English LCCC Newsbulletin For
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For July 10/2020
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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http://data.eliasbejjaninews.com/eliasnews21/english.july10.21.htm
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Bible Quotations For today
Who speaks a word against the Son
of Man will be forgiven; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not
be forgiven
Luke 12/10-12: And everyone who speaks a word against the
Son of Man will be forgiven; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will
not be forgiven. When they bring you before the synagogues, the rulers, and the
authorities, do not worry about how you are to defend yourselves or what you are
to say; for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that very hour what you ought to
say.
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials
published on July 09-10/2021
Presidency denies false news:
Presidential Palace subject to electrical power like everyone else, uses its own
power generators during outage and rationing
President, Public Works Minister follow up on airport situation and procedures
adopted to organize arrivals
Ibrahim Says He's Under the Law, Urges Removal of Pictures
Ferzli: Parliament Bureau, Justice Committee request brief of evidence in port
blast probe
Fahmi Rejects to Give Permission for Abbas Ibrahim's Prosecution
Hariri, Bogdanov hold phone call on local developments: Press office
PCM: Higher Relief Committee has received Beirut Families Union's request to
approve financial donation in contribution to STL
Rahi meets FPM delegation, Minister Msharafieh
Lebanon’s Maronite patriarch hopes for better ties with Riyadh
Lebanon’s power stations shut down as crisis deepens
Scuffles outside as MPs Mull Request to Lift Immunity in Port Case
Lebanon Pharmacies Go On Open-Ended Strike over Shortages
U.S., French Ambassadors to Beirut in Rare Joint Saudi Visit
Reports: Hariri to Quit as Discussions over Successor Begin
French Ambassador to Lebanon Anne Grillo and U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Dorothy
Shea Joint Communique
Communiqué Conjoint
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
Miscellaneous Reports And News published on
July 09-10/2021
Enthusiasm for Kabul airport mission betrays Turkey’s strategic ambitions
in Central Asia
Russia Says Taliban Controls Two-Thirds of Afghan-Tajik Border
Taliban Claim to Control 85% of Afghanistan, U.S. Says Kabul Fall 'Not
Inevitable'
US is not engaged in ‘open war’ with Iran-backed militias: State Department
official
Iraq’s confused diplomacy could complicate Saudi-Iran overtures
Changed dynamics after US exit from Afghanistan
Israeli PM Bennett holds secret meeting with Jordan's Abdullah
US sees ‘serious threat’ in attacks in Iraq, Syria but unsure what to do
Pfizer Pushes for 3rd Shot as Variant Drives Global Outbreaks
Jihan al-Sadat, Wife to Egypt's ex-President, Dies
Titles For The Latest The Latest LCCC
English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on
July 09-10/2021
Iran’s Latest Nuclear Escalation Exposes Biden’s Failed Iran
Policy/Anthony Ruggiero/Richard Goldberg/FDD/July 09/2021
The Middle East should be afraid of Iran’s Ebrahim Raisi/Alireza Nader/Saeed
Ghasseminejad/Al Arabiya/July 09/2021
Question: "What is the way of salvation?"/Questions.org/July 09/2021
The Latest English LCCC Lebanese &
Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on July 09-10/2021
Presidency denies false news: Presidential Palace subject to electrical
power like everyone else, uses its own power generators during outage and
rationing
NNA/July 09 July/2021
The Presidency Press Office issued the following statement:
“Media websites published today, fabricated and false news which was distributed
in a programmed, coordinated and intended manner. Fake news stated that the
Presidential Palace is “pressuring” on the national Litani River Corporation to
be fed with electric current from the Bsalim powerline, etc.…
The Press Office emphasizes that this news is false and baseless, since the
Presidential Palace is subject to a normal electric current, just like all other
institutions and houses. During electric outage and rationing, Baabda Palace
uses its own generators”. -- Press office
President, Public Works Minister follow up on airport
situation and procedures adopted to organize arrivals
NNA/July 09 July/2021
President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, met Public Works’ Minister,
Michel Najjar, today at the Presidential Palace, and addressed with him the
situation at Rafic Hariri International Airport in addition to the adopted
procedures adopted to organize the reception of arrivals.
Statement:
After the meeting, Minister Najjar made the following statement:
“I was honored to meet His Excellency, the President. In the meeting, we tackled
matters related to the Public Works Ministry, primarily logistical, security and
health measures taken at the airport. I assured His Excellency that all measures
have been taken to facilitate the passage of arrivals. We also referred to the
field visit which we made yesterday to the airport with the Public Works
Committee in the Parliament, headed by MP Nazih Najem, during which we checked
and asserted that all required procedures were implemented.
Moreover, issues related to the Beirut Port were tackled, and I had sent a
letter to His Excellency the President which included all problems which we
suffer from at the port.
We also discussed the legal and logistical frameworks to solve all these
problems, and I explained some of the projects presented by several Russian and
French companies related to the ports of Beirut and Tripoli”.
Questions & Answers:
Responding to a question, the Public Works Minister stated “Yesterday, we made a
field tour at the airport while 3 planes were arriving. We saw that the issue of
waiting for those arriving in Beirut to get out of the airport takes around 30
to 40 minutes, divided between public and security measures, PCR and baggage
receipt. Recent congestions at the airport were resulting from baggage not
arriving on time, due to inspections outside the arrival halls to ensure that
there were no smuggled items. We have adopted a new mechanism so that this is
not repeated, and things have returned to their previous state. Arrivals that
they are being followed from the moment they arrive at the General Security
until they leave the airport gate. I assure all citizens and expatriates who are
waiting for this season to come to Lebanon and visit their families, that the
airport is in total good condition, whether in health conditions, or in terms of
public safety and speed in measures”. -- Presidency Press Office
Ibrahim Says He's Under the Law, Urges Removal of
Pictures
Naharnet/July 09 July/2021
General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim stressed Friday that he is “under
the law,” days after Judge Tarek al-Bitar requested a permission to prosecute
him in the port blast case. “I emphasize that, like every Lebanese, I’m under
the law, and we must show solidarity and work away from narrow political
calculations or political exploitation, in order to know the truth of what
happened at Beirut port,” Ibrahim said in a statement. “That’s why I call on
supporters to remove all the banners and pictures out of respect for the fallen
civilians and servicemen,” Ibrahim added, referring to pictures of him and
supportive banners that popped up after his name was mentioned in the case. The
General Security chief also lamented “a series of leaks and rumors” that
targeted him in recent days. “Even before I was informed of this decision… a
series of leaks and rumors targeted me on social networking websites, some of
which noted that Judge Tarek al-Bitar had discovered my involvement in deals to
smuggle the ammonium nitrate to Syria, and others claimed that I’m keeping money
at a financial institution in the UAE,” Ibrahim said, adding that he has also
been targeted by insults at the hands of “electronic armies.”
The major general also noted that has launched legal measures against those who
have targeted him in recent days, while thanking supporters for the “solidarity
and love” that they have shown. “The course of right will triumph if we show
patience and insistence on unveiling the facts,” he added.
Ferzli: Parliament Bureau, Justice Committee request brief
of evidence in port blast probe
NNA/July 09 July/2021
Deputy House Speaker Elie Ferzli indicated that lawmakers who convened Friday in
Ain-el-Tineh had decided to request the documents and evidence compiled by lead
investigator in the Beirut port blast case, Judge Tarek Bitar, before allowing
the lifting of immunity of officials summoned in the probe. "After reviewing
Judge Tarek Bitar's demand for permission to prosecute former minister Nohad
Mashnouq and MPs Ali Hassan Khalil and Ghazi Zeaiter (...) and following lengthy
discussions by the Parliament Bureau and the Administration and Justice House
Committee, chaired by Speaker Nabih Berri, it has been decided to demand the
brief of evidence included in the probe, in addition to all documents and papers
substantiating suspicions and relevant to those called in for questioning,"
Ferzli said. He added that the Parliament Bureau and the said Committee would
convene upon receiving the requested documents, before addressing the House in
that respect. "The Parliament is keen on this national cause, and it vows to
following up on this dossier in accordance with the law and the Constitution,"
he said.
Fahmi Rejects to Give Permission for Abbas Ibrahim's
Prosecution
Naharnet/July 09 July/2021
Caretaker Interior Minister Mohammed Fahmi has rejected to grant the judiciary
the permission to prosecute General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim in
the port blast probe, judicial sources told LBCI TV on Friday. According to
media reports, Fahmi’s decision is based on a legal review by the Ministry’s
legal department. “The ship Rhosus and its cargo were seized by the judiciary
and there was no role or jurisdiction for General Security,” the reports quoted
the department as saying.
Hariri, Bogdanov hold phone call on local
developments: Press office
NNA/July 09 July/2021
Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri and Special Representative of the President
of Russia for the Middle East, Mikhail Bogdanov, discussed the latest
developments on the Lebanese scene in a phone call held Friday, Hariri's press
office quoted a statement by the Russian Foreign Ministry as saying. "During the
contact, Hariri expressed his viewpoints and evaluation of the increasingly
exacerbating social, political, and economic developments," the statement read.
"For his part, Bogdanov highlighted the necessity to back all efforts aiming to
form a capable government of mission, comprised of technocrats and headed by
Hariri. He also underlined the importance that all key political and religious
actors reach a national agreement on the bases of national unity, territorial
integrity, independence, and sovereignty," the statement added.
