English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For July 17/2020
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news

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Bible Quotations For today
Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, “Lord, lord, open to us.” But he replied, “Truly I tell you, I do not know you.”Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 25/01-13: “‘Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a shout, “Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.” Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the wise, “Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.” But the wise replied, “No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.” And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, “Lord, lord, open to us.” But he replied, “Truly I tell you, I do not know you.”Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on July 16-17/2021
Health Ministry: 577 new Corona cases, one death
President addresses delegation from Notre Dame University: “Lebanon will overcome difficult circumstances”
Presidency: Nahar website report on content of President's meeting yesterday with Prime Minister Hariri is false
Most Lebanese women struggle to afford period supplies: Survey
PM Consultations Expected Monday or after Eid al-Adha
Baabda Reportedly Calls Hariri's Resignation 'Total Coup'
Line-Up that Hariri Submitted to Aoun Revealed
Macron to Host Int'l Conference on Lebanon on August 4
Lebanon in Freefall as France Announces Aid Conference
U.S. Calls Resignation of Hariri 'Disappointing'
EU Says Lebanon Leaders Must Solve 'Self-Made Crisis'
U.N. Regrets Inability of Lebanese Leaders to Agree on Govt. Formation
Health Minister: Medicines Priced Below LBP 12,000 No Longer Subsidized
15 Troops among 19 Injured in Tripoli Protests
Embassy of India in Beirut organizes tourism event “Incredible India – Your Favorite Tourist Destination”
Sami Gemayel meets Valenciano
Geagea meets Valenciano over latest developments
European Union election observation mission chief visits Lebanon: In times of crisis, it is all the more important that citizens participate in shaping the country’s future
Lebanon sinks deeper into crisis as Hariri steps down after long standoff
Saad al-Hariri Has Withdrawn from Lebanon’s Government-Formation Process/Michael Young/Carnegie MEC/July 16/2021
La fin d’un épisode ou la mort d’un pays/Charles Elias Chartouni/July 16/2021

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on July 16-17/2021
Protests erupt in Iran’s oil-rich southwest, spurred by water shortages
PA crackdown shakes Palestinians but fails to halt protests
Jordan’s king moves to reassert rule but challenges lie ahead
Sisi warns Ethiopia that Egypt’s water share is a ‘red line’
Killers of Iraqi analyst Hisham Al-Hashimi arrested, says PM Al-Khadimi
Sadr seeks to evade responsibility for crises through election announcement
EU top court says hijab ban at workpalace ‘may be justified’
UN urges withdrawal of foreign forces, mercenaries from Libya
U.N. warns Libya's banking system at risk of collapse
Russia Foreign Minister Says U.S. Mission in Afghanistan 'Failed'
Turkey Says Mass Grave Found in Syrian Region
Floods in Germany Claim 81 Victims, More Than 1,000 Missing
Texas officer killed, 4 others injured in standoff
Canada/Garneau speaks with Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
Taliban ‘more qualified’ to run Afghanistan than Kabul govt, says group spokesman
EU agency expects COVID-19 cases to rise by 5 times by August

Titles For The Latest The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on July 16-17/2021
Putin's New Anti-Navalny Law/Jiri Valenta and Leni Friedman Valenta/Gatestone Institute/July 16, 2021
Question: "Is there an afterlife?"/GotQuestions.org/16 July/2021
Iran Nuclear Talks Stalled While U.S. Waits for Raisi/Hopes for a fast deal—or any deal at all—are fading./Michael Hirsh/Foreign Policy/July 16/2021
Nearly half of Afghanistan’s provincial capitals under threat from Taliban/Bill Roggio/Andrew Tobin/FDD's Long War Journal/July 16/2021
Will the Arab world block Iran’s poisonous propaganda?/Ibrahim al-Zobeidi/The Arab Weekly/July 16/2021
New UN envoy to face old problems in Yemen/Saleh Baidhani/The Arab Weekly/July 16/2021
The Epic Battle that Freed Christian Spain of Islam: Las Navas de Tolosa/Raymond Ibrahim/July 16/2021

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on July 16-17/2021
Health Ministry: 577 new Corona cases, one death
NNA/July 16/2021
In its daily report, the Ministry of Public Health announced on Friday the registration of 577 new Coronavirus infections, thus raising the cumulative number of confirmed cases to-date to 550,004
It added that one death was also recorded during the past 24 hours.

President addresses delegation from Notre Dame University: “Lebanon will overcome difficult circumstances”
NNA /July 16/2021
President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, asserted that “Lebanon will be able to overcome the difficult circumstances it is currently going through at various levels, because events have proven that the will of life among the Lebanese has always enabled them to overcome many difficulties in the past”. The President emphasized the bet on young generations in building the future of Lebanon, “Which is what we want”.
President Aoun also stressed that “Nothing should discourage the Lebanese despite the severity of what they are exposed to”, promising to exert every effort to get out of the successive crises they suffer from. The positions of President Aoun came while meeting a delegation from Notre Dame University headed by the new president of the university, Father Bechara El Khoury, and the membership of the vice president for administrative and financial affairs, Abbot Samaan Abu Abdo, the vice president for academic affairs, and Director of Public Affairs and Protocol, Majid Abu Hadeer, today at Baabda Palace. The delegation also included the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Roni Farra, member of the Executive Board, former Minister Ziad Baroud, and the Secretary, Mrs. Mona Kanaan. At the beginning of the meeting, President of the University, Father Bechara El-Khoury, thanked the President for sending the General Director of the Presidency to represent him at the ceremony of assuming the duties of the Presidency of the University, and for the support he showed to the University.
Father Al-Khoury pointed out that the cooperation between President Aoun and the university is not new, and just as the Presidency of the Republic in the person of the president is a university for Lebanon, the University of Louaize aims to bring together the Lebanese of different sects, affiliations and religions.
“We are here today to renew what the Church decided in 1836 in the Lebanese Synod regarding the adoption of education as a mission, and we are entrusted with this matter and we reaffirm it at every historical turning point, to contribute, with your Excellency's message, to the consolidation of the goals, which are the country, the constitution and values” Al-Khoury stated. “We are trying to be the executive frameworks for what our country represents in terms of being a meeting of civilizations and not a struggle for them” Father Al-Khoury added stressing that the university and the Presidency of the Republic will remain on the same line as long as the goal is to build the person and the nation. In addition, Father Al-Khoury pointed out that the university renews its affiliation with the values represented by the President of the Republic, and to the ancient country, despite the existing "turbulence", which we have always managed to overcome over the past years.
President Aoun:
For his part, President Aoun responded welcoming the delegation, and praised the values adopted by the University of Louaize "in its upbringing of Lebanese generations, which we are working to complete intellectually. Therefore, we took the initiative and obtained international recognition for the "Academy of Man for Meeting and Dialogue", which includes all religions and civilizations”. “What we witnessed in terms of health events and other problems led to delays in the Academy's work, but today we are restoring momentum to this issue with the 167 countries out of 169 that voted in favor of accrediting Lebanon as a center for this academy” the President said.
Moreover, President Aoun pointed to the great role played by the University of Louaize, counting on the continuation of this role in the future, because its success is a success for Lebanon. President Aoun also called for focusing on the importance of the necessity of integrating science and religion in improving the conditions of human encounter, in order to combat attempts to take religions to destinations that do not reflect their true values and principles. Finally, President Aoun addressed what is said about civil rule, considering that this matter can only be established through the unification of laws, the most important of which is the Personal Status Law because of its equality for all, “And it requires the cooperation of all Lebanese parties and the collection of different ideas”.
Al-Adha Congratulations:
President Aoun also received congratulation telegrams on the blessed Eid Al-Adha from a number of heads of state.
Iraqi President:
Iraqi President Barham Salih stated:
“On the occasion of the blessed Eid al-Adha, I extend, on behalf of the Iraqi people and in my own name, to your Excellency and through you to the brotherly Lebanese people, the best blessings, asking God Almighty to grant you health and success, blessing you with further progress and prosperity.
On this blessed occasion, we affirm Iraq's keenness to continue strengthening brotherly relations and joint cooperation between our two brotherly countries and peoples in various fields.
Iranian President, Hassan Rouhani, and Kuwaiti Crown Prince, Mishaal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, also sent congratulation cables.—Presidency Press Office

Presidency: Nahar website report on content of President's meeting yesterday with Prime Minister Hariri is false
NNA/July 16/2021
The Presidency Press Office issued the following statement:
“Nahar website published today what it claimed was "A report of the last meeting" between President Michel Aoun and Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri, quoting "political sources".The Presidency Press Office confirms that the words attributed to the President of the Republic are baseless and false, aiming to create confusion in public opinion and distorting reality, especially since attendance at this meeting was limited to President Aoun and PM Hariri only.So clarification was required”. -- Press office

Most Lebanese women struggle to afford period supplies: Survey
NNA/July 16/2021
Three quarters of females in Lebanon are struggling to afford period supplies amid a deep economic crisis, forcing many to resort to impractical or unsafe alternatives, non-government groups said Wednesday.
“76.5 percent of women and girls living in Lebanon experienced more difficulty in accessing products because of the sharp rise in prices during the past year," the groups Fe-Male and Plan International found in a survey.
As Lebanon battles its worst financial crunch in history, the price of mostly imported period pads has soared. Women and girls are being forced to buy cheaper menstrual pads, wear them longer, or even replace them altogether with tissues, other textiles or cut-up baby nappies. A survey of 1,800 women and girls from the country's Lebanese, Syrian and Palestinian communities found that these coping mechanisms had repercussions on everyday life. Up to 36 percent of respondents had experienced irritations or infection due to lack of access to the right feminine hygiene products.
More than 35 percent, mostly younger participants, said their period had prevented them from reaching their full potential or engaging in daily activities.
One school girl told the Lebanese group Fe-Male that her family could not afford sanitary pads so she used a piece of cloth and missed several days of school each month. Both non-government groups called for a broader public discussion on period poverty and the right to access to safe sanitary supplies.
"Menstruation is not an option but a biological reality, and access to the products of the menstrual cycle is a human right," said Lama Naga of Plan International.
Alia Awada, the co-director of Fe-Male, said raising awareness was exceptionally important as women were often reluctant to discuss the topic.
"Women and girls don't speak a lot about this need, and this is one of the reasons for period poverty," she said. Keeping quiet about it leads to "dealing alone with it and using alternatives that might not be healthy".

PM Consultations Expected Monday or after Eid al-Adha
Naharnet/July 16/2021
In the wake of PM-designate Saad Hariri’s resignation, preparations kicked off at the presidential palace to set a date for the binding parliamentary consultations to name a new premier, media report said on Friday. “The consultations vigorously began overnight in order to set an urgent date for holding the consultations and naming the new premier who will be tasked with the formation mission,” sources close to Baabda told al-Joumhouria newspaper. “As a result of the preliminary consultations, the idea of holding the consultations on Friday or in the weekend was ruled out, pending some necessary preparatory discussions,” the sources added, noting that President Michel Aoun and his allies “need time to think of a successor.”“The consultations will perhaps be scheduled for Monday, or else they will be postponed until after the Eid al-Adha holiday, which will be marked from Tuesday until Friday next week,” the sources went on to say.

Baabda Reportedly Calls Hariri's Resignation 'Total Coup'
Naharnet/July 16/2021
Baabda sources have described PM-designate Saad Hariri’s resignation as a “total coup against the agreement sponsored by Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and the endeavor led by Speaker Nabih Berri.”In remarks to al-Akhbar newspaper published Friday, the sources decried “a coup against the agreement’s format, equations, balances and names.”“After the distribution of portfolios was finalized, including the interior portfolio (Greek Orthodox) and the foreign affairs portfolio (Maronite), Hariri toppled this agreement and named all ministers by himself, before moving to topple the second part of the agreement, which stipulated that the two Christian ministers would be two independents named in agreement between the President and the PM-designate,” the sources added. “As for the rest of the ministers, from the finance minister who has been Riad Salameh’s employee for 30 years to Lubna Misqawi who belongs to al-Mustaqbal Movement, you cannot implement reforms and meet the International Monetary Fund’s conditions with such a line-up,” the sources went on to say.

Line-Up that Hariri Submitted to Aoun Revealed
Naharnet/July 16/2021
Al-Jadeed television, which held a lengthy interview with resigned PM-designate Saad Hariri overnight, has published the line-up that the PM-designate submitted to President Michel Aoun prior to his resignation.
Below is the draft line-up presented by Hariri:
- Sunnis: Saad Hariri (PM), Walid al-Akoum (Interior), Firass al-Abiad (Health), Lubna Misqawi (Justice), Nasser Yassine (Environment)
- Shiites: Youssef Khalil (Finance), Ibrahim Shahrour (Public Works), Maya Kanaan (Labor), Abdullah Nassereddine (Administrative Development), Jihad Murtada (Culture)
- Druze: Abbas al-Halabi (Education), Fouad Hassan (Minister of the Displaced)
- Maronites: Fadia Kiwan (Foreign Affairs), Firas Abi Nassif (Telecom), Lara Hanna (Agriculture), Salim Hani (Social Affairs), Walid Nassar (Tourism)
- Greek Orthodox: Joe Saddi (Deputy PM), Antoine Chedid (Defense), Saadeh al-Shami (Economy)
- Greek Catholic: Carole Ayyat (Energy), Fadi Samaha (Industry)
- Armenians and Minorities: Garabet Slikhanian (Youth and Sport), Joe Mila (Information)

Macron to Host Int'l Conference on Lebanon on August 4
Agence France Presse/July 16/2021
French President Emmanuel Macron will host a new international conference on Lebanon next month on the first anniversary of the Beirut port explosion, after premier designate Saad Hariri gave up trying to form a government, the foreign ministry announced Friday. Macron will organize the conference on August 4 with the help of the United Nations, "to respond to the needs of the Lebanese whose situation is deteriorating every day," it said in a statement. The French leader had in August 2020 hosted a first aid conference in the wake of the deadly August 4 Beirut port explosion that shattered the Lebanese capital, rallying some 250 million euros in pledges. But France and Macron have repeatedly expressed exasperation over the failure of Lebanon's leaders to end a political and economic crisis that dates back to well before the explosion. The foreign ministry said Hariri's failure to form a government "confirms the political deadlock which Lebanese leaders have deliberately continued for months, even as Lebanon sinks into unprecedented economic and social crisis."It said there was now an "absolute urgency" to remove this "deliberate and unacceptable obstacle" and allow the formation of a government in Lebanon and the rapid appointment of a prime minister. Hariri said Thursday he was unable to form a government after a meeting with President Michel Aoun over his draft cabinet lineup.Hariri had been nominated prime minister designate in October 2020 following the devastating explosion at Beirut port in August caused by unsafely stored fertilizer and which killed more than 200 people.

