English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For May 09/2020
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani

#elias_bejjani_news
 

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Bible Quotations For today
No one who believes in him will be put to shame.’For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him.”
Letter to the Romans 10/04-12/:”For Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes. Moses writes concerning the righteousness that comes from the law, that ‘the person who does these things will live by them.’ But the righteousness that comes from faith says, ‘Do not say in your heart, “Who will ascend into heaven?” ’ (that is, to bring Christ down) ‘or “Who will descend into the abyss?” ’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? ‘The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart’ (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. The scripture says, ‘No one who believes in him will be put to shame.’For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him.”

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on May 08- 09/2021

Health Ministry: 435 new Corona cases, 24 deaths
Health Ministry: To report any symptoms of vaccines, without taking media data into account
France's FM says Lebanon can draw strength from its people
Aoun salutes paramedics and martyrs on 'Red Cross & Red Crescent Day': You stand in the lines of defense to ensure the fulfillment of humanitarian obligations
President Aoun on on "Jerusalem Day": Let everyone, especially the international community, remember that there is no peace without justice, and no justice without respecting rights
Report: Hariri Won’t Stand Down, to Initiate Contacts with Rahi, Berri
Lebanon Calls for Immediate Action on Israeli Violence on Palestinians
FPM: We call on the PM-designate to 're-Lebanonize' the government formation process
Future Movement: It is better for FPM to address its Chief, President of the Republic to demand the release of the government line-up present at Baabda Palace
ISF: Thwarting of smuggling operation of 51 Syrians to Cyprus by sea
Abu Shakra quoting Diab: No lifting of subsidy without ration card
Israeli forces release 250 goats after failing to arrest their shepherd
Agriculture Ministry stops ship loaded with rotten rice at Tripoli's Port
Lebanon deplores Israel's violence against Palestinians
Algerian Embassy marks massacres of May 1945: It will remain a living landmark reminiscent of the sacrifices of the martyrs for the sake of liberating the homeland
Information Minister in a dialogue session on media's role in shedding light on sign language for 'hearing-speech impaired individuals': We need constant change to develop our society, achieve justice & equality in rights and duties
France warns Lebanese politicians: No special treatment for anyone, anymore

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on May 08- 09/2021

Iran's Khamenei says fight against Israel is a public duty
Is Iran increasing drone attacks against US in Iraq?/Seth J. Frantzman/Jerusalem Post/May 08/2021
Unmanned aerial drone targets Iraq’s Ain al-Asad base: US-led coalition
Massive fire erupts in southwestern Iran, cause unknown: Reports
US civil rights group calls on Twitter to ban Iran’s Khamenei for Quds Day posts
Iran’s Zarif says US has an obligation to help revive 2015 nuclear deal
US Navy seizes advanced weapons from ‘stateless ship’ in Arabian Sea
Putin pledges support for Tajikistan as Afghanistan concerns mount: RIA
New Protests Called after Jerusalem Clashes Wound over 200
EU urges de-escalation in Jerusalem, condemns ‘illegal’ evictions in Sheikh Jarrah
Egypt calls on Israel to stop illegal evictions to prevent ‘another intifada’
Saudi Arabia rejects Israel’s plans to annex Palestinian homes in Jerusalem: FM
Saudi-Pakistan Vow to Reset Strained Ties
Canada concerned by escalation of tensions in Jerusalem

Titles For The Latest The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on May 08- 09/2021
Communist China: World's Biggest Climate Polluter Keeps Polluting/Judith Bergman/Gatestone Institute/May 08/2021
Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah join to incite terror against Israel - analysis/Seth J. Frantzman/Jerusalem Post/May 08/2021
Rethink this betrayal of Afghan women before it’s too late/Baria Alamuddin/Arab News/May 08/2021
Why US Islamists are the enemy within/Dalia Al-Aqidi/Arab News/May 08/2021

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on May 08- 09/2021

Health Ministry: 435 new Corona cases, 24 deaths
NNA/May. 08/2021
The Ministry of Public Health announced, on Saturday, the registration of 435 new Corona infections, thus raising the cumulative number of confirmed cases to-date to 532,269.
It added that 24 deaths were also reported during the past 24 hours.

Health Ministry: To report any symptoms of vaccines, without taking media data into account
NNA/May. 08/2021

The Ministry of Public Health asserted, in a statement on Saturday, that "since the launch of the national vaccination plan, it has been investigating every reported case regarding serious and non-critical side effects of vaccines, through the collaboration of its pharmacovigilance risk assessment committee with specialized scientific committees to determine the extent to which these symptoms are related to vaccines from a scientific and medical point of view." The statement indicated that Lebanon is one of the few countries that decided to adopt this procedure, similar to developed countries. "Accordingly, the causes of deaths reported by the media and social media sites are being investigated, in terms of their connection with receiving the vaccine," the Ministry affirmed, stressing that it would announce with full transparency the final report conducted in accordance with the applied principles. Recalling what the World Health Organization has confirmed in regards to the benefits of the vaccine which are much more than its side effects, the Health Ministry urged citizens not to hesitate in reporting any symptoms they suspect are due to receiving the vaccine since early notification is a preventive and medical necessity.The Ministry also reminded citizens that it is "the reliable reference in following-up on every case with all its details."

France's FM says Lebanon can draw strength from its people
The Daily Star/May. 08/2021
BEIRUT: France’s Foreign Minister sent a message of support to the Lebanese people while berating the political class for their failure to uphold their duties in comments Friday to round off his brief visit to Beirut.
Addressing the ruling class’ failure to ensure the security of the state, he said the future was instead being upheld by Lebanon’s rich and diverse society. “Lebanon needs a real renewal of its political and institutional practices ... For this, it can draw on the tradition of democratic pluralism which is the strength of this country.”Le Drian praised the “vitality” and commitment of civil society groups he met, "who are mobilized to preserve the future of Lebanon, its model of society." “This is what makes Lebanon unique and strong."
Jean-Yves Le Drian’s visit was considered a "make or break" moment for the political deadlock blighting the country since the last government resigned in the wake of the explosion in Beirut port last August. France has been the lead international country in urging the country’s leaders for state reform and transparency to unlock desperately needed financial aid to save Lebanon’s collapsing economy. But for nine months Cabinet formation efforts have been hampered by political infighting, which has only accelerated the country’s woes and caused the population immense instability.
Le Drian held talks Thursday with President Michel Aoun, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri. Calling on those responsible for forming a government he said, "To this day, my observation is that the political players have not lived up to their responsibilities and have still not seriously started working on the country's recovery." "If they do not act now in a responsible surge of effort, they will face the consequences of this failure.”Earlier Friday, AFP reported that Le Drian said France threatened more sanctions on politicians to prevent what he described as a "collective suicide" organized by members of Lebanon's ruling political class. "It is indeed urgent to find a way out of the political deadlock.”
Le Drian, who last year had already compared Lebanon to "the Titanic minus the orchestra," accused those responsible for the deadlock of leading the country to its death. "I am here precisely to prevent this kind of collective suicide organized by some," he said. France announced late last month that it had started imposing entry restrictions on certain figures for their role in the political crisis and in corruption. Le Drian refused to provide names but warned that the sanctions could be made tougher and extended to other politicians. “They could also be supplemented by the pressure tools available to the European Union.”
"It is up to the Lebanese officials to decide whether they want to break out of the deadlock they have organized," he said. Le Drian's official meetings Thursday were not followed by joint press conferences. His appointment with Hariri was short and kept under wraps until the last minute.
The French minister also held a meeting with representatives of opposition parties which was welcomed by their leaders as a sign that the international community was increasingly open to political alternatives. Addressing next year’s general election he said, “The 2022 deadline must be the occasion for a real democratic debate on the future of Lebanon.” Unprecedented cross-sectarian and nationwide protests erupted in Lebanon in October 2019 to demand the wholesale removal of the hereditary political barons who have ruled the country for decades. The small political groups that carried some of the protest movement's demands have strived to close ranks in recent months and are launching a push ahead of a parliamentary election due in the spring of 2022. Reform-minded groups fear that the political establishment will try to postpone the polls, which they hope will see the opposition secure an unprecedented share of seats in parliament. "Respecting the democratic timetable in Lebanon is a must and any postponement attempt would not be accepted by the international community," Le Drian said.

