English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For June 24/2020
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
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Bible Quotations For today
Circumcision of the child, John: Zacharias, was full of the Holy Spirit, and with the voice of a prophet said these words: Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has come to his people and made them free
Luke 01/57-80: Now it was time for Elisabeth to give birth, and she had a son. And it came to the ears of her neighbours and relations that the Lord had been very good to her, and they took part in her joy. And on the eighth day they came to see to the circumcision of the child, and they would have given him the name of Zacharias, his father’s name; But his mother made answer and said, No, his name is John. And they said, Not one of your relations has that name. And they made signs to his father, to say what name was to be given to him. And he sent for writing materials and put down: His name is John; and they were all surprised. And straight away his mouth was open and his tongue was free and he gave praise to God. And fear came on all those who were living round about them: and there was much talk about all these things in all the hill-country of Judaea. And all who had word of them kept them in their minds and said, What will this child be? For the hand of the Lord was with him. And his father, Zacharias, was full of the Holy Spirit, and with the voice of a prophet said these words: Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has come to his people and made them free, Lifting up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, (As he said, by the mouth of his holy prophets, from the earliest times,) Salvation from those who are against us, and from the hands of those who have hate for us; To do acts of mercy to our fathers and to keep in mind his holy word, The oath which he made to Abraham, our father, That we, being made free from the fear of those who are against us, might give him worship, In righteousness and holy living before him all our days. And you, child, will be named the prophet of the Most High: you will go before the face of the Lord, to make ready his ways; To give knowledge of salvation to his people, through the forgiveness of sins, Because of the loving mercies of our God, by which the dawn from heaven has come to us, To give light to those in dark places, and in the shade of death, so that our feet may be guided into the way of peace. And the child became tall, and strong in spirit; and he was living in the waste land till the day when he came before the eyes of Israel.

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on June 23-24/2021
Lebanon’s migrants working at petrol stations feel the pain of fuel shortages
Australian parliament committee urges gov't to ban all of Hezbollah/Benjamin Weinthal/Jerusalem Post/June 23/2021
MoPH: 167 new coronavirus cases, 3 deaths
President Aoun contacts Health Minister
President Aoun: Parliamentary Committee’s approval of proposal for an educational identity law represents important step in path of reforms
Araji: Lebanon on Verge of Serious Health Crisis
Report: Baabda Meeting to Approve Importing Fuel at LBP 3,900 Rate
Report: Hizbullah Contacts Bassil to Calm Rhetoric
Bassil Clings to His Stances but Talks with Safa to Continue
Judge Orders Release of 7 Detained over Beirut Port Blast
Protests as Generator Operators Warn over Diesel Shortage
U.S. Donates Personal Protective Equipment to ISF
Diab Slams Accusations His Government Relinquished Duties
Qatari Delegation Visits UNRWA School in Sidon
LCC: To a Rescue Transitional Phase, and a Pivotal Diaspora Role

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on June 23-24/2021
Iran executed at least 95 people in the first half of 2021: UN report
Iran official says US has agreed to lift oil, shipping sanctions
Iran fails to launch satellite into orbit as Pentagon watches
Iran Foils 'Sabotage' Attack on Atomic Energy Agency Building
Iran claims sabotage of Iran Atomic Energy Organization failed
Iran Says U.S. Websites Seizure 'Not Constructive' for Nuclear Talks
Top US diplomat to meet with Israel’s new FM this weekend: Official
UN chief warns no Syria cross-border aid would be ‘devastating’
Jordan’s King Abdullah to be first Arab leader to visit US next month
Libya’s foreign minister cites progress on mercenaries pull out in Berlin talks
In Berlin, a Glimpse of Hope for Libya Mercenary Withdrawal
First Israeli Druze woman MK to be first Druze Jewish Agency emissary

Titles For The Latest The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on June 23-24/2021
Why is US seizing Iran Press TV, other websites? - analysis/Yonah Jeremy Bob/Jerusalem Post/June 23/2021
Biden Never Learns: He Still Wants to Talk to China/Gordon G. Chang/Gatestone Institute/June 23, 2021
Iranian oil revival will not add short-term bearishness/Faisal Faeq/Arab News/June 23/2021
Raisi can help Iran by shunning hard-line stance/Osama Al-Sharif/Arab News/June 23/2021

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on June 23-24/2021
Lebanon’s migrants working at petrol stations feel the pain of fuel shortages
Timour Azhari, Thomson Reuters Foundation/24 June ,2021
Filling up cars at a petrol station in Lebanon was never Adel Mostafa’s dream job, but it paid the 44-year-old Egyptian enough to feed his family and was relatively trouble-free - at least until a devastating economic crisis took hold. As shortages of basic goods force drivers to wait in line for small amounts of rationed fuel, many of Lebanon’s mainly migrant petrol station attendants have been threatened, attacked and even shot at by angry motorists in recent months. “It’s become very difficult, truly unbearable. There are constant insults, there have been beatings here and at many stations where my friends work,” Mostafa told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. “It would be less of a disaster if it was worth it, but at the same time my pay cheque is pretty much worthless now. If the situation stays like this, we’re all going back to Egypt,” Mostafa said. Lebanon’s roughly 2,700 fuel stations employ more than 10,000 people, almost all of whom are migrant workers from Egypt, Sudan, Syria and Bangladesh, said Georges Brax, a spokesperson for Lebanon’s gas station owners’ association. Before the country’s economic crisis erupted in mid-2019, they earned wages equivalent to about $400 per month - more than three-times the minimum wage in Egypt, the home country of many of the migrant workers. But the Lebanese pound has since lost more than 90 percent of its value against the US dollar, and migrant workers’ buying power has been eroded. About 400,000 migrant workers live in the nation of six million people, according to the International Organization for Migration, making them a pillar of the local economy. Most work as domestic helpers or in other low-skilled jobs such as janitors or rubbish collectors, and they have been hard hit by Lebanon’s economic meltdown, a massive port explosion in Beirut last August and fallout from COVID-19.
‘On the front line’
Employed at a gas station on the outskirts of Beirut, Mohammad, 23, said he had been trying all year to save just over $100 to book a ticket to return to Egypt. Skyrocketing food prices mean he still has not managed it. “We’re getting hit from all sides, from customers and from the employers,” he said, asking not to give his full name to protect his identity. Brax said everyone in the industry was suffering due to the shortages that have forced gas stations to ration sales. The son of a gas station owner in rural northern Akkar was shot dead during a dispute with a driver last month, Brax said, and several videos showing fistfights and gunfire at petrol pumps have circulated on social media in recent weeks. “We’ve asked for help a lot, but police patrols come and go and it’s difficult to protect everyone. The only solution is to solve the problem at its core,” Brax said. An Internal Security Forces spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. About 140 fuel stations have decided to close for the meantime after staff were targeted by angry motorists, the head of the country’s fuel distributors’ association, Fadi Abou Chakra, said this week. Lebanon’s fuel shortages are tied to increased rationing of scarce foreign currency by the central bank, which subsidizes fuel imports at an exchange rate some 10-times below the current market rate. Widespread hoarding and smuggling to neighboring Syria are also at the center of the problem, according to the country’s caretaker Energy Minister Raymond Ghajar. He has called for a crackdown on the illicit cross-border trade. “When that happens, the lines will end and everyone will be relieved,” Brax said. That cannot come soon enough for fuel pump workers like 27-year-old Abed, who left a job washing dishes in a Cairo restaurant to work at a pump in Lebanon in 2017. “(It) feels like being stationed on the front line,” said Abed, who also asked to give only his first name. “The situation is bad for us, it’s very bad for the Lebanese. God help us all,” he said as he took a short break from manning the pumps.

