English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For May 23/2020
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news

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Bible Quotations For today
If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you for ever.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 14/15-26/:”‘If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you for ever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you. ‘I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.’ Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, ‘Lord, how is it that you will reveal yourself to us, and not to the world?’ Jesus answered him, ‘Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me. ‘I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you.

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on May 22- 23/2021
Lebanon keen to fight drug smuggling: president
Aoun praises foiling biggest hash smuggling operation from Sidon port
Parliament Debates Aoun's Letter on Hariri's Designation
Berri highlights crucial need for unity in his opening word at Saturday's parliament session
Hariri: I will only form a government according to the requirements of stopping the collapse
"Priority is to urge PM-designate to form cabinet, goal is to accelerate government formation to implement reforms," underlines Bassil
Bassil Says Hariri 'Can't Name All Ministers', Urges Constitutional Amendment
"Agreement an act of national responsibility," says Raad
Solution lies solely in holding early parliamentary elections, any other solution is nothing but a waste of time," stresses Adwan
Abou El-Hassan: 24 cabinet-member rule the best, most balanced option, with no veto power
Information Ministry invites media outlets wishing to participate in 'Arab Media Excellence Award' to submit their nominations before May 28th
Finnish finance minister steps down to give position to party leader Saarikko
Ohanian meets Lebanese Ambassador to Japan
Geagea: Campaign against LF ‘unjust’ and we seek more positions in state institutions

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on May 22- 23/2021
Gaza ceasefire holds as attention turns to humanitarian aid
US state secretary Blinken to visit Israel, West Bank on May 2627
Biden Vows to Help 'Rebuild' Gaza, Insists on Two-State Solution
Israeli-Palestinian Ceasefire Holding as Aid Arrives in Gaza
Life Slowly Resumes in Ravaged Gaza Strip after Ceasefire
Iran's Khamenei Says Israel 'Forced to Accept Defeat'
Boko Haram Chief 'Badly Wounded': What We Know
Nepal president dissolves Parliament; elections in November
Egypt, Sudan to hold joint drill amid tensions with Ethiopia
Sudan offers Russia limited presence on the Red Sea while avoiding frictions with US

Titles For The Latest The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on May 22- 23/2021
Biden's Worst Move Yet: Giving U.S. Vaccine Tech to China/Gordon G. Chang/Gatestone Institute/May 22, 2021
The world doesn’t need a ‘cold war’ in the Arctic/Luke Coffey/Arab News/May 22/2021
A year when all roads lead to Rome/Andrew Hammond/Arab News/May 22/2021

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on May 22- 23/2021
Lebanon keen to fight drug smuggling: president
Xinhua/ 2021-05-22
Lebanese President Michel Aoun said Saturday that Lebanon is keen to fight seriously against drug smuggling to protect the country's reputation, the National News Agency reported. "We are keen to stop all kinds of smuggling activities as they harm Lebanon's reputation and its relations with brotherly and friendly countries," Aoun said. The president's remarks came after an achievement, over the past few days, for Lebanon's security agencies who thwarted the biggest smuggling operation of four tons of drugs through the old port of Sidon to Alexandria in Egypt. Aoun praised the cooperation among different security agencies in Lebanon in this field. Lebanon risked straining its ties with Saudi Arabia when the latter foiled last month an attempt to smuggle over 5 million Captagon narcotic pills in port of Jeddah from Lebanon. This has prompted Saudi authorities to prevent the entry of Lebanon's agricultural products to the kingdom.

Aoun praises foiling biggest hash smuggling operation from Sidon port
NNA/May 22/2021
President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, praised the stopping of the biggest four-ton smuggling of KayfHash that was to be smuggled through the old port of Sayda to Alexandria. The President congratulated the Lebanese Customs for this achievement in cooperation with the anti-drug office in the Judicial Police, Army Intelligence and General Security. President Aoun also followed the path of controlling this smuggling process through the reports received, stressing that cooperation and coordination between various security apparatuses, which he has long called for, achieve such results that show Lebanon's keenness to combat smuggling of all kinds and thwart all attempts that harm Lebanon’s reputation and its relations with brotherly and friendly countries. --- Lebanese Presidency Press Office

Parliament Debates Aoun's Letter on Hariri's Designation
Naharnet /May 22/2021
Speaker Nabih Berri on Saturday presided over a parliament session dedicated to discussing President Michel Aoun’s letter on the issue of the new government and the mission of PM-designate Saad Hariri. State-run National News Agency said a large number of lawmakers were taking part in the session. The letter was recited Friday in parliament before Berri adjourned the session in a bid to defuse tensions between the camps of Aoun and Hariri. Speaking at Saturday’s session, MP Mohammed Raad, the head of Hizbullah’s bloc, said the priority now is for the formation of a new government. The priority is for “exchanging concessions for the sake of our country,” Raad added. Free Patriotic Movement chief MP Jebran Bassil and Hariri were scheduled to deliver speeches later in the session.

Berri highlights crucial need for unity in his opening word at Saturday's parliament session
NNA/May 22/2021
House Speaker Nabih Berri paid tribute in his opening word at today's parliamentary session to Palestine's victory in its resistance against the attacks on Gaza, Jerusalem and Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, as well as the glorious commemoration of "Resistance and Liberation Day" which falls on May 25.
"How can this illumination be extinguished in the country of radiance?" he questioned, adding, "Is it not time for this Lebanon to be at the level of its people?"Addressing a large number of attending deputies, the Speaker underlined the utmost need for unity at this critical stage in the country.
It is to note that today's session is devoted to discussing the letter sent to the Parliament Council by the President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun.

Hariri: I will only form a government according to the requirements of stopping the collapse
NNA/May 22/2021
In his delivered speech during today's parliamentary session, Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri said: "In form, we are before a president of the republic who exercises a constitutional right to address a letter to the parliament, asking to discuss its content and take the appropriate decision towards it...But in fact, we are before a president of the republic who says to the deputies: You named a prime minister whom I do not want and will not allow to form a government, so please get me rid of him!"He added, "We have all read that this letter aims to absolve His Excellency of the charge of obstructing the cabinet formation, just like the letters addressed to foreign capitals to protect some of the entourage members and the political team from sanctions brandished by the European Union or countries. The truth is actually beyond that detail, for it is not in the form but rather in the foundation."Hariri considered that the president of the republic aims at having the constitution amended to suit his goals, and in the event that his wishes are not met, he would disrupt political life in the country, and, more seriously, suspend any hope for the Lebanese to stop the catastrophic collapse of their state.
In this context, he hoped for a prolonged life for His Beatitude, Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rahi, and His Holiness, Pope Francis, so as to witness who is truly adhering to equality and full partnership in the country, and to the rights of Christians and their survival in their homeland, Lebanon. "For seven months, we have placed the PM-designate before an impossible equation: either the government is formed as per the terms of the president's political team, impersonating the will of his Excellency while claiming to have no demands, or else there is no government," Hariri underlined.
Consequently, the Prime Minister-designate vowed herein not to form a government as desired by the team of His Excellency the President, nor as per the aims of any particular political group. "I will only form the government according to the requirements of stopping the collapse and preventing the huge collision that threatens the Lebanese people in their daily sustenance, livelihood and state...I have said since the very first day of my acceptance of this noble yet critical national mission, with the tremendous challenges ahead, that I will solely form a government of non-partisan specialists, which has become a precondition for any external support, detailed in the roadmap that has become known as the French initiative," he emphasized. Hariri indicated that the constitution clearly affirms that the government is considered resigned if its head resigns or more than a third of its members resign. Thus, the President of the Republic's gaining of a third veto power would enable him to dismiss the government in a disguised constitutional amendment, as he explained. "His Excellency the President is not satisfied with obstructing the constitutional life and preventing the formation of the government. Rather, he claims in his letter to you that the Prime Minister-designate is incapable of forming the cabinet and is failing to conduct parliamentary consultations and to deliberate with the President of the Republic! The truth, which you all know, is that I did everything that was necessary, and more, and endured the intolerable, to reach a government that would start to fight the collapse," Hariri underscored, addressing the members of parliament.

