English LCCC Newsbulletin For
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For 09-10 July/2022
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
The Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/aaaanewsfor2021/english.july10.22.htm
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Bible Quotations For today
When they hand you over, do not worry about
how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be
given to you at that time; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your
Father speaking through you.
Matthew 10/16-25/:”‘See, I am sending you out like
sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.
Beware of them, for they will hand you over to councils and flog you in their
synagogues; and you will be dragged before governors and kings because of me, as
a testimony to them and the Gentiles. When they hand you over, do not worry
about how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will
be given to you at that time; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of
your Father speaking through you. Brother will betray brother to death, and a
father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to
death; and you will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures
to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next;
for truly I tell you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel
before the Son of Man comes. ‘A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a slave
above the master; it is enough for the disciple to be like the teacher, and the
slave like the master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul,
how much more will they malign those of his household!”
Whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is
not worthy of me
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew
10/34-39/:”‘Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have
not come to bring peace, but a sword.For I have come to set a man against his
father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her
mother-in-law; and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household. Whoever
loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son
or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up the
cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Those who find their life will lose it,
and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.”
Titels
For English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News
& Editorials published on July 09-10/2022
Israel Confirms Lebanon’s Approval of its Share in Karish Gas Field
President Aoun congratulates the Lebanese on Al-Adha Eid, calls for drawing
lessons from the meaning of sacrifice
Aoun urges 'some' parties to sacrifice their interests for Lebanon's sake
Lebanon attempts to restore membership in World Customs Organization
Reports: US mediates to give Lebanon Qana field, negotiations to resume soon
Mikati stresses need to form govt. before presidential election
Reports: Line-up talks to resume after Adha, no govt. before presidential
election
Qaouq says Hezbollah drones had a 'quick effect'
Samir Geagea hopes Lebanese will get rid of 'hijackers'
MP Strida Geagea: We are fighting an existential and fateful battle
Corona - MOPH: 1741 new coronavirus infections, one death
Bassil, Khazen meet
Foreign Ministry condemns Abe's assassination
Working for the future Lebanon deserves: An op-ed by outgoing UK ambassador
EU EOM led a roundtable with stakeholders to explore ways to implement its
recommendations to improve future electoral processes in Lebanon
Berri discusses general situation with French Ambassador, meets Belgian
Ambassador and UNICEF’s Beigbeder, receives congratulatory cables marking...
Lebanon: Economy Minister Speaks of ‘Gangs’ in Ministries
Justice for Lebanon
Titles For Latest English LCCC
Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on July 09-10/2022
Former Iranian FM Responds to Criticism
IRGC Says it Neutralized Terrorist Cell, 4 of its Members Killed
Iran Detains Prominent Activist, 2 Filmmakers on Security Charges
Turkey Convicts 14 Accused of Killing Iranian Dissident
Britain Refutes Iranian Media Reports on British Diplomat Arrest
Iran, Oman Discuss Nuclear Talks
British Navy Says it Seized Smuggled Iranian Missiles Early this Year
Assad Makes Rare Visit to Syria’s North
Abbas, Gantz Meet Ahead of Biden’s Visit
Egypt Pardons Dozens of Prisoners of Conscience
New Partnership Between Rabat, EU to Tackle Human Smuggling Networks
Zelenskiy sacks Ukraine's envoy to Germany, other ambassadors
Russia threatens broad Ukraine offensive as U.S. presses China over war stance
Blinken, China's Wang Yi hold talks covering Ukraine war and trade
Sri Lanka leader flees as protesters storm home, office
Shinzo Abe murder suspect: What we know
Canada/Minister Joly announces additional sanctions targeting Russian
disinformation and propaganda agents
Titles For LCCC English
analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published
on July 09-10/2022
‘When they call you “apostate”, they don’t see you like a human
anymore’/July 09/2022/articleeighteen.com/news
Reassessing U.S. International Broadcasting/Alberto M. Fernandez • Summer 2022
Wanting the Iran Nuclear Deal for the Wrong Reasons/Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone
Institute./July 09/2022
European Scientists Empowering China's Military/Judith Bergman/ Gatestone
Institute/July 09/2022
Boris Johnson Leaves a Mixed Legacy With His Brexit Gambit/Peter Coy/The New
York Times/July 09/2022
Jobs Report Gives Powell a Little More Runway on Rates/Jonathan
Levin/Bloomberg/July 09/2022
We're Starting to See Clear Signs of Tech Troubles/Tim Culpan/Bloomberg/July
09/2022
Shinzo Abe's Assassination Will Scar Japan Forever/Gearoid Reidy/Bloomberg/July
09/2022
Ukraine War: Unified Command Needed/Amir Taheri/Asharq Al-Awsat/July 09/2022
Biden’s Devious Rhetoric on Saudi Arabia/Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Al-Awsat/July
09/2022
The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on July 09-10/2022
Israel Confirms Lebanon’s Approval of its Share in Karish Gas Field
Tel Aviv - Nazir Magally/Asharq Al-Awsat/July 09/2022
An agreement put forward by US mediator Amos Hochstein stipulated that Lebanon
gain control over the Qana field in exchange for granting Israel full rights in
the Karish oil field, well-informed sources in Tel Aviv said. The sources noted
that most politicians in Lebanon have voiced support for this agreement, except
for the Shiite duo Hezbollah and Amal. The draft agreement reached by Hochstein
stated that the dispute was limited to an area of 860 square kilometers, not
2,350 km as previously claimed by Lebanon. Tel Aviv, however, is asking for
guarantees that the Shiite duo would abide by the Lebanese official position and
that it would refrain from threatening the Israeli wells. These Israeli fears
emerged after Hezbollah launched three drones towards the Israeli Exclusive
Economic Zone (EEZ) on Saturday. Another drone was launched towards the Israeli
EEZ earlier last week, before being shot down by an Israeli aircraft near the
border with Lebanon. In an attempt to persuade Israel to respond positively to
the agreement with Lebanon, Hochstein is set to visit Israel next week, as part
of the delegation accompanying President Joe Biden to the region. He will meet
with Energy Minister Karine Elharrar and other officials in Tel Aviv to finalize
the agreement. The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation (KAN 11) quoted a
high-ranking Israeli official as pointing to the “possibility of achieving great
progress in the file of demarcating the maritime border with Lebanon during
Hochstein’s expected visit,” noting that the American mediator will convey to
Israel the Lebanese stance.
President Aoun congratulates the Lebanese on Al-Adha Eid,
calls for drawing lessons from the meaning of sacrifice
NNA/July 09/2022
President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, congratulated the Lebanese on
the occasion of the blessed Al-Adha feast. President Aoun called for recalling
the true meanings of this feast by sacrificing for the interest of Lebanon and
the Lebanese, in contrast to the positions of some who put their interests and
selfishness ahead of the nation's interest.
The President wrote on his Twitter account:
“On the onset of the blessed Al-Adha, we draw lessons from the meanings and
dignity of sacrifice.
It would be desirable if some would sacrifice their interests and selfishness
for the sake of the interest of their homeland and the happiness of its people.
I hope that through every feast, Lebanon and the Lebanese remain fine”.
Congratulations to heads of Arab and Islamic countries:
The President sent congratulatory cables to kings, presidents and princes of
Arab and Islamic countries, on the occasion of Al Adha.
President Aoun wished that God would bless their countries and peoples with
goodness, peace of mind, stability and progress.
The President also expressed his hope that bilateral relations would witness
development and progress in various fields. -- Presidency Press Office
Aoun urges 'some' parties to sacrifice their interests for
Lebanon's sake
Naharnet/July 09/2022
President Michel Aoun urged the Lebanese on Friday to learn from Eid al-Adha the
meaning of sacrifice. "If only some (politicians) would sacrifice their
interests for the sake of their homeland and the happiness of the Lebanese
people," Aoun said in a statement on social media. As Muslim pilgrims offer
prayers of repentance today on the sacred hill of Mount Arafat in Saudi Arabia,
commemorating the prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail at
God’s request, Lebanon's leaders haggle over a new cabinet line-up. Parliament
Speaker Nabih Berri had said he will not accept Adha greetings as Lebanon
struggles with an unprecedented economic crisis, while former PM Saad Hariri
prayed for Lebanon to get out of its crisis and enjoy stability.
Lebanon attempts to restore membership in World Customs Organization
Naharnet/July 09/2022
Lebanon's membership in the World Customs Organization (WCO) has been suspended
weeks ago, due to payment problems, al-Jadeed reported Friday.
"Lebanon has failed to pay its dues," the media outlet said, adding that "the
Higher Customs Council is communicating with the WCO to restore Lebanon's
membership. Al-Jadeed said that Lebanon has received promises that its
membership will be restored.
Reports: US mediates to give Lebanon Qana field,
negotiations to resume soon
Naharnet/July 09/2022
A major progress is expected in the negotiations over the sea border demarcation
between Lebanon and Israel, according to media reports and to both Lebanese and
Israelis. Lebanese newspaper al-Akhbar said Friday that Washington has been
assuring the Lebanese political forces, through continuous talks, that Israel
and the U.S. are not seeking escalation and that they are committed to resuming
the negotiations. The daily added, as it quoted informed sources, that the U.S.
will try to convince Israel to give Lebanon the Qana field, "without any
compensation in return." On Saturday, Hezbollah had launched three unarmed
reconnaissance drones towards the offshore Karish gas field and Israel said it
shot them down. Caretaker Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib and Prime
Minister-designate Najib Mikati later condemned the drones' launching. Al-Joumhouria
newspaper said Friday that the official Lebanese position has been unified in
the recent hours, as high-level politicians have discussed the drones incident
during lengthy meetings. "They have agreed that all the statements will serve
Lebanon's interest in the negotiations," the report said, adding that the
negotiations with U.S. mediator Amos Hochstein will officially resume in the
coming days.
Mikati stresses need to form govt. before presidential
election
Naharnet/July 09/2022
Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati stressed Friday the need to speed up the
government formation, before President Michel Aoun's term comes to an end. "The
tight timeline and the upcoming junctures require us to take proactive steps and
to form a new government quickly, before the presidential election," Mikati said
in a statement. He urged the Lebanese for national unity to face the collapse,
along with "the government's intensive efforts to put the country on the path of
economic, financial and social recovery." Mikati said the caretaker government
is still "cooperatively and positively" working, in collaboration with the
Parliament, in order to approve the budget draft law and other reform projects
that are required for a final agreement with the International Monetary Fund.
Reports: Line-up talks to resume after Adha, no govt.
before presidential election
Naharnet/July 09/2022
All consultations over the Cabinet formation have been halted, al-Akhbar
newspaper said Friday, as it considered that no government will be formed before
the end of President Michel Aoun's term. Another media report, also published on
Friday, said that Aoun and Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati will not meet
before Wednesday, which marks the end of the Adha holiday. The report added that
the Free Patriotic Movement ministers might resign in an attempt to press Mikati
to speed up the government formation. Last week, Mikati handed Aoun the new
government’s draft line-up, after a week of being re-appointed as Prime
Minister. The line-up was leaked on the same day. Only some of the caretaker
ministers were replaced and the energy portfolio was not given to the FPM,
neither to a Christian candidate. Greek Orthodox caretaker Minister Walid Fayyad
was replaced by a Sunni candidate. Later last week, after the two leaders met
again, Mikati said he is "ready to amend" the cabinet line-up and that any
line-up will respect equal power-sharing between Christians and Muslims.
Qaouq says Hezbollah drones had a 'quick effect'
Naharnet/July 09/2022
Senior Hezbollah official Sheikh Nabil Qaouq on Saturday boasted that the three
drones that Hezbollah sent towards the Karish gas field last Saturday had a
“quick effect” on the course of the sea border demarcation negotiations.
“The resistance today is a strategic treasure, the shield of Lebanon and the
title of its glory. It has performed its duty in a manner that serves the
interest of the Lebanese and preserves their dignity and resources,” Qaouq, who
is a member of Hezbollah’s central council, added, referring to the drones
flight.
“The drones message took place at the appropriate place and time and it had a
quick effect. It was a 100% patriotic message and its objectives were Lebanese
and not related to Iranian negotiations nor to U.S. visits,” the Hezbollah
official went on to say. “The drones plunged the Israeli enemy into new
equations and calculations, and the post-drones period does not resemble the
pre-drones one,” Qaouq said. He added: “The stances of the officials should
enhance Lebanon’s position in the negotiations and block the interferences and
dictations of embassies, because when Lebanon’s resources are threatened by the
enemy, it is not acceptable to submit to an ambassador, regardless of the
identity of this ambassador.”
Samir Geagea hopes Lebanese will get rid of 'hijackers'
Naharnet/July 09/2022
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea on Saturday hoped the Lebanese people will
manage to get rid of whom he called the “hijackers” of their “dreams.”“On Eid
al-Adha, we extensively reflect on the meanings of this feast, hoping the
Lebanese people’s sacrifices over the past years will translate into a better
future that is full of welfare, safety and peace, after we get rid of the
hijackers of our dreams,” Geagea tweeted.
MP Strida Geagea: We are fighting an existential and
fateful battle
NNA/July 09/2022
MP Strida Geagea conducted an inspection field tour to reveal the progress of
the "Labor and Roads" project funded by the World Bank. During the tour, MP
Geagea said that "we are fighting an existential and fateful battle for Lebanon,
and the next presidential entitlement is a crucial and critical one." The MP
called on all the new deputies, to join efforts and overcome some considerations
and learn from what happened in the last two months, in order to prove together
their presence. "We should all be as confident as people have given us, uniting
our efforts to choose a sovereign president who represents the aspirations of
the Lebanese people and lifts us out of the deep chasm we are in," she added.
"We promise that we will always be by our people's side in this difficult stage
until we get out of this dark tunnel," Geagea concluded.
Corona - MOPH: 1741 new coronavirus infections, one death
NNA//July 09/2022
Lebanon has recorded 1741 new coronavirus cases and one death in the last 24
hours, as reported by the Ministry of Public Health on Saturday.
Bassil, Khazen meet
NNA/July 09/2022
Free Patriotic Movement, MP Gebran Bassil, met this Saturday in Laqlouq with MP
Farid Heikal Al-Khazen.According to a statement from MP Khazen Media's office,
the pair reportedly discussed the upcoming constitutional entitlements and how
political forces cooperate and open to each other to get Lebanon out of the
crisis.
Foreign Ministry condemns Abe's assassination
NNA/July 09/2022
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants condemned, in the strongest terms,
the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. "This crime
claimed the lives of a prominent Japanese and international figure with
distinguished fingerprints in all international forums and in the establishment
of the rules of international law," the statement said. 'His assassination was a
loss not only for the friendly Japanese people but for the entire international
community," it added. “The late was a friend of Lebanon and his people as a
member of the Japan-Lebanese Parliamentary Friendship Committee, and he has
previously visited Lebanon in this capacity,” the statement went on. "I extend
my sincere condolences to His Majesty the Emperor, the Government and the
Japanese people, especially his family," the statement concluded.