Aoun salutes paramedics and martyrs on 'Red Cross & Red Crescent Day': You stand in the lines of defense to ensure the fulfillment of humanitarian obligations
NNA/May 08/2021
On the anniversary of the founder of the Red Cross, Henry Dunant, which coincides with the "International Red Cross and Red Crescent Day", the President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, saluted officials and volunteers in the two humanitarian organizations. The President said: "We celebrate your courage and your achievements, today. You stand in the front lines of defense to ensure the fulfillment of humanitarian obligations before, during and after a disaster, health crisis or conflict. Only humanity is your priority, even risking your life in order to provide the most urgent humanitarian aid for those who mostly need it". In addition, President Aoun saluted the souls of the martyr medics, who fell while at the top of their humanitarian endowment. President Aoun said: "Today, you launch your annual financial campaign, and we promised that your family, with its employees and volunteers, will remain a permanent haven in all that you seek, to sow seeds of hope, despite all the difficulties, which are many, and among which humanitarian needs increase. Therefore, I address Lebanese residents and diaspora, to contribute to this campaign, in order to enhance your resilience and continuity in the performance of your mission and improve your services, in addition to investing in live and voluntary youth energies to help the needy, in the most dangerous and difficult circumstances." ----[Presidency Information Office]

President Aoun on on "Jerusalem Day": Let everyone, especially the international community, remember that there is no peace without justice, and no justice without respecting rights
NNA/May 08/2021 
On the occasion of Jerusalem Day, President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, wrote the following Tweet: "On the occasion of Jerusalem Day, Jerusalem bled again. It will continue to bleed as long as the principle of force, displacement and the deprivation of rights prevails. A principle which relies on international protection and breaking UN resolutions without deterrence or accountability. If peace is the goal, let everyone, especially the international community, remember that there is no peace without justice, and no justice without respecting rights." ---[Presidency Information Office]
 

Report: Hariri Won’t Stand Down, to Initiate Contacts with Rahi, Berri
Naharnet/May 08/2021
Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri reportedly dismissed plans to step back from his mission to form a cabinet, with sources expecting him to accelerate contacts with Maronite Patriarch Beshara el-Rahi and Speaker Nabih Berri on the government impasse, the PSP-affiliated al-Anbaa e-magazine reported Saturday. Hariri was waving the possibility of “stepping down” from his mission prior to the visit of French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian to Beirut. But he reconsidered that move and was advised to “protect” the premiership post, thus preventing President Michel Aoun from “monopolizing power,” according to al-Anbaa. According to information obtained by the magazine, Hariri might initiate a move towards the Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rai to coordinate positions, and to reactivate the stalled government talks.He might also initiate a move toward Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri to re-examine the possibility of forming a “government of 24 ministers."

Lebanon Calls for Immediate Action on Israeli Violence on Palestinians
Naharnet/May 08/2021
Lebanon’s Foreign Ministry on Saturday condemned the Israeli attacks on Palestinians in occupied Jerusalem. In a statement, the Ministry vigorously deplored "the Israeli attack against the Palestinians in occupied Jerusalem, where settlers are working to displace the residents of the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, a behavior that does not differ from the practices of ethnic cleansing."It called on the international community to "take urgent and immediate action to deter the repeated attacks of the Israeli enemy against the brotherly Palestinian people and Al-Aqsa Mosque," stressing "the need to confront the continued Israeli intransigence and stop the Israeli settlement and displacement activities in the occupied city of Jerusalem." The ministry renewed Lebanon's "solidarity with the brotherly Palestinian people", affirming its "right to establish an independent Palestinian state, as per the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with international legitimacy decisions and the Arab Peace Initiative issued in Beirut in 2002."

FPM: We call on the PM-designate to 're-Lebanonize' the government formation process
NNA/May 08/2021 
In an issued statement by the political body of the "Free Patriotic Movement" following its periodic meeting chaired by MP Gebran Bassil on Saturday, it appealed to Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri to "re-Lebanonize the government formation process, being a pure Lebanese entitlement in the first place, and to keep said formation the responsibility of the Lebanese, no matter the extent of help from friends." It also called for "returning to the constitutional and chartered principles in forming a government that carries a clear reform program, and consists of ministers with expertise, competence and ability to implement reforms, fight corruption and achieve economic advancement."Moreover, the Movement's political council highlighted the need not to waste more time "by providing an integrated government line-up according to the well-known and approved methodology, in order to obtain the confidence of the Parliament and the Lebanese." In this context, the Movement hoped that France would continue its endeavor through the French initiative. However, it considered that imposing sanctions on politicians because of their political stances is up to the Lebanese themselves, as they are the ones to accord or deprive officials of their popular legitimacy in occupying political and constitutional positions. Meanwhile, the FPM political body hoped that France and the European Union would "prosecute the corrupt and those involved in transferring and abusing public funds and money laundry operations, in accordance with international and domestic laws."FPM also announced that it monitors "with great interest the international and regional changes, and realizes that these transformations have major repercussions on the region and on Lebanon, and believes that the Lebanese must show solidarity at such a stage so that the changes will come in the interest of Lebanon and not at its expense."With regards to the appeal submitted to the Constitutional Council regarding the treasury advance to buy fuel for the production of electricity, the FPM polit-bureau considered that this move has exposed the truth of this dossier and the exploitation taking place over the years to press charges against the ministers of the Free Patriotic Movement, while the actual reality is that the treasury's advance or contribution to buy fuel is aimed at producing electricity and selling it at a price set by the government of Martyr Prime Minister Hariri to support electricity production and help citizens. "This truth is at the disposal of the Lebanese people, and the focused attack to prevent the energy ministers from implementing the plans that have been put in place since 2010, with the aim of supporting generator and fuel company owners," the statement corroborated, adding that "the equation presented, once again, is either the stakeholders or darkness for the Lebanese."

Future Movement: It is better for FPM to address its Chief, President of the Republic to demand the release of the government line-up present at Baabda Palace
NNA/May 08/2021 
The Future Movement issued this evening a response statement to the Free Patriotic Movement, in which it considered that "the weekly statement of the political body of the Free Patriotic Movement included, as usual, a set of delusions that no longer fool any of the Lebanese," urging FPM instead to "appeal to its Chief, MP Gebran Bassil, and President Michel Aoun, demanding that they release the government line-up present at Baabda Palace for more than six months, so it would undergo the confidence test in Parliament.""The pretentious attempts by the Free Patriotic Movement and its leader, and the insistence on disrespecting the minds of the Lebanese and Lebanon's friends in the world, by sending out popular slogans such as reform and combating corruption, have become like a foul joke and worthless propaganda," the statement underlined. The Future Movement renewed its call on the Free Patriotic Movement to "respect the constitutional standards to facilitate the government's birth, away from the 'Bassilian standards' that have placed their chief and the president of the republic in a coup position against the French initiative, and in the category of obstacle-creators who take the country to Hell due to personal calculations that do not give any weight to the interests and sufferings of the Lebanese, as a result of the policies of this mandate, which disrupts itself and continues to waste opportunity after opportunity to save Lebanon."

ISF: Thwarting of smuggling operation of 51 Syrians to Cyprus by sea
NNA/May 08/2021
The Internal Security Forces - Public Relations Division issued a communiqué today, in which it indicated that "within the context of combating the smuggling of foreign individuals out of Lebanon's territories and as a result of extensive investigations, the Information Division of the Internal Security Forces managed on May 4, 2021, to arrest 51 Syrian citizens (39 adult males, 5 adult women, 7 Children) as they were heading to Cyprus via the sea, from the coastal town of Anfeh al-Harisha."After interrogation, the detained confessed that they were waiting for a boat to take them from the aforementioned coastal area towards Cyprus, in exchange for paying 2,500 US dollars per person upon arrival. The ISF unit identified three Syrian suspects involved in this illegal smuggling operation, who were found to be connected with two other accomplices, one present in Lebanon and another in Cyprus. Investigations are still underway under the supervision of the concerned judiciary, while efforts continue in pursuit of those involved in this operation.

Abu Shakra quoting Diab: No lifting of subsidy without ration card
NNA/May 08/2021 
Fuel distributors' representative in Lebanon, Fadi Abu Shakra, denied Saturday the news circulating on social media that oil companies have notified distributors of lifted subsidy on fuel. Abu Shakra told the National News Agency that Caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab has reassured distributors during a recent meeting that "subsidy will not be lifted in the absence of a ration card.""Such news creates confusion among citizens who can no longer tolerate more crises, tension and news that increases their anxiety and fear of the future in the event of lifting subsidies," he said. Abu Shakra appealed to officials "to form a government the soonest possible to save the country from collapse and rescue citizens from this intolerable situation," and to "work to stabilize the dollar exchange rate first and foremost."

Israeli forces release 250 goats after failing to arrest their shepherd
NNA/May 08/2021
The Israeli enemy forces released 250 goats which they had kidnapped for three hours, after failing to arrest their shepherd south of the Ruwaisat al-Alam site in the Kfar Shouba heights - Hasbaya district, NNA correspondent reported this afternoon..

Agriculture Ministry stops ship loaded with rotten rice at Tripoli's Port
NNA/May 08/2021 
The Ministry of Agriculture announced in a statement today that a team at the Agricultural Quarantine Center in Tripoli's Port has seized a ship loaded with rotten rice coming from China, containing high proportions of molds and residues of toxic pesticides. The statement added that the vessel, carrying 31 thousand tons of rotten rice, was banned from unloading its cargo. In this connection, the Ministry assured the Lebanese of its "role in strictly controlling all border crossings, in the interest of citizens' health and food safety."