"Priority is to urge PM-designate to form cabinet, goal is to accelerate government formation to implement reforms," underlines Bassil
NNA/May 22/2021
Free Patriotic Movement Chief, MP Gebran Bassil, stressed, in his speech during today's parliament session devoted to discussing President Michel Aoun's letter, that "his priority is to urge Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri to form the government, and not to withdraw his designation, since the goal is to accelerate the formation of a government to implement reforms." "We cannot set up a complete reform program if there is no government, and more correctly, there is no political, economic or social stability in the country if we do not form a government," he maintained.
"The goal is to urge Hariri to form the government and nothing else," Bassil stressed, explaining that "the issue is not sectarian and no one can take it in this direction, but it can be placed within the framework of the Constitutional Charter." He added: "The crisis can be a crisis of a system and a constitution, and this matter cannot be solved by Hariri alone or by the President of the Republic, or by any parliamentary bloc alone...The crisis needs the parliament to meet in a general assembly, pursuant to a letter from the President of the Republic, so that something can be done."Bassil indicated that the government formation has a certain methodology and is subject to the charter, adding that no one can exclude a certain sect from this process, nor can any sect monopolize the formation of the government. "The mere fact that the President of the Republic signs the designation decree entails that any detail of the cabinet formation is subject to his approval," he stressed. Bassil continued to state that "we cannot be accused of aiming for a third veto power in a government of specialists, as we have indicated that we do not want it, and so has the President of the Republic underlined since the very beginning.""We will support the government with every reform step and do not obstruct its formation, as it is in our interest to form a productive cabinet," the MP asserted. "Our constitution does not set deadlines, and this is a problem. The constitution must be developed in this regard in order to be safeguarded, and we, as blocs, have proposed a balanced and logical constitutional amendment," concluded Bassil.

Bassil Says Hariri 'Can't Name All Ministers', Urges Constitutional Amendment
Naharnet/May 22/2021
Free Patriotic Movement chief MP Jebran Bassil on Saturday stressed that all Lebanese sects have the right to be properly represented in the new government, as he called for a constitutional amendment that sets a deadline for PMs-designate to form a new government. Bassil added, in a speech before parliament, that President Michel Aoun and the FPM are urging PM-designate Saad Hariri to form a new government and are not seeking to withdraw his designation. Bassil was speaking during a parliamentary session dedicated to debating a letter sent by Aoun to parliament which blames Hariri for the ongoing delay in forming a new government. “The issue is not sectarian… but rather constitutional. The crisis might be a crisis of system and constitution, and this matter cannot be resolved by Hariri alone nor the president alone nor by any single bloc. The crisis needs parliament as a whole, following a letter from the president, and it can do something,” Bassil added. Underscoring that “no one can eliminate a sect” from the cabinet formation process, the FPM chief emphasized that no one sect can also “monopolize” that process. “As long as the president has a signature to put on the formation decree, this means that any detail in the formation process must be subject to his approval and he does not merely document the cabinet formation process or issue its decree,” Bassil went on to say. He added that ministerial portfolios must be “distributed to sects equally and to parliamentary blocs fairly.”“This is a known tradition and it is not the right time to tamper with it,” Bassil said. He also urged Hariri to submit a “detailed” line-up. Moreover, Bassil said a constitutional amendment setting deadlines for cabinet formation is needed, calling on Aoun to schedule a national dialogue session that would tackle the new government, reforms and the “change of the current system.”

"Agreement an act of national responsibility," says Raad
NNA/May 22/2021
"Loyalty to Resistance" Parliamentary Bloc Head, MP Mohammad Raad, deemed that the motives that propelled the president of the republic to send his letter to the parliament assembly are known, adding that the obstacles that delay, if not disrupt, the government formation and the positive and negative regional and international pressures affecting the favorable climates are also well-known. "In a devastated country like ours, citizens cannot help but perceive the absence of the government as a catastrophic sign, and a negative indication that exacerbates the problems in the country. Forming a government is a priority that needs no further discussion, and delaying it means losing or wasting the nation's interests in more than one direction," Raad underlined, as he addressed this afternoon's parliament council meeting attendees. He emphasized that agreement is a necessary and crucial prelude to forming the long-awaited government, adding that consensus here is not just a theoretical and moral issue, but rather an "act of national responsibility". He warned against the huge cost of incompatibility and lack of harmony at this difficult stage, which requires rendering the nation's interests above all other considerations."We urge our colleagues and everyone to expedite the formation of the government today, before tomorrow. Let's not waste any more time. Let us act realistically and exchange concessions for the sake of our country," Raad asserted.

Solution lies solely in holding early parliamentary elections, any other solution is nothing but a waste of time," stresses Adwan
NNA/May 22/2021
Head of the Administration and Justice Parliamentary Committee, MP George Adwan, considered that the current circumstances are not appropriate for engaging in interpreting and amending the constitution, and relying on sectarian matters to achieve aspired goals.
Amidst the people's suffering and the prevailing dire conditions, the MP called for returning to reality and working to rescue to country from its crises. "The amendment of the constitution needs a different climate, so let's discuss how to preserve the remaining institutions that are collapsing," he told the deputies attending this afternoon's parliament session. "Today we suffer from the parliamentary majority that has failed, and its latest manifestation was the Hassan Diab government with its consequences, as it was unable to implement decisions that were taken, while the decisions that have been implemented may take several years to be rectified," Adwan explained. He asked, "How will we be able to get out of the current situation while we have not learned anything from the 'October 17' Revolution? We said that we do not want anything from the government, and after 8 months, it has become clear that with the ruling majority, there is no good hope." "The solution today is through early parliamentary elections to change the ruling majority, and any other solution is nothing but a waste of time," Adwan corroborated.

Abou El-Hassan: 24 cabinet-member rule the best, most balanced option, with no veto power
NNA/May 22/2021
"Democratic Gathering" Secretary, MP Hadi Abou El-Hassan, stressed Saturday on the pressing need to meet and discuss together the concerns and sufferings of citizens in the country, and to eagerly look for solutions to avoid the huge downfall and stop the collapse of the state.
"How greatly we are in need of a session to discuss the statement of a reformist government that would restore confidence in the country and place it back on the right track," he said in his word before attending deputies during today's parliament assembly devoted to discussing the content of the letter sent by the president of the republic. "As a Democratic Gathering, we consider that there is no solution to getting out of the current crisis except through realism, which necessitates a speedy restoration of the calm and objective deliberation between the president of the republic and the president minister-designate, with the aim of forming a well-balanced mission government, away from any equations that may undermine its performance or hinder its work in the future, and this requires a settlement according to an acceptable and possible formula, and the rule of 24 ministers is, in our opinion, the best and most balanced formula today, without a third veto power," Abou El-Hassan underlined. "Today, we are all faced with a historic responsibility, so let us bear it courageously. Let us rely on ourselves and break this deadlock, let us get out of the deadly stagnation that leads us day after day to confusion, drowning, and devastation," the MP underscored, urging the parties involved to embark on a settlement without any further hesitation in order to salvage the country and its people.

Information Ministry invites media outlets wishing to participate in 'Arab Media Excellence Award' to submit their nominations before May 28th
NNA/May 22/2021
In an issued statement on Saturday, the Ministry of Information encouraged Lebanese media outlets wishing to partake in the "Arab Media Excellence Award" in the field of developmental media, to submit their nominations through the Ministry before May 28, 2021, so that the latter can send the candidates' names to the organizing side, namely the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States on May 29, 2021, being the specified deadline. This event comes within the framework of the sixth round of the "Media Excellence Award" marking the occasion of "Arab Media Day".
"The Award will be given to official Arab media institutions or officially accredited by one of the Arab member states, whether written or audio-visual, alongside Arab media professionals working in one of the Arab media institutions officially accredited by one of the member states," the statement explained. The Award is divided into eight categories, to name a few: best Arab media organization that has presented works serving sustainable development goals in the Arab region; best Arab media figure who has presented journalistic initiatives that support efforts to implement sustainable development goals in the Arab region; best press article that supports sustainable development efforts in the Arab region, etc. The Ministry indicated in its statement that nominations must center on works published, broadcasted, or shown via Arab media outlets during the years 2020 and 2021.

