English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For July 23/2020
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
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Bible Quotations For today
If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else?
Letter to the Romans 08/28-39:”We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family. And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified. What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, ‘For your sake we are being killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.’No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on July 22-23/2021
Courage and integrity are there, we only need to pull ourselves together and DO IT/Jean-Marie Kassab/Face Book/July 22/2021
Health Ministry: 543 new Corona cases, one death
UN Special Coordinator Briefs the Security Council on the Implementation of Resolution 1701
UN hits out at Lebanon’s ‘leaders’ during hearing on Hezbollah-Israel ceasefire
Ardell says UNIFIL is aware of reports of two persons' arrest after crossing to Israel
2 Missiles Hit Lebanon amid Israeli Raid on Hizbullah in Syria
Israel Targets Hezbollah Ammunitions, Weapons Depots in Homs
Lebanon Hospitals Warn Power Cuts Threaten 'Catastrophe'
Lebanon to Plunge into Darkness
IDF arrests two suspects who infiltrated into Israel from Lebanon
Lebanese Families 'Spend 5 Times Minimum Wage' on Food
Bakeries' Union warns of bread crisis due diesel fuel shortage
PSP: We support the decision to allow for emergency import of medicines while strictly observing quality standards
Hariri’s Departure Exposes Contradictions of U.S. Policy Toward Lebanon/Tony Badran/FDD-Policy Brief/July 22/2021
Lebanon: A Naksa or A Nakba?/Hazem Saghieh/Asharq Al Awsat/July 22/2021
“I Knew, and I Have No Authority"/Hanna Saleh/Asharq Al Awsat/July 22/2021

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on July 22-23/2021
Politics King Abdullah II warns of the deteriorating situation in Lebanon!
Macron Calls National Security Meeting to Discuss Israeli Spyware
Syrian air defense intercepted Israeli attack, Syrian media claims
Russia Says Syria Shot 7 of 8 Israeli Missiles
Syrian Regime Shells Kill 7 of Same Family
Sisi Tells British PM that Egypt Upholds its Historic Rights of Nile Water
Iraqi Armed Factions Eye Controlling Strategic Town North of Baghdad
Tajikistan Tests Combat Readiness as Taliban Advances
Canada/Statement by Foreign Affairs Minister on Peru presidential elections results
China Says WHO Plan to Audit Labs in Covid Origins Probe 'Arrogant'

Titles For The Latest The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on July 22-23/2021
Turkey's Mobgate Reveals the Islamist Deep State."/Erdoğan's Favorite Mobster Turns against Him, Reveals Secrets/Burak Bekdil/BESA Center Perspectives/July 22/2021
It Is Time for Regime Change in Communist Cuba/Con Coughlin/Gatestone Institute/July 22/2021
A Monarchy?/Lawrence Kadish/Gatestone Institute/July 22/2021
Daughter Of Canadian Jihadi Islamist Imam Younus Kathrada, Who Has Been Investigated By Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Complains About MEMRI's Exposure Of Her Father's Sermons, In Which He Called Beheaded French Teacher Samuel Paty A 'Filthy Excuse For A Human Being,' Prayed That Allah Would 'Destroy The Enemies Of Islam, And Annihilate The Heretics And The Atheists,' Said Wishing Christians A Merry Christmas Was Worse Than Murder/July 22, 2021/MEMRI
In Washington, Who Decides the Next Intervention?/Robert Ford/Asharq Al Awsat/July 22/2021

 

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on July 22-23/2021
Courage and integrity are there, we only need to pull ourselves together and DO IT
Jean-Marie Kassab/Face Book/July 22/2021
Any government that could be formed will strictly be a representative for the Iranian occupation with the consequences you know: more disaster, more pain. Let us all claim out loud and by all means necessary that a new and fresh government OUTSIDE this hellish loophole should be formed and take over power.
Shout it, scream it, spread it around you, convince people around you that this is the only solution so far, that it is the first real step in the Liberation of Lebanon from the Hezbollah. They got in because we let them. Let’s not let them anymore. Tattoo it on your forehead, on your arms, teach your children to say it, convince your neighbors, colleagues and friends about it. Maybe a group of fine and courageous people will hear you and do something about it. Courage and integrity are there, we only need to pull ourselves together and DO IT.

Health Ministry: 543 new Corona cases, one death
NNA/July 22/2021
In its daily report on Coronavirus, the Ministry of Public Health announced the registration of 543 new infections on Thursday, which raised the cumulative number of confirmed cases to-date to 552,871. It added that one death was also recorded during the past 24 hours.

UN Special Coordinator Briefs the Security Council on the Implementation of Resolution 1701
NNA/July 22/2021
Ms. Joanna Wronecka, the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Mr. Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, and UNIFIL Force Commander Stefano Del Col today briefed the UN Security Council on the implementation of Resolution 1701, based on the latest report of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Focusing on the recent developments in Lebanon, Ms. Wronecka highlighted the country's multiple and accumulating socio-economic, financial and political difficulties and their impact on the people. Reiterating the UN's calls for the formation of a fully empowered government that can put the country on the path to recovery, the Special Coordinator said: "The United Nations is doing what it can to mitigate the situation, but ultimately the responsibility for salvaging Lebanon lies in the hands of Lebanon's leaders." Discussions at the Security Council also highlighted the importance of holding free and fair elections in 2022 within the constitutional timelines, as a key marker of democratic accountability and an opportunity for the people to articulate their grievances and aspirations. With the first annual commemoration of the tragic 4 August Beirut Port explosion less than two weeks away, Ms. Wronecka repeated the Secretary-General's calls for an impartial, thorough and transparent investigation. "The families of the victims and thousands whose lives have been changed forever by that terrible blast are still waiting. They deserve justice and dignity," she said. Recalling the goal of Resolution 1701 to enhance Lebanon's security, state authority and sovereignty, the Special Coordinator hoped for a real commitment for the implementation of that resolution in its entirety. She praised the role played by the Lebanese Armed Forces, in safeguarding the country's security and stability, including its close cooperation with UNIFIL, and called for continued support to this key institution. In conclusion, the Special Coordinator welcomed the international community's continued readiness to help Lebanon. -- [Office of the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon]

UN hits out at Lebanon’s ‘leaders’ during hearing on Hezbollah-Israel ceasefire
Joseph Haboush, Al Arabiya English/22 July ,2021
The UN special coordinator for Lebanon praised the role of the Lebanese Army and called for continued support to “this key institution.”
The United Nations said Thursday that it was doing all it could to help Lebanon, but that ultimately “the responsibility for salvaging Lebanon lies in the hands” of the country’s leaders. Speaking at the annual review on the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon (UNSCOL) Joanna Wronecka called for the immediate formation of a government in Lebanon to put the country on the path to recovery. “The United Nations is doing what it can to mitigate the situation, but ultimately the responsibility for salvaging Lebanon lies in the hands of Lebanon’s leaders,” Wronecka said. Resolution 1701 put an end to the July 2006 war between Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israel. It called for a full cessation of hostilities, including attacks by Hezbollah and all offensive military operations by Israel. The goal of the resolution was to enhance Lebanon’s security, state authority and sovereignty, Wronecka noted. As a result, she said, she hoped for a real commitment to implement the resolution in its entirety. The UNSCOL also praised the role of the Lebanese Army and called for continued support to “this key institution.”Meanwhile, Israel’s ambassador to the UN sent a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres “urging them to condemn Hezbollah,” according to the Times of Israel. During the Israeli bombardment of Gaza in May, rockets were fired into Israel multiple times. Contrary to previous rocket attacks, Hezbollah denied being behind the latest moves. In the Israeli letter to the UN this week, Israel’s top diplomat to the UN said the incidents “provide another example of the volatile situation within UNIFIL’s Area of Operation and constitute clear evidence of the existence of unauthorized weapons and ammunition in the area.”This comes ahead of the annual UN session next month to discuss the renewal of UN peacekeepers in Lebanon (UNIFIL). Tel Aviv has consistently criticized UNIFIL, claiming that the peacekeeping force is not aggressive enough against Hezbollah. UNIFIL troops are prohibited from entering private property without prior approval. Hezbollah has been accused of storing weapons in private residences and businesses near the Lebanese border with Israel.

Ardell says UNIFIL is aware of reports of two persons' arrest after crossing to Israel
NNA /July 22/2021
Deputy Director of UNIFIL Media Office Candice Ardell told the National News Agency today, that "UNIFIL is aware of reports that the Israeli authorities have arrested two people after they crossed from Lebanon to Israel early this morning," adding, "We are in contact with parties and following up on the matter."