Lebanon in Freefall as France Announces Aid Conference
Agence France Presse/July 16/2021
Lebanon will steer deeper into abyss after the exit of premier-designate Saad Hariri, and as France prepares to host an aid conference on the first anniversary of the country's port blast. Hariri's exit on Thursday comes amid a financial downturn branded by the World Bank as one of the planet's worst since the mid-19th century.It leaves the country rudderless as Lebanon faces soaring poverty rates, a plummeting currency, renewed street protests and shortages of basic items including medicine and fuel. "Lebanon, towards more danger," read a headline on the front page of the country's Annahar newspaper on Friday. "With Hariri out, a worsening crisis is inevitable," said Lebanon's French-language daily L'Orient-Le Jour. France, which has spearheaded international efforts to lift Lebanon out of crisis, said on Friday that it will host an aid conference on August 4. Organized with the support of the United Nations, it coincides with the first anniversary of a Beirut port explosion that killed more than 200 people and levelled swaths of the capital. The conference will aim to "respond to the needs of the Lebanese whose situation is deteriorating every day," France's foreign ministry said in a statement. The international community has pledged millions of dollars in humanitarian aid since last year's port blast, but made the money conditional on installing a government capable of tackling corruption. Even as international pressure led by France mounted, with the European Union threatening sanctions on Lebanese leaders, political squabbling has repeatedly stymied efforts to form a government. The French foreign ministry said Hariri's failure to form a government "confirms the political deadlock which Lebanese leaders have deliberately continued for months, even as Lebanon sinks into unprecedented economic and social crisis."
Political wrangling
After nine months of deliberations with President Michel Aoun over a cabinet line-up, Hariri threw in the towel on Thursday. He accused Aoun of seeking a share in government that would give his supporters a "blocking third" of seats -- effectively a decision-making veto -- a charge the president has denied. "If I formed the government that Michel Aoun wanted... I wouldn't have been able to run the country, because this isn't a cabinet I can work with," Hariri told Lebanon's Al-Jadeed TV after he stepped down. Aoun will now have to call on parliament to pick a new premier-designate, who will be tasked with assembling another cabinet, which in turn will have to be approved by the president and political factions. This takes the political process back to square one, and Lebanese media warn there is a clear risk of many more months of drift, a delay the country can ill afford. With cabinet berths and parliamentary seats distributed according to religious sects, Harri's exit will further complicate negotiations, as Hariri is widely seen as the pivotal representative of the country's Sunni Muslims.
Media reports have circulated the name of former premier Najib Miqati, who was last in power in 2014, as a likely favorite to replace Hariri. The Al-Akhbar newspaper reported Friday that Miqati "is the most likely option."Hariri has already said he would not endorse Miqati's candidacy.
- 'Self-destruction' -
Hariri, who has previously led three governments in Lebanon, is the second candidate to fail at forming a government in less than a year. He had been nominated prime minister designate in October 2020, replacing Mustapha Adib, a relatively unknown diplomat.
Adib had been nominated in late August, but quit less than a month later, because of resistance from factions over his proposed line up. Outgoing prime minister Hassan Diab, who resigned in the wake of the August 4 explosion, has lingered on in a caretaker capacity until political leaders can agree on a new premier.U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Lebanon's "political class has squandered the last nine months."
"It is critical that a government committed and able to implement priority reforms be formed now," he added. Jean-Yves Le Drian, foreign minister of ex-colonial power France, said Hariri's move was proof that "Lebanese officials are unable to find a way out of the crisis," accusing them of "cynical self-destruction."The Lebanese pound, officially pegged to the dollar at 1,507, plunged to new lows on the black market following Hariri's announcement, selling for more than 21,000 to the greenback. The currency crash sparked roadblocks and protests on Thursday night amid growing anger against a ruling class long-accused of negligence and corruption.

U.S. Calls Resignation of Hariri 'Disappointing'
Agence France Presse/July 16/2021
The United States said Thursday's resignation of Saad Hariri as Lebanon's prime minister-designate was disappointing. "It is critical that a government committed and able to implement priority reforms be formed now," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said after Hariri abandoned his efforts to form a government nine months after accepting the challenge. The country is deep in crisis and international donors remain adamant that a government must be established before they can provide funding. But political squabbling has repeatedly stymied such efforts and sent the currency to unprecedented lows that leave imported medicine and fuel increasingly unaffordable. "Lebanon's political class has squandered the last nine months," Blinken said in a statement. "The Lebanese economy is in free-fall and the current government is not providing basic services in a reliable fashion," he added."Leaders in Beirut must urgently put aside partisan differences and form a government that serves the Lebanese people."

EU Says Lebanon Leaders Must Solve 'Self-Made Crisis'
Associated Press/July 16/2021
The European Union on Friday called on Lebanese politicians to urgently form a new Cabinet, hours after Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri announced his resignation.
The EU's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said Lebanese leaders are responsible for solving "the current domestic, self-made crisis," adding that it is urgent to form a new cabinet quickly. He said that an agreement with the International Monetary Fund remains essential to rescue the country from financial collapse. "Lebanon's stability and prosperity are crucial for the whole region and for Europe," Borrell added in a statement.

U.N. Regrets Inability of Lebanese Leaders to Agree on Govt. Formation
Naharnet/July 16/2021
U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Joanna Wronecka has expressed deep regret over “the inability of Lebanon’s leaders to reach agreement on the formation of a new government that is urgently needed to address the country’s numerous challenges,” a statement said. Noting that the government formation process has “suffered a reversal,” the Special Coordinator called for “swift measures to ensure the designation of a new Prime Minister, in line with constitutional requirements, and form a government able to undertake the necessary reforms to put Lebanon on the path to recovery ahead of free and fair elections in 2022.” “Lebanon is facing an unprecedented crisis. There is still room for hope but there is no time to lose. Urgent action is needed in the national interest to respond to the needs and demands of the people, who continue to pay the heaviest price,” said the Special Coordinator. “The U.N. stands closely by Lebanon during this difficult period,” the statement added.

Health Minister: Medicines Priced Below LBP 12,000 No Longer Subsidized
Naharnet/July 16/2021
Caretaker Health Minister Hamad Hassan said Friday the government would scrap subsidies on medicines costing less than 12,000 Lebanese pounds to shore up foreign currency reserves. Hassan affirmed that the list of subsidized medicines includes medicines for chronic diseases, children’s formula milk, vaccines, as well as medicines to treat psychiatric and neurological diseases. He added that medicines currently priced below LBP 12,000 are no longer subsidized. According to Hassan, the lists of subsidized and non-subsidized medicines will be published today on the Ministry of Public Health’s website.

15 Troops among 19 Injured in Tripoli Protests
Agence France Presse/July 16/2021
Lebanon faced yet more misery Friday after premier-designate Saad Hariri failed to form a government, with protests flaring in the northern city of Tripoli.
Hariri's exit Thursday comes amid a financial collapse branded by the World Bank as one of the planet's worst since the 19th century. His departure leaves the country rudderless as Lebanon faces soaring poverty, a plummeting currency, angry protests and shortages of basic items from medicine to fuel. Protests on Friday erupted in Tripoli over the deepening crisis, sparking clashes with the army that the Lebanese Red Cross said left at least 19 people wounded. The army said young men had lobbed a hand grenade towards its forces in the city’s Jabal Mohsen area, wounding five soldiers.
In a separate statement, it said another 10 soldiers were wounded by stones thrown by protesters in the same area. The Lebanese pound, officially pegged at 1,507 to the dollar, plunged to new lows on the black market following Hariri's announcement, selling for more than 22,000 to the greenback.

Embassy of India in Beirut organizes tourism event “Incredible India – Your Favorite Tourist Destination”
NNA/July 16/2021
The Embassy of India in Beirut on Friday organized a tourism event titled “Incredible India – Your favourite Tourist Destination” focusing on the States of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, with the participation of State Tourism Promotion Board of Madhya Pradesh, State Tourism Promotion Board of Rajasthan, Association and Travel and Tourism Agents in Lebanon (ATTAL), and with the support of India Tourism Office Dubai. Ambassador Dr. Suhel Ajaz Khan made welcome remarks and gave an overview of touristic landscape of India.
On behalf of the Tourism Promotion Board of Madhya Pradesh, Mr. Sheo Shekhar Shukla, Principal Secretary Tourism, Govt of Madhya Pradesh gave opening remarks. Later, the team from Tourism Promotion Board of Madhya Pradesh made a detailed presentation. Madhya Pradesh, the incredible heart of India embodies a blend of architectural grandeurs, pristine & unexplored destinations and cultural values. It is indeed a one stop destination for both national and international tourists. The state is endowed with a rich heritage and is known for its numerous monuments, palaces, fortresses, stupas, diverse wildlife, beautifully engraved Asian temples and hill stations. Apart from having UNESCO approved world heritage sites like the Khajuraho Group of Monuments, Sanchi Stupa and Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka, the state is home to 10 stunning national parks, 25 wonderful wildlife centuries and 6 tremendous Tiger Reserves. The Tourism Board of Rajasthan, represented by Ms. Gayatri Rathore, Principal Secretary Tourism, Govt of Rajasthan showcased the state of vibrant folk dance and music, gigantic forts and palaces, spicy food, colourful and large turbans, extensive golden sand desert, camels and rich handicraft. It is an incredible place to visit in India for enjoying unforgettable holidays. Sprawling in an area of 342239 sq km, Rajasthan is perfect for history buffs, culture aficionados, adventure lovers, wildlife enthusiasts, family vacations, honeymoon, and more.
The event was attended by Mr. Antoin Assi, Director, Ministry of Tourism of Lebanon, Mr. Jean Abboud, President of Association and Travel and Tourism Agents in Lebanon (ATTAL) and Ms. Myriam Shouman, Member of Association for Development of Lebanese Indian Relations (ADLIR) and by several tour operators based in Lebanon.

Sami Gemayel meets Valenciano
NNA /July 16/2021
Kataeb Party chief, Sami Gemayel, on Friday welcomed at his Bekfaya office the former chief observer of the European Union Election Observation Mission to Lebanon, Elena Valenciano, and her accompanying. As per Gemayel's office, discussions during the meeting touched on the upcoming electoral deadline, with both sides affirming the necessity of holding the parliamentary elections on time in order to preserve the democratic right of the Lebanese to choose their representatives.

Geagea meets Valenciano over latest developments
NNA/July 16/2021
Lebanese Forces Party Chief, Samir Geagea, on Friday welcomed at the Party’s headquarters in Meerab, the former chief observer of the European Union Election Observation Mission to Lebanon, Elena Valenciano, and her accompanying, in the presence of “Strong Republic” bloc MP Antoine Habshi.
Talks reportedly touched on the latest political, economic and social developments in the country. Geagea indicated that there is no salvation for Lebanon except through holding early parliamentary elections.

European Union election observation mission chief visits Lebanon: In times of crisis, it is all the more important that citizens participate in shaping the country’s future
NNA/July 16/2021
Elena Valenciano, head of the European Union's Election Observation Mission deployed during the last elections, has spent the week in Beirut, to follow up on the mission’s recommendations. Ms Valenciano was accompanied by a team of electoral experts and EU officials and met with a wide range of Lebanese actors.Ms Valenciano met with the President of the Lebanese Republic, and the caretaker government’s Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Interior. She also met with the Supervisory Commission for Elections (SCE), and held meetings with the leaders of the Free Patriotic Movement, the Future Movement, the Lebanese Forces, Amal, Hezbollah, Kataeb, and the Progressive Socialist Party, as well as representatives of emerging political movements and women seeking to increase their presence in the political arena. In addition, Ms Valenciano met with representatives of organisations working on different aspects of the electoral framework. Following these exchanges, Elena Valenciano noted that they converged on the prospects of elections next year. “I am encouraged by the commitment of all political leaders to holding the elections scheduled for 2022 on time.”Ms Valenciano referred to the challenges currently facing Lebanon and the fact that these had made it difficult to proceed with much-needed legal reforms.‘Lebanon has faced a number of significant difficulties since the 2018 elections, and that context has not been conducive to implementing the recommendations made by the European Union election observation mission. We maintain that these should be considered as part of the ongoing process of shaping the electoral framework in Lebanon, and debated by Lebanese stakeholders at a later date.’
Ms Valenciano emphasised that in view of the elections foreseen next year, some measures were nonetheless possible, necessary and urgent.
“In the time remaining before the elections scheduled for 2022, several measures should be taken promptly, with a view to ensuring inclusive elections with equal access to campaigning for all. To that end, the Supervisory Commission for Elections urgently needs to be installed: its members need to be nominated, and the Commission needs to be provided with the resources to fully carry out its mandate of overseeing compliance with campaign spending limits, and regulating equal access to media coverage for candidates and lists presenting their programmes to Lebanese citizens. Such measures, aiming to ensure a level playing field for all election contenders, are particularly important in times of political, economic and social crisis such as the one Lebanon is currently going through.”Ms Valenciano added that once officially installed and provided with the resources to genuinely oversee campaign finances and media coverage, the Commission should plan on how to make full use of its legal mandate, including through publishing clear guidelines and initiating constant communication to the media and the public in general.
Ms Valenciano also emphasised the importance of Lebanese women gaining access to elected positions of decision-making, after just 6 women were elected to the outgoing parliament. “While we maintain that a minimum quota for women in parliament would be an efficient way to rapidly improve the balance of women and men in positions of power, I call on all political parties to markedly increase the number of women in their candidate lists, and to ensure equal support and prominence for their campaigns. I also call on the media to ensure that women candidates and their campaigns be given equal coverage in the press.”Touching on the profound challenges currently faced by Lebanon, Ms Valenciano hoped voters would take the opportunity of the elections to express their will, adding, ‘It is precisely in times of crisis that it is all the more important that citizens participate in shaping the country’s future.’ Ms Valenciano added the upcoming elections represent an opportunity to consolidate recently introduced positive developments, such as facilitating voting for Lebanese citizens from abroad.
Ms Valenciano added, “I wish to thank to all the Lebanese people who have given me such a warm welcome, both during the election observation mission and on my visits since then. I am with them in their best hopes for their country.”