Working for the future Lebanon deserves: An op-ed by
outgoing UK ambassador
Naharnet/July 09/2022
Below is the op-ed’s full text as received from the British embassy:
After an eventful year serving as the British Ambassador to Lebanon, this week I
will leave your uniquely beautiful country to return to my own. I am sad to go.
I have greatly enjoyed my Lebanese experiences. Exploring stunning landscapes,
delving back through your archaeological history, tasting your delicious food,
and above all meeting so many of you on my travels, from north to south, into
the mountains and the Bekaa. Thank you for welcoming me with open arms and
sharing with me your culture, your counsel and your wisdom.
Lebanon may be small, but it is in several respects perfectly formed. Lebanon
enjoys many of the ingredients necessary for success, in particular a foundation
cemented in its rich and deep history, complemented by a modern vibrancy,
entrepreneurship and undeniable human capacity.
Yet, the jewel of the eastern Mediterranean is not living up to its potential.
Many of you are suffering amid the ongoing failure of Lebanon’s powerbrokers to
serve your interests – the interests of the Lebanese people.
If the ingredients are present, the recipe for a brighter future is also clear
and within grasp. It is clear that Lebanon’s broken economy desperately needs
the support of an IMF deal.
In my meetings with politicians and bankers, most seem not to want to accept
that Lebanon must do everything that is asked in order to receive an
international rescue package. There can be no Lebanon exceptionalism any more.
Lebanon must adopt the necessary laws, open the books without preconditions, and
reset the banking sector. The alternative is more and more of you forced into
increasingly desperate measures to survive.
Reform, done now, is the key to resolving Lebanon’s economic woes. Now is not
the time for politicking. Never has it been more critical for your leaders to
take the necessary decisions, however challenging that may be. They owe it to
you to deliver better governance, transparency and accountability. They must
show compassion and a commitment to bettering the lives of their fellow country
people. Public interest must outweigh personal interest.
The UK’s priorities remain clear. The British government is committed to
supporting Lebanon’s stability and security. We have deepened and broadened our
partnerships with the Lebanese Armed Forces and the Internal Security Forces.
Our support to the education sector has helped build a better future for
Lebanon’s youth, those who will be the future generation of Lebanese leaders. We
will continue to provide humanitarian support to the most vulnerable, advocate
for their rights, and stand up for those at risk of prejudice and persecution.
Lebanon matters. In 2019, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II said that Lebanon was a
“symbol of diversity, tolerance and resilience”. She wished for continuing
strong bonds of friendship between our two countries for many years. As I depart
as British Ambassador, I share her ambition. I am proud that we, the United
Kingdom, continue to fulfil our role as your steadfast friend – a friend of the
Lebanese people.
EU EOM led a roundtable with stakeholders to explore ways
to implement its recommendations to improve future electoral processes in
Lebanon
NNA/July 09/2022
As last step of its return visit to Lebanon, this morning the European Union
Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) together with the EU Delegation led a
roundtable with different stakeholders, such as Lebanese authorities, political
parties’ representatives, civil society and international organisations, and
media associations. The aim was to explore possible ways to implement the
mission’s recommendations to improve future electoral processes in the country.
As part of its methodology, in the last days a representation of the EU EOM
returned to Beirut. At a press conference last Monday, the Chief Observer György
Hölvényi, publicly presented the mission’s final report which, in addition to a
detailed analysis of the electoral process, includes 23 recommendations.
Following this event, the Chief Observer and the mission’s members met on
bilateral basis a number of interlocutors, ranging from the Lebanese high
authorities, political parties of the whole spectrum, civil society
representatives to present them the Final report. “In the course of today’s
roundtable, the interlocutors invited by the EU EOM discussed the
recommendations, trying to assess to which extent and how to implement those
recommendations in the near future”, said Jarek Domański, the deputy chief
observer of the mission. Mr Domański emphasised that: “the recommendations are
the most important contribution that the mission offers to the country, the
starting point of possible future electoral reforms”.“The European Union stands
ready to support Lebanon in order to implement the recommendations and in order
to make future electoral processes strengthened and improved”, he concluded. --
EU EOM
Berri discusses general situation with French Ambassador,
meets Belgian Ambassador and UNICEF’s Beigbeder, receives congratulatory cables
marking...
NNA/July 09/2022
House Speaker, Nabih Berri, on Friday received at the Second Presidency in Ain
El-Tineh, French Ambassador to Lebanon, Anne Grillo, with whom he discussed the
current general situation and the latest developments, in addition to the
Lebanese-French bilateral relations.
Speaker Berri also received UNICEF Representative in Lebanon, Edouard Beigbeder,
who came on a protocol visit, during which Beigbeder briefed the Speaker on
UNICEF's work programs in Lebanon, especially the areas of cooperation with the
Parliament. Speaker Berri later met with Belgium's Ambassador to Lebanon, Hubert
Cooreman, who came on a farewell visit upon the end of his diplomatic mission in
the country.On the other hand, Speaker Berri received a congratulatory cable
marking the blessed Adha Eid, from Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, in
which he highlighted the need for the spirit of solidarity and bonding among the
peoples of the nation. Berri also received similar congratulatory cables on the
blessed Adha Eid, notably from: the Speaker of the Federal National Council of
the United Arab Emirates Saqr Ghobash, Speaker of the Shura Council of the
Sultanate of Oman Khalid bin Hilal bin Nasser Al-Maawali, Secretary General of
the Asian Parliamentary Assembly Mohammed Reza Majdi, Former Iraqi Prime
Minister Ayad Allawi, and Head of Hamas Political Bureau, Ismail Haniyeh.
Lebanon: Economy Minister Speaks of ‘Gangs’ in
Ministries
Beirut - Asharq Al-Awsat/July 09/2022
Lebanon’s caretaker Economy Minister Amin Salam said on Friday that 40% of
Lebanon's flour stock is being smuggled into Syria, pointing to what he
described as “gangs in the ministries” controlling the issue. “We can’t confront
the thieves and smugglers alone. Reports show that 40% of the flour is being
smuggled into Syria. The long queues of people standing outside bakeries to get
bread are mainly Syrians,” said Salam in a press conference. The Minister stated
that some important documents and evidence linked to the country’s bread and
wheat crisis are in his procession. His remarks came in light of accusations
blaming the Ministry of negligence in providing flour to bakeries. “There is a
surplus of 10,000 tons of flour that has been stolen. We (our government) are
here to clean up the mess done by previous administrations,” he said, adding
that “some have brought in gangs to the ministries.”“Accusations must not be
fired arbitrarily,” he said, demanding the state and administrations to “work
according to the rules.”“Those selling the bread for 20 and 30 thousand a pack
are nothing but thieves. A bread pack should be sold for around 14 thousand
only,” he added.In a radio interview, the representative of the Bekaa bakeries
and a member of the Syndicate of Beirut and Mount Lebanon bakeries, Abbas Haidar,
said: “Nothing more to say after so many constant meetings and sit-ins. “We want
to deliver bread to the people as quickly as possible, and therefore demand the
Ministry of Economy to form a crisis cell to secure wheat for all mills,
especially in the Bekaa region."Lebanese flocked to bakeries early mornings
desperate to find affordable bread in a country where fuel and medicine are
already in critically short supply. The country, struggling with political
turmoil since 2019, has also been hit by the worst global economic crisis in 150
years, according to the World Bank. Many bakeries have already closed down
because they cannot afford the rising cost of fuel needed to power private
generators as electricity cuts last for around 20 hours a day.
Justice for Lebanon
At the Occasion of the World Day for International Justice
July 17, 2022
July 17 is the World Day for International Justice, yet in Lebanon, impunity
reigns supreme.
Spanning from the civil war to the present day, perpetrators of political crimes
evade arrest and investigations remain incomplete in Lebanon. Throughout the
country’s history, the few cases of justice rendered for select political crimes
constitute the exceptions that nonetheless confirm the rule of impunity. Neither
the forced oblivion through the Amnesty Law of 1991 nor the recent convictions
pronounced by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon on Rafic Hariri’s assassination
have appeased the need for justice in Lebanon.
This need is even more urgent as Lebanon is still reeling from the explosion in
the port of Beirut on August 4, 2020. The investigation into one of the biggest
non-nuclear explosions in the history of the world is being actively undermined
by the very people who might be implicated.
Amid all these types of violence, the countless victims still hope and fight for
justice in Lebanon.
Therefore, we invite you to join UMAM Documentation & Research, Lokman Slim
Foundation, Dar Al-Jadeed, and IUSTICOM in commemorating the Day for
International Justice by raising awareness locally and internationally about the
need to end impunity and to continue demanding #JusticeforLebanon.
Please join us at 6:00 pm on 17 July 2022 at the Station in Sin El Fil
for a roundtable discussion on justice and accountability in Lebanon,
accompanied by a photo exhibition and screening of messages from victims and
rule of law defenders.
The event is supported by Heinrich Böll Foundation.
Program
18:00 Opening of the Event
Photography Exhibition (projection on large screens)
Photographers
Elie (Noir) Barakat
Hussein Baydoun
Elsie Haddad
Marwan Tahtah
Chérine Yazbek
18:30-20:30 Justice for Lebanon Roundtable
Introductory speeches
Ms. Monika Borgmann-Slim, director of UMAM Documentation & Research
Ms. Anna Fleischer, director of Böll Foundation
Participants
Mr. Ronnie Chatah, podcaster
H.E. Dr Andreas Kindl: German Ambassador
Mr. Moussa Khoury, lawyer of Ms. Borgmann for Lokman Slim’s assassination case
Ms. Aya Majzoub, researcher at Human Rights Watch
Mr. Nizar Saghieh, director of Legal Agenda
Ms. Reina Sfeir, Human Rights professor at La Sagesse University, former liaison
officer with families of victims for the STL
Moderator
Ms. Najat Rushdie, UN Representative in Lebanon
20:30-21:30 Friendly gathering on the rooftop of Station
Video messages on justice/ accountability/ impunity will be displayed during the
event
The Latest English LCCC
Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on July 09-10/2022
Former Iranian FM Responds to Criticism
London - Tehran - Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 9 July, 2022
Former Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif is again the focus of
internal debate between supporters and opponents of the previous government's
approach to nuclear negotiations. Zarif responded to criticism against him in an
Instagram post, following an interview stating his reasons for not running for
presidential elections. In an interview published last week, Zarif revealed
details of a meeting with former reformist President Mohammad Khatami and Hassan
Khomeini, who heads his grandfather's foundation, the first Iranian Supreme
Guide. He pointed out that he was pressured to run for the presidential race but
announced the following day that he was not a candidate. Zarif told Khatami that
people would be punished for voting for him, as they were punished for voting
for Rouhani in the 2017 elections for a second term, adding that he did not see
his candidacy would benefit the country. He also referred to a letter he
addressed to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei stressing that he did not intend to run
in the elections and said, "I swore that I did not intend to participate in the
elections."
Zarif also asked Khamenei to recommend that friends not refer to the nuclear
deal in the elections. The last Iranian presidential elections saw the lowest
participation rate since the 1979 revolution. Ahead of the elections last year,
Zarif was a top candidate for the pro-government coalition in the presidential
elections, but an audio leaked in April removed him from the race. In an audio
leak, Zarif criticizes the Russian role in the nuclear negotiations, accusing
Moscow of trying to turn the tables on the Iranian talks. The former official
also criticizes the absence of compatible field activities and diplomacy in
regional politics in the first statement by an official on the influence of the
Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Iranian diplomacy. In the new interview,
Zarif said that he learned from Hessameddin Ashena, the then director of the
Presidency Research Center, of the leak of the audio recording three days before
it was published. Zarif notes that two reformist politicians with ties to
General Qassem Soleimani contacted him and confirmed that the recording had been
leaked. "I don't see any reason for this [leak] other than the conspiracy," he
said. A few days after the interview, a video containing old statements from
Zarif about the nuclear deal and the Vienna talks between Iran and the 5+1 group
was leaked. Fars news agency, affiliated with the IRGC, reported that Zarif
accuses his critics of being unable to write the nuclear agreement. The agency
wondered about the timing of the new leak, saying reformist media activists and
politicians are trying to imply that the negotiating team in the current
government does not have the required capabilities for the negotiations. Zarif
touched on the case of the assassination of scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh whom
Western and Israeli governments have long suspected of being the mastermind of a
secret nuclear weapons program.He said Fakhrizadeh is one of the "most negligent
people" in the security field, and he did not listen to his security team,
adding that Israel's purpose was to destroy the nuclear agreement.
Zarif protested a new law passed by parliament after the assassination of
Fakhrizadeh, under which Tehran made advanced nuclear violations. In response to
Zarif's comments, Fakhrizadeh's son, Hamid, wrote, "I wish I could be like you,
and say what I want to say without taking the country's interests and national
security issues into consideration." The Iranian parliament adopted the
Strategic Action Plan to Counter US Sanctions law two days after the
assassination of Fakhrizadeh. Meanwhile, the team of Speaker Mohammad Bagher
Ghalibaf responded to Zarif's criticism of the law on reducing nuclear
commitments. State-run Mehr news agency quoted the speaker's advisor on
strategic affairs, Mehdi Mohammadi, as saying it is not hard to understand the
reason behind the hatred of people like Zarif over the Strategic Action Plan.
Mohammadi noted that this law proved their mistakes in strategic assessments,
adding that Ghalibaf fought a covert war for five months in preparation for
passing this law.
IRGC Says it Neutralized Terrorist Cell, 4 of its Members
Killed
London - Tehran - Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 9 July, 2022
The Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) said its forces had neutralized a
"terrorist cell" in Salmas near the Turkish border. The IRGC issued a statement
announcing that its ground forces tasked with protecting the border triangle
with Turkey and the Kurdistan region of Iraq "neutralized a terrorist cell after
intelligence monitoring." The statement explained that the cell intended to
enter the country and carry out sabotage acts, but the officers of Hamza Sayyid
al-Shuhada base in the border area, ambushed it ahead of the attack. "The cell
was destroyed," the statement asserted, noting that the IRGC officers
confiscated equipment and ammunition. The statement asserted "no losses" for the
Revolutionary Guards without referring to the timing of the clashes. On Friday,
the Hengaw website for human rights violations in Iran reported that at least
four Revolutionary Guards members were killed in armed confrontations with the
Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The Kurdish website pointed out that the clash
occurred Thursday evening in the mountains of Salmas. The report said at least
four IRGC members were killed in the clashes and taken to hospital in Salmas.
Armed factions loyal to the Iranian-Kurdish opposition are active in the area
between Iran, Turkey, and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Usually, the region
witnesses bloody confrontations between the IRGC and parties that say they are
fighting for Kurdish national rights. Last May, an IRGC artillery fire hit an
area north of Erbil, targeting what Iranian state television described as
"terrorist" bases. In March, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards launched about ten
ballistic missiles at the capital of the autonomous Kurdistan region in an
unprecedented attack aimed at the US and its allies.