Lebanon deplores Israel's violence against Palestinians
NNA/May 08/2021 
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates vigorously condemned, in a statement today, "the Israeli attack against the Palestinians in occupied Jerusalem, where settlers are working to displace the residents of the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood under the eyes of the whole world, in a behavior that does not differ from the practices of ethnic cleansing."The statement also condemned the occupation forces' storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the brutal attack on innocent worshipers with sound bombs, gas and rubber bullets, in a flagrant violation of human rights and international laws and covenants. In this context, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on "the international community to take urgent and immediate action to deter the repeated assaults of the Israeli enemy against the brotherly Palestinian people and the Al-Aqsa Mosque," stressing the need to confront the continued Israeli intransigence and stop the Israeli settlement and displacement activities in the occupied city of Jerusalem. Finally, the Ministry renewed "Lebanon's solidarity with the brotherly Palestinian people," affirming their right to establish an independent Palestinian state, on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with international legitimacy decisions and the Arab Peace Initiative issued in Beirut in 2002.

Algerian Embassy marks massacres of May 1945: It will remain a living landmark reminiscent of the sacrifices of the martyrs for the sake of liberating the homeland
NNA/May 08/2021 
The Algerian embassy said in a statement this morning, on the occasion of the anniversary of the massacre of May 8, 1945, that “the roots of these events go back to the end of World War II, when colonial France promised the Algerians to grant them independence if they participated with it in the war against the Nazi German forces.""With the end of the Second World War with the victory of the Alliances...they called on France to fulfill its promises to grant the Algerians their freedom...However, the authorities of the French occupation met this with the most horrific methods of repression, arrests and mass killings that included men, women, the elderly and children, and the destruction of entire villages and communities, especially in the city of Setif, Guelma and Kharata. As a result of these heinous massacres, more than 45,000 unarmed Algerian civilians were martyred within a few days,” the statement added.The embassy also indicated that "these events constituted a decisive turning point in the course of the national movement and made the Algerians realize that French colonialism did not understand the language of dialogue and negotiation, and that what was taken by force could only be recovered by force, and then preparations began for the outbreak of the armed revolution that started on November 1, 1954.”Finally, the Algerian embassy statement considered that this memory "will remain immortal in the minds of the Algerian people, and a living landmark that reminds future generations of the tremendous sacrifices made by the martyrs in order to liberate the nation from the clutches of French colonialism, and a testament to the ugliness of the of French colonialism, which often boasts civilization, freedom and humanity."
 

Information Minister in a dialogue session on media's role in shedding light on sign language for 'hearing-speech impaired individuals': We need constant change to develop our society, achieve justice & equality in rights and duties
NNA/08 May ,2021
Caretaker Information Minister, Dr. Manal Abdel Samad Najd, accepted an invitation by Houssam El-Dine Hariri High School's fifth grade students and instructors, to a dialogue session over "the role of the media in shedding light on sign language for the deaf and dumb."
In this context, Abdel Samad affirmed that the Information Ministry plays a significant role with respect to people having disabilities in general, and those with special needs in particular.
"As a Ministry of Information, we attach great importance to people with special needs, and take advantage of every opportunity to support them; and as a Ministry, we play a fundamental role in awareness campaigns, such as those on Coronavirus and vaccination which we have organized with the relevant official authorities, the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF and others," the Minister said. She outlined herein the Information Ministry's launched campaign to raise media awareness about the dangers of the Coronavirus among the largest possible segment of residents in Lebanon and abroad, including those with special needs, and to emphasize utmost care for people's health and the nation's safety. She also referred to the Ministry's released videos in this respect, some of which included sign language for the deaf and dumb, in cooperation with concerned associations and specialists, that were published on its website, as well as the websites of the National News Agency, the Lebanese Radio Channel, the Lebanese Studies and Publications Directorate and Lebanon TV.
Responding to a question, Abdel Samad referred to Law # 220/2000 that was passed in Lebanon, which gives full rights to people with special needs. "Unfortunately, it was not properly implemented, and Lebanon is one of the very few countries that did not ratify the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities for various reasons," she explained, adding that efforts must be exerted to implement this agreement and develop a strategy to integrate it with a national plan for people with special needs, particularly with regards to the radio, television and the like.
Asked about the possibility of change and advancement in this respect, Abdel Samad acknowledged that there is definite room for change with the presence of a "solid will." She added, "There are about 15 to 20% of society members with special needs, and if they are marginalized, this will directly affect about 60% of society...If the group of people with special needs is not properly integrated into the community, this will cause a burden on society, so it is necessary to start thinking seriously about this category and how to integrate it into society."
"We always need constant change to develop our society at various levels, and to achieve justice and equality in rights and duties in order to advance our country and strengthen the principles of democracy in it, starting with the family and school, and far-reaching all our public and private institutions," Abdel Samad underscored.

France warns Lebanese politicians: No special treatment for anyone, anymore

The Arab Weekly/May 08/2021
BEIRUT – French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian threatened to ratchet up pressure on Lebanese politicians, accusing them of seeking “collective suicide” by failing to pull the country out of its deep economic crisis.
It became clear, according to Lebanese political analysts, that Le Drian was referring to the entire Lebanese political class, that Paris blames everyone and that the rule from now on is that there will be no favouritism anymore in France’s attitude towards any of Lebanon’s leaders.
Lebanese analysts said Le Drian’s visit this time was totally different from past trips as his meetings with the three leaders were cold. He is said to have listened to their justifications more than he talked but he held them responsible for the failure of France’s initiative to form a government of specialists in Lebanon.
Sources said the French minister could not fathom how the steps discussed last summer had still not been taken nearly a year later. His impression was that Lebanese politicians are not pressured by time and the possible impact of the continuation of the crisis, despite the sharp economic and social collapse that is making the suffering of the Lebanese unbearable.
In his meetings with Lebanese politicians, the French foreign minister did not raise the main issue facing Lebanon today, which is the hegemony of Hezbollah and Iran over the country’s decision-making process. Jean-Yves Le Drian told reporters on Friday that France, which has spearheaded efforts to provide foreign aid, must move on towards addressing the political impasse, after the many months of talks aimed at forming a new government have reached a dead end. He added that if the situation continues, there will be strict punitive measures, at the French level and perhaps also at the level of the European Union, against Lebanese politicians who are blocking the solution to the crisis.
Le Drian did not answer questions about when the sanctions could be imposed nor whom they would target. He said only that his country has begun putting in place restrictive measures against Lebanese figures responsible for the current political deadlock and that these measures could be tightened with additional European instruments. His message was that Lebanese politicians are not just confronted with a French démarche that could be overcome with time, but that the French sanctions may be taken up by the rest of the European Union. Anwar al-Khalil, a member of the Lebanese parliament, wondered if Le Drian’s firm message to those who are obstructing the formation of the government demonstrated that the international community, not just France, believes Lebanese politician suffer from a split personality of sorts. What the French leaders, including President Emmanuel Macron, do not understand is how the Lebanese leaders could initially express enthusiasm for the Paris initiative as offering a magic solution for Lebanon’s problems and then renege on their pledges once the meetings were over. Khalil expressed his hope that Le Drian’s message would be enough to convince the Lebanese spoilers to alter their behaviour.
”It is indeed urgent to find a way out of the political deadlock,” Le Drian told reporters after the series of meetings he held in Beirut, most notably with President Michel Aoun, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri. He said, “to this day, my observation is that the political players have not lived up to their responsibilities and have still not seriously started working on the country’s recovery,” warning that “if they do not act responsibly starting today, they must bear the consequences of this failure and the consequences of the denial of the pledges they have made”.
“Mass suicide”
For months, France has led an international pressure campaign to ensure the formation of a government of specialists in Lebanon, but its efforts have not borne fruit as political divisions and divergence of views over the share share-out of ministries have blocked the way.
On Friday, Le Drian accused politicians of leading the country towards its demise.“I am here to avoid this kind of mass suicide,” he said. In an attempt to redouble pressure on the political class, France last month imposed restrictions on admission to France of Lebanese figures it considers responsible both for the political stalemate and for corruption in their country. The figures targeted by the sanctions and the nature of the restrictions have yet to be revealed. Le Drian threatened that if the stalemate continues, it may be possible to “tighten or expand these measures” to affect other politicians, but did not mention any names. The French minister stressed that “it is up to the Lebanese officials to decide whether they want to get out of the impasse where they are now.”The international community has, especially since the Beirut port bombing of August 4, 2020, made financial support to Lebanon conditional on the government’s undertaking urgent reforms . International aid is seen as necessary for Lebanon to escape the downward spiral of economic collapse which it has faced for more than a year and a half now.
But nine months after the resignation of Hassan Diab’s government following the Beirut seaport blast and despite the weight of the economic collapse and international pressures, Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri has been unable to form a cabinet. Hariri’s failure is linked, according to experts, to his disagreement with Gebran Bassil, the Free Patriotic Movement leader and son-in-law of President Aoun, over quotas in the cabinet. Lebanese sources said that Bassil did everything in his power to meet Le Drian during his visit to Beirut, but the French minister did not include him in his schedule.
Le Drian met also representatives of opposition groups, who had taken part in the unprecedented protests that erupted in the country in 2019 and lasted for months, clamouring for the removal of the entire political class.
These groups told the French minister of their fear that the political class would succeed in postponing the upcoming legislative elections scheduled for the spring of 2022. But Le Drian stressed that “respect of the democratic timetable in Lebanon is imperative and the international community will not tolerate any attempt to delay it.”Due to sharp political divisions and quota-related disputes, governments have often in the past taken months to form in Lebanon. But the economic collapse, which was exacerbated by the port blast and the pandemic-related measures, has made further procrastination untenable.
French President Emmanuel Macron has visited Lebanon twice since the port explosion and repeated calls on the political forces to form a government that would carry out reforms. Last September, he announced an initiative, that he said had the agreement of all political forces, for the formation of a government within two weeks.