Australian parliament committee urges gov't to ban all of Hezbollah
Benjamin Weinthal/Jerusalem Post/June 23/2021
“This is a mighty step in the right direction for Australia and reflects the seriousness with which the committee takes the deadly activities of Hezbollah,” said AIJAC director Dr. Colin Rubenstein. The Australian Parliamentary Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS) on Tuesday unanimously recommended that the government’s Minister for Home Affairs Karen Andrew designate the Iranian regime-backed Hezbollah's entire organization a terrorist entity. Australia has merely classified a so-called wing of Hezbollah’s movement, the External Security Organization (ESO), as a terrorist organization. “This is a mighty step in the right direction for Australia and reflects the seriousness with which the committee takes the deadly activities of Hezbollah,” said Dr. Colin Rubenstein, the executive director of the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC), about the parliamentary committee recommendation.
“I urge Minister Andrews to seriously consider the committee’s recommendations," Rubinstein said. "This committee, which reached its recommendations unanimously, very rarely proposes a change to the minister’s decision when it comes to terrorism listings. The fact that it has recommended a change to the current listing needs to be respected.” The council said in a statement that “Over the past 18 years, AIJAC has consistently advocated for Hezbollah to be listed under Australia’s Criminal Code as a unitary organization. AIJAC has long argued that listing the Hezbollah ESO is not effective to protect Australia’s national security.”The Sydney Morning Herald reported that Liberal senator James Paterson said the committee was “concerned by the decision to, at this stage, only re-list Hezbollah’s ESO.”He added that “In its last review of the re-listing of Hezbollah in 2018, the committee recommended that the government consider extending the listing to include the military wing of Hezbollah. In this report, the committee goes a step further.
We recommend the government consider listing Hezbollah in its entirety as a terrorist organization.”Paterson termed the division of Hezbollah into military and political wings ”an arbitrary one.”Australia’s Governor-General makes the final decision based on government counsel on whether to classify Hezbollah's full organization as a terrorist entity. Australia has listed Al-Qaeda, Al-Shabaab and Islamic State as terrorist organizations.
Both AIJAC, as well as the Zionist Federation of Australia and Executive Council of Australian Jewry, presented a written submission to the committee, stressing that “expanding the listing would be in Australia’s national interest.”A full proscription of Hezbollah by Australia would mean it would follow its allies the US, UK and Canada, who are part of the Five-Eyes security alliance and have previously banned Hezbollah's entire movement. AIJAC noted that, “three years ago, the last time the listing of the Hezbollah’s ESO was reviewed, the PJCIS recommended the Australian Government extend Australia’s terrorist listing to the entirety of the Military Wing. That recommendation was not accepted by then-Minister for Home Affairs Peter Dutton.”“It is now the right time for the Australian Government to list Hezbollah in its entirety,” Rubenstein said, adding that “During the recent conflict between Israel and Hamas, we saw Australians flying Hezbollah flags on Sydney streets and read vile comments from Australians who support the murderous group on social media.”“Hezbollah is known to be active in Australia, and a dual Australian-Lebanese Hezbollah operative was sentenced in absentia to life in prison in Bulgaria in 2020 for his role in a terrorist attack that killed six people, "AIJAC said. "Hezbollah, supported by its Iranian puppet masters, is also sworn to the destruction of Israel.”Some 22 states, including the Arab League, have classified Hezbollah's entire entity as a terrorist organization. “The distinction Australia makes between the ESO and the rest of Hezbollah is arbitrary, wrong and repeatedly rejected by the Hezbollah leadership," Zionist Federation of Australia president Jeremy Leibler said. "The PJCIS recognizes this. We urge the minister to adopt the committee’s recommendation and proscribe the entire organization.”

MoPH: 167 new coronavirus cases, 3 deaths
NNA/June 23/2021
Lebanon has recorded 167 new coronavirus cases and three more deaths during the past 24 hours, as reported by the Ministry of Public Health on Wednesday.

President Aoun contacts Health Minister
NNA/June 23/2021
President Michel Aoun on Wednesday contacted Caretaker Health Minister, Hamad Hassan, who is currently on an official visit in Turkey, and asked him to increase the number of healthcare crews conducting PCR tests at the Beirut airport's arrivals hall.

President Aoun: Parliamentary Committee’s approval of proposal for an educational identity law represents important step in path of reforms
NNA - President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, considered that the approval of the Parliamentary Committee to propose the “Educational Identity” law is “An important step in the path of reforms”. The President also pointed out that “This approval by the Parliament General Assembly will have decisive effects in stopping corruption in the educational sector and will financially support education in both private and public sectors”. The President’s stances came while receiving MP, Edgar Traboulsi, today at the Presidential Palace. MP Traboulsi conveyed President Aoun’s positions, and briefed the President on the speech he delivered on behalf of Lebanon at the International Union of Parliamentarians for Education Conference. The Conference tackled the initiative of former British Premier, Gordon Brown, to raise 5 billion US Dollars to support the educational sectors in countries which suffered from Corona pandemic, and the response came quickly with Lebanon placed on the list of beneficiary countries. In addition, MP Traboulsi said that he informed President Aoun that the Parliamentary Education Committee had approved the law proposal which he had submitted with MP, Assaad Dergham, on “Educational Identity”.
The President praised this reform step, and considered that if this proposal is approved and implemented in the General Assembly, it will have crucial effects in stopping corruption in the educational sector and financially supporting education in private and public sectors.
The meeting also tackled social conditions, humanitarian and medical work and assistance in the restoration works which are being carried out in Beirut and the region, in addition to current political affairs.
Choueifat Municipality Delegation:
The President met a delegation from the Municipality of Choueifat, which included Mayor, Mr. Ziad Haidar, Vice-Mayor Mr. Chedid Hanna, and municipality lawyer, Mr. Farhan Abou Hassan.
The deliberate delay in obtaining the fees due to the municipality of Choueifat for years in the Duty Free Market of Rafic Hariri Airport, which were withheld from the municipality despite the issued court decision, was discussed in the meeting.
Statement of Mayor Haidar: “Today, we visited His Excellency, the President, to inform him about some outstanding issues, especially in what is related to the Duty Free Market at Rafic Hariri Airport. A ruling was issued concerning this file, by the State Consultative Council, and it hasn’t been implemented until today. There are fees owed to the Municipality of Choueifat on the rental value of the auction which took place in the Duty Free Market, which amounts 111 billion Lebanese Liras. From this amount, there are municipal fees worth 9 billion Liras per year, knowing that there is an accumulation of fees for 4 years.
We have suffered damages resulting from the failure to implement the ruling a year ago as a result of the change in the US Dollar exchange rate. We do not know the real reason for not implementing this decision, nor do we know the reason for the Public Works Ministry to intervene in a file related to an investor. The Public Works Ministry is the guardian of the Airport. Its role is to be in the middle between the investor and the municipality, and not to be a party taking sides. However, at this stage, it was a clear and public party taking sides. This can be confirmed by looking at the books issued by the Public Works Minister and what was issued by the investing company. The Public Works Ministry played a role in delaying the implementation of this ruling, and the investor also enjoys great support, but we will go with this file to the last until the judicial ruling is issued”. -- Presidency Press Office

Araji: Lebanon on Verge of Serious Health Crisis
Naharnet/June 23/2021
Head of the Parliamentary Health Committee MP Assem Araji on Wednesday warned that Lebanon was on the verge of a serious health crisis as the country grapples with an unprecedented economic crisis. “We endure a difficult health situation that will worsen with time; Lebanon suffers the crisis of migrating doctors and nurses, compounded with the severe medicine shortage — including essential medicines for chronic diseases — in addition to medical supplies’ shortage in hospitals,” he warned. Araji finally expressed belief that Lebanon’s health security was in grave danger. “What is required today is to expedite the formation of a government as approved by the international community to work on reforms,” he said, warning that ration cards are still in a closed circle, “as there are no resources for financing it so far, despite the fact that it is being discussed by the parliament.”

Report: Baabda Meeting to Approve Importing Fuel at LBP 3,900 Rate
Naharnet/June 23/2021
President Michel Aoun will on Thursday preside over a meeting at the Baabda Palace that will take a decision to approve importing subsidized fuel at a rate of LBP 3,900 for the dollar, MTV reported on Wednesday. The meeting will be attended by caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab, caretaker Energy Minister Raymond Ghajar and Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh.

Report: Hizbullah Contacts Bassil to Calm Rhetoric
Naharnet/June 23/2021
Hizbullah intensified its contacts with its ally, head of the Free Patriotic Movement MP Jebran Bassil, in a bid to ease a worsening tension after Bassil’s latest remarks that further complicated the cabinet formation efforts, the Saudi Asharq el-Awsat newspaper reported on Wednesday. The daily said Hizbullah wants to “calm the atmosphere,” and to find a solution for the government impasse through Speaker Nabih Berri’s initiative. According to unnamed FPM sources, contacts between Bassil and Hizbullah, through its top official Wafiq Safa, have been ongoing since Bassil’s Sunday speech.
They said the contacts seek "to clarify the positions of the two parties, in addition to searching for a new way out of the government's crisis within the framework of Berri’s initiative."They also seek to calm the atmosphere "after the strong positions" Bassil made last week. Akhbar el-Yawn news agency said the two men are likely to meet “soon” to discuss the message conveyed by Bassil to Hizbullah through his speech. Pro-Hizbullah al-Akhbar newspaper on Wednesday said the two men held talks in the evening on Tuesday. Bassil on Sunday said Berri has not been an “impartial” mediator in the cabinet formation process, urging Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah to step in as a “friend” and “referee.”“Hizbullah has been able to calm the atmosphere between Berri and Bassil,” said the Agency. Berri’s proposal, was largely rejected by founder of the FPM President Michel Aoun last week, is the only one on the table at present, it said. Sources close to the Speaker assure that his initiative “still stands” as long as there are no alternatives, pointing that it gains the consent of the “majority of Lebanese parties” and the international community. Berri’s initiative suggests a 24-minister line-up based on the 8+8+8 formula which Bassil and his father-in-law, Aoun, strongly reject.