Iran Detains Prominent Activist, 2 Filmmakers on Security
Charges
Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 9 July, 2022
Iranian authorities have arrested a prominent reformist activist and two
filmmakers on charges of acting against national security, local media said on
Friday. Mostafa Tajzadeh, a former reformist deputy interior minister turned
activist, was detained on charges of "acting against national security and
spreading lies to disturb public opinion", the semi-official news agency Mehr
reported. The hardline government of President Ebrahim Raisi has been facing
public discontent, with soaring food prices sparking protests in recent months.
Indirect US-Iran talks to resurrect a 2015 nuclear accord and lift sanctions
have stalled.
Tajzadeh, an outspoken government critic, has said Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei
should be held responsible if efforts to revive the nuclear deal fail. "Under
the current deplorable economic conditions and public dissatisfaction, the
failure to revive the nuclear deal has destructive consequences, and its
responsibility primarily lies with the Leader," Tajzadeh wrote in a tweet last
week. It was unclear if Tajzadeh's arrest was linked to the tweet. Separately,
dissident director Mohammad Rasoulof and a colleague, Mostafa Aleahmad, were
detained on Friday, state news agency IRNA reported, accusing them of having
ties to anti-government groups and committing security offences. The two were
among a group of actors and filmmakers who had signed an appeal that called on
security forces to "lay down your weapons and return to the nation's embrace"
during street protests that followed a deadly building collapse in May which
officials blamed on corruption and lax safety. Tajzadeh and Rasoulof have both
faced charges in the past. Tajzadeh was jailed between 2009 and 2016, mostly
over his involvement in unrest that followed a disputed election in 2009.
Rasoulof faces at least two pending jail terms over offences ranging from
filming without a permit to "collusion against national security". Rasoulof won
the Berlin Film Festival's Golden Bear award in 2020 for "There Is No Evil,"
about capital punishment and filmed in secret defiance of Iranian government
censorship.
Turkey Convicts 14 Accused of Killing Iranian Dissident
Ankara - Saeed Abdulrazzak/Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 9 July, 2022
A Turkish court handed down jail sentences to 14 accused of assassinating
Iranian dissident Masoud Molavi-Vardanjani in Istanbul. Abdul Wahab Kocak, the
main suspect, was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Molavi -Vardanjani,
who was shot dead in November 2019 in Sisli in Istanbul.
Molavi-Vardanjani had a telegram channel called "Black Box," which criticized
the Iranian regime and the Revolutionary Guards. He repeatedly accused the
judiciary and security forces of financial corruption and assassination of
opposition figures by publishing documents. Kocak was among 14 defendants who
were sentenced in the case. Three others were sentenced to 15 years, 12 years,
and six months, respectively. Two of the three convicts, still in detention,
were accused of providing and transporting weapons for the assassination, while
the third was convicted of providing a hideout for the killer. He was released
on condition of judicial supervision. A fifth defendant was given a 30-month
suspended prison sentence, while the rest of the defendants were acquitted.
Before he was killed, Molavi-Vardanjani wrote: "God willing, I will root out
these corrupt mafia leaders...Pray that they don't kill me before I accomplish
that."Molavi-Vardanjani worked for a decade as a consultant and director of a
data security company in Isfahan before starting his work as a military
consultant specializing in artificial intelligence. The Turkish authorities
watched 320 hours of CCTV footage on the streets, and the security forces
searched 49 locations and interrogated 185 people about the assassination.
Pictures published by the Turkish media after the assassination showed
Molavi-Vardanjani walking with a friend towards Sisli at night on November 14,
2019, when a gunman opened fire on them. Security sources confirmed that the
person with Molavi-Vardanjani came with him to Turkey in June 2018. He made
friends and leaked information about the victim to Iranian intelligence. The
police report identified him as Ali Esfanjani. The sources said that Esfanjani
visited the Iranian consulate the day before the assassination and met the
defendants to discuss the details of the operation. The police report identified
Esfanjani as the mastermind behind the plot to kill Molavi-Vardanjani. He was
transported to the other side of the Turkish-Iranian border by an Iranian
smuggler three days after the assassination. Last February, the Turkish police
arrested 16 members of a group linked to the Iranian security services, which is
in charge of kidnapping Iranian dissidents and handing them over to the
authorities in Tehran. Turkish media also published, in mid-February last year,
a video clip circulated by Iranian media showing the arrest of Mohammad Reza
Naserzadeh on charges of involvement in the assassination of Molavi-Vardanjani.
Turkish sources said that the Turkish and Iranian suspects, who were arrested
after the killing, admitted they acted on the orders of two intelligence
officers at the Iranian consulate in Istanbul. A Turkish official said the
suspects' statements revealed they had received assassination orders from
Iranians with diplomatic passports. He indicated that the evidence and witness
statements confirmed that these two people were intelligence officers who played
a role in inciting and coordinating the assassination.
Britain Refutes Iranian Media Reports on British Diplomat
Arrest
London/Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 9 July, 2022
Britain’s Foreign Office has refuted reports on the arrest of a British diplomat
in Iran. “Reports of the arrest of a British diplomat in Iran are completely
false,” a foreign ministry spokesman said in London. On Wednesday, Iran’s Fars
news agency and state television had reported that the Iranian Revolutionary
Guard Corps had arrested — on an unspecified date —several foreign diplomats
including British deputy head of mission Giles Whitaker, accusing them of
“spying.” Britain’s ambassador to Iran on Thursday said the diplomat had ended
his term and left Iran in December 2021. Video footage showed images of a man
presented as Whitaker speaking in a room. “These reports that our Deputy
Ambassador is currently detained are very interesting... He actually left Iran
last December, at the end of his posting,” British ambassador Simon Shercliff
wrote on Twitter. The Fars report said Whitaker was captured on drone footage
with others “sampling the soil of the forbidden area” in the Shahdad Desert in
central Iran, Iranian state television, meanwhile, showed videos of the group
appearing to collect soil samples and take pictures in the desert, where the
IRGC’s aerospace missile exercises were conducted. Fars said that Whitaker had
been expelled from Iran after apologizing. But state TV said only that he had
been expelled from “the area” where the diplomats were arrested. State
television accused him of “carrying out intelligence operations” in military
areas, AFP reported.
A state TV journalist said the diplomat “was among those who went to the Shahdad
desert with his family as tourists.”The report linked the incident to Israel,
accusing it of “using nationals from third countries who are linked to foreign
embassies” to investigate “the possible military dimension of Iran’s nuclear
program”. No evidence was provided for the connection with Israel. One man was
identified in the state television report as “Maciej Walczak, head of the
microbiology department at the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Poland.”
“This university is linked to the Zionist regime,” it said, referring to Israel.
Walczak, whose nationality was not specified, “entered Iran with three other
people in the context of scientific exchanges, but he went to the desert region
of Shahdad as a tourist while missile tests were being carried out,” state
television said. It said he took rock and soil samples. But a spokesman for the
university, where Walczak is reported to be an expert in environmental
microbiology, said it was “an old story.”“Iran cites the names of three people,
two of whom have returned to Torun for months,” the spokesman said.
Iran, Oman Discuss Nuclear Talks
London /Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 9 July, 2022
Oman's Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr al-Busaidi discussed with Iran's chief
negotiator Ali Bagheri-Kani the latest developments on the nuclear agreement
known as the "Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action" (JCPOA). The Iranian Foreign
Ministry issued a statement carried out by the state-run Agency (ISNA), saying
Bagheri-Kani held consultations with Busaidi on regional and bilateral
developments and follow-up on the agreements signed during the visit of Iranian
President Ebrahim Raisi to Muscat. According to Oman News Agency (ONA), the two
sides reviewed relations of cooperation between Oman and Iran. They also
discussed several regional and international matters of common interest,
particularly the developments regarding the return to the nuclear deal, ONA
reported. The meeting stressed the importance of this deal in maintaining
regional security and stability. This is Bagheri-Kani's second foreign visit
within a week, after his unannounced trip to Moscow, in the first diplomatic
move after the failure of the latest rounds of talks in Doha. Earlier, Qatari
Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani held talks with his Iranian
counterpart Hossein Amir Abdollahian and the Secretary-General of Iran's
National Security Council, Ali Shamkhani, on the nuclear negotiations.
Abdollahian said Iran is making no demands outside the parameters of its 2015
nuclear deal, asserting: "We have no requirement which goes beyond the nuclear
agreement -- contrary to certain claims by the US party in the media." He noted
that the recent talks in Doha focused on the issue of guarantees, stating:
"During the recent talks in Doha, one of the main questions we focused on was an
effective guarantee from Washington assuring us of economic advantages linked to
the agreement."Iranian lawmaker Mahmoud Abbaszadeh criticized the Iranian
Foreign Ministry for the lack of results in the Doha talks. Abbaszadeh, the
spokesman of the parliamentary National Security and Foreign Policy Committee,
downplayed Abdollahian's statement about Tehran's "positive" assessment of the
last round, noting that the US special envoy to Iran, Rob Malley, described it
as a "waste of time.""We could have worked better in Doha," said the lawmaker,
adding: "We did not enter into the Doha talks with a calculated plan and a road
map.""The reason is that our foreign diplomacy apparatus does not have a
well-prepared road map in this regard," said Abbaszadeh.
British Navy Says it Seized Smuggled Iranian Missiles Early
this Year
Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 9 July, 2022
Britain's Royal Navy said on Thursday one of its warships had seized Iranian
weapons, including surface-to-air-missiles and engines for cruise missiles, from
smugglers in international waters south of Iran early this year. A helicopter
from the frigate HMS Montrose spotted speedboats moving away from the Iranian
coast on Jan. 28 and Feb. 25 and dozens of packages containing the advanced
weaponry were confiscated, Reuters quoted the Royal Navy as saying in a
statement. The Iranian foreign ministry rejected Britain’s claim. Britain “does
not have the moral authority to make a claim against” Iran, it said.
The Royal Navy said: "The seized packages were returned to the UK for technical
analysis which revealed that the shipment contained multiple rocket engines for
the Iranian produced 351 land attack cruise missile and a batch of 358
surface-to-air missiles." It did not say where the missiles were bound, but said
the 351 cruise missile, with a range of 1,000 km, is often used by Yemen's
Houthi militias to target Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The US Navy
destroyer USS Gridley supported the February seizure, the Royal Navy said. Both
seizures occurred while HMS Montrose was on routine maritime security
operations, it added. "This action demonstrates that we will not allow
irresponsible and aggressive acts by Iran to go unchecked on land, sea, and
air," US Central Command spokesperson Colonel Joseph Buccino said in a
statement.
Assad Makes Rare Visit to Syria’s North
Asharq Al-Awsat/July 09/2022
President Bashar Assad made a rare visit to the northern province of Aleppo on
Friday to inaugurate a power station that was once held by insurgents and
suffered wide damages during the war, state media reported. Regime-held parts of
Syria endure more than 12 hours of power cuts a day as production is far less
than the needs of the country. Syria’s infrastructure saw much destruction
during the 11-year conflict. Syria's state news agency, SANA, said Assad visited
the power station in the eastern part of Aleppo province, adding that part of
the station is now ready and can produce up to 200 megawatts. According to The
Associated Press, the report said work was underway to also fix other parts of
the station. Friday's inauguration comes on the sixth anniversary of Syrian
troops retaking the station from militants, the report said. Syrian government
forces now control much of the country, thanks to allies Russia and Iran, which
have helped tip the balance of power in Assad’s favor. The civil war that began
in 2011 has killed hundreds of thousands of people, displaced half the country’s
population and left large parts of Syria destroyed. Syria’s Prime Minister
Hussein Arnous recently told parliament that the country’s needs stand at about
7,000 megawatts but stations only produce a bit over 2,500 megawatts. Arnous
added that a main reason for electricity shortages is that Syria’s production of
natural gas dropped sharply during the conflict as some of the country’s largest
oil and gas fields are held by US-backed Syrian Kurdish-led fighters.
Abbas, Gantz Meet Ahead of Biden’s Visit
Asharq Al-Awsat/July 09/2022
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz met
Thursday in the occupied West Bank to discuss security coordination ahead of US
President Joe Biden's visit to the region next week. The peace process collapsed
more than a decade ago. High-level meetings between Israeli and Palestinian
leaders are rare and tend to focus on day-to-day economic and security
coordination. An Israeli statement said the meeting in Ramallah, where the
Palestinian Authority is headquartered, was conducted in “positive terms.” It
said the two sides agreed to “continue security coordination and to avoid
activities that may cause instability.”Gantz wished Abbas and the Palestinian
people a happy Eid al-Adha, a Muslim holiday beginning this weekend, the
statement said, The Associated Press reported. Abbas “stressed the importance of
creating a political horizon, respecting the signed agreements and stopping the
actions and measures that lead to the deterioration of the situation,” Hussein
al-Sheikh, a senior aide, tweeted. Abbas also stressed the importance of having
a "calm atmosphere before President Biden’s visit, which we welcome,” the tweet
said. Gantz met with Abbas a couple of times last year and announced measures to
improve economic conditions in the occupied West Bank. He remains defense
minister in a caretaker government ahead of elections planned for Nov. 1. Abbas
leads the Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of the occupied West
Bank. Polls say nearly 80% of Palestinians want him to resign, in part because
of his close cooperation with Israel. Last year he called off the first
Palestinian elections in 15 years. Biden is expected to meet with top Israeli
and Palestinian leaders next week. The Palestinians seek a state in the occupied
West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, territories Israel captured in the
1967 war. Israel annexed east Jerusalem in a move not recognized internationally
and views the entire city as its capital. It withdrew soldiers and settlers from
Gaza in 2005 but imposed a crippling blockade when the Islamic militant group
Hamas seized power from Abbas' forces two years later, limiting his authority to
parts of the West Bank.
Egypt Pardons Dozens of Prisoners of Conscience
Cairo/Asharq Al-Awsat/July 09/2022
Egyptian authorities released on Thursday dozens of prisoners of conscience
under a presidential pardon, on the occasion of Eid al-Adha. MP Tarek El Khouli,
a member of the Presidential Pardon Committee, revealed the names of 60 pardoned
prisoners of conscience. He also announced the release of the first batch of
imprisoned debtors in Egypt, comprising 75 men and women, in coordination with
civil society organizations. Separately, Egypt on Tuesday kicked off the
national dialogue called for by President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. All political
forces were invited, except for the one that had resorted to violence, namely
the banned Muslim Brotherhood. Sisi tasked on April 26 the Youth National
Conference with coordinating with political parties, movements and youth groups
to hold political dialogue and prepare for the so-called “new republic.” He also
called for reactivating the Presidential Pardon Committee and expanding its work
base in cooperation with the relevant agencies and civil society organizations.