Finnish finance minister steps down to give position to party leader Saarikko
NNA/May 22/2021
Finnish Finance Minister Matti Vanhanen will step down to give the position to his party leader Annika Saarikko, the Centre party announced on Saturday.
The mid-term switch had been agreed when Vanhanen took the position from Katri Kulmuni who last June resigned over her use of taxpayers' money to pay for training in public speaking. Saarikko, who is currently the science and culture minister, told a local newspaper she thinks now is a good time to switch roles after the government published its public spending guidelines. --- Reuters

Ohanian meets Lebanese Ambassador to Japan
NNA/May 22/2021
Caretaker Minister of Sports, Vartineh Ohanian, recieved this morning Lebanese Amabssador to Japan, Nidal Yehia, during which they discussed Lebanon's participation in the upcoming Olympic Games in Tokyo, and the administrative and health details associated with it. Ohanian also met with Vice President of the Lebanese Olympic Committee and President of the Lebanese Football Association, Hashem Haidar, and member of the Lebanese Olympic Committee and the President of the Lebanese Muay Thai Federation, Sami Qiblawi.

Geagea: Campaign against LF ‘unjust’ and we seek more positions in state institutions
NNA/May 22/2021
Head of the Lebanese Forces Party, Samir Geagea, defended Saturday in an interview with Al-Sharq-al-Awasat newspaper, LF's behavior towards the Syrians that were heading to cast their votes to elect their President two days ago. "The campaign that was launched against the LF in the wake of the confrontations with the supporters of President al-Assad was unfair," Geagea said during the interview, indicating that the position of the Lebanese Forces is based on providing humanitarian aid to the Syrian refugees. He also rejected to describe the LF partisans as "bandits", saying: " We are not bandits, but rather peace seekers."Geagea called on those who voted for President Bashar Assad to return to their homeland. Speaking about the current political situation, Geagea considered that the current authority has lost almost all recognition domestically, regionally and internationally. In this context, Geagea called for early parliamentary elections, in order to reconstitue the state and find radical solutions for national crises, ruling out any any postponement of the parliamentary elections scheduled to take place next year. Commenting on what is said that he is working to increase the number of his deputies to reach the presidency, Geagea replied: "We want to attract all positions within the authority so that we can implement our political project, and this is normal, and this is the reason for the existence of any political party.
Finally, Geagea refused to evaluate President Michel Aoun's term, which is nearing the end, leaving the answer to the people.

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on May 22- 23/2021
Gaza ceasefire holds as attention turns to humanitarian aid
The Arab Weekly/May 22/2021
GAZA/ JERUSALEM--The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas-led Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip held into Saturday as officials said Egyptian mediators conferred with the sides on securing longer-term calm. The ceasefire began before dawn on Friday, ending 11 days of cross-border shelling exchanges that caused fresh devastation in Gaza, shook up Israel and raised international concern about a slide into wider regional conflict. Egypt, which mediated the halt to the fighting with US support, sent a delegation to Israel at around noon on Friday to discuss ways of firming up the ceasefire, including with aid for Palestinians in Gaza, Hamas officials told Reuters. The delegates have since been shuttling between Israel and Gaza, with talks continuing on Saturday, the officials said. Egypt Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry spoke with his Israeli counterpart, Gabi Ashkenazi, about stabilizing the Cairo-brokered Gaza cease-fire deal. A statement by Egypt’s Foreign Ministry said the two diplomats on Friday discussed shoring up the deal, which has mostly brought a halt to fighting between Israel and the Palestinians. They hope that will facilitate the reconstruction of Gaza. The statement said the ministers also agreed on the importance of coordination between the two nations, the Palestinian Authority and international partners on securing communication channels to achieve peace. It did not provide further details. The Egyptian government, meanwhile, said it would send a 130-truck convoy carrying humanitarian aid and medical supplies to Gaza, according the presidency. Despite confrontations between Israeli police and Palestinian protesters at a Jerusalem holy site on Friday, there were no reports of Hamas rocket launches from Gaza or Israeli military strikes on the enclave as of Saturday morning.
US President Joe Biden said on Thursday that Washington would work with the United Nations on bringing humanitarian and reconstruction assistance to Gaza, with safeguards against funds being used to arm Hamas, which the West deems a terrorist group.
Gaza medical officials put the Palestinian death toll from Israeli air and artillery strikes at 248, including 66 children. Israel said its forces killed more than 200 fighters from Hamas and allied faction Islamic Jihad, and that at least 17 civilian fatalities in Gaza were caused by militants’ rockets falling short.
Palestinian attacks killed 13 people in Israel, including two children, a soldier and three foreign workers, medics said. As thousands of displaced Palestinians returned to their homes, and Israelis began to resume normal life on Friday, international focus turned to the reconstruction of the bomb-shattered Gaza Strip. Convoys of lorries carrying aid began passing into Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing after it was reopened by Israel, bringing much-needed medicine, food and fuel. The UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund said it had released $18.5 million for humanitarian efforts.
Tens of thousands of Gaza residents ventured out on Friday for the first time in days, checking on neighbours, examining devastated buildings, visiting the sea and burying their dead. Rescuers there said they were working with meagre resources to reach any survivors still trapped under the rubble.
Large areas have been flattened and some 120,000 people have been displaced, according to Hamas. The Israeli army said Gaza militants fired more than 4,300 rockets towards Israel, of which 90 percent were intercepted by its air defences. “Our message to the enemy is clear — if you come back, we’ll come back too,” a spokesperson for the armed groups in Gaza said at a press conference, while Israeli defence minister Benny Gantz warned that “the enemy” had no immunity. Both sides claimed victory after the Egypt-brokered truce, which also included Gaza’s second most powerful armed group, Islamic Jihad. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel’s bombing campaign had killed “more than 200 terrorists” in Gaza, including 25 senior commanders — an “exceptional success”. For its part, Hamas’ political chief Ismail Haniyeh said they had “dealt a painful and severe blow that will leave its deep marks” on Israel. He also thanked Iran for “providing funds and weapons”. Iran itself praised a “historic victory” and reaffirmed Tehran’s support for the Palestinian cause, while there were demonstrations in support of Palestinians in Jordan, Libya and elsewhere.

US state secretary Blinken to visit Israel, West Bank on May 2627
NNA/Reuters/May 22/2021
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Israel and the Palestinian Authority in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday and Thursday as part of Washington's efforts to build on the Gaza truce, a source briefed on the planning said on Saturday. U.S., Israeli and Palestinian officials have not published Blinken's full itinerary. The State Department announced his visit on Thursday, saying he would "discuss recovery efforts and working together to build better futures for Israelis and Palestinians". Blinken's Middle East trip would include visit to Egypt, which mediated the Gaza truce between Israel and Hamas-led Palestinian militants, as well as to Jordan, the source said. ---

Biden Vows to Help 'Rebuild' Gaza, Insists on Two-State Solution
Agence France Presse/May 22/2021
U.S. President Joe Biden has pledged to help organize efforts to rebuild Gaza and said creating a Palestinian state alongside Israel is the "only answer" to the conflict. Biden also said he had told the Israelis to stop "intercommunal fighting" in the flashpoint city of Jerusalem. However he stressed "there is no shift in my commitment, commitment to the security of Israel" and added that until the region "unequivocally" acknowledges Israel's existence "there will be no peace." The idea of a two-state solution -- with a sovereign Palestinian state alongside Israel and Jerusalem as their shared capital -- has been the cornerstone of decades of international diplomacy aimed at ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. U.S. policy under Donald Trump was criticized as being blatantly pro-Israel and ignoring the Palestinians. A Mideast peace plan devised by Trump's adviser and son in law Jared Kushner was billed as providing for a two-state solution. But that blueprint envisioned a Palestinian state with only limited sovereignty and Israel maintaining security over that state. The plan was rejected out of hand by Palestinian leaders. Biden on Friday insisted on a full-blown two state remedy. "There is no shift in my commitment to the security of Israel, period, no shift, not at all," he said. "But I tell you what there is a shift in. The shift is that we still need a two-state solution. It is the only answer, the only answer," Biden stated.