Bassil Clings to His Stances but Talks with Safa to Continue
Naharnet/June 23/2021
Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil did not meet Hizbullah official Wafiq Safa overnight Tuesday but rather Sunday evening, contrary to some media reports in this regard, al-Jadeed TV reported on Wednesday. “Bassil is still holding onto his stance regarding the 8-8-8 formula and concerning the naming of the two Christian ministers,” al-Jadeed added. “Meetings between Bassil and Safa are supposed continue to find an exit, prior to any speech by (Hizbullah chief) Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah,” the TV network said.Sources close to Baabda meanwhile told al-Jadeed that reports that President Michel Aoun intends to withdraw the designation of PM-designate Saad Hariri are baseless, stressing that “Baabda realizes that this step is unconstitutional.”

Judge Orders Release of 7 Detained over Beirut Port Blast
Associated Press/June 23/2021
A Lebanese prosecutor Wednesday ordered the release of seven people who were detained after last year's deadly massive blast at Beirut's port, state media reported. The decision by Ghassan Khoury came a day after the Lebanese judge leading the investigation into the explosion, Tarek al-Bitar, requested the release of 13 people who were detained after the August catastrophe, one of the largest non-nuclear blasts in history. The National News Agency said Khoury only approved the release of seven persons, most of them junior port employees. It added that the request to release senior employees was rejected. NNA did not say when they will be released. Nearly 3,000 tons of ammonium nitrate, a highly explosive material used in fertilizers that had been improperly stored in the port for years, exploded on Aug. 4, killing 211 people, wounding more than 6,000 and damaging entire neighborhoods nearby.
A judicial official said six men and one woman will be released but he did not say when. He spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations. The official said the head of the customs department, his predecessor and the port's director general at the time will remain in custody.
In April, six people including security officers who had been detained for months, were released. They included an officer who had written a detailed warning to top officials prior to the explosion about the dangers of the material stored at the port.
After the blast, 25 people were detained but with those released in April and the seven who will be set free, 12 will remain in detention. Lebanon's code of criminal procedure gives the judicial investigator the authority to hold suspects in pre-trial detention indefinitely. But this violates their due process rights, said Aya Majzoub, Lebanon researcher at Human Rights Watch. She added that under international law, anyone held in pre-trial detention has a right to a speedy trial or release. "Those detained in connection with the Beirut blast have spent almost a year in prison, without knowing the evidence or the charges against them, and with no prospects of a trial in the near future," said Majzoub. "Their release addresses some of the due process concerns that HRW had with regards to the investigation." Judge Tarek al-Bitar was named to lead the investigation in February after his predecessor was removed following legal challenges by two former Cabinet ministers he had accused of negligence. The Beirut port explosion has been one of the most traumatic national experiences the Lebanese have faced. Families of those killed are skeptical that any investigation into the explosion can be transparent and independent in a country where a culture of impunity has prevailed for decades.

Protests as Generator Operators Warn over Diesel Shortage
Naharnet/June 23/2021
The head of the Association of Generator Owners in Lebanon, Abdo Saade, warned Wednesday that “the country’s situation has become dangerous with the disappearance of the diesel substance from the market, which has started to cause generator shutdowns.”“The owners of private generators in all Lebanese regions are stressing their inability to continue operating the generators due to the diesel shortage,” Saade said, criticizing the Energy Ministry for “withholding the substance from the sons of the nation, in the corridors of political interests and goals, without caring for the plight and pain of citizens.”“It is as if we’re living on a planet and the government and the Ministry are living on another,” Saade lamented. He cautioned that “this alarming situation has started affecting all fields” and that “it might sometimes have deadly consequences, when patients’ ventilators stop due to the absence of the state power supply and also the electricity provided by private generators.”Saade also gave an example about the difficult situation, noting that the shutdown of the Foreign Ministry’s generators on Wednesday due to the diesel shortage had led to the obstruction of citizens’ paperwork. Angry protesters in Sidon meanwhile blocked several key roads to express their frustration over power cuts and the shutdown of private generators in the city. They also protested the economic and financial crises and the dire situations in the country. The protests started after a private generator operator halted power supply to subscribers at 3:00 am after he ran out of diesel. Power outages have sharply increased in recent weeks in connection with the country’s financial and economic crisis. Private generator operators, who typically have made up for a patchy national power grid, had also started to ration their services in recent weeks, leaving neighborhoods in total darkness for hours. Officials have blamed the current fuel shortages on stockpiling by traders and a surge of fuel smuggling into Syria. Several people have been arrested on suspicion of smuggling in recent weeks, according to the Internal Security Forces. The central bank has set up a mechanism to subsidize fuels by up to 85 percent, but fuel importers have accused it of failing to implement the program. The head of public internet provider Ogero has warned that electricity cuts could also threaten Lebanon's access to the web.

U.S. Donates Personal Protective Equipment to ISF
Naharnet/June 23/2021
In May and June 2021, the U.S. Government, through the Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), delivered the first of several shipments of personal protective equipment to Lebanon’s Internal Security Forces (ISF) in response to a request from the Ministry of Interior. “This donation aims to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 among inmates and detainees of prisons and other holding facilities, as well as ISF correctional staff,” the U.S. Embassy said in a statement. This first shipment included individual masks and gloves, in addition to protective suits, hand sanitizers, electrical sanitizing sprayers, and disinfecting equipment. Since the outbreak of Covid-19 in Lebanon, the U.S. Government, through INL, has provided the ISF with protective gear and equipment valued at more than $400,000, part of nearly $55 million in Covid-19 preparation and response assistance the U.S. Government provided to the Lebanese people in Fiscal Year 2020.

Diab Slams Accusations His Government Relinquished Duties
Naharnet/June 23/2021
The press office of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers of caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diad lamented on Wednesday reports claiming his government has relinquished its tasks since its resignation. The Presidency of the Council of Ministers issued the following statement: It is definitely appalling to see standards reversed, concepts altered, and facts obliterated. If we work quietly, and are keen not to enter into futile debates with anyone, especially in light of the severe crisis that the country is going through, this does not mean that we tolerate swindling that attempts to throw responsibilities and let this government bear the brunt of the political, malicious, personal and militia practices that caused or contributed to this collapse whose price is being paid by the Lebanese today. This government has fully performed its duties before its resignation, and has set up scientific plans that were foiled by vested accounts and interests, despite being praised by international financial authorities in terms of importance, objectivity and correctness, and it could have put Lebanon on the rescue track. Besides, this government continues to work diligently as a caretaker government, and it is irrational to see the caretaker role assumed for approximately 11 months now. We had hoped that theorisers would assume their national responsibilities, but old habits die hard in political practice, which is still controlled by the tropes of the past. Before and after the resignation, the government has been picking up the rubble left by the financial policies that you participated in for many years, and your attempts to repudiate such financial policies now do not excuse your past involvement in these policies. Accountability must include those who took part in this financial collapse, and the Lebanese will not give you a clean slate with regard to tearing the country and its people down in the past, then destroying the economy and livelihoods today.

