin Convictions because of Maxine Waters
Alan M. Dershowitz/Gatestone Institute/April 21/2021
The Minnesota appellate courts might not reverse the conviction but the United States Supreme Court well might, as they have done in other cases involving jury intimidation.
In seeking to put her thumb on the scales of justice, Rep. Maxine Waters perhaps unwittingly borrowed a tactic right out of the Deep South of the early 20th century.
In the Deep South during the 1920s and '30s, elected politicians would organize demonstrations by white voters in front of courthouses in which racially charged trials were being conducted. The politicians then threatened, explicitly or implicitly, that violence would follow the acquittal of a black defendant or the conviction of a white defendant. The U.S. Supreme Court and other federal courts reversed several convictions based on these tactics of intimidation.
The judge in the Chauvin trial made a serious error in not sequestering the jury during the entire trial.
Already, we have seen blood sprayed over the former home of a witness who testified for Chauvin; the defendant's lawyers have received threats. An aura of violence is in the air. Jurors breathe that same air....
This is not the Deep South in the 1920s. It is the "Identity Politics" of the 21st century. But the motives of the protesters are not relevant to whether jurors in the Chauvin case could be expected to consider the evidence objectively without fear of the kind of intimidation threatened by Waters.
The evidence, in my view, supports a verdict of manslaughter, but not of murder. Any verdict that did not include a conviction for murder was likely to be unacceptable to Waters and her followers, however, even if the facts and the law mandate that result. Waters is not interested in neutral justice. She wants vengeance for what she and her followers justifiably see as the unjustified killing of George Floyd.... That is not the rule of law. That is the passion of the crowd.
We must be certain that threats of intimidation do not influence jury verdicts. That certainty does not exist now in the Chauvin case, thanks largely to the ill-advised threats and demands of Maxine Waters and others.
The convictions of Derek Chauvin might not mark the end of this racially divisive case. The US Supreme Court might ultimately decide whether to uphold the convictions.
Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) made a statement — while jurors in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin were not yet sequestered — which demanded street confrontations unless Chauvin were found guilty of murder. The trial judge correctly suggested that any conviction in the case might ultimately be thrown out on appeal, based on what Waters said. He condemned Waters' remarks in the strongest terms, but he did not have the courage to grant a defense motion for a mistrial. Had he done so, that almost certainly would have led to riots — which would have been blamed on the judge, not on Rep. Waters. So he left it to the court of appeals, months in the future, to grant a new trial -- which he should have granted.
The Minnesota appellate courts might not reverse the conviction but the United States Supreme Court well might, as they have done in other cases involving jury intimidation.
In seeking to put her thumb on the scales of justice, Rep. Waters perhaps unwittingly borrowed a tactic right out of the Deep South of the early 20th century. Though her motives and intentions were far better than those of the white southerners, the tactic is essentially the same. In the Deep South during the 1920s and '30s, elected politicians would organize demonstrations by white voters in front of courthouses in which racially charged trials were being conducted. The politicians then threatened, explicitly or implicitly, that violence would follow the acquittal of a black defendant or the conviction of a white defendant. The U.S. Supreme Court and other federal courts reversed several convictions based on these tactics of intimidation.
The judge in the Chauvin trial made a serious error in not sequestering the jury during the entire trial. Instead, he merely told them not to read or watch the news. That is not nearly enough; even if the jurors scrupulously followed the judge's narrow instruction, it is inconceivable that some of them did not learn what was going on outside the courtroom from friends, family, media and TV shows that were not "the news." It is safe to assume that many if not all of the jurors were fearful — either consciously or unconsciously —that a verdict other than the one desired by Waters and her followers would result in violence that threatens them, their homes, their businesses and their families.
Already, we have seen blood sprayed over the former home of a witness who testified for Chauvin; the defendant's lawyers have received threats. An aura of violence is in the air. Jurors breathe that same air, and the guilty verdict in this case — whether deserved or undeserved — should be scrutinized carefully by the appellate courts.