PCM: Higher Relief Committee has received Beirut
Families Union's request to approve financial donation in contribution to STL
NNA/July 09 July/2021
The Presidency of the Council of Ministers issued Friday the following:
“The Higher Relief Committee has received an official letter from the ‘Union of
Beirut Families Associations’ requesting approval to accept a € 500,000
conditional financial donation in favor of the Higher Relief Committee, as a
contribution to cover part of Lebanon's financial contribution to the Special
Tribunal for Lebanon, provided that the amount is transferred to the STL’s
account. The letter signed by the president of the Union, Mohammad Afif Yamout,
states: ‘The Union of Beirut Families Associations is keen on providing a
conditional financial donation to contribute to covering part of Lebanon’s
financial contribution to the STL, which suffers a lack of funding that hinders
its operations and may lead to its suspension before the completion of the
purpose for which it was established. This has serious repercussions that will
adversely affect the achievement of justice and constitutes a dangerous
precedent that puts the credibility of the United Nations at stake, knowing that
the purpose of the establishment of the Tribunal goes beyond the assassination
of martyr late Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, for it is a national and just cause;
it is a matter of justice that all the Lebanese deserve, regardless of their
affiliations. Thus, the Union of Beirut Families Associations seeks hereby seeks
your approval of the conditional financial donation in favor of the Higher
Relief Committee, worth 500,000 euros (fresh money) as a contribution to cover
part of Lebanon’s financial contributions to the STL. The funds will be
transferred to the STL’s account and necessary measures will be taken in
accordance with the duly established procedures.’ ----PCM Press Office
Rahi meets FPM delegation, Minister Msharafieh
NNA/July 09 July/2021
Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rahi met Friday in Bkerki with a delegation of the
Free Patriotic Movement, accompanied by former minister Nada Boustani.
Rahi later received Caretaker Minister of Social Affairs, Ramzi Msharafieh, with
whom he discussed the current situation and latest developments on the local
scene.
Lebanon’s Maronite patriarch hopes for better ties with
Riyadh
The Arab Weekly/July 09/2021
BEIRUT – Lebanon’s most senior Christian cleric said on Thursday he hoped for an
improvement in ties with Saudi Arabia, which has withheld support for the
crisis-torn Lebanese economy because of the rising influence of its arch-enemy
Hezbollah. Lebanon is battling an economic meltdown that poses the worst threat
to its stability since the 1975-1990 civil war. Saudi Arabia, which had long
channelled funds into Lebanon’s fragile economy alongside other Gulf monarchs,
has so far been reluctant to step in during the current crisis, keeping its
distance as Hezbollah advances politically.
“Saudi Arabia has not violated Lebanon’s sovereignty or its independence, it has
not violated its borders or involved it in wars,” Maronite Patriarch Bechara
Boutros Al-Rai said in a speech at an event celebrating 100 years of Saudi
relations with the church.
Rai, a harsh critic of the heavily-armed Hezbollah, has called for Lebanon to
remain neutral, referring to Hezbollah’s deployment of fighters to Syria and its
alliance with Iran in a power struggle with Saudi Arabia.
Without responding directly to the patriarch’s plea for better ties, Saudi
Arabia’s ambassador to Lebanon Waleed al Bukhari expressed the hope that
Lebanon’s squabbling politicians can focus on the national interest “to face the
challenges the country is facing”, referring to attempts by some factions to
upset Lebanon’s strong links to the Arab world. The patriarch traditionally
wields influence in Lebanon as head of the Maronite church, a group from which
the president must be drawn under a sectarian power-sharing system.
The centennial of Saudi relations with the church took place on the same day as
the US and French envoys to Lebanon jointly visited Riyadh to discuss support
for the troubled country. The French and US ambassadors to Beirut held talks
with Saudi officials in Riyadh and their embassies tweeted that the “important
trilateral consultations” aimed to find ways how they can together “support the
Lebanese people and stabilise the economy.”Saudi Arabia has been staying out of
Lebanese politics as its influence waned in the face of the rising power of its
regional rival, Iran.
Lebanon’s Iranian-backed militant Hezbollah group has gained more power over the
past decade. The US, the European Union and Gulf Arab countries, including Saudi
Arabia, consider Hezbollah or its military wing a terrorist organisation and
have imposed sanctions on its officials and institutions. US Secretary of State
Antony Blinken met French and Saudi counterparts in Italy on the sidelines of
the Group 20 meeting last month. Blinken said at the time they discussed
Lebanon’s crisis and called on Lebanese politicians to show “real leadership.”
US State Department spokesman Ned Price said Wednesday that a Lebanese
government needs to be cohesive and responsive to the Lebanese people and put
the public interests first. Price also said fundamental reforms are needed to
rescue the Lebanese economy. “Corruption, impunity, lawlessness have dogged
successive governments and ultimately and most importantly, have drained the
Lebanese people of much needed resources,” Price said.
Lebanon’s power stations shut down as crisis deepens
Bloomberg/09 July ,2021
Lebanon is struggling with severe electricity and water shortages after two of
the country’s main power plants ran out fuel, the latest manifestation of a
financial crisis that shows little sign of ending. Electricite Du Liban (EDL)
said its stations in Deir Ammar and Zahrani - which together provide about 40
percent of the country’s electricity - were shut down Friday. Foreign
correspondent banks have yet to approve transactions that will allow EDL to
unload two fuel shipments waiting at port since last week, it said in a
statement. In separate comments, EDL in the eastern city of Zahle asked
residents to reduce consumption, saying the “power supply has been cut across
Lebanese territories indefinitely.
”Turkey’s Karpowership resumes electricity supply to Lebanon
Lebanon has been reeling since late 2019 from its worst financial meltdown in
decades. The currency has collapsed, driving inflation into triple digits and
wiping out life savings. The government is bankrupt, has defaulted on its
international debt and has failed to take the measures required to clinch
international support. Lebanese households already rely on subscriptions to
private backup generators as mismanagement and corruption mean EDL has for years
failed to provide 24-hour electricity. As foreign reserves at the central bank
dwindle, however, so has the power supply, with EDL now providing only a few
hours a day. At the same time, private generators are now also being shut down
for long stretches every day to preserve scarce fuel and rest engines not
designed to be the main source of power. Videos have spread on social media in
recent weeks of fires allegedly caused by overheated or faulty private
generators. Water companies have asked people to reduce their consumption to a
minimum after being forced to shut water pumping and distribution stations due
to the power shortage. The North Lebanon Water Company announced a “state of
high emergency.” Lebanon’s central bank has been effectively subsidizing fuel,
medicine and food items through preferential exchange rates, but is fast running
out of funds in the absence of a functioning government and a plan to stabilize
the economy. The result is a severe shortage not only in fuel for electricity
but in widely-used drugs from anti-biotics to heart and cancer treatments, as
well as gasoline, with motorists waiting for hours to fill their tanks.
Fuel, medicine shortage
Last month, the central bank began supplying dollars to fuel importers at a rate
of 3,900 Lebanese pounds, rather than the now-largely defunct official rate of
1,507 pounds. The measure, despite higher prices at the pump, was meant to help
ease petrol shortages but has so far failed to make an impact as much fuel is
reportedly smuggled into Syria, where it fetches far higher prices, or is being
hoarded by Lebanese worried prices will rise further. Pharmacies also shut their
doors Friday to protest the widespread shortages which some say have also been
exacerbated by middle-men hoarding supplies in expectations that the subsidies
will eventually end. Distortions are upending the economy as the pound nears
20,000 per dollar on the black market, rendering once respectable salaries
worthless. Officials have warned that money’s running out to finance such hefty
subsidies but are also worried about the social impact of ending them. The
crisis has already pushed more than half the population below the poverty line
with the United Nations warning of growing food insecurity in what, until
recently, was considered a middle-income country. Politicians have not yet
agreed on a new government to replace the caretaker one, which resigned after an
explosion ripped through Beirut port, killing at least 200 people. The
international community, including Gulf countries which supported Lebanon in the
past, has repeatedly urged politicians to form a new government empowered to
enact reforms and unlock donor funds.
Scuffles outside as MPs Mull Request to Lift Immunity in Port Case
Naharnet/July 09 July/2021
The families of the port blast victims on Friday scuffled with army troops
outside the Ain el-Tineh palace as MPs met inside to study Judge Tarek al-Bitar’s
request for lifting the parliamentary immunity of three lawmakers. At least one
woman was injured during several attempts to breach the army’s security cordon.
The relatives carried banners demanding justice and accountability as well as
pictures of the victims and of the MPs Ali Hassan Khalil and Ghazi Zoaiter --
two former ministers whom Bitar has decided to summon in the probe. Ex-interior
minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq, an incumbent MP, has also been mentioned by the
judge, in addition to ex-minister Youssef Fenianos. The families later blocked
the Ain el-Tineh road, warning against the “politicization” of the file.