Qatari Delegation Visits UNRWA School in Sidon
Naharnet /June 23/2021
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) on June 15 hosted a high-level Qatari delegation headed by Qatari Ambassador Lebanon Mohammed Hassan al-Jaber and Director General of Qatar Fund for Development Khalifa bin Jassim al-Kuwari, at the UNRWA Nablus School in Sidon, Lebanon. A statement issued by UNRWA on Wednesday said they were received by the Director of UNRWA Affairs in Lebanon Claudio Cordone, along with a number of Lebanese officials and representatives of the Palestine refugee community in Lebanon. The Qatari delegation’s visit to one of three UNRWA schools it supports in Lebanon was organized as a show of Agency gratitude for contributions made by Qatar through the Qatar Fund for Development, especially its education program, the statement said. On the occasion, Ambassador al-Jaber said: "We praise the role played by UNRWA in alleviating the suffering of the refugee and we appreciate the close cooperation between Qatar and UNRWA in order to guarantee the right of Palestinian refugees and their access to education opportunities and a decent life." For his part, al-Kuwari said: "Here at Qatar Fund for Development, we believe that education is the key to peace, stability and security. Investing in education is the key that will provide children and youth with the tools they need to be positive members of their society. For this reason, Qatar Fund for Development is proud to contribute to the development of Education to empower students with the skills and knowledge that will support them in their future to become active members of society.”Cordone meanwhile expressed his gratitude for Qatar’s support for Palestine refugees and UNRWA and said: “I would like to thank Qatar for its generous contribution to support Palestine refugees. This assistance is essential to ensuring that Palestine refugees continue to benefit from education services in light of Lebanon’s growing social, economic and health challenges.”At the end of the reception, prizes were distributed to a number of students who won an online art competition organized by UNRWA and sponsored by the Qatar Fund for Development for sixth-grade students, who produced artworks and selfie videos in which they shared their opinions and advice on successful learning during the Corona pandemic. “The partnership between UNRWA and the State of Qatar has been established with a primary focus on quality education. Over the past 10 years, Qatar Fund for Development contributed more than US$ 100 million in support of the Agency. This funding has enabled UNRWA to continue to provide quality and inclusive education to Palestine refugee students and has contributed to basic health care and relief and social services in the area,” the statement said.

LCC: To a Rescue Transitional Phase, and a Pivotal Diaspora Role
21 Jun 2021 10:33
LCC: To a Rescue Transitional Phase, and a Pivotal Diaspora Role
The Lebanese Civic Coalition board (LCC) formed by CNF, Pyramid and Our New Lebanon, held its periodic meeting, and discussed the progress work of the follow-up committees and organizational issues, as well as the developments at the political, financial, economic, social, health, and diplomatic crisis. The members emphasize the following:
1-The corrupt and murderous ruling regime that is committing a cold-blooded genocide against the Lebanese people, must realize that its fall is inevitable, and it will be resounding. The revolution's transition to an institutionalized opposition and civic resistance with a clear sovereign vision, and an integrated national rescue program indicates that an alternative exists, and that the consolidation of its popular and constitutional legitimacy, is an irreversible path.
2-The cumulative failures in all vital financial, economic, social and health sectors, stand as a proof to the systematic destruction of the institutions in charge of with these sectors. The widening nepotism-based strategies require from the Lebanese people to show human solidarity and increase steadfastness to liberate themselves from the bondage inflicted upon them by the corrupt and murderous ruling regime.
3-The invitation of His Holiness Pope Francis to a day of contemplation and prayer for Lebanon in the Vatican on the 1st of July, indicates that the Holy See is sensitive to the threat surrounding the identity and entity of Lebanon, and requires from the Lebanese people to continue their struggle relentlessly, to achieve the desired historical change, where no place for the minorities alliances but a solid policies towards establishing a Civil State in which the inclusive Citizenship will prevail.
4-The support of the military and security forces, as pledged by the International Support Group for Lebanon (ISGL) and expressed during a public conference held last Thursday, together with the mobilization of humanitarian aid to support the steadfastness of the Lebanese people, prove that the friends of Lebanon in the free world refuse to destroy the entity of Lebanon, or to change its civilized identity; they accompany the October 17 revolution in its struggle to restore sovereignty and liberate the national decision, build a civil state, implement structural reforms towards a good governance, and bring Lebanon back to Arab and international legitimacy, and he is a founding member of the League of Arab States and the United Nations.
5-The mock-protest of the ruling regime, and its puppet trade union and economic platforms demonstration express a resounding bankruptcy, and require a revolution to reconfigure the legitimacy of these platforms.
6-The Lebanese diaspora international weight, is fundamental to liberate Lebanon from the criminal, corrupt and murderous ruling regime, and therefore it must be met with a systematic internal work and with the widest alliance to the opposition, to earn credibility and effectiveness among the decision makers in the world. The Lebanese Civic Coalition(LCC), as it aspires to achieve structural change in all national joints, calls on the Lebanese people to show steadfastness despite all the difficulties; there is light at the end of the tunnel, and it features an inevitable rescue transitional period.

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on June 23-24/2021
Iran executed at least 95 people in the first half of 2021: UN report
Al Arabiya English/23 June ,2021
Iran executed at least 95 people, including six women, so far this year, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said Tuesday. Last year, Iran executed at least 267 people, including nine women, she added.
Speaking at a session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva where she was presenting a report on human rights in Iran, she stated: “Over 80 child offenders are on death row, with at least four at risk of imminent execution.”“The secretary-general continues to be deeply concerned by widespread use of the death penalty and its arbitrary imposition for a range of acts that under international law do not constitute ‘most serious crimes’,” she said. Death sentences were frequently imposed, “based on forced confessions extracted through torture or after serious violations of the right to a fair trial,” she added.The report found that prisoners were also subjected to mistreatment and intimidation, as well as the extended use of solitary confinement as punishment and to prevent information from spreading to the outside world.“Protesters, human rights defenders, lawyers, journalists and civil society actors continue to be subjected to intimidation, arbitrary detention and criminal prosecution, including the death penalty,” she said. (With AFP)

Iran official says US has agreed to lift oil, shipping sanctions
Reuters/June 23/2021
The new US administration of President Joe Biden aims to restore the deal, but the sides disagree on which steps need to be taken and when. Iran said on Wednesday that Washington had agreed to remove all sanctions on Iran's oil and shipping, and take some senior figures off a blacklist, at talks to revive Tehran's 2015 nuclear deal with global powers which are now on a pause. The remarks, by outgoing president Hassan Rouhani's chief of staff, were consistent with previous assertions by officials in Rouhani's pragmatist camp that Washington is prepared to make major concessions at the talks, under way since April in Vienna. The talks adjourned on Sunday for a break, two days after Iran held a presidential election won by hardliner Ebrahim Raisi, the head of Iran's judiciary who is on the US blacklist. Raisi is due to replace Rouhani in August. "An agreement has been reached to remove all insurance, oil and shipping sanctions that were imposed by (former US President Donald) Trump," presidential chief of staff Mahmoud Vaezi was quoted as saying by Iran's state media. "About 1,040 Trump-era sanctions will be lifted under the agreement. It was also agreed to lift some sanctions on individuals and members of the supreme leader's inner circle." US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on Sunday there was still “a fair distance to travel”, including on sanctions and on the nuclear commitments that Iran has to make. Other Western and Iranian officials have also said the talks are a long way from a conclusion. Iran agreed in 2015 to curbs on its nuclear program in return for the lifting of international sanctions. Trump abandoned the agreement three years later and reimposed sanctions, and Tehran responded by violating some nuclear limits. The new US administration of President Joe Biden aims to restore the deal, but the sides disagree on which steps need to be taken and when. Iranian and Western officials alike say Raisi’s rise is unlikely to alter Iran’s negotiating position, as Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei already has final say on all major policy.However, some Iranian officials have suggested Tehran may prefer an agreement before Raisi takes office to give the new president a clean slate.