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on May 08- 09/2021

Iran's Khamenei says fight against Israel is a public duty

Reuters/May 08/2021
Khamenei was speaking on Iran's annual Quds Day, which uses the Arabic name for Jerusalem, held on the last Friday of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. Iran's Supreme Leader on Friday called on Muslim nations to keep fighting against Israel, which he said was not a state but a "terrorist garrison" against the Palestinians. "The fight against this wretched regime is the fight against oppression and the fight against terrorism. And this is a public duty to fight against this regime," Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a televised speech. Khamenei was speaking on Iran's annual Quds Day, which uses the Arabic name for Jerusalem, held on the last Friday of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.
Opposition to Israel is a touchstone of belief for Shi’ite-led Iran, which backs Palestinian and Lebanese Islamic militant groups opposed to peace with the Jewish state, which Tehran does not recognize.
"Muslim nations' cooperation on Quds (Jerusalem) is a nightmare for the Zionists," Khamenei said. Iranian officials have called for an end to Israel, including by a referendum that would exclude most of its Jews while including Palestinians in the region and abroad. The coronavirus pandemic forced the government to cancel its annual Quds Day parade. But Iranian state media showed footage of motorcyclists and vehicles flying Palestinian and Lebanese Hezbollah flags driving through Tehran streets. They also published pictures of people burning Israeli and American flags.

Is Iran increasing drone attacks against US in Iraq?

Seth J. Frantzman/Jerusalem Post/May 08/2021
The US-led anti-ISIS Coalition said that just after two in the morning, “Ain al-Asad Air Base was attacked by an unmanned aerial surveillance system. No injuries reported. A hangar was damaged.”A drone targeted a large base in Iraq where US forces are located on Saturday. It is one of only a handful of facilities where US soldiers are now located and the use of a drone represents a significant escalation.The US-led anti-ISIS Coalition said that just after two in the morning, “Ain al-Asad Air Base was attacked by an unmanned aerial surveillance system. No injuries reported. A hangar was damaged.”
Col. Wayne Marotto, the spokesperson for the Coalition, said that each of these kinds of attacks, of which there have been an increasing number since January, “undermines the authority of Iraqi institutions.”Iran’s Press TV put the attack on the front page of its website on Saturday, indicating pro-Iran groups were likely responsible. It said that “an air base in Iraq’s western province of Anbar housing American troops has come under attack, damaging a hangar for military aircraft.”
The Iraqi government’s Security Media Cell said that an explosives-laden drone had crashed inside the air base. The base is 160km west of Baghdad and is one of Iraq’s most important bases. When attacks on the US increased in 2019, there were numerous rocket attacks on US forces in Iraq. The US handed over most of its facilities in 2020, including Camp Taji, Q-West, K-1 near Kirkuk, and others. Even at places like Balad, the US has only contractors now, not soldiers. The US has concentrated forces in Baghdad near the airport and at Union III near the embassy, as well as near Erbil in the Kurdistan region.
Initial reports of the drone strike were greeted with suspicion because they came from Sabereen News, a Telegram news channel associated with Iraqi Popular Mobilization Units, also known as Hashd al-Sha’abi. These militias are official paramilitary forces which are almost mostly pro-Iran and Shi’ite. Kataib Hezbollah, a major militia, has coordinated attacks against the US since 2019 and it is close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The US killed Kataib leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and IRGC Quds Force head Qasem Soleimani in January 2020.
Press TV says that “the report added that C-RAM systems as well as Patriot Advanced Capability-2 (PAC-2) missile systems deployed at the base failed to intercept the rockets.” The report also notes that two rockets had hit Ain Al-Asad base last week and that Balad air base and the US facility near Baghdad International Airport had been targeted as well. Press TV notes that “last month, Badr al-Ziyadi, a member of the defense and security committee at the Iraqi parliament, called for the evacuation of American troops. He told Arabic-language al-Maalomah news agency that the US seeks to keep its forces in Iraq with no intention of ever withdrawing. Two lawmakers with the Fatah (Conquest) Alliance at the legislature also warned of US intentions for a permanent military presence in Iraq.”In mid-April, another drone targeted Erbil. Iran has been increasing its drone abilities and has used drones in Iraq and Syria, as well as in Israel in February 2018, and has exported drone technology to the Houthis in Yemen. It appears Iran has now moved drone technology to Iraq as well. On Saturday, Saudi Arabia intercepted a Houthi drone flown from Yemen. Saudi air defenses also intercepted a drone on May 2.
The drone attacks in Iraq and around the region, likely linked to Iran, illustrate the growing power of drones used by non-state actors and in asymmetric warfare. Drones offer plausible deniability. Iran likes to have its pro-Iran militias use 107mm rockets and 122mm rockets in Iraq. Iran used to send technological know-how on explosively formed detonators or EFPs to strike at US troops in Iraq in the early 2000s, killing hundreds. Now its allies in Iraq use drones.

Unmanned aerial drone targets Iraq’s Ain al-Asad base: US-led coalition
Reuters, Baghdad/08 May ,2021
An attack by an unmanned aerial surveillance system on Saturday targeted Iraq’s Ain al-Asad air base in western Iraq which hosts US and other international forces, but it caused no injuries, a coalition spokesman said. US Army Colonel Wayne Marotto, spokesman for the US-led coalition, said on Twitter that the attack was being investigated but that an initial report suggests that the attack took place at 0220 local time and caused damage to a hangar. The United States accuses Iran-backed militia groups of launching regular rocket attacks against its troops in Iraq. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Saturday’s attack

Massive fire erupts in southwestern Iran, cause unknown: Reports
Al Arabiya English/08 May ,2021
A massive fire broke out in Iran’s southwestern city of Bushehr overnight, the semi-official Fars News Agency reported on Saturday. The cause of the fire is still unknown, according to Iranian media reports. The fire reportedly erupted near the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, but an official statement has yet to be made.Dozens of people shared footage of the huge fire on social media as bystanders tried to move away. Iran has been witnessing dozens of mysterious fires and explosions across the country since mid-2020. Several incidents have taken place at sensitive sites, including near nuclear plants.

US civil rights group calls on Twitter to ban Iran’s Khamenei for Quds Day posts
Yaghoub Fazeli, Al Arabiya English/08 May ,202
A US civil rights group called on Twitter to permanently shut down the accounts of Iran’s supreme leader on the social media platform, citing a flurry of posts on Iran’s annual Quds (Jerusalem) Day on Friday that it said were anti-Semitic. Citing several tweets posted by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s Twitter accounts, the Anti-Defamation League accused Iran’s top leader of spreading “numerous age-old anti-Jewish myths” and casting doubt upon the Holocaust. “These constitute forms of blatant, explicit, and egregious anti-Semitism,” ADL said. Friday marked Iran’s annual Quds Day, which is held on the last Friday of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. Tehran says the day is an occasion to express support for the Palestinian cause. In a televised speech marking the occasion, Khamenei said Israel was not a state but a “terrorist garrison” against the Palestinians and urged Muslim countries to keep fighting against it. ADL urged Twitter to stop hosting Khamenei’s accounts, who it described as “the worst propagator of state-sponsored anti-Semitism in the world.”“The conduct of Twitter profiles attributed to Khamenei on just a single day – Friday, May 7th – provide a chilling reminder of why all such accounts need to be shut down without delay,” ADL said. Major social media networks, including Facebook and Twitter, have been banned in Iran since 2009. Despite the ban, many high-ranking Iranian officials are active on Twitter. Besides Khamenei, President Hassan Rouhani and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also have Twitter accounts.Iranian activists have repeatedly called on Twitter to ban the accounts of regime officials as long as ordinary Iranians are denied access to the social media platform

Iran’s Zarif says US has an obligation to help revive 2015 nuclear deal
Reuters/08 May ,2021
Iran’s foreign minister said on Saturday that the US had an obligation to help revive Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers which Washington had abandoned, after President Joe Biden said it was unclear how serious Tehran was about talks on the accord. The US has expressed its readiness to lift many of its sanctions on Iran at the Vienna nuclear talks but Tehran is demanding more, Iran’s senior negotiator said on Friday. Biden said he believed Iran was seriously engaging in the talks but it was unclear what Tehran was actually prepared to do to resume compliance with the deal. Asked if he thought Tehran was serious about talks, Biden replied: “Yes, but how serious, and what they are prepared to do is a different story.” US officials are holding indirect talks with Iran in Vienna on how to resume compliance with the deal, which former President Donald Trump abandoned in 2018. “As we try to revive JCPOA (nuclear agreement) in Vienna, it’s necessary to remember how it all started. 3 years ago today, a disgraced buffoon violated US obligations...,” Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Twitter. “Today, @POTUS (Biden) has to decide whether US continues lawlessness or adheres to law. Onus is on US, not Iran,” Zarif said. Trump’s withdrawal from the accord prompted Iran a year later to begin violating the terms of the agreement that aimed to rein in Tehran’s nuclear ambitions in return for the lifting of sanctions. Tehran denies seeking nuclear weapons.