Lebanon Pharmacies Go On Open-Ended Strike over Shortages
Agence France Presse/July 09 July/2021
Pharmacies in crisis-hit Lebanon began an indefinite strike on Friday over
medicine shortages as the cash-strapped state struggles to afford subsidies on
key imports. The country is facing what the World Bank has called one of the
world's worst economic crises since the 1850s, and its foreign currency reserves
are fast depleting. Drug importers warned on Sunday that they were running out
of hundreds of drugs, and that the central bank had failed to pay suppliers
abroad millions of dollars in accumulated dues under a subsidy scheme. The
association of pharmacy owners announced there would be a "general open-ended
strike across Lebanon" from Friday morning. Ali Safa, a member of the
association, said 80 percent of pharmacies had stayed closed in Beirut and other
big cities, and around half had done so in other areas. An AFP photographer said
most pharmacies had closed along the densely populated coastline north of
Beirut, while another said many remained shut in the capital's southern suburbs.
Some medicines have disappeared from the shelves in recent months, forcing many
people to appeal on social media for help in finding them, including from
friends and family abroad. Beirut resident Elie, 48, said he had visited five
pharmacies earlier in the week to find medicine to treat high uric acid. "They
kept telling me there was none left, or that the suppliers had not delivered"
the medicine, he told AFP. Medicine importers' syndicate head Karim Gebara told
AFP on Sunday that some drugs to treat cardiac diseases, high blood pressure,
diabetes, cancer and multiple sclerosis were already out of stock. He said this
was because the central bank was not releasing dollars, and importers could no
longer open lines of credit. Pharmacy owner Safa said that over the past two
months suppliers had gradually stopped deliveries. He said he and others wanted
the health ministry to approve a list of medicines that would continue being
subsidized according to priority, and then be sold at a fixed rate. Suppliers
could then sell all the other drugs according to the black market exchange rate
to the dollar, he said, in order not to make a loss.
The central bank on Monday said it would earmark $400 million to support key
products including medicine and flour. Gebara said the central bank had promised
$50 million a month in subsidies for medicine, which would cover just half of
importers' current bills.
U.S., French Ambassadors to Beirut in Rare Joint Saudi
Visit
Associated Press/July 09 July/2021
The French and U.S. ambassadors to Beirut held talks Thursday with Saudi
officials in Riyadh, a rare joint visit aimed at finding a unified strategy to
help Lebanon out of its unprecedented economic and political crises. Their
embassies tweeted that the "important trilateral consultations" aimed to find
ways how they can together "support the Lebanese people and stabilize the
economy."Lebanon's political leaders are deeply divided over the formation of a
new government to handle the crises, unfolding since 2019 and the most critical
threat to the country's stability since its 15-year civil war ended in 1990.
The Lebanese pound, pegged to the dollar for the past 30 years, is in free fall,
hitting new lows on the black market Thursday, trading at 18,000 pounds to the
dollar -- more than 10 times the official rate. The import-dependent Lebanon is
struggling to provide basic needs, including fuel, because of the foreign
currency crunch. Unemployment and poverty are soaring. Still, political leaders
are unable to agree on a new government needed to start talks with the
International Monetary Fund for a recovery package. Lebanon has been without a
fully functioning government for 11 months, after caretaker Prime Minister
Hassan Diab resigned in the wake of a massive and deadly explosion in Beirut
Port that only worsened the country's woes. Saudi Arabia has been staying out of
Lebanese politics as its influence waned in the face of the rising power of its
regional rival, Iran. Lebanon's Iranian-backed militant group Hizbullah has
gained more power over the past decade. The U.S., the European Union and Gulf
Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, consider Hizbullah or its military wing
a "terrorist" organization and have imposed sanctions on its officials and
institutions. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with French and Saudi
counterparts in Italy on the sidelines of the Group 20 meeting last month.
Blinken said at the time they discussed Lebanon's crisis and called on Lebanese
politicians to show "real leadership." U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price
said Wednesday that a Lebanese government needs to be cohesive and responsive to
the Lebanese people and put the public interests first. Price also said
fundamental reforms are needed to rescue the Lebanese economy. "Corruption,
impunity, lawlessness have dogged successive governments and ultimately and most
importantly, have drained the Lebanese people of much needed resources," Price
said.
Reports: Hariri to Quit as Discussions over Successor Begin
Naharnet/July 09 July/2021
Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri has decided to step down and he is seeking
an appropriate exit, media reports said on Thursday. “There is lack of a real
political will to form a government and there is an intention not to form the
government,” Lebanese journalist Johnny Mounayar said in an interview with al-Jadeed
TV. “PM-designate Hariri has decided to quit… and the decision is not to form a
government with or without Saad Hariri,” Mounayar added. “From now until the
date of the parliamentary elections, we will witness the most dangerous months
of the Lebanese crisis,” the journalist went on to say, warning that the country
will witness further deterioration. Center House sources meanwhile told MTV that
“the issue of accepting an alternative PM-designate is being discussed by
(Speaker Nabih) Berri, Hariri and the ex-PMs.”“We have not heard of the report
about (Free Patriotic Movement head Jebran) Bassil’s sadness over Hariri’s
resignation and the presidential camp has done everything to prevent the
government’s formation,” the sources added.
French Ambassador to Lebanon Anne Grillo and U.S.
Ambassador to Lebanon Dorothy Shea Joint Communique
USA Embassy web site/July 09 July/2021
On July 8, 2021, French Ambassador to Lebanon Anne Grillo and U.S. Ambassador to
Lebanon Dorothy Shea conducted trilateral meetings with counterparts in Saudi
Arabia to discuss the situation in Lebanon. This initiative follows up on the
trilateral meetings among U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, French Foreign
Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, and Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Faisal bin
Farhan Al-Saud on June 29 in Matera, Italy on the margins of the G-20
conference.
During this working visit, Ambassadors Grillo and Shea stressed the desperate
need for a fully empowered government that is committed to and able to implement
reforms, noting that the French and U.S. governments, as well as other
like-minded partners, continue extending urgent assistance to the Lebanese
people, including health, education, and food support. Ambassadors Grillo and
Shea also emphasized that concrete actions by Lebanon’s leaders to address
decades of mismanagement and corruption will be crucial to unlocking additional
support from France, the United States, and regional and international partners.
Communiqué Conjoint
USA Embassy web site/July 09 July/2021
Le 8 juillet 2021, l’ambassadrice de France au Liban, Anne Grillo, et
l’ambassadrice des Etats-Unis au Liban, Dorothy Shea, ont mené des rencontres
trilatérales avec des interlocuteurs en Arabie Saoudite pour discuter de la
situation au Liban. Cette visite s’inscrit dans le prolongement de la rencontre
trilatérale du Secrétaire d’Etat Antony Blinken, du ministre de l’Europe et des
Affaires étrangères Jean-Yves Le Drian, et du ministre saoudien des Affaires
étrangères Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saoud, le 29 juin à Matera, en Italie, en marge
du sommet du G20.
Au cours de cette visite de travail, les ambassadrices Grillo et Shea ont
souligné la nécessité absolue d’un gouvernement pleinement habilité, engagé et
capable de mettre en œuvre des réformes, tout en rappelant que les gouvernements
français et américain, ainsi que d’autres partenaires animés du même esprit,
continuent d’apporter une aide d’urgence au peuple libanais, notamment dans les
domaines de la santé, de l’éducation et de la sécurité alimentaire. Les
ambassadrices Grillo et Shea ont également souligné que des actions concrètes
menées par les dirigeants libanais pour lutter contre des décennies de mauvaise
gestion et de corruption seront cruciales pour obtenir un soutien supplémentaire
de la France, des États-Unis et des partenaires régionaux et internationaux.
The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous
Reports And News published on
July 09-10/2021
Enthusiasm for Kabul airport mission
betrays Turkey’s strategic ambitions in Central Asia
The Arab Weekly/July 09/2021
Turkey is not hiding its enthusiasm for maintaining a presence in Afghanistan to
protect Kabul Airport.
Analysts think the Turkish willingness to take on the role reflects its desire
to use the departure of US and Western forces as a springboard to achieve
Ankara’s strategic ambitions in Central Asia. It hopes to expand its influence
through a military, economic and cultural presence that tries to revive the
common historical roots that bind it to some of the peoples of the region. Some
analysts say that Ankara is tempted to play a larger role on the ground after
the departure of the Western forces from the region but has not fully thought
out the consequences, especially since it will be undertaking a defensive
mission at Kabul Airport. It is therefore likely that its first goal is to
position itself as a pivotal player on the Afghan scene, especially one that it
is close geographically to the region and aims to succeed where Western powers
have failed. Turkish government officials said that Defence Minister Hulusi Akar
and US Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin held a “constructive and positive meeting”,
Wednesday, to discuss a plan developed by Turkey to manage and guard Kabul
airport after the complete withdrawal of NATO forces from Afghanistan.
The talks focused on the financial, political and logistical support. Securing
the airport is essential to the movement of diplomatic missions in and out of
Afghanistan after NATO’s withdrawal. The Pentagon said that Austin and Akar
discussed the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan and “reaffirmed the
importance of providing adequate security” at the airport. It added that they
agreed to speak again in the near future.
Observers believe that Ankara knows very well that it will not be militarily any
more capable than the United States or the Soviet Union, which, after years of
war, were forced to withdraw from Afghanistan. They expect Ankara’s strategy
will not rely solely on military muscle.
To secure its presence at Kabul airport Ankara is expected to use relations with
countries such as Pakistan and Qatar which have strong connections inside
Afghanistan, in order to maintain solid channels to the Taliban and bring them
into the trilateral alliance Ankara is trying to build there. Andrei Isef, an
expert in Turkish affairs, asserted in Modern Diplomacy that the Turkish
president’s ambitions would not be limited to just securing the airport.