Lebanon sinks deeper into crisis as Hariri steps down after long standoff
The Arab Weekly/July 16/2021
BEIRUT – Lebanon’s prime minister-designate Saad Hariri stepped down Thursday, saying he was unable to form a government, nine months after accepting the challenge and as the country sinks deeper into crisis. Hariri announced his decision after meeting President Michel Aoun, saying it was clear they could not agree, underscoring the political squabbling that has blocked the formation of a cabinet even as Lebanon sinks deeper into crisis. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Lebanese leaders seemed unable to find a solution to the crisis that they had created, calling the failure to form a cabinet another terrible incident. A spokesman for the UN late Thursday described the latest political failure as regrettable and reiterated calls for a government capable of addressing the country’s “numerous challenges” to be put together rapidly. The secretary-general of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, said the ramifications of the step would be serious.
Nine months of trickery
Hariri, a former prime minister and Lebanon’s leading Sunni Muslim politician, resigned in October 2019 against the backdrop of a popular uprising that held him and his government responsible for the deteriorating situation in the country. Later in October 2020, he was hailed as a ‘saviour’ for Lebanon and designated to assemble a government following the resignation of Prime Minister Hassan Diab’s cabinet in the wake of a devastating explosion at Beirut port in August. The decision to step down did not come as a surprise in a country, where the various political players refused to make concessions despite international pressures and Europe’s threat to impose sanctions on politicians obstructing the formation of the government. Lebanese political sources said Hariri’s decision ended what can be described as nine months of trickery, during which the entire political class contributed to the stalemate.
The sources, who spoke to The Arab Weekly on condition of anonymity, noted the political class had caused this stalemate and manoeuvred to shun the demands of the judiciary regarding the Beirut port explosion, with everyone remaining silent. So far, Lebanon’s parliament, the ministry of interior and the army have not approved requests by the judicial investigator to lift the immunity of three MPs (former ministers) and to question security and military leaders. The same sources added that the Beirut Port detonation deepened an already existing crisis and that Hezbollah exploited the years of Hariri’s rule to further extend its influence. Hariri has long been presenting himself as a challenger of the ruling class. However, many in Lebanon accuse him of contributing to the political deadlock that allowed the Iran-linked party to maintain its position as a major player, with everyone working to implement its agenda.
Hariri-Aoun standoff
Over the last few months, a blame game has raged between Hariri and President Michel Aoun. The two leaders, experts say, wanted to absolve themselves of responsibility, accusing each other of failure to cooperate. Hariri said Aoun had requested fundamental changes to a cabinet line-up he had presented to him on Wednesday.
“It is clear we will not be able to agree with his Excellency the President,” Hariri said after meeting Aoun for barely 20 minutes. “That is why I excuse myself from government formation and God help the country.” In a statement, the presidency said Hariri had refused to discuss any changes and proposed to Aoun that he take an extra day to accept the proposed line-up. “What is the use of one extra day if the door of discussion is closed?” Aoun told him. The presidency said Aoun would call for consultations with MPs to designate a new prime minister as soon as possible. Hariri told Al Jadeed television later that his Future Movement would not name any candidates in the consultations. But there is no obvious alternative for the post, which must be filled by a Sunni in Lebanon’s sectarian system. Analysts doubt that any Sunni politician of standing would accept the role without Hariri’s blessing. Nabil Bou Monsef, a political commentator in An-Nahar newspaper, said that naming a new prime minister would now be even more difficult. “We may not be able to form a government or find an alternative to Saad Hariri,” he said. “President Michel Aoun will now consider himself victorious in getting rid of Saad Hariri. But in reality, (Aoun) has opened the gates of hell for the whole country and his rule.”Diab remains the caretaker prime minister until a new government is formed.
Concerns over sanctions
Lebanese politicians, including Hariri, are increasingly wary about being targeted by French-European sanctions, including a travel ban, because of their failure to resolve the government’s crisis. Lebanese observers believe that Hariri’s excuses for stepping down will not absolve him of political and moral responsibility for the crisis. The same applies to Aoun, they say, noting that France, the United States and other Western countries will not take into account minor details if they decide to start imposing their expected sanctions. Over the last few weeks, international calls have mounted for Lebanese leaders to form a new government. In an unusual move, the French and US ambassadors to Beirut recently travelled to Saudi Arabia to discuss Lebanon with Saudi officials. The two said Lebanon is in “desperate need” of a new, pro-reform government to lead it out of its economic and financial crisis. The European Union said on Monday it wanted to agree by the end of July the legal framework for a sanctions regime targeting Lebanese leaders, but cautioned that the measure would not be immediately implemented. “I can say that the objective is to complete this by the end of the month. I am not talking about the implementation of the regime, just the building of the regime according to sound legal basis,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told reporters in Brussels. “Lebanon has been in self-destruct mode for several months,” Le Drian told reporters in Brussels. “Now there is a major emergency situation for a population that is in distress.” The EU first needs to set up a sanctions regime that could then see individuals hit by travel bans and asset freezes, although it may also decide to not list anybody immediately. Le Drian said there was now a consensus among the bloc’s 27 nations for a regime. Criteria for EU sanctions such as travel bans and assets freezes for Lebanese politicians are likely to include corruption, obstructing efforts to form a government, financial misdeeds and human rights abuses, according to a diplomatic note.
Sliding deeper into chaos
With no clear candidate to replace Hariri, Lebanon is likely to slide deeper into chaos and uncertainty. Prospects for forming a government to undertake desperately needed reforms and talks for a recovery package with the International Monetary Fund are now even more remote. Poverty has soared in the past several months and dire shortages of medicines, fuel and electricity have marked what the World Bank describes as one of the world’s worst economic crisis of the past 150 years.
After news broke of Hariri stepping down, protesters, mostly his supporters, blocked roads and set fire to tyres in several parts of Beirut, decrying the deepening crisis. Troops deployed to break up a protest at the edge of Beirut, firing in the air and using armoured vehicles to open roads. Protesters pelted the soldiers with stones.
One soldier was wounded, a security source said. The Lebanese Red Cross, which dispatched three ambulances to the area, said people were wounded, but did not say how many. The national currency, in free fall since the crisis erupted in late 2019, plunged to a new low, selling for more than 20,000 to the dollar on the black market. The Lebanese pound, pegged to the dollar for 30 years, has lost more than 90% of its value. The international community has pledged millions of dollars in humanitarian aid since last year’s port blast, but made the money conditional on installing a government capable of tackling corruption. As the first anniversary of Lebanon’s worst peace-time disaster approaches, protesters have been demanding accountability and condemning political interference that, they claim, has derailed the process.
Earlier this month, caretaker Interior Minister Mohammad Fahmi rejected a request by the judge investigating the blast to question Abbas Ibrahim, head of the General Security bureau, one of the country’s top security agencies.
Last month, rights groups including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch called for a UN investigation into the explosion, in light of Lebanon’s stalled probe.
Lead judge Tarek Bitar is demanding that parliament lift the immunity of three former ministers so he can proceed with investigations but lawmakers have requested more evidence before deciding on whether to waive immunity.

Saad al-Hariri Has Withdrawn from Lebanon’s Government-Formation Process
Michael Young/Carnegie MEC/July 16/2021
Lebanon’s prime minister-designate, Saad al-Hariri, has announced he would withdraw from the government-formation process, after trying unsuccessfully for nine months to put together a cabinet. Under the Lebanese constitution the prime minister-designate must sign the decree forming a government with the president of the republic, and Hariri and President Michel Aoun have been unable to reach any sort of agreement. Complicating matters is that the constitution is not clear on the authority the president has to intervene in naming and approving ministers.
Aoun has repeatedly returned the proposed governmental lineups that Hariri has brought him, because he disapproves of names. He insists that he has a right to have a say in the government-formation process. As proof of this, he and his entourage argue that the key prerogative the constitution has granted the president of cosigning the decree forming a government affirms that his role involves more than passively approving the prime minister-designate’s choices.
In turn, Hariri and much of the Sunni community, from which all prime ministers are appointed, argue that the prime minister-designate has the major role in putting together a government. While the president may ask for changes here and there, he cannot effectively form the government himself by repeatedly vetoing names the prime minister-designate brings him. They cite Article 64 of the constitution, which states that the prime minister-designate “shall conduct parliamentary consultations in forming a cabinet.” To them, the president is not accorded equal status under the constitution.
Why Is It Important?
The constitutional implications aside, Hariri’s withdrawal is significant because Lebanon is in the midst of a major economic collapse, and has been without an effective government since August 2020, when Prime Minister Hassan Diab stepped down in the wake of the horrific explosion in Beirut port. It is not clear who will replace Hariri, the leading representative of the Sunni community. Hariri believes that Aoun and his son in law Gebran Bassil sought to undermine his chances of becoming prime minister because of the political differences that divide the two sides.
If Hariri refuses to endorse another Sunni to replace him and obstructs the government-formation process as payback against Aoun and Bassil, it will be difficult, if not impossible, to find a credible Sunni willing to form a government. Lebanon will suffer as a consequence, since international organizations such as the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and countless governments have told the Lebanese that no help can be forthcoming before a new government is put in place and introduces economic reforms to unlock financial assistance.
Even if parliament recommends a replacement for Hariri (as it must do constitutionally), and Hariri goes along with the nominee, that person is almost certain to interpret the prime minister-designate’s role in the same way as Hariri did, or risk losing communal support. In other words, Aoun’s and Bassil’s victory may be a pyrrhic one.
Meanwhile, Lebanon’s national currency, the pound, continued to tumble on news of Hariri’s withdrawal. After his announcement, the pound’s value fell to around $1 = LL21,150, when in the morning it was hovering around $1 = LL20,000. Well over half the population lives below the poverty line and in June the World Bank released a report underlining that the country faced a “severe and prolonged economic depression,” which had been caused deliberately and that possibly ranked among the top three most severe economic and financial crises since the mid-19th century.
What Are the Implications for the Future?
Unless Lebanon’s political forces can quickly name a replacement for Hariri, a lengthy vacuum could destabilize the country even more than it already is. By hindering Hariri, Aoun has also opened the door to sectarian tensions between Christians and Sunnis, even if many Christians also oppose the president. While the Lebanese are resilient, without a horizon of improvement in the foreseeable future, popular anger could rise dramatically and spread to the streets.
How likely is it that a another Sunni will be named soon, however? Lebanon’s divided political class may decide that to avoid the fiasco of the latest government-formation process, it would be best to agree on a government behind the scenes before parliament names a prime minister-designate. But this is likely to be contentious, unless Aoun and Bassil are more flexible with Hariri’s replacement. More likely, the politicians will prefer to name the head of a transitional cabinet that organizes parliamentary elections, which are scheduled for next spring, hoping that the results will facilitate a breakthrough.
This raises the question of how Hezbollah will respond. When Hariri announced last October that he would try to form a government, it was clear that he was relying on Hezbollah to pressure Aoun and Bassil into being more amenable to a government he would form. This was overoptimistic, however, as Hezbollah was unwilling to compel the president to make concessions that could weaken him in the face of Hariri. Aoun’s primary ambition is to bring Bassil to power after he steps down next year, something that Hariri would like to prevent. For Hezbollah to have sided with Hariri against Aoun would have meant creating a conflict with the president over an issue he regards as vital. The party wants to avoid tensions with Aoun given the valuable cover he provides for Hezbollah’s weapons.
The reality is that Hezbollah may also mistrust Hariri due to his connections in the Sunni Arab world and his desire to strengthen ties with Western countries, particularly France and the United States. It’s conceivable that the party may also want Bassil as president next year, or at least would like to keep that option alive. Above all, Hezbollah may see that a Sunni-Christian clash over prerogatives creates space to push for its own agenda in Lebanon, one that involves exploiting the economic crisis to enhance relations with Iran. All this could explain why the party repeatedly said it wanted a government under Hariri, but never took decisive steps to bring it about.