He further released dozens of political prisoners, journalists and activists
from pre-trial detention. Dialogue coordinator Diaa Rashwan told a press
conference following the National Dialogue's Board of Trustees’ first meeting
that more prisoners will be released soon.
New Partnership Between Rabat, EU to Tackle Human Smuggling
Networks
Rabat / Asharq Al-Awsat/July 09/2022
European Union Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson and Spain’s Home Affairs
Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska held talks with Morocco’s Interior Minister
Abdelouafi Laftit in Rabat on Friday. They highlighted the solid results of
their cooperation based on shared responsibility in matters of migration. As
part of the regular political dialogue between the kingdom and the EU, they
agreed to “renew their partnership in order to work together to tackle human
smuggling networks, in particular following the emergence of new, extremely
violent, methods adopted by such criminal networks,” a joint statement read. The
Commissioner and the two ministers regretted “every death of people attempting
unlawful entry, including those that occurred during the recent distressing
events on June 24.” They also regretted the injuries, including to members of
the Moroccan and Spanish border forces. “These events put traditional methods of
combatting human smuggling under strain,” the statement said. Besides the human
tragedy, they showed how very dangerous and violent human smuggling networks
were, and the extent to which they were prepared to take any risk.
Investigations were under way to clarify the circumstances surrounding these
events. At the same time, they welcomed the fact-finding commission set up by
the Moroccan National Human Rights Council, noting that the protection of
fundamental rights is a value shared by Morocco and the EU. The statement
stressed that Rabat is a strategic and committed partner of the EU, with which
the EU has been cooperating on migration issues for a many years. It pointed out
that the National Immigration and Asylum Strategy (SNIA) is one of the most
well-developed migration management systems, in both legislative and
institutional terms, and has enabled the legalization of the administrative
status of thousands of migrants, and their integration into Moroccan society.
Morocco was also one of the founding States of the Rabat process, the statement
added, noting that King Mohammed VI was appointed leader for Africa on the issue
of migration by African heads of states. “Morocco's practical efforts have
resulted in H1 2022 in preventing more than 26,000 irregular departures – one
tenth of them saved at sea. In the same period, Morocco has dismantled around a
hundred criminal trafficking networks.”It pointed out that in connection with
the New Pact on Migration and Asylum, the Commission is establishing migration
partnerships with the countries of origin, transit and destination to combat
human smuggling networks, address the root causes of migration and improve legal
migration routes so that people do not feel the need to risk their lives on
dangerous journeys.
Zelenskiy sacks Ukraine's envoy to Germany, other
ambassadors
KYIV/Reuters/Reuters/July 09/2022
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Saturday dismissed several of Kyiv's
senior envoys abroad including the country's outspoken ambassador to Germany,
the presidential website said. In a decree that gave no reason for the move,
Zelenskiy announced the sacking of Ukraine's ambassadors to Germany, India, the
Czech Republic, Norway and Hungary. It was not immediately clear if the envoys
would be assigned new positions. Zelenskiy has urged his diplomats to drum up
international support and military aid for Ukraine as it tries to fend off
Russia's Feb. 24 invasion. Kyiv's relations with Germany, which is heavily
reliant on Russian energy supplies and also Europe's biggest economy, are
particularly sensitive. Andriy Melnyk, who was appointed by Zelenskiy's
predecessor as ambassador to Germany in late 2014, is well-known among
politicians and diplomats in Berlin. The 46-year-old regularly engages in
outspoken social media exchanges, and has branded politicians and intellectuals
who oppose arming Ukraine to fight the Russian invasion as appeasers. He once
accused German Chancellor Olaf Scholz of behaving like an "offended liver
sausage" when Scholz did not immediately accept an invitation by Zelenskiy to
visit Kyiv. Kyiv and Berlin are currently at odds over a German-made turbine
undergoing maintenance in Canada. Germany wants Ottawa to return the turbine to
Russian natural gas giant Gazprom to pump gas to Europe. Kyiv has urged Canada
to keep the turbine, saying shipping it to Russia would be a violation of
sanctions imposed on Moscow. (Reporting by Pavel Polityuk and Thomas
EscrittWriting by Tom BalmforthEditing by Helen Popper and Frances Kerry)Our
goal is to create a safe and engaging place for users to connect over interests
and passions. In order to improve our community experience, we are temporarily
suspending article commenting
Russia threatens broad Ukraine offensive as U.S. presses
China over war stance
Pavel Polityuk/KYIV/Reuters/July 09/2022
Ukrainian defenders battled on Saturday to contain Russian forces along several
fronts, officials said, as the United States urged China to align itself with
the West in opposing the invasion following an ill-tempered G20 meeting. A
missile strike on the northeastern city of Kharkiv wounded three civilians, its
governor said, though Russia's main attacks appeared focused southeast of there
in Luhansk and Donetsk. Those two provinces, swathes of which were held by
pro-Russian separatists before the conflict began in February, comprise the
eastern industrial region of the Donbas. Ukrainian officials reported strikes in
both on Saturday, while Britain's Ministry of Defence said Moscow was assembling
reserve forces from across Russia near Ukraine.. Donetsk regional Governor Pavlo
Kyrylenko said on the Telegram messaging service that a Russian missile had
struck Druzhkivka, a town behind the front line, and reported shelling of other
population centres.Luhansk Governor Serhiy Gaidai said on Telegram that Russian
forces were "firing along the entire front line", though a subsequent Ukrainian
counter-attack that hit weapons and ammunition stores had forced Moscow to halt
its offensive. Russia, which claimed control over all of Luhansk province last
weekend, denies targeting civilians. On Friday, Ukraine had pleaded for more of
the high-end weapons from the West that Kyiv said had enabled it to slow
Russia's advance. Hours later, U.S. President Joe Biden signed a weapons package
for Ukraine worth up to $400 million, including four additional high mobility
artillery rocket systems (HIMARS). (nL1N2YP1NH) .Ukrainian President Volodymyr
Zelenskiy said the armaments were priority needs. "It is what helps us press on
the enemy," he said on Twitter.
In reaction, the Russian embassy in Washington said the United States wanted to
"prolong the conflict at all costs".
CHINA-US FRICTIONS
On Saturday U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, urging the international
community to join forces to condemn Russian aggression, told journalists he had
raised concerns with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi over Beijing's alignment
with Moscow. The pair held over five hours of talks on the sidelines of the G20
gathering of foreign ministers on the Indonesian island of Bali. On Friday,
Russia's Sergei Lavrov had walked out of a meeting there, denouncing the West
for its "frenzied criticism". The Chinese foreign ministry said, without giving
details, that Wang and Blinken had exchanged views on "the Ukraine issue".
It also quoted Wang as saying that Sino-American relations were in danger of
being further led "astray", with many people believing that "the United States
is suffering from an increasingly serious bout of 'Chinaphobia'."Shortly before
the Russian invasion, Beijing and Moscow announced a "no limits" partnership,
although U.S. officials have said they have not seen China evade U.S.-led
sanctions on Russia or provide it with military equipment. Kharkiv's Governor
Oleh Synehubov said on Telegram that, as well as the missile strike, fighters
had repulsed two Russian attacks near Dementiivka, a town situated between the
city and the border with Russia. Russia's defence ministry said its forces hit
two "bases of foreign mercenaries deployed near Kharkiv". Ministry spokesperson
Igor Konashenkov also said two Ukrainian Su-25 aircraft had been shot down in
the southern Mykolaiv region, and that it had destroyed ammunition depots there
and in the eastern regions of Dnipropetrovsk and Donetsk. Russian-backed forces
on the territory of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) said
three people died and 17 were wounded there in the past 24 hours as Ukrainian
forces shelled 10 locations.
Reuters could not independently verify battlefield accounts.
SANCTIONS PLEA
Following Friday's testy G20 exchanges, President Vladimir Putin also signalled
that the Kremlin was in no mood for compromise, saying sanctions against Russia
risked causing "catastrophic" energy price rises. Ukraine's Foreign Minister
Dmytro Kuleba said on Saturday that sanctions were working, and echoed calls for
more deliveries of high-precision Western weapons. "Russians desperately try to
lift those sanctions which proves that they do hurt them. Therefore, sanctions
must be stepped up until Putin drops his aggressive plans," Kuleba told a forum
in Dubrovnik by videolink. Russia's ambassador to Britain, Andrei Kelin, on
Friday offered little prospect of a pullback from parts of Ukraine under Russian
control and said Russian troops would capture the rest of Donbas. Since Russia,
which has also seized a big chunk of territory across Ukraine's south, started
what it calls a special operation to demilitarize Ukraine, cities have been
bombed to rubble, thousands have been killed, and millions displaced.
Ukraine and its Western allies say Russia is engaged in an unprovoked land grab.
(Reporting by Reuters bureaus; Writing by John Stonestreet; Editing by Frances
Kerry)
Blinken, China's Wang Yi hold talks covering Ukraine war
and trade
David Brunnstrom and Stanley Widianto/NUSA DUA, Indonesia/Reuters/July 09/2022
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Saturday he had discussed Russian
aggression in Ukraine during more than five hours of talks with Chinese Foreign
Minister Wang Yi in which he raised concerns over Beijing's alignment with
Moscow. The diplomats both described their first in-person discussions since
October as "candid", with the meeting taking place a day after they attended a
gathering of G20 foreign ministers on the Indonesian island of Bali. "I shared
again with the state councillor that we are concerned about the PRC's alignment
with Russia," Blinken told a news conference after the talks, referring to the
People's Republic of China. He said did not think China was behaving in a
neutral way as it had supported Russia in the United Nations and "amplified
Russian propaganda". Blinken said Chinese President Xi Jinping had made it clear
in a call with President Vladimir Putin on June 13 that he stood by a decision
to form a partnership with Russia. Shortly before Russia's Feb. 24 Ukraine
invasion, Beijing and Moscow announced a "no limits" partnership, although U.S.
officials say they have not seen China evade tough U.S.-led sanctions on Russia
or provide it with military equipment.
U.S. officials have warned of consequences, including sanctions, should China
offer material support for the war that Moscow calls a "special military
operation" to degrade the Ukrainian military. Kyiv and its Western allies say
the invasion is an unprovoked land grab. Asked about his refusal to hold talks
with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the G20, Blinken said: "The
problem is this: we see no signs whatsoever that Russia, at this moment in time,
is prepared to engage in meaningful diplomacy."Wang exchanged in-depth views on
"the Ukraine issue" during Saturday's talks, according to a statement released
by his ministry, without giving details. He also told Blinken that the direction
of U.S.-China relations was in danger of being further led "astray" due to a
problem with the United States' perception of China. "Many people believe that
the United States is suffering from an increasingly serious bout of 'Sinophobia',"
Wang was quoted as saying. Wang also said Washington should cancel additional
tariffs imposed on China as soon as possible and cease unilateral sanctions on
Chinese companies. U.S. officials had said before the talks that the meeting was
aimed at keeping the difficult U.S.-China relationship stable and preventing it
from veering inadvertently into conflict. "Moving forward, the United States
wants our channels of communication with Beijing to continue to remain open,"
Blinken said. Presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping are expected to speak again in
coming weeks, Blinken said. Daniel Russel, a top U.S. diplomat for East Asia
under former President Barack Obama who has close contact with Biden
administration officials, said ahead of the talks a key aim for the meeting
would be to explore the possibility of an in-person meeting between Biden and
Xi, their first as leaders, possibly on the sidelines of a G20 summit in Bali in
November. The United States calls China its main strategic rival and is
concerned it might one day attempt to take over the self-ruled democratic island
of Taiwan, just as Russia attacked Ukraine.Despite their rivalry, the world's
two largest economies remain major trading partners, and Biden has been
considering scrapping tariffs on a range of Chinese goods to curb surging U.S.
inflation before November midterm elections, with control of Congress in focus.
(Reporting by David Brunnstrom Stanley Widianto; Additional reporting by Ryan
Woo in Beijing; Writing by Ed Davies; Editing by Christian Schmollinger, Robert
Birsel, William Mallard and Christina Fincher)
Sri Lanka leader flees as protesters storm home, office
Agence France Presse/July 09/2022
Sri Lanka's President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled his official residence on Saturday
shortly before protesters, angered by an unprecedented economic crisis, overran
the compound and stormed his nearby office. Thousands of people had surrounded
the leader's home to demand his resignation, blaming government mismanagement
for a downturn that has subjected the island nation's 22 million people to
months of bitter hardship. As the crowd surged at the gates of the presidential
palace, troops guarding the compound fired in the air to hold them back until
Rajapaksa was safely removed. "The president was escorted to safety," a top
defence source told AFP on condition of anonymity. "He is still the president,
he is being protected by a military unit." Footage broadcast live on social
media showed hundreds of people walking through the palace, with some among the
boisterous crowd jumping into the compound's pool for a swim.
Others were seen laughing and lounging in the stately bedrooms of the residence.
The colonial-era state mansion is one of Sri Lanka's key symbols of state power
and officials said Rajapaksa's departure raised questions as to whether he
intended to remain in office. "We are awaiting instructions," a top civil
servant told AFP. "We still don't know where he is, but we know he is with the
Sri Lanka navy and is safe." Private broadcasters showed what appeared to be a
vehicle convoy belonging to the president at Sri Lanka's main international
airport, but there was no confirmation on whether he had left the island.
Soon after the crowd stormed the presidential palace, Rajapaksa's nearby office
also fell into the hands of protesters. Security forces attempted to disperse
the huge crowds that had mobbed Colombo's administrative district. Three people
were hospitalized after being shot along with 36 others who suffered breathing
difficulties following intense tear gas barrages, a spokeswoman for the main
hospital in Colombo said.Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who would assume
the presidency in the event of Rajapaksa's resignation, has called an urgent
cabinet meeting to discuss a "swift resolution" to the political crisis.
'Not a deterrent' -
Sri Lanka has suffered through months of food and fuel shortages, lengthy
blackouts and galloping inflation after running out of foreign currency to
import vital goods. Thousands of people had poured into the capital for
Saturday's demonstration, the latest outbreak of unrest sparked by the crisis.
Police had withdrawn a curfew issued on Friday after opposition parties, rights
activists and the bar association threatened to sue the police chief.
Thousands of anti-government protesters ignored the stay-home order and even
forced railway authorities to operate trains to take them to Colombo for
Saturday's rally, officials said. "The curfew was not a deterrent, in fact it
encouraged more people to get on the streets in defiance," the defence official
said. "Passengers had commandeered trains to reach Colombo."
The country has nearly exhausted already scarce supplies of petrol, but
protesters backed by the main opposition parties hired private buses to travel
to the capital.
Demonstrators had for months been camped outside Rajapaksa's seafront office to
demand his resignation over the government's mismanagement of the crisis.