2 Missiles Hit Lebanon amid Israeli Raid on Hizbullah in Syria
Agence France Presse/July 22/2021
Two missiles or their remnants fell overnight in the Lebanese towns of Lehfed in Jbeil and al-Majdal in Koura during an Israeli raid on Hizbullah arms depots in Syria's Homs. It was not immediately clear whether the missiles were fired by Israeli warplanes or by Syria's air defenses. The missiles sparked panic among Lebanese residents, especially in Lehfed, where the missile landed not far away from homes, reportedly causing a 20-meter deep crater. Syrian state media said Syria's air defenses intercepted Israeli missiles over Homs province early Thursday, the second airstrike this week. A military source told Syrian state news agency SANA that the attack had caused no casualties, inflicting only material damage. "At 01:13 am... the Israeli enemy carried out an aerial attack targeting several positions in the Qusayr region of Homs province," SANA reported, citing the source. "Our air defenses intercepted the missiles... shooting most of them down," the military source said. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the missiles had targeted military positions of Lebanon's Iran-backed Hizbullah, destroying weapons depots. The Syrian army recaptured Qusayr, a rebel stronghold near the Lebanese border, in 2013 after a blistering 17-day assault led by Hizbullah fighters. The city was strategically vital for the regime because it links the capital Damascus to the coast. Seizing the stronghold was a major victory for Hizbullah, which has fought alongside President Bashar al-Assad's forces. Thursday's airstrikes were the second this week, after an Israeli attack on Monday killed five pro-Iran fighters allied with the regime, and destroyed the group's base and a nearby weapons depot in Aleppo, according to the Britain-based war monitor. Since the Syrian civil war broke out in 2011, Israel has routinely carried out raids in Syria, mostly targeting government positions as well as allied Iranian and Lebanese Hizbullah forces. Israel rarely confirms strikes in Syria, but the Israeli army has said it hit about 50 targets in the war-torn country last year, without providing details. Israel has said it is trying to prevent its arch-foe Iran from gaining a permanent military foothold on its doorstep. Last month, Israeli airstrikes in central Syria killed at least 11 government troops and militiamen.

Israel Targets Hezbollah Ammunitions, Weapons Depots in Homs
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 22 July, 2021
The Syrian regime accused Israel Thursday of carrying out an airstrike in the central province of Homs, the second time in as many days, saying the aerial attack caused material damage. An unidentified Syrian military official quoted by the state news agency said air defenses shot down most of the missiles in the attack that occurred early Thursday on targets it did not name in the Qusayr region of the Homs countryside. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed the strikes, saying they destroyed ammunitions and weapons depots belonging to Lebanon’s Hezbollah in the western Homs countryside. Late Monday, Syria reported an Israeli airstrike southeast of the northern Aleppo province, but did not mention details of the target or damage. The Observatory said Monday's strikes targeted weapons depots that belong to Iranian-backed militiamen operating in Aleppo’s Safira region.

Lebanon Hospitals Warn Power Cuts Threaten 'Catastrophe'
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 22 July, 2021
Hospitals in crisis-hit Lebanon Thursday warned of a looming "catastrophe" as some were only hours away from running out of fuel to keep life-saving equipment on during endless state power cuts. Lebanon's worst financial and economic crisis ever is battering an already fragile health sector as it faces the latest wave of the coronavirus pandemic. The state electricity supplier has all but stopped supplying power in recent weeks, forcing homes, businesses and hospitals to rely on backup generators almost around the clock. But the syndicate of private hospitals on Thursday warned they were struggling to procure enough fuel to keep theirs on. "Hospitals are unable to find fuel oil to power generators during power outages of at least 20 hours a day," AFP quoted it as saying in a statement. "A number of hospitals risk running out in coming hours, which will put the lives of patients in danger," it warned, without specifying how many facilities were at immediate risk. The syndicate called on officials to "immediately work to solve the issue to avoid a health catastrophe". As foreign reserves plummet, the Lebanese state is struggling to buy fuel for its power plants, increasing electricity cuts to up to 23 hours a day in some parts of the country. The crisis has caused the local currency to lose more than 90 percent of its value, and forced hundreds of thousands of Lebanese with drastically reduced incomes to contend with shortages. Earlier this month, medicine importers said they had run out of hundreds of essential drugs because the central bank had not released the promised dollars to pay suppliers abroad.

Lebanon to Plunge into Darkness
Beirut - Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 22 July, 2021
The Lebanese Ministry of Energy announced on Wednesday that it would stop the delivery of diesel fuel after its stock has declined significantly. The electrical supply had improved remarkably over the past few days through the main network and private power generators.
However, a statement by the General Petroleum Authority said: “In respect of the blessed holidays and out of national and societal responsibility to provide energy security for citizens throughout Lebanon, the oil facilities in Tripoli and Zahrani secured on Monday until midnight, the local market of diesel in most of its sectors, including bakeries, hospitals, generators, utilities and all public institutions, including the airport, tourist institutions and water institutions.”It added that the quantities distributed from the two facilities were “estimated at about 14 million liters, equivalent to half the full load of an oil tanker. Those were supplied to 160 distribution companies, exceptionally exceeding the approved margin of quotas.”According to the Authority, this led to the depletion of most of the stock, in parallel with a lack of credits for the import of additional diesel ships. The statement noted that “the authority’s role is to regulate the market, adding that it does not bear the burden of covering the unprecedented demand for diesel,” given that its share does not exceed 30% of the total market share, compared to 70% for major import companies that are able cover the existing deficit if they start supplying fuel.

IDF arrests two suspects who infiltrated into Israel from Lebanon
Jerusalem Post/July 22/2021
Residents near border initially told to remain indoors. Soldiers have blocked some roads in effort to nab infiltrators. IDF soldiers arrested two suspects in northern Israel Thursday morning after they were spotted crossing the border from Lebanon into Israel overnight, the military said in a statement. The two were reportedly migrant workers and were questioned at the site where they were arrested. During about five hours of searches, IDF soldiers isolated the area where the two suspects until the suspects were caught. Residents of nearby towns were at first instructed to remain in their homes, but were then told that they could leave even though searches were ongoing. "The ease with which a fence is passed in such a sensitive place must lead to immediate treatment that includes the completion of the construction of the wall and the fence that has not yet been completed," said Likud MK Ofir Sofer on Twitter in response to the incident.In June, two suspects believed to be job seekers from Lebanon managed to hide from IDF soldiers for over 12 hours after they infiltrated through the border fence. The two suspects were arrested near the border in an overgrown area where they were hiding. The infiltration in June was not suspected to be terror-related. The infiltration on Thursday came just two days after rockets were fired from Lebanon into northern Israel, setting off rocket sirens throughout the area. One of the rockets was intercepted by Iron Dome. In response to the rocket fire, the IDF fired tank shells toward Hamoul Valley from where the rockets had been fired on Tuesday morning. IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Aviv Kohavi warned after the rocket fire that Israel "will respond in an overt or covert way, or both together, to all violations of our sovereignty from Lebanon – whoever it is."In May, during Operation Guardian of the Walls, a dozen rockets were fired into Israel from the same area in Lebanon. The IDF responded with artillery fire after those rocket attacks as well. It is still unclear who fired the rockets early on Tuesday morning, but the IDF believes it was the same Palestinian militants who fired the rockets in May. Hezbollah is not believed to be behind the rocket fire.As Lebanon continues to suffer from a worsening economic crisis, the IDF has expressed concerns there may be an increase of drug smuggling and infiltrations of migrant workers or refugees along the northern border.

Lebanese Families 'Spend 5 Times Minimum Wage' on Food
Agence France Presse/July 22/2021
Families in Lebanon are now spending five times the minimum wage on food alone, a report found, as inflation caused by the country's worst-ever economic crisis continues to soar. The small country is battling what the World Bank has described as one of the planet's worst financial crises since the 1850s, which has left more than half the population living below the poverty line. The Lebanese pound has lost more than 90 percent of its value against the dollar on the black market since 2019, and Lebanese with deeply devalued salaries in the local currency have seen their purchasing power plummet.
According to the latest prices in July, "a family's budget just for food is around five times the minimum wage," the Crisis Observatory at the American University of Beirut (AUB) said. The vast majority of families in Lebanon would soon find it difficult to put the minimum amount of food on the table without help from relatives or humanitarian aid, it said. Without taking into account the additional cost of water, electricity or cooking gas, a family of five was spending more than 3.5 million Lebanese pounds a month on food alone, the Observatory estimated. Most people are paid in the local currency in Lebanon, where the national minimum wage stands at 675,000 Lebanese pounds. That was once worth almost $450 at the official exchange rate, but today barely fetches $30 on the black market.
'Very alarming'
The Observatory said the cost of food has soared by 700 percent over the past two years, and this increase had picked up pace in recent weeks. "The price of a basic food basket increased by more than 50 percent in less than a month," it said. Nasser Yassin, head of the Observatory and a professor at AUB, told AFP the latest jump in prices was "very, very alarming." "We're witnessing now an exponential increase in a short period of time," he said. Humanitarian agencies say an increasing number of families in Lebanon are being forced to cut back on meals. The U.N.'s children's agency surveyed more than 1,200 households in April, and found that 77 percent of them did not have enough food or enough money to buy food. More than 30 percent of the families had at least one child who had skipped a meal or gone to bed hungry in the previous month, it said.
Lebanon has been slowly lifting subsidies on key goods in recent weeks, sending the price of fuel and medicines soaring. The cash-strapped country is struggling to import enough fuel to keep its power plants online, meaning electricity cuts for up to 23 hours a day in most areas. The cost of hooking up to a back-up neighborhood generator to keep the lights and fridge on has also increased.

Bakeries' Union warns of bread crisis due diesel fuel shortage
NNA/July 22/2021
The Union of Bakeries warned, in an issued statement today, of a bread shortage crisis during the upcoming week due to the loss of diesel fuel, as some bakeries will have to stop after running out of their reserves of this substance. "What to do and how will bakeries secure bread supply for citizens?" questioned the statement, adding that "the loaf of bread is a red line" and stressing that "bakeries are not to be held responsible for this crisis." The Union, thus, urged all officials, especially the Oil Directorate, to avoid this crisis by securing the necessary supply of diesel to bakeries before Monday, since many are about to run out of their reserves and will be forced to cease production next week if no supply is secured."The Union received calls from a number of bakery owners who complained about the black market prices. Therefore, the Union calls on all bakeries not to buy diesel fuel at the black market price, in order to discourage this market in light of the pressing conditions that the country is going through," the statement concluded.