This is not the Deep South in the 1920s. It is the "Identity Politics" of the 21st century. But the motives of the protesters are not relevant to whether jurors in the Chauvin case could be expected to consider the evidence objectively without fear of the kind of intimidation threatened by Waters.
Both the prosecution and the defense put on effective cases. The evidence, in my view, supports a verdict of manslaughter, but not of murder. Any verdict that did not include a conviction for murder was likely to be unacceptable to Waters and her followers, however, even if the facts and the law mandate that result. Waters is not interested in neutral justice. She wants vengeance for what she and her followers justifiably see as the unjustified killing of George Floyd.
Yet, justice is not black and white. It requires calibration, common-sense nuance and a careful evaluation of all the evidence presented by both sides. There can be no assurance that this jury was capable of rendering justice without the threatening sword of Damocles — unsheathed by Waters — hanging over their heads. That is not the rule of law. That is the passion of the crowd.
We must do a better job of insulating jurors from outside influences in racially charged cases. We must be certain that threats of intimidation do not influence jury verdicts. That certainty does not exist now in the Chauvin case, thanks largely to the ill-advised threats and demands of Maxine Waters and others.
*-Alan M. Dershowitz is the Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law, Emeritus at Harvard Law School and author of the book, Guilt by Accusation: The Challenge of Proving Innocence in the Age of #MeToo, Skyhorse Publishing, 2019. His new podcast, "The Dershow," can be seen on Spotify, Apple and YouTube. He is the Jack Roth Charitable Foundation Fellow at Gatestone Institute.
© 2021 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.

Turkey: Erdoğan's Biggest Political Rival
Burak Bekdil/Gatestone Institute/April 21/2021
The lockdown has already put too much economic pressure on small businesses. A total of 125,000 small businesses and shop owners have gone bankrupt during the pandemic. That makes an estimated 500,000 people in Turkey badly affected by the unfortunate blend of economic and pandemic mismanagement...
Growing poverty is seen in other official numbers too. Energy Minister Fatih Dönmez said that power distribution companies cut electricity supplies to 3.7 million households last year due to unpaid debts. That makes more than 10 million Turks having to live without power due to inability to pay bills.
As of December 11, there were 22,759,000 cases of legal proceedings for unpaid debts, corporate and individual. Unemployment is another pressing problem.
This means that means Turkey must maintain its lockdown rules. Further lockdown, however, will mean further economic contraction especially in a country that depends on tourist industry revenues.
The pandemic has further impoverished Turkey's fragile economy. It threatens to do worse damage to the budgets of poorer families, who are the core of the voting public. One recent study says that Erdoğan loyalists are the biggest number of voters who will vote differently or abstain from voting in the next elections.
Erdoğan's biggest political rival appears to be poverty.
After 19 years of uninterrupted governance, Turkey's Islamist strongman, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, seems to remain politically unchallenged. With presidential and parliamentary elections 2½ years away, credible research shows he is still the most popular politician, with his closest rival coming far below him in the polls. But he is now facing an unexpected rival that may unseat him.
MetroPOLL, an independent pollster, found recently that Erdoğan's popularity was at 31%, followed by the main opposition party CHP at 17.4%. If elections were held today, Erdoğan's ultranationalist coalition partner, MHP, would win 7.2%, bringing the government bloc's vote up to 38.7%. The opposition bloc, a fragile alliance of six parties from different ideologies, would win an overall 36.1%.
Polls say that Erdoğan's followers follow him as if they were following the Messiah, both figuratively and literally, rain or sunshine. At a new peak of a national currency crisis in November, a pro-Erdoğan columnist, Ali Karahasanoğlu, wrote that "even if the dollar rate rises to 15 lira (from 8.50) we will not surrender to the executioner." He wrote: "We'd prefer one dollar to 15 liras instead of 8.50 in order not to see a Turkey that follows America's orders."
Since then, things have not gone well for Turkey. In March, Turkish inflation accelerated for the sixth month in a row as the weak lira drove up the cost of imports, making it harder for the country's new central bank governor to fulfill Erdoğan's wish to ease monetary policy. Consumer prices have increased 16.19% year on year. For much of the past three years, the country's inflation rate has been stuck in double digits. Şahap Kavcıoğlu, appointed by Erdoğan in March, is the fourth central bank governor since 2019. Kavcıoğlu's predecessor, Naci Ağbal, had been appointed less than five months ago.