Soldiers armed with assault rifles were bussed into Colombo on Friday to
reinforce police guarding Rajapaksa's official residence. Authorities said they
had deployed nearly 20,000 troops and police officers for a security operation
to protect the president. Sri Lanka has defaulted on its $51 billion external
debt and has been in bailout talks with the International Monetary Fund. Nine
people were killed and hundreds wounded when clashes erupted across the country
after Rajapaksa loyalists attacked peaceful protesters outside the president's
office in May.
Shinzo Abe murder suspect: What we know
Agence France Presse/July 09/2022
The man accused of assassinating Japan's former prime minister Shinzo Abe has
been arrested and named by police as Tetsuya Yamagami. Police say the unemployed
41-year-old admits shooting Abe with a homemade gun at a campaign event on
Friday, but what else do we know about the suspect so far?
- Who is Yamagami? -
Yamagami told police he had served in Japan's navy, the Maritime Self-Defense
Force, for three years from 2002. More recently, he worked at a factory in
western Japan for around a year and a half, but quit in May this year, local
media reports said. "His attitude towards work had not been a problem. I'm
surprised and shocked," his former manager at the plant told the Mainichi
Shimbun newspaper. Yamagami spoke to police after the attack in a
"matter-of-fact" way, according to officers. Former middle school classmates
interviewed by public broadcaster NHK said the suspect had been quiet but not a
loner, and was good at both sports and academics.
What could the motive be?
"The suspect stated that he held a grudge against a particular organization, and
that he committed the crime because he believed former prime minister Abe had a
connection to it," police said Friday. They did not give the name of the
organization in question, but Japanese media said it was a religious group,
citing unnamed investigative sources. NHK and the Mainichi Shimbun said
Yamagami's family had suffered troubles as a result of his mother's financial
donations to the organization. Yamagami had originally planned to target the
head of the group but then switched focus to Abe, who he believed had promoted
the organization in Japan, Kyodo News reported, also citing anonymous
investigative sources.
- How was the crime carried out? -
Yamagami said he had used a handmade gun to carry out the attack, and images
from the scene showed a crude, boxy weapon with two barrels, covered in
heavy-duty black tape. Police searched his home and confiscated "several
handmade gun-like items." He is suspected of making at least one of the weapons
several months ago, Jiji news agency said. Jiji also reported that Yamagami had
taken part in live-fire shooting exercises in the Navy. The officers said
Yamagami had found out about Abe's visit to Nara online. He is believed to have
taken a train to the station where the former prime minister was giving a stump
speech.
- What does he look like? -
In dramatic footage from the shooting, Yamagami is wearing brown cargo pants and
a plain grey shirt. His mouth and nose are hidden by a white surgical mask, and
he is wearing narrow-framed glasses under a long fringe. He was carrying a
shoulder bag from which he apparently drew the weapon before dropping it on the
ground when apprehended.
Canada/Minister Joly announces additional sanctions
targeting Russian disinformation and propaganda agents
July 8, 2022 - Bali, Indonesia - Global Affairs Canada
The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced
additional sanctions in relation to Russia’s illegal and unjustifiable invasion
of Ukraine, while attending the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Bali,
Indonesia.
Minister Joly reaffirmed Canada’s unwavering commitment to support Ukraine, a
friend and ally, as it fights for freedom. Canada will not stand by as President
Vladimir Putin wages his illegal and unjust war and seeks to justify it through
disinformation, manipulation and propaganda.
To counter the Kremlin’s disinformation campaign, Canada is imposing sanctions
against 29 state-sponsored disinformation and propaganda agents and 15 entities
controlled or owned by the Russian government and involved in disinformation
efforts. This includes Sumbatovich Gasparyan, the Head of the International
Department at Russia Today (RT) state media holding, with considerable influence
in Russia. These sanctions include those announced by Prime Minister Justin
Trudeau at the G7 Summit in Elmau, Germany. Also, effective immediately, Canada
has banned the import of certain gold imports from Russia.
Canada has also launched a webpage dedicated to countering disinformation with
facts. Canada will continue to use this platform to shed light on how the
Russian regime is using lies to justify its illegal, unprovoked and
unjustifiable invasion of Ukraine.
Quotes
“The Russian propaganda machine must answer for its lies. Canada is committed to
fighting disinformation wherever and whenever it is found. Today, we make it
clear to those who peddle deception: you will be held accountable. Canada stands
with Ukraine.”
- Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs
Quick facts
Since Russia’s illegal occupation and attempted annexation of Crimea in 2014,
Canada has imposed sanctions on more than 1,600 individuals and entities. Many
of these sanctions have been undertaken in coordination with Canada’s allies and
partners.
Since Russia’s further invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Canada has
imposed sanctions on more than 1,150 individuals and entities from and in
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.
In March 2022, Canada referred the situation in Ukraine to the International
Criminal Court (ICC), in concert with other ICC member states, in light of the
numerous allegations of serious international crimes committed by Russian forces
in Ukraine, including war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Associated links
Sanctions – Russian invasion of Ukraine
Canada’s efforts to counter disinformation - Russian invasion of Ukraine
Countering disinformation with facts - Russian invasion of Ukraine
Contacts
Adrien Blanchard
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs
Adrien.Blanchard@international.gc.ca
Media Relations Office
Global Affairs Canada
media@international.gc.ca
Follow us on Twitter: @CanadaFP
Like us on Facebook: Canada’s foreign policy - Global Affairs Canada
The Latest LCCC English
analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published
on July 09-10/2022
في إيران عندما تسمى مرتداً لا يروا فيك مخلوقاً بشرياً
‘When they call you “apostate”, they don’t see you like a
human anymore’
July 09/2022/articleeighteen.com/news
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/109954/109954/
Iranian Christian convert Mojtaba Hosseini was one of the speakers at a fringe
event on the side of the International Ministerial on Freedom of Religion or
Belief in London this week, which focused on apostasy and blasphemy laws around
the world.
Iran is one of a dozen countries where leaving Islam is still punishable by
death, even if this has not been enforced since the hanging of Rev Hossein
Soodmand in 1990.
And Mojtaba, who spent three years in prison for joining a house-church after
converting to Christianity, said: “When they call you ‘apostate’, maybe they
don’t kill you, but they don’t see you like a human anymore, so they give this
right to themselves to just treat you anyway they like.”
Mojtaba explained how before converting to Christianity he wasn’t even aware
that it was dangerous to practise the Christian faith in Iran.
“Me and my brother went to official church, an Anglican church in my city,
Shiraz,” he said. “And the person opened the door and said, ‘I’m sorry, we can’t
let you in. The government has banned us to let anyone in.’”
And after joining a house-church, Mojtaba was then arrested and held in solitary
confinement for 22 days, and subjected to what he described as “such heavy
interrogations”.
Aged 20 at the time, he said the whole experience was “a big shock”.
“It was so tough,” he said. “I think I can say it was the toughest experience
I’ve had, even harder than when my dad passed away.”
Mojtaba said he was later “forced” to flee Iran and become a refugee in Turkey,
which he called “a continuance of all I faced and the suffering I had, because I
didn’t have any rights in Turkey, and lots of trauma with me; I didn’t have any
support, and the immigration pain added to previous pains.”
“The Iranian government not only they put chains on my hands and my feet,” he
said. “By forcing me to leave Iran, they put a chain on my heart.”
‘One of my heroes’
Introducing the event, organiser Kamal Fahmi, founder of Set My People Free, had
described another Iranian “apostate”, Mehdi Dibaj, as one of his heroes.
“He was the head of the Bible Society [in Iran],” Kamal explained. “And he was
arrested and convicted for apostasy. He was sentenced to death, and he was
imprisoned for nearly 10 years.
“He said, ‘I’m not just willing to suffer for Christ, I’m also willing to die
for him.’ And he was released after a lot of pressure from the international
community. And when he was released, two weeks later, the pastor who helped to
get him out [Haik Hovsepian] was murdered. And people said to Mehdi Dibaj,
‘Leave Iran, you will get killed!’, but he decided to stay. And six months
later, he was kidnapped and disappeared. And his body was found cut to pieces in
a plastic bag.”
‘The most dangerous thing’
Another speaker, Thomas Schirrmacher, Secretary General of the World Evangelical
Alliance, described converting from Islam to Christianity as “the most dangerous
thing you can do”.
“Everyone should have the right to decide on his own faith, on his own
worldview, and whatever way he changes should be free to do this without being
threatened by any kind of penal law, and truly not by death,” he said.
“But at the same time, we have to see that the most dangerous thing in the
moment, statistic-wise, you can do is change from Islam to Christianity.”
Thomas Schirrmacher, Secretary General of the World Evangelical Alliance.
Meanwhile, Ulrika Sundberg, Sweden’s Special Envoy to the Organisation of
Islamic Cooperation on Interreligious and Intercultural dialogue, said blasphemy
laws were “counterproductive”, as “not only do they have a chilling effect, but
they actually censor all inter- and intra-religious belief and dialogue, debate
and criticism, most of which would be constructive, and in many times is
needed.”
Ms Sundberg also noted how Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights allows for the death penalty to be used only for the most
heinous crimes.
“Now, can we consider blasphemy to be one of those?” she asked. “No, I think we
can reasonably convince them [countries that apply the death penalty for
blasphemy] that it’s not necessary.”
Jennifer Tridgell, Senior Legal Advisor to the UN’s Special Rapporteur on
Freedom of Religion or Belief, agreed that both apostasy and blasphemy laws are
“neither justified, nor justifiable within international human rights law”.
She added that Special Rapporteur Ahmed Shaheed has “also been very clear that
freedom of religion or belief as a human right protects individuals, not
religions or belief as such, from critique or criticism”.
Meanwhile, former Dutch parliamentarian Joël Voordewind explained how his
involvement in the case of Mariam Ibraheem, a Sudanese woman sentenced to death
for apostasy while pregnant, had “opened [his] eyes to the cruelty of not being
able to convert from Islam to other faiths, or even to be a non believer”.
*Picture Enclosed/Mojtaba Hosseini (left), alongside three other survivors of
apostasy and blasphemy laws around the world.
Mariam was another of the speakers at the event, alongside other survivors from
Pakista/Click on the link below
https://articleeighteen.com/news/11306/?fbclid=IwAR2Jn7n1bOZ26lut3aHrVl7RKwLWEwpcwtOyxsswQa_HsKYJrEvkAhF9NuQ
Reassessing U.S. International Broadcasting
Alberto M. Fernandez • Summer 2022
Jewish Policy Center/July 09/2022
We live in an age of information overload. It is not so much that accurate
information is lacking, but rather that it is subsumed in a crowded, cacophonous
environment. The internet, cellphones, and social media platforms have
revolutionized the way information is consumed and this trend will only
accelerate with future waves of technology.
While many legacy private news media companies are struggling to survive in this
new environment, there is no dearth of state-funded or supported media
enterprises. America’s adversaries have understood the adage, written in a
letter by al-Qaeda leader Aymen al-Zawahiri to an Iraqi subordinate, that “more
than half of the battle is taking place in the battlefield of the media.”
Russia, China, Iran, and Islamist terrorist groups are aggressive in the media
space. The states mentioned not only use social media but broadcast media as
well in addition to trying to disrupt the messaging of their adversaries.
In the United States, government foreign broadcasting was – correctly –
initially connected to conflict and an ideological struggle. The beginning of
U.S. government broadcasting in foreign languages is intimately connected to the
Second World War and the need to counter Axis propaganda in Latin America and on
the warfront. Voice of America (VOA) was first, followed by Radio Free Europe
(broadcasting to the captive countries of Eastern Europe) in 1949 and Radio
Liberty (broadcasting to the Soviet Union) in 1953. Those two outlets would
eventually merge in 1976 as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL). VOA’s own
broadcasting in Russian began in 1947, even before RFE/RL.
From the beginning, there was an effort to differentiate between two models of
broadcasting. VOA was the official, state media outlet representing accurate
news and the views of the U.S. government. RFE/RL (and other networks to follow)
were meant to be surrogate media, representing news and views impossible to hear
in countries under the Communist yoke. It is no surprise that RFE/RL was funded
by the Central Intelligence Agency for decades (until 1972) through a cutout
anti-Communist exile organization. The CIA supposedly exercised very light
oversight over these broadcasters to the extent that the radios sometimes
presented views of opposition political trends – nationalists, monarchists,
rightists, liberals, whatever was banned in the motherland – as much as an
American agenda. It was RFE that directly encouraged Hungarian freedom fighters
during the 1956 revolt in that country. RFE/RL was such a thorn in the side of
the Communists that it was subject to a terrorist attack in 1981 by Carlos the
Jackal bankrolled by the Romanian Securitate and Soviet KGB.
Freedom’s Megaphone Expands
These broadcasters would be joined in 1985 by U.S. government broadcasting to
Cuba, Radio and TV Marti and then by Radio Free Asia (RFA) in 1996, focusing on
East Asia, particularly China. Finally Middle East Broadcasting Networks (MBN),
broadcasting in Arabic, began in 2002 with Radio Sawa and then al-Hurra
Televison (note: I was president of MBN from 2017 to 2020). RFA had its genesis
as a response to the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown in China while MBN was very
much a response to what was seen as a failure to communicate following the Sept.
11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
VOA and Radio/TV Marti are government agencies, while RFE/RL, RFA and MBN are
technically private corporations – “grantees” – fully funded by the U.S.
government. All five broadcasters are overseen by the Agency for Global Media
(USAGM), formerly the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), an independent
government agency often derided in employee polling as the worst agency to work
for in the federal government.
It is both ironic and unsurprising that the absolute nadir of American
international broadcasting came with the fall of the Soviet Union. The period of
1999 to 2015 was one in which there seemed to be no one in charge at BBG. I was
still in government at the time and the open derision expressed by senior State
Department and White House officials for BBG operations was painful to hear.
Despite the seeming drift of those years, criticism of lack of direction and
absence of solid measurements, those years did see the establishment of
Farsi-language Radio Farda in 2002 as a joint VOA/RFE/RL initiative, the
launching of Arabic language MBN in 2002-2004, and most importantly, the launch
in 2014 of a modest Russian language television news program Current Time
(Nastoyashchee Vremya) by RFE/RL in conjunction with VOA. The idea was that this
would provide a “reality check” alternative to Russian regime propaganda. By
2017, Current Time had expanded to be a 24/7 operation in broadcast and digital
formats.
Despite this ostensible progress on the American side, these same years saw a
great expansion in Russian, Chinese and Iranian media propaganda networks. These
were also the years that saw the rise of Qatari-funded al-Jazeera television to
prominence after its launch in 1996 and, from 2013, the innovative use of social
media by the terrorist group known as the Islamic State or ISIS.
In relative terms, American broadcasting improved with better management after
media executive John Lansing was hired in 2015 as CEO (a position he held from
2015 to 2019). A small but significant launch during those years was the Russian
language fact-checking site factograph.info (Polygraph.info in English), started
in 2017, to counter Moscow’s disinformation. This was later expanded to counter
Chinese disinformation. The Lansing era rightly saw the Russian, Chinese, and
Iranian media spaces identified as priorities to be addressed immediately and in
the future. The Biden administration requested $840 million in fiscal 2023 for
the USAGM agencies.