Israeli-Palestinian Ceasefire Holding as Aid Arrives in Gaza
Agence France Presse/May 22/2021
The ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza was holding Saturday, as humanitarian aid began to enter the Israeli-blockaded enclave ravaged by 11 days of bloodshed. As thousands of displaced Palestinians returned to their homes, and Israelis began to resume normal life on Friday, international focus turned to the reconstruction of the bomb-shattered Gaza Strip. In Jerusalem, however, Israeli police cracked down on stone-throwing protesters at the highly sensitive Al-Aqsa mosque compound, in a sign of how volatile the situation remains, two weeks after similar clashes sparked the conflict's worst escalation in years. Israeli forces beat an AFP photographer who was covering the unrest there. Clashes also broke out in several other parts of Israeli-occupied east Jerusalem, and at the crossing point between Jerusalem and the West Bank, Israeli police said, adding that hundreds of officers and border guards had been mobilized. US President Joe Biden said he had told the Israelis to stop "intercommunal fighting" in Jerusalem, and pledged to help organize efforts to rebuild Gaza.
He also stressed "we still need a two-state solution. It is the only answer, the only answer."
- Aid arrives -
Convoys of lorries carrying aid began passing into Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing after it was reopened by Israel, bringing much-needed medicine, food and fuel. The U.N.'s Central Emergency Response Fund said it had released $18.5 million for humanitarian efforts. Tens of thousands of Gaza residents ventured out on Friday for the first time in days, checking on neighbors, examining devastated buildings, visiting the sea and burying their dead. Rescuers there said they were working with meagre resources to reach any survivors still trapped under the rubble. Nazmi Dahdouh, 70, said an Israeli strike had destroyed his home in Gaza City. "We don't have another home. I'll live in a tent on top of the rubble of my home until it's rebuilt," the father of five said. In total, Israeli air strikes have killed 248 people including 66 children since May 10, and wounded 1,948 others, the health ministry has said. Fighters are also among those killed. Large areas have been flattened and some 120,000 people have been displaced, according to Hamas. The Israeli army said Gaza militants fired more than 4,300 rockets towards Israel, of which 90 percent were intercepted by its air defenses.
The rockets claimed 12 lives in Israel, including one child, a teenager and an Israeli soldier, with one Indian and two Thai nationals among those killed, Israeli authorities say. Some 357 people in Israel were wounded. "Our message to the enemy is clear -- if you come back, we'll come back too," a spokesperson for the armed groups in Gaza said at a press conference, while Israeli defense minister Benny Gantz warned that "the enemy" had no immunity.
- Both sides claim victory -
Both sides claimed victory after the Egypt-brokered truce, which also included Gaza's second most powerful armed group, Islamic Jihad. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel's bombing campaign had killed "more than 200 terrorists" in Gaza, including 25 senior commanders -- an "exceptional success". For its part, Hamas' political chief Ismail Haniyeh said they had "dealt a painful and severe blow that will leave its deep marks" on Israel. He also thanked Iran for "providing funds and weapons". Iran itself praised a "historic victory" and reaffirmed Tehran's support for the Palestinian cause, while there were demonstrations in support of Palestinians in Jordan, Libya and elsewhere. Egyptian state media said two Egyptian security delegations had arrived to monitor the deal from either side.
'Genuine opportunity' -
World leaders welcomed the truce. "I believe we have a genuine opportunity to make progress and I'm committed to working toward it," Biden said. The European Union echoed his call for a two-state solution to the conflict. The U.S. State Department said top diplomat Antony Blinken would "meet with Israeli, Palestinian and regional counterparts in the coming days to discuss recovery efforts and working together to build better futures for Israelis and Palestinians". Russia and China called for a return to peace talks, and UN chief Antonio Guterres said Israel and the Palestinians must now have "a serious dialogue to address the root causes of the conflict."
He too called for "robust" reconstruction aid. The flare-up began in Jerusalem, sacred to Jews, Muslims and Christians. Its holy sites have sparked many of the worst episodes of Israeli-Palestinian violence. On May 10, an Israeli police crackdown on Palestinian worshippers at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound prompted Hamas to launch rockets into the Jewish state. Israel's military responded with air strikes on what it described as military targets in Gaza -- though Palestinian and international groups have accused it of recklessly hitting non-military sites in the densely populated strip. Israel says it makes efforts to avoid civilian casualties, including by phoning residents to warn them of imminent strikes. It blames Hamas for placing military sites in densely populated areas. The unrest also fueled violence between Jews and Israeli Arabs in mixed cities. Security forces have clashed with Palestinian protesters in the West Bank and east Jerusalem. At least 25 Palestinians have been killed. Israel said at least five had attempted to attack its forces.

Life Slowly Resumes in Ravaged Gaza Strip after Ceasefire
Agence France Presse/May 22/2021
Cafes reopened, fishermen set out to sea and shopkeepers dusted off shelves Saturday as Gazans slowly resumed their daily lives after a deadly 11-day conflict between Hamas and Israel. Aid trickled into the Gaza Strip, the blockaded enclave controlled by the Islamist group Hamas, as the focus turned to rebuilding the devastated territory a day after a ceasefire took hold. The Egypt-brokered truce halted Israeli air strikes on the crowded Palestinian territory and rockets fired by Palestinian armed groups at Israel since May 10. Rescue workers searched for bodies or survivors in mounds of rubble after what Gazans referred to in the street as the latest "war" or "escalation" with the Jewish state. In Gaza City's port, Rami Abu Amira and a dozen other fisherman prepared their nets before heading out to sea for the first time in two weeks. "We need to eat," he said after the Gaza coastguard allowed fishing again, though adding he would stick close to the coastline to stay safe. "We, fishermen, are scared the Israeli navy will shoot at us. It's up to everyone to decide whether to go or not."
- 'All lost' -
The latest round of bombardment killed 248 people in Gaza, including 66 children, and wounded more than 1,900 since May 10, the Hamas-run health ministry says. The United Nations says more than half of those killed, the overwhelming majority in Israeli air strikes, were civilians. Israel says it has killed "more than 200 terrorists", including 25 commanders. During the same period, rockets fired by Palestinian armed groups killed 12 people in Israel including one child, a teenager, an Israeli soldier, one Indian and two Thai nationals, the police say. Some 357 people in Israel were injured. On Friday evening in Gaza, Palestinian families had rushed to seaside cafes to breathe fresh air or smoke shisha. In a clothes store near the ruins of a ravaged tower block in the upscale neighborhood of Rimal in Gaza City, mannequins still wore the latest 2021 trends, but they were now caked in dust. Bilal Mansur, 29, said all his merchandise had been ruined. "There's dust everywhere, dust from the Israeli bombs clinging to the clothes. We won't be able to sell them," he said. Nearby store-owner Wael Amin al-Sharafa said he had stocked up his shop with new clothes to sell during the usually busy season of Eid al-Fitr at the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan."But now it's all lost," he said. "Who will pay for all this? I have no idea."
- 'Two-state solution' -
Convoys of lorries carrying aid began passing into Gaza Friday through the Kerem Shalom crossing after it was reopened by Israel, bringing much-needed medicine, food and fuel. The U.N.'s Central Emergency Response Fund said it had released $18.5 million for humanitarian efforts.
The latest round of Israeli bombardment forced 91,000 people to flee their homes in Gaza, the UN humanitarian agency says. It has hit 1,447 homes, completely destroying 205 residential blocks or homes, as well as ravaged electricity and water supply, according to the Gaza authorities. The U.N. says three main desalination plants providing drinking water for more than 400,000 people have stopped working. Both sides were fast to claim victory, as Egyptian state media said two Egyptian security delegations had arrived to monitor the deal. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel's bombing campaign had been an "exceptional success." Hamas' political chief Ismail Haniyeh said they had "dealt a painful and severe blow that will leave its deep marks" on Israel, and thanked Iran for "providing funds and weapons." The international community welcomed the ceasefire. U.S. President Joe Biden pledged to help organize efforts to rebuild Gaza and said creating a Palestinian state alongside Israel is the "only answer" to the conflict. "We still need a two-state solution," he said. Peace talks have stalled since 2014 including over the key issues of the status of occupied east Jerusalem and Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
- Al-Aqsa clashes -
In a reminder of ongoing tensions despite the ceasefire, Israeli police on Friday fired stun grenades at worshippers in the highly sensitive Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem. Israeli forces beat an AFP photographer who was covering the unrest there. The incident was reminiscent of the tensions in Jerusalem that sparked the latest round of conflict. Israeli security forces had cracked down on protests against the expulsion of Palestinian families from their homes to make way for Jewish settlers in the occupied east Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah. And they had also moved in on worshippers at Al-Aqsa, Islam's third holiest site. Hamas on May 10 launched of rockets from Gaza towards Israel, in "solidarity" with Palestinians in Jerusalem. The conflict sparked mob violence in Israel, and clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinian protesters in the West Bank. Israeli forces have killed 25 Palestinians, including four under the age of 18, in the West Bank since May 10, the authorities in the territory say. Israel claims five tried to attack Israeli forces.