Iran fails to launch satellite into orbit as Pentagon watches
Jerusalem Post/June 23/2021
The details surrounding the failed launches, and causes of its failure were unclear, however, the report stated.
Iran failed to launch another satellite in space in mid-June, according to CNN citing US defense officials. The Pentagon and defense officials were observing the launch and stated that while the June launch failed, the Islamic Republic is preparing for another attempt within the coming months, according to satellite imagery. The assumption is working off the presence of fuel containers, platforms and vehicles that could be seen around the Imam Khomeini Spaceport in Iran, as well as increased activity in and around the site. "US Space Command is aware of the Iranian rocket launch failure which occurred early June 12th," Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Uriah Orland told CNN.The details surrounding the failed launches, and causes of its failure were unclear, however, the report stated. Citing a professor at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, Jeffrey Lewis, CNN notes that the rocket used to launch the satellite is the same it uses for intercontinental ballistic missiles, purportedly the Simorgh rocket. "The failed launch attempt is the fourth consecutive failure of the Simorgh launcher," Lewis told CNN. "Iran seems to be struggling with this specific system. Other Iranian rockets of different designs have been more successful."
"The Simorgh is huge and uses engines that are basically super-sized Scud engines, which are pretty inefficient," Lewis told CNN, explaining the design flaws in Iran's mission. "If Iran wanted to build an ICBM, it would follow North Korea's path and build an ICBM with a better engine or motor and small enough to be transported by a truck."
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said they successfully launched the country’s first “military satellite” into an orbit around earth in April of last year - the NOUR-1 satellite. This came after Iran announced new anti-ship missiles with a range of 700km and drones that have a range of 1,500km and may be armed with anti-tank missiles. Iran has been on steroids in its attempt to show off its military capabilities at sea, in the air and in space. At the time, Israel strongly condemned Iran’s attempt to launch the military satellite, noting that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is a Foreign Terror Organization, designated by the US. “Today’s attempt at launching a satellite is just a facade for Iran’s continued development of advanced missile technology. Both Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles (ICBM's) and missiles that can carry a nuclear warhead,” a statement by the Foreign Ministry said. The head of the IRGC lauded the mission as a complete success. "We have made a leap in the field of expanding territory and strategic intelligence.... Today, we can see the world from space, and this means expanding the strategic intelligence of the powerful defense force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps," said IRGC head Hossein Salami in April of last year. "The deployment of this multi-purpose satellite in space, both in the field of information technology and intelligence battles, can produce strategic added value for us, and in intelligence warfare, it creates powerful grounds for us."
While Iran boasted about having imaging capabilities in space, experts like the commander of US Space Command, Gen. Jay Raymond, have purported that it is closer to a "tumbling webcam in space; unlikely providing intel."
"Iran's last space launch took place in April 2020, and placed a simple microsatellite (NOUR-1) in orbit which US Space Command continues to track. However our persistent observations of this object demonstrate it is uncontrolled and not operational," said Orland in his statement to CNN.
That Iran specified that this is a “military satellite” clearly would have ramifications for the Middle East, if the satellite actually works as Iran says it does and can send images or provide other information for Iran’s IRGC and it would certainly threaten Israel's security and qualitative edge in the region.
The IRGC has sought to create long-distance military capabilities to challenge the US and Israel in recent years. It has proved successful in some attacks, such as the one on Saudi Arabia using 25 drones and cruise missiles in September 2019.
*Seth J. Frantzman contributed to this report.

Iran Foils 'Sabotage' Attack on Atomic Energy Agency Building
Agence France Presse/June 23/2021
Iran foiled a sabotage attack Wednesday on a building belonging to the country's atomic energy agency, state television said, adding there were no casualties or damage. "On Wednesday morning, a sabotage operation against one of the (Atomic Energy Organization of Iran) buildings was foiled," the broadcaster said, adding that the attack "did not cause any damage in financial or human terms." It gave no further details on the building or the nature of the sabotage that had been averted. The incident comes as Tehran and world powers attempt to revive a hobbled 2015 agreement on Iran's nuclear programme in Vienna talks, which an EU negotiator said Sunday were moving "closer to a deal".That agreement is staunchly opposed by arch-foe Israel, which Iran accused of being behind a "small explosion" that hit its Natanz uranium enrichment plant in April. Israel neither confirmed nor denied involvement, but public radio said it was a sabotage operation by the Mossad spy agency, citing unnamed intelligence sources. At the time, Iran's foreign ministry indirectly accused Israel of attempting to scuttle the Vienna nuclear talks. Wednesday's sabotage attack also comes two days after Iran said it temporarily shut down its only nuclear power plant at Bushehr on the country's Gulf coast. Officials gave conflicting accounts on an apparent regular maintenance operation at the Bushehr plant on Monday. The Bushehr plant and its 1,000-megawatt reactor, on Iran's southern coast, were built by Russia and officially handed over in September 2013, despite concerns over its location in an earthquake-prone area. The 2015 nuclear deal promised Iran sanctions relief in return for limits on its nuclear programme. The deal was torpedoed in 2018 when then US president Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from it and reimposed punishing sanctions on Iran. Trump's successor Joe Biden favours rejoining the accord and the remaining parties are engaged in negotiations in Vienna to try to salvage it.

Iran claims sabotage of Iran Atomic Energy Organization failed
Jerusalem Post/June 23/2021
Despite Iranian claims, both in July 2020 and April 2021, the Islamic Republic initially lied to the global media in trying to downplay sabotage operations.
A sabotage operation against one of the buildings of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization (IAEO) failed and caused no damage or casualties, Iranian media reported on Wednesday. The incident is under investigation by Iranian authorities. Despite Iranian claims, both in July 2020 and April 2021, the Islamic Republic initially lied to the global media in trying to downplay sabotage operations of key nuclear facilities at Natanz.In both cases, Iranian officials initially claimed that the damage was minor and a routine accident. These officials only admitted that Iran’s centrifuge program for enriching uranium was massively set back several days after the two Natanz incidents when The Jerusalem Post and others reported the real full extent of the damage. Both operations were attributed by foreign sources to the Mossad, which the Post was able to verify. The update regarding the IAEO facility comes at a sensitive time for Tehran. On one hand, the US, Iran and the world powers recently finished a sixth round of negotiations in Vienna to resolve the nuclear standoff, with no new meetings yet scheduled. Leaks from all parties to the negotiations suggest that the sides could reach a deal between now and mid-August when a new Iranian administration takes power.However, there are clearly still differences between them, and this latest incident could either undermine Iran’s negotiating position or undermine trust between the parties – regardless of who might be responsible. In addition, Ebrahim Raisi was just declared the winner of Iran’s presidential race on Saturday and he has been giving speeches and trying to project a powerful image on the world stage. This latest incident could undermine his efforts to roll out his aura of strength – or could empower him to clean out political rivals from the outgoing administration. The incident also comes just days after Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant underwent an emergency shutdown. The IAEO reported that a technical defect led to the power plant being temporarily shut down and disconnected from the national electricity grid, according to the Iranian Fars News Agency.
The organization stated that the plant would be reconnected to the electricity grid in a matter of days. As of Tuesday, repairs at the Bushehr power plant were still ongoing.

Iran Says U.S. Websites Seizure 'Not Constructive' for Nuclear Talks
Agence France Presse
Tehran warned Wednesday that the US seizure of websites run by Iran-linked media was "not constructive" for ongoing talks on bringing Washington back into a landmark nuclear deal. "We are using all international and legal means to... condemn... this mistaken policy of the United States," the director of the president's office, Mahmoud Vaezi, told reporters."It appears not constructive when talks for a deal on the nuclear issue are under way."

Top US diplomat to meet with Israel’s new FM this weekend: Official
AFP/23 June ,2021
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will on Sunday hold his first meeting with Israel’s new Foreign Minister Yair Lapid since he took office, a US official said. Lapid, a centrist who engineered a coalition that brought down veteran leader Benjamin Netanyahu, will fly to Rome to meet Blinken on an ongoing trip to Europe, the official said Wednesday on condition of anonymity. The two are likely to discuss US hopes to solidify a fragile ceasefire reached last month between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, which attacked the Jewish state with rockets in response to what it saw as provocations in the holy city of Jerusalem. President Joe Biden’s administration has quickly moved to shore up ties with the new Israeli government, led by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, a nationalist. Biden’s Democratic Party had rocky relations with Netanyahu, who campaigned against former president Barack Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran and has drawn fury from the US left over his embrace of far-right elements. Blinken is also likely to speak to Lapid about ongoing negotiations in Vienna to return to the nuclear deal.