PSP: We support the decision to allow for emergency import of medicines while strictly observing quality standards
NNA/July 22/2021
In an issued statement by the Progressive Socialist Party on Thursday, it welcomed the Caretaker Health Minister's decision to allow for the emergency import of drugs on condition of strict observance of international quality standards, despite the obstacles of the monopoly cartel in this regards. The Party urged the Health Minister to "establish a modern pharmaceutical policy aimed at ensuring health security for the Lebanese."It also praised the decision to allow factories to directly import diesel without prior permission, and called for speeding-up the implementation process of said decision.
Meanwhile, the Party renewed its warning "against any suspicious attempt to plunge the amount allocated by the International Monetary Fund for Lebanon, which is approximately $860 million, into the labyrinth of smuggling and monopolization."
In this connection, PSP called for "accelerating the adoption of the necessary measures to put the ration card into effect by the Ministry of Social Affairs, in cooperation with the World Bank, the World Food Program and the relevant international bodies, and limit the use of the entire amount allocated by IMF to financing this card.""The main battle is a social, economic and livelihood struggle, amidst insistence on the formation of a government the soonest possible in order to confront the difficult situation and initiate the required solutions to all the accumulated crises," the Party's statement concluded.

Hariri’s Departure Exposes Contradictions of U.S. Policy Toward Lebanon
Tony Badran/FDD-Policy Brief/July 22/2021
طوني بدران/مؤسسة الدفاع عن الديموقراطيات: فشل الحريري واعتذاره يكشفان سياسة التناقضات الأميركية الخاصة بلبنان
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/100820/tony-badran-fdd-hariris-departure-exposes-contradictions-of-u-s-policy-toward-lebanon%d8%b7%d9%88%d9%86%d9%8a-%d8%a8%d8%af%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%86-%d9%81%d8%b4%d9%84-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%ad%d8%b1/
After nine months of negotiations against the backdrop of a financial meltdown, Saad Hariri has failed to form a new government in Lebanon and has stepped down as prime minister-designate. Hariri’s exit underscores a contradiction in U.S. Lebanon policy, which professes the need for structural change while continually investing in the Hezbollah-dominated political order and its pillars.
On the same day Hariri announced his resignation, Secretary of State Antony Blinken put this contradiction on display. In a statement, Blinken described the failure to form a government as a “disappointing development for the Lebanese people.” The reason for the disappointment, the statement went on to explain, is that it is “critical that a government committed and able to implement priority reforms be formed now.” In other words, the Biden administration harbors the belief that the same corrupt politicians, led by Hezbollah, who drove Lebanon’s economy into the ground will now reform the sclerotic sectarian system from which they draw their communal stature.
Blinken’s statement omitted any reference to Hezbollah, by far the dominant actor in Lebanon’s politics. At a time when the prevailing chatter in Beirut and Washington was about the need for a “technocratic” government, Hariri, upon his nomination as premier-designate, quickly offered Hezbollah and its Shiite partner Amal their share of ministerial portfolios up front, most importantly the Finance Ministry. For their part, the French, with whom the Biden administration is coordinating policy, have been talking to Hezbollah as a primary interlocutor.
By lamenting Hariri’s failure to form a government — and leaving aside the pretense it would have pursued meaningful reform — Blinken’s statement implies the Biden administration would acquiesce to continued Hezbollah predominance, provided that a multi-party coalition served as the necessary fig leaf. Blinken’s statement also hints at another concession: By adding the qualifier “priority” to the reforms the United States says it is calling for, the statement suggests a lowering of the threshold for what is expected of the Lebanese in order to receive additional foreign funding.
Ahead of Hariri’s stepping down, the United States and France made a push to involve Saudi Arabia in the Lebanese theater, given Riyadh’s prior patronage of Hariri and its long-suspended largesse toward the political order in Beirut. Perhaps Washington and Paris were making a last-ditch effort to get the Saudis to back Hariri or, if not, to support an alternative choice for prime minister. More likely, the administration wants the Saudis to invest both in the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and in the next act in Beirut: the parliamentary elections scheduled for next spring.
Blinken’s statement references “the 2022 parliamentary elections, which should be held on-time and conducted in a free and fair manner.” This emphasis on the elections signals the United States is responding to the dysfunctional rhythms of Lebanese politics and internalizing Lebanese parochial considerations. The administration appears to believe that these elections present an opportunity to break the grip of the sectarian barons and to introduce the representatives of “civil society” into parliament. But the notion that these elections, even if they take place on time, will usher in a change in the real balance of power or in the structure of the system is fanciful.
Along with this misconception about Lebanese elections, to say nothing of these “civil society” groups, administrations of both parties have advocated investment in the LAF as an instrument to change the status quo. The Biden administration, like its predecessors, has doubled down on this policy, ignoring Lebanon’s reality, and is continuing to waste U.S. taxpayer dollars on a chimera.
*Tony Badran is a research fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), where he also contributes to FDD’s Center on Military and Political Power (CMPP). For more analysis from Tony and CMPP, please subscribe HERE. Follow Tony on Twitter @AcrossTheBay. Follow FDD on Twitter @FDD and @FDD_CMPP. FDD is a Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy.

Lebanon: A Naksa or A Nakba?
Hazem Saghieh/Asharq Al Awsat/July 22/2021
Twentieth-century Arabs appropriated two terms that describe natural phenomena and adopted them to their political and social narratives: “nakba” (catastrophe), was adopted in their description of Israel’s establishment in 1948, and “naksa” (setback) was used to describe the defeat in Six-Day War of 1967. What the two Arabic terms have in common is precisely that they had been used to describe natural phenomena: they absolve people of responsibility for their actions and hold responsible natural forces that humanity has no control over, like the eruptions of volcanoes and earthquakes.
The difference between the two is that a nakba is less apologetic and more modest. It recognizes that the defeat was a major event that created a massive qualitative shift, while the quantitative naksa (a term coined by Mohamed Hassanein Heikal) indicates that the defeat was fleeting, a mere step backward taken by a project on the rise. It was a slip-up, and every stallion slips, as the famous ‘Jahiliya’ saying goes.
These two terms are being used to describe the state of affairs in Lebanon, and to some degree in the Arab Levant, not as terms that have natural connotations, but as indications of the magnitude of its afflictions. Is what's currently unfolding a qualitative “nakba,” in the sense that its roots are extremely deep, while overcoming it is tremendously difficult, perhaps impossible; or is it a quantitative “naksa” that we will soon recover from, and thus “Lebanon is going to be rebuilt,” as the famous confident folkloric song goes.
For at least five reasons, it is most probably a “nakba.”
First, the Lebanese sectarian political system has been worn out. It is no longer capable of producing political leadership better than that governing the country today. Something worse is always on the horizon. It is our only reality.
For their part, those pinning their hopes on “replacing the elites” seem to overlook the fact that a colander cannot hold water. The various political and social forces that could make limited breakthroughs are constrained by sectarian divisions that leave them with a low political ceiling. The potential for broad national alternatives is purely theoretical and virtual. Second, Lebanon’s traditional role is withering away, as the ability to reconcile its role as an intermediary- the international and regional need for which is declining- with this regime, and perhaps any other regime, is not easy anymore, to say nothing about the erosion of the tools and skills needed to do so, especially with the exacerbating brain drain. We can see this manifest in various and uneven ways in cities, the banking sector, ports, and airports, as well as hospitals, universities, hotels, and restaurants…
The decline in Arab and international engagement with what is happening in Lebanon speaks to this fact.
Third, unless extraordinary developments unfold, Hezbollah will continue to be the most influential and active player in Lebanese political life for a long time. Here, we are not talking about its weapons per se. Fundamentally, it is about the extremely firm sectarian alignment behind the arsenal, which entrenches existing inter-sectarian schisms and exacerbates them. The establishment of a state, even a state with bare minimum components needed to warrant the name, is hindered by the mere existence of this outrageously powerful party.
Fourth, the Arab Levant, from Iraq to Gaza, is, in some form or another, collapsing. None can save anyone else.
The Lebanese collapse is thus one part of a wider portrait being painted by an Iranian brush. Moreover, the region is losing its weight in the international balance of power. This is true for the economy, research, and development, politics and culture.
Fifth and finally, the West’s preoccupation with the Middle East as a whole has been declining in favor of Asia and the Pacific for two decades. In the United States, this is reflected in both the Democrats’ and the Republicans’ policies; despite their deep divergences, they do not disagree much on this shift in prioritization. Meanwhile, Europe’s efforts to contain the arrival of refugees are not enough to change major international agendas. Furthermore, Israel’s existence is guaranteed, and the need for oil is no longer as pressing as it had been.
These five factors with their mutual impact on one another, are launching a “dark age” whose harshness is difficult to downplay, to say nothing about overcoming it, and taking off after that.
Let’s remind ourselves- while keeping the difference in scale and influence in mind- that the “dark age” was a term originally used to describe the period in European history that began after the northern “barbarians” from modern-day Germany and Scandinavia descended upon Rome and conquered it in the late fifth century. At the time, Rome was destroyed, and hardly any remnants remained of its great civilization. The Middle Ages that followed were considered a “dark age.” This nightmare’s darkness did not begin to subside until six centuries later, with what subsequently came to be known as the “Renaissance.”Our own “dark age” is descending upon us. This is not hyperbole: in the entire Levant, there is no electricity today. Yes, it is likely a nakba!