All this turbulence has come at a time when the main opposition is demanding to know what happened to the $128 billion it says were sold from the central bank's reserves. The disappearance of such a huge amount of money remains a mystery. Apparently, the Central Bank continuously sold dollars to defend the falling lira but it does not reveal to which banks it sold its dollars and at what exchange rates, thereby raising suspicion about corrupt deals.
On March 19, the Central Bank increased its one-week repo rate by 200bp (basis points) to 19%, taking the cumulative increase in the past four months to 875bp. This makes Turkey one of the top 10 countries in the world that borrows most expensively. Turkey's sovereign credit default swap (CDS)[1] was at 444.69 points on April 5, the highest among Western and emerging economies.
Such excellent examples of mal-governance come when most Turks feel crushed under severe economic hardships and the prospects of further poverty as the country also mal-governs its fight against COVID-19. On April 2, Turkey confirmed 40,809 new COVID-19 cases, setting a single-day record of infections since the outbreak of the pandemic.
The lockdown has already put too much economic pressure on small businesses. A total of 125,000 small businesses and shop owners have gone bankrupt during the pandemic. That makes an estimated 500,000 people in Turkey badly affected by the unfortunate blend of economic and pandemic mismanagement, including shop owners and their families.
Growing poverty is seen in other official numbers too. Energy Minister Fatih Dönmez said that power distribution companies cut electricity supplies to 3.7 million households last year due to unpaid debts. That makes more than 10 million Turks having to live without power due to inability to pay bills.
As of December 11, there were 22,759,000 cases of legal proceedings for unpaid debts, corporate and individual. Unemployment is another pressing problem. Turkey's official unemployment rate in November was 12.9%. But DISK-AR, a labor union, said the unemployment rate in the same month was actually 28.8% based on International Labor Organization's methods of computation.
Erdoğan is facing a difficult dilemma. The double dose of vaccinations has been given to just 5.8% of the population while the country aims to have vaccinated 50 million people by autumn, or 59.5% of the entire population.
This means that Turkey must maintain its lockdown rules. Further lockdown, however, will mean further economic contraction especially in a country that depends on tourist industry revenues.
The pandemic has further impoverished Turkey's fragile economy. It threatens to do worse damage to the budgets of poorer families, who are the core of the voting public. One recent study says that Erdoğan loyalists are the biggest number of voters who will vote differently or abstain from voting in the next elections. MetroPOLL's survey showed that a third of Erdoğan voters will not vote for him, will abstain or are undecided. Erdoğan's biggest political rival appears to be poverty.
**Burak Bekdil, one of Turkey's leading journalists, was recently fired from the country's most noted newspaper after 29 years, for writing in Gatestone what is taking place in Turkey. He is a Fellow at the Middle East Forum.
[1] A credit default swap is a financial derivative or contract that allows an investor to "swap" or offset his or her credit risk with that of another investor. For example, if a lender is worried that a borrower is going to default on a loan, the lender could use a CDS to offset or swap that risk.
© 2021 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.

Islamic State Executes Another Coptic Christian, Threatens Western “Crusaders”
Raymond Ibrahim/April 21/2021 

ريموند إبراهيم/ داعش في سينا تعدم قبطي مسيحي مصري وتهدد الصليبيين في بلاد الغرب

http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/98100/raymond-ibrahim-islamic-state-executes-another-coptic-christian-threatens-western-crusaders-%d8%b1%d9%8a%d9%85%d9%88%d9%86%d8%af-%d8%a5%d8%a8%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%87%d9%8a%d9%85-%d8%af/

Picture: Nabil H. Salama and his Muslim murderers
In a video released last Saturday, April 17, Muslims connected to the Islamic State executed a Coptic Christian man in Sinai, Egypt.