UN chief warns no Syria cross-border aid would be ‘devastating’
Reuters/23 June ,2021
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed to the Security Council on Wednesday to renew a cross-border aid operation into Syria for another year, warning that a failure to do so would be devastating for millions of people. Guterres addressed the 15-member body ahead of a likely showdown next month between Western members and Russia and China over the renewal of the mandate for the long-running aid operation, which expires on July 10. “A failure to extend the council’s authorization would have devastating consequences,” Guterres said. The Security Council first authorized a cross-border aid operation into Syria in 2014 at four points. Last year, it reduced that access to one crossing point from Turkey that leads into a rebel-held area in northwestern Syria due to opposition from Russia and China over renewing all four. Council veto-power Russia, which is allied with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, has questioned the importance of the cross-border aid operation, arguing that aid can be delivered to northern Syria from the capital Damascus. China’s UN Ambassador Zhang Jun also raised the issue of unilateral sanctions on Syria, telling reporters ahead of the meeting: “Some people say, okay, we are concerned about the humanitarian situation, but meanwhile, they are continuing to impose unilateral sanctions. So that’s really hypocritical.” The United Nations and aid groups have warned there is no substitute for the delivery of cross-border aid into Syria. “A failure to extend the authorization will have stark consequences. It would disrupt life-saving aid to 3.4 million people in need across the northwest, millions of whom are among the most vulnerable in Syria,” acting UN aid chief Ramesh Rajasingham told the council on Wednesday. Ireland and Norway plan to circulate a draft resolution in the coming days that “will renew and expand the humanitarian aid delivery mechanism in response to the pressing humanitarian needs,” Ireland’s UN Ambassador Geraldine Byrne Nason said. A resolution to extend council approval needs nine votes in favor and no veto from any of the five permanent members Russia, China, the United States, France and Britain. In the past decade, the council has been divided over how to handle Syria, with Syrian ally Russia and China pitted against Western members. Russia has vetoed 16 resolutions related to Syria and was backed by China for many of those votes.

Jordan’s King Abdullah to be first Arab leader to visit US next month
Joseph Haboush, Al Arabiya English/June 23/2021
Jordan’s King Abdullah II is expected to visit the White House next month and be the first Arab leader to visit the United States since President Joe Biden took office, sources familiar with the trip said Wednesday. Jordan was rattled in April after reports surfaced of attempts to mobilize local officials and tribes intended “to harm the security” of the country. As a result, several people were arrested, including former royal envoy Sharif Hassan bin Zaid and Bassem Ibrahim Awadallah, a long-time confidant of the king. Washington stood firm in its support for the Jordanian king during the turmoil, with the White House and State Department releasing multiple statements backing the king. Now, Abdullah will be the first Arab leader to visit the White House under the Biden administration. His trip is scheduled for July 19-20, according to a political source based in Washington. Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi visited Washington in May amid the Israeli bombardment of Gaza. Jordan’s top diplomat was resolute in stating that Jerusalem was a “red line.” Amman has the custodial role in Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa compound. On May 26, Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with King Abdullah during a visit to Jordan. According to the State Department, the US is the biggest provider of assistance to Jordan, and the Pentagon continues to provide Amman with military support. Over $1.5 billion in funds were provided to Jordan in 2020. This included military and humanitarian assistance.

Libya’s foreign minister cites progress on mercenaries pull out in Berlin talks
AFP/23 June ,2021
Libya’s foreign minister voiced hopes that foreign mercenaries will pull out of the North African country in the next days, after “progress” was made at a new round of peace talks in Berlin on Wednesday. “We have a progress in terms of mercenaries, so you know hopefully within coming days, mercenaries from both sides (are) going to be withdrawing and I think this is going to be encouraging,” said Najla al-Mangoush following talks gathering world powers. According to the UN, more than 20,000 foreign mercenaries and military personnel are still in Libya. They include Turkish, Russian, Sudanese and Chadian mercenaries. Unlike the Russian mercenaries who supported the authorities in the east of the country, Turkey says its troops sent to Tripoli were sent under a bilateral agreement with the government, implying that they are not affected by a request for foreign troops to leave. The fear that armed groups will leave Libya to deploy in the region was again raised by several Security Council members, who recalled the recent destabilization in Chad that led to the death of its president Idriss Deby.

In Berlin, a Glimpse of Hope for Libya Mercenary Withdrawal
Agence France Presse/June 23/2021
Hopes grew Wednesday for Libya's stability following a decade of bloodshed as Russia and Turkey reached a tentative plan in talks in Berlin to start withdrawing foreign mercenaries, officials said. The U.N.-sponsored conference -- the second held in the German capital -- renewed commitments to holding elections on December 24, a watershed for the North African nation where foreign powers have violently jostled for influence. Libyan Foreign Minister Najla al-Mangoush voiced hope that there would finally be progress on a key pledge from the first conference in January 2020 -- to pull foreign fighters out. "We have a progress in terms of mercenaries, so you know hopefully within coming days, mercenaries from both sides (are) going to be withdrawing and I think this is going to be encouraging," she told reporters. U.S. officials said that Turkey and Russia -- on opposite sides both in Libya and Syria -- were discussing a plan for each to pull out 300 Syrians fighting on opposite sides, a number that is small but would signal the start of a process. They said details were still being worked out and "deep suspicions" remained but that the withdrawal plan came up on a trip last week by President Joe Biden, who met both his Russian and Turkish counterparts. "There is a recognition even by some of these outside parties that if you could do some confidence-building measures that don't undermine the status quo militarily, they don't expose one side to an attack, let's try that,” a senior US official said. "Our typically American pragmatic approach is 'let's go for the low-hanging fruit'."The United Nations has estimated that 20,000 foreign fighters and mercenaries are still on Libyan territory. And that presence is seen as a threat to the UN-backed transition leading to the elections. Clouding the talks, Turkey refuses to withdraw its military, saying its presence is different as it has an agreement with the internationally recognized government. The previous conference drew heads of state but the latest meeting also gathered heavy hitters, with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken flying in as well as the foreign ministers of France, Turkey and Egypt. Libya's interim Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah promised to go ahead with the December 24 elections, although diplomats said he warned of logistical hurdles.
No one's interest
The oil-rich country descended into chaos after dictator Moammar Gadhafi was toppled and killed in a 2011 NATO-backed uprising, resulting in multiple forces vying for power.In recent years Libya has been split between two rival administrations backed by foreign forces and countless militias. In October, after Turkey-backed forces of the Government of National Accord based in Tripoli routed those of eastern military strongman Khalifa Haftar, the two camps agreed a ceasefire in Geneva. The security situation in Libya has been slowly improving since then. But Russian mercenaries supporting Haftar's side in the east of the country are still in place. Any withdrawal is also a delicate balancing act, said Germany's Foreign Minister Heiko Maas. He noted that there is an understanding between the Turkish and Russian side that "when withdrawal begins, it will not be a short period of time when everyone will immediately pull back... but that it will be a step-by-step approach". The fear is that an uneven and sudden withdrawal could leave a military imbalance that could be exploited by the other side for a sudden offensive. The United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo also noted that the whole process "will take some time." Nevertheless, Maas pledged that Germany and the U.N. will keep up efforts to ensure the departure of foreign militants. "We will not rest until the last foreign force -- the soldiers and mercenaries, no matter where they come from... have left the country."

First Israeli Druze woman MK to be first Druze Jewish Agency emissary
Gabrielle Abrams/Jerusalem Post/June 23/2021
Kamal-Mreeh will represent the Jewish Agency, in its efforts to connect with North American college campuses on Israel.
Former Blue and White and Yesh Atid MK Gadeer Kamal-Mreeh, the first female Druze Knesset member, will become the Jewish Agency’s first Druze emissary in Washington, where she will serve as a senior shlucha. Kamal-Mreeh will represent the Jewish Agency in its efforts to connect with North American college students. The Jewish Agency for Israel, which was created in 1929, has been instrumental in connecting Jews abroad with the State of Israel as well as facilitating aliyah. In Washington, Kamal-Mreeh will work collaboratively with Hillel International and the Jewish Agency’s Israel Campus Fellows. Her work will involve prioritizing community building among young Jews, aged 18-35, across local Jewish Community Centers (JCCs), Jewish Federations and the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA). The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington said it was looking forward to welcoming Kamal-Mreeh to its group of 10 shluchim in the area. “We are proud to support the continued innovation of the shlichut [mission] program by bringing new voices like Kamal-Mreeh’s to our community and to further strengthen our long-standing partnership with the Jewish Agency through launching this initiative,” it said.
Kamal-Mreeh earned her degree from Bar-Ilan University in medical imaging and social sciences, as well as an MA from the University of Haifa in international relations. She served as an MK from 2019-2021 and chaired the Israel-Switzerland parliamentary friendship group, co-chaired the Israel-Germany friendship group and was a member of the Interior and Environment Committee and the Advancement of Women’s Status and Gender Equality Committee. “I am proud and excited to be a partner in bringing about this precedent-setting step, which will enable another Israeli voice to be heard, conveying the multifaceted reality of Israel to both Jewish and non-Jewish audiences throughout North America,” Kamal-Mreeh said. “I believe the time has come for all segments of Israeli society to be active partners in shaping global consciousness and that my unique identity as a woman from the Druze community will greatly contribute to my service, resulting in meaningful and innovative activities that will challenge and change perceptions,” she said. “In the name of pluralism and diversity, we will work to connect, bridge and emphasize what we have in common, for our country and for our future.”