“I Knew, and I Have No Authority"
Hanna Saleh/Asharq Al Awsat/July 22/2021
As the first anniversary of the August 4 crime draws closer, scenes from the catastrophic explosion that struck Beirut invariably come to mind. And with the approach of this day, glaring questions return to mind: Why was the capital targeted? For what reason? Who is responsible for the largest explosion the world has seen apart from nuclear blasts? Was the whole calamity the result of mere negligence on the part of welders, as Hassan Nasrallah tried to “convince” the Lebanese, begging for pressure on the judiciary to adopt the results of the preliminary military investigation, announce its results and be satisfied with it, even though the results of this investigation were acknowledged by neither investigative judges Tarek Bitar nor his predecessor Fadi Sawan?
Questions pile up, especially regarding this insistence to obstruct any detailed inquiry and integrated judicial investigation that could uncover the factors that caused the mass murder, the destruction of the port and a historical part of downtown Beirut, and left in its wake, a trauma that affected all of Lebanon? Why are various pressures being exerted to “halt” this investigation, in callous disregard of the popular will expressed by the broadest segments of Lebanese that citizens, and not only the families of the victims and those directly affected, will not forget and will not forgive, who all insist on accountability?
Why do they want to cover up the entry of thousands of tons of ammonium nitrates, when they knew that it was a very dangerous substance unfit for agricultural use, storing it instead in hangar no. 12 by promoting a poorly contrived story? Who is responsible for the policy of turning a blind eye to this grave danger for all of these years? Why is it forbidden to reveal the plot related to the smuggling of more than 2,000 tons of this shipment of nitrates, with the cranes that were used to extract this stock and trucks to transport them from the port, crossing public roads to the factory, and the border crossing between Lebanon and Syria? Didn’t this whole process raise any questions? Was it done under the eyes of the military, security, and customs agencies? Some of these agencies contented themselves with issuing reports which seemed to be necessary for archiving, to absolve themselves of future responsibility.
All of the developments that cascaded from August 4th, and the global interest in this serious crime, required Lebanese officials to admit that they knew something, but they sought to evade responsibility. In a televised interview, the president of the republic confirmed that two weeks before the explosion, he received a written report about the danger of the shipment of ammonium nitrates stored there. The president added that he had no direct authority over this matter, and therefore he forwarded the report to the Supreme Defense Council. Although the president is himself the head of this council, he did not follow up on the matter. Being a former army general, he must know the extent of the disaster if the foreseen would occur, as the written reports pointed out. Similarly, the prime minister presented futile excuses that cannot absolve him of responsibility, such as saying that someone had assured him there was no risk, and to date, he has refrained from informing the public who is this nameless person was who had this much sway over the head of government. Mouthpieces clamored to defend some ministers, by asking “how could a minister who had received a paper (…) in 2014 have known that an explosion of this magnitude would occur six years later? What is perhaps most dangerous is that a minister admitted he did not follow up on the matter, citing the existence of a judicial decision to seize the ship and unload its cargo and to place it under a judicial security detail affiliated with another ministry. The report reaches the army commander, who is only concerned with the lack of military need for this shipment! Such were the positions of all senior officials.
The claim by Investigative Judge Tarek Bitar against all individuals who received a written report that highlighted grave risks, but who refrained from assuming any responsibility, raised the concern of the ruling system. This is especially the case because the investigation will have repercussions, even on the organized pillage class and the general state of collapse. Bitar did not ask them to be witnesses, but accused them of the felony of “probable intent” that the crime had occurred, and “possible intent” as relates to Article 189 of the Lebanese Penal Code as it claims: A person is involved if he had anticipated that a crime might arise from this act, but who accepted the risk and turned a blind eye to it, and neglected their responsibility for what led to the resulting crime. In such a case, there is “deliberate” murder. The real question is this: Who is this supreme authority that prompted the entire political class and the military and security leaders to turn a blind eye and accept the risk?
This development, and the accompanying popular pressures demanding the right to know the truth and achieve justice, initiated an open conflict between the law and its implications on the one hand and the “strongest parties” on the other. However, those strongest have underestimated the citizens’ pain and continued their approach of contempt for the public. In this regard, all Lebanese remember what Nabih Berri, the head of the legislative authority, once said: “Only the weak resort to the law and the judiciary.” This line of thinking assumes that the righteous are only those with power and authority. It also assumes that no party undermines the protections of the perpetrators of this crime, at the expense of law, truth, and justice, and in the current Lebanese situation at the expense of the blood that has not yet died as a result of the mass murder that struck the heart of Beirut!
In all of Lebanon’s history, no accountability has taken place against political officials or senior military and security leaders, starting with the murder of Saida representative Maarouf Saad in 1975 and all the major crimes that have hit Lebanon to date. So, why should accountability take place today? Given the fact that all of the accused enjoy political immunity, why should they submit to a judicial request for prosecution, even if the crime is one against humanity that targeted Beirut and all of Lebanon? Therefore, it is not surprising that the minister of interior announced that he would not grant permission to prosecute Major General Abbas Ibrahim, Director of the General Security. President Aoun and Prime Minister Diab also made moves granting permissions to pursue Major General Saliba against the Supreme Defense Council in an attempt to evade responsibility. Meanwhile, in parliament, and especially the parliamentary blocs affiliated with Berri, Hariri, and Hezbollah, they are striving to establish “immunities” bypassing the bucket of persecution of the defendants, along with the Prime Minister, to a non-existent, even farcical, Supreme Council created only to protect the president, ministers, and representatives when they are tried.
Three decades ago, the “infected blood scandal” took France by storm, and then Minister of Health Georgina Dufoix said: “I am responsible, but I am not guilty!” However, because she was at the helm of the ministry, she was unable to evade responsibility, and the judiciary took its course, and she was tried. At the time, accountability even reached French Prime Minister Laurent Fabius. Of course, detractors will say, “this is what happens in France where there is no impunity, but we are in Lebanon!”
This is true, but it is perhaps to say that the post-October-17 era is not the same as what came before, and while the country is a few days ahead of the first anniversary of the port blast, the Order of Engineers and Architects elections inflicted a resounding defeat to the entire ruling regime –foremost among them Hezbollah. This event highlighted the depth and breadth of disengagement of Lebanese society in general, and its elites in particular, from subordination to the political class and from its incitements and manipulations. This provided evidence of the emergence of a crystallized popular front that can defend society and its rights, first through accountability and justice in the crime of the port, and secondly by addressing the series of crimes of impoverishment and methodical pillaging of public wealth that facilitated their subjugation of Lebanon!

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on July 22-23/2021
Politics King Abdullah II warns of the deteriorating situation in Lebanon!
NNA/Thursday, 22 July, 2021
The Jordanian Monarch, Abdullah II, warned during a meeting with members of the media delegation accompanying his visit to Washington of the deterioration of the situation in Lebanon within weeks, if it continues as it is without a breakthrough.  In response to a question about the significance of the visit and its timing, he pointed out that “his visit to the White House as the first Arab and Middle Eastern leader has significant symbolism and connotations, as it confirms that the United States is aware of Jordan’s pivotal role and considers it the best representative of the region’s issues and the voice of reason in it.”
He continued, “Jordan’s arrival in Washington as the first country in the region did not come by chance. It is a message about the depth of the relationship, which extends back several decades, as he indicated his knowledge of President Biden for nearly 30 years, since the era of King Hussein.”
He also described the visit as one of the most successful visits to the United States, pointing out that the summit meeting was filled with positive messages from President Biden, about the United States’ readiness to provide all forms of required assistance to Jordan, and the summit dealt with all the files that Jordan would like to raise. Abdullah II said, “US President Joe Biden has a team that has the most experience in foreign policy.” Speaking about Crown Prince Al Hussein accompanying him at the summit, the Jordanian monarch said, “President Biden was keen to listen to Prince Hussein and showed great interest in him, as the Crown Prince spoke about youth issues and Jordan’s keenness to provide opportunities to empower them, and referred to the Kingdom’s efforts. Continuing to secure and distribute vaccines against Corona, with the aim of ensuring the continued safe opening of sectors and limiting the spread of the virus.
He assured the Jordanian media delegation that “the US administration understands and appreciates Jordan’s role in dealing with crises and is keen to listen to the Jordanian point of view, indicating that the United States trusts the Kingdom and its regional role.” In response to Jordanian media interventions on the Palestinian issue, he said that “there is a common understanding on the necessity of adhering to the two-state solution and re-launching negotiations between the two sides.” He also referred to the positive steps taken by the US administration towards the Palestinian Authority and in terms of supporting the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).  He stressed that “Israel’s relationship with the Palestinians and its measures regarding Al-Quds Al-Sharif, in addition to its commitment to the two-state solution, are the most important factors that govern Jordan’s approach to dealing with the Israeli government.” He stressed that “preserving Jordan’s supreme interests is always the end and goal,” warning that everyone pays the price when there is an aggression on Gaza, adding that Jordan speaks with the voice of Palestine and everyone listens to it. --- Middle East

Macron Calls National Security Meeting to Discuss Israeli Spyware
Agence France Presse/Thursday, 22 July, 2021
French President Emmanuel Macron has called a national security meeting on Thursday morning to discuss the Israeli-made Pegasus spyware after reports about its use in France emerged this week, government spokesman Gabriel Attal said.
"The president is following this subject closely and takes it very seriously," Attal told France Inter radio, adding that the unscheduled national security meeting would be "dedicated to the Pegasus issue and the question of cybersecurity."