La fin d’un épisode ou la mort d’un pays
Charles Elias Chartouni/July 16/2021
شارل الياس شرتوني: نهاية مرحلة ام نهاية بلد؟
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/100668/charles-elias-chartouni-la-fin-dun-episode-ou-la-mort-dun-pays-%d8%b4%d8%a7%d8%b1%d9%84-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%8a%d8%a7%d8%b3-%d8%b4%d8%b1%d8%aa%d9%88%d9%86%d9%8a-%d9%86%d9%87%d8%a7%d9%8a/
Le marasme politique qui prévaut dans le pays est loin d’être épisodique ou de transition, il relève dorénavant d’une crise structurelle qui remet en question sa raison d’être, ses choix normatifs de démocratie constitutionnelle-pluraliste et libérale, et les conditions d’exercice d’une souveraineté nationale mise à mal par des condominiums alternatifs, des régimes de tutelle et d’intervention qui sont à l’origine des guerres par procuration que le pays a connues tout au long du centenaire. Les conflits du passé ont façonné, tant bien que mal, une culture politique basée sur le compromis et la modération, alors que les crispations idéologiques de nature totalitaire des soixante dernières années, ont donné lieu à de conflits ouverts et des politiques de subversion qui se sont déployés à l’intersection des clivages idéologiques de la guerre froide, de la crise de l’État-nation dans cette région du monde, des alliances de subversion (gauche totalitaire et organisations palestiniennes), des aléas de la guerre froide arabe et des régimes d’intervention qui en ont découlée, de l’occupation syrienne et des embardées sécuritaires d’Israël menacé par l’instabilité endémique d’un pays entièrement délité. À cela s’ajoute, une hypothétique fin de guerre en 1990, où un régime de gouvernance hybride s’est construit au croisement des régimes alternatifs de souveraineté limitée, discrétionnaire ou carrément mise à mort, et des découpages oligarchiques qui ont détruit la notion et la réalité d’État et a fortiori d’État de droit.
Le délitement,auquel nous assistons, loin d’être un effet de circonstance, s’inscrit dans une durée longue qui a remis en cause la légitimité nationale du pays, sa consistance étatique, sa culture politique démocratique et libérale, les notions du bien commun et de la gestion rationnelle et éthique des ressources économiques, au profit des querelles sauvages d’intérêt entre des prédateurs et des oligarques qui ont transformé l’État en source d’enrichissement illicite (l’État-butin), instrument de domination sectaire et carte d’échanges dans le cadre des rivalités stratégiques moyen orientales. La désagrégation,à laquelle nous assistons actuellement, est l’aboutissement de cette conjonction de facteurs qui ont fait éclater l’ensemble de l’ordre étatique régional qui a succédé aux régimes successifs des califats islamiques, de leurs dynamiques socio-politiques souterraines, et de l’inaptitude de "l’État importé" à pouvoir générer des liens civique et de citoyenneté qui s’articulent autour de l’objectivité principielle de la notion d’État et des régimes de droits qui lui sont afférents. Le Liban a eu le mérite de fonder sa raison d’être politique sur la base d’une construction nationale imaginée, d’une entrée négociée dans l’ordre politique régional naissant, d’une adhésion délibérée aux normes de la démocratie parlementaire et de l’État de droit qui a frayé son chemin dans la friche d’une modernité interstitielle et au bout du compte faillie. Suite à ces considérations de sociologie politique de base je me permets les observations politiques suivantes quant aux évolutions politiques qui vont succéder à cet effondrement abyssal que nous vivons à l’heure actuelle:
-Loin d’être une crise de dysfonctionnement systémique de nature accidentelle ou épisodique, cette crise atteint les fondements de l’ordre politique, et la viabilité d’un pays contesté dans sa légitimité nationale. La politique de subversion des mouvances chiites s’inscrit dans le cadre d’une entreprise de remaniement géopolitique pilotée par la politique impériale de la république islamique iranienne, et les crises récurrentes au niveau de l’alternance démocratique ne font que répercuter la crise de légitimité nationale, de la norme démocratique et ses prémisses égalitaire et consensuelle, et de la prégnance des institutions de l’État de droit. Or, toutes ces considérations principielles sont entièrement reléguées au profit d’une politique de subversion qui s’inscrit au croisement d’une stratégie résolue de domination chiite, et de l’effondrement de toute civilité démocratique au profit d’une logique de prédation évoluant dans tous les sens.
-La crise financière et économique illustre de manière spectaculaire l’effondrement de toutes formes de gouvernance rationnelle au profit des stratégies concurrentes de patrimonialisation de l’État, des décrochages oligarchiques, et des politiques de prédation qui mettent à profit les ressources de l’État au service des politiques sectaires de domination, d’enrichissement illicite des oligarques et de leurs partenaires dans les secteurs de la banque et des affaires, des régimes transversaux de clientélisme et de prébendes institués par les politiques de puissance sectaire (Chiite, Sunnite, Druze et leurs régimes de féalité institués en milieux chrétiens). La politique du pillage et des captations oligarchiques institutionnalisées étalée sur trois décennies ont fini par constituer la contrepartie financière de la stratégie politique de démantèlement de l’État et de l’hypothétique nation. Le liban vit dans les interstices d’un entre-deux, celui d’un État-nation nominal et les réalités disparates d’un pays balloté entre des politiques de puissance qui se partagent les dépouilles d’une déliquescence prolongée. La reconstruction des institutions de l’État passe inévitablement par le recouvrement des finances publique et privée, et le rétablissement de la fiduciarité qui est à l’origine de tout lien (ce lieu archi-originaire dont parle Jacques Derrida) et de toute sociabilité humaine et politique.
-En l’absence d’une internationalisation de ce conflit, le Liban est en passe de passer du statut de l’État failli à celui d’une terre abandonnée où les conflits en tous genres finiront par détruire les conditions mêmes d’une sociabilité politique, et le pays finira par rejoindre les friches d’un moyen orient éclaté. Les évènements du Liban et de l’Iraq en ce moment ne font que se miroiter et illustrer les conséquences dévastatrices de la politique de sabotage iranienne qui répercute de façon mimétique la force destructrice de l’islamisme, toutes tendances confondues, et sa volonté de réduire à néant toute velléité de modernisation, de reconstruction des États territoriaux, et de toute formes de civilité qui mettraient fin à ces dynamiques conflictuelles. La mort de l’État-nation au Liban n’est qu’un variant des vides stratégiques en progression dans cette région du monde, et la mort des illusions ne fait que redoubler l’âpreté de ce nihilisme meurtrier et ses effets dévastateurs. On est loin des crises institutionnelles en démocratie, on est dans les abîmes d’une modernité faillie où toutes sauvageries sont non seulement permises mais avidement recherchées.

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on July 16-17/2021
Protests erupt in Iran’s oil-rich southwest, spurred by water shortages
The Arab Weekly/July 16/2021
TEHRAN – Street protests broke out overnight over severe water shortages in Iran’s oil-rich southwest, according to Iranian news outlets and videos posted on social media on Friday, as the country faces its worst drought in 50 years.
Videos showed protesters setting fire to tyres to block a road and security forces were seen trying to disperse the crowds as some shots were heard. Reuters could not independently verify the videos’ authenticity. It was not immediately clear if anyone had been wounded or arrested in the protests across multiple cities in Khuzestan province, including its capital, Ahvaz. Iranian state media had not reported on the unrest as of early Friday morning. Those in the videos chanted in Arabic, demanding others to join them. The province is home to ethnic Arabs who complain of discrimination by Iran’s Shia theocracy. “State television should report what we are saying and show the image of the buffaloes that perished from lack of water,” an elderly protester said on a video carried by the regional Asrejonoob news website. In May, Iranian Energy Minister Reza Ardakanian warned of water shortages in the summer, saying this year was “one of the driest in 50 years”. The water shortages have led to power blackouts and there were protest marches in several cities last week. During some protests, people vented their anger with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, chanting “Death to the dictator” and “Death to Khamenei”. In recent weeks, thousands of workers in Iran’s key energy sector have held protests, seeking better wages and working conditions in southern gas fields and some refineries in big cities. Iran’s economy has tanked due to the impact of US sanctions and the COVID-19 pandemic. Nowhere in the Middle East has been hit harder by the virus than Iran. Protests by workers and pensioners have been almost unrelenting for months, with discontent growing over an economy that is suffering inflation of more than 50%, high unemployment, with some workers complaining that their wages are not being paid. Arab separatists long have operated in Khuzestan, which Iraqi former ruler Saddam Hussein tried to seize in his 1980s war with Iran. They have blown up oil pipelines in the past and have been blamed for attacks including a 2018 assault on a military parade that killed at least 25 people in Ahvaz.

PA crackdown shakes Palestinians but fails to halt protests
The Arab Weekly/July 16/2021
RAMALLAH – Nearly two weeks after he was severely beaten by Palestinian security forces, Akil Awawdeh is still short of breath, still shielding his bruised chest with his hand and still haunted by the screams inside the police station.
“Never in my life have I seen such brutality,” said Awawdeh, a local radio reporter who has been covering Mideast unrest for more than a decade. “The sound of people screaming inside the police station, to this day I still hear it. It echoes in my head … I can’t forget.”
He was among several people who were beaten and detained at a police station on July 5, in one of the most violent incidents in weeks of protests against the Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
The demonstrations were sparked by the death of Nizar Banat, an outspoken critic of the PA who died shortly after being violently arrested by Palestinian security forces last month. The PA is widely seen as corrupt and increasingly authoritarian and it has faced mounting dissent since calling off the first elections in 15 years in April.
Palestinian security forces, including what appeared to be plainclothes officers, violently dispersed the protesters, drawing expressions of concern from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the State Department.
Despite the crackdown, the US and European countries still view the PA as a crucial partner in managing the conflict, especially after the Gaza war in May. Western countries have trained and equipped PA security forces, who work with Israel to suppress Hamas and other armed groups, a policy that is extremely unpopular among Palestinians.
The security forces arrested at least six activists when they gathered in central Ramallah, where the PA is headquartered, on the evening of July 5. Family members, fearful that the detainees would meet the same fate as Banat, went to the police station to check on them. Ubai Aboudi, a Palestinian-American civil society activist who was among those arrested, said his wife came with their three children, his 77-year-old father, who is a retired professor and his brother. He said he and the original detainees were not physically abused, but that security officers turned their family members away.
“It wasn’t actually a political demonstration, the families were simply requesting to see us,” he said. His wife chanted “State of freedom, no political arrests!”
Awawdeh said he and a colleague arrived at the sit-in and began filming. When a security officer told them to stop filming they identified themselves as journalists but complied with the request, he said. Then riot police gathered in front of the station and an officer ordered everyone to leave within ten minutes.
About three minutes later, the attack began.
Excessive violence
Multiple witnesses said the police attacked everyone on the street — activists, journalists and observers, firing pepper spray, beating them with batons and pulling women by their hair. Diala Ayesh, a human rights lawyer who was there as an observer, said she was handcuffed and dragged into the police station and that some of the policemen harassed her and struck her on “sensitive places” on her body. She was among at least 15 people who were detained. Once inside, Awawdeh and another man were dragged into a small room and severely beaten with batons. “I just kept telling them I’m a journalist,” Awawdeh said. “I told them from the moment I arrived that I was a journalist.”He was left on the floor of the cell until a physician who was among those detained alerted the police, telling them his pulse was weak. He and the other man were hospitalised and Awawdeh was treated for severe bruising on his chest. All the detainees were released over the next 24 hours.
More than a week later, Awawdeh was visibly shaken and seemed to struggle for air while recounting his experience to The Associated Press. He paused several times and held his hand to his chest throughout the interview.
Aboudi says his wife and children, a seven-year-old and five-year-old twins, were left on the street when their mother, grandfather and uncle were detained. He said they are “deeply traumatized.”Palestinian officials have not commented publicly on the events of July 5. A police spokesman referred questions to a government spokesman, who did not respond to requests for comment. Aboudi says Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh called his father, who had once been his professor at Birzeit University, to apologise. “His apology is not accepted, because he promised accountability and we did not see any accountability,” Aboudi said.
Double repression
Saleh Hijazi, the deputy regional director of Amnesty International, said the Palestinian Authority has attacked peaceful protesters in the past, going back at least to 2011.
Israel also heavily restricts political activity in the occupied territories and its security forces often clash with Palestinian protesters and detain prominent activists. “Palestinians are getting it from both sides,” Hijazi said. “The message from both authorities, Israel being the one with ultimate power, is that there is no freedom of expression or assembly for Palestinians.” If the PA’s crackdown is aimed at halting the protests, it has not worked. Demonstrators gathered in Ramallah again last Sunday, days after the attack on the sit-in. Awawdeh was back at his radio station this week and says he will continue to work as a reporter. Aboudi has been summoned to appear in court in September and could be taken into custody again, but he too says he is determined to continue his work. “People are still shouting that we demand our freedom,” he said. “We want basic human rights, we want freedom, we want emancipation. We don’t care who has violated our rights, but these kinds of violations we will not tolerate.”

Jordan’s king moves to reassert rule but challenges lie ahead
The Arab Weekly/July 16/2021
AMMAN – King Abdullah has moved swiftly to tighten his grip on Jordan in the three months since an alleged plot surfaced to replace him with his half-brother, leaving his rule secure for now but still wrestling with big economic challenges.
The crisis ignited by Prince Hamzah’s alleged leadership ambitions seems to have been put to bed with a military court this week sentencing two men accused of conspiring with him and the prince himself ostracised in a palace. Away from the court proceedings, King Abdullah has sought to reassert his influence over powerful tribes that underpin his rule and for whose loyalty Prince Hamzah was accused of competing, visiting their areas and raising his profile. Officials talk of a king now composed and at ease, in contrast with his apparent anxiety in the first weeks of the crisis, described by the king as “the most painful” because it came from both inside the royal family and outside it.
The trial appears to have passed off without any apparent diplomatic fallout from Saudi Arabia, where the prime defendant, Bassem Awdallah, worked as a top adviser to Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, having previously served as the closest adviser to King Abdullah for many years. The prosecution charge sheet said the accused had agreed that Awadallah would seek foreign backing for Hamzah’s ambitions, using his ties in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere and that Hamzah had asked Awadallah whether Riyadh would help him if something happened to him in Jordan. But the Jordanian authorities never suggested a Saudi role in the plot. Meanwhile, the support of Jordan’s most important ally, the United States, has seemed unwavering, after an uncomfortable spell during the term of former President Donald Trump, whose Middle East peace plan was seen in Amman as an existential threat.
“I just called to tell him he has a friend in America. Stay strong,” President Joe Biden said he told the king in an April 7 call at the height of the crisis. King Abdullah will next week become the first Arab leader to meet Biden at the White House.
“The king probably has never been stronger than today, internally very solid support, externally very solid support,” said Fares Braizat, a former minister and head of NAMA Strategic Intelligence Solutions think tank. “The message (of the trial) is: to meddle with the stability of the country cannot be tolerated.”
Royal rivalries
The episode has offered a rare glimpse of rivalries in the Hashemite family that has ruled Jordan since it became a British protectorate in 1921.In line with the wishes of his father, the late King Hussein, Abdullah made Hamzah crown prince when he ascended the throne in 1999. But he removed him from the position in 2004 and later appointed his son, Prince Hussein, to the post. Hamzah was spared conviction after pledging allegiance to King Abdullah. Initially put under house arrest, he is now isolated in a palace with his family and banned from any public role, people familiar with the situation told Reuters on condition of anonymity. The military court issued its verdicts against Awadallah and Sherif Hassan Zaid, a distant relative of Abdullah, after seven sessions, saying the pair sought to create chaos and sedition. The men, who were each sentenced to 15 years in jail, both pleaded not guilty. Bassem Awadallah, one of two former officials convicted of conspiring to topple King Abdullah II in favour of his half-brother With defence requests to call witnesses denied, the swift trial was a message to King Abdullah’s opponents that he would never tolerate any threat to his rule, politicians say.
Critics say the trial lacked due process and aimed chiefly to undermine Hamzah, accused by his opponents of exploiting the grievances of tribes in order to incite them against the king. “This is a court that doesn’t have the minimum prerequisites of justice … It’s a political trial and an indictment of Hamzah in front of public opinion,” said Lamis Andoni, a political analyst.A US lawyer for Awadallah said his client had suffered beatings and psychological torture and feared for his life. The Jordanian authorities denied this. The US State Department said it was monitoring Awadallah’s case closely and that it took any allegation of abuse seriously. An economist of Palestinian origin with US citizenship, Awadallah is a divisive figure. He was long vilified by a ruling elite drawn from the country’s tribal chiefs for his influence over the monarch and for his free-market reforms which they saw as a threat to their privileges.
Tribal factor
Jordan’s powerful tribes dominate the army and security forces and their loyalty to the Hashemites has been repaid for decades with generous state benefits. King Abdullah has stepped up his engagement with the tribes since the crisis erupted. So has Prince Hussein. During a visit to the Red Sea city of Aqaba last month, Prince Hussein, 27, criticised maladministration, one of the issues Prince Hamzah complained about publicly. Several local officials were dismissed this week. Economic troubles in Jordan, including diminished aid from Gulf Arab states, have put the patronage system under strain.
The economy was particularly hard hit last year by COVID-19 shutdowns, with unemployment at a record 24%. Jordan is hopeful Washington will be extending a $1.5 billion annual support programme after the IMF praised economic reforms that will help the kingdom get more financing. The king is seeking to enact economic reforms but faces resistance from the conservative establishment. “The challenges facing us from hunger, poverty and unemployment and the loss of confidence in state institutions means the fallout of (the Hamzah affair) is still with us,” said Khaled Ramadan, a politician and former deputy.