Iran's Khamenei Says Israel 'Forced to Accept Defeat'
Agence France Presse/May 22/2021
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said Israel was "forced to accept defeat" by Palestinian armed groups, after a ceasefire between the Jewish state and militants in Gaza. "I thank dear and almighty God for the victory and honor bestowed upon Palestinian fighters," he said in a statement on his official website. "The continuation of crimes and the ceasefire were both (part of Israel's) defeat. They were forced to accept defeat," he added, noting that Israel was "powerless against the unified rise of Palestine.""The readiness of the Palestinian youth and the show of power" by armed groups in Gaza "will make Palestine more powerful by the day and the usurping enemy weaker and more despicable," he added. The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, the Islamist movement that controls the Gaza strip, and other armed groups in the enclave appeared to be holding Friday, after 11 days of fighting. Israeli strikes on Gaza since May 10 have killed 243 Palestinians, including 66 children, Gaza's health ministry says. Fighters are also among those killed. Rockets fired into Israel from Gaza have claimed 12 lives in the Jewish state, including one child, a teenager and an Israeli soldier, with one Indian and two Thai nationals among those killed, Israeli authorities say. Khamenei also called for legal measures against the Israeli government, including its prime minister. "All the effective elements of this regime and the criminal (Benjamin) Netanyahu must be pursued by international and independent courts and be punished," he said. The Islamic republic does not recognize Israel, and supporting the Palestinian cause has been a pillar of Iran's foreign policy since soon after the country's 1979 revolution. Hamas' political chief Ismail Haniyeh on Friday thanked Iran for "providing funds and weapons" to the movement. Iran's foreign ministry spokesman had earlier today praised a "historic victory" and reaffirmed Tehran's support for the Palestinian cause. "Congratulations to our Palestinian sisters and brothers for the historic victory. Your resistance forced the aggressor to retreat," Saeed Khatibzadeh wrote on Twitter. "PROUD to support your just resistance," Khatibzadeh added.

Boko Haram Chief 'Badly Wounded': What We Know
Agence France Presse/May 22/2021
In the 12 years since Nigeria's jihadist insurgency erupted in the northeast, Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau has been reported dead several times, only to reappear unscathed. On Wednesday, intelligence sources say, rival Islamic State-allied jihadists attacked Shekau's faction in their stronghold in Sambisa forest in northeast Borno state. Shekau was seriously wounded after trying to kill himself to evade the IS jihadists who surrounded him following a series of battles, the sources said. Nigerian media has been filled with speculation that the man who made international headlines for kidnapping nearly 300 schoolgirls in 2014 might finally be dead. But 24 hours after the news broke, the army was still investigating and details about where Shekau may be remain unclear. Here is what we know.
- Dead or wounded? -
If sources are unclear about whether Shekau survived, it is not the first time. The jihadist commander has resurfaced after multiple reports of his death over the years. "The whereabouts of Shekau and his fate are still a subject of speculation," an intelligence source told AFP on Friday after the Sambisa attack. "Only his close allies can give definite information on his state, whether he is dead or battling for his life."The Nigerian army spokesman could not confirm any of the details and said an investigation was still ongoing.
Neither Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) or Boko Haram have released any communique about the attack on Sambisa or the whereabouts of Shekau. Jihadists have a policy of avoiding power vacuum by appointing a successor once a leader dies or is removed. "The fact that Boko Haram has not named Shekau's successor is a strong indication he is not dead yet," one of the sources said.
Who are the factions?
More than 40,000 people have been killed and over two million displaced from their homes by the conflict in northeast Nigeria since 2009, and fighting has spread to parts of neighboring Chad, Cameroon and Niger. Since 2016, two rival factions emerged from Boko Haram after disagreements over Shekau's indiscriminate attacks on Muslim civilians and use of children and women as suicide bombers. Shekau's Boko Haram faction, known formally as Jama'tu Ahlis Sunna Lidda'awati wal-Jihad or JAS, was based in the Sambisa forest, and in the far northern border of neighboring Cameroon as well as Chad and Niger. The other was Islamic State in West Africa Province or ISWAP with its stronghold in Alagarno forest and areas of Lake Chad.
Sporadic clashes have erupted between the two factions over influence and territory. According to local intelligence sources, a new round of fighting erupted in April during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Boko Haram fighters ambushed an ISWAP brigade as they transported weapons to one of their main camps, sources said. Several ISWAP men were killed. In retaliation, in May, ISWAP launched an attack on a Boko Haram camp. Both sides suffered losses. But, the sources said, ISWAP took the fight to Boko Haram directly in Sambisa forest further south. "ISWAP's invasion of Sambisa was not to make Shekau surrender but to kill him for his unprovoked attack on its fighters in recent weeks," one local intelligence source said.
What happened in Sambisa?
According to details from the two intelligence sources, a large convoy of ISWAP trucks mounted with machine guns entered Sambisa. One group headed to the Boko Haram camp in Sabilul Huda, where Shekau had sought refuge. His faction had recently been weakened by air strikes by the military. ISWAP fighters surrounded the house where Shekau had been holed up, the sources said. What happened next is not fully clear, but Shekau was seriously wounded when he tried to kill himself to avoid being taken.Intelligence sources said Shekau shot himself in the chest and was later rescued unconscious by some of his men and taken to an unknown location.
What happens next?
Whether he is seriously wounded or dead, the loss of Shekau would be a huge blow to his Boko Haram faction where he was a central figure for years, analysts said. ISWAP had already became the more dominant force in Nigeria's northeast showing its capacity to carry out complex attacks on the armed forces. Its fighters have recently overrun several army bases. Taking Shekau's Sambisa forest stronghold would allow ISWAP to consolidate territory it already holds in Alagarno forest and southern Lake Chad, potentially allowing the group to control roads leading to the Borno state capital Maiduguri. While some pro-Shekau brigades along the Cameroon border and in Niger and Chad may want autonomy, ISWAP may now access a pool of Shekau's fighters and a partial reunification may be in the works, said Vincent Foucher, a fellow at French National Centre for Science Research. "Surely it is under discussion, all these guys are connected, they know each other and there must be negotiations going on. There are still some unknowns but what is clear is that it is a big win for ISWAP," he said. "A lot of people are happy to see Shekau dead, but it is not very good news if ISWAP becomes the single jihadist force in the area."