Turkey sees Central Asia as a focal point for its attention and has diversified
its activities and meetings in the region. Its most recent step was the
“Islamabad Declaration” signed by the foreign minister of Turkey, Mevlüt
Çavuşoğlu, his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Azerbaijan’s chief
diplomat Jehon Bermov last January in the Pakistani capital. The tripartite
declaration included deepening cooperation in defence and security, joint
exercises, capacity building and the exchange of new technologies.
Relations of trust between Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan pave
the way for military and political cooperation in Afghanistan, especially since
Ankara wants Islamabad to play an active role alongside Turkey in the mission of
guarding Kabul Airport. Including the Taliban in this alliance, in the light of
the militant group’s strong ties with Pakistan, is possible. It may even help in
promoting negotiations between the Taliban and current Afghan president, Ashraf
Ghani, in order to produce a government controlled by the Islamist movement,
provided that the West is convinced, even if only nominally, that such an
arrangement could finally bring peace to the country that has been mired in war
for decades. Qatar can exert pressure on the Taliban movement to accept this
formula, taking advantage of the historical relations between the two sides,
especially by employing the financial card as Taliban’s needs for economic
support will be significant if they take over Afghanistan.
Turkey also wields an important card in Afghanistan, consisting of Turkic tribes
(northern and central regions) that still speak the Turkish language and have a
strong influence. These include the Uzbeks and Turkmen, who are often referred
to as “outside Turks”, while the region in which they live is known as “Southern
Turkistan”. Turkey plays on the ethnic dimension, benefiting from the geographic
expansion of Turkic tribes throughout history. It is working to revive this
historical common bond by presenting it in a positive light through the
production of historical TV series. If the Turks succeed in imposing their
security and political presence over Kabul airport, this will open the way for
them to play a greater role in Afghanistan and the region. It also opens other
avenues for Turkish economic and security influence. But the task is likely to
run into Iranian influence in the country and Tehran’s willingness to compete in
filling the vacuum that the Westerners will leave after their withdrawal. Iran
has had already a successful experience doing exactly that in post-US Iraq.
Russia Says Taliban Controls Two-Thirds of Afghan-Tajik
Border
Agence France Presse/July 09/2021
Russia on Friday said the Taliban controls about two-thirds of the Afghan-Tajik
border and urged all sides in Afghanistan to show restraint. "We have noted a
sharp rise in tension on the Afghan-Tajik border. The Taliban movement quickly
occupied a large part of border districts and currently controls about
two-thirds of the border," Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova
said, adding that Moscow urges all sides to "show restraint." She said that
Moscow is ready to take "additional measures" to "prevent aggression" on its
ally Tajikistan and called on all sides to "avoid spreading tensions outside of
the country." The Taliban announced Friday they had captured a key border
crossing with Iran, hours after President Joe Biden issued a staunch defense of
the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. A Taliban delegation was in Moscow on
Friday and giving a press conference. This week more than 1,000 Afghan troops
fled into Tajikistan after a blistering offensive by the insurgents in the north
of Afghanistan. Afghan authorities have vowed to retake all the districts
lost to the Taliban and deployed hundreds of commandos to counter the
insurgents' offensive in the north.
The fighting in the north has also forced Moscow to close its consulate in the
city of Mazar-i-Sharif, the capital of Balkh province and one of Afghanistan's
largest urban centers near the border with Uzbekistan.
Taliban Claim to Control 85% of Afghanistan, U.S. Says
Kabul Fall 'Not Inevitable'
Agence France Presse/July 09/2021
The Taliban claimed Friday to be in control of 85 percent of Afghanistan,
including a key border crossing with Iran, following a sweeping offensive
launched as U.S. troops pull out of the war-torn nation. Hours after President
Joe Biden issued a staunch defense of the U.S. withdrawal, the Taliban said
fighters had seized the border town of Islam Qala -- completing an arc of
territory from the Iranian border to the frontier with China. In Moscow, a
delegation of Taliban officials said they controlled some 250 of Afghanistan's
398 districts -- a claim impossible to independently verify and disputed by the
government. Separately, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told AFP the Islam
Qala border crossing was "under our full control", while government officials in
Kabul said a fightback was under way. "All Afghan security forces including the
border units are present in the area, and efforts are under way to recapture the
site," interior ministry spokesman Tareq Arian told AFP. Hours earlier, Biden
said the U.S. military mission would end on August 31 -- nearly 20 years after
it began -- having "achieved" its goals.
But he admitted it was "highly unlikely" Kabul would be able to control the
entire country. "The status quo is not an option," Biden said of staying in the
country. "I will not send another generation of Americans to war in
Afghanistan."
With the Taliban having routed much of northern Afghanistan in recent weeks, the
government is holding little more than a constellation of provincial capitals
that must be largely reinforced and resupplied by air.
The air force was under severe strain even before the Taliban's lightning
offensive overwhelmed the government's northern and western positions, putting
further pressure on the country's limited aircraft and pilots. Biden said the
Afghan people alone should determine their future, but he acknowledged the
uncertainty about what that would look like. Asked if a Taliban takeover was
inevitable, the president said: "No, it is not."
But, he admitted, "the likelihood there is going to be one unified government in
Afghanistan controlling the whole country is highly unlikely.".
The Taliban, for their part, welcomed Biden's statement.
"Any day or hour that U.S. and foreign troops leave earlier is a positive step,"
spokesman Suhail Shaheen told AFP. Afghan commandos have clashed with the
insurgents this week in a provincial capital for the first time, with thousands
of people fleeing Qala-i-Naw in northwest Badghis province. President Ashraf
Ghani said the government could handle the situation, but admitted difficulties
lay ahead. "What we are witnessing is one of the most complicated stages of the
transition," he said in a speech in Kabul. "Legitimacy is ours; God is with us."
The Taliban have been emboldened by the troop withdrawal and, with peace talks
with the government deadlocked, appear to be pressing for a full military
victory. Still, on Thursday a member of the negotiating team in Doha insisted
the insurgents were seeking a "negotiated settlement". "We do not believe in
monopoly of power," spokesman Shaheen told AFP. In Moscow, a Russian foreign
ministry spokeswoman said the Taliban controlled about two-thirds of the
Afghan-Tajik border as a delegation from the insurgents wound up a visit. Some
"85 percent of Afghanistan's territory" was under the group's control, said
Taliban negotiator Shahabuddin Delawar. This week more than 1,000 Afghan troops
fled into Tajikistan in the face of a Taliban onslaught.
US is not engaged in ‘open war’ with Iran-backed
militias: State Department official
Joseph Haboush & Nadia Bilbassy-Charters, Al Arabiya English/ 09 July ,2021
The United States is not engaged in an “open war” with Iran-backed militias
despite the latter ramping up attacks on US forces in the Middle East, a senior
State Department official said Friday. An uptick in militia attacks has been
seen in recent weeks and months on US bases in Iraq and Syria, which have led US
President Joe Biden to order retaliatory airstrikes. But the tit-for-tat moves
do not insinuate an indirect. “I understand that some of these militias
completely disagree with what the United States is trying to do in Iraq in
fighting ISIS, but we’re asking them, we’re demanding, that they just leave us
alone and we’ll leave them alone, so that we can fight this common enemy, which
is ISIS,” Acting Assistant Secretary of State Joey Hood said. In an interview
with Al Arabiya, Hood hit out at Tehran’s proxies and militias for the recurring
attacks, “which serve no one’s interest, and only allow ISIS more freedom to
operate.”
Asked about Lebanon, Hood berated the political elites in Beirut, calling them a
“clique that has been in control for far too long.”But the US diplomat extended
an olive branch to Lebanese officials and said that if they want to show “that
they’re actually leaders,” they would need to form a government “right now”
capable of implementing badly needed reforms. “And if they do that, countries in
Europe and the United States have all said we are ready to support with billions
of dollars in assistance. But we will not throw money at this problem without
seeing those fundamental changes that need to take place,” Hood said. Washington
will, however, continue to provide humanitarian aid to the Lebanese people who
are suffering. “And it’s needless suffering brought on by a political class that
doesn’t seem willing to make the compromises that it needs to make to just
pursue the reforms that everyone knows that they need to pursue,” Hood said. As
for the Lebanese army, Hood said the US was coordinating with allies, including
Saudi Arabia and France, to help. Calling the Lebanese army as a “linchpin to
stability in the country,” Hood said: “We need to make sure that they at least
have what they need to continue doing their jobs.”Hood also discussed Libya and
Syria during his interview with Al Arabiya. In Libya, the US diplomat said
Washington was in talks with its allies, including Turkey, for ways to ensure
the withdrawal of foreign fighters and mercenaries.
He called for elections to take place on the scheduled date of December 24. “And
Libya is lucky because it doesn’t have a huge population, and it does have
hydrocarbon resources. So it’s not for a destitute country. You can say it’s a
failed state in terms of governance, but in terms of being able to fund its own
redevelopment, that possibility is there,” Hood said. Turning to Syria, Hood
said the US was “not about regime change in Damascus” when asked if Washington
was still demanding that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad be replaced. “What
we’re about is a UN-led political process that will lead to a Syrian government
that is fully representative of his people and takes care of its people and
doesn’t torture them, doesn’t put them in prison for their political views,
doesn’t withhold assistance from them, doesn’t gas them and drop barrel bombs on
them, as the Assad regime has done,” he said. But the UN-led political process
does not have a very good chance “right now, because Bashar is not taking it
very seriously,” Hood said.