Sisi warns Ethiopia that Egypt’s water share is a ‘red line’
Arab News/6 July 2021
DUBAI: President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi said Thursday that Egypt’s national security is a ‘red line’ that can never be crossed, Egypt Today reported. Egypt fears that plans to fill the Grand Renaissance Dam will allow Ethiopia to control the flow of Africa’s longest river.When complete, the dam, which Ethiopia is building, will serve as Africa’s biggest hydroelectric power plant. Sisi explained that Egypt was willing to help all African countries, including Sudan and Ethiopia, but not at the expense of Egypt’s water supplies. “We will send expertise and agricultural production for all our brothers in Africa. We only want to safeguard our water share” Sisi said. Sisi also warned that Egypt had “varied options” to protect its national security. “Before anything happens to Egypt, it would mean that I and the Egyptian military do not exist,” he said. Sisi called on Ethiopia and Sudan to have “a legally binding agreement” in order to live in “peace and prosperity.”

Killers of Iraqi analyst Hisham Al-Hashimi arrested, says PM Al-Khadimi
Arab News/6 July 2021
LONDON: Authorities arrested multiple people who were involved in the murder of Iraqi analyst Hisham Al-Hishimi, Iraq’s Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi said on Friday. Al-Hashimi was killed near his home last July in the Ziyouna district of Baghdad by two gunmen riding a motorbike, after receiving threats from Iran-backed militias. He was a leading expert on Daesh and other armed groups. “We promised to capture Husham Alhashimi’s killers,” Al-Kadhimi tweeted. “We fulfilled that promise. We have arrested hundreds of criminals - murderers of innocent Iraqis like Ahmed Abdulsamad. We don’t care about media spin: we carry out our duties in the service of our people & in pursuit of justice.”Iraqi state TV broadcast brief clips of what it said was the confession of one suspect, 36-year-old police lieutenant Ahmed Al-Kenani.Wearing a brown jumpsuit, Al-Kenani confessed to shooting Hashimi dead using a pistol. According to reported surveillance footage of the attack shown on state TV, Al-Kenani carried out the killing with three others, riding on two motorcycles.Friday's announcement marks the first reported arrests made over a murder that shocked the country, where killings of activists have surged over the last year or so.Earlier this month, dozens of people gathered in central Baghdad to remember Hashemi, who was 47 when he was gunned down, holding pictures of the researcher and lighting candles. * With Agencies

Sadr seeks to evade responsibility for crises through election announcement
The Arab Weekly/July 16/2021
BAGHDAD – Iraqi political analysts described Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr’s decision Thursday not to participate in next elections as an attempt to evade the repercussions of the health and electricity crises, considering that his political movement was directly involved in managing both the health and electricity departments. Iraqis see Sadr’s decision as a ploy aimed at distancing himself from popular anger over hospital fires and frequent power outages, Sadr has become the target of widespread popular ire. The public has come to regard the movement he leads as no different from the rest of the militias that took control of Iraq by force of arms. Like other forces participating in the rule of Iraq, his movement is also seen as mired in corruption. Sadr sought to hold the government responsible for the health and electricity crises by calling on Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi to conduct an in-depth investigation into the failure of both sectors and thereafter to announce its results. However, Iraq watchers say that this approach is no longer credible. Relying on conspiracy theories and placing responsibility on unknown opponents have all become old threadbare tactics that cannot conceal the truth about al-Sadr, his movement and its role in the crisis. Analysts downplayed Sadr’s threat to withdraw, considering that his failure to run would not prevent his faction from eventually seeking to dominate the upcoming elections despite all the disasters it caused. Sadr said he would not participate in the elections scheduled for October and that he was withdrawing his support of the government, urging those responsible for the Nasiriyah fire to be held accountable. The angry reactions to the hospital blaze led to the resignation of Health Minister Hassan al-Tamimi, who is affiliated with the Sadrist movement. An Iraqi parliamentarian, who preferred not to be named, said that Sadr is acting based on the principle that “war is deception” in his dealings with his Shia opponents. The MP added that Sadr is trying through his withdrawal to cover up the crimes of the hospital conflagrations that took place under his faction’s watch.
Talking to The Arab Weekly, the MP did not rule out that Sadr could cancel his decision when he was certain that the matter had been forgotten. He added, “If that prediction comes true, Sadr will have established a new principle, which is that elections are a hoax.”
Iraqi political analyst Rahim al-Kaabi told The Arab Weekly that “it is not the first time that al-Sadr has hinted at the possibility of withdrawing from the elections and that he did not in any case submit a formal request for withdrawal to the Electoral Commission.
The Sadrist movement has been seeking to win more seats in the upcoming early elections in order to be tasked with the choosing the prime minister in the next session, according to previous statements by Sadr.
According to leaks circulating in the local media, Sadr has been trying to nominate his cousin Jaafar al-Sadr, the current Iraqi ambassador to Britain, for the position of prime minister. The Sadr-backed “Sairoon” coalition led the last parliamentary elections in 2018, winning 54 out of 329 seats.
Parliamentary elections are scheduled under a new electoral law that reduces the size of districts and eliminates list-based voting in favour of a system structured on individual candidacies.

EU top court says hijab ban at workpalace ‘may be justified’
The Arab Weekly/July 16/2021
BRUSSELS - Upholding the conditional right of companies to ban Muslim employees from wearing the headscarf (or hijab), the European Union’s top court has rejected the Islamist advocates’ and Muslim conservatives argument who present the hijab as a religious and cultural right. The decision came on Thursday in a ruling on two cases brought by women in Germany who were suspended from their jobs for wearing the veil. The issue of the hijab, the traditional headscarf worn around the head and shoulders, has caused controversy across Europe for years and underlined sharp differences over integrating Muslims. In many cases, the hijab represented a hindrance to the social integration of Muslims in European countries, especially those with overwhelmingly secularist public opinions such as France where it strictly regulated. France’s top court upheld in 2014 the dismissal of a Muslim day care worker for wearing a headscarf at a private creche that demanded strict neutrality from employees. France, home to Europe’s largest Muslim minority, prohibited the wearing of Islamic headscarves in state schools in 2004.
In Anglo-Saxon countries in the West, such as Britain and the US, it is much more tolerated. Conspicuous Muslim religious practice, such as prayer in public spaces, has been a contentious issue in a number of European societies. It is increasingly associated with Muslim extremism and treated as such. Muslim theologians are divided over the religious opinion about the wearing of the hijab. Conservatives, including Islamist organisations, consider it as compulsory while more moderate and liberal views deem it unnecessary. In the Arab world, the wearing of the hijab by women is seen as part of the often prevailing conservative mores, although it has been used in the past by Islamist groups as a rallying cry against secularists and feminists. In the cases brought to court, both Muslim women, a special-needs carer at a childcare centre in Hamburg run by a charitable association and a cashier at the Mueller drugstore chain, did not wear headscarves when they started in their jobs, but decided to do so years later after coming back from parental leave.
They were told that this was not allowed and were at different points either suspended, told to come to work without it or put on a different job, court documents show. The EU court had to decide in both cases whether headscarf bans at work represented a violation of the freedom of religion or were allowed as part of the freedom to conduct a business and the wish to project an image of neutrality to customers. Its response was that such bans were possible if justified by an employer’s need to present a neutral image. “A prohibition on wearing any visible form of expression of political, philosophical or religious beliefs in the workplace may be justified by the employer’s need to present a neutral image towards customers or to prevent social disputes,” the court said. Irfan Arab, a journalist and TV presenter who has spent more than three decades in Europe, believes that wearing clothes that bear religious, cultural or sectarian connotations in the workplace must be regulated.
He told The Arab Weekly that regulatory decisions must “include all religious beliefs and what provokes sectarian and sectarian strife.” He added, “I am against TV anchors wearing headscarves or placing crosses on their chests, or any controversial religious, sectarian or political slogans,” stressing that he respects the freedom to wear these signs, but there is a politicisation by everyone of this issue, so it must be subjected to legal regulation. In the case of the care centre employee, the court said the rule at issue appeared to have been applied in a general and indifferentiated way, since the employer also required an employee wearing a religious cross to remove that sign. In both cases, it will now be up to national courts to have the final say on whether there was any discrimination. The EU court already ruled in 2017 that companies may ban staff from wearing Islamic headscarves and other visible religious symbols under certain conditions, sparking a backlash among faith groups.
More than five million Muslims live in Germany, making them the largest religious minority group there. Headscarf bans for women at work have been a hotly-contested issue in Germany for years, mostly with regard to aspiring teachers at state schools and trainee judges. This has not so far been a major theme in the campaign for this year’s legislative elections. Elsewhere in Europe, courts have also had to look into where and how headscarves can sometimes be banned at work.

UN urges withdrawal of foreign forces, mercenaries from Libya
The Arab Weekly/July 16/2021
UNITED NATIONS/ NEW YORK — The UN special envoy for Libya accused “spoilers” on Thursday of trying to obstruct the holding of crucial elections in December to unify the divided North African nation. Meanwhile, the Security Council warned that any individual or group undermining the electoral process could face UN sanctions.
Jan Kubis told a ministerial meeting of the council, attended by Libyan Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah, that he spoke to many key players during his just-ended visit to Libya. All of them had reiterated their commitment to presidential and parliamentary elections on December 24, but “I am afraid many of them are not ready to walk the talk.”He pointed to the failure of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum, a 75-member body from all walks of life, to agree earlier this month on a legal framework to hold elections, putting a roadmap to end the decade-old conflict in the oil-rich nation in jeopardy. He also cited the failure of foreign forces and mercenaries to leave Libya within 90 days as required under last October’s cease-fire and the failure to reopen the coastal road linking the country’s east and west, another key cease-fire provision.
Libya has been wracked by chaos since a NATO-backed uprising toppled long-time ruler Muammar Gadhafi in 2011 between two rival authorities each backed by armed groups and foreign governments.
Kubis urged members of the Forum to put their differences aside and agree on a proposal for the constitutional basis of elections that the House of Representatives could immediately adopt. “Interest groups, spoilers and armed actors must not be allowed to derail the process aimed at restoring the legitimacy, unity and sovereignty of the Libyan state and its institutions,” he stressed. A presidential statement adopted by the Security Council echoed Kubis’ call for immediate action and legislation to allow the High National Election Commission “to have adequate time and resources” to prepare for elections. Libya’s transitional Prime Minister Abdilhamid Dbeibah reiterated the government’s commitment to the “historic” December 24 elections and said, “At the forefront of the tasks ahead is to achieve the constitutional basis and the necessary electoral law as soon as possible.” The council stressed that individuals and entities can face financial freezes and travel bans if the Security Council committee monitoring implementation of UN sanctions determines that they are engaging in or supporting acts that threaten Libya’s peace, stability or security, or undermine its political transition. It underlined that “such acts could include obstructing or undermining those elections planned for” in the Forum roadmap. The Security Council again strongly urged all countries, Libyan parties and “relevant actors” to fully implement the cease-fire agreement, “including through the withdrawal of all foreign forces and mercenaries from Libya without delay.”
Kubis warned that the continued presence of foreign forces and mercenaries is threatening the cease-fire.
“It is imperative that Libyan and international actors agree on a plan to commence and complete the withdrawal of mercenaries and foreign forces,” he said. “Initial signals to this end are encouraging, but concrete steps and agreements are needed.”
France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, whose country currently holds the council presidency and chaired the meeting, said maintaining the December 24 election date was “imperative” and called for a progressive time frame for the departure of “foreign elements.”France has proposed that Syrian mercenaries from two camps start the process by leaving “as soon as in the next few weeks,” he said.
Kubis said the Joint Military Commission, comprising five members from each party, is key to implementing the cease-fire and to political progress. He warned that its vital role “could unravel if the political process remains stalled.”
“Every effort must therefore be made to preserve its unity and to insulate its work from the detrimental effects of the political stalemate and the stand-off between Libya’s main political actors,” he said.
Kubis also cited stand-offs between the transitional government and House of Representatives, the government and eastern-based Libyan National Army and those who want to respect the time line for the upcoming election “and those who would see the elections delayed.”
He said the ramifications of the political impasse “are already beginning to manifest themselves.”The Security Council meeting followed last month’s conference on Libya in Berlin where Germany and the United Nations brought together 17 countries and Libya’s transitional leadership to promote implementation of the cease-fire and roadmap to elections. The council’s presidential statement welcomed the conference conclusions. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas told the council that “during the past year, Libya has come a long way towards peace and unity.”He urged the international community to “take a strong stance against those who favour postponing the elections for selfish political motives” and called on the council to reaffirm “that it will not tolerate any obstruction” and that it will stay the course and make the progress in Libya “irreversible.”

U.N. warns Libya's banking system at risk of collapse
Reuters/July 16, 2021  
Libya's banking system "will likely collapse" if the country's two parallel central bank branches do not unify and stalled political talks could unravel a ceasefire, the U.N. special envoy to the country warned on Thursday. Oil-rich Libya descended into chaos after the NATO-backed overthrow of leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. It has been divided since 2014 between an internationally recognized government in the west and a rival administration in the east that has established its own institutions. The division of the central bank, combined with the lack of a unified budget, led to both branches racking up debt to finance their respective administrations, U.N. special envoy to Libya Jan Kubis told the U.N. Security Council. "Managing this debt is only possible if the central bank unifies. In plain terms, Libya's banking system will likely collapse, absent unification," Kubis said. An international audit of Libya's parallel central bank branches last week recommended steps that could lead to their eventual reunification. Kubis told the Security Council that the main finding was unification "is no longer simply recommended but required".Any reunification of the central bank is expected to help improve confidence among buyers of Libyan oil at a time when prices of the country's main export are rising. Oil revenue has flowed through the Tripoli-based Central Bank, which has paid the salaries of many state employees across front lines. Libya's oil exports were hit by a blockade by eastern-based forces last year, leading to lost revenues.
A U.N.-led peace process in Libya brought a ceasefire last year and then a unity government was formed. However, talks this month aimed at paving the way for elections in Libya in late December stalled.—

Russia Foreign Minister Says U.S. Mission in Afghanistan 'Failed'
AFP/July 16, 2021 
Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said Friday that the United States had "failed" in its mission in Afghanistan, as Taliban insurgents make lightning gains and foreign forces pull their remaining troops from the country.
US President Joe Biden had tried to paint the withdrawal of foreign troops in "the most positive colors", Lavrov said in Uzbekistan, according to Russian news agencies, "but everyone understands that the mission failed".