Challenges from Russia, China, and Iran
Despite some successes and a correct focus on the most important issues, major
challenges confront American international broadcasting. Given the nature of the
threat, USAGM has still “underinvested” in confronting China. Radio Free Asia
seems underfunded given China’s oversized and nefarious role in the world. There
is still no 24/7 U.S. government television broadcasting to China in Mandarin
and Cantonese. RFA is much smaller than RFE/RL because Russia was regarded as
the bigger threat than China, but the reverse seems to be true now.
RFE/RL’s Radio Farda and VOA’s Persian Service both seek to reach the Farsi
speaking population in Iran. Both services have been the subject of repeated and
credible complaints by Iranian diaspora communities claiming pro-regime bias,
especially at VOA. A logical change would be to combine the services and make a
refurbished Radio/TV Farda a true surrogate network offering the oppressed
Iranian people encouragement and inspiration – and hard, verified news – as they
struggle under regime oppression.
The ambivalent position that the last two Democratic administrations have had
toward the Iranian regime have made it more difficult for American broadcasting
in Farsi to find its own voice and tone in its outreach to the people of Iran.
U.S. broadcasting to Iran is also in the wrong agency; instead of being in Radio
Free Europe, it should be part of an expanded Middle East Broadcasting Networks
(MBN), creating obvious synergies and harmonizing content and regional focus.
While there has been underinvestment on China and division and confusion on
Iran, the focus on Russia has been relatively clear, at least over the past five
years. USAGM – working through RFE/RL and VOA – plan to “surround” Russia with
enhanced media sites seems technically sound and eminently logical.
The Question of Ideology
The bigger problem facing American broadcasting to China, Russia and Iran is not
so much a technical nor a financial one but an ideological one. There is, as
President George H.W. Bush called it, “the vision thing.” All U.S.-funded
broadcasters must adhere to ethical and professional news media standards, but
beyond that the question remains: what kind of broadcasters are they to be? The
“VOA model” is that of a government-funded media outlet very much along the
lines of typical liberal American legacy media. It is no surprise that VOA is
the “wokest” of these government media outlets and indeed was headed from 2016
to 2020 by veteran journalist Amanda Bennett, liberal media royalty. Bennett was
nominated by the Biden administration in 2021 to be the next CEO of USAGM,
overseeing all of U.S. international broadcasting, not just VOA.
Challenges in the Studio
A recent Heritage Foundation study by Max Primorac and James Roberts outlined
how American foreign aid has all too often become an extension of one party, the
Democratic Party, “seeking to advance its radical global agenda of ideological
indoctrination,” weaponizing foreign aid programs to inflict the latest
Washington Beltway progressive causes on an unsuspecting world. The same risk
exists in international broadcasting; political and ideological diversity can be
lacking, in which case the default editorial position can reflect whatever the
Washington Post or New York Times deems significant. The brief, chaotic tenure
of Trump appointee Michael Pack as CEO at USAGM (June 2020-January 2021)
ironically only entrenched that default progressive ideology often found in
federal bureaucracy.
The challenge today is even deeper, perhaps, given America’s ideological turmoil
and partisan divide the past few years. How do you promote a positive, engaging
and uplifting American vision of the world when significant elements of the
American elite – certainly the media and cultural elite – themselves see America
not just as deeply flawed but racist and rotten from its origin to this day?
Such an image of the United States was, of course, propagated by Soviet
propaganda and it is alive and well today in the messaging of Russia, China, and
Iran. All of them, and Islamists too, have learned how to manipulate and
implement the very language of American evil exceptionalism found on many
American university campuses or in progressive newsrooms.
In contrast to the VOA model, we have the surrogate broadcasting model pioneered
by RFE/RL in its CIA days. The risk in this model is that, left to their own
devices, such broadcasters can fall into the trap of promoting their own agenda
or even that of their target country regime, instead of providing a truthful
news alternative to the state propaganda to which their listeners are subjected.
Instead of being too official and safe, U.S. government foreign media can become
too biased and reckless.
When I was at MBN that was the biggest risk and something I had to watch closely
– ensuring that the Lebanese-origin journalist was not soft on Hezbollah or that
the Syrian-born editor was not easy on Bashar al Assad. This is also the
complaint about broadcasting to Iran, that U.S. Government outlets could be weak
toward the regime. Similarly, some criticism of VOA broadcasting to China that
it was occasionally relatively accommodating to Beijing’s Communist Party
regime.
How to maneuver in such turbulent waters? The task is to find and cleave to a
golden mean of messaging which is both deeply rooted in ethical and professional
journalism but also has an engaged and expansive vision of a humane, democratic
and pluralistic Russia, China, or Iran that is not just a knockoff of whatever
conventional wisdom is in fashion along the Acela Corridor.
This is easier said than done. But it has the virtue of truly speaking to the
aspirations of these peoples, all of them heirs to ancient empires and
civilizations, in a way that is more convincing than just saying that they need
to be like Americans because the West knows best. The most vital element in a
rejuvenated and empowered American outreach to the world is not just a nuanced
understanding of the world and our adversaries but an understanding of
ourselves.
Ambassador (ret.) Alberto M. Fernandez is Vice President of the Middle East
Media Research Institute (MEMRI).
Wanting the Iran Nuclear Deal for the Wrong Reasons
Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone Institute./July 09/2022
The EU partly wants the deal so it can buy oil and gas from the Iranian regime.
The EU also appears to want the nuclear deal in order not to lose its other
economic relationships and trade with the ruling mullahs of Iran. Despite US
sanctions, European countries are still trading with Iran; the Biden
administration has yet to hold them accountable.
According to the Financial Tribune, Germany is Iran's top trading partner, and
Italy comes in second.
By reaching a nuclear deal, the Biden administration may think that it can claim
a foreign policy accomplishment and a political victory, as the Obama
administration did, by arguing -- falsely -- that it had finally curbed Iran's
nuclear program and prevented the Islamic Republic from obtaining nuclear
weapons. Unfortunately, that was about as accurate as Obama's claim – which he
repeated 37 times -- that "If you like your healthcare plan, you can keep it."
After the 2015 nuclear deal, however, the ruling mullahs of Iran were not only
gifted a newfound global legitimacy. The removal of sanctions also generated
billions of dollars in revenue for Iran's military institution, the Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps, as well as for Iran's militia and terror groups. The
regime used those revenues to expand its influence throughout the region,
especially in Syria, Yemen, Lebanon and Iraq....The Iranian-armed Houthis
ratcheted up their efforts to cause death and destruction in Yemen, and
Hezbollah escalated its involvement and control of large swathes of Syrian
territory. The region also saw a greater propensity for Houthi rocket launches
at civilian targets in Saudi Arabia, the deployment of thousands of Hezbollah
foot soldiers in Syria, and the constant bombardment of southern Israel with
Hamas rockets funded by Iran.
The objective of any nuclear deal with a rogue state ought to be anchored in
completely and permanently halting that regime from obtaining nuclear weapons.
The objective should not be to further empower and embolden it, or to facilitate
it becoming a nuclear state.
It seems, nonetheless, that the Biden administration and the European Union have
other motives. The EU partly wants the deal so it can buy oil and gas from the
Iranian regime. The EU's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, surprisingly
acknowledged this to the Financial Times:
"We Europeans will be very much beneficiaries from this [nuclear] deal, the
situation has changed now. For us it was something... 'well, we don't need it',
now it would be very much interesting for us to have another [oil and gas]
supplier."
Borrell clearly appears to be stating that the EU's motive behind the nuclear
negotiations is to buy oil from a country that, according to the US State
Department, is "the world's worst state sponsor of terrorism." The Iranian
regime, desperate for cash to fund its terror activities around the world as
well as its militia and terror groups in the region, would undoubtedly be
delighted to be the EU's supplier of energy and oil.
The EU also appears to want the nuclear deal in order not to lose its other
economic relationships and trade with the ruling mullahs of Iran. Despite US
sanctions, European countries are still trading with Iran; the Biden
administration has yet to hold them accountable. As the Tehran Times reported:
"The value of trade between Iran and the European Union reached €4.863 billion
in 2021, registering a nine-percent growth compared to the previous year....
According to the data released by the Tehran Chamber of Commerce, Industries,
Mines and Agriculture (TCCIMA), Iran exported €554 million worth of commodities
to the union during the said nine months, while importing goods valued at €2.7
billion".
According to the Financial Tribune, Germany is Iran's top trading partner, and
Italy comes in second.
The Biden administration, meanwhile, has been investing all its political
capital to resurrect the Obama's catastrophic nuclear deal that would permit
Iran to have unlimited nuclear weapons and the missiles to deliver them. The
Biden administration keeps appeasing the mullahs with almost any policy they
want.
Currently, according to a Gallup poll, the majority of the American people
disapprove of President Joe Biden's handling of foreign affairs. By reaching a
nuclear deal, the Biden administration may think that it can claim a foreign
policy accomplishment and a political victory, as the Obama administration did,
by arguing -- falsely -- that it had finally curbed Iran's nuclear program and
prevented the Islamic Republic from obtaining nuclear weapons. Unfortunately,
that was about as accurate as then US President Barack Obama claim -- which he
repeated 37 times -- that "If you like your healthcare plan, you can keep it."
At the time, Obama also pledged that he was "confident" the nuclear deal would
"meet the national security needs of the United States and our allies".
After the 2015 nuclear deal, however, the ruling mullahs of Iran were not only
gifted a newfound global legitimacy. The removal of sanctions also generated
billions of dollars in revenue for Iran's military institution, the Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps, as well as for Iran's militia and terror groups. The
regime used those revenues to expand its influence throughout the region,
especially in Syria, Yemen, Lebanon and Iraq. Iran's aggressive expansion
campaign proved immensely successful. The Iranian-armed Houthis ratcheted up
their efforts to cause death and destruction in Yemen, and Hezbollah escalated
its involvement and control of large swathes of Syrian territory. The region
also saw a greater propensity for Houthi rocket launches at civilian targets in
Saudi Arabia, the deployment of thousands of Hezbollah foot soldiers in Syria,
and the constant bombardment of southern Israel with Hamas rockets funded by
Iran.
Furthermore, as we now know, the Iranian regime was violating the nuclear deal
by having a secret nuclear weapons program during the agreement.
At present, the ruling mullahs of Iran will continue skillfully to play the EU
and the Biden administration to obtain as many concessions and as many billions
as they can before, they doubtless hope, being handed the ultimate gift they
wish for: the nuclear deal.
*Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a business strategist and advisor, Harvard-educated
scholar, political scientist, board member of Harvard International Review, and
president of the International American Council on the Middle East. He has
authored several books on Islam and US Foreign Policy. He can be reached at
Dr.Rafizadeh@Post.Harvard.Edu
© 2022 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.
European Scientists Empowering China's Military
Judith Bergman/ Gatestone Institute/July 09/2022
"Western universities need to understand that Chinese military scientists have
only one client, and that is the People's Liberation Army." — Meia Nouwens,
researcher at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS),
Politiken, May 19, 2022.
"[T]here is an attempt to take as much knowledge as possible from our research
communities back to China. In my home country, the Netherlands, there are
researchers who have been working on artificial intelligence with Huawei instead
of with NATO. It's the world turned upside down." — David van Weel, NATO's
Assistant Secretary General for Emerging Security Challenges, Politiken, May 23,
2022
In one Danish case... a Chinese military engineer, saying that he came from a
Chinese research institute that turned out to not exist, collaborated with
Aalborg University in Denmark on advanced radar technology. The engineer was,
instead, from the People's Liberation Army Information Engineering
University.... [T]he university did not take steps to vet the Chinese engineer's
credentials. — Politiken, November 30, 2021
"If you look at... 40 years ago, [the CCP] had zero satellites... They had no
ICBMs... They had no nuclear weapons... They had no navy.... Look at what they
have today.... We're witnessing one of the largest shifts in global geostrategic
power that the world has witnessed." — General Mark Milley, Chairman of the U.S.
Joint Chiefs of Staff, breakingdefense.com, November 4, 2021.
British universities have accepted £240 million from Chinese institutions, many
with links to the military, including £60 million from institutions sanctioned
by the US government for supplying the Chinese military with fighter jets,
communications technology and missiles. In... just six years, the number of
research collaborations between scientists in the UK and Chinese institutes with
deep connections to the country's defense forces tripled to more than 1,000. —
The Times, February 4, 2022.
[O]ne of the UK's "foremost" high-tech weapons experts, Professor Clive Woodley
at Imperial College London – one of the British universities that has received
the most funding from China -- had been freely working with China for years....
Most of Woodley's research has been funded by the Ministry of Defence.... He has
advised the MoD about many of its key lethal systems." — David Rose,
investigative journalist, Unherd, May 21, 2022.
"Adapting to a world affected by the rise of China is the single greatest
priority for MI6" — Richard Moore, UK's spy chief, head of MI6, Sky News,
November 30, 2021.
New research has found that European scientists have "shared militarily
sensitive knowledge with the Chinese army on a large scale." 2,994 scientific
collaborations between Europe and China have taken place with the Chinese
military, nearly half of which involved scientists affiliated with China's elite
National University of Defense Technology (NUDT). Pictured: The NUDT campus in
in Changsha, Hunan Province, China. (Image source: Huangdan2060/Wikimedia
Commons)
New research done by Follow the Money, a Dutch platform for investigative
journalism, and ten other European media outlets, found that European scientists
have "shared militarily sensitive knowledge with the Chinese army on a large
scale."
The project, known as the China Science Investigation, collected a staggering
353,000 scientific collaborations between Europe and China and found that, of
these, 2,994 have taken place with the Chinese military, defined as, "studies
where scientists from Western European universities collaborated with Chinese
colleagues directly linked to an institute that is part of the Chinese army."
Moreover, for the past ten years, these collaborations had also increased all
throughout Europe. According to Deutsche Welle, nearly half of the scientific
2,994 collaborations that the China Science Investigation evaluated were
published by scientists affiliated with China's elite National University of
Defense Technology (NUDT) at universities in the United Kingdom, followed by the
Netherlands and Germany. The NUDT's explicit purpose is to "strengthen the armed
forces and the nation."
"It [NUDT] is the top institution of the People's Liberation Army, which among
other things is known for its research into supercomputers and hypersonic
missiles," noted Rebecca Arcesati, a researcher at the Mercator Institute for
China Studies (Merics) in Germany. "The fact that this particular university is
so actively engaged in research collaborations in Europe should cause the
warning lights to flash." In Germany alone, at least 230 research articles were
published from 2000 through early 2022 in which Chinese military researchers had
collaborated with German research institutions.
According to the China Science Investigation, "Collaboration took place in all
kinds of areas: from drone studies to artificial intelligence, from space travel
to shipping, and from radar to underwater communication."