Syrian air defense intercepted Israeli attack, Syrian media claims
Reuters/July 22/2021
Western intelligence sources have said Israel's stepped-up strikes on Syria since last year are part of a shadow war approved by the United States. Syria's air defenses intercepted early on Thursday an Israeli attack on the al Qusair area in Homs, Syrian state media reported. A Syrian military source said in a statement there was some material damage from the strike and no casualties. The Israeli military said it had no comment. During the airstrikes, two missiles, believed to be from Syrian air defenses, fell near Lehfed and Majdal in northern Lebanon, according to Lebanese media. Footage from the site where one of the missiles fell showed a large crater made by the impact. In a separate development, the Israeli military said in a statement that its troops were searching for "two suspects" who were spotted crossing the Lebanese border into Israeli territory overnight. It did not say whether the infiltrators were believed to be armed. On Monday, Syria said it had intercepted an attack on Aleppo. Homs province adjoins Lebanon, where the Iranian-backed Lebanese Shi'ite Hezbollah group holds sway along the rugged frontier. Western intelligence sources have said Israel's stepped-up strikes on Syria since last year are part of a shadow war approved by the United States. The strikes are also part of an anti-Iran policy that in the past two years has undermined Iran's extensive military power without starting a major increase in hostilities.
*Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report

Russia Says Syria Shot 7 of 8 Israeli Missiles
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 22 July, 2021
Syria’s air defense forces shot down seven out of eight missiles launched by Israeli warplanes during a raid that targeted the Syrian province of Aleppo, the Russian military said. Rear Adm. Vadim Kulit, the head of the Russian military’s Reconciliation Center in Syria, said that four Israeli F-16 fighter jets targeted facilities southeast of Aleppo in Monday’s strike. Kulit said seven of eight missiles launched by the Israeli fighter jets were downed by Syrian air defense units that used Russia-supplied air defense systems Pantsyr-S and Buk-M2. One missile damaged the building of a scientific research center in Safira, he said. A Syrian military official previously said in remarks carried by the state news agency SANA that Israel carried out an aerial attack in the Aleppo province late Monday. He said that Syrian air defenses shot down most of the missiles in the attack that occurred just before midnight, The Associated Press reported.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor that has activists on the ground in Syria, said the Israeli strikes targeted weapons depots that belong to Iranian-backed militia operating in Aleppo’s Safira region. The group said the strikes were followed by loud explosions. The weapons depots were located inside Syrian military posts, the group said. Israel has launched hundreds of strikes against Iran-linked military targets in Syria over the years but rarely acknowledges or discusses such operations. Israel fears Iranian entrenchment on its northern frontier, and it has repeatedly struck Iran-linked facilities and weapons convoys destined for Hezbollah.

Syrian Regime Shells Kill 7 of Same Family
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 22 July, 2021
Syrian regime artillery shells struck a village in the last opposition enclave in the country on Thursday, killing seven members of the same family, including four children, rescue workers and a war monitor said. The shelling is part of an ongoing military escalation in the area in northwestern Syria, which had been under a cease-fire sponsored by Russia and Turkey since last year. So far it is unclear what caused the escalation, which prior to the attack had already killed at least 17 children this month, according to figures confirmed by the UN children's agency, UNICEF.
The rescue workers in opposition areas, known as the White Helmets, said the shells landed in the village of Ibleen in southern Idlib province. A mother and her four children were among the dead pulled out from under the rubble of a destroyed house. Seven other people were injured, according to the group. The Associated Press quoted Rami Abdurrahman, the head of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, as saying that the children's grandfather and uncle were also among the killed. He said the father was injured in the attack. According to the Observatory’s records, 21 people, including 11 children and six women, have been killed in regime strikes on the rebel enclave since Saturday.

Sisi Tells British PM that Egypt Upholds its Historic Rights of Nile Water
Cairo - Mohammed Nabil Helmi/Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 22 July, 2021
President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi reiterated to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson Egypt’s position of wanting to ensure its water security and upholding its “historic rights of Nile water." During a telephone call on Tuesday, the Egyptian president called on the international community to continue supporting the negotiation process to reach a comprehensive, just, and legally binding agreement on the filling and operating rules of the GERD. The two leaders discussed trade, investment cooperation, health and security, and efforts to combat terrorism, while also exchanging views on the latest developments in the GERD crisis, official spokesperson for the Presidency Bassam Rady said. They agreed on boosting cooperation in the security, military, and intelligence fields, especially in terms of counterterrorism efforts and efforts to face illegal immigration and secure borders. Sisi and Johnson agreed to maximize cooperation in the health sector in a way that achieves the maximum benefit from the British excellence in this field. This coincides with the need for solidarity against the coronavirus pandemic. It includes training specialized medical cadres, cooperation in manufacturing the coronavirus vaccines, and accurate exchange of information to organize traveling between the two countries. They also discussed collaboration on climate change, with the upcoming COP26 conference in Glasgow at the end of the year, and the need to support developing countries in obtaining funding, as well as technological and technical support, to tackle the issue. The two leaders also highlighted developments in Palestine and the importance of maintaining the cease-fire between Israel and Palestinian factions. Meanwhile, Johnson praised the role Egypt plays in mediating between the parties, and its allocation of $500 million for reconstruction projects in the Gaza Strip.

Iraqi Armed Factions Eye Controlling Strategic Town North of Baghdad
Baghdad - Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 22 July, 2021
A suicide attack at a crowded market in Baghdad’s Sadr City on Monday revived armed factions’ ambitions to restore their control over al-Tarmiyah town and its suburbs north of the Iraqi capital. Sayyid of Martyrs Battalions Secretary-General Abu Ala al-Walai said that his forces were prepared to retake al-Tarmiyah and al-Mushahadah regions from the “claws of terrorism” within two days. Leaders of armed factions in Iraq have repeatedly called for duplicating the reconquest of “Jurf Sakhar” in other parts of the Baghdad belt, starting with al-Tarmiyah. Al-Tarmiyah enjoys a strategic location, as it extends on the Tigris River to connect four major cities, namely Baghdad, Salah al-Din, Diyala, and Anbar. More so, the town links two prominent Shiite shrines. The market bombing sparked a wave of media reports about a “terrorist” group having emerged from one of al-Tarmiyah’s agricultural fields to stage the attack.
This type of reporting prompted activists close to the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) to demand the state-sponsored umbrella organization drives ISIS fighters and supporters out of the city. “Acts of violence within the area come from various sources, including ISIS, which exploits the security void in orchards in the vicinity of the town,” field sources reported. Copying the reconquest of Jurf Sakhr in al-Tarmiyah means that locals will be uprooted, and extreme security vetting will be facing individuals entering and leaving the town. Jurf Sakhr is now under the total control of some of the most influential PMF armed factions. Like Jurf Sakhr, al-Tarmiyah will also become a hub for military camps and bases operated by armed factions. “Enforcing security and imposing stability in any region, including al-Tarmiyah, must be subject to the contexts of the state, exclusively,” a Victory Alliance consultant who requested anonymity told Asharq Al-Awsat. Armed factions have displayed an inclination towards going above and beyond fighting ISIS to securing total control over areas liberated from the terrorist group. Local sources warn that the factions will not give up their plan to seize al-Tarmiyah, given its strategic location.

Tajikistan Tests Combat Readiness as Taliban Advances
Agence France Presse/Thursday, 22 July, 2021
Tajikistan on Thursday checked the combat readiness of its armed forces in the biggest such exercise in the country's history as the Taliban makes sweeping gains in neighboring Afghanistan. The 230,000 members of the Central Asian country's security forces were alerted for the test at 2:00 a.m. local time (2300 GMT Wednesday) on the order of President Emomali Rakhmon. Dushanbe also relocated 20,000 troops to strengthen its force on the border with Afghanistan. The Taliban in recent weeks have brought huge swathes of Afghanistan under their control as foreign troops draw down, including the main Shir Khan Bandar border crossing with Tajikistan. The military inspection was the first of its kind in the ex-Soviet country's 30-year history. It involved testing of all weapons used by the Tajik army -- including ground, aviation and artillery forces.  The operation was broadcast on Tajik state television and ended with a military parade headed by President Rakhmon in which he called on Tajiks to be "ready to defend the peace and stability" in the region. "The situation in our neighbouring country -- the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan -- especially in its northern regions that border our country remains extremely complex and uncertain," Rakhmon said. "It is getting more complicated day by day and even hour by hour," he said.  He called on the armed forces and law enforcement agencies to "ensure the highest level of combat readiness to prevent potential threats" and to "ensure the protection of the state border." The Taliban's offensive has seen a stream of Afghans make their way across the border. The test comes after Russia said it will stage military drills with Tajikistan and Uzbekistan near the border with Afghanistan next month.

Canada/Statement by Foreign Affairs Minister on Peru presidential elections results
July 21 - Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada
The Honourable Marc Garneau, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today issued the following statement:
“Canada congratulates Pedro Castillo on his election as the next president of Peru and commends the work of the Peruvian electoral authorities for ensuring a free, fair and transparent vote.
“We look forward to working with President-elect Castillo and his administration to continue to deepen our strong bilateral relationship as we further our efforts to overcome the pandemic and generate sustainable economic development for all.”
“We will continue to work on shared priorities, including promoting democracy, the rule of law, human rights and Indigenous rights, languages and culture, as well as supporting the global response to COVID-19.
“We also share a mutually beneficial trade and commercial partnership, in which important Canadian investments in Peru are contributing to the creation of employment and the development of human capital.”