Nepal president dissolves Parliament; elections in November
NNA/ AP/May 22/2021
Nepal’s president dissolved Parliament and announced fresh elections on Saturday after the prime minister, who was heading a minority government and was unlikely to secure a vote of confidence in the chamber, recommended the move. A notice issued by President Bidya Devi Bhandari’s office set the elections for Nov. 12 and 19. Nepal has been grappling with a political crisis at the same time it’s struggling with a coronavirus surge and record numbers of daily infections and deaths, amid acute shortages of hospital beds, medication and oxygen. Last year, Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli dissolved Parliament on his own due to feuds within his ruling Nepal Communist Party. However, several petitions were filed at the Supreme Court and the judges ordered Parliament to be reinstated. The latest decision also is likely to be challenged in court and a decision could take weeks. -

Egypt, Sudan to hold joint drill amid tensions with Ethiopia
The Arab Weekly/May 22/2021
CAIRO - Egyptian military forces arrived in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum ahead of a joint drill amid mounting tensions with Ethiopia over a decade-long Nile water dispute, Sudan’s state-run news agency reported Friday. The dispute focuses over the controversial dam that Ethiopia is building on the Blue Nile, the Nile River’s main tributary. Egypt and Sudan want an international agreement to govern how much water Ethiopia releases downstream, especially in a multi-year drought, fearing their critical water shares might be affected. According to Sudan’s state-owned SUNA news agency, Sudanese and Egyptian forces will hold the manoeuvres dubbed “Guardians of the Nile” from mid-next week to the end of the month aimed at “strengthening bilateral relations and unifying methods on dealing with threats that both countries are expected to face.”The report did not say how many troops would participate. Apart from those that landed at Khartoum Air Base, another contingent of soldiers and army vehicles were expected to arrive by sea. Last November, Egyptian and Sudanese commando units and air forces held the drill dubbed “Nile Eagles-1” — the first joint military exercises since the ouster of Sudanese autocrat Omar al-Bashir in 2019. Talks with Ethiopia stalled in April; international and regional efforts have since tried to revive the negotiations over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam without success. In March, Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi warned that his country’s share of the Nile waters was “untouchable” and that there would be “instability that no one can imagine” in the region if Ethiopia fills the reservoir without an international agreement. Egypt and Sudan argue that Ethiopia’s plan to add 13.5 billion cubic meters of water in 2021 to the dam’s reservoir is a threat to them. Cairo and Khartoum have called for the US, UN, and the European Union to help reach a legally binding deal. The agreement would spell out how the dam is operated and filled, based on international law and norms governing cross-border rivers. Egypt relies on the Nile for more than 90% of its water supplies. Ethiopia says the $5 billion dam is essential, and that the vast majority of its population lacks electricity. Sudan wants Ethiopia to coordinate on the dam’s operation to protect its own power-generating dams on the Blue Nile. The Blue Nile meets the White Nile in Khartoum, before winding northward through Egypt into the Mediterranean Sea.

Sudan offers Russia limited presence on the Red Sea while avoiding frictions with US
The Arab Weekly/May 22/2021
KHARTOUM – The transitional authorities in Sudan have found themselves in a tough predicament. While Russia tries to hold on to previous agreements that guaranteed it a military presence on the Red Sea through its “Flamingo” base in Port Sudan, Khartoum is also seeking to strengthen its relations with Washington after Sudan’s removal from the US list of sponsors of terrorism.
Sudanese sources revealed to The Arab Weekly that Khartoum offered Moscow a different deal that includes allowing a limited Russian presence at the “Flamingo” base without heavy military vehicles or missile batteries nor with the building of a military airport.
Such cooperation would be within the framework of maintenance and technical support, meaning the nature of the base would become “civilian and provide logistical services for ships without military equipment that would embarrass Sudan with its Western partners.”
A Russian military delegation led by Deputy-Defence Minister Alexander Fomin, recently held talks in Khartoum and insisted that Moscow wanted to keep to the agreement signed at the end of former President Omar al-Bashir’s rule, which provided for the establishment of a supply centre in Sudan for the Russian fleet. Last month, there were reports that the building of the “Flamingo” base was suspended, although there was no official confirmation of such a move by Khartoum.
But several government leaders confirmed in various statements the postponement of military cooperation with Russia until the formation of the Legislative Council.
The same sources revealed that the military members of the ruling transitional council were “looking for a solution that combines continued cooperation with Moscow with uninterrupted Western support” since they did not want to “close the door to Russia, because there are advanced military relations between the two countries at the level of armaments, training, technological development and satellite intelligence collection”.
The visiting Russian delegation sought to preserve the substance of the original agreement by offering the Sudanese armed forces weaponry incentives. The aim was to maintain the current status of the relationship and conclude a long-term military agreement that strengthens the concept of a Russian presence on the Red Sea.
The Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said Tuesday that Russia and Sudan are continuing their talks over the issue of the Red Sea naval base agreement and that both sides remain interested in the project.
Strategic affairs expert, Rashid Muhammad Ibrahim, indicated that Russia is trying in various ways to settle the dispute over the “Flamingo” base and change the thinking of the civilian wing of the ruling council which is leaning unreservedly towards the United States. The Russians will try in doing so to provide Khartoum with the equivalent of the support it receives from Washington.
The Russian delegation is the second to visit Sudan since the decision to stop deployment at the “Flamingo” base. About two weeks ago, another military delegation spoke to the head of the Transitional Sovereignty Council, Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, about the possibility of implementing the provisions of the previous agreement.
It emerged that the matter needed more discussions among army leaders of the two countries, with Moscow promoting the idea of a deal for bilateral military cooperation that included the Russian presence on the Red Sea.
In a statement to The Arab Weekly, Rasheed added that the military members of Sudan’s ruling council do not want to throw all their eggs into the US basket and are seeking to keep a door open to Moscow just in case it is needed. But they do not want this approach to be a source of friction with Western countries.The slowly expanding cooperation between Khartoum and Moscow is in the interest of both parties, as it does not open the door wide to the Russian presence, while it keeps Moscow in the picture and does not preclude the possibility that the Sudanese will eventually overcome their hesitation, even if that would mean receiving additional assistance from Russia.
Moscow plays on its ability to provide military support to Khartoum while the country receives economic support from the United States and the European Union. Sudan in fact needs help from both sides as the Sudanese army’s weapons are mostly Russian-made and Khartoum would find it difficult to conclude military agreements with Western countries at a time when Sudan faces intractable economic problems and needs urgent aid.
In the meanwhile, Washington is putting pressure on Khartoum to end any Russian presence on the coast Sudanese coast.
The security alliances in the new Red Sea region, which include some Gulf countries, Egypt and the United States, do not allow for the presence of Moscow, which is seeking to launch a parallel alliance in cooperation with China in the same region. Thus, the transitional authority finds itself needing to make more clear-cut decisions to avoid muddling its relationship with the two axes. Strategic affairs expert, Major General Muhammad Khalil Al-Saim, emphasised that dealing with various pressures requires wisdom from the transitional authority in a way that does not align it with one party at the expense of the other, as it needs the support of all partners in the East and West. The financial aid obtained by Sudan at the Paris Conference earlier this week illustrated the desire of the international community to help build democratic rule in Sudan and highlighted the need for Khartoum to keep its foreign relations balanced.
Talking to The Arab Weekly, Saim stressed that Sudan is moving towards restraining its relations with Russia in a way that does not put it in an awkward position with the West. Furthermore, the absence of the Legislative Council at this stage means that decisions about foreign relations cannot be resolved until that body is elected and takes on the task of determining the long-term external compass of the country .
The civilian members of the transitional council have decided to gear their cooperation with major powers in a westward direction. This is a source of alarm for the military establishment which is wary of losing its influence. Besides, it feels security arrangements require Russian military support that will not be available in the event of a complete alignment with the West.
Observers have linked the Russian delegation’s visit to Khartoum to the invitation that Turkey issued on Wednesday to the Vice-President of the Transitional Sovereignty Council, Lieutenant General Muhammad Hamdan Dagalo, to visit Ankara, to discuss upholding the 99-year lease agreement signed between the Bashir regime and Turkey on Suakin Island (eastern Sudan). Faced with all these trends, Khartoum may enter a new period of pressure and counter-pressure reminiscent of past hidden alliances between Moscow and Ankara and with it bargaining by which each party achieves its own goals. This indicates that Sudan may turn into an arena for conflict between Moscow and Ankara on the one hand and Washington and its European allies on the other.