US Navy seizes advanced weapons from ‘stateless ship’ in Arabian Sea
Rawad Taha, Al Arabiya English/09 May ,2021
The US seized an illicit shipment of advanced weapons from a stateless dhow in international water of the North Arabian Sea on Friday, according to a statement released by the US Naval Forces Central Command. The cache of weapons included dozens of advanced Russian-made anti-tank guided missiles, thousands of Chinese Type 56 assault rifles, and hundreds of PKM machine guns, sniper rifles and rocket-propelled grenades launchers. The statement added that the original source and intended destination of the materiel is currently under investigation. After all illicit cargo was removed, the dhow was assessed for seaworthiness, and after questioning, its crew was provided food and water before being released. “The US Navy conducts routine patrols in the region to ensure the free flow of commerce for legitimate traffic, disrupt the transport of illicit cargo that often funds terrorism and unlawful activity, and safeguard the rules-based international order,” the statement concluded.

Putin pledges support for Tajikistan as Afghanistan concerns mount: RIA
Reuters/08 May ,2021
Russia is working on strengthening its military base in Tajikistan and will do all it can to support the former Soviet republic amid rising tensions in Afghanistan, the RIA news agency cited President Vladimir Putin as saying on Saturday. Tajik President Imomali Rakhmon, at a meeting with Putin in Moscow, said the situation in neighboring Afghanistan had escalated since the US’ announcement last month that it would pull out its troops, with President Joe Biden promising the withdrawal of all troops by Sept. 11. “I know you are concerned about this situation. It goes without saying, it is a valid concern,” Putin said.“For our part, we are doing everything we can to support you,” he added. Afghan security forces fought back a major Taliban offensive in southern Helmand province in early May as militants launched assaults around the country after the US missed a May 1 deadline agreed in talks with the Taliban last year to withdraw troops. In addition to hosting Russia’s biggest military base abroad, Tajikistan has close economic ties with its former Soviet overlord as hundreds of thousands of Tajiks work in Russia to support families at home. Putin touched on the subject of migrant workers in Russia, an issue which drew attention in April as over 60 people were detained in Moscow during a rare protest against the deportation of a renowned defender of Tajik migrant workers’ rights. “I know this is a sensitive issue for Tajikistan,” Putin said.
“We are doing everything to make people feel comfortable, especially as we do not currently have enough workers in some sectors of the economy.”
 

New Protests Called after Jerusalem Clashes Wound over 200
Agence France Presse/08 May ,2021
Israel braced for more protests Saturday after clashes at Jerusalem's flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque compound wounded more than 200 people and as the US, EU and regional powers urged calm after days of escalating violence.  In the unrest following Muslim prayers on Friday, Israeli riot police fired rubber bullets, tear gas and stun grenades at Palestinians who hurled rocks, bottles and fireworks at Islam's third-holiest site which is also revered by Jews. Israeli police said 17 officers were wounded while the Palestinian Red Crescent reported that 205 Palestinians were injured in the violence at Al-Aqsa and across annexed east Jerusalem. Video footage showed Israeli forces storming the mosque's sprawling plaza and firing sound grenades inside the building, where throngs of worshippers including women and children were praying on the last Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
The clashes came after tensions soared in recent weeks, over Israeli restrictions on access to parts of the Old City during Ramadan and the threat of evicton hanging over four Palestinian families in east Jerusalem to make way for Jewish settlers. A call for demonstrations Saturday in solidarity with Jerusalem Palestinians came from an advocacy group for Arab Israelis, who make up 20 percent of the country's population, the High Follow up Committee for the Arabs in Israel. The United States -- a staunch Israeli ally whose tone has however toughened under US President Joe Biden -- said it was "extremely concerned" by the events and urged both sides to "avoid steps that exacerbate tensions or take us farther away from peace". "This includes evictions in east Jerusalem, settlement activity, home demolitions and acts of terrorism," the State Department said. The European Union called on the authorities "to act urgently to de-escalate the current tensions in Jerusalem," saying "violence and incitement are unacceptable and the perpetrators on all sides must be held accountable". Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said he held the Israeli government "responsible" for the unrest and voiced "full support for our heroes in Al-Aqsa".
'Barbaric attack'
Jordan condemned Israel's "barbaric attack" in Jerusalem, calling on the international community to stop the "escalation and violations" at Al-Aqsa Mosque. Egypt, Turkey, Qatar and Bahrain also blasted Israeli forces for the confrontation. The unrest came as Iran and it allies around the world on Friday marked Al-Quds (Jerusalem) Day, an annual show of solidarity with the Palestinians. Iran called on the United Nations to condemn the Israeli police actions, arguing that "this war crime once again proved to the world the criminal nature of the illegitimate Zionist regime". The Al-Aqsa mosque compund has an explosive history. In 2000, the second Palestinian intifada broke out after then Israeli opposition leader Ariel Sharon made a high-profile visit that Palestinians viewed as an intolerable provocation. The Al-Aqsa confrontation followed a week of intensifying violence in east Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank.
Earlier Friday, Israeli police said officers killed two Palestinians and wounded a third after the three men opened fire on the Salem base in the occupied West Bank. On Thursday, Israelis buried Yehuda Guetta, 19, who had been shot on Sunday at a bus stop in the northern West Bank. Israeli security forces said they had arrested Montasser Shalabi, 44, near Ramallah, on suspicion of carrying out the attack. On Wednesday, Israeli troops killed 16-year-old Palestinian Said Youssef Muhammad Oudeh near the West Bank city of Nablus, saying soldiers had opened fire on protesters throwing petrol bombs.
Forced evictions
Clashes have also repeatedly broken out in east Jerusalem's Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood, fuelled by a years-long land dispute between Palestinian residents and Jewish settlers seeking to evict them. An Israeli court this year ruled that four Palestinian homes there legally belong to Jewish families, who claimed to have lost the land during the war that accompanied Israel's creation in 1948. The Sheikh Jarrah families have provided evidence that their homes were acquired from Jordanian authorities, who controlled east Jerusalem from 1948 to 1967. In Jordan -- home to a large Palestinian population -- hundreds rallied Friday, chanting "we will die for Sheikh Jarrah". Israel's Supreme Court is to hold a new hearing in the case on Monday, when Israelis mark Jerusalem Day to celebrate the "liberation" of the city, including with a parade of Israeli flags through the Old City.

EU urges de-escalation in Jerusalem, condemns ‘illegal’ evictions in Sheikh Jarrah
AFP, Brussels/08 May ,2021
The European Union on Saturday condemned the ongoing situation between Israeli police and Palestinians at Jerusalem’s flashpoint Al-Aqsa mosque compound and urged authorities to quickly calm tensions. “Violence and incitement are unacceptable and the perpetrators on all sides must be held accountable. The European Union calls on the authorities to act urgently to de-escalate the current tensions in Jerusalem,” a spokesman said in a statement. “The European Union calls on the authorities to act urgently to de-escalate the current tensions in Jerusalem.”The statement added that “acts of incitement around the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif must be avoided and the status quo has to be respected,” using another term for the key religious site. It said “political, religious and community leaders on all sides should show restraint and responsibility and make every effort to calm down this volatile situation.”

Egypt calls on Israel to stop illegal evictions to prevent ‘another intifada’
Rawad Taha, Al Arabiya English/Published: 08 May ,2021
Egypt called on Israel to stop the illegal evictions that are taking place in East Jerusalem against the Palestinians "to prevent another intifada", sources told Al Arabiya. Sources added that Egypt conducted security contacts with Israel and demanded the necessity to stop the escalation in Jerusalem.Egypt demanded Israel to freeze settlement operations and illegal evictions without conditions to prevent further escalation. On the other hand, Egypt called on the Palestinian movements to work on de-escalating the situation. The comments came as more than 160 people were wounded after Israeli riot police fired rubber bullets at Palestinians at Jerusalem’s flashpoint Al-Aqsa mosque compound late Friday, capping a week of violence in the Holy City and the occupied West Bank. Tensions in Jerusalem have been rising in recent weeks as hundreds of Palestinians protested against Israeli courts’ decision to order the eviction of several Palestinian families from their homes in the Old City. The courts ordered that Jewish settlers have a right to the homes owned by the Palestinians. The European Union issued a statement earlier on Saturday calling the evictions “illegal” and condemning the ongoing violence by Israeli police against unarmed Palestinians. “The situation with regard to the evictions of Palestinian families in Sheikh Jarrah and other areas of East Jerusalem is also of serious concern,” the EU statement said. “Such actions are illegal under international humanitarian law and only serve to fuel tensions on the ground.” The United States called Friday for de-escalation in annexed east Jerusalem, and warned against carrying out a threatened eviction of Palestinian families that has sent tensions soaring. “The United States is extremely concerned about ongoing confrontations in Jerusalem... which have reportedly resulted in scores of injured people,” a statement from State Department spokesman Ned Price said.(With Wires)