Iraq’s confused diplomacy could complicate Saudi-Iran
overtures
The Arab Weekly/July 09/2021
BAGHDAD – Saudi Arabia still views Iran with a lot of caution despite a
rapprochement drive between the two countries through the mediation of Iraq.
Saudi Arabia and Iran, longtime foes, began direct talks in April to contain
tensions at the same time that global powers have been embroiled in nuclear
negotiations in Vienna. Neither Iran nor Gulf Arabs wants a return to tensions
of 2019 which saw attacks on tankers in Gulf waters and on Saudi oil
installations, then the 2020 US killing, under former President Donald Trump, of
top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani. A perception that Washington was now
disengaging militarily from the area under US President Joe Biden has prompted a
more pragmatic Gulf approach, analysts said. Nevertheless, Biden has demanded
Iran rein in its missile programme and end its support for proxies in the region
including in Yemen, which are key demands of Gulf Arab nations. Saudi-Iran talks
have focused mainly on Yemen, where a military campaign led by Riyadh against
the Iran-aligned Houthi movement for over six years no longer has US backing.
Iraq, however, is facing serious challenges in pressing ahead with its mediation
efforts, in view of the escalating pressure by Iran-aligned Shia militias on the
government of Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi. Riyadh had earlier spoken of an
“exploratory phase” in talks with Tehran, but questions are growing about Iraq’s
ability to achieve a rapprochement between the two countries. Not only is
Baghdad unable to reign in the chaos of the militias, but Iraqi diplomacy makes
the matter more complicated, in view of its weakness and confused approach.
Over the last few months, Baghdad has been trumpeting the success of its
diplomacy in achieving talks between Tehran and Riyadh, stressing that the
initial round of talks that took place last April was positive. Observers,
however, believe that Iran-Saudi rapprochement “is such a thorny issue that weak
and confused diplomatic capabilities, like those of Iraq, cannot deal with.”The
observers also point to Tehran’s failure to take practical steps in what would
be a goodwill gesture towards Riyadh, which has demanded an end to Iran’s
support to militias and chaos across the Middle East, particularly in Syria,
Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen. Iraq says that its efforts and its good relations with
the two countries led to direct talks last April between Saudi and Iranian
officials for the first time since relations were severed in January 2016.
Ihsan al-Shammari, head of the Iraqi Centre for Political Thinking, says
“efforts by Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi to bridge the gap between
Saudi-Iranian conflicting views constitute an advanced step.”Observers believe
that Baghdad’s success in bringing the two regional rivals to the negotiating
table could eventually serve Iraq, by easing tensions across the region and
inside the country, where powerful Iran-backed militias have been wreaking
havoc. “Kadhimi succeeded in transforming Iraq into a mediator instead of
transmitting messages between the two countries, as previous governments did in
the past,” Shammari said. “Iraq is playing the role of mediator in order to
achieve stability at home. In fact, the two countries wield a great influence
inside Iraq,” he added, noting that stability “will benefit Baghdad amid
continued threats by armed factions to target Riyadh from Iraqi territory.”
The Iranian Foreign Ministry had earlier said that Tehran looks positively on
talks with Saudi Arabia and that it “always welcomes talks”. However, Riyadh is
still assessing Tehran’s moves and gestures to determine the extent of the
Iranian regime’s seriousness when it comes to rapprochement. Gulf countries, led
by Saudi Arabia, usually accuse Iran of having a Shia expansionist agenda in the
region and of interfering in the internal affairs of Arab countries, including
Iraq, Yemen and Lebanon, accusations that Tehran denies. Iranian intransigence,
however, reduces the chances for the success of any talks, especially in the
absence of any change when it comes to the approach of the Iranian foreign
policy. For years, Baghdad officials have been relaying messages between Iran
and Saudi Arabia, two neighbours of Iraq and regional powers.
Adnan al-Sarraj, head of the Iraqi Centre for Media Development, believes that
“dialogue between Saudi Arabia and Iran could bring peace to the region,” noting
that “any political conflict between the two countries would eventually
complicate the general situation in Iraq.” “Holding such a dialogue could prove
a boon for Iraq by opening the door to economic cooperation at a time when the
country is facing an acute economic crisis, exacerbated by the decline in oil
prices and the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic,” he added. Relations
between Riyadh and Baghdad are currently going through their best time compared
to years ago, but the detrimental role of the Iran-backed militias has disrupted
much of this rapprochement.
Iraqi parliamentarian of the Iran-backed Al-Fateh Alliance, Muhammad Al-Baldawi,
says that “Iraq has completed all preparations for holding a round of direct and
public talks between the two parties and is in the process of putting the final
touches to set the date,” noting that his country is able to play the role of
mediator between Iran and Saudi Arabia. However, Saudi Arabia has expressed the
view on several occasions that it is in Iran’s interest to work with its
neighbours in a positive way that may guarantee security and stability,
stressing at the same time that rapprochement with Iran is still at an “early
stage.” There are real concerns about Ibrahim Raisi’s accession to the Iranian
presidency and these fears have been voiced by some Iraqi leaders, who warned
against the collapse of talks with Saudi Arabia and the impact of such a
collapse on the countries of the region. Despite his political fluctuations, the
leader of the Sadrist movement Muqtada al-Sadr, voiced his concern on June 21
about Raisi’s presidency and said that “Raisi taking power in Iran shall not
eclipse the region with extremism and escalation.”“We hope that he will use
reason, Sharia and dialogue to end political and sectarian conflicts in the
region which would strengthen Islam, Shiism and Arabism and weaken the common
enemy in general and Israel in particular, which have exploited those conflicts
for a long time to spread their webs,” Sadr also said in a statement posted on
Twitter. He called on Saudi Arabia and Iran to solve their problems on the one
hand and keep Iraq out of their conflict as well as not interfere in its
affairs, especially as Iraq is on the verge of parliamentary elections, which
are an internal affair. He stressed the continuation of good neighbourliness and
the development of “equal” relations between his country, Saudi Arabia and Iran,
adding that the main foundations of good neighbourliness are “non-interference
in the country’s internal affairs and cooperation in overcoming common
difficulties.”Riyadh views negotiations with Tehran as a necessity to reach a
solution in Yemen in light of Iran’s unlimited support for the Houthi militias
in their battle against the legitimate government, backed by the Arab coalition
and Saudi Arabia. The Iranian regime is currently hoping to make gains from the
ongoing nuclear negotiations in Geneva, but the countries of the region, led by
Saudi Arabia, oppose any deal with Iran that would not address Tehran’s missile
programme, the Iranian behaviour in the region and the ongoing interference by
the Iranian regime in Arab internal affairs.
Changed dynamics after US exit from Afghanistan
The Arab Weekly/July 09/2021
LONDON – As US troops quietly quit their last key bases in Afghanistan last
weekend, Russian-backed Syrian forces were stepping up their bombardment and
siege of Idlib and preparing for a possible closure of the last humanitarian
crossing from Syria to Turkey. It was a reminder of just how much the Middle
East and South Asia have changed since NATO forces began their attempts to
stabilise Afghanistan 20 years ago. As late as the Libya intervention in 2011,
and against Islamic State as recently as 2019, the United States was still the
key intervening power in conflicts, at least when it wished to be. On rare
occasions, that might remain the case, even with the number of troops reduced to
a few hundred in Iraq and Syria, plus now a similar-sized detachment guarding
the US embassy in Kabul, US air and naval forces remain significantly more
powerful than any other player. On the ground where it counts, however, other
players are now dominant, facing off for influence in a way that has already
redefined the wars in Libya and Syria. Indeed, whether America itself really
knows what role it wants to play remains unclear. Institutionally, the US
military and many agencies of the US government have been embroiled in the
Mideast and Afghanistan for so long they may inevitably wish to remain engaged.
The domestic and other drivers to pull back, however, are becoming ever
stronger. Going forward in Afghanistan, the ongoing presence of US and British
troops guarding their respective embassies is largely dependent on a Turkish
deal to retain control of Kabul airport, now likely to become the only other
significant international presence in the country. As in multiple other
conflicts, Turkey is looking to position itself as a key international player, “
but Russia, China and other states also see opportunities to increase influence
and mitigate risks.
Chinese- Russia factor
For China, that means deepening discussions with long-term partner Pakistan and
the authorities in Kabul, reportedly including a potential motorway from the
Afghan capital to Peshawar in Pakistan’s North West Frontier province. That
could revolutionise the region and significantly antagonise India, “ but would
require a very different security situation. Russia’s closest central Asian
ally, Tajikistan, on Wednesday requested Moscow’s support to secure its
mountainous border with Afghanistan. Moscow has its own history in Afghanistan,
but as in the Middle East, it is unlikely to pass up an opportunity to supplant
the United States and has stepped up diplomatic and military outreach across
Central Asia. According to local media reports, some of Afghanistan’s most
significant roads now pass through Taliban control and 15 of Afghanistan’s 34
regional capitals are now largely encircled by the militants, including the key
northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif. US intelligence estimates cited by US media
predict the Afghan government itself could fall in six months to a year,
although with Afghan troops already said to be melting away in some areas, any
unraveling could come faster.