The Latest The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on June 23-24/2021
Why is US seizing Iran Press TV, other websites? - analysis
Yonah Jeremy Bob/Jerusalem Post/June 23/2021
Iranian news agencies said that the US government had seized several Iranian media websites and sites belonging to groups affiliated with Iran
Notices appeared on Tuesday on a number of Iran-affiliated websites saying they had been seized by the United States government as part of law enforcement action.
Iranian news agencies said that the US government had seized several Iranian media websites and sites belonging to groups affiliated with Iran such as Yemen's Houthi movement.
What is this campaign about and could it blow up nuclear negotiations between Washington and Tehran?
In short, it is a long overdue move by the Biden administration to use some of the tools America has in hosting much of the internet to fight back against rogue countries who abuse the internet to try to tear the US apart with misinformation campaigns.
This has nothing to do with free speech. A US government announcement made it clear that the websites which were seized are fronts for the Iranian government to “subvert US democratic processes.”
The US could do far more and hack wide swaths of Iran’s internet-based services and infrastructure.
All it did on Tuesday was to tell Iran that it could no longer abuse American internet property to try to tear down the US without consequences.
For years, at least since Russia’s success in using social media to influence aspects of the 2016 US presidential elections, Moscow, Beijing, Pyongyang and Tehran have all used varying levels of social media to try to systematically impact US public opinion.
In Iran’s case, the ayatollahs have been getting away with the equivalent of cyber “murder” for years with practically no public consequences.
Whether under the Trump or Biden administrations and whether confronted by aggression or engagement, one thing that has stayed consistent has been Iranian attempts to interfere with US public opinion and to try to turn different American ethnic sectors against each other.
Sometimes the goal has been to get Americans to be more positive about Iran or to fear war with Iran. Sometimes to cause ethnic strife to generally weaken the US and helped provoke embarrassing incidents which the Islamic Republic can then point to in rejecting American criticism of its authoritarian system.
The US also hit back at some of Iran’s proxies online.
The website of Masirah TV, which is run by the Houthis Yemen group, reads:
"The domain almasirah.net has been seized by the United States Government in accordance with a seizure warrant...as part of a law enforcement action by the Bureau of Industry and Security, Office of Export Enforcement and Federal Bureau of Investigation."
Websites tied to Iraq’s Kataib Hezbollah, which regularly fires rockets on Americans in Iraq, were also targeted.
Iran's Arabic language Alalam TV said on its Telegram channel: "US authorities shut down Al-Alam TV's website."
Notices have also appeared on websites of Iran's Press TV and Lualua TV, a Bahraini independent channel which broadcasts from Britain.
Last October, US prosecutors seized a network of web domains which they said were used in a campaign by Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to spread political disinformation around the world.
The US Justice Department said then that it had taken control of 92 domains used by the IRGC to pose as independent media outlets targeting audiences in the United States, Europe, Middle East and Southeast Asia.
This is the next step, though seizing a high profile website like Iran’s Press TV will create unpredictable ripples.
Will this negatively impact nuclear negotiations?
Probably not.
Tehran may make threats and demand the US not take such actions going forward if there is a nuclear deal.
But the US will likely respond that it doesn’t take such actions against any normal countries – only nations which abuse the internet to try to destabilize America.
At the end of the day, the ayatollahs need the nuclear deal.
Their economy never recovered fully even after the 2015 nuclear deal and since Trump reimposed sanctions in 2018, their economy has been in shambles.
Further, long before these website seizures, the Biden administration has made it clear that it will maintain all non-nuclear sanctions on Iran related to its terrorist behavior, just as the Obama administration did.
And Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei signed the 2015 deal not because he liked giving up enough enriched uranium for around 10 nuclear bombs, but because of the economic pressure. With all of his threats and hatred for the "big Satan" US long before the website seizures, all signs are he will make the same business-like calculation this time.
So there will still likely be a nuclear deal by, before or not long after the new Ebrahim Raisi administration takes over Iran in August.
Whether the timing of the websites’ seizure was meant to send a message to Raisi, to get it in under the wire before the deal is signed or whether this was just when the Biden administration got around to lining up all of its cards to obtain warrants in court to do so, is a separate and interesting question.
This does not end free speech and it will not end Iran or other foreign countries interference with the US or Israel’s democratic processes or social fault-lines.
But it is a new show that the Biden administration has started to act with more intolerance for cyber and social media interference from the Islamic Republic and others.
*Reuters contributed to this report.