Saudi Arabia rejects Israel’s plans to annex Palestinian homes in Jerusalem: FM
Tamara Abueish, Al Arabiya English/08 May ,2021
Saudi Arabia rejects Israel’s plans and measures to evict dozens of Palestinians from their homes in Jerusalem and impose Israeli sovereignty over them, the Kingdom’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Saturday. Saudi Arabia condemns any unilateral measures, violations of international resolutions, and all actions that undermine the resumption of the peace process aimed at achieving security and stability in the region, the statement said. The Kingdom stands with the Palestinian people and supports all efforts made to reach a just and comprehensive solution that will enable them to establish their own independent state based on the 1967 borders, with east Jerusalem as its capital, the ministry added. More than 160 people were injured when Israeli riot police fired rubber bullets and stun grenades at Palestinians at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound on Friday night. Tensions in Jerusalem have been rising in recent weeks as hundreds of Palestinians protested against Israeli courts’ decision to order the eviction of several Palestinian families from their homes in the Old City. The courts ordered that Jewish settlers have a right to the homes owned by the Palestinians. The European Union issued a statement earlier on Saturday calling the evictions “illegal” and condemning the ongoing violence by Israeli police against unarmed Palestinians. “The situation with regard to the evictions of Palestinian families in Sheikh Jarrah and other areas of East Jerusalem is also of serious concern,” the EU statement said. “Such actions are illegal under international humanitarian law and only serve to fuel tensions on the ground.”(With AFP)

Saudi-Pakistan Vow to Reset Strained Ties
Agence France Presse/08 May ,2021
Saudi Arabia and longstanding ally Pakistan signed several agreements Saturday and vowed to reset ties strained by months of disagreement over policy on the Kashmir dispute. On his seventh visit to the wealthy kingdom since his 2018 election, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan was given a warm welcome by Saudi officials in the western coastal city of Jeddah. He was greeted by Saudi Arabia's de-facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the airport, before holding talks with Saudi officials at Jeddah's Al-Salam Palace. "They affirmed the depth of relations between the two brotherly countries and underscored the importance of expanding and intensifying aspects of bilateral cooperation and coordination," a Saudi statement said. Although the kingdom was the first foreign country Khan visited after taking office, Riyadh appeared frustrated with Islamabad last year. In a sharply worded statement in August, Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi called on the Saudi-based Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to convene a high-level meeting on Kashmir. The call raised eyebrows in Riyadh, where it was widely seen as a warning that Pakistan was preparing to call for a session outside OIC auspices.
Saudi Arabia prides itself on its role as guardian of Islam's holiest sites and is particularly sensitive about any move that might undermine its leadership of the 57-member pan-Islamic body. And while the wealthy nation has supported Pakistan with billions of dollars in aid and loans in recent years, observers say the kingdom is also keen not to upset India, a key business partner and importer of Saudi oil. The kingdom recalled $1 billion of a $3 billion loan to cash-strapped Pakistan, and an expired multi-billion-dollar oil credit facility to Islamabad has not been renewed, a diplomatic source told AFP in September. Prior to that, Pakistan rebuffed calls to send ground troops to support the troubled Saudi-led military campaign against Yemen's Huthi rebels.
'Exceptional cordiality'
But Khan's visit appeared to have restored cooperation between the two Islamic countries that are both heavily engaged in the "war on terror" which requires effective intelligence sharing. "The two sides stressed the need for concerted efforts by the Islamic world to confront extremism and violence, and reject sectarianism," the Saudi statement said. The official Saudi Press Agency said the two sides signed agreements addressing the treatment of criminals, and crime. They also agreed two memorandums of understanding on combating drug trafficking, and on financing energy, water and infrastructure projects. The two countries also agreed to establish a Saudi-Pakistan Supreme Coordination Council (SPSCC). "During the meeting, it was agreed to further strengthen, deepen and diversify the existing bilateral political, economic, trade, defence and security ties," a Pakistani statement said. "The talks were marked by exceptional cordiality and a commitment to fortify the upward trajectory in the bilateral relationship," it added.
Saudi-Iran moves
Pakistan has close links with Saudi Arabia, with more than 2.5 million of its nationals living and working in the kingdom, but it also maintains close ties with Iran and represents Tehran's consular interests in the United States. For decades, Pakistan has tried to balance its strong relationship with Saudi Arabia and its ties with Iran, with which it shares a near 1,000-kilometre (625-mile) border. In 2019, Khan travelled between Saudi Arabia and Iran in a bid to calm animosities between the rival Muslim powers. His visit to Jeddah comes as Saudi Arabia and Iran hold secret talks in Iraq, the first significant effort to defuse tensions since the regional powers cut ties in 2016 after Iranian protesters, infuriated over the kingdom's execution of a Shiite cleric, attacked Saudi diplomatic missions. "The prime minister of Pakistan's visit to Saudi Arabia is an important milestone in bilateral relations," Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan tweeted Saturday. "The kingdom is keen to further strengthen relations between the brotherly countries as well as enable broader economic cooperation."

Canada concerned by escalation of tensions in Jerusalem
May 8, 2021 - Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada
The Honourable Marc Garneau, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today issued the following statement:
“Canada is following the situation in Jerusalem closely. We call for immediate de-escalation of tensions and for all sides to avoid any unilateral actions.
“Canada is committed to the goal of a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East, including the creation of a Palestinian state living side by side in peace and security with Israel.
“As a close friend and ally of Israel, Canada is deeply concerned that recent decisions on settlements, and demolitions and evictions, including in Sheikh Jarrah, would negatively impact livelihoods and undermine the prospects for a two-state solution based on mutual respect for human rights and international law by all parties. “Canada calls for renewed commitment to peace and security and, as always, stands ready to support efforts for a two-state solution.”
 