Turkey Says Mass Grave Found in Syrian Region
Agence France Presse/July 16, 2021
Ankara said Thursday it had uncovered a mass grave containing dozens of bodies in a Turkish-held region of Syria, accusing a US-backed Kurdish militia of the killings. But local authorities in the northern region of Afrin and a Syrian rights group said it was an informal cemetery and not a mass grave, disputing Turkey's accusations. Turkey and its Syrian proxies have seized control of territory inside Syria since 2016 in military operations against the Islamic State (IS) and the Kurdish YPG militia. In March 2018, they seized the town of Afrin after pushing out Syrian Kurdish forces.
On Thursday, the governor of Turkey's Hatay province on the border with Syria told reporters a mass grave was found with 61 bodies in the Afrin area. "This is a crime against humanity," Rahmi Dogan said, blaming the YPG, which is backed by Washington. "I think the number of bodies recovered will rise," he added, after the Turkish defense ministry initially put the number at 35 on Wednesday. Images on Turkish television showed officials in hazmat suits surrounded by what appeared to be bodies in bags. Dogan said Turkish authorities believe the dead were civilians executed by the YPG days before Turkey launched its so-called Olive Branch operation in 2018 to capture Afrin. But authorities administering Afrin under Ankara's supervision told local reporters, including an AFP correspondent, that an informal cemetery, and not a mass grave, was unearthed. They said the cemetery was established by the Syrian Democratic Force, the Kurdish administration's de-facto army.Ibrahim Shaykho, a spokesperson for a Kurdish rights group monitoring violations in Afrin, said the informal cemetery was set up days before Ankara's Afrin invasion. It contains bodies of fighters and civilians who had perished in Turkey's offensive and who could not be transported outside of Afrin because of a siege imposed by Ankara and its Syrian allies, Shaykho said. Turkey accuses the YPG -- a force backed by Western militaries against IS -- of being a "terrorist" offshoot of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).
The PKK, blacklisted by Ankara and its Western allies, has been waging an insurgency against Turkey since 1984, in a conflict which has killed more than 40,000 people.

Floods in Germany Claim 81 Victims, More Than 1,000 Missing
Reuters/July 16, 2021 
The number of people who lost their lives in the heavy floods in the western part of Germany increased to at least 81, according to German broadcaster ARD. More than 1,000 people were missing in the Neuenahr-Ahrweiler region, Koblenz police said.—

Texas officer killed, 4 others injured in standoff
NBC/July 16, 2021  
A Texas sheriff's sergeant was killed and four other officers were injured when a man barricaded in a house fired on them during a standoff Thursday, police said. The suspect was taken into custody around 11:30 p.m., more than 10 hours after the standoff began. A robot and gas were used, and the 22-year-old ultimately surrendered, the Lubbock County sheriff told reporters at the scene. The violence began after police in Levelland, west of Lubbock, were called to the home shortly after 1 p.m. after someone reported a neighbor was acting strange and walking around with a large gun, police Chief Albert Garcia said earlier. Officers held back and a police negotiator was called in. Police made contact, but the man inside "was very hostile" and said he did not want to talk to officers, Garcia said. "It was only a matter of minutes after that contact that the suspect opened the front door to the residence and began firing," Garcia said. Lubbock County sheriff's Sgt. Josh Bartlett, commander of the SWAT team, was shot and killed shortly after 2 p.m., the sheriff's office said. Four other law enforcement officers were injured, authorities said. The most seriously injured was a Levelland police officer who was rushed to a hospital and underwent surgery, Garcia said. That officer is out of surgery and was in critical condition but was stable, he said. The person arrested was the only one inside the home and no one else was involved, Garcia said after his arrest. The investigation is in its early stages, police said, and a motive was not disclosed. The Texas Rangers will take over the investigation, Garcia said. Police from other agencies, as well as the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the FBI, were assisting, he said.—

Canada/Garneau speaks with Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
July 16, 2021 - Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada
The Honourable Marc Garneau, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today spoke with Michelle Bachelet, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Minister Garneau reiterated Canada’s commitment to promoting and upholding human rights both in Canada and around the world. He also highlighted and thanked High Commissioner Bachelet for the invaluable work of the UN’s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in preventing violations and abuses, and ensuring monitoring of human rights globally.
Minister Garneau and High Commissioner Bachelet discussed the recently concluded session of the UN Human Rights Council, as well as human rights situations of concern in Afghanistan, Belarus, Ethiopia, Haiti, Nicaragua, Sri Lanka, Syria, Venezuela, and Xinjiang (China).
Minister Garneau also emphasized Canada’s steadfast commitment to advancing reconciliation and upholding the rights of Indigenous Peoples in Canada. He conveyed that Canada remains committed to supporting Survivors, their families, communities and all those impacted by the racist and colonial legacy of residential schools.
The Minister and the High Commissioner agreed to continue working closely together to promote and protect human rights globally.

Taliban ‘more qualified’ to run Afghanistan than Kabul govt, says group spokesman
Arab News/6 July 2021
DUBAI: The Taliban are more qualified to run a future political set-up in Afghanistan than the current Kabul government, a spokesman for the group told Arab News in an exclusive interview on Wednesday, amid a surge in violence and mounting doubts about the future of US-backed peace negotiations.
Taliban officials said last week that the group had taken control of 85 percent of territory in Afghanistan, a claim the Kabul government dismissed as a propaganda campaign launched as foreign forces, including from the US, withdrew after almost 20 years of fighting. The Taliban spokesman, Suhail Shaheen, said that “tens of districts” were surrendering to the insurgents daily, saying this was happening despite the “weapons and armaments” available with Afghan security forces. In the last two weeks, the Taliban have overrun areas bordering five countries: Iran, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, China and Pakistan.
When asked if the Taliban had the expertise and budget to run the day-to-day affairs of the areas they were capturing, Shaheen replied: “We are the people of Afghanistan. We are living among the people. We have experience not only for one year (but) for the past 25 years. Our governors, security chiefs, provincial security chiefs, the judges ... and all commissions, which are equal to a ministry, have been working for the last 25 years. So all our people have experience. They are more experienced than those in the Kabul administration.”He said there was no change in the movement of people and goods on the border crossings the Taliban had captured, and that traders were carrying on with businesses “normally.”“Now, under the control of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, they are doing it without any corruption, easily and normally. They are very happy with that.”Shaheen said schools, offices, and all other establishments in Taliban-captured territories had been asked to remain open and functioning.
However, he appealed to the UN and other international organizations and countries to assist the Taliban financially.
“That is important for the facilities to be provided to the common people,” he added. “We have almost 85 percent of the Afghan territory in our control. So, in order to keep all these offices intact, operative, and active, we do need financial assistance.”
Part of the US pullout deal signed by the Taliban and Washington in February last year was the group’s commitment to negotiate a ceasefire and a power-sharing deal with the Kabul government. But little progress has been made on this front, even after several rounds of negotiations since September. “First we should reach a solution about the political roadmap and then we (will) go for a ceasefire,” Shaheen replied when asked what the Taliban’s conditions were to agree to a ceasefire. “There is a sequence.” He said no individual or group would be allowed to use Afghan soil to attack another country, including Al-Qaeda and the Tehreek Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which is responsible for dozens of high profile attacks in Pakistan and whose leaders and foot soldiers are believed to be hiding in Afghanistan. “We had made a commitment that we will not allow anyone to use the soil of Afghanistan against the United States, its allies, and other countries,” Shaheen said, saying the group had “sent our message” to Al-Qaeda. “About TTP or any other group, we have a commitment that we will not allow anyone to use the soil of Afghanistan against another country. Right now ... we do not have all the territory of Afghanistan in our control. When a new Islamic government will be in place, that policy (of not letting anyone use Afghanistan soil) will be implemented.”He was also asked how a new Taliban government would balance its ties between archrivals Pakistan and India, both of whom have interests in Afghanistan.
“We do not want Afghanistan to be a field of rivalry or rivalries of any countries ... When there is an Islamic government in place in Afghanistan, I think we need reconstruction of the country. Therefore, we would like to have cooperation with other countries, which benefit our people, but, at the same time, we do not want Afghanistan to be a center of rivalries.”

EU agency expects COVID-19 cases to rise by 5 times by August
AFP/July 16, 2021
Coronavirus cases across Europe will increase dramatically in the following weeks due to the increasing prevalence of the delta variant, the EU’s disease agency warned Friday, as it projected the number of new infections to increase by five-fold by Aug. 1. In its coverage area – which includes the European Union, Norway and Iceland – the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) expected to see 420 cases per 100,000 inhabitants for the week ending on Aug. 1, up from just under 90 last week, it said in a weekly report.By the week after, the number of new cases is expected to rise above 620 per 100,000 inhabitants.--

The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials published on July 16-17/2021
Putin's New Anti-Navalny Law
Jiri Valenta and Leni Friedman Valenta/Gatestone Institute/July 16, 2021
Tatiana Stanovaya, a political analyst at Carnegie Moscow, "told CNN the law threatens not only opposition politicians but ordinary Russian citizens."
"The law is part of a larger campaign against anti-regime behavior in Russia... The battlefield has become much larger, now even a Russian citizen who participates in protests, retweets an opposition post or donates to opposition groups, face the risk of prosecution." — Tatiana Stanovaya.
Russia's decision to crush all political opposition seems a clear indication of how Putin fears Navalny and his influence over the Russian electorate....
A number of Russian opposition politicians have already been barred from taking part in elections or were persecuted for their support for Navalny or other pro-democracy groups.
"The process was held behind closed doors, and I myself did not participate in it. Even though we demanded it, I was not even invited." — Alexei Navalny, Instagram, as reported by CNN, June 10, 2021.
The Russian courts are a "laughingstock." — Alexei Navalny, Instagram, as reported by courthousenews.com, June 10, 2021.
"The process was held behind closed doors, and I myself did not participate in it. Even though we demanded it, I was not even invited." — Alexei Navalny, Russian opposition leader, June 10, 2021. Pictured: Navalny appears on screen via a video link from prison, during a court hearing in the town of Petushki, Russia, on May 26, 2021.
On June 4, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law banning "individuals designated as 'extremists' from running for public offices."
There is little doubt that the legislation signed by Putin is aimed largely at opposition leader Alexei Navalny, now in prison, and whoever supports him. According to CNN:
"The law prevents members of 'extremist' or 'terrorist' organizations from standing in elections for a period of three to five years... Founders and leaders of designated groups will not be able to run for elected office for five years... Employees or financial supporters of court-ruled extremist and terrorist organizations will be banned from running for office for three years."
Five days later, on June 9, Navalny's "Anti-Corruption Foundation," (FBK) and "Citizens Rights Protection Foundation" were declared by the Moscow City Court to be "extremist" organizations. According to CNN:
"The court ordered that FBK be liquidated and its property transferred into the ownership of the Russian Federation, according to a statement from the Moscow City Court's press service.
"The court also banned the activities of Navalny's regional political offices around Russia, which has mobilized protests in the past..."
The court's decision, subject to immediate execution, "also banned the activities of Navalny's regional political offices around Russia" which have upheld Navalny's "smart voting strategy" to support candidates not from Putin's party and which have organized protests in the past.
The ruling has been described by Navalny's lawyers as part of an "unprecedented crackdown" on his activities. It not only bans his allies from running in elections at every level, it also "grants authorities the power to jail activists and freeze their bank accounts," according to US News & World Report.
All this took place a week before the Putin-Biden summit.
Tatiana Stanovaya, a political analyst at Carnegie Moscow, "told CNN the law threatens not only opposition politicians but ordinary Russian citizens."
"The law is part of a larger campaign against anti-regime behavior in Russia... The battlefield has become much larger, now even a Russian citizen who participates in protests, retweets an opposition post or donates to opposition groups, face the risk of prosecution."
Navalny was imprisoned in January upon his return to Russia from Germany, where he had been recovering from poisoning by novichok, a nerve agent that had had been placed in Navalny's underpants in a hotel in Tomsk. Navalny asserts and has sought to prove, that his poisoning was ordered by agents of Putin.
In Russia, Navalny was immediately imprisoned for having failed to attend parole hearings while convalescing from the poisoning in a German hospital, part of the time in a coma.
The main reason for keeping Navalny imprisoned may well be to make sure that the popular leader is isolated and unable to get involved in organizing opposition to Putin's United Russia Party in upcoming electoral campaigns. Russia's decision to crush all political opposition seems a clear indication of how Putin fears Navalny and his influence over the Russian electorate -- despite the fact that Putin's United Russia party is presently the ruling political party in Russia and has constituted the majority in the chamber since 2007, and even though Navalny is now in prison and in ill health.
Putin, as he came for his June 16 summit with US President Joe Biden in Geneva, either ignored numerous questions from the American press about Navalny's condition, or discussed the situation without mentioning Navalny by name.
When alone with the press, Putin deflected criticism of his crackdown on dissenters by wrapping a justification for his own brutal repression in a criticism of the United States. He cited the actions in the US of the Black Lives Matter movement and the disarray in the Capitol on January 6: "We saw disorder, destruction, violations of law. We feel sympathy with the USA, but we don't want that to happen on our territory."
In an interview with NBC before the summit, Putin said that he could not guarantee that Navalny would be released from the prison alive.
"Look, such decisions in this country are not made by the president. They're made by the court whether or not to set somebody free.
"As far as the health, all individuals who are in prison, that is something that the administration of the specific prison or penitentiary establishment is responsible for. And there are medical facilities in penitentiaries that are perhaps not in the best condition."
According to the Guardian:
Putin maintained his longstanding avoidance of saying Navalny's name, referring to him as 'that person'. He said he hoped the jail medical service would do its job 'properly' but added: 'To be honest I have not visited such places for a long time.'"
Biden responded to the press about Putin's comments by saying that "Navalny's death would be another indication that Russia has little or no intention of abiding by basic fundamental human rights..."
"I made it clear to him that I believe the consequences of that would be devastating for Russia," Biden said.
"What do you think happens when he's saying it's not about hurting Navalny, all the stuff he says to rationalize the treatment of Navalny, and then he dies in prison?... It's about trust. It's about their ability to influence other nations in a positive way."
Navalny's death might be somewhat of a setback for US-Russian relations, whether Putin believes it or not. Putin knows that the US is preparing new sanctions against Russia for Navalny's poisoning.
According to US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan:
"We are preparing another package of sanctions to apply in this case... It will come as soon as we have developed the packages to ensure that we are getting the right targets..."
No matter what Putin says, he seems, at least for now, to have given instructions to his underlings to ensure Navalny's survival in prison. If Navalny is lucky, he might even be released in September after Russia's election -- which Putin's United Russia party is expected easily to win.
Meanwhile, after the summit with President Biden, Putin defended the court ruling against Navalny "extremists" under the new law, by claiming that Navalny's group had shared instructions about how to make firebombs, an allegation denied by Navalny's legal team, who announced that in the court ruling, there was no mention of firebombs.
Another seemingly false accusation came from the judge who presided over the "extremists" ruling. Reuters wrote:
"'According to the judge, individuals associated with the Anti-Corruption Foundation and Navalny's headquarters used Nazi paraphernalia and symbols in their activities,' the lawyers wrote. But no actual link between the individuals and Navalny's organisations was established by the Prosecutor's Office, the lawyers said."
It is these manufactured accusations that are now apparently being used to support Putin's claim that the supporters of Navalny's organizations are "extremists" and must be banned from ever running for office, as should anyone who helps or contributes to their organizations.
A number of Russian opposition politicians have already been barred from taking part in elections or were persecuted for their support for Navalny or other pro-democracy groups.
In mid-June, Navalny wrote on Instagram: "The process was held behind closed doors, and I myself did not participate in it. Even though we demanded it, I was not even invited." The Russian courts, Navalny also wrote on Instagram, are a "laughingstock."
Jiri Valenta is a non-resident, Senior Research Associate with the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies at Bar Ilan University in Ramat Gan and a member of the U.S. Council on Foreign Relations. He previously taught Soviet and East European Studies to four armed services at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School and is the author and editor of several books.
*Leni Friedman Valenta is a graduate of Brandeis and Yale (playwriting) and has written articles for the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies, the Gatestone Institute, Circanada, The National Interest, Aspen Review and other publications.
© 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.