China Says WHO Plan to Audit Labs in Covid Origins Probe 'Arrogant'
Agence France Presse/Thursday, 22 July, 2021
China on Thursday said a WHO proposal to audit Chinese labs as part of further investigation into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic showed "disrespect" and "arrogance towards science." Last week, the World Health Organization said a second stage of the international probe should include audits of Chinese labs, amid increasing pressure from the United States for an investigation into a biotech lab in Wuhan. The proposal outlined by WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus included "audits of relevant laboratories and research institutions operating in the area of the initial human cases identified in December 2019" -- referring to the Chinese city of Wuhan. But China's vice health minister Zeng Yixin told reporters Thursday that he was "extremely surprised" by the plan, which he said showed "disrespect for common sense and arrogance towards science." Long derided as a right-wing conspiracy theory and vehemently rejected by Beijing, the idea that Covid-19 may have emerged from a lab leak has been gaining momentum. Beijing has repeatedly insisted that a leak would have been "extremely unlikely," citing the conclusion reached by a joint WHO-Chinese mission to Wuhan in January. At the same time, Chinese officials and state media have pushed an alternate theory that the virus could have escaped from the U.S. military research lab at Fort Detrick, Maryland. Nationalist tabloid Global Times said it had collected five million signatures from Chinese web users on a petition to investigate the U.S. lab. Top officials have also amplified theories that the virus may have been imported with frozen food.
'No accidents'
Yuan Zhiming, director of the National Biosafety Laboratory at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, told Thursday's press conference "no pathogen leakage or staff infection accidents have occurred" since the lab opened in 2018.Zeng hit back at what he called "rumors" about the lab, insisting that it had "never carried out gain-of-function research on coronaviruses, nor is there a so-called manmade virus." His comments were in reference to the type of research that has featured heavily in theories about a possible lab leak. China has in recent days faced accusations from the WHO that it had not shared the necessary raw data during the first phase of the investigation, with Tedros urging Beijing to "be transparent, to be open and cooperate" on a second phase. Tedros on Friday also called for more studies of animal markets in and around Wuhan. The U.N l. health agency has been under intensifying pressure for a new, more in-depth investigation of how the disease that has killed more than four million people around the world first emerged. The WHO was only able to send a team of independent, international experts to Wuhan in January, more than a year after Covid-19 first surfaced there, to help Chinese counterparts probe the pandemic's origins. Thursday's comments come ahead of a weekend trip to China by U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman to address deteriorating ties between the two countries. It is the highest-level visit under President Joe Biden and comes amid tensions between the two powers over issues including the pandemic's origins, human rights and cybersecurity.

The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials published on July 22-23/2021
Turkey's Mobgate Reveals the Islamist Deep State."/Erdoğan's Favorite Mobster Turns against Him, Reveals Secrets
Burak Bekdil/BESA Center Perspectives/July 22/2021
Peker, a staunch supporter of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, whom he calls "brother Tayyip," began to reveal his secrets in early May when he launched a personal feud with Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu. Since then, he has uploaded 10 videos to YouTube, which have been collectively viewed more than 100 million times at last count. Peker's videos have a prima facie credibility. He is a convicted crime boss who has been living abroad since 2019. He claims that Turkey offered Morocco a batch of Turkish-made Bayraktar TB-2 unmanned combat aerial vehicles either for half price or for free in exchange for his extradition. He praised the Moroccan ruler, King Muhammad VI, for honoring a principle passed down by his father, which is to never extradite anyone who defects to Morocco.
Peker left Morocco to seek refuge in the UAE, and in mid-June, Turkey formally requested his extradition from that country as well. As there is no extradition treaty between Ankara and Abu Dhabi, the UAE has not responded to the request. In addition, Turkey and the UAE have been at odds in the past over Erdoğan's rigid support for Hamas, the Muslim Brotherhood, Qatar, and Islamist warriors in Libya.
Peker's revelations are quite dark and scary even for a nation that is no stranger to the notion of the "deep state." Peker resembles Salvatore "Toto" Riina, the capo di tutti capi of the Sicilian Cosa Nostra. Riina was arrested in Palermo in 1993 and has since published his memoirs.
Peker alleges that former PM Binali Yıldırım's son, Erkam Yıldırım, was directly involved in drug trafficking via merchant fleet sailing from Venezuela to Turkey's Mediterranean port of Mersin, and revealed dates when Yıldırım traveled to Venezuela. Yıldırım confirmed his travel but said he went there for charity purposes. Peker further alleges that a woman who claimed to have been raped by the son of former Interior Minister Mehmet Ağar was later found dead, and that the current interior minister once warned a criminal of his impending arrest, allowing him to flee. Peker also revealed that he once ordered his gang to raid Turkey's biggest newspaper, Hürriyet, at the government's request; that his gang members once beat up an opposition member of parliament for the same reason; that a member of parliament who had insulted Erdoğan was tortured by his men at a police station; and that his group transferred money to gangs in Germany to assault opposition members there. The mobster also revealed the names of businessmen, police chiefs, judges, bureaucrats, investors, and journalists he claims were involved in these dirty operations. In a video posted on May 23, Peker said he tasked his brother, Atilla Peker, with killing Turkish Cypriot journalist Kutlu Adalı, a liberal, in 1996 upon a request from then-Interior Minister Ağar. Peker says his brother was unable to carry out the murder, though Adalı was indeed shot dead shortly afterward, in July 1996. Adalı's assassination remains unsolved.
In his videos, Peker challenges Erdoğan's government with the words "You will be defeated by a tripod and a camera," though he has avoided challenging the Turkish president directly. A poll by researcher Yöneylem Sosyal Araştırmalar Merkezi revealed on May 26 that 52.6% of Turks think Peker's revelations are true, with only 22.5% thinking the mob leader is slandering politicians for his own interests.
In November 2002, Erdoğan came to power mainly on his pledge to eradicate the "deep state" that had rattled the governments of the 1990s. Almost two decades later, the Turks are seeing that the "deep state" has exponentially flourished under Erdoğan's Islamist government.
*Burak Bekdil is an Ankara-based political analyst and a fellow at the Middle East Forum.