The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on May 08- 09/2021

Communist China: World's Biggest Climate Polluter Keeps Polluting
Judith Bergman/Gatestone Institute/May 08/2021
If China were serious about reducing emissions, that intent would have been evident from its new five-year plan for the years 2021-2025, released in March. This plan, however, has been described as containing "little more than vague commitments to tackle carbon dioxide emissions."
As the Wall Street Journal wrote in an editorial in February, initiatives like this explain why "Beijing loves Biden and Paris". They allow China, in the words of the editorial, to get "a free carbon ride" -- meaning unfettered economic growth at a time when China is looking to become the world's dominant economic and technological power.
How much will fulfilling President Biden's climate accord pledges actually cost and for what actual benefit to whom, and how much of a further edge will it actually give to China?
At a time when China is so obviously saying one thing and doing another, and clearly not fulfilling its share of the world's commitments to reducing CO2 emissions -- as the world's second-largest economy should -- increasing America's climate pledges sends all the wrong signals. What China and others see is that no matter what it does -- even if it deceives the world and continues its predatory behavior -- the US is willing to reduce its own competitiveness, leaving China a thick red carpet to become the world's dominant superpower, the very role to which it aspires.
Communist China, in 2020, built over three times as much new coal power capacity as all other countries in the world combined -- the equivalent of more than one large coal plant per week, according to a report by Global Energy Monitor. Pictured: A state-owned coal-fired power plant in Huainan, Anhui province, China. (Photo by Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)
Communist China, in 2020, built over three times as much new coal power capacity as all other countries in the world combined -- the equivalent of more than one large coal plant per week, according to a report released in April by Global Energy Monitor.
Also in 2020, China's CO2 emissions rose by 1.5% while those of most other countries fell. Although, in 2020, the world retreated from coal, these retirements were eclipsed by China's new coal plants.
Even before China built those new plants, it was already the world's biggest emitter of fossil fuel carbon dioxide (CO2): In 2019, China was responsible for almost 30% of CO2 emissions -- roughly twice the amount emitted by the US, then the second largest emitter. China, the planet's primary coal consumer, already has the largest concentration of coal plants globally; in 2020, it produced 3.84 billion tons of coal, its highest output since 2015. In addition, China, in 2020, imported 304 million tons of coal, up 4 million tons from 2019.
According to the International Energy Agency, "79.7 percent of China's emissions came from coal in 2018 compared to 70.6 percent in India, 25.8 percent in the United States, and 27.9 percent in the European Union" and "Since 2011, China has consumed more coal than the rest of the world combined."
Despite being the world's reigning climate polluter, China keeps virtue signaling, falsely marketing itself as the champion of the environment. "We should protect nature and preserve the environment like we protect our eyes, and endeavor to foster a new relationship where man and nature can both prosper and live in harmony," said Xi Jinping at the recent Leaders Summit on Climate hosted by U.S. President Joe Biden.
In reality, however, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has done the exact opposite of preserving the environment. In an article published by the Yale School of Environment in 2017, Professor William Laurance wrote:
"I've never seen a nation have such an overwhelming impact on the earth as China does now.
"Across the globe, on nearly every continent, China is involved in a dizzying variety of resource extraction, energy, agricultural, and infrastructure projects — roads, railroads, hydropower dams, mines — that are wreaking unprecedented damage to ecosystems and biodiversity."
The article cited a World Bank analysis of nearly 3,000 projects, according to which:
"Chinese foreign investors and companies often predominate in poorer nations with weak environmental regulations and controls, causing those nations to become 'pollution havens' for Chinese enterprises."
In addition, Laurance wrote:
"China has long been a black hole for the illegal wildlife trade, the biggest global consumer of everything from pangolins, to tiger parts, to shark fins and rhino horn... China is a heavy consumer of illegal timber, despite belatedly taking steps to staunch the flow into its markets. In western Africa, rosewood forests are being illegally denuded, almost exclusively to feed high demand in China. The impacts are even heavier across the Asia-Pacific region, where native forests from Siberia to the Solomon Islands are being overexploited to feed Chinese timber markets."
Nevertheless, at the summit, Xi made it sound as if China had just been waiting for the United States to return to the Paris Agreement. "China welcomes the United States' return to the multilateral climate governance process", he said, adding:
"Developed countries need to increase climate ambition and action... they need to make concrete efforts to help developing countries strengthen the capacity and resilience against climate change, support them in financing, technology, and capacity building... so as to help developing countries accelerate the transition to green and low-carbon development."
The Chinese government, it appears, seeks to avoid shouldering its own emission responsibilities by continuing to define itself squarely as a developing economy -- "needing help" -- although China is currently the world's second-largest economy after the United States.
Every country that signed up to the Paris Agreement has submitted a target -- a nationally determined contribution (NDC) -- for reducing carbon emissions by 2030. China, on the other hand, got a pass to increase emissions until 2030, when they are supposed to peak. This peak, however, would still mean that the country was "generating huge quantities [of] CO2 — 12.9 billion to 14.7 billion tons of carbon dioxide annually for the next decade, or as much as 15 percent per year above 2015 levels".
At the summit, Xi repeated an earlier promise to achieve carbon neutrality before 2060 and to "strictly limit the increase in coal consumption over the 14th Five-Year Plan period [2021-2025] and phase it down in the 15th Five-Year Plan period". Notably, Xi did not mention decreasing coal consumption at all in the next five years; he was merely talking about limiting its increase.
If China were serious about reducing emissions, that intent would have been evident from its new five-year plan for the years 2021-2025, released in March. This plan, however, has been described as containing "little more than vague commitments to tackle carbon dioxide emissions."
"Under the plan, China's emissions will continue to increase", said Dr. Zhang Shuwei, chief economist at the Draworld Environment Research Center.
"Overall, the plan doesn't contain enough details on how China plans to accelerate the economy's decarbonisation, nor does it offer much strategic guidance on how to peak carbon before 2030 and reach carbon neutrality by 2060."
By contrast, the US, under former President Barack Obama, had pledged to reduce CO2 emissions from 26% to 28% below 2005 levels by 2025. President Biden, who in one of his first executive orders after taking office in January, rejoined the Paris Agreement, pledged at the recent summit, that the US would reduce CO2 emissions by at least 50% by 2030.
As the Wall Street Journal wrote in an editorial in February, initiatives like this explain why "Beijing loves Biden and Paris". They allow China, in the words of the editorial, to get "a free carbon ride" -- meaning unfettered economic growth at a time when China is looking to become the dominant economic and technological power in the world.
It is extremely unlikely that China will deliver on its climate commitments and there are enough precedents to show that the CCP's pledges cannot be trusted. In 1984, China pledged that Hong Kong's autonomy, including its rights and freedoms, would remain unchanged for 50 years under the principle of "one country, two systems" after the 1997 return to Chinese sovereignty. By June 2020, however, when China introduced its iron-fisted national security law in Hong Kong, China had reneged on its pledge, and the CCP continues to crush Hong Kong.
China also broke its 2015 commitment not to militarize artificial islands that Beijing has been building in the Spratly Islands chain in the South China Sea and it has never honored at least nine of the commitments it made when it joined the World Trade Organization, to name just a few instances.
The list of broken pledges does not even include the lies that China told the world about the supposed non-transmissibility of the Coronavirus, which originated in Wuhan and has so far taken more than three million lives and ravaged countless economies.
According to a study commissioned by the American Council for Capital Formation with support from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for 21st Century Energy in 2017, fulfilling Obama's Paris climate accord pledges could have "cost the U.S. economy $3 trillion and 6.5 million industrial sector jobs by 2040". The model used in the study included "calculated benefits from the building and operating of renewable energy projects. However, in the model, these economic benefits were outweighed by increased costs." How much will fulfilling President Biden's climate pledges actually cost and for what actual benefit to whom, and how much of a further edge will it actually give China?
At a time when China is so obviously saying one thing and doing another, and clearly not fulfilling its share of the world's commitments to reducing CO2 emissions -- as the world's second-largest economy should -- increasing America's climate pledges sends all the wrong signals. What China and others see is that no matter what it does -- even if it deceives the world and continues its predatory behavior -- the US is willing to reduce its own competitiveness, leaving China a thick red carpet to become the world's dominant superpower, the very role to which it aspires.
*Judith Bergman, a columnist, lawyer and political analyst, is a Distinguished Senior Fellow at Gatestone Institute.
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Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah join to incite terror against Israel - analysis

Seth J. Frantzman/Jerusalem Post/May 08/2021
The tensions in Jerusalem go back to late April when Ramadan began and Israeli police restricted access to Damascus Gate.
Iran is using tensions over Jerusalem as an excuse to lead other extremist groups in the region to push for terror attacks against Israel.
It is important to understand the timeline here. The tensions in Jerusalem go back to late April, when Ramadan began, Israeli police restricted access to Damascus Gate and a series of TikTok videos showed Arabs attacking religious Jews. There have also been tensions in Sheikh Jarrah in Jerusalem, protests that escalated in early May.
On April 22, dozens were wounded in Jerusalem after a far-right Jewish group clashes with Muslims at Damascus Gate. Hamas in Gaza said Jerusalem and al-Aqsa Mosque were being threatened, and warned that the “gates of hell” could open, a reference to war with Israel.
Fast forward to Friday, before the clashes on Temple Mount. In preparation for “Quds Day” – a day that Iran and its allies in the region highlight as a way to centralize focus on Jerusalem and increase incitement against Israel – a series of statements were made.
Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei wrote that “the Palestinians’ endeavors and the pure blood of resistance martyrs have managed to multiply Palestinian Jihad’s internal power by hundreds of times. Once, Palestinian youth defended themselves by throwing stones, but today they respond to the enemy’s attacks with precision missiles.”
This coincided with Hamas warning that Israel was going to “sabotage al-Aqsa.” The Iranian leader also said that “on the issue of Palestine, all Muslim states and nations are responsible, but the Palestinians themselves are the axis of Jihad.”
From Gaza to Tehran, the insinuation was clear: A coordinated message inflaming tensions around Jerusalem, weaving together conspiracies and calling for violence. There was less mention of Sheikh Jarrah in the statements, making it clear that current protest was not necessarily a central issue.At the same time, Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah gave a long speech slamming Israel. He said the recent stampede at Mount Meron, where 45 people were killed, demonstrated Israel’s “lack of preparation to confront war.” His point was that Israel is not ready for mass casualties. “Now, the Israelis are also fearful of a security conflagration with the Palestinians,” he said.
David Daoud, an expert on Hezbollah, transcribed most of his speech online. “Regarding the IDF – I won’t say the IDF is weak, but it’s not as strong as [Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Aviv] Kohavi would have us believe,” Nasrallah claimed.
The statements by Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran are not isolated. They occurred as a coordinated message, and the message was not just about Quds Day. They were preparing the ground for further violence. Hamas flags were being brought to demonstrations in Jerusalem at the same time as the statements.
This is also a Hamas ploy for power in Jerusalem, a city it has had a foothold in but in where it has had difficulty raising its head. It is a Hamas ploy for power in the West Bank after the Palestinian Authority postponed elections.
It is also a way for Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas to appear relevant. They also want to drive a wedge between Israel and its new peace partners in the Gulf, knowing that the violence in Jerusalem will pressure Bahrain, the UAE and others to make statements.
Similarly, they want to inflame tensions in Jordan. They know that Saudi Arabia has sought to tone down tensions with Iran and has been discussing rapprochement with Iran in Iraq, and with Turkey and Syria.
For Iran, this is a perfect opportunity to push tensions with Israel using the Jerusalem issue. Iran knows that on other fronts, whether nuclear weapons or entrenchment in Syria, it faces hurdles. However, it has long sought to play an increasing role in Palestinian affairs.
Iran’s media is pushing the line that Israel is in decline. The IRGC has made statements about how Israel’s “security bubble” has been burst.
Iran’s Press TV now highlights Nasrallah and how other Muslim countries are condemning Israel. Hamas, on Saturday warned Israel not to “play with fire.” He has singled out Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in this statement, not noting the current political turmoil in Israel after Israel’s elections.
On Saturday afternoon, thousands of Palestinians were reportedly trying to make their way to Jerusalem as part of the protests and their desire to “defend” Al-Aqsa. The bubbling crisis could now affect Israeli relations with the Gulf and may also spark the interest of Washington and Europe.
 