In Libya, Syria, Iraq and Yemen, Washington remains involved to various degrees
but other nations are now often more influential. That has particularly
benefited Russia, which now has a significant presence in Syria and Libya
supporting its much more assertive naval forces in the eastern Mediterranean.
Regional dynamics are more complex still, benefiting smaller powers.
Unreported wars
In Libya, where Washington and its NATO allies marshalled an ad hoc coalition to
oust Muammar Gadhafi in 2011, the war is now a complex fight between elements
backed by foreign powers including Russia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates,
Egypt, France and others, in part driven by a desire for oil and gas reserves.
In Syria, where the United States retains a modest military presence in some
oil-rich Kurdish areas, the primary drivers of the conflict now include a much
broader confrontation between the Russian-backed regime of Bashar al-Assad and
Turkey, which controls some areas along the border with its own troops and
Turkish-backed militias. As well as shaping the war on the ground with troops
and air power since its intervention began in 2015, Russia has also used its
veto at the United Nations to control diplomatic actions on Syria, including the
latest potential border closure.
In contrast to 2011, developments in these conflicts are now barely covered by
international media. Activities of US forces are also much less sovered, with
little clarity, for example, over reported explosions at a US base in Syria this
week.
Indeed, many of the key developments in US-Mideast relations, such as the visit
to Washington this week of Saudi Deputy Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin
Salman, go largely unreported or at least officially unannounced. The same goes
for an uptick in US strikes against Iranian-backed forces in Iraq earlier this
month, one country where the United States remains more involved than expected
after withdrawal of combat troops but has also seen its power fade.
What happens next in Afghanistan may similarly go largely ignored. Most coverage
so far has focused on what the United States and Britain might do next, not what
is happening on the ground. Whether Turkey can control the international airport
may come down to whether it is able to strike a deal with a dramatically
resurgent Taliban, but the details of that and whether or not it truly happens
may also barely be reported. That does not mean multiple countries will not be
paying attention. The West might wish Afghanistan had ceased to exist once its
troops are no longer there, but in many ways the 21st-century “Great Game” for
influence there is only just beginning.
Israeli PM Bennett holds secret meeting with
Jordan's Abdullah
Jerusalem Post/July 09/2021
The agreement reached between Lapid and Safadi builds on Prime Minister Naftali
Bennett's decision to sell up to 50 cubic meters of water to Jordan during the
current water year, Lapid said. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett secretly met with
Jordan’s King Abdullah at his palace in Amman last week, as the two countries
finalize a major water deal in advance of their separate trips to Washington
later this summer. The story of the meeting was reported widely Thursday by the
Israeli media but was not confirmed by Bennett’s office. Such meetings between
former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and King Abdullah were rare and had not
happened for a number of years due to rising tensions between the two countries.
At last week's meeting Bennett and Abdullah agreed that the two countries must
heal that rift. As a step in that direction they spoke of a water deal. Foreign
Minister Yair Lapid on Thursday publicly visited Jordan to help finalize the
water deal and a separate agreement to increase trade levels. “The Kingdom of
Jordan is a neighbor and partner of the State of Israel. The Foreign Ministry
will continue to hold an ongoing dialogue in order to preserve and strengthen
that relationship,” Lapid said, according to a statement put out by his
office.“We will expand economic cooperation for the benefit of both countries,”
he added. The US State Department welcomed the rapprochement between the Israel
and Jordan, adding that the water and trade deal would "strengthen civilian
cooperation between the two countries and will support the Palestinian people by
allowing increased trade between Jordan and the West Bank.""It is these kinds of
tangible steps that increase prosperity for all and advance regional stability,"
the US added.
Israel plans to sell 50 million cu.m. of water to Jordan, in what could be a
short term annual allocation. Such a move would augment the 55 million cu.m.
yearly allotment guaranteed to Jordan under the 1994 peace between the two
countries.
Additional water offers have been rare. In 2010 Israel allowed Jordan to
purchase 10 million cu.m. and in April, a 3 million cu.m. purchase was approved.
Bennett already gave his initial approval to the deal, which was cemented when
Lapid met with his Jordanian counterpart, Ayman Safadi, on Thursday.
“Final details will be worked out by the professional teams in the coming days,”
the Foreign Ministry said.
While in Jordan Lapid also agreed to increase Jordan’s export level to
Palestinians in the West Bank from $160 million to $700m. annually.
Some $470m. of that sum “will be included under Palestinian trade regulations
(List A1), with the rest handled in accordance with Israel’s trade regulations
(List B),” the Foreign Ministry said.
“The increase will be decided by the parties in accordance with the Paris
Protocol, which provides the economic framework for trade between Israel and the
Palestinian Authority,” it added.
The new Bennett-led government has sought to improve the relationship with its
regional ally, viewed as essential to Israel’s national security.
Over the last year Defense Minister Benny Gantz and former foreign minister Gabi
Ashkenazi worked on damage control measures with their neighbor.
Israel’s gestures are expected to help Jordan combat its economic woes and
drought which have threatened to destabilize the Hashemite Kingdom.
Lapid’s trip is seen as a precursor to this summer’s Washington visits. No date
has yet been set for Bennett’s trip.
But King Abdullah of Jordan will arrive in Washington on July 19 to meet with US
President Joe Biden, the White House announced on Wednesday.
“The President and the First Lady look forward to welcoming His Majesty King
Abdullah II of Jordan, Her Majesty Queen Rania, and His Royal Highness Crown
Prince Hussein to the White House,” the official statement reads. “His Majesty’s
visit will highlight the enduring and strategic partnership between the United
States and Jordan, a key security partner and ally of the United States.”
“It will be an opportunity to discuss the many challenges facing the Middle East
and showcase Jordan’s leadership role in promoting peace and stability in the
region,” the White House said. “President Biden looks forward to working with
His Majesty to strengthen bilateral cooperation on multiple political, security
and economic issues, including the promotion of economic opportunities that will
be vital for a bright future in Jordan.”
David Makovsky, director of the Koret Project on Arab-Israel relations at the
Washington Institute, told The Jerusalem Post that he believed the visit
“reflects that to be among the first Arab leaders to visit – even if a half year
since taking office – Biden wants to signal his support for the Hashemite
Kingdom that is viewed as a pro-American ally.”
“While security ties remain excellent, I am sure the administration hopes that
personal ties will improve in the post-Netanyahu era between the leadership of
Jordan and Israel,” said Makovsky.
Tensions, however, were still evident during Lapid’s visit with Safadi regarding
points of conflict between the two countries: the Temple Mount, Jerusalem and
West Bank settlements.
Jordan has a special relationship with the Temple Mount – also known as al-Haram
al-Sharif – which is the third holiest site in Islam, over which the Hashemite
Kingdom has custodial responsibilities.
Jordan fears that Israel wants to change the status quo on the Temple Mount,
that allows only Muslim worship while banning Jewish prayer.
According to the Jordan News Agency, Safadi spoke with Lapid of the need to
preserve the Temple Mount’s status quo. He urged Lapid not to allow the eviction
of Palestinians from the east Jerusalem Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, warning that
it would be a war crime.
Safadi also emphasized the importance of a two-state solution to the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict based on the pre-1967 lines with east Jerusalem as
a Palestinian capital.
The former Netanyahu government had opposed any two-state resolution based on
the pre-1967 lines, while former prime minister Ehud Olmert had supported that
basic framework.
Bennett’s government is made up of parties that support and oppose a two-state
arrangement based on the 1967 lines. Bennett himself is opposed to a Palestinian
state, while Lapid favors one, but neither want a Palestinian state on the 1967
lines.
*Maariv contributed to this report
US sees ‘serious threat’ in attacks in Iraq, Syria but
unsure what to do
The Arab Weekly/July 09/2021
WASHINGTON – The Pentagon said on Thursday it was deeply concerned about a
series of attacks on US personnel in Iraq and Syria in recent days. US diplomats
and troops in Iraq and Syria were targeted in three rocket and drone attacks on
Wednesday alone, including at least 14 rockets hitting an Iraqi air base hosting
US forces, wounding two American service members. While there were no immediate
claims of responsibility for the attacks, part of a wave targeting US troops or
areas where they are based in Iraq and Syria, analysts believed they were part
of a campaign by Iranian-backed militias. “They are using lethal weaponry. I
don’t know how you can say anything other than it is a serious threat,” Pentagon
spokesman John Kirby told reporters. Iraqi militia groups aligned with Iran
vowed to retaliate after US strikes on the Iraqi-Syrian border killed four of
their members last month. Iran denied supporting attacks on US forces in Iraq
and Syria and condemned US air strikes on Iranian-backed groups. Its proxies in
Iraq remain the prime suspects, nonetheless. Iraq, long an arena for bitter
rivalry between the US and Iran despite their shared enmity towards the Islamist
State (ISIS) extremist group, has seen growing numbers of rocket and drone
attacks on American targets in recent months. The last few days have witnessed
repeated attacks on US interests in the west, Iraqi Kurdistan in the north and
the US embassy in Baghdad. Some have been claimed by previously unknown groups
demanding the departure of the “American occupier”, or promising to avenge the
deaths of comrades killed in US strikes. But observers blame them on existing
pro-Iranian factions, operating under the umbrella of the Hashed al-Shaabi
(Popular Mobilisation Forces) paramilitary alliance formed to fight ISIS.