The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on May 22- 23/2021
Biden's Worst Move Yet: Giving U.S. Vaccine Tech to China
Gordon G. Chang/Gatestone Institute/May 22, 2021
A TRIPs waiver will not only impede vaccine production at this moment, it will also cause long-term harm. There are two principal concerns in this regard. First, a waiver for COVID-19 vaccines will obviously decrease the incentive for companies to make vaccines for the next disease. "The recent rhetoric will not discourage us from continuing investing in science," wrote Bourla, the Pfizer chief. "But I am not sure if the same is true for the thousands of small biotech innovators that are totally dependent on accessing capital from investors who invest only on the premise that their intellectual property will be protected."
Second, a TRIPs waiver will eliminate the most important of the barriers to China making sophisticated vaccines: patent protection. Reuters reports that the Biden administration does not want a waiver to aid the Chinese pharmaceutical industry and believes it can address this issue "through the WTO negotiations," but unfortunately it "did not specify how."
Of course, the Biden administration cannot stop Chinese companies once patent protection is waived. Furthermore, Beijing is not going to adhere to the terms of the waiver. As Reuters tells us, "Enforcing limits on use of the technology could be very difficult."
Chinese ruler Xi Jinping a year ago said China's vaccines would be made available as a "global public good," but Beijing has not offered them as such. Instead, China has offered its vaccines to other countries on extraneous and harsh conditions, such as de-recognition of Taiwan or the purchase of 5G networking gear from Huawei Technologies.
So why should the United States support China's biological weapons program to enable another deadly attack? That is exactly what Biden is doing with his proposed TRIPs waiver.
President Joe Biden is moving to surrender to China U.S. patent and trade secret protections on America's COVID-19 vaccines. Why should the United States support China's biological weapons program to enable another deadly attack? That is exactly what Biden is doing with his proposed TRIPs waiver. (Photo by Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images)
President Joe Biden is moving to surrender to China U.S. patent and trade secret protections on America's COVID-19 vaccines. Two of those vaccines, made by American-based Pfizer and Moderna, employ revolutionary mRNA technology.
Specifically, the Biden administration has agreed to support a request by India and South Africa for waivers that would permit members of the World Trade Organization to not enforce laws protecting patents and trade secrets covered under the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights Agreement (TRIPs).
"This is a global health crisis, and the extraordinary circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic call for extraordinary measures," declared U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai in a May 5 statement. "The Administration believes strongly in intellectual property protections, but in service of ending this pandemic, supports the waiver of those protections for COVID-19 vaccines."
Yes, extraordinary circumstances call for extraordinary measures, but not extraordinarily ineffective and counterproductive ones. The proposed TRIPs waiver, as it is called, is both.
Proponents of the waiver, who sometimes speak of "vaccine apartheid," argue that intellectual property rules prevent the making of desperately needed vaccines.
Such arguments appear correct on their face but in fact are not. As Albert Bourla, Pfizer CEO, explained on May 7 in a LinkedIn post, the "bottleneck" for more vaccines is the "scarcity of highly specialized raw materials needed to produce our vaccine."
A TRIPs waiver will not increase the supply of those materials — Pfizer's vaccine requires 280 materials or components from 19 countries — but it will increase the number of companies that enter the vaccine business. Therefore, the waiver will, as Bourla noted, "unleash a scramble for the critical inputs we require in order to make a safe and effective vaccine." He also issued this warning: "Entities with little or no experience in manufacturing vaccines are likely to chase the very raw materials we require to scale our production, putting the safety and security of all at risk."
There is another issue. Countries will need more than manufacturing facilities, patent waivers, and raw materials to make vaccines. They will need Pfizer's and Moderna's trade secrets, like the so-called "cookbooks." Unless the Biden administration plans to expropriate trade secrets — it is unlikely to do so — most developing world manufacturers will require months and perhaps years to obtain the know-how to actually make mRNA vaccines.
As Senator Ben Sasse, the Nebraska Republican, wrote in a May 17 Wall Street Journal op-ed, "The developing world lacks vaccine manufacturing, storage, and distribution capacities—and none of these problems are solved by an IP giveaway." Sean Lin, a microbiologist and a former lab director of the viral disease branch of the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, told Gatestone that the proposed TRIPs waiver "is a nice political gesture."
A TRIPs waiver will not only impede vaccine production at this moment, it will also cause long-term harm. There are two principal concerns in this regard. First, a waiver for COVID-19 vaccines will obviously decrease the incentive for companies to make vaccines for the next disease. "The recent rhetoric will not discourage us from continuing investing in science," wrote Bourla, the Pfizer chief. "But I am not sure if the same is true for the thousands of small biotech innovators that are totally dependent on accessing capital from investors who invest only on the premise that their intellectual property will be protected."
Second, a TRIPs waiver will eliminate the most important of the barriers to China making sophisticated vaccines: patent protection. Reuters reports that the Biden administration does not want a waiver to aid the Chinese pharmaceutical industry and believes it can address this issue "through the WTO negotiations," but unfortunately it "did not specify how."
Of course, the Biden administration cannot stop Chinese companies once patent protection is waived. Furthermore, Beijing is not going to adhere to the terms of the waiver. As Reuters tells us, "Enforcing limits on use of the technology could be very difficult."
"Very difficult"? Make that "impossible."
So the waiver, which will impede the delivery of COVID-19 vaccines, will also help Beijing develop China's biotech business, one of the ten sectors originally listed in its WTO-noncompliant Made in China 2025 initiative.
At the moment, China has failed miserably when it comes to COVID-19 vaccines. Chinese enterprises have developed five such jabs, but, despite months of head start on the rest of the world, they are barely effective. None of China's vaccines has been proven safe. Beijing has refused to hand over Phase III trial data.
China will be the primary beneficiary of any waiver. As Sean Lin points out, "China does not have any prior experience on industrial-scale production of mRNA vaccines" and a waiver, he says, will encourage more Chinese biotech and pharmaceutical companies to jump into the sector. After all, these enterprises will get years of research and development for free if Biden gets his way.
Chinese ruler Xi Jinping a year ago said China's vaccines would be made available as a "global public good," but Beijing has not made good on this promise.. Instead, China has offered its vaccines to other countries on extraneous and harsh conditions, such as de-recognition of Taiwan or the purchase of 5G networking gear from Huawei Technologies.
Moreover, if the Chinese are able to develop a vaccine industry, they will be more likely to create another disease and spread it, as they maliciously spread SARS-CoV-2, the pathogen causing COVID-19, beyond their borders.
The country almost certainly has a bio-weapons program in contravention of its obligations under the Biological Weapons Convention of 1972. The Communist Party also has a doctrine of "Unrestricted Warfare," and a 2015 book by Chinese military scientists suggests "unrestricted" means exactly that. "The core weapon for victory in World War III will be bioweapons," the authors brag. So why should the United States support China's biological weapons program to enable another deadly attack? That is exactly what Biden is doing with his proposed TRIPs waiver.
*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.
© 2021 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.