Rethink this betrayal of Afghan women before it’s too late
Baria Alamuddin/Arab News/May 08/2021
Only last month, video footage was circulated of an Afghan woman screaming for mercy as she received 40 lashes, meted out in rapid succession by two men. Her crime — judged by a rural Taliban court — was “immoral relations,” after allegedly talking to a man on a phone.
Taliban courts have handed down punishments of stoning and other brutal death sentences in “morality” cases. Human rights groups have reported hundreds of “honor killings” of women, some of which were given a quasi-legal status by Taliban kangaroo courts. Under the pre-2001 Taliban regime, stoning was a formalized punishment, and adulterers were routinely shot or stoned in executions conducted in front of large crowds. This is the “justice” Afghan women have to look forward to after a cowardly American retreat and the country again succumbing to Taliban control. A new US intelligence report spells this out: “The Taliban remains broadly consistent in its restrictive approach to women’s rights and would roll back much of the past two decades of progress if the group regains national power.”
To be an active and patriotic woman in Afghanistan often carries a death sentence. In March, three female health workers conducting a vaccine campaign were shot dead, and three female media employees were murdered in Jalalabad. Prominent human rights activist Fatima Khalil was killed in a bomb attack last year. Between 2018 and early 2021 at least 65 media personnel and rights activists were murdered in targeted killings. The 573 civilian deaths recorded by the UN in the first three months of 2021 included a disturbing 37percent increase in female victims.
Female enrollment has risen to about 33 percent in primary schools and 39 percent in secondary schools — a huge improvement on the Taliban era, but it means two-thirds of girls are missing out on education altogether. Over 20 percent of civil servants and 27 percent of parliament members are women, thanks in part to quota systems.
According to Afghan diplomat Shukria Barakzai, violence in Afghanistan has increased since the Doha deal was signed in 2020, with attacks on civil activists, women’s groups and the media. Women such as Shukria working within the Afghan governing apparatus feel deep trepidation about their future as Taliban ascendancy appears increasingly inevitable. Thanks to the US troop withdrawal, millions of girls and young women alsofear that their schooldays, university courses, and day jobs will be cut cruelly short, leaving them imprisoned in their homes facing a miserable future.
Relatively rosy statistics obscure the fact that there have been only minor improvements in rural women’sliving conditions since 2001. This is partly due to de facto Taliban control over much of rural Afghanistan, but also the result of deeply entrenched social attitudes. According to a recent UN study only 15 percent of men believe women should be allowed to work outside the home after marriage, and two-thirds complain that women now enjoy too many rights! Female employees in the public sector, including those in senior executive roles, complain of constant marginalization, discrimination and belittlement, and several have received“routine” death threats from the Taliban.
As well as being excluded from the education system and the workplace, women under the Taliban had miserably constrained access to healthcare. Over the past two decades female life expectancy has substantially increased from 56 to 66 years, and childbirth mortality has nearly halved. As Western troops pull out, many development and aid agencies will also be forced to depart, particularly if there is a marked deterioration in the security situation. Development and health projects in Afghanistan often had grave flaws and inefficiencies, but if these fragile safety nets are removed altogether, the future looks particularly grim.
It is shocking to me how supposedly enlightened Western nations launch military interventions, only to shrug their shoulders and walk away when things get tough, leaving chaos and humanitarian misery in their wake.
Attitudes toward women will take many years to change. Things have indeed been steadily improving, but that progress risks being lost overnight now that America is cutting Afghanistan and its women loose, while Taliban ideologues seek to reverse the cause of women by centuries.
After the Bush administration trumpeted women’s rights as a principal justification for invading Afghanistan, it is shocking how little serious attention this issue is receiving now that Western troops are leaving. During the Trump administration’s talks with the Taliban the issue of women’s rights was dismissed as a domestic concern, and virtually ignored. It has also been noted that of the 21-member Afghan government negotiating team responsible for talks with the Taliban, only five are women. One negotiator, Fawzia Koofi, was shot and wounded in an assassination attempt.
It is shocking to me how supposedly enlightened Western nations launch military interventions, only to shrug their shoulders and walk away when things get tough, leaving chaos and humanitarian misery in their wake. Iraq, Libya and Afghanistan are only the most grotesque and recent examples. The average US voter may have a negligible attention span, but traumatized people trapped in these failed states won’t forget.
We had high hopes for Biden’s glittering foreign policy team and their promises for a more ethical and committed approach to world affairs, but their fine words were immediately followed by this colossal betrayal of Afghan citizens. An exhaustive list of US security experts and former officials have condemned this withdrawal. In sub-Saharan Africa, Syria and Afghanistan, small numbers of Western elite forces can have a disproportionate impact in guaranteeing security and supporting local forces: Just 2,500 US soldiers in Afghanistan underpin a multinational force of under 10,000 troops, all of whom are now likely to depart. Whether under Obama, Trump or Biden, these hasty withdrawals have everything to do with domestic electoral calculations and nothing to do with regional security and commitments to local people left to rot.
The Taliban and Al-Qaeda haven’t been softened or moderated by the experiences of the past 20 years. Nothing has changed: If we don’t want Afghanistan to be a principal exporter of heroin, terrorism, refugees and instability, the Western world bears a fateful responsibility to continue supporting Afghan women and Afghanistan’s fragile democracy.
• Baria Alamuddin is an award-winning journalist and broadcaster in the Middle East and the UK. She is editor of the Media Services Syndicate and has interviewed numerous heads of state.

Why US Islamists are the enemy within
Dalia Al-Aqidi/Arab News/May 08/2021
Several candidates in various US states have already begun their campaigns for the House of Representatives and the Senate in next year’s midterm elections.
Islamist “progressive” politicians such as Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, who adopted and spread the narrative of American “Islamophobia and racism,” seem to inspire others to use the victim card to win votes. And why not? It worked for them. Rana Abdelhamid, a young Egyptian American woman who is running to unseat Carolyn Maloney, a fellow Democrat, in New York’s 12th congressional district, portrays herself in her campaign video as another victim of hatred in the US. “I was 16 years old when a man grabbed my hijab in a broad daylight and tried to rip it from my head. I felt powerless, abused, and scared,” she says.
In Virginia, another Islamist “progressive” is trying to win another term as a state delegate. Ibraheem Samirah also sees himself as a victim. He says in his election video: “My father traveled to Jordan to care for his ill mother and was denied re-entry to the U.S. by the Bush Administration. My family uprooted and relocated to stay together and fight for my father’s reinstatement.”
Samirah did not tell his constituents who his father and role model was, and why he was not allowed to return to the US in 2003. Sabri Samirah was a spokesman for the Islamic Action Front party and in 2011 he was introduced by Al Jazeera TV as a leading member of the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan. He was also the chairman of the Islamic Association for Palestine, which provided both propaganda and fundraising services to Hamas, according to US court records.
When Ibrahim wanted to praise his father, he simply said that he had learned from him how to properly sacrifice his life for Palestine. One might ask, why would a US politician sacrifice his life for a foreign country?
Islamists are gaining momentum in the US due to the new trend set by the far left, the so-called “progressives,” who are targeting the core of the US under the pretext of defending human rights, justice, and freedom.
Do all Muslim immigrants hate the US? Absolutely not.
Are all Muslim Americans radicals? Absolutely not.
Are secular Muslims uninterested in US politics? Absolutely not.
It is vital for the American voter to comprehend the danger of the Islamists and their agenda, and understand that Islamists are using division and the demand for racial justice to win their votes.
Most Americans are not aware of the huge difference between the terms “Muslim” and “Islamist,” so they place all Muslim immigrants in the same category as Omar and Tlaib, which makes it hard for a non-Islamist to pursue a political career. While secular Muslims have no proper representation in the US, Islamist politicians are backed by a few large Muslim organizations such as the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), which is known for its support of Muslim Democrat and “progressive” politicians.
CAIR’s co-founder and executive director Nihad Awad, who is a big fan of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the “godfather” of the Muslim Brotherhood, does not hide his feelings. He publicly praises the Turkish president for his leadership and support for Islamist movements around the world.
Clearly Awad has chosen to ignore the human rights violations committed by the Turkish regime, the thousands of innocent people thrown in Erdogan’s prisons, and the lack of freedoms in the country that he frequented. It is worth noting that Awad introduced Ilhan Omar to Erdogan during his visit to New York city in 2016, before her bid for public office.
American secular Muslims need to gather themselves under a national umbrella to be more effective and to raise awareness of the danger of the Muslim Brotherhood and other radical groups that are trying to infiltrate the US political arena to serve foreign agendas against the interests of America, its people, and its allies. It is vital for the American voter to comprehend the danger of the Islamists and their agenda, and understand that Islamists are using division and the demand for racial justice to win their votes. The track records of congresswomen Omar and Tlaib proves that their priorities are focused away from the districts and the constituents they were elected to represent.
Islamists in America need to be canceled, abolished, and defunded.
• Dalia Al-Aqidi is a senior fellow at the Center for Security Policy. Twitter: @DaliaAlAqidi