Question: "Is there an afterlife?"
GotQuestions.org/16 July/2021
Answer: The book of Job asks a question about the afterlife very simply: “If a man dies, will he live again?” (Job 14:14). Asking the question is easy; more difficult is finding someone to answer the question with authority and experience.
Jesus Christ is the one person who can speak with real authority (and experience) concerning the afterlife. What gives Him sole authority to speak of heaven is that He came from there: “No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man” (John 3:13). The Lord Jesus, with His firsthand experience in heaven, presents us with three basic truths about the subject of life after death:
1. There is an afterlife.
2. When a person dies, there are two possible destinations to which he or she may go.
3. There is one way to ensure a positive experience after death.
First, Christ affirms there is an afterlife a number of times. For example, in an encounter with the Sadducees, who denied the doctrine of the resurrection, Jesus said, “About the dead rising—have you not read in the Book of Moses, in the account of the burning bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’ ? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!” (Mark 12:26–27). According to Jesus, those who had died centuries before were very much alive with God at that moment.
In another passage, Jesus comforts His disciples (and us) by telling them of the afterlife. They can look forward to being with Him in heaven: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (John 14:1–3).
Jesus also speaks authoritatively about the two different destinies that await in the afterlife. In the account of the rich man and Lazarus, Jesus says, “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side” (Luke 16:22–23). Note, there is no intermediate state for those who die; they go directly to their eternal destiny. Jesus taught more on the different destinies of the righteous and the wicked in Matthew 25:46 and John 5:25–29.
Jesus also emphasized that what determines a person’s eternal destination is whether or not he has faith in God’s only begotten Son. The need for faith is clear: “Everyone who believes may have eternal life in him. 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. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son” (John 3:15–18).
For those who repent of their sin and receive Jesus Christ as their Savior, the afterlife will consist of an eternity spent enjoying God. For those who reject Christ, however, the afterlife will be quite different. Jesus describes their destiny as “darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 8:12). As the heaven-sent authority on the afterlife, Jesus warns us to choose wisely: “Enter through the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow is the road that leads to life, and only a few find it” (Matthew 7:13–14)
Speaking about life after death, G. B. Hardy, a Canadian scientist, once said, “I have only two questions to ask. One, has anyone ever defeated death? Two, did he make a way for me to do it also?” The answer to both of Hardy’s questions is “yes.” One Person has both defeated death and provided a way for everyone who puts their trust in Him to overcome it as well. No one who trusts in Jesus Christ needs to fear death, and we can rejoice in the Lord’s salvation: “When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.’
‘Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?’” (1 Corinthians 15:54–55).

Iran Nuclear Talks Stalled While U.S. Waits for Raisi/Hopes for a fast deal—or any deal at all—are fading.
Michael Hirsh/Foreign Policy/July 16/2021
Contrary to hopes that Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, might be looking for a swift revival of the 2015 nuclear deal before the installation of Tehran’s new hard-line government next month, U.S. and European officials now believe that success or failure lies in the hands of the incoming president, Ebrahim Raisi. According to a senior U.S. official, it now appears that Iran is not prepared to resume negotiations over coming back into compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) until Raisi replaces moderate Hassan Rouhani as Iran’s president next month. In recent weeks, some participants in the ongoing talks in Vienna said they thought Khamenei wanted a deal signed before Rouhani left office so that any public backlash from a compromise—only partial relief from U.S. sanctions—wouldn’t politically damage Raisi, Khamenei’s likely anointed heir as supreme leader.
But that is apparently not going to happen now, and further delays will only make any final deal harder, if not impossible. Some observers believe Iran may now be overplaying its hand, hoping that its technological advances in enrichment will force the Americans to come to a compromise.
“This could doom the deal,” said Ali Vaez of the International Crisis Group, a former close associate of U.S. lead negotiator Robert Malley. “The Raisi team might believe that time is on Iran’s side and that they can ratchet up the nuclear program much quicker than the U.S./EU can counter with sanctions. … This would be a major miscalculation.”
With talks on hold, current Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, one of the chief architects of the 2015 accord, is already in the process of handing over Tehran’s negotiating brief to his successor, who has not yet been named. “They’re forming a new negotiating committee,” said a European diplomat who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Joe Biden’s team is reluctant to surrender any more compromises than it already has to Tehran. At the same time, Iran has taken advantage of the Trump administration’s withdrawal from the agreement in 2018 to steadily improve its ability to enrich uranium and get closer to building a bomb—precisely the kinds of steps that the deal had prevented Iran from carrying out before.
“The Iranians want sanctions relief but are building the pressure with the advance of their nuclear program,” said Dennis Ross, a former senior U.S. diplomat now with the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. “They will keep pushing their program, enriching with advanced centrifuges, enriching to 60 percent, producing uranium metal, limiting IAEA access. … They want sanctions relief even as they seek to show they are in no hurry to get it.”
If the standoff is prolonged, the return to the JCPOA might become moot since the original deal’s constraints will no longer be able to sufficiently curb Iran’s nuclear advances. Previously, Rafael Grossi, the director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), had negotiated an extension of inspection protocols, but he has not been able to do so a third time. If Iran does not resolve its outstanding problems with the IAEA by September, when the agency’s board of governors meets, those violations would be reported to the U.N. Security Council. That could result in a snapback of U.N. sanctions, putting Iran and Western powers back where they were before the Biden administration sought to revive the pact.
A key issue is that Tehran is so far advanced in its technical development, especially its new, much faster IR-9 centrifuge—which it is now testing—that its “breakout” timeline for a bomb has been reduced to a point that the provisions of the 2015 deal may no longer apply. Further complicating matters is the fact that Raisi has been sanctioned by the United States because of his involvement in the execution of thousands of dissidents in the late 1980s and another violent crackdown in 2009. His administration will likely demand that such sanctions be lifted, but this will be politically difficult for Biden to do.
Biden himself, consumed with seeking a deal on Capitol Hill over his infrastructure and other big spending plans, is in no mood to accommodate Tehran.
“The next three months will be critical to Biden’s domestic agenda and his presidency. He doesn’t need any distractions. If I were Biden’s political advisors, I’d want to slow-roll this agreement,” said Aaron David Miller of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. “There are no political upsides for him in reaching an accord and almost no margin and advantage to do so. The Republicans hate it and will use the new president—the hanging judge of Tehran—to hammer Biden; too many influential Democrats don’t like it either.”
Iran is demanding that Washington remove all sanctions that former President Donald Trump imposed as “poison pills” to ensure the 2015 deal could never be resurrected. Those include more than 700 sanctions imposed outside of the nuclear pact and designed to break Iran’s economy and humiliate its leadership, especially key figures in Khamenei’s office and on Khamenei himself. The Biden team has indicated that it will not remove all of these.
*Michael Hirsh is a senior correspondent and deputy news editor at Foreign Policy. Twitter: @michaelphirsh

Nearly half of Afghanistan’s provincial capitals under threat from Taliban
Bill Roggio/Andrew Tobin/FDD's Long War Journal/July 16/2021
With rapid gains in recent days, the Taliban now threatens 16 of Afghanistan’s 34 provincial capitals, while 18 of the provinces in their entirety are under direct threat of falling under Taliban control, according to an ongoing assessment by FDD’s Long War Journal.
Since the Taliban began its offensive after President Joe Biden announced the withdrawal of U.S forces on April 14, the Taliban has more than tripled the number of districts controlled by the group, from 73 to 221. Many of the districts lost to the Taliban are in the north and west, however the Taliban has continued to gain territory in the south and east. The Taliban offensive in the north is designed to undercut Afghan power brokers and warlords in their home districts and provinces.
The map, above, shows an Afghanistan that is at risk of complete collapse if the government and military do not get a handle on the security situation, and quickly. A written assessment of select provinces is listed below. The methodology of the assessment follows.
For information on districts controlled and contested by the Taliban, and time lapse maps of the Taliban’s offensive since 2017 and its gains since April 14, 2021, see LWJ report, Mapping Taliban Controlled and Contested districts in Afghanistan.
Methodology
The primary data and research behind this assessment are based on open-source information, such as press reports and statements provided by government agencies and the Taliban. The status of a province is assessed by both the internal situation within the borders of the province as well as the surrounding environment. During the Taliban campaign beginning on May 1, offensives have been launched across provincial lines, indicating that while a province might be relatively free of Taliban influence, it is at risk from Taliban controlled districts on its borders. As a result, this assessment incorporates LWJ’s analysis of district control within each province and the degree of Taliban control within neighboring provinces in order to determine the status of threat posed to each of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces.
A province designated with a Low Taliban Threat has both a minimal presence of Taliban forces within its districts and low risk of offensives from across its borders. These are provinces which government and militia forces could realistically exert more control over and fully drive out the Taliban with a concentrated effort.
A province designated with a Moderate Taliban Threat may have a sizable Taliban presence within its districts or have a minimal presence of Taliban forces in its districts but be surrounded by provinces under high threat. These provinces are not in immediate danger of being completely overrun by Taliban forces, but must be monitored closely as the situation evolves.
A province designated with a High Taliban Threat has lost many districts to Taliban control and may be surrounded by other Taliban dominated provinces. LWJ may assess a province as under high Taliban threat if government has not demonstrated an ability to consistently retake districts or hold cities or bases within the province. Many of these provinces are experiencing fighting around their provincial capitals, indicating their stability is in jeopardy.
Badakhshan – High Taliban Threat: Prior to 9/11, Badakhshan was one of two that were completely under control of the Northern Alliance, and it served as the group’s headquarters. The Taliban currently controls 25 of the province’s 28 districts, and its capital, Faizabad, is under direct Taliban threat. The remaining 3 districts are contested. Afghan security forces and government officials abandoned numerous districts as the Taliban advanced. Afghan National Army Commandos have been called in to defend the capital.
Badghis – High Taliban Threat: The Taliban currently controls five of the province’s six districts, and its capital, Qala-i-Naw, is under assault. The Taliban and Afghan government have reportedly agreed to a ceasefire.
Ghazni – High Taliban Threat: The Taliban currently controls 14 of the province’s 18 districts, and its capital, Ghazni City, is under assault. The remaining four districts are contested. Taliban fighters are inside the city and battling for control with Afghan forces. Several neighborhoods are under Taliban control. The Taliban overran the city in 2018 and held it for days before being ejected by U.S. and Afghan forces.
Ghor – Moderate Taliban Threat: The Taliban currently controls seven of the province’s 10 districts, and its capital, Chaghcharan, is under direct government control. The government controls two districts and the remaining district is contested. The Taliban has made significant gains in Ghor over the past month.
Herat – High Taliban Threat: The Taliban currently controls 13 of the province’s 16 districts, while three districts are under direct government control. Warlord Ismail Khan has called up the militias to defend Herat City, the provincial capital, while the Afghan military has sent Commandos to defend the city. The Taliban marched to the gate of Herat City but then halted.
Jawzjan – High Taliban Threat: The Taliban currently controls seven of the province’s nine districts. The government controls the remaining two districts, including the provincial capital of Shebergan. The security situation in neighboring provinces is dire.
Kandahar – High Taliban Threat: The Taliban currently controls 13 of the province’s 16 districts, and its capital, Kandahar, is under assault. The remaining four districts are contested. Taliban fighters are inside the city and battling for control with Afghan forces. Several neighborhoods are under Taliban control. On July 15, the Taliban took control of the Spin Boldak border crossing and defeated Tadin Khan, one of the province’s most powerful warlords.
Khost – Moderate Taliban Threat: The Taliban currently controls three of the province’s 12 districts and five districts are contested. There is no direct threat of the Taliban taking the capital in the short term, although the situation can change quickly. Additionally, the Khost protection force – a CIA-backed quasi-militia – has proven to be an effective fighting force. While the Taliban’s overt presence in Khost is relatively low, the province is a stronghold of the Taliban’s powerful Haqqani Network, and the Haqqani’s influence is exerted in a subversive manner. Thus, the threat is assessed as moderate.
Kunduz – High Taliban Threat: The Taliban currently controls four of the province’s seven districts, and its capital, Kunduz, is under assault. The remaining three districts are contested, and frquently switch hands between the Taliban and the government. The province is highly volatile. The Taliban took control of Kunduz city and held it for short periods of time twice since 2015.
Laghman – High Taliban Threat: The Taliban currently controls two of the province’s six districts, and its capital, Mihtarlam, is under direct Taliban threat. The government controls one district and the remaining three are contested. The Taliban fought Afghan forces inside the city in June. The security situation in the districts in neighboring provinces is precarious, and thus the threat is assessed as high.
Panjshir – Low Taliban Threat: Home of Ahmad Shah Massaud, the legendary anti-Taliban leader who was assassinated by Al Qaeda two day prior to the Sept. 11, 2001 attack on the U.S., the Afghan government controls all seven of Panjshir’s districts. However, given the fact that the security situation in Badakhshan, Takhar, Laghman, and other neighboring provinces is poor to dire, Panjshir is at risk of being cut off by the Taliban. The fact that Panjshir must be assessed as having a low threat rating is an indicator of just how poor the security situation in Afghanistan has become.
Takhar – High Taliban Threat: The Taliban currently controls 14 of the province’s 17 districts and the three remaining districts are contested. The Taliban launched an assault on the provincial capital of Taloqan in mid-July 2021.
*Bill Roggio is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Editor of The Long War Journal. Follow Bill on Twitter @billroggio. FDD is a nonpartisan think tank focused on foreign policy and national security issues.