The slain was identified as 62-year-old Nabil Habashi Salama. In the video, Salama appears on his knees, with three masked men holding rifles standing behind him. The one in the middle launches into a typical jihadi diatribe:
“All praise to Allah, who ordered his slaves [Muslims] to fight and who assigned humiliation onto the infidels” — this latter part is said while the terrorist contemptuously points at the bound and kneeling man before him — “until they pay the jizya while feeling utterly subdued.”
The middle speaker continues by threatening “all the crusaders of the world” — a reference to Christians in the West — while singling out the countrymen of the one about to be slain: “as for you Christians of Egypt, this is the price of your support for the Egyptian army.”
The speaker then points his rifle at the back of the Christian’s head — even as chants of “jihad! jihad! jihad!” blare out — and fires at point-blank range, killing him.
It is unclear when the video was made — Salama was abducted over five months earlier — and the timing of its release appears to have been meant to coincide with Easter, which for Copts and other Orthodox communities is just beginning. (As discussed here, Muslim terrorists have a penchant for killing and terrorizing Christians and bombing their churches during their holiest days, especially Easter, most recently in Indonesia.)
According to the original report, on November 8, 2020,
[Salem had gone out] at 8pm to buy something from a nearby store, when three armed unmasked men stopped him by force in the middle of the busy street. They forced a passing pickup truck to stop, threatened its driver and forced him out at gunpoint. They shoved the senior Salem into the truck and quickly drove away while firing bullets in the air…. Peter Salem [his son] directly notified the police and filed a report. He sent an urgent plea to President Sisi to interfere in order to find his father, lest he meets the same fate of Bekhit Aziz Lamei [another Christian] who was kidnapped last August from al-Abtal village in South Sinai, and to date has not been found.
“He kept the faith till the moment he was killed,” the group Sinai Province said of the slain Copt in a statement. Several Egyptian activists have also blamed the authorities of indifference or worse in not being able to locate and secure the release of the 62-year-old Christian, which they say could easily have been done.
Prior to the clip depicting his execution, Salama appears in the same video offering a “confession,” saying he was responsible for building St. Mary Coptic Orthodox church in Beir al-Abd in Sinai, and that his “church is cooperating with the Egyptian army and intelligence’s war on the Islamic State.”
This is one of the oldest and patently false accusations Muslim terrorists make against the Coptic Church in Egypt, which itself is often victim to the government. The claim is meant to put a veneer of “justice” on the random killing of Coptic Christians.
Note missing teeth.
Moreover, the “confession” was clearly derived through torture as several of Salama’s teeth appeared broken in the video, though they were fine before he was abducted, as confirmed by his son and by comparing before and after pictures. As the “confessional” was taped before his execution, his tormentors may have falsely promised his release if he only read their script. Also, when he was first abducted, the Muslim terrorists contacted his son demanding a five-million–Egyptian pound (about USD 318,000) ransom for his release.
The Sinai has been a hotbed of jihadi activity and terrorism, particularly after the Egyptian army, in response to popular uprisings, ousted President Muhammad Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood in 2013. Christians have especially been targeted for abduction, slaughter, immolation, and mass displacement.

Islamic State Executes Another Coptic Christian, Threatens Western “Crusaders” (raymondibrahim.com)

Muslims and Christians should learn from their shared history
Saud Al-Sarhan/Arab News/April 21/2021
For the last couple of years, billions of Muslims and Christians have been enjoying religious holidays that fall at roughly the same time of year. The end of Easter has coincided with the beginning of Ramadan, and this should not surprise us at all since both great religions emerged from the same historic region and share a common Abrahamic history and culture. However, a cursory glance at social media reveals that few Muslims and Christians realize they are celebrating their holy days concurrently. It is a shame that, instead of seeking commonalities, the relationship between Christians and Muslims has often been characterized by mistrust and misunderstanding.
As the month-long Ramadan festivities near their midpoint, we ask whether it is time for a new era of peaceful coexistence and understanding between all the Abrahamic faith communities. If the answer is “yes,” the path forward should begin by gaining a better appreciation of our shared Abrahamic history and culture. Our stories are intertwined and at crucial moments we are indebted to one another for existing as faith groups to this day.