It Is Time for Regime Change in Communist Cuba
Con Coughlin/Gatestone Institute/July 22/2021
For US President Joe Biden, the recent unrest in Cuba should persuade his administration not to repeat the mistakes of the Obama era and attempt some form of rapprochement with Havana.
The US, as it is apparently able to do, should also immediately restore the ability of the Cuban people to use their internet.
One of the reasons Cuba's communist regime is struggling to survive is the impact the hard-hitting sanctions that the previous administration imposed on Cuba is having on the Cuban economy.
Any attempt now by the Biden administration to lift the sanctions would simply be to reward the regime for its brutal repression of the Cuban people.
To keep the sanctions in place would further increase the pressure on the Cuban regime, pressure that could ultimately result in its collapse and the liberation of the Cuban people from their communist oppressors.
For US President Joe Biden, the recent unrest in Cuba should persuade his administration not to repeat the mistakes of the Obama era and attempt some form of rapprochement with Havana. The US, as it is apparently able to do, should also immediately restore the ability of the Cuban people to use their internet. Pictured: Cuban police in riot gear are deployed to quell anti-regime protests in Havana on July 12, 2021.
Nothing better illustrates the utter bankruptcy of communist ideology than Cuba's basket case economy, which has resulted in the country suffering its largest wave of anti-government protests in at least three decades.
To date, at least one protester has been killed and hundreds more detained, as the communist regime founded by Cuban dictator Fidel Castro has responded with characteristic brutality to the outpouring of nationwide dissent.
The root cause of the protests has been the dire state of the Cuban economy, with Cubans protesting at the lack of basic food and medicines. To further add to their misery, the country's inept mishandling of the Coronavirus means that the country's 11 million inhabitants now have more Covid cases per capita than any major Latin American nation.
The autocratic regime of Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel may be totally incapable of meeting even the basic needs of its citizens but, as the ruthless crackdown against the protesters has shown, it still understands how to intimidate its restless population.
No sooner had thousands of Cubans taken to the streets in what appears to have been spontaneous protests throughout the country, than the regime's security forces were in action reasserting its authority.
Special forces and police flooded the streets, and internet connections were cut across the island to prevent dissidents from attempting to coordinate the protests, with the result that, within hours, nearly all the protesters had dispersed.
Since the initial protests on July 11 in the western city of San Antonio de los Banos and later spread to more than 40 towns and cities -- including the capital Havana -- the security forces, aided by rapid reaction brigades and Communist Party militants armed with heavy sticks, have been busy rounding up more than one hundred dissidents.
Nevertheless, while the Cuban authorities may congratulate themselves on suppressing the disturbances, there is mounting evidence that, this time around, the desire of an increasingly vocal Cuban opposition for radical change in the way their country is run may ultimately prove irresistible.
Cuba's communist leaders have long prided themselves on their ability to withstand any challenge to the survival of their Marxist revolution. While communist regimes throughout the world, most notably the Soviet Union, have been consigned to the history books, and other communist regimes in places such as China have quietly embraced the benefits of capitalism, Cuba has remained stuck in the anachronistic mindset that has dominated the country since Fidel Castro's 1959 revolution.
The big difference now, though, is that, without Castro's charismatic leadership, the regime's current generation of leaders is totally incapable of commanding the support of the Cuban people.
This is the first time Havana's communist government has had to face a major challenge to its authority without having a member of the Castro clan in charge. The last time the country faced large-scale domestic protests in 1994, Castro personally confronted the demonstrators on the capital's Malecon seafront boulevard and succeeded in winning them over.
After Castro died in 2016, he was replaced by his brother Raul. When Raul, who is 90, retired from frontline politics, however, his replacement, Diaz-Canel has shown himself to be a dull party bureaucrat who lacks any hint of revolutionary pedigree. So when the president called on party loyalists to defend the regime against the protesters, most Cubans seemed decidedly underwhelmed.
Add to this the dreadful state of the Cuban economy and it is easy to see why Cuban exiles living in Florida are excited about the prospect of regime change soon taking place in Havana. In the past year the Cuban economy has contracted by more than 11 percent, with the result that Cubans are obliged to queue for hours just to buy basic goods such as chicken and bread.
The Caribbean island is regularly subjected to lengthy electricity outages, while the government's handling of the pandemic has resulted in a massive increase in fatalities, rising from just 146 deaths in 2020 to its current level of nearly 2,000.
Now, thanks to the regime's woeful handling of both the economy and Covid, ordinary Cubans are finally making their true feelings known concerning the failure of Cuba's communist rulers.
This has prompted opponents to amend the old Castro slogan "Patria o Muerte", homeland or death, and turn it into "Patria y Vida", homeland and life.
What is without doubt is that, if Cubans truly want to make a better life for themselves, then they first need to dispense with their oppressive and incompetent communist regime.
For US President Joe Biden, the recent unrest in Cuba should persuade his administration not to repeat the mistakes of the Obama era and attempt some form of rapprochement with Havana's dictatorship.
The US, as it is apparently able to do, should also immediately restore the ability of the Cuban people to use their internet.
One of the reasons Cuba's communist regime is struggling to survive is the impact the hard-hitting sanctions that the previous administration imposed on Cuba is having on the Cuban economy. Any attempt now by the Biden administration to lift the sanctions would simply be to reward the regime for its brutal repression of the Cuban people.
To keep the sanctions in place would further increase the pressure on the Cuban regime, pressure that could ultimately result in its collapse and the liberation of the Cuban people from their communist oppressors.
*Con Coughlin is the Telegraph's Defence and Foreign Affairs Editor and a Distinguished Senior Fellow at Gatestone Institute.
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A Monarchy?
Lawrence Kadish/Gatestone Institute/July 22/2021
And yet, one could ask, what constitutes a monarchy? Must it be the traditional construct of a single individual holding court with scepter and crown.... Or could a monarchy take a far more sinister, stealth-like form? Could there be those who abdicate their oaths of office and thereby secretly pursue policies and actions that avoid the sunlight of public scrutiny?
Or could a monarchy be the abdication of authority to those who were never elected to serve in that position? Or maybe they have left office but still exert enormous influence – even control – over foreign and domestic decisions made by the executive branch?
Could we, in effect, be living with a monarch and not even know it?
Depending on your definition of "monarchy," the scenarios are chilling. Like the experience of George III, would those close to power seek to advance their own political agenda at the expense of anyone and everyone? Would social media, tuned to the ideology of their corporate owners, actually dictate the nation's agenda? Would a federal budget be so loaded with pork barrel deficit spending that it destroys the nation's economic future? Would control of America's nuclear arsenal actually be in the hands of a constitutionally authorized commander in chief?
History records that it was a "mad" monarch, King George III, who lost the American colonies so very long ago. British researchers have since studied his scribbled notes, the diaries of his advisors, and his royal decrees to suggest he suffered from possible psychiatric illness such as bipolar disorder.
Fortunately, America has no monarch.
We are taught from our earliest days in school that our government is comprised of three separate and equal branches. The idea of a monarch, above the law, immune from scrutiny and without accountability to anyone is an attack on the very foundation of our democracy. Americans would take to the ramparts once more if we were threatened with such a form of government.
And yet, one could ask, what constitutes a monarchy?
Must it be the traditional construct of a single individual holding court with scepter and crown. Must it be an obvious dictator issuing orders behind a squad of bodyguards? Or could a monarchy take a far more sinister, stealth-like form? Could there be those who abdicate their oaths of office and thereby secretly pursue policies and actions that avoid the sunlight of public scrutiny?
Or could a monarchy be the abdication of authority to those who were never elected to serve in that position? Or maybe they have left office but still exert enormous influence – even control – over foreign and domestic decisions made by the executive branch?
Once again, history reflects on what happens when a monarch cedes authority. When King George III would retreat to a distant palace to recover from one his bouts, researchers say, London power-brokers were thrown into crisis. Those who sought to fill the power vacuum included the King's son, with whom historians say he had a miserable relationship. With a diminished monarch, the knives were out for power, policy, and position.
Of course, in Washington today we will assume we don't have a monarch with diminished abilities.
But what if we did?
Could we, in effect, be living with a monarch and not even know it?
Depending on your definition of "monarchy," the scenarios are chilling. Like the experience of George III, would those close to power seek to advance their own political agenda at the expense of anyone and everyone? Would social media, tuned to the ideology of their corporate owners, actually dictate the nation's agenda? Would a federal budget be so loaded with pork barrel deficit spending that it destroys the nation's economic future? Would control of America's nuclear arsenal actually be in the hands of a constitutionally authorized commander in chief?
It is the stuff of national nightmares.
Historians speak of the "Madness of King George III," as if it were a distant footnote in the history of a nation that once had an empire.
Perhaps. Perhaps.
Lawrence Kadish serves on the Board of Governors of Gatestone Institute.
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Daughter Of Canadian Jihadi Islamist Imam Younus Kathrada, Who Has Been Investigated By Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Complains About MEMRI's Exposure Of Her Father's Sermons, In Which He Called Beheaded French Teacher Samuel Paty A 'Filthy Excuse For A Human Being,' Prayed That Allah Would 'Destroy The Enemies Of Islam, And Annihilate The Heretics And The Atheists,' Said Wishing Christians A Merry Christmas Was Worse Than Murder
July 22, 2021/MEMRI
Canada | Special Dispatch No. 9459
In an article titled "Palestine And The Millennial Muslim Consciousness,"[1] published May 22, 2021 on Muslimmatters.org, Canadian Muslim writer Zainab bint Younus reflected on the May 2021 fighting in Gaza, how millenial Muslims in the West have dealt with the Israel-Palestinian conflict since birth, and how their influence in the conflict has increased. Zainab presents the sermons of her father, South Africa-born Van Couver-based jihadi Islamist imam Younus Kathrada, whose sermons have been published by MEMRI and who has been under investigation by the Canadian police and intelligence services since 2005,[2] as if they were dedicated to Palestine exclusively, which she describes as "a religious issue – not just a secular one," when in reality his sermons encompass the Salafi-jihadi approach to the West in general and to the Jews around the world, as well as to events in Palestine.
According to Muslimmatters, Zainab bint Younus "writes on Muslim women's issues, gender related injustice in the Muslim community, and Muslim women in Islamic history. She holds a diploma in Islamic Studies from Arees University, a diploma in History of Female Scholarship from Cambridge Islamic College, and has spent the last fifteen years involved in grassroots da'wah [Muslim outreach]. She was also an original founder of MuslimMatters.org."[3]
About the impact of MEMRI's exposing of her father's sermons, Zainab wrote: "I grew up hearing my father bellow powerful words from his minbar [pulpit] on Jumu'ahs [Fridays], reminding the Muslims of the situation in Palestine and the horrific evils of the Israeli colonizers, invoking Allah's Curse upon them. He did not mince his words, ever; as a result, I witnessed the consequences: his videos posted on MEMRI TV, media immediately harassing us, hate calls and nasty voicemails left on our answering machine at home, and worse – the censure of other Muslims, embarrassed by his words, throwing him under the bus publicly to the media and the Muslim community alike. After all, speaking out too harshly meant compromising their popularity and their public image and potential funding and their comfortable relationships with the same federal security apparatuses that spied on our community anyway."
Zainab bint Younus (source: Muslimmatters.org)
Though Zainab describes her father's sermons and subsequent media attention as though it resulted from criticism of Israeli policy, his sermons are far less measured. For example, in one sermon, Younus said that French teacher Samuel Paty, beheaded on October 16, 2020, after showing Charlie Hebdo cartoons to his students as part of a lesson about free speech, was a "cursed individual," "evil-spirited man," and a "filthy excuse for a human being."[4] Kathrada went on to pray for Allah to "destroy the enemies of Islam, and annihilate the heretics and the atheists." He said in another sermon that "the enmity of the believers towards the Jews is just and sensible."
In a 2018 sermon, he said that "committing adultery, dealing with interest, lying, murder" are "nothing compared to the sin of [Muslims] congratulating and greeting the non-Muslims on their false festivals" – such as Christmas.[5] In response to MEMRI's coverage of his sermons, he said in May 2020: "For those at MEMRI TV, and for those who are the enemies of Allah and want to spread that we are making supplications for the mujahideen [jihad fighters] – then I say to you: Yes, we are praying for the mujahideen."[6] In a 2005 sermon, he referred to Jews as "the brothers of the monkeys and the swine" and that Muhammad tells Muslims that at the end of time the rocks and trees will say: "Oh Muslim, Oh slave of Allah, that verily behind me is a Jew. Then come and kill him."[7] The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) investigated him for these comments.
Excerpts From Zainab Bint Younus's Article
"I witnessed the consequences: his videos posted on MEMRI TV"
"{Exalted is He who took His Servant by night from al-Masjid al-Haram to al-Masjid al-Aqsa, whose surroundings We have blessed, to show him of Our signs. Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Seeing.} (Qur'an 17:1)
"It has been difficult for me to articulate my feelings about Palestine these days. In the onslaught of graphic images and videos, the appeals directly from Palestinians, and the tireless work of activists, I don't want to appear as though I'm merely jumping upon a trend, or claiming to speak over those who are truly suffering.
"I am, like many likely reading this, a Muslim millennial raised in the West. We have been raised on a mixture of awareness of social justice and the watering down of Islamic identity at the same time, navigating being Muslim and being safe and being accepted and still being Othered, all at once. But all of us, at some point or another, have known about Palestine...
"I grew up hearing my father bellow powerful words from his minbar on Jumu'ahs, reminding the Muslims of the situation in Palestine and the horrific evils of the Israeli colonizers, invoking Allah's Curse upon them. He did not mince his words, ever; as a result, I witnessed the consequences: his videos posted on MEMRI TV, media immediately harassing us, hate calls and nasty voicemails left on our answering machine at home, and worse – the censure of other Muslims, embarrassed by his words, throwing him under the bus publicly to the media and the Muslim community alike. After all, speaking out too harshly meant compromising their popularity and their public image and potential funding and their comfortable relationships with the same federal security apparatuses that spied on our community anyway.
"Instead, I have been reflecting.
"I grew up hearing du'a for Palestine in every Jumu'ah khutbah, in every qunoot in Ramadan. The ameen of the jamaa'ah was powerful, every time; there was always weeping at the mention of Palestine, of the devastation that was wrought day in and day out. And yet, the same people running those masaajid and community organizations would turn around the next day and rush to play nice with Israeli-supporting politicians and 'interfaith' efforts where Palestine was forbidden from being mentioned. There was more eagerness to appease the viciousness of B'nai Brith, which maliciously monitors every mention of Israel for what does and does not suit their agenda than there ever was a sense of walaa' and gheerah for the honour of the Muslims in Palestine.
"Over the years, Israel stole more land, murdered more men, women, and children, jailed innocents, starved more people, bombed more hospitals and homes, and still... Muslims did nothing. A few protests here and there, maybe; fundraisers, until those channels were shut down for 'suspicion of terrorism,' and then no one wanted to send a penny out of fear. Muslim countries normalized political and economic ties with Israel, Muslim community leaders in the West had the gall to embark on Zionist-sponsored MLI trips and to beg for a seat at White House iftars where they were mocked to their faces and told to accept Israel's existence. Muslims policed other Muslims for being 'radical' and 'extremist' and accused one another of being armchair jihadis simply for speaking with frustration about Palestine and Afghanistan and Kashmir and Iraq and Syria; Muslims groveled for politicians' attention and invited them to masaajid on Jumu'ah and 'Eid – the same politicians who constantly reiterated their support of Israel and ignored our existence once they got elected.
"It has been wearying to see this over and over and over again – and to say that is in and of itself a privilege of being safely removed from the daily violence and devastation of Palestinian life. For so many years, it has felt as though nothing has changed for the better, that Muslims have been too complacent in being half-hearted bystanders."
"We Are Seeing Muslims Finally Realizing That Yes, Palestine İs A Religious İssue – Not Just A Secular One"
"But perhaps we are finally seeing a change. With the violent displacement of Palestinians in Sheikh Jarrah, the attacks on Masjid al-Aqsa in the last ten nights of Ramadan, and the ongoing massacres in Gaza, we have also seen social media being utilized to broadcast the violence at a grassroots level, shattering the false narratives of mainstream media and politicians. We are seeing Muslims finally realizing that yes, Palestine is a religious issue – not just a secular one. We are seeing Muslims renewing their commitment to BDS, contacting political representatives, and actively dismantling Zionist propaganda on social media. We are seeing Muslims – fresh from Ramadan – remember the importance of maintaining tahajjud and making du'a for the oppressed. Perhaps we are finally rising up and taking the steps towards the true liberation of al-Quds.
"May Allah strengthen this Ummah in faith and perseverance, and make us the generation that witnesses the freedom of Palestine from its illegal occupiers and colonizers, ameen.
"[They are] those who have been evicted from their homes without right – only because they say, 'Our Lord is Allah.' And were it not that Allah checks the people, some by means of others, there would have been demolished monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques in which the name of Allah is much mentioned. And Allah will surely support those who support Him. Indeed, Allah is Powerful and Exalted in Might.} (Qur'an 22:40)."
MEMRI Clips Of Sermons By Younus Kathrada
Canadian Imam Younus Kathrada: Samuel Paty Was A Cursed, Evil-Spirited, Filthy Excuse For A Human-Being
In an October 23, 2020 sermon, Younus Kathrada spoke about the re-publishing of the Charlie Hebdo cartoons mocking the Prophet Muhammad and the killing of French schoolteacher Samuel Paty, who was murdered by a Muslim youth for showing the cartoons to his class.
Canadian Islamic Scholar Younus Kathrada: I Say To MEMRI TV That Jihad Does Not Mean Terrorism; Rather, It Means Establishing Islam All Over The World
Younus Kathrada delivered a sermon on May 15, 2020, in which he asked Allah to support those who wage Jihad for His sake. Addressing B'nai Brith, MEMRI TV, and "the enemies of Allah," Sheikh Kathrada clarified that jihad in Islam does not mean terrorism, but that it rather means the establishment of justice. He further elaborated that the establishing justice means establishing Islam all over the world. In addition, he asked Allah to "deal with the enemies of Islam."
Canadian Cleric Younus Kathrada: Congratulating Christians For Christmas Is Worse Than Murder