Commanders from the Hashed, which is integrated into state forces and has become
a major political player, often praise the attacks, without ever claiming
responsibility. The Hashed has vowed revenge for the deaths of its forces in US
strikes in Iraq and Syria. Experts warn that, the attacks have turned into a
dangerous tit-for-tat violence. One senior US military official warned that
Iraqi armed groups “are playing with fire”. But Washington is yet to offer a
clear strategy or project a strong political will to deal with the provocations.
The ongoing talks about Iran’s nuclear programme and the promise of an end to
the US sanctions have not lowered the Iraqi militants’ escalation. The United
States has been holding indirect talks with Iran aimed at bringing both nations
back into compliance with the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, which was abandoned by
then-President Donald Trump. No date has been set for a next round of the talks,
which adjourned on June 20.
Endless cycle
“We can expect the cycle to continue”, said Marsin Alshamary, an Iraq specialist
at the Brookings Institution, a Washington-based think-tank. Pro-Iranian forces
have carried out dozens of attacks against US interests in Iraq since the start
of the year, mainly as shows of force. Iraq researcher Hamdi Malik of the
Washington Institute said recent attacks by Iran-backed militias in Iraq and
Eastern Syria were a way of bolstering support and competing for influence.
Nothing works better than targeting the US, experts say. Pro-Iranian groups
suffered a heavy blow in January last year with the US killing of Iran’s revered
commander Qasem Soleimani and his Iraqi lieutenant Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis. “By
not acting when more of their people are killed, (pro-Iran groups) risk losing
their credibility and legitimacy in the eyes of their own bases,” Malik said.
They are also cautious of “losing respect in the eyes of other components of the
‘axis of resistance’ in other countries in the region,” he said, referring to
pro-Iranian forces in Syria, Lebanon and Yemen. On the other side, Washington
“is trying to curb the influence and the authority of these militias,” said
Alshamary. The Iraqi state has repeatedly condemned the rocket and drone
attacks, but has been unable to put any of the perpetrators on trial, Alshamary
said. Such incidents have escalated in Iraq and Syria even as the US and Iran
conduct delicate negotiations aimed at reviving a 2015 accord on Tehran’s
nuclear activities, scuppered by the Trump administration in 2018.
Pfizer Pushes for 3rd Shot as Variant Drives Global
Outbreaks
Agence France Presse/July 09/2021
Pfizer and BioNTech announced they would seek authorization for a third dose of
their Covid-19 vaccine to boost its efficacy, as the Delta variant drove
devastating outbreaks in Asia and Africa and cases rose again in Europe and the
United States.
With the pandemic once again wreaking havoc, Japan banned fans from most Olympic
events and placed Tokyo under a virus state of emergency throughout the Games
just two weeks before the opening ceremony.
Delta is the most infectious strain of the virus since the start of the global
pandemic early last year. Originally detected in India, it has quickly spread
and is accelerating outbreaks even in countries with high vaccination rates,
leading the World Health Organization to warn this week that the world was at a
"perilous point" as the official global death toll passed four million. Pfizer
and BioNTech said Thursday they expected that a third dose will perform well
against the strain, and that they would be seeking authorization in the United
States, Europe and other regions in coming weeks.
Initial data from an ongoing trial showed a third shot pushed antibody levels
five to 10 times higher against the original coronavirus strain and the Beta
variant, first found in South Africa, compared with the first two doses alone,
according to a statement.
The companies said they expected similar results for Delta -- but added they
were also developing a vaccine specifically tailored to fight the deadly strain.
The news came after Japan, where the variant currently accounts for around 30
percent of cases, said it would ban spectators from almost all Olympic venues in
light of a new state of emergency imposed on the capital.
The Olympic flame arrived in the Japanese capital Friday, in a muted finish to a
nationwide torch relay that was supposed to stoke excitement about the Games but
which has been taken off public roads or otherwise altered because of virus
concerns.
'Do not leave your home' -
Elsewhere in Asia, Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City went into a two-week lockdown,
with residents now barred from gathering in groups larger than pairs in public,
and people are only allowed to leave home to buy food, medicine and in case of
emergencies.
Police have also set up check-points at city borders and only those with
negative test results can get in.
In Indonesia, desperately needed supplies of oxygen and protective equipment
arrived from neighboring Singapore.
Indonesia has become a global Covid-19 hotspot, with a fierce outbreak leaving
hospitals struggling to cope -- many are now refusing new patients, leaving
scores to die at home, while desperate relatives hunt for oxygen tanks to treat
the sick.
Indonesia, with a population of 270 million, now has a recorded caseload of over
2.4 million -- but testing rates are low and experts believe the true figure is
far higher.
The virus is alsi returning to many places once held up as models in combating
the pandemic. Authorities in Australia’s largest city Friday tightened a
now-three week lockdown as new Covid-19 infections hit a record and authorities
warned an outbreak of the Delta variant was spinning out of control.
"Do not leave your home unless you absolutely have to," state premier Gladys
Berejiklian told Sydney's five million residents, warning they were facing the
greatest threat to their safety "since the pandemic started".
And South Korea said it would raise coronavirus curbs to their highest level in
the Seoul metropolitan area, with prime minister Kim Boo-kyum warning a record
spike in new cases had reached "maximum crisis level."
Almost half the South Korean population will now be barred from gathering in
groups of more than two people after 6pm for two weeks and schools will be shut,
among other new restrictions.
Meanwhile in Brazil, which has the world's second-highest known Covid-19 death
toll after the United States, authorities have said the variant was spreading
rapidly in the country's most populous state Sao Paulo. Also badly hit and
struggling to cope is Africa, where the WHO warned the worst was yet to come
after the most disastrous week in its history of pandemics. "The fast-moving
third wave continues to gain speed and new ground," said Dr Matshidiso Moeti,
the WHO's regional director for Africa.
Delta is making itself felt even in places where vaccination drives have been
robust.
France on Thursday advised its citizens against traveling to Spain and Portugal
because of a Delta-caused spike in cases.
Jihan al-Sadat, Wife to Egypt's ex-President, Dies
Agence France Presse/July 09/2021
Jihan al-Sadat, the second wife of assassinated Egyptian president Anwar Sadat,
has died at the age of 87, the presidency said on Friday. "The presidency...
weeps with immense sadness for Jihan al-Sadat, the wife of president Anwar
Sadat, a hero of war and peace," an official statement said. She was "a model
for Egyptian women", the statement added. She had been in hospital for several
weeks after returning from treatment in the United States, her son Mohamed said.
She was born in Cairo to an English mother and Egyptian father in 1933 and
married Sadat in 1949. The former president was assassinated by Islamists in
1981.
The Latest The Latest LCCC English
analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on
July 09-10/2021
Iran’s Latest Nuclear Escalation Exposes Biden’s Failed Iran Policy
Anthony Ruggiero/Richard Goldberg/FDD/July 09/2021
أنتوني روجيرو/ريتشارد غولدبرغ/مؤسسة الدفاع عن الديموقراطيات: أحدث تصعيد نووي
إيراني يكشف سياسة بايدن الفاشلة تجاه حكم الملالي
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/100479/anthony-ruggiero-richard-goldberg-irans-latest-nuclear-escalation-exposes-bidens-failed-iran-policy-%d8%a3%d9%86%d8%aa%d9%88%d9%86%d9%8a-%d8%b1%d9%88%d8%ac%d9%8a%d8%b1%d9%88-%d8%b1/
Rafael Grossi, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA),
on Tuesday informed the IAEA Board of Governors that Iran will use indigenously
enriched uranium to produce uranium metal. This is the latest nuclear
provocation from Tehran as the Biden administration offers to rejoin the 2015
Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and lift economic sanctions.
The Islamic Republic informed the IAEA that it would convert into uranium metal
some of the 20 percent-enriched uranium-235 that it began producing in January,
which Tehran would then use to make fuel for the Tehran Research Reactor. Iran’s
actions are a transparent attempt to manufacture a justification for its
increased uranium enrichment activities and its previously announced production
of uranium metal. Both activities develop crucial knowledge that Tehran can use
in a nuclear weapons program.
The E3 (France, Germany, and the United Kingdom) were disturbed by this
development and issued a strong statement that called Tehran’s actions a
“serious violation of Iran’s [JCPOA] commitments.” The group also noted that the
Islamic Republic has “no credible civilian need for uranium metal R&D and
production, which are a key step in the development of a nuclear weapon.”
State Department spokesman Ned Price called Tehran’s actions “another
unfortunate step backwards for Iran.”
Iran also curtailed the IAEA’s monitoring of Tehran’s nuclear program when it
did not extend an IAEA-Iran access agreement brokered in May. The Islamic
Republic, meanwhile, has reportedly restricted IAEA inspectors’ access to its
main enrichment plant while refusing to resolve outstanding IAEA questions about
undeclared nuclear activities at several facilities in Iran. Importantly, Iran’s
failure to comply with IAEA safeguards investigations constitutes a material
breach of its obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty — something
that would not be resolved by rejoining the JCPOA.
Unfortunately, these developments were predictable when the E3 and the Biden
administration decided to accommodate Iran’s stonewalling of the IAEA during the
March 2021 IAEA Board of Governors meeting. The appropriate response would have
been a resolution condemning Iran’s refusal to answer the agency’s legitimate
questions. But the efforts to return to the flawed 2015 nuclear deal took
precedence and, in the process, the E3 and United States signaled that the IAEA
safeguards mission was a secondary priority.