There were also collaborations with the Chinese Academy of Engineering Physics,
known for its research into nuclear and other weapons.
In the Netherlands alone, where the Dutch intelligence services had already
warned in 2010 that China's intelligence services were showing interest in
high-quality technology and science developed in the Netherlands, more than "90
military scientists from China have gathered knowledge at Dutch universities and
knowledge institutions. They conducted research into militarily sensitive
technologies, such as hypersonic aircraft and reinforced concrete."
One Ph.D. student, He Lei from NUDT, who received his degree at Delft University
in the Netherlands, told a Chinese newspaper that:
"The country and the military chose us for foreign studies to learn and master
groundbreaking science and technology. This way, we will be able to take on the
heavy task of strengthening and modernizing the army."
In Denmark, as well, the China Science Investigation project identified 91
research articles in which Chinese military researchers had collaborated with
one or more Danish research institutions. In November 2021, Reuters revealed how
a Chinese professor, Guojie Zhang, working at the University of Copenhagen had
conducted genetic research with the Chinese military without disclosing the
connection:
"Zhang and a student he was supervising worked with a People's Liberation Army (PLA)
laboratory on research exposing monkeys to extreme altitude to study their
brains and develop new drugs to prevent brain damage – a priority the PLA has
identified for Chinese troops operating on high plateau borders."
Such studies could, for instance, assist Chinese troops stationed on the
mountainous border with India.
"Western universities need to understand that Chinese military scientists have
only one client, and that is the People's Liberation Army," Meia Nouwens, who is
a researcher at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in
London, told Politiken.
"Their raison d'être is to modernize the Chinese army. Your study shows that
although the EU has identified China as a 'systemic rival', Europe needs to do
more to protect our research. Especially when it comes to technologies that we
believe will be crucial for the future of warfare."
These revelations have caused consternation in NATO, where David van Weel,
NATO's Assistant Secretary General for Emerging Security Challenges, says that
European universities need to stop being naïve. "We have noticed that Chinese
scholars linked to the People's Liberation Army, as well as Chinese investment
firms, are very, very active in our research ecosystems," Weel said.
"It's about becoming less naive about the fact that there is an attempt to take
as much knowledge as possible from our research communities back to China. In my
home country, the Netherlands, there are researchers who have been working on
artificial intelligence with Huawei instead of with NATO. It's the world turned
upside down. This is because we have not invested enough and committed enough in
recent years. But we are changing that now."
Several factors seem at play here. Naïveté combined with an almost extreme form
of carelessness is one factor. In one Danish case, for instance, Chinese
scientists from the NUDT collaborated for several years with Denmark's Technical
University (DTU) on technologies with military potential, such as quantum
physics, cryptology, optical communication equipment, battery technology and
navigation systems. Several of the Danish scientists knew that they were dealing
with Chinese military scientists, but did not consider that a problem because
they "did not give the Chinese access to confidential information."
Deception is another factor, but, again, combined with carelessness on the part
of European universities. In another Danish case, for instance, a Chinese
military engineer, saying that he came from a Chinese research institute that
turned out to not exist, collaborated with Aalborg University in Denmark on
advanced radar technology. The engineer was, instead, from the People's
Liberation Army Information Engineering University. The problem, however, was
not only deception on the part of the engineer, but that the university did not
take steps to vet the Chinese engineer's credentials.
There is no doubt that European scientists, through their collaboration with
Chinese researchers working directly for China's military, have contributed to
China's accelerating military modernization.
"If you cooperate with NUDT, then you cooperate directly with the Chinese
military. It would be the same as the Russian army having a university, of which
the Chief of Defense was the top leader," said Emily Weinstein, nonresident
Fellow at the Global China Hub at the Atlantic Council.
"It is possible that you as a Danish or German researcher think the research is
completely harmless. But to that I would say that civilian scientists are not
trained to think in the same way. We are talking here about active military
officers, and we should basically expect that no matter what they research, even
if it seems harmless, they do it from a military point of view. They are trained
to absorb knowledge and apply it in a military context."
In November 2021, General Mark Milley, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of
Staff, expressed his concern at how fast China had accelerated its military
modernization after testing a hypersonic weapon:
"If you look at, again, 40 years ago, they had zero satellites... They had no
ICBMs... They had no nuclear weapons... They had no fourth or fifth-generation
fighters or even more advanced fighters, back then... They had no navy... They
had no sub-force. Look at what they have today... So if you look at the
totality, this test [of a hypersonic weapon] that occurred a couple weeks ago,
is only one of a much, much broader picture of a military capability with
respect to the Chinese. That is very, very significant. We're witnessing one of
the largest shifts in global geostrategic power that the world has witnessed."
The collaborative articles between European scientists and Chinese researchers
working for China's People Liberation Army that the China Science Investigation
has uncovered are just a small part of the knowledge that Chinese researchers
have accumulated, according to Alex Joske, an independent researcher formerly
with the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. "What is particularly worrying
is that the number of published articles constitutes only one part of the
relationships between the researchers," Joske said.
"For every handful of articles we see here, there has probably been a Chinese
military scientist who has worked and studied at a European university, where he
has built relationships and knowledge. This data is just the tip of the
iceberg."
China also has invested large sums in many European universities, not least in
the UK. An investigation by The Times published in February showed that British
universities have accepted £240 million from Chinese institutions, many with
links to the military, including £60 million from institutions sanctioned by the
US government for supplying the Chinese military with fighter jets,
communications technology and missiles. In addition, in just six years, the
number of research collaborations between scientists in the UK and Chinese
institutes with deep connections to the country's defense forces tripled to more
than 1,000.
Recently, investigative journalist David Rose published a piece in Unherd,
revealing that one of the UK's "foremost" high-tech weapons experts, Professor
Clive Woodley at Imperial College London -- one of the British universities that
has received the most funding from China -- had been freely working with China
for years:
"Most of Woodley's research has been funded by the Ministry of Defence. A former
president of the International Ballistics Society, he served as Chief Scientist
at the MoD-controlled company QinetiQ from its inception in 2001 — when the MoD
privatised its own labs — to 2018. He has advised the MoD about many of its key
lethal systems...
"[O]ver the past eight years, Woodley has participated at least seven times in
seminars and lectures for senior figures from China's defence industry and
university departments that work with its military. He is also a co-editor of
two Chinese journals funded by weapons firms. Since 2014, he has had eight
papers either published in Chinese journals or co-written with Chinese
scientists working with Chinese arms makers — the most recent, in 2021."
"This case raises serious concerns about the integrity of our military secrets
and the level of cooperation between a British expert and a potentially hostile
state," Tom Tugendhat, chairman Britain's Foreign Affairs Select Committee said.
According to the Unherd report, however, the Ministry of Defense denied that
Woodley's activities had posed any risk.
"Its spokesperson refused to answer a single question about Woodley's
involvement with China, other than to say: 'We have robust procedures in place
to make sure research contracts do not contribute to overseas military
programmes and that individuals or organisations with foreign-state links cannot
access our sensitive research... we ensure that stringent vetting checks are
carried out.'"
"Adapting to a world affected by the rise of China is the single greatest
priority for MI6," the UK's spy chief, head of MI6 Richard Moore said in
November 2021.
"We are deepening our understanding of China across the UK intelligence
community and widening the options available to the government in managing the
systemic challenges that it poses."
*Judith Bergman, a columnist, lawyer and political analyst, is a Distinguished
Senior Fellow at Gatestone Institute.
© 2022 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.
Boris Johnson Leaves a Mixed Legacy With His Brexit
Gambit
Peter Coy/The New York Times/July 09/2022
Prime Minister Boris Johnson will be remembered for Britain’s exit from the
European Union long after the world has forgotten the tousled hair, the
quotations in Homeric Greek, the fibs, fabrications and scandals — not to
mention the time he got stuck on a zip line while serving as London mayor,
sheepishly waving Union Jacks. When Britain finally left the European Union on
Jan. 31, 2020, it took an almost irreversible step away from integration with
the continental economy for the sake of greater national sovereignty, including
more control over immigration and freedom from some European regulations.
Evaluating Johnson’s legacy really amounts to evaluating Brexit, since his
fingerprints were all over the departure. “Johnson’s decision to come out for
Brexit in 2016 was one of the pivotal moments in the campaign,” Jonathan Portes,
a professor of economics and public policy at King’s College London, told me.
Once Johnson became prime minister in 2019, Portes said, “he cut through the
political turmoil and delivered the hardest possible Brexit — doing so by
accepting the Northern Ireland solution proposed by the E.U., which of course he
repudiated after the election.”
So how is Brexit working out? The results are mixed. It has been clearly
negative for the British economy, although not as bad as some prognosticators
feared. People who think it was wrong to leave outnumber those who think it was
right (see the chart below). And there have been a few bright spots, including a
zero-tariff deal with the European Union and surprisingly liberal rules for
immigration from non-E.U. nations.
An e-book that Portes edited, “The Economics of Brexit: What Have We Learned?”
provides a balanced perspective. It was released last month and was produced and
written by two networks of academic economists: UK in a Changing Europe, which
is based at King’s College and is made up of British scholars; and the Center
for Economic Policy Research, which is Europe-wide.
Some critics of Brexit predicted that the “leave” vote in the Brexit referendum
would harm the British economy by rattling confidence, even before the
separation occurred. That didn’t happen. “While the pound did indeed fall much
as expected, market interest rates did not rise, and neither the equity market
nor house prices fell,” Portes wrote in his introduction. “More importantly,
after an initial shock to confidence, businesses and consumers largely shrugged
off the result. The labor market remained strong, and unemployment actually fell
slightly.”
But now that Brexit has actually occurred, things aren’t going so well, the
scholars found. “Those areas that voted most heavily for Brexit are the worst
affected, while London has escaped largely unscathed, at least so far,” Portes
wrote. The recent rise in the cost of living, he added, is “likely not only to
hit the poorest hardest, but to be exacerbated by inflation-driven cuts in
benefits and public services.”
Food prices rose about 6 percent more in the two years through the end of 2021
than they might have in the absence of Brexit, according to a calculation by Jan
David Bakker, an assistant professor at Bocconi University in Milan, and four
other authors. While that’s not a huge difference, it defies forecasts by Leave
campaigners that Brexit would cause food prices to fall. About 10 percent of the
assets that were in the British banking system have moved abroad, although a far
smaller proportion of jobs has been lost, researchers concluded. Some results
are hard to explain. On one hand, British imports from the European Union fell
by about 25 percent more than British imports from the rest of the world after
the Trade and Cooperation Agreement came into effect in 2021, according to a
chapter by Rebecca Freeman of the London School of Economics and three other
authors. On the other hand, there’s no evidence in the data that Brexit had any
effect on British exports to the European Union. “We plan to study the reasons
for this asymmetry in future research,” they write.
Those who believed that Brexit was just a way to keep out foreigners might be
surprised to learn that while the new immigration rules restrict immigration
from the European Union, they actually liberalize immigration from non-E.U.
nations. “That surprised lots of people, myself included,” said Portes. “The
immigration system is quite a liberal one. A lot more liberal than the US.”
Julian Jessop, an independent British economist, offers a somewhat more upbeat
analysis of Brexit on his website. In a post last week he wrote: “Of course, it
would also be wrong to deny that Brexit has had any negative impacts on the UK
economy whatsoever. Business uncertainty has indeed increased, trade with the
E.U. is more difficult, some workers are harder to find, and inflation may be a
little higher too.”“However,” he added, “this does not mean that the doomsters
are right, either. There is still plenty of room for disagreement about the size
and the likely duration of all these effects — and the implications for policy.
It is therefore increasingly important that other voices are heard too.”
Fair enough. But if the best that can be said of Boris Johnson’s crowning
achievement is that there’s “still plenty of room for disagreement” about the
size of its negative economic effects — maybe he should have stayed up on that
zip line, waving his Union Jacks.
Jobs Report Gives Powell a Little More Runway on Rates
Jonathan Levin/Bloomberg/July 09/2022
The Federal Reserve’s runway for raising interest rates to tackle the worst
inflation in 40 years just got a little bit longer after a Labor Department
report Friday showed unemployment remained near generational lows in June.
That means the Fed is likely to deliver on another 75-basis-point increase in
the fed funds rate this month and may have room to push rates toward 4% if
needed. The bond market is wasting no time adjusting to that new reality.
As the latest report showed, predictions of the economy’s imminent demise have
been greatly exaggerated.
Despite surging borrowing costs as a result of the Fed’s policies, nonfarm
payrolls rose 372,000 last month, beating expectations and keeping unemployment
at 3.6%, just a hair above the pre-pandemic low of 3.5%. Average hourly earnings
remained fairly strong, climbing 0.3% from a month earlier as the previous
month’s figure was revised up slightly. The three-month trend indicates wages
are growing at a roughly 4.2% annualized pace, not quite enough to keep up with
consumer prices but clearly above the level that the Fed will deem consistent
with its 2% inflation target.
The report also came just days after another one showed there were still nearly
two job openings for every unemployed person, and workers continue to quit their
jobs at accelerated rates. Those features of the unusual post-pandemic economy
have been a source of repeated concern for Fed Chair Jerome Powell, who is
trying to avoid a situation in which wage pressure forces companies to raise the
prices of goods even more to offset costs. Members of the Federal Open Market
Committee that votes on monetary police have said they hope that they can cut
openings without hurting employment too much, as they noted in the minutes of
their June 14-15 meeting published this week:
In light of the very high level of job vacancies, a number of participants
judged that the expected moderation in labor demand relative to supply might
primarily affect vacancies and have a less significant effect on the
unemployment rate.
Of course, it’s never quite that easy, and the picture for workers wasn’t all
sunshine and roses. The jobs report includes a survey of work establishments as
well as a household survey, which incorporates other workers including the
self-employed, and the household measure showed a decline in jobs. As Bleakley
Financial Group Chief Investment Officer Peter Boockvar noted, the unemployment
rate stayed steady only because the denominator — the number of people who say
they’re working or looking for work — also fell by a similar amount.
Overall, it’s no mirage that the economy is slowing, as recent manufacturing and
personal spending data have suggested. That’s a feature, not a bug, of the Fed’s
policies. Ideally, the Fed would love to slow the economy to a pace consistent
with more stable prices without sending it into recession, but that’s a trick
central bankers have rarely been able to pull off. The unemployment rate may be
one of the last places that economic trouble becomes evident, creating some
peril if the Fed overemphasizes it in calibrating monetary policy. But its own
projections show that unemployment will probably rise above 4%, which some
economists view as a healthy and necessary part of the disinflationary process.
The upshot? Two-year Treasury yields were surging Friday as the market rushes to
reverse the rally of the last couple of weeks. Market doves who thought the Fed
would blink at the first sign of trouble were always misguided. Powell has made
clear that he sees inflation as his primary concern and that he’s willing to
cause some economic pain to rein it in. For all the caveats in Friday’s report,
the fact that unemployment hasn’t even budged during the Fed’s interest rate
campaign suggests that its runway may be even longer than previously expected.