In Washington, Who Decides the Next Intervention?
Robert Ford/Asharq Al Awsat/July 22/2021
Many people are watching the American withdrawal from Afghanistan but there is a bigger debate in Washington about future US military interventions in the Middle East.
In response to public opinion, Democrats and even some Republicans in Congress want to make it more difficult to start a new war in the region. One of the key texts still used for legal justification of American military action there is the 2002 formal authorization to wage war against Iraq. The 2002 law had support from Democrats and Republicans and was legal cover for President George Bush to bring down Saddam Hussein’s regime. President Obama used the law to justify the military campaign in Iraq against ISIS in 2014. President Trump used it to justify the airstrike that killed Iranian general Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi militia leader Abu Mehdi al-Muhandis.
The House of Representatives, including 49 Republicans and 219 Democrats, voted on June 17 to cancel it. The Senate this week will begin the process of voting to cancel it also. The White House under Biden supports canceling the law. According to a White House statement June 14, other American laws provide legal justification for ongoing military operations.
Not everyone in Biden’s Democratic Party is comfortable with other legal justifications, however. After Biden launched airstrikes against Iraqi militias in February and again in June, important Democrats criticized him for not consulting with the Congress first.
The American constitution is clear: only Congress can declare war, including declaring a war against foreign militias. However, the American constitution also clearly states that the President commands all military forces.
Biden didn’t point to the 2002 authorization about Saddam Hussein to justify his airstrikes. He asserted instead that according to the Constitution he commands the military and he took steps to defend American soldiers. In the end, this argument is about the authorities of the Congress compared to the President.
Important senators like Robert Menendez, the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, and Tim Kaine, who was Hillary Clinton’s vice president candidate in 2016, support cancelling the 2002 authorization and they want Congress to vote to approve long-term military operations.
Iran is also in this debate. Each time Trump and Biden launched airstrikes against militias loyal to Iran, some members of Congress, especially Democrats, worry that airstrikes on the militias will start a war against Iran without the prior agreement from Congress.
Some conservative Republican politicians like Ron Johnson and Ted Cruz defend Biden’s right to attack these Iraqi militias without restraints from Congress. They are pressuring for the Congress to replace the 2002 authorization about Saddam Hussein with a new law so that the White House can launch preemptive attacks against Iran and its allies legally without approval from Congress.
It is interesting that many of these Republicans in Congress still claim that Biden won the 2020 election through fraud, and now they want to give a president they implicitly call illegitimate authority to take unilateral military action against Iran. Most Democrats, however, will reject this proposal.
More important is the effort to cancel the 2001 Congressional authorization to George Bush to strike groups involved in the 9/11 attack. The legislation aimed at al-Qaeda and the Taliban. Through twenty years, presidents used this 2001 law to justify legally military operations in 18 countries against groups such as al-Shabab, ISIS, Hayat Tahrir Sham and al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.
US military chief of staff General Mark Milley told a Congress session on June 23 that the 2001 authorization is vital for many American military operations far from Afghanistan. Some members of Congress, especially left-leaning Democrats, want to cancel the 2001 war on terror authorization to compel the President to seek new authorizations from Congress for new military actions against Islamic extremists.
An important budget committee in the House of Representatives last week voted to cancel the 2001 authorization. The representative who led the effort in the committee, Democrat Barbara Lee, was the only representative to vote against the 2001 authorization twenty years ago. Now she has allies who want to cancel it. The committee vote will compel the entire House of Representatives to consider the cancellation, and the Senate will also need to vote. Many American politicians, especially conservative Republicans, reject tying the hands of the American military. A compromise agreement about cancelling the 2001 authorization will be difficult this year. But the debate shows the change in American politics.
Since 9/11 Congress didn’t challenge military interventions when a president launched them. After the failures in Iraq and Afghanistan, the legislative institution is discussing how to limit presidential military authorities in a way we have not seen since the end of the Vietnam war almost 40 years ago. The challenges, especially since it springs from Democrats, will make Biden more cautious.