Biden Never Learns: He Still Wants to Talk to China
Gordon G. Chang/Gatestone Institute/June 23, 2021
Call this another Biden debacle in the making.
China, it is evident, is now in no mood for substantive discussions, other than, of course, for the purpose of accepting America's surrender.
American leaders, administration in and administration out, think it is important to meet face-to-face with adversaries, that they can somehow reason with them. That view is naïve, arrogant, and almost always incorrect. Chinese leaders of the communist variety often talk of "friendship" but are ruthlessly pragmatic, and often just ruthless. For them, personal feelings have no value in relations with other states.
Personal diplomacy with Beijing is counterproductive: Americans chase after the Chinese and the Chinese take advantage of this eagerness. The incessant pursuit of Beijing makes America, in the eyes of the Chinese regime, an easy mark.
If the reports about Dong are accurate, Biden should be now talking about imposing the most severe costs on China, not chasing after Xi Jinping to begin a conversation. America should, among other things, cut trade, end investment, prohibit technical cooperation, perhaps stop all travel altogether. Biden definitely should close China's remaining four consulates in the U.S. and send virtually all Chinese embassy officials home. The President should announce it is the policy of the United States to end communist rule in China.
Chinese officials took Canadian hostages, known as "the two Michaels," in December 2018 and have held them since because they knew Prime Minister Justin Trudeau would do nothing about it. The Chinese believed Trudeau would do nothing because he had spent his career desperately trying to court China. — Charles Burton of the Ottawa-based Macdonald-Laurier Institute.
So, President Biden, stop turning the other cheek and start performing your most fundamental constitutional duty: Protecting America from foreign enemies.
President Joe Biden, according to National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, wants to begin a new round of "engaging" China. The incessant pursuit of Beijing makes America, in the eyes of the Chinese regime, an easy mark. China, it is evident, is now in no mood for substantive discussions, other than, of course, for the purpose of accepting America's surrender. Pictured: Sullivan (right) and Secretary of State Antony Blinken address the media following US-China talks in Anchorage, Alaska on March 19, 2021.
President Joe Biden, according to National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, wants to begin a new round of "engaging" China.
Call this another Biden debacle in the making.
On June 17, after the troubled meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Geneva, Sullivan told reporters that Biden "will look for opportunities to engage with President Xi going forward."
"Soon enough, we will sit down to work out the right modality for the two presidents to engage," Sullivan said. "It's now just a question of when and how."
How about never?
The U.S. and China have already engaged each other. Sullivan and Secretary of State Antony Blinken sat down with China's top two diplomats, Politburo member Yang Jiechi and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, in Anchorage in the middle of March.
Yang and Yi did not come to Alaska to talk to the Biden administration; they came to rant, lecture, and humiliate. Blinken and Sullivan should have sent the Chinese "diplomats" packing as soon as they went on a bender for the benefit of the cameras.
China, it is evident, is now in no mood for substantive discussions, other than, of course, for the purpose of accepting America's surrender.
Ned Price, State Department spokesman, on the same day said the President believes "there is no substitute for personal diplomacy."
A better formulation is that, when it comes to the People's Republic of China, there is no place for personal diplomacy. American leaders, administration in and administration out, think it is important to meet face-to-face with adversaries, that they can somehow reason with them.
That view is naïve, arrogant, and almost always incorrect. Chinese leaders of the communist variety often talk of "friendship" but are ruthlessly pragmatic, and often just ruthless. For them, personal feelings have no value in relations with other states.
Personal diplomacy with Beijing is counterproductive: Americans chase after the Chinese and the Chinese take advantage of this eagerness.
The incessant pursuit of Beijing makes America, in the eyes of the Chinese regime, an easy mark. There is no need to speculate how regime figures treat those trying to please and accommodate them.
As Charles Burton of the Ottawa-based Macdonald-Laurier Institute tells Gatestone, Beijing always presses the advantage with the feeble-looking. After all, he says, Chinese officials took Canadian hostages, known as "the two Michaels," in December 2018 and have held them since because they knew Prime Minister Justin Trudeau would do nothing about it. The Chinese believed Trudeau would do nothing because he had spent his career desperately trying to court China.
"The more Canada has shown weakness by appeasing and making concessions to China's integrated party-state-military-security-industrial complex, the more emboldened Chinese leaders have become in dealing with Ottawa," Burton, a former Canadian diplomat posted to Beijing, points out.
There is another fundamental objection. Price, when talking about a Biden-Xi meeting, referred to "our principled diplomacy."
"Principled diplomacy"? How can any country with principles engage in diplomacy with a government that is, according to Amnesty International, "the world's most prolific executioner."
Or a ruling group committing genocide and other crimes against humanity including mass murder, institutionalized rape, and enslavement of racial minorities?
And a regime that deliberately spread a virus beyond its borders and killed, at last count, 3.9 million people worldwide, including 602,000 Americans?
There are reports that Dong Jingwei, a vice minister of State Security, defected to the U.S. in mid-February with his daughter. Dong, China's counterintelligence chief, is said to have given to the Defense Intelligence Agency evidence that the Chinese military is conducting research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which many now suspect is the source of the pathogen causing COVID-19. This information, Yahoo! News reports, changed the Biden administration's view of the origins of the pandemic.
If the reports about Dong are accurate, Biden should be now talking about imposing the most severe costs on China, not chasing after Xi Jinping to begin a conversation. America should, among other things, cut trade, end investment, prohibit technical cooperation, perhaps stop all travel altogether. Biden definitely should close China's remaining four consulates in the U.S. and send virtually all Chinese embassy officials home. The President should announce it is the policy of the United States to end communist rule in China.
Harsh? No, especially if China released an engineered pathogen to kill Americans, as increasingly appears to be the case.
So, President Biden, stop turning the other cheek and start performing your most fundamental constitutional duty: Protecting America from foreign enemies.
*Gordon G. Chang is the author of The Coming Collapse of China, a Gatestone Institute distinguished senior fellow, and a member of its Advisory Board.
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Iranian oil revival will not add short-term bearishness
Faisal Faeq/Arab News/June 23/2021
The possibility of a quick Iranian oil revival is not something any oil company or producer should worry about as the market has already factored this into the price.
According to S&P Global Platts, if the US removes sanctions on Iranian oil, there could be a possible return to pre-sanctions oil production of about 3.9 million barrels per day (bpd) next year. However, total Iranian crude production has been unchanged in the last three months at around 2.4 million bpd.
S&P Global Platts forecasts that the removal of sanctions on Iranian oil, petrochemical, shipping and other sectors could result in Iran being able to boost crude oil and condensate exports to 1.5 million bpd by the end of this year, from 600,000 bpd in May. Even with the sanctions, a big part was already exported to Asia. With signs the market will already be undersupplied in the second half of 2021, the addition of Iranian supplies will not rock the physical oil market and oil prices might continue the upward momentum.
The start of the sanctions on Iran by the previous US administration in June 2019 did not lead to surging oil prices.
Therefore, lifting the sanctions will not push down prices, since these barrels are already factored in the supply and demand balance and overwhelmed by demand outpacing supply. Hence, additional barrels will be absorbed by the market swiftly, and lifting the sanctions will not change the state of the global supply and demand balance.
With global oil demand growth projected to be healthy for the balance of this year and in 2022, OPEC+ is in a relatively comfortable position to deal with the possibility of increasing Iranian output without undermining the oil rebalancing.
OPEC+ is planning to return 2.1 million bpd to the market next month, and its output cuts are set to reach 5.8 million bpd from July to April 2022, which is already factored into oil prices.
OPEC+ producers have effectively managed the output cuts and that does not seem to change, but surprises are expected. The physical oil market for spot barrels is becoming more constrained with traders willing to pay premiums to secure prompt barrels.
OPEC+ output cuts do not seem to be influenced by the possible increase in Iranian supplies, still some market analysts seem so concerned that Iranian oil might flood the market. Iranian barrels are not at the magnitude to even add a short-term bearishness. It is small enough to be absorbed by the summer demand surge, where oil market spreads are suggesting a very tight supply outlook ahead as the global oil market tightens in the coming months, as a demand-driven rebound from the pandemic will offset any other bearish news or developments.
• Faisal Faeq is an energy adviser and columnist. He formerly worked with Saudi Aramco and OPEC Secretariat. Twitter: @FaisalFaeq.

Raisi can help Iran by shunning hard-line stance
Osama Al-Sharif/Arab News/June 23/2021
A few months ago, not many people outside Iran had heard of Ebrahim Raisi, the winner of Friday’s presidential election. But a flood of media profiles and background information had poured out even before his election victory was seen as a foregone conclusion. He was the hand-picked candidate of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and his path to the helm was made easier when the Guardian Council — Iran’s election watchdog — eliminated a number of so-called reformist and moderate candidates, including former hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who had criticized the election process.
The election saw a record low voter turnout, as a majority of Iranians, mostly youths, stayed at home in protest. Raisi, 60, has a notorious reputation, having been associated with the so-called “death committee” in the late 1980s that was responsible for the torture and execution of thousands of anti-regime activists. Since then, he has spent most of his professional life in the judiciary, and was appointed chief justice in 2019. Unlike his predecessor, outgoing President Hassan Rouhani, who is an academic, a politician, a diplomat and a former member of the Assembly of Experts and the Supreme National Security Council, as well as an elected member of parliament, Raisi’s public resume is modest.
But Raisi’s loyalty to Khamenei and his close ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) made him a safe choice — to the extent that he is now seen as a probable successor to the supreme leader. Describing him as a hard-liner is not enough. He is an extremist when it comes to his politics, especially vis-a-vis the US and Israel, but he is also a manipulator who has worked hard to accumulate power. With direct access to Khamenei, the IRGC and parliament, the conservative Raisi will emerge as one of the strongest presidents in recent Iranian history.
But what does Raisi’s election — he takes over in early August — mean for Iranians, the region and the world? As chief justice, Raisi tried to erase his reputation as a bloodthirsty jurist, issuing clemencies and pardoning indebted citizens. He has also presented himself as a fighter against corruption. His mission to improve the lives of Iranians will not be easy. The country is suffering as a result of US economic sanctions, and many are likely to remain even if the nuclear deal is revived. In fact, one of the main stumbling blocks in the Vienna talks has to do with sanctions against Khamenei himself. Ironically, Raisi too is under US and EU sanctions for his grave human rights violations.
While Raisi has committed himself to the nuclear deal, external critics accuse him of supporting the extremists’ goal of enabling Iran to develop nuclear weapons. Israel was quick to reiterate its objection to a nuclear deal with the “hangman’s regime.” The US was less critical; focusing instead on the dysfunctional Iranian democracy rather than on the man who won the election. In essence, Washington and its European allies want to conclude an agreement with Tehran before the swearing in of Raisi.
One reason for this has to do with Raisi’s choice for foreign minister, replacing the charismatic and competent Javad Zarif, who has been able to justify and defend Iran’s position on the nuclear deal ever since the Trump administration withdrew from the agreement in 2018.
In his first press conference on Monday, Raisi tried to downplay the importance of the nuclear deal, saying that Iran’s foreign policy does not start or end with the agreement. He also said that Iran’s ballistic missile program was non-negotiable. But improving people’s lives and normalizing relations with Iran’s Gulf neighbors depends on reviving the nuclear deal in so many ways. Under Raisi, the region will witness important geopolitical shifts, signaled by America’s withdrawal from Afghanistan and the limiting of its military presence in the Middle East.
With direct access to Khamenei, the IRGC and parliament, the conservative Raisi will emerge as one of the strongest presidents in recent Iranian history. Under Rouhani and led by Zarif, Iran had begun a slow process of mending its ties with its neighbors. It remains to be seen if Raisi and his foreign policy chief will continue that process. Iran’s controversial regional agenda remains a major source of instability in the Middle East. Reviving the nuclear deal in Vienna must provide guarantees that Iran will respect the sovereignty and stability of its neighbors.
While Raisi’s special connection to the supreme leader, the IRGC and parliament puts him in a strong position to implement policy — unlike his predecessor — it remains to be seen if that will prove to be a liability or an asset. Iran’s regional and international isolation can end if the new leader in Tehran initiates a fresh phase in his country’s foreign policy agenda; one that presents Iran as a normal nation willing to coexist with its neighbors.
*Osama Al-Sharif is a journalist and political commentator based in Amman. Twitter: @plato010