Will the Arab world block Iran’s poisonous propaganda?
Ibrahim al-Zobeidi/The Arab Weekly/July 16/2021
After the fall of Saddam’s regime, the Wali al-Faqih state in Tehran and its Iraqi allies dominated power in Baghdad as a result of a de facto alliance between the American invasion armies and the Iranian regime.
The Sunnis become the oppressed instead of the Shia and the new rulers allowed themselves to inflict revenge on every Iraqi who had a role in preventing Khomeini from occupying Iraq, including Iraqi officers, soldiers, doctors, engineers and thinkers.
From Saddam Hussein, the Iranians learned the importance of using the weaponised word to legitimise their occupation, to justify the presence of their militias in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen and to seek to establish the Shia crescent that links Tehran to the shores of the Mediterranean and the Red Sea.
They spent without limits on developing their goals, relying on the emotional sectarian religious narrative that is most capable of inciting sectarian strife among the Shia of Iraq and the Arab world. Moreover, they used the Husseiniyas, the Friday sermons, the mourning processions and pilgrimages to holy shrines as part of their venues of influence.
With the development of communication technologies and the advent of satellites capable of carrying hundreds of radio and television stations, Iran and its loyal political parties and militias added internet sites to their weapons as they moved their wars to the sky. The Arab viewers were besieged by dozens of Shia satellite channels dedicated to revisiting both true and fabricated stories of ancient history, myths and fables included, in the service of the Iranian regime’s racist and expansionist plans that are couched in the veneer of Islamic jihad.
There are 73 satellite channels funded by Iran and Iraqi and Lebanese militias.
It was expected from the managers of Arab satellite systems, which allow the broadcasting of these satellite channels, to take the initiative of monitoring them and blocking the channels that require blocking in order to protect the Arab viewers from their venomous content.
But they did nothing of the kind.
The issue has come to the fore again with the United States’ surprise decision to seize 33 web sites run by the Iranian Islamic Radio and Television Union, including three web sites used by the Iranian-backed Iraqi Kata’eb Hezbollah faction.
It also prevented access to the web sites of other TV channels inside Iraq, most notably Al-Furat channel affiliated with Ammar al-Hakim, the TV channel “Asia” affiliated with the head of the Iraqi Congress Party, Aras Habib, who was originally on the US terrorism list, the “Afaaq” channel belonging to Nouri al-Maliki and other Shia satellite channels.
As for the Iranian websites that were shuttered, they are “Al-Alam” and “Al-Masirah” affiliated with the Houthi militias, “Al Loloua”, “Al-Kawthar”, “Palestine Today”, “Al-Nabaa” and others.
The administrators of the Egyptian satellite, Nilesat and that of the Arab League satellite, Arabsat, host most of these sectarian, racist and extremist channels that play, with their rhetoric, their programmes and fanatical extremist contributors, the most dangerous roles towards promoting ignorance and misinformation as well as spreading myths and awakening dormant strife.
Will they now follow America’s example and decide to protect their viewers from these satellite channels that are more dangerous to Arab societies than planting explosives, perpetrating targeted killings and pushing drug smuggling?

New UN envoy to face old problems in Yemen
Saleh Baidhani/The Arab Weekly/July 16/2021
ADEN – The United Nations Security Council extended Thursday the mandate of the UN Mission to Support the Hudaydah Agreement (UNMHA) for 12 months until July 15, 2022. The move came in parallel with the naming of Swedish diplomat Hans Grundberg as new special envoy to Yemen by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Grundberg, a Middle East specialist who has served as the European Union’s ambassador to Yemen since 2019, would replace Britain’s Martin Griffiths, who was named in May to be the world body’s under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs.
In June, Griffiths told the Security Council his efforts to end years of war in Yemen had failed, expressing his “deep regret” not to have made more progress during his three years in the post. Conflict flared in Yemen in 2014 when the Iran-aligned Houthi militias seized the capital Sana’a, prompting a Saudi-led military intervention to prop up the government the following year. The UN moves on Thursday came as the situation in Yemen was deteriorating, with military escalation in Marib and the near-collapse of the Riyadh Agreement between the Yemini government and the Southern Transitional Council (STC). Local sources in Marib confirmed to The Arab Weekly on Friday renewed confrontations on a number of strategic fronts in the governorate, where the Houthis have been seeking to achieve a military victory to strengthen their bargaining position in peace talks. “Fierce battles are raging on the Jabal Murad fronts, south of Marib. The National Army and the Resistance forces, with air support from the Arab coalition, launched a large-scale attack on the Rahba and Elfah fronts. The National Army recaptured Rahba and took control of the city’s centre after fierce battles,” Yemeni journalist Abdul-Wahhab Baheibah told The Arab Weekly. Buhaibah added the Houthi militias suffered heavy losses during the confrontations and resorted to carrying out suicide attacks in an attempt to regain lost territory.
The military escalation in Marib and the political tensions within the anti-Houthi camp have exacerbated Yemen’s economic crisis, which caused the collapse of the value of the Yemeni currency (the riyal) in government-controlled governorates and accelerated the deterioration of living conditions and the collapse of services.
The quick developments in Yemen are accompanied by shifting regional and international dynamics that could affect the UN’s approach to Yemen’s crisis in the near future.
Recent US and European statements about a stalemate in Yemen showed the international community has failed to pressure the Houthis into accepting a ceasefire plan and resuming peace talks.
Experts believe the coming period will be marked by a decline in the American and British role, in favour of a new Western approach based on the European Union’s vision of the Yemeni crisis. The EU, experts say, believes the Yemeni crisis can be resolved through negotiations with the Iranian regime, as part of the ongoing talks in Vienna, aimed at resuming the nuclear agreement with Tehran.
The Houthis’ rejection of a peace ceasefire is not the only challenge ahead. A dispute between the government of President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi and the Southern Transitional Council could turn into an internationalised crisis in the absence of precise mechanisms that would compel the two sides to implement the Riyadh Agreement’s provisions. Political sources describe the growing international interest in the Agreement as an attempt to compensate for the failure to advance the peace process between the Yemeni government and the Houthi militias over the past years.
Yemeni political researcher Saeed Bakran told The Arab Weekly that the key challenge that the new UN envoy will face is scepticism about the effectiveness of UN efforts.
“The parties to the conflict do not expect the new envoy to make any breakthrough. This is the real challenge given the faults of the mechanism adopted by the UN to define the conflict and identify its parties,” Bakran explained.
On the Riyadh Agreement and the possibility of achieving progress after the appointment of the new envoy, Bakran added, “It seems clear that we are heading towards internationalisation in view of differences between government and the STC and the increase of mistrust between the two sides.”
Ezzat Mustafa, head of the Fanar Centre for Policy Research, believes that the new UN envoy to Yemen needs regional and international support to overcome the challenge of uniting ranks of the anti-Houthi players, including the government and the STC. This task, Mustafa says, requires the full implementation of the Riyadh Agreement’s provisions. “The implementation of the Riyadh Agreement will be a priority for Grundberg if he wants to make progress in his mission,” Mustafa said.
“Renewed fighting between the STC and the government may pose a new challenge to the UN envoy’s mission,” he added.

The Epic Battle that Freed Christian Spain of Islam: Las Navas de Tolosa
Raymond Ibrahim/July 16/2021
King Sancho VII of Navarre bulldozes through and routs the African slave soldiers chained around the caliph’s tent
Today in history, on July 16, 1212, an epic battle—which the Islamic State still vows vengeance for—took place between Christians and Muslims, and presaged the demise of Islam in Spain, five hundred years after Muhammad’s followers first invaded and subjugated that nation beginning in 711.
From the start, a small pocket of Christian resistance remained in the northwest of Spain; from this “mustard seed” the Reconquista—the Christian reconquest of Spain from Islam—began. Century after century, the Christians made slow advances south, until they had reclaimed nearly the northern half of Spain.
By the early thirteenth century, the Muslims, under Almohad caliph Muhammad al-Nasir, decided enough was enough. They marshalled one of the largest armies ever to march on Spanish soil, intent on extirpating Christianity by fire and sword. In a widely circulated letter attributed to the caliph himself, Muhammad declared that all Christians must “submit to our empire and convert to our [sharia] law.” Otherwise “all those who adore the sign of the cross … will feel our scimitars.”
Alarmed, Pope Innocent III proclaimed a crusade and called on the Christians of Spain to unite and fight “against the enemies of the cross of the Lord who not only aspire to the destruction of the Spains, but also threatened to vent their rage on Christ’s faithful in other lands and, if they can—which God forbid—oppress the Christian name.”
Troubadours everywhere sought to rile Christians: “Saladin took Jerusalem,” they sang in verse, and “now the king of Morocco announces that he will fight against all the kings of the Christians with his treacherous Andalusians and Arabs,” who “in their pride think the world belongs to them.” The religious divide was heightened by a racial one: “Firm in the faith, let us not abandon our heritage to the black dogs from oversea.”
On July 14, the Christian and Muslim armies finally reached and camped at Las Navas de Tolosa, where the fate of Spain would be decided. The army Caliph Muhammad headed “was a very large, heterogeneous force,” writes Darío Fernández-Morera, “made up of Berbers, tough black slave warriors (the imesebelen, who were chained together as an unbreakable guard around the Almohad caliph’s tent), Arabs, Turkic mounted archers, Andalusian Muslim levies . . . mujahidin (volunteer religious fighters—jihadists—from all over the Islamic world), and even Christian mercenaries and defectors.”
The two forces could not have looked any more different: most of the approximately twelve thousand Spaniards were heavily armored; knights carried three-foot-long double-sided swords. In comparison, most of the African Muslims were near naked, their shields made of hippo hides. But the Muslims’ numbers—thirty thousand—and unbridled ferocity made up for it.
The Christians spent July 15, a Sunday, recuperating and preparing, including spiritually. On their knees, tearful men beat their chests and implored God for strength. Militant clergymen—all of whom were determined “to rip from the hands of the Muslims the land they held to the injury of the Christian name”—roamed the camp, administered the Eucharist, heard the confessions of and exhorted the crusaders to fight with all their might. Then, about midnight, “the voice of exultation and confession,” wrote a participant, “sounded in the Christian tents and the voice of the herald summoned all to arm themselves for the Lord’s battle.”
Looking on the enemy hordes arrayed against them, Alfonso VIII of Castile, the supreme leader of the Christian coalition, grew dismal: “Archbishop,” he addressed Rodrigo of Toledo, who stood alongside him, “here we will die,” though a “death in such circumstances is not unworthy.” “If it please God,” Rodrigo responded, “let it not be death, but the crown of victory; but if it should please God otherwise, we are all prepared to die together with you.”
With the crack of dawn, battle commenced on July 16. For long it was something of a stalemate: “Those lined up in the first ranks discovered that the Moors were ready for battle,” writes an eyewitness:
They attacked, fighting against one another, hand-to-hand, with lances, swords, and battle-axes; there was no room for archers. The Christians pressed on; the Moors repelled them; the crashing and tumult of arms was heard. The battle was joined, but neither side was overcome, although at times they pushed back the enemy, and at other times they were driven back by the enemy.
Determined to penetrate the Muslim host, the Christians, Alfonso later wrote, “cut down many lines of the enemy who were stationed on the lower eminences. When our men reached the last of their lines, consisting of a huge number of soldiers, among whom was the king of Carthage [Muhammad], there began desperate fighting among the cavalrymen, infantrymen, and archers, our people being in terrible danger and scarcely able to resist any longer.”
For every Muslim line the Christians broke through, others instantly formed—so great were the ranks of Islam. “At one point certain wretched Christians who were retreating and fleeing cried out that the Christians were overcome.” When King Alfonso “heard that cry of doom,” he and his knights “hastened quickly up the hill where the force of the battle was.”
“Then we,” Alfonso continues, “realizing that the fighting was becoming impossible for them [retreating Spaniards], started a cavalry charge, the cross of the Lord going before [us] and our banner with its image of the holy Virgin and her Son imposed upon our device.” They fought valiantly, but the Africans continued to close in on them.
Then something of a miracle happened: “Since we had already resolved to die for the faith of Christ, as soon as we witnessed . . . the Saracens” attacking the cross and icons “with stones and arrows,” the furious crusaders “broke their line with their vast numbers of men, even though the Saracens resisted bravely in the battle, and stood solidly around their lord.”
Christians in the rear saw the cross appear as if miraculously and remain aloft behind enemy lines. Inspired beyond hope, the native sons of Spain broke through the Muslim center, slaughtering “a great multitude of them with the sword of the cross.” Sancho VII, the giant king of Navarre, followed by his men, was first to bulldoze through and rout the African slave soldiers chained around the caliph’s tent.
Instantly mounting a horse, Muhammad “turned tail and fled. His men were killed and slaughtered in droves, and the site of the camp and the tents of the Moors became the tombs of the fallen…. In this way the battle of the Lord was triumphantly won, by God alone and through God alone,” concluded the victorious king, Alfonso VIII of Castile.
Las Navas de Tolosa was seen as a miracle by pope and peasant. Not only was the full might of the hitherto unbeatable Almohad caliphate decimated; but whereas tens of thousands of Muslims died, only some two thousand Christians—mostly the warrior-monks of the military orders who were always wherever fighting was thickest—perished.
More importantly, it ushered in the liberation of Spain from Islam, as Muslim kingdoms in southern Spain came to fall one by one to the sword of the Reconquista, so that, by 1248, only the remote kingdom of Granada, at the southernmost tip of Spain remained to Islam—and it was a tributary of Castile.
Indeed, as an indicator of the importance of the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa, for centuries thereafter, July 16 was celebrated as the “Triumph of the Holy Cross” in the Spanish calendar, until, that is, Second Vatican abolished it—in keeping with the spirit of the new age of forgetfulness.
The above account was excerpted from the author’s book, Sword and Scimitar: Fourteen Centuries of War between Islam and the West.