The world doesn’t need a ‘cold war’ in the Arctic
Luke Coffey/Arab News/May 22/2021
The foreign ministers of the eight Arctic countries — Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden, and the US — gathered in Iceland last week for the Arctic Council ministerial meeting.
The council, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, is the international community’s premier forum to address Arctic-related issues. It is strictly intergovernmental and operates on the cooperation and goodwill of the eight permanent member states.
This gathering was particularly important because Iceland, which just held the rotating chairmanship of the council, is handing the reins over to Russia. For the most part, the Arctic Council remains one of the fewinternational organizations in which Russia and the West still find scope for cooperation. This is mainly because of the the council’s remit. For example, its founding charter from 1996, the Ottawa Declaration, explicitly states that it will not focus on contentious military or security issues.
Instead, the Arctic Council has focused on economic development, indigenous populations living above the Arctic Circle, coordinated responses to ecological disasters in the region, and climate change. Since these are all issues on which most can easily agree, council has been able to escape a lot of the division in other international organizations over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine or its continued support of Syrian President Bashar Assad.
However, while the gathering in Iceland was about the Arctic, all eyes were also on the meeting between US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Not only was this their first meeting, but it was also the most senior level engagement between the US and Russia since President Joe Biden took office in January. The meeting barely touched on the Arctic. Instead, the two discussed that have strained US-Russian relations, such as Ukraine, Syria, the recent cyberattack against a US pipeline, and election interference.
But even with the spotlight on the US-Russia meeting, the international community should not ignore Russia’s chairmanship of the Arctic Council. Moscow’s interests in the Arctic are only natural considering that half the territory above the Arctic Circle belongs to Russia, which also has a long history of engagement there.While the Arctic region remains peaceful, Russia’s recent steps to militarize the region, coupled with its bellicose behavior toward its other neighbors, make the Arctic a security concern.
For example, in the early 18th century, Russia sent many expeditions to explore and map the Siberian coastline, at a crippling cost to the state coffers. The explorers, scientists, and adventurers who partook in the Kamchatka expeditions, known as the Great Northern Expeditions, numbered in the thousands. Even by today’s standards, it is still probably the largest scientific expedition in history.
Almost 300 years later, Russia is still staking new claims in the Arctic. In 2007, Artur Chilingarov, then a member of the Duma, led a submarine expedition to the North Pole, planted a Russian flag on the seabed, and declared: “The Arctic is Russian.”
In recent years, Russia has increased its presence in the Arctic — both militarily and economically. There is no doubt that Moscow will use its tenure as Arctic Council chairman to advance its national interests in the region. Russia is motivated to play an active role in the Arctic region for three reasons.
First, the Arctic is a low-risk way to promote Russian nationalism. Because nationalism is on the rise in Russia, President Vladimir Putin’s Arctic strategy is popular. Stunts such as planting the Russian flag on the seabed have no foundation in international law, but are loved by the Russian people. For Putin, the Arctic is an area where Russia can flex its muscles without any significant geopolitical risk.
Second, there is economic potential in the region and Putin knows it. The Arctic has large stockpiles of unexploited oil and gas reserves, most of them in Russia. Moscow hopes that the Northern Sea Route, which connects European markets with Asia along the coast of Russia, will become one of the world’s most important shipping lanes.
Finally, Russia takes the security situation in the region seriously. Moscow has invested heavily in militarizing its Arctic region. It has re-opened several old Soviet-era Arctic bases and built many more from scratch. Russia has developed new military hardware, specifically designed for warfare in Arctic conditions. Two-thirds of the Russian Navy is allocated to the Northern Fleet based above the Arctic Circle. While the Arctic region remains peaceful, Russia’s recent steps to militarize the region, coupled with its bellicose behavior toward its other neighbors, make the Arctic a security concern.
More and more actors are getting involved in the region, including China, which declares itself “a near Arctic state” even though its closest point to the Arctic Circle is 1,300 kilometers away. It is worth pointing out that this is a term made up by Beijing, and it does not exist in the lexicon of international affairs. As melting ice opens new shipping lanes and allows for greater exploration of natural resources in the region, the work of the Arctic Council will become increasingly important.
It remains to be seen what the coming years will hold for the council under Russian leadership. It is likely that Russia will pursue policies that preserve the existing cooperation inside the council with the West and not purposely antagonize the other seven members. Conversely, there is little appetite in Washington and among its Western partners to find areas of cooperation with Russia other than on climate change.
Nevertheless, it is in everyone’s interest that the Arctic remain a region of peace and stability.
• Luke Coffey is the director of the Douglas and Sarah Allison Center for Foreign Policy at the Heritage Foundation. Twitter: @LukeDCoffey

A year when all roads lead to Rome
Andrew Hammond/Arab News/May 22/2021
While Italy is one of the G20’s least prominent states, Prime Minister Mario Draghi is seeking to use his personal international prominence to help his country hold one of the most consequential annual presidencies of the club of world powers, which began on Friday with a pandemic summit.
Part of the reason Italy’s big year could be so important is that, in addition to the G20, it is also the UK’s prime partner in the organisation of COP26, the UN Climate Change Conference. Preparatory meetings will take place in September and October in Rome before the main event in Glasgow in November, and Italy is also coordinating closely with the UK-hosted G7 this year. So 2021 could be one of the most important years for the G20 since the 2009 meeting in London during the international financial crisis of just over a decade ago; the group, with UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown in the chair, coordinated a $1 trillion stimulus package to bolster the global economy.
At Friday’s health summit leaders adopted a series of key measures, including a declaration for voluntary licensing and technology transfers to boost vaccine production. The most ambitious idea, however, came from the IMF, which proposed a $50 billion project aimed at ending the pandemic by vaccinating 40 percent of people globally by the end of 2021, and at least 60 percent by the first half of 2022. Doing so, IMF officials say, would inject the equivalent of $9 trillion into the global economy by 2025 due to a faster resumption of economic activity.
Building from the Saudi presidency last year, one of the prizes Draghi is seeking in 2021 is development of a genuinely global response to the pandemic which has been stymied to date by the lack of interest in this outcome from some world leaders. They include Donald Trump, who decided last year to play golf rather than attend all the G20 sessions of the leadership meeting following his decision last year to pull the US out of the WHO.
While the Italian presidency has the potential to be one of the most important since 2009, much will now depend on whether intra-G20 divisions ameliorate, or grow, in the five months run-in to October’s leadership summit.
With his comments at last year’s G20 that he wanted to “vaccinate America first,” Trump also fueled a vaccine nationalism that WHO chief Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said last week had become a “vaccine apartheid.” The latest data here is stark; high-income countries account for 15 percent of the world’s population but have 45 percent of the world’s vaccines, while low and lower-middle countries account for almost half of the world’s population but have received just 17 percent of the world’s vaccines.
With Trump now out of office, and Western countries split on the issue of vaccine patent waivers with Germany strongly against, another key division within the G20 is between China and the US. Not all G20 leaders have fully embraced the advice of Ghebreyesus last year to come together to find joint solutions to coronavirus and “ignite a new global movement” to ensure it never happens again.
While there are some signs of a bridging of these gaps, Draghi still has much work to do this year. There are also wider concerns about how easy it will be to implement the agreements on Friday and later this year. While the G20 is widely seen to have seized the mantle from the G7 as the premier forum for international economic cooperation and global governance, it has failed so far to realize the full scale of the ambition some thrust upon it, in part because it has no formal mechanisms to ensure enforcement of agreements by world leaders.
Moreover, at a time of a continuing global health emergency, there also remain concerns by states outside the G20 about the club’s legitimacy, and its composition, which was decided in the late 1990s by the US andG7 colleagues. While states were nominally selected according to criteria such as population, GDP etc, criticism has been made of omissions such as Nigeria, which has three times South Africa’s population.
This issue has been picked up by the host of the 2009 summit, Brown, in the context of coronavirus. He has urged the G20 to work much more closely with the 193-member UN to tackle the pandemic.
Nevertheless, whether or not the G20 lives up in 2021 to some of Draghi’s high expectations, it continues to be a forum that is generally highly prized by its members, as Friday’s session showed. While the Italian presidency has the potential to be one of the most important since 2009, much will now depend on whether intra-G20 divisions ameliorate, or grow, in the five months run-in to October’s leadership summit.
*Andrew Hammond is an Associate at LSE IDEAS at the London School of Economics