Many stories exist in Muslim history that recall the contributions of Christians during several consequential periods. When still a boy accompanying his merchant uncle in southern Syria, Prophet Muhammad met a charismatic Christian monk who is known to Muslims today as Bahira. This encounter may have instilled in him a lasting respect for the Christian faith; something that was deepened a few decades later, when the Prophet’s early followers faced vicious persecution on the Arabian Peninsula. It was a Christian king in Ethiopia who offered shelter to Muslims whose faith he didn’t share but whose shared humanity he recognized and cherished.
These are among the reasons why the Qur’an often references Christians with deep respect and refers to the Bible as holy. Catholics, for instance, will find the entire 19th chapter of the Qur’an devoted to Mary, mother of Jesus. She is referred to as “above all women of all nations of the worlds.” For centuries, Muslim artists and poets have been awestruck by Mary’s piety and devotion, and have expressed their admiration in visuals arts, paintings, odes and miniature drawings. Whole sections of the Qur’an sing the praises of the Hebrew prophets Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Aaron, Enoch, Adam and Noah.
Our stories are intertwined and at crucial moments we are indebted to one another for existing as faith groups to this day.
The model for Muslims is the Prophet Muhammad and he invited his own followers to lead humble and simple lives in emulation of Jesus, celebrating him as a miracle-working prophet imbued with a holy spirit. The Qur’an explicitly prohibits attacking Christian places of worship.
As the community of early Muslims expanded, the spirit of coexistence was maintained by successive leaders. The famous Umar’s Assurance letter, written by the Second Caliph Umar ibn Al-Khattab to the Christians of Jerusalem when Muslims entered the city in 638 states: “He (Umar) has given them (the people of Jerusalem) an assurance of safety for themselves, for their property, their churches, their crosses, the sick and healthy of the city and for all the rituals which belong to their religion. Their churches will not be inhabited by Muslims and will not be destroyed. Neither they, nor the land on which they stand, nor their cross, nor their property will be damaged. They will not be forcibly converted.”
Beyond respecting each other’s right to exist, one of the most glorious moments of Near Eastern history was the time when Christians, Muslims and Jews lived side-by-side and came together for the common good. This came about in 10th-century Baghdad, when the city was the capital of a state ruled by the enlightened Abbasid dynasty. It became the intellectual and scientific center of the world because members of the three Abrahamic faiths cast bigotries aside and came together in a joint quest for knowledge and scientific progress. Clerics, scholars, doctors and translators from all faiths innovated in mathematics, science and medicine and developed philosophical traditions that still live with us today.
What made this possible was not Muslims, Christians and Jews believing in the same teachings. Even at the time when the Abrahamic faiths peacefully coexisted, imams, priests and rabbis tended to be defensive about their theology. It was, after all, the Middle Ages. Yet, what those societies exhibited that other societies at the time did not was a liberal attitude toward intellectual curiosity, public conversation and open and public theological and philosophical dialogue and even debate. This commingling of religious communities often led to innovations that strengthened each faith community without prejudicing the safety and security of the others. This was possible because the adherents of the Abrahamic faiths were respectful and understanding of each other; something that has been sadly missed in subsequent eras. History may repeat itself once again, but it will require a rediscovery of that enlightened spirit.
The history of our religious communities has sometimes been marked by dark periods of enmity, hostility, violence and even war. It must be stressed though: This is not the only story. Our message to the children of Abraham at this crucial time is that there are much better and far more interesting stories to tell, which are drawn from the far longer and more illustrious periods of our shared history. These stories are blessings that we can enjoy and learn from together.
Yes, this Ramadan — as a Muslim and as a Christian — we choose to believe in the best of humanity and to uphold the peaceful teachings of our separate but intricately linked faiths. We vehemently reject those who would use religion to divide us. In the words of Jesus: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”
• Saud Al-Sarhan is Secretary-General of the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
• Johnnie Moore is president of the Congress of Christian Leaders and the founder of The KAIROS Company.