These concessions weakened Grossi’s standing and made it more difficult for him
to get Tehran to cooperate. Furthermore, the United States and E3 have
perversely incentivized the director general to avoid disputes with Iran —
instilling a fear inside the agency that a confrontation could be blamed for any
failure to revive the JCPOA — which gives Iran greater latitude to extort the
IAEA. Time will tell if the E3 and the United States have irreparably harmed the
IAEA’s integrity, but they have likely weakened safeguards beyond the Iran case.
To address Iran’s latest violation, the E3 and United States should immediately
call for a special Board of Governors meeting. The E3 statement hints that their
patience is waning. However, by proposing the lifting of sanctions on Iran as a
solution to this crisis rather than insisting on accountability at the IAEA
board, the group signals weakness to Tehran.
A special Board of Governors meeting would be an opportunity to adopt a
resolution that reinforces the board’s confidence in Grossi, condemns Iran’s
nuclear escalation, and reaffirms that concerns related to Iran’s compliance
with its Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement remain separate from any negotiated
return to the flawed 2015 deal.
The Biden administration and America’s E3 partners made a serious mistake by
appeasing Iran’s nuclear extortion under the misguided notion that Tehran would
moderate its behavior following concessions. JCPOA proponents now know that the
Islamic Republic is determined to proceed with its nuclear program and will
exploit any weakness. The Biden administration should restore its leverage and
deal with the incoming Raisi administration from a position of strength.
*Anthony Ruggiero is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of
Democracies (FDD), where Richard Goldberg is a senior advisor. Anthony
previously served in the U.S. government for more than 19 years, most recently
as senior director for counterproliferation and biodefense on the U.S. National
Security Council. Richard previously served as director for countering Iranian
weapons of mass destruction for the National Security Council. They both
contribute to FDD’s Iran Program and Center on Military and Political Power (CMPP).
For more analysis from the authors, the Iran Program, and CMPP,
The Middle East should be afraid of Iran’s Ebrahim Raisi
Alireza Nader/Saeed Ghasseminejad/Al Arabiya/July 09/2021
علي رضا نادر/سعيد قاسمي نجاد: يجب على الشرق الأوسط أن يخاف من إبراهيم رئيسي
الإيراني
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/100484/alireza-nader-saeed-ghasseminejad-al-arabiya-the-middle-east-should-be-afraid-of-irans-ebrahim-raisi-%d8%b9%d9%84%d9%8a-%d8%b1%d8%b6%d8%a7-%d9%86%d8%a7%d8%af%d8%b1-%d9%88%d8%b3%d8%b9%d9%8a/
Iran’s newly elected president, Ebrahim Raisi, is known for his brutal and
fanatical devotion to the Islamic Republic, a history that it would serve Middle
Eastern nations well to remember in future foreign policy dealings with the
country.
Raisi’s selection by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei as president is meant to
facilitate a smooth succession and instill fear in Iranians yearning to break
free from the theocracy. While domestic politics drove the selection of Raisi,
it nonetheless has implications for foreign policy. Raisi and Khamenei, who will
likely feed each other’s hardest impulses, will surely lead to further Iranian
intervention in the Middle East, an expanding ballistic-missile program, and
unrelenting hostility toward Israel and the Arab states of the Persian Gulf.
Raisi is the top contender to succeed Khamenei once the 82-year-old leader
passes – although the road to succession may be a turbulent one. Knowing that
the key to succeeding Khamenei is his approval, Raisi’s main goal over the next
few years is not to lose the Ayatollah’s trust. As a result, he will be
Khamenei’s most loyal disciple as long as Khamenei and the hope of succession
are alive.
Raisi adheres to all of Khamenei’s key principles, including maintaining the
revolutionary status quo, his rabid anti-Americanism, and dedication to
advancing Iran’s missiles and nuclear programs. At the same time, Raisi has been
careful not to outbid Khamenei in his radicalism.
Unlike some of Khamenei’s supporters, Raisi does not oppose the US return to the
nuclear agreement or the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. Like Khamenei, he
understands that the regime desperately needs an infusion of cash. US sanctions
have served as a constraint on the Islamic Republic’s ability to fund its most
nefarious activities, therefore a US return to the JCPOA and the easing of
sanctions will see greater resources for regional expansion.
Raisi also believes in Khamenei’s concept of the “resistance” economy, a rather
vague doctrine of self-sufficiency that prioritizes the local supply chain over
the interconnections of a global economy. In practice, it means less reliance on
imports, limited trade with the West, and expanded trade with countries that
pose no cultural and political risks. The resistance economy is not a formula
for growth but may serve the Islamist regime well as its key goal is to minimize
the effect of sanctions.
If a deal is not reached in a few weeks, the Raisi administration, facing high
inflation and limited access to hard currency, has little choice but to continue
negotiations. The regime may use more threatening actions, including military
attacks on US and allied targets, to extract more concessions from Washington.
Alarming advances in uranium enrichment and other moves toward nuclear
weaponization are an increasing possibility. The regime appears to view amping
up the West’s nuclear fears as a valuable strategy against the US in Vienna.
Raisi has said clearly, as has the supreme leader, that he is not willing to
negotiate on other issues such as missiles and Iran’s regional activities. Thus,
the Biden administration’s intention to negotiate a “longer and stronger”
agreement is unlikely to happen.
Raisi’s appointments to key national security positions could indicate how
militant his foreign policy will be. A key contender is the former nuclear
negotiator Saeed Jalili either as the foreign minister or head of the supreme
national security council. Jalili’s appointment may complicate the nuclear
negotiations, as he is known to be fiercely uncompromising.
And Raisi shares Khamenei’s intense hatred for the Arab monarchies. Like the
supreme leader, Raisi has used very harsh words to describe Saudi Arabia, and is
an active promoter of anti-Semitism, seeking the annihilation of Israel.
Henry Kissinger once asked whether the Islamic Republic views itself as a
nation-state or a revolutionary cause. Raisi’s selection provides a final answer
to his question. The Biden administration should take note.
*Alireza Nader is a senior fellow for the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
Saeed Ghasseminejad is a Senior Advisor at the Foundation for Defense of
Democracies. Follow them on Twitter @AlirezaNader and @SGhasseminejad. FDD is a
Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan research institute focusing on national
security and foreign policy.
Question: "What is the way of salvation?"
Questions.org/July 09/2021
Answer: Are you hungry? Not physically hungry, but do you have a hunger for
something more in life? Is there something deep inside of you that never seems
to be satisfied? If so, Jesus is the way! Jesus said, “I am the bread of life.
He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be
thirsty” (John 6:35). Are you confused? Can you never seem to find a path or
purpose in life? Does it seem like someone has turned out the lights and you
cannot find the switch? If so, Jesus is the way of salvation! Jesus proclaimed,
“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness,
but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). Do you ever feel like you are
locked out of life? Have you tried so many doors, only to find that what is
behind them is empty and meaningless? Are you looking for an entrance into a
fulfilling life? If so, Jesus is the way of salvation! Jesus declared, “I am the
gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and
find pasture” (John 10:9). Do other people always let you down? Have your
relationships been shallow and empty? Does it seem like everyone is trying to
take advantage of you? If so, Jesus is the way! Jesus said, “I am the good
shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. I am the good
shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me” (John 10:11, 14).
Do you wonder what happens after this life? Are you tired of living your life
for things that only rot or rust? Do you sometimes doubt whether life has any
meaning? Do you want to live after you die? If so, Jesus is the way of
salvation! Jesus declared, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes
in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will
never die” (John 11:25-26).
What is the way? What is the truth? What is the life? Jesus answered, “I am the
way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me”
(John 14:6).
The hunger that you feel is a spiritual hunger, and can only be filled by Jesus.
Jesus is the only one who can lift the darkness. Jesus is the door to a
satisfying life. Jesus is the friend and shepherd that you have been looking
for. Jesus is the life—in this world and the next. Jesus is the way of
salvation!
The reason you feel hungry, the reason you seem to be lost in darkness, the
reason you cannot find meaning in life, is that you are separated from God. The
Bible tells us that we have all sinned, and are therefore separated from God
(Ecclesiastes 7:20; Romans 3:23). The void you feel in your heart is God missing
from your life. We were created to have a relationship with God. Because of our
sin, we are separated from that relationship. Even worse, our sin will cause us
to be separated from God for all of eternity, in this life and the next (Romans
6:23; John 3:36).
How can this problem be solved? Jesus is the way of salvation! Jesus took our
sin upon Himself (2 Corinthians 5:21). Jesus died in our place (Romans 5:8),
taking the punishment that we deserve. Three days later, Jesus rose from the
dead, proving His victory over sin and death (Romans 6:4-5). Why did He do it?
Jesus answered that question Himself: “Greater love has no one than this, that
he lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). Jesus died so that we could
live. If we place our faith in Jesus, trusting His death as the payment for our
sins, all of our sins are forgiven and washed away. We will then have our
spiritual hunger satisfied. The lights will be turned on. We will have access to
a fulfilling life. We will know our true best friend and good shepherd. We will
know that we will have life after we die—a resurrected life in heaven for
eternity with Jesus!
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever
believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
Have you made a decision for Christ because of what you have read here? If so,
please click on the “I have accepted Christ today” button below.