We're Starting to See Clear Signs of Tech Troubles
Tim Culpan/Bloomberg/July 09/2022
Samsung Electronics Co. reported just enough earnings data Thursday to tease us
about what might be heading our way. Second quarter revenue and operating profit
at the South Korean Goliath portend a tough second half for global technology
hardware manufacturers.
Sales pipped estimates by a little, but that’s mostly because analysts have been
cutting their forecasts over the past two weeks in anticipation of a worsening
market for Samsung’s chips, smartphones and other electronics. The figure was
likely boosted by a slide in the Korean won of almost 7% during the period.
Crucially, operating profit missed by a wider margin than revenue beat. Samsung
only provided a preliminary range for the data, and this analysis is based on
the median of that information. A full breakdown of numbers by division will
come later this month.
What we do know so far, though, is that prices of its bread-and-butter products
are weakening. Although Samsung is best known for smartphones, and recently
grabbed headlines for claiming to be first to make semiconductors at the
advanced 3-nanometer node (an announcement that’s mostly a marketing ploy), a
large swathe of its revenue and bulk of profit comes from making memory chips,
notably DRAM which helps speed up a computer, and Flash which stores data.
Because these components, which are used in most electronic devices, are a
commodity product, any slowdown tends to impact both shipments and prices. There
are already signs manufacturers are willing to sell for less just to move stock.
“Facing uncertain peak-season demand in 2H22, some DRAM suppliers have begun
effectively expressing clear intentions to cut prices,” Taipei-based researcher
TrendForce wrote this week. “This situation will cause 3Q22 DRAM pricing to drop
from the previous 3% to 8% to nearly 10% quarter on quarter.”
Slowdowns in commodity products tend to have a multiplier effect. A 10% drop in
prices coupled with a 10% fall in demand means a 19% drop in revenue (0.9 times
0.9 is 0.81). Another 15% decline in both (0.75 times 0.75 is 0.56) equates to a
44% hit on sales. This means the bottom could fall out of the memory chip market
very quickly.
Samsung’s announcement “may push analysts to cut forecasts for the firm's 2022
operating profit by 4% to 6%,” Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Masahiro Wakasugi
wrote after the announcement. “Its 3Q sequential profit growth may not be as
strong as expected, due to weaker PC and smartphone demand caused by
inflation.”US rival Micron Technology Inc. sounded an early warning last week.
While the world’s third-largest maker of DRAM posted revenue and operating
profit for the quarter ended June 2 that was largely in line with estimates, its
forecast for the coming three months was 20% lower than expectations. It now
sees the PC and smartphone markets much weaker than previously thought.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., which doesn’t make many memory chips but
is the major player in processors that run phones, computers and servers, is
also seeing signs of a slowdown amid reports that key clients have asked to cut
or delay orders. It was barely six months ago that the technology hardware
sector looked quite immune to a global slowdown as streaming services and cloud
computing continued to drive demand for chips and servers, while consumers
remained eager to buy the latest gadgets. That picture is now fading fast and
investors need to brace for more tough news to come.
Shinzo Abe's Assassination Will Scar
Japan Forever
Gearoid Reidy/Bloomberg/July 09/2022
Japan has been brought to a standstill by the news that former Prime Minister
Shinzo Abe died after being shot on the campaign trail for Sunday’s upper house
elections. A lone gunman attacked Abe, who was pronounced dead at a hospital in
Nara from wounds in his chest and neck. This is a tragedy that will have
repercussions far beyond this weekend’s voting.
It’s hard to think of a more unexpected place for this to happen: Japan prides
itself on being a safe society. The impact of sarin gas attacks on the Tokyo
subway by the Aum Shinrikyo cult, nearly 30 years on, still reverberate
precisely because such incidents are so rare — shootings in particular. The
unsolved 2013 killing of Takayuki Ohigashi, the head of a famous restaurant
chain shot outside his company headquarters, still linger in memory. Political
assassinations are even more extraordinary: The yakuza-related fatal shooting of
the mayor of Nagasaki in 2007 might be the only recent corollary.
Random attacks of violence do occur. Recent years have seen an uptick in such
events, such as the mass murder of 26 in Osaka last December, where the suspect
set a mental health clinic on fire, killing himself in the process; or the knife
attacks on Tokyo’s subways last Halloween, which mercifully resulted in no
fatalities. While some guns are available in Japan for the likes of hunters, any
purchase requires stringent checks. Photos apparently from the scene show an
unusual, almost handmade-looking firearm. Last year, a man killed himself in
Ibaraki with a gun believed to have been made with a 3D printer. But because of
Japan’s safety record, security at political rallies is weak. It’s not at all
unusual to see former prime ministers or other big-wigs campaigning at a street
corner or in front of a train station, without a visible police or security
detail.
The assassination of Abe will have a resounding effect on the country. While
outsiders might think of him as a former politician, he maintained immense
influence at home. He led the largest faction in the Liberal Democratic Party,
and at just 67, was still in his prime. Many speculated he could have taken
another run at the premiership. Even if he didn’t, Abe was certainly in place to
help decide the next prime minister.
At the time of writing, we know little of the suspect and nothing of his
motivations. Abe has attracted violent protest in the past, including a 2014
self-immolation against security legislation that he spear-headed. But this kind
of attack on a national figure of his stature is utterly without precedent in
the country’s modern history. One thing seems certain: July 8 is a day that will
scar Japan forever.
Ukraine War: Unified Command Needed
Amir Taheri/Asharq Al-Awsat/July 09/2022
As a shorthand phrase “the war in Ukraine” may please headline writers and
politicians keen on facile simplifications. The phrase gives the impression that
the war is going on in a remote place called Ukraine and only tangentially
affects the rest of the world. The rest of the world is divided into three
categories.
The first is that of ringside spectators, nations that watch the war on TV but
have little or no concern about its outcome. Next, we have nations that try to
play both sides in the hope of reaping some benefits from whichever side emerges
as the victor in the end. Finally, we have those, principally the so-called G-7
nations and their allies in the European Union and NATO, who are taking
Ukraine’s side while anxious to limit their involvement to writing cheques and
shipping a range of surplus weapons to “heroic” Ukrainians.
What all the three categories mentioned above have in common is their refusal to
acknowledge the fact that this conflict, though not a world war by the classic
definition, affects the whole world.
Soon, the ringside spectators will see that the threat to the world order, or,
to be more exact the international order is bound to affect them in ways that
they might not welcome. The blood that is shed in the ring is bound to splash on
the ringside as the Spanish Civil War showed more than 80 years ago.
Those who try to hedge their bets by one day drinking Vladimir Putin’s health
and the next day complimenting Volodymyr Zelensky for his “heroic leadership”
will also reap nothing but shame because this war, in fact like most other wars,
is likely to produce more losers than winners.
Compared to the nations in the two above-mentioned categories, the Western
democracies and Japan have the merit of admitting that the “Ukraine war” is
bound to affect them along with all other nations.
The problem is that their admission is not translated into full awareness of the
fact that, like it or not, they are getting involved in a war in which they have
no control on one side and largely symbolic influence on the other. War can
never be a part-time indulgence, either you are in it full-time with bare
knuckles or you are not. Georges Clemenceau, the French Prime Minister in the
First World War, had a mantra: “You ask what I do? In the morning I wage war, in
the afternoon I wage war, throughout the night I wage war!”
You might say that what we have here is a proxy war that does not require the
kind of focused energy, not to say obsessions that Clemenceau boasted about. But
even proxy wars require a coherent strategy and a unified overall command even
if nested within the shell of a proxy, much like Matryuhska dolls.
Again you might quip that Zelensky is in overall command.
In reality, however, he is not and cannot be because he does not control the
resources needed for war. He is an effective communicator on behalf of his
beleaguered nation and a paragon of courage in adversity. However, he does not
have the key to the war chest and the passcode for arsenals of necessary
weapons. Nor does he control the flow of electronic and space-based intelligence
gathering that plays a crucial role in modern warfare.
The lack of a unified command based on a joint analysis of the situation, and a
perception of shared interests, is also felt in political, economic, and
diplomatic fields related to this war. Despite joint communique and end-of-term
photos by G-7, NATO and EU leaders, different member states play their separate
tunes, albeit on the same theme.
Some like Emmanuel Macron in France and Boris Johnson in Britain try to appear
heroic in Ukraine in order to divert attention from their respective failures at
home. Others, like Joe Biden in the US and Olaf Shultz in Germany, hope to
burnish their tarnished images by posturing low-cost as war leaders. They are
unable or unwilling to tell their peoples that they are under attack from a
delusional despot with creepy messianic pretensions.
Then there are bit-players like Viktor Orbán and Recap Tayyip Erdogan who try to
collect some of the crumbs or pinch some of the tips thrown on the Ukrainian
table. Treating the Ukraine war on an ad-hoc basis means that no one is in
charge of overall strategy.
Some NATO members have assigned one or two diplomats or military men to monitor
the war while NATO as a whole has not deemed it necessary to create a specific
coordinating task force. At the same time there is no unified mechanism to
monitor and assess the implementation of sanctions imposed on Russia and the
so-called “oligarchs” and the effect, if any, they might have had.
Much energy is spent on what one might call gesture politics, notably, inviting
Ukraine and Moldova to start negotiating a putative membership of the European
Union and allowing Ukrainian refugees visa-free entry into the EU.
More importantly, perhaps, the Western democracies will soon face the need to
put their armaments industries in high gear. And that means a massive increase
in military budgets. Yet, most NATO members are still proceeding with old plans
to reduce the size of their armed forces and switch arms production from what is
needed in a classical war, such as the one we witness in Ukraine, to warfare in
cyberspace or outer space.
In any war, the belligerents also try to turn neutrals into allies and the
allies of the foe into neutrals. That, too, requires a unified command capable
of pursuing a course of creative diplomacy. So far, only Putin has been active
in that direction, fortunately with little success. The Western democracies, on
the other hand, have developed no common position and, in some cases continued
their petty rivalries as if nothing has changed.
It is time for everyone to realize that the war to destroy Ukraine isn’t a
sideshow. This is not a low-intensity war in which one is involved only
vicariously. True, it's Ukrainian blood that is shed on the battlefield. But
citizens of almost all other countries also pay a price in galloping inflation,
widespread shortages and a growing threat to security.
It is time for NATO, the EU and allies to move beyond the welcome, though
largely symbolic, a show of unity through symbolic gestures and develop a common
analysis of what is involved and what needs to be done to curb Putin. And that
would require a mechanism for unified overall political leadership with Zelensky
as field commander.
Biden’s Devious Rhetoric on Saudi Arabia
Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Al-Awsat/July 09/2022
Responding to news indicating that he backed off from his electoral promise to
relinquish Saudi Arabia, US President Joe Biden initially replied by saying that
he might visit Israel but probably not the Kingdom. Later, following the leak of
further confirmed news on a potential visit to Riyadh, he said that he might
very well head there but would probably not meet the Saudi King or Crown Prince.
However, a week later, further circulated reports made him confess that he was
going to participate in the GCC Consultative Summit hosted by Saudi Arabia, and
to which the leaders of the US, Egypt, Iraq, and Jordan were invited. He added
that he will meet the convening leaders there.
President Biden’s evasive replies lack cleverness because they are simply
untrue. Nobody believes them. Not even that minority that opposes his visit to
Riyadh. The President thinks that by resorting to evasiveness, he can avoid
embarrassment, especially since he had made a promise during the elections,
which he is now about to break.
Everyone, including his friends and opponents, knows that he will eventually
visit Saudi Arabia and meet up with King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince
Mohammed bin Salman, probably more than once and in private. Everyone knows that
the President is not telling the truth at all. Hence, the question arises of why
would he expose himself to such an embarrassing situation again?
While a presidential candidate, former US President Donald Trump had said even
worse things about Saudi Arabia than Biden or any other previous US president.
However, he convened with his administration’s leading figures once he started
his presidential term. He quickly decided to make Riyadh the first overseas
capital he would visit on a presidential tour.
Compared to Trump, President Biden seems to be a more cautious politician who
wishes to get closer to Saudi Arabia, but through evasive rhetoric and lengthy
approaches. He dispatched several his acting officials over the last few months
to meet with the Crown Prince, including the US Secretary of State and the CIA
Director. Similarly, the US Chief of Staff visited Al Diriyah Joint Forces
Command in Riyadh. The US Administration hosted Saudi Deputy Defense Minister
Prince Khalid bin Salman. He met with the US National Security Advisor and the
Secretary of Defense.
Before the recent major global events, President Biden started efforts to mend
the relationship with Saudi Arabia early on. In October 2021, he dispatched his
National Security Advisor Jack Sullivan to Riyadh, some four months before the
Russian invasion of Ukraine and the price hike of oil barrels to $80. In other
words, the US Administration is fully aware of the priorities of its national
interests.
However, Biden, who wished to appear with a variant political approach than
Trump regarding relations with Saudi Arabia – probably in response to pressure
by distinct sides – has wasted his time attempting to appease a minimal sector
in the US. Eventually, he ended up prioritizing US’s higher national interests.
Nevertheless, Washington needs to mend its relations with its major partners
significantly as the conditions on the global level are worsening rather than
improving, particularly with the mounting threatening geopolitical stances of
Iran and China, let alone the Russian war in Europe, which revived oil and gas
as two effective weapons in the international geopolitical game.
At any rate, Biden is not the first US President to have disagreements with
Saudi Arabia, and the history of Washington’s ties with Riyadh has had several
electoral thorns. Meanwhile, all US presidents – with no exception to the best
of my knowledge – become good friends of Saudi Arabia once they make it to the
White House.
It is customary for presidential candidates to try to appease US segments
regarding issues such as women’s rights, oil, Israel, or the churches. Even
during normal times, when US delegations met with their Saudi counterparts, they
suggested to the latter hearing observations made by the former on issues like
“reservations on the status of Saudi women” without having to comment on them.
It indicates that such observations are made only to appease sides in the US
that later would scrutinize the minutes of such meetings to make sure that these
observations were made clear by the US Government to Riyadh. It was the method
according to which both parties met up and skipped discussing any controversial
issues. Most of the problems that US official delegations had earlier raised
have become passe following the critical social and economic shifts in Saudi
Arabia.
Amongst other thorny and controversial issues, Riyadh wishes to keep Russia as a
significant oil reserve that can guarantee stability in the oil market. It also
aspires to preserve China as a primary importer of its oil. Last but never
least, it would never accept Iran’s takeover of Yemen, which is situated in its
southern backyard, as Tehran already did with Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and the Gaza
Strip.
Hopefully, suppose the two nations’ leaders meet up in mid-July as expected. In
that case, they might work together to resolve these disputes and develop a
mutual agreement. In the meantime, this should not give the false impression
that US-Saudi ties are at